8/26/07 Brooklyn Fair 5K Road Race 3.1 miles 21:08 (6:48) 13th
Holy cow! Hills, hills everywhere and not a drop to drink. Plus the sun was out. This course wasn't very pleasant. It's a heads-up for me though. Our team runs at Millbury this year, which is also a tough hilly course. Now I know we all need some serious hill training before that race.
But anyway, about today. I didn't feel to great even before the race started. I went out too fast for the course (but I had no idea there were so many hills). I uncharacteristically slowed down as the race got longer. The sun didn't help. There was a water station at about mile two, but I knocked the water out of the poor guy's hand instead of actually grabbing it. That helped. The finish went through the fresh smells of farm animals and hot dog stands. Nevertheless, I set a new PR and finished 13th. Title links to results.
9/8/07 Hubbardston Library 5K Road Race 3.1 miles 19:43 (6:21) 12th
My dad told me the course was flat, so I went out at a pace designed for a flat course. The only problem is, it wasn't as flat as he had been telling me. If I had known the course, I would have gone out less aggressively, and probably wouldn't have slowed down, and ran a faster time. However, I still set another new 5K PR.
9/14/07 vs Southbridge 2.7 miles 17:27 (6:27) 2nd
I felt like I was going faster, but all of the training I've been doing in the past two weeks has been long runs between five to seven miles. I hadn't had any strength-related running. I was used to running five miles, not two-point-six. Although it was a course best for me by 30 seconds, and my highest finish ever, I'm disappointed. I know I could've done a lot better.
9/18/07 at David Prouty 2.6 miles 16:41 (6:25) 1st
The course included steep uphill and downhills, but it was generally easy. Each uphill segment brought about an equally steep downhill segment, seeing as we started and finished at the same spot. I ran at a good pace for the course. Dan was next to or in front of me for the first mile or so, but I pulled away from there. The uphills weren't a challenge until the last uphill to the grassy slope, which I did not attack as violently as I could have, seeing as I still had 3/4 of a mile to go. I rode the hill on the way to the track, letting my feet turn over to the last quarter mile. I got myself to the finish as fast as I could, and won. (Of course, I didn't succeed in grabbing my "stick" [which was really a post-it note] at the finish, which is becoming my trademark finishing move...)
9/21/07 vs Northbridge 2.7 miles 17:05 (6:19) 2nd
I was tired from pep rally. I will do better.
9/25/07 vs Grafton + Auburn 2.7 miles 17:07 (6:20) 7th
I felt like I was going much faster than I actually was. For whatever reason, what seemed to be 30 seconds faster, was actually 2 seconds slower than my last race at home.
9/28/07 at Sheperd Hill, + Quaboag 3.05 miles 19:40 (6:26) 8th
I thought I was going fast, yet I did not feel as if I were exerting a high amount of effort. The seemingly "easy" race pace is a sign that I am in very good condition. I actually won the meet against Quaboag, but finished behind seven SH runners. I passed one SH runner within the last quarter mile, after gradually catching up to him in the last mile.
10/3/07 at Tantasqua, + Bartlett 2.9 miles 18:24 (6:20) 8th
I forgot to bring something extra to eat between lunch and the race, so I ran after not eating anything for three and a half hours. I didn't feel that I was running as fast as I was. I would've run about five seconds per mile faster if i had remembered the food. It's not good to eat right before a run. I usually give two hours.. but three and a half is way too long to go without food before running.
10/10/07 at Millbury, + Uxbridge 2.9 miles 18:27 (6:21) 8th
Same pace again. During practice, too much time has been spent going long, and not enough has been spent going fast. Otherwise, I'd improve over a month. (See pace for 9/8 race.)
10/14/07 Rutland Pumpkin Paddle 5K 3.1 miles 19:16 (6:12) 4th
So yeah, about not going fast enough in training? Speedwork day on Friday. I followed it up by shattering personal records. 6:12 is my fastest pace ever for anything longer than one mile. I enjoyed the course, the race, the pace, the time.. everything. The weather was beautiful, except for a slight breeze every once in a while. Low 50's, cool but sunny; perfect running weather. The course was great too, except for the fact that most of the uphills were in the end, after most of the downhills being in the beginning. It went through a trail for a portion. I finished first in my age group.
10/20/07 CMS WSC Training Race 5K 3.1 miles 19:24 (6:14) 1st
No Wachusett? No problem. Me, Dan, and Matt wore our uniforms to the weekly CMS training race and I have to say it wasn't a bad idea. We finished 1-2-3. Dan started off fast as usual, I slowly gained ground on him (part due to him almost going the wrong way, part due to me speeding up/him slowing down), I passed him at about the 2nd mile mark, and put distance between us from then to the finish. It was my 2nd fastest race ever, my first being the one I ran last weekend.
10/25/07 SWCL Meet 2.73 miles 16:43 (6:07) 28th
That's redemption.
Freshman year dual meet at Southbridge: Got lost
Junior year dual meet at Southbridge: 1:00 per mile slow
Junior year SWCL meet at Southbridge: Slow again, nothing I desired to remember.
Senior year SWCL meet at Southbridge: My fastest race ever.
After three terrible races at Southbridge, I had one last chance to have a good race on the course. I came through, running 5 seconds per mile faster than my previous fastest pace (6:12 on 10/14). It was fast. Most importantly, I cannot recall a part of the race in which I feel I could've done better. I did my best. It was a great race.
And I wasn't the only one. Dan, Noelle, Christine, and Katherine all ran their best races of the season, most shattering previous bests. None of us won the race, but we ran like champions.
11/10/07 Districts 2.9 miles 18:46 (6:28) 107th
Terrible.