Notes
STEEPLECHASE
NYSCTC Steeplechase, fast heat with Aldous and Joe. I was seeded 4th with my 9:48 from the Engineers Cup, so goal was to q up for ECACs and place top 4. Got out well and after a not too fast first 200 got into 4th place. Felt ok but the pace was feeling pretty hot already and I let the top 3 go early. Never felt relaxed at all. I was focused, stayed positive, it was a fast first half (2:30 800, 5:06 1600?). My water barriers were great, my hurdling was fine except that the 2 or 3 times I led with my right leg I stepped on the hurdle, even early on. Got passed throughout the race, worked to hang with them but I never passed anyone the whole race after the first 200m.
Definitely really disappointing. I scored at states for the first time, and it was my second fastest time ever, so yes, it was a superior performance to anything I did last year. But it wasn't anything close to what I wanted. Goal for races is always to run smart and tough and today I can't 100% say I did both. I went out hard, but I didn't try and mix it up with the top 3 so, instead I was just running scared the whole race waiting for people to come pass me (and hoping they didn't). It was not a positive attitude at all, I just felt like I was running bad the entire time. But still, I was in contact with 4-7 going into the last race, should have fought harder to go and get them back.
So maybe it would have been smarter to hang back a little more early on and then attack later. May have been a smarter way to run that would have kept me in the right state of mind. But , I really did think I could be 4th, but since I didn't commit to running with the leaders I think I would have been better off sitting back. Also, totally sabotaged myself by being way too heavy. My diet has been crap, I nEED to fix it. Aldous said cutting sugar was key to him PRing (and he said freshman year , the last Time he pred, he cut dairy and sugar).
But, I KNOW I'm in good shape, I just haven't hit one yet. Will get one more shot next weekend and there is no reason that I shouldn't be able to AT LEAST pr, and really I should be able to qualify for ECACs.