Saturday May 3, 2008 (5000m 15:21.11)

PR. Pretty good race. Chris Raub was there on the infield yelling for me. Splits about 4:56, 4:52, 4:56, 36 = 15:21.11
Moves me up to number three on the Caltech all-time list, past Pete Cross (15:21.2).
Probably the worst thing I did was Thursday of this week, after not being able to run due to poison oak, I went a little stir-crazy and did some leg press. I didn't put on a whole lot of weight compared to what I've done in the past (290 compared to 400 lbs), but I probably did more reps, and also wasn't used to it. My legs were sore heading into the race. I don't know what possessed me to make me engage in such frivolty, but what's done is done. At least I had a race that didn't involve a horrible last mile.

It panned out much like the other races I've done this year. I started out all the way in back and moved up past people. I was even passing people as late as the last 800m of this race. I still had no significant kick. This time, though, that was partially due to my having a very strong urge to have a bowel movement right when the bell rang (I had 700 to go, and did not get lapped).

I didn't meet my goal of running faster than the CMS guys at Ben Brown, but I averaged faster than them over the year, anyway. Also, I improved my time just in time and just enough to stay ahead of Arianna Lambie, who ran 15:22 at Stanford on Sunday.

This puts a close on my 5000m season. Earlier in the year I thought I could go under 15:00, but I just didn't put the pieces together to do that. My training was inconsistent and a bit unfocused. My diet and lifestyle haven't been ideal. I'm probably five to eight pounds too heavy, thirty or forty hours behind on sleep over the last month, and three or four good workouts short of where I should have been. But, I guess I learned some things this season as well.
Back at the beginning of it, I essentially felt entitled to the times I expected to run later. It seemed inevitable. But nothing happens just because you think you deserve it. It only happens if you take responsibility to make it. I've chosen to train essentially on my own because I like that independence and wanted that freedom and responsibility. But I have yet to demonstrate that I'm truly competent in training myself. Over the next month I'll be moving on to 1500 training with the goal of breaking 4:00. I want to improve consistently over this month and set the pattern for a career of excellent training and racing.