From bobg@Radix.Net Tue Jun 13 08:14:39 EDT 2000
Article: 220425 of rec.running
Path: news1.radix.net!saltmine.radix.net!not-for-mail
From: bobg@Radix.Net (Robert Grumbine)
Newsgroups: rec.running
Subject: A day at the races
Date: 12 Jun 2000 09:39:53 -0400
Organization: RadixNet
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Xref: news1.radix.net rec.running:220425
Status: R

  A scorcher at the track.  Both the sun (clear day, light breeze, and 
pushing 100 F (38 C)) and some of the running.

  Saturday I went to a local town's 'Olympics'.  It was mostly for the
kids with extensive track events for the 6-11 year olds, and afterwards
they had a good set of both track and field events for the 12-18 year olds.
In between they let the parents (and grandparents, of which we had a few)
on the track.

  Distance events, as I expected, were pretty well under-represented.
The adults wound up with 55, 100, 200, 400, 1500.  But 1500 was first,
and I ran that.  My first time running 1500 rather than 1600/mile.  I
tried to run it like a short mile.  

  Only 8 souls braved this tremendously long distance, including a 
couple of the youngsters.  When the gun went off, I tried to go out
on a nice relaxed but quick pace.  Hit the 100m point and something
is very wrong in the universe -- I'm leading.  Oh well, try to stay in
good form, steady pace, and hope I haven't blasted out the first quarter
(again).  Coming around to 400m, which I hit very close to goal, I'm
still in the lead.  Something _very_ wrong with the universe, and (as
splits later showed) I slowed down markedly -- 9 seconds down for that
second lap.  But, to my comfort regarding the shape of things in the 
universe, the youngsters pass me during that lap.  On the other hand,
so did a guy who looked about my age.  Two laps to go, and I've always
held that the mile is made on the third lap.  The first two (in spite
of my great sag) are run off the gun, and the last is run towards the
finish line.  The third is the challenge.  So, start of the third I
try to pick up the pace a little.  Start reeling in the guy more my
age.  And ... I do.  Amazing.  Start the last lap and focus on form,
flowing down the track, finishing up strong.  I give the occasional
kick by way of telling myself that the other guy could be closing.
Hit the home straight having held distance with respect to the kids
for the last lap and a half (they ran shoulder to shoulder) and cruise
across the line.  No bears, which I do attract on a full out mile,
typically starting with about 300m to go, so I'm wondering if we all
just slowed badly on the last two laps.  

  Finally get to the point of checking my time -- and have blown away 
my prior PR by 20 seconds! I ran the race on negative splits (really, 
even splits if you ignore the slow second lap), which is a first for 
me in the mile (ever).  And, having done it without attracting the
bear, there's no question that there's more time to come off.  The
pace averaged out to be just on target for what I'd hoped that day
in spite (because?) of the slow second lap.  And ... major personal
milestones are finally crossed.  I've now gone under the N minutes/mile
goal I've been somewhat obsessing about for the last couple of years
(last year's N:03.3 was very frustrating!) _and_ beaten my slowest time 
in the mile from high school -- by 10 seconds.  16 seconds to go for
my high school best.

  The rest of the day for me is gravy.  The 55m was run immediately
after the 1500, so I skipped that.  But then they ran 100, and hey,
why not?  I line up (the only guy doing a standing start for this,
including there having been a couple of guys bringing their only 
starting blocks) and have at it.  Never been very happy with the 
quality of the timing on my 100m best -- as it was self timed.  If
nothing else, this will give me a proper time.  Gun goes off and I
get what is for me a good start, and barrel down the track (reminder:
Don't run a sprint while wearing a watch that is on a stretch band --
it keeps trying to fly off your wrist!) in last place as expected.
Not expected was that a) it wasn't by immense distances and b) it
was a PR by 0.4 seconds.  I'll take a PR!

  Since we've been talking about how to run the 400 I had to sign up for 
that, even though after taking 1.4 seconds off my best for it only 2 
weeks ago I didn't think there was a lot more to come.  On the other 
hand, as I noted from the reports from the 800m training, I thought 
there had to be some as I'd run close to that best in 800m practice last
week.  Before starting (it's a sprint, no time to think after the start) 
I run down the plan, as developed from comments here and my experience: 
First 75m, hard but not trying to hammer out of the start, next 125 
cruise quickly and in good form, last 200 run full out expecting a bear 
at 300m.  Only three of us running and I also arranged to take the 
outermost lane so as to have some possibility of the other two passing 
me in the turns and thereby give me a little adrenaline assistance.  
('course if they pass me while I'm still entering the first turn, not 
much help!)  

  This time when the gun goes off, I get a terrible start even by 
my standards.  Oh well, I've already got two PR's but we'll run the
plan as best as possible.  As expected, the guy in lane 2 (I'm in 3) 
passes me -- but not until coming out of the first turn, which helped
me carry out part one of the plan.  Part two, I run following him,
trying to cruise behind.  Approaching the 200m mark, I start the 
'finishing kick' and am looking for the lane 1 fellow to be passing
in the turn.  (Not literally -- I _never_ look backwards in a race,
barely even side to side.)  Never hear him, but tell myself that he
could be surging so I have to keep going full out.  Pick up the bear
coming out of the turn, right on time, and put forth everything
that is left on the last 100.  And it works!  Final time is a PR
by another 3.1 seconds!  

  Personal significance to the 400m: It matches or is only a second
behind the fastest 400's I know I ran in high school (the first 400's 
of our 400 interval days) and is only 3 seconds (the amount just taken!) 
off my best (but suspect) timing ever.

  Just an incredible day.  3 races -> 3 PR's, and two of them by huge
margins.  The two also bear promise of much more to come with due
training.  The aid in the 400 of having someone to run after was 
tremendous (probably helpd the 1500 a lot as well).  Side bonus was
they were giving out medals per age-group so I acquired some hardware
(silver in the 100, there being only 2 in my group, gold on 1500 where,
egads, I wasn't running alone in group, and a gold on 400 where I was --
the other two were a decade up from me.)  It may be shallow, but I'm
also happy with the hardware.  Not to the point of wearing it in to work,
but happy.
 
  Also through the day, a lot of conversation with some nice folks.
And we got to watch a 15 year old set the meet/age group record
for the 1500 -- 4:32.  It is hard to tell how fast someone is going
when they're alone on the track and running in good form.  

-- 
Robert Grumbine http://www.radix.net/~bobg/ Science faqs and amateur activities notes and links.
Sagredo (Galileo Galilei) "You present these recondite matters with too much 
evidence and ease; this great facility makes them less appreciated than they 
would be had they been presented in a more abstruse manner." Two New Sciences