Mt. Sac the Races

It’s been about a week since my last article. It’s been a crazy whirlwind week of racing, travelling, repacking and travelling.  The Mt. Sac trip was only a week ago but it feels like an eternity.

There’s not much to say about my first two races of the season. My race plan was good. I wasn’t going to lead, I was going to begin conservative, starting out in 61-62ish so I would have something left for the second lap. I finished disappointed with my times, I expected much better of myself but my legs just didn’t have it. I raced in two 800’s on back to back days running a disappointing 2:08 (actually they were about .2 apart).  I don’t think I’m lacking the fitness the way these terrible race times suggest. I wasn’t keeled over in a state of exhaustion after the races, instead I was only moderately fatigued in my lungs but my legs…...  My times speak to the heaviness that consumed my legs. My quads and hips felt like blocks, it was as if each individual muscle had been glued together. Through the whole second lap I felt as if I was fighting against my body instead of working with it and racing. I believe there is a big difference between fighting against your body and working with your body to fight for a place.

There are a few reasons why I think the races went the way they did. It could have been the migraine I had the day before due to my completely stiff neck and shoulders. Or possibly the lack of race efficiency due to having a very long time between races. I have been taking a lower dose of Adviar and this could have affected my breathing without realizing it. More realistically, it was probably the last two months of modified workouts. I have had no choice but to cross train and my legs, especially my quads, have been forced to work from a shortened position. Both the elliptical and the bike seem to have forced my legs to move through a shorter range of motion and this may have strengthened them in a position that will affect my already short stride. I never realized until now the amount you extend your leg during running. This is of course compared to other forms of cross training. I think this is important to be aware of this in the future. My focus has been on keeping my aerobic base and keeping the lungs strong but I also need to be aware of how I am working my legs.

I realize that for now these races are about process…process, process, process. I am aware they’re not going to be optimal. I think it’s important to focus on trying to stay strong and stay positive! I need to try and look at each race as getting closer to where I want to be, I am racing myself into shape. My efficiency is not there but my aerobics should be. I’ve done this before. I’ll do it again!