As I am driving home from the 2013 Husky Invitational I am reflecting on the start of the 2013 season. Today was my first race at the beautiful oversized University of Washington Indoor Track. Going back to my college roots with the 800 meter I am starting off with a little speed work. The last time I ran an 800 was exactly one year ago at this same meet in 2012. This time, only tenths of a second off my PR (Personal Record), I start my season off with a 1.46.5 and a WIN! 2013 is off with a BANG!
The race went out quick with a rabbit setting a quick pace in front of the field. I settled in towards the back of the pack staying connected but not overextending myself in the first 400 meters. One of the keys to racing is patience. Through the 400 I remained in the 2nd half of the pack with my eye on the leaders. I was watching for the leaders to make a move to pick up the pace so that I could respond quickly. With just 1 lap to go I found myself in a box (surrounded by other runners) without a clear lane to move up, so I moved to the outside of the pack. Feeling strong I made a gradual move along the backstretch and settled in again around the curve. I saved my energy around the curve using the momentum of the pack. Slingshot-ing around the end of the curve I positioned myself in the second lane allowing a clear lane to the finish line. I moved to my final gear, feeling smooth and strong and pumping my arms hard. I was still several places from the front but I began to sail by the other runners who were feeling the burn of the race in their legs. With about 10 meters to go I sailed into first place and secured a win.
The race went out quick with a rabbit setting a quick pace in front of the field. I settled in towards the back of the pack staying connected but not overextending myself in the first 400 meters. One of the keys to racing is patience. Through the 400 I remained in the 2nd half of the pack with my eye on the leaders. I was watching for the leaders to make a move to pick up the pace so that I could respond quickly. With just 1 lap to go I found myself in a box (surrounded by other runners) without a clear lane to move up, so I moved to the outside of the pack. Feeling strong I made a gradual move along the backstretch and settled in again around the curve. I saved my energy around the curve using the momentum of the pack. Slingshot-ing around the end of the curve I positioned myself in the second lane allowing a clear lane to the finish line. I moved to my final gear, feeling smooth and strong and pumping my arms hard. I was still several places from the front but I began to sail by the other runners who were feeling the burn of the race in their legs. With about 10 meters to go I sailed into first place and secured a win.
| I feel blessed for a strong race and a great start to the season. I thank God for giving me health and strength to compete at this level. Thank you to my family, friends, and fans for cheering me on and making this such a wonderful experience for me as an athlete! Cheers to the start of a great 2013 season!! See you next weekend in New York City for the Millrose Games! | Running Tip #3: Use the buddy system. Run with a friend or a group of friends to take your training up a notch. Running with friends requires you to adapt to different paces and is also a lot of fun! Happy running! |
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