Tomorrow marks the 2015 DCL Championship meet at Franklin Park, Boston and also marks my last ever race on the Franklin Park course. I am going to be crystal clear: I do not like Franklin Park; I despise its sharp turns, hard gravel paths that wear down your spikes and impossibly long and steep uphills. What really sucks is that this is coming less than a week after Barnstable, the fastest course in the DCL and possibly in New England. I would have rather had it vice versa so I could start off with a bad race but finish with a good one. Even during our meeting after practice yesterday, my coach stated, "We're not going to kid anybody; your time will be slower than on Saturday." The more annoying thing is that the race is on the same day as Halloween at school. Because it is a relatively early meet, me and the rest of the tea are being dismissed at 12:30, but the halloween assembly starts at 2:15. I was being "PC Principal" from Comedy Central's South Park and had been working on my impression for almost 3 weeks. But let's get back to running. As you've read I had already ran this course twice this season alone. My first meet this season where I embarrassingly ran a 12:03 2-mile and the race last Tuesday where I ran an 18:18 because it just was not my day (my best time at Franklin was an 18:02). I'm at least hoping that other runners have the problem that I do: Inconsistency in race performance. One race I'll feel great and run a great time, other times I will not feel good at all and end up running like s@#t. But I have yet to break 18 minutes on this course, and my parents (my dad especially) are begging that this be the day to do it, because I will have no more races there and do not want to miss my last chance.
I will have to pack an extra set of running clothes to change out of my PC Principal outfit, I will hydrate like crazy, and keep up my appetite. I will just try my best and do what I did on Saturday: Go out at a good pace the first mile, settle in and relax the second (with the huge hill), and then speed up the third and go all out down that last straightaway. It is not an easy course, but I will give it my all and do what I can. If I don't meet my parents expectations but I still feel good about it, then they can shove it. (Just kidding I love you mom&dad please don't kill me!).
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Twilight Invitational
This past saturday, 10/24 marked the 5th annual Bob McIntyre Twilight Meet at the Barnstable Fairgrounds in Cape Cod, MA. Barnstable is one of the fastest courses in the DCL, if not the fastest. The course is about 90% flat with a very slight 100m incline in the middle of the lap with a long downhill nearing the end. Combined with fast runners and a fast course, even novice runners can notice a significant change in their times. The only thing that made this meet quiet were the fact that our captains were not attending due to school and family-related affairs.
I was freaking out of nerves worse than at any other race I had ever run; I knew this could possibly be my only chance to get a good P.B. (personal best). As soon as the gun fired, I bolted, but not before being elbowed, kicked, spiked, and tripped by the 250 surrounding runners. The runner I always stick with, Vincent, was about 200m ahead of me at the start, this got worried me so I began to dodge my way around runners but was unable to find him again. During the second lap I attempted to conserve energy for the third, but then I saw a familiar head right in front of me. It was one of the Wayland boys, Zach, who I worked with at a day camp over the summer. He had beaten me every race this season and always gloated about it, but that was to be no more. I sped up along the uphill and past him and before I could tell, I was level with Vincent. When the second 1/2 of the third lap came around I began to stride to prepare for my ending kick. I passed Vincent and knew I had to stay in front of Zach. And when I saw the clock say 16:45 as I came down the 150m stretch, I gave it my all and sprinted as fast as I could. I passed through at 17:03, disappointed that I did not break 17, but satisfied with a new PB and that I beat both Zach and Vincent.
Before I knew it every boy on our team had gotten an astounding new PB that night, including some former "scrubs" finally breaking 19.
It feels so great to be back, despite how quiet it was that our captains were not there. I felt on top of the world, but I knew there would be greater expectations to follow in the future.
Me (3117), Zach (2933), and Vincent (3107) on our final lap.
I was freaking out of nerves worse than at any other race I had ever run; I knew this could possibly be my only chance to get a good P.B. (personal best). As soon as the gun fired, I bolted, but not before being elbowed, kicked, spiked, and tripped by the 250 surrounding runners. The runner I always stick with, Vincent, was about 200m ahead of me at the start, this got worried me so I began to dodge my way around runners but was unable to find him again. During the second lap I attempted to conserve energy for the third, but then I saw a familiar head right in front of me. It was one of the Wayland boys, Zach, who I worked with at a day camp over the summer. He had beaten me every race this season and always gloated about it, but that was to be no more. I sped up along the uphill and past him and before I could tell, I was level with Vincent. When the second 1/2 of the third lap came around I began to stride to prepare for my ending kick. I passed Vincent and knew I had to stay in front of Zach. And when I saw the clock say 16:45 as I came down the 150m stretch, I gave it my all and sprinted as fast as I could. I passed through at 17:03, disappointed that I did not break 17, but satisfied with a new PB and that I beat both Zach and Vincent.
Before I knew it every boy on our team had gotten an astounding new PB that night, including some former "scrubs" finally breaking 19.
It feels so great to be back, despite how quiet it was that our captains were not there. I felt on top of the world, but I knew there would be greater expectations to follow in the future.
Me (3117), Zach (2933), and Vincent (3107) on our final lap.
Monday, October 26, 2015
The following practice
This post is going to be different because for the first time in almost a month I will be covering a practice instead of another race. The captain (who will also rename nameless. He instead will be referred to as "M") has been requested the day before to get a blood test to see if his iron or ferritin levels are low, as these could possibly be the case for a naturally lower level of endurance, and therefore a much slower time. But as parallel with my dilemma, all of his tests came back negative. But one thing I did notice about M is that he was only struggling in races, but unlike with my story he seemed totally fine and full of energy during practice regardless of how hard or fast our workouts were. One other thing that makes M different is that while he is only about 5'9", he has a large BMI (165 lbs) due to his strength. M is the strongest person on our team, and his average 10-rep bench-press is 160 lbs. For an athlete, it is actually not uncommon for someone to bench around than his/her own weight, but for a distance runner, it is quite a lot. For instance, I am 5'4" and 120 lbs, my average 10-rep bench-press is about 105 lbs.
I am very happy to be back to my old good runner self, but it is very hard for me to relish in it knowing that there is another runner who was once sub-18 and now runs worse time as a senior than he did as a freshman. At least in my case it was only around a minute slower than my junior times. As I see him struggle and walk away after every race with a sense of doubt on his face, I feel increasingly ashamed for being all "woe is me" and feeling so sorry for myself. I wish I could help M, and it pains me to see him so unsatisifed and upset, despite he has lacrosse to look forward to in the spring. Only time will tell whether M gets over his block like I did, and who knows? Maybe he will come back stronger than ever, if not in cross country, maybe during indoor track (he won every 1000m race the past two years).
I am very happy to be back to my old good runner self, but it is very hard for me to relish in it knowing that there is another runner who was once sub-18 and now runs worse time as a senior than he did as a freshman. At least in my case it was only around a minute slower than my junior times. As I see him struggle and walk away after every race with a sense of doubt on his face, I feel increasingly ashamed for being all "woe is me" and feeling so sorry for myself. I wish I could help M, and it pains me to see him so unsatisifed and upset, despite he has lacrosse to look forward to in the spring. Only time will tell whether M gets over his block like I did, and who knows? Maybe he will come back stronger than ever, if not in cross country, maybe during indoor track (he won every 1000m race the past two years).
Last Home Meet
Underdog Billy Mills (722) becomes the first American to win the 10,000m race at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games
Today was actually very exciting because today was my last time I would ever race on our dreadful home course. Our course has been plagued by the natural tectonics under the surface. Bombarded with land blemishes like steep uphills, slanted straightaways, and hard sharp turns. It is by far one of the slowest courses in the DCL, and it is all on weak dirt and occasionally sand. I had just raced on this course a week ago and managed to pull an 18:44 compared with the 17:56 I ran last year. However, when the gun went off I shot out and began to almost stride through the first 400m. The mistake i had made the previous race was starting off too slow which made it harder to speed up in the middle and end. But for some reason I felt a sense of endorphins and confidence rush through me during the race, and with every person I passed I felt better and better. I made the effort to go out hard during the first mile, then settling in and conserving the second, then the last short lap came around and I bolted my way through the football field and up the hill. By the time I came back down the hill I used my kick to stride my way past the lake and up to the track. I felt as if I was nothing; light as a feather as I sprinted down the straightaway and crossed the line at 17:49. Even going as far as to beat the "second best" kid on my team who had beaten me at every meet this season, by four seconds. It was at this moment that I knew I was "back" and whatever had come over me was gone. It's kind of frightening now because my block was the whole reason I put this blog together. But there is one other person on our team who has come down with some sort of untreated block, the former captain. Today, he ran a 20:50, compared with his freshman time of 19:30, and his 5k record of 17:55 he ran as a sophomore. Now that I am, back, I cannot help but still not feel satisfied knowing that another runner has it far worse than I did and that I was feeling so bad for myself.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Meet Day
I know that it's been a while since I last wrote here. I have had a lot of other stuff/work/family matters get in the way and I sincerely apologize to those who have been waiting. So I'm writing this response to my first meet roughly a week after it happened so apologies for a possibility of low detail count.
On the bus ride to Franklin Park, MA I was disappointed to hear that I would be put into a relay with two of the JV rookies, (who, out of respect, shall remain nameless) rather than of the teammates who I've usually beaten in the past. However, I was relieved that it was just short of a 2-mile rather than a full 5k. It was around 85 degrees during warm up and I felt myself dragging along behind the rest of the pack; my trainer sneakers might as well have had weights duct-taped to the soles. The cap-gunshot for the first leg of the relay echoed throughout the field which signaled me to head down to the starting line to stride and prepare to perform the handoff. I purposely chose shoes heavier shoes to train in because it makes striding and sprinting in spikes feel much easier. My coach called me over and told me to just "run how I feel, don't get uncomfortable, don't kill yourself; it's still early and time does not really matter yet." Eventually the officials lined all of the second-leg runners up as we waited for our first legs to finish. It seemed a whole year had gone by by the time I saw the 6 foot 3 runner with our schools black uniform with the light blonde hair and the long legs racing towards the finish. I got in position with my left foot forward and my right arm back. I grabbed the baton and shot off the starting line. Your body is trained to forget the actual "race" part of the day; all I can say is that there actually was not a certain moment where I felt "I can't go on any further" like during practice. I thought it just s happened that I was "coming back" but I new the consequences of a comfortable race once I heard that my time was 12:03, which is roughly a minute slower than my usual 2-mile split in a 5k. I probably could have gone faster if I had actually ran to the point of exhaustion like I used to. I felt that day with a sense of disappointment that it was the slowest race I had run since my freshman year but also a sense of pride that I was actually able to get through an entire race.
On the bus ride to Franklin Park, MA I was disappointed to hear that I would be put into a relay with two of the JV rookies, (who, out of respect, shall remain nameless) rather than of the teammates who I've usually beaten in the past. However, I was relieved that it was just short of a 2-mile rather than a full 5k. It was around 85 degrees during warm up and I felt myself dragging along behind the rest of the pack; my trainer sneakers might as well have had weights duct-taped to the soles. The cap-gunshot for the first leg of the relay echoed throughout the field which signaled me to head down to the starting line to stride and prepare to perform the handoff. I purposely chose shoes heavier shoes to train in because it makes striding and sprinting in spikes feel much easier. My coach called me over and told me to just "run how I feel, don't get uncomfortable, don't kill yourself; it's still early and time does not really matter yet." Eventually the officials lined all of the second-leg runners up as we waited for our first legs to finish. It seemed a whole year had gone by by the time I saw the 6 foot 3 runner with our schools black uniform with the light blonde hair and the long legs racing towards the finish. I got in position with my left foot forward and my right arm back. I grabbed the baton and shot off the starting line. Your body is trained to forget the actual "race" part of the day; all I can say is that there actually was not a certain moment where I felt "I can't go on any further" like during practice. I thought it just s happened that I was "coming back" but I new the consequences of a comfortable race once I heard that my time was 12:03, which is roughly a minute slower than my usual 2-mile split in a 5k. I probably could have gone faster if I had actually ran to the point of exhaustion like I used to. I felt that day with a sense of disappointment that it was the slowest race I had run since my freshman year but also a sense of pride that I was actually able to get through an entire race.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Tips for struggling runners
After heavy consideration, I realize that most of you have come here to figure out how to get past any sort of "runner's block" you might be having just like me. And all that I've done is complain all woe-is-me and focus on the negative side to every issue when there are still people on the team who cannot run as well as me. This whole idea is not about me, and if I stated otherwise it would make me a narcissist. I know that I cannot be the only one going through some struggle and I have decided to, as a public service to you runners in need, go over some instruction about how to deal with your own physical and mental issues.
1. Focus On You
Stop worrying about all of the people having an easier time than you and thinking they judge you for your performance. Do not dwell on other teammate's faster times than yours and how they get greater recognition even if you "know for sure" that they do not work as hard at it as you do. Chances are, they are only worried about themselves and there own running and do not stress over those who struggle. Focus on running the way you want to in a way that makes you feel comfortable; and if you can't keep up with the others, at least stop comparing yourself to them.
2. Remain Positive
I know how cliche it sounds and I know for sure that it is definitely easier said than done. However, regardless of how you are feeling, you must find it in yourself to believe that this will not be forever; that there is always the chance to make a comeback, possibly even sudden. After all, when your desperate as I am, you'll try anything. Experiment with a recommended diet, spend more time working out rather than running, and even take a short break from the sport if you really feel you have to. But before trying these methods, consult your coach about how you are feeling and ask what s/he recommends.
3. Set reasonable boundaries and goals
If you are having as serious trouble with your running as I am, unfortunately, this means you'll have to lower your expectations and standards. If you are going to attempt at a race during your struggle, do not beat yourself down if your time is significantly slower than previously or even if you have to drop out. Don't expect to come right back even if you start to feel better; every great thing takes time. If you plan to still come to practice every day and do all of the same things that you could once power through, you should not think that you will feel the same if you try it today. Shorten your longer distance runs and slow time your expected time for tempo-runs and sprint drills.
Obviously I cannot say that these tips will necessarily help most of you (your condition may not be something mental); these tips come straight from me and they are my best attempt to help those of you with mental blocks. Running is not for everyone, but if you can follow these steps (or even look online for more), I can't say that easier workouts combined with positive self-reinforcement can further damage your running experience.
The last straw
After yesterday, I was hoping that because of our race in the coming days, today would be a recovery day. On recovery days, I usually would go out on a slow easy run for roughly 20-25 minutes (around 2 miles). But instead, my coach came up with the genius idea to have us to a workout on an 85 degree day on the loop of a reservoir. As I made my way to the starting line all I could think was "How much more of this can I handle before my heart gives out?" I got roughly a quarter of the way through with the rest of the team before I drifted off and began to carry whatever pace I could maintain, being passed by rookies in the process. It was and still is humiliating and difficult for me to accept these circumstances; knowing that I will no longer be the asset to the team that I once was and worst of all I will never be a good runner again due to some unknown syndrome I seemed to be suffering from. I heaved back to the starting area after finishing to find my group already gone on their 2nd lap..."2ND??? SERIOUSLY??? I turned to my coach and saw him gim me an unsatisfied sigh and turn away. That was all I needed; Without a single exchange of words, I picked myself up and jogged (unsuccessfully) back to the school, got in my car, and drove away; with tears running down my cheeks the whole time. I thought "Even he has lost faith in me." I still play that question over and over again in my mind over what to do "If I quit, I let my whole team down. But if I stick with it, my heart will fail before the end of the season."
A New Start
To nobody's surprise, and as most of my runs since this past summer have gone before, I felt awful during my run today. I went out on a 6 miler at one of the two local aqueducts in my town, and despite having easily done this exact trail several times in recent years, I had a very hard time keeping up with the rest of the team. At the start I actually felt ok, as does every runner, but the scorching heat and the rough road soon caught up with me. Less than 2 miles into the run, the burden of carrying my own body took over; my arms and shoulders shrugged upward, my breathing got faster and less consistent, and I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest. Earlier in the season I had imagined it was just the humidity and heat from the earlier weeks of September, but today was rather cool and cloudy. Finally at the 4 mile point, I saw my coach standing beside his car with a massive water jug; this was a huge sign of relief. On the way back I felt all of the same effects on my breathing, chest, and aching muscles until the run had finally ended. I had to wait in my car for roughly half an hour before I had the energy to drive home.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Introduction
As a former high school distance runner myself, I have decided that I will take the liberty to (literally) get back on track. My junior year in cross country I was the given the award for the Weston High School boys team MVP for my 17:27 5k. I first started running cross country and track my freshman year and my overall season did not go as well as I wanted. My friends and other team members were running much faster than I was and had an easier time improving their race times. This inspired me to go all out that following summer; through the blistering heat I pushed myself through 5-mile runs daily at tempo pace and despite having a hard time doing it, there was always a huge sense of satisfaction when I was finished. My sophomore year saw major improvement, with my 5k time going from 19:46 to 17:48. And in spring track, my mile time went down from 5:33 to a 4:51. I saw myself getting more and more varsity letters and awards as high school went on. I was never aware that this success was to be so short-lived. Suddenly during the spring of 2015 I have hit a major block for reasons unknown. My mile time went from a 4:51 to a 5:03. Deferred in my ability to run, I have lost all of my endurance, my running ability, and my will to break through whatever plateau I have hit. I have had test after test and the doctors so far have found nothing out of place; my father went so far as to ask me what could be worth me pretending to be bad at running. According to the doctors, I have normal ferritin, iron levels, heartbeat, breathing levels, and lung capacity. I'm not about to write off that this could be something mental, after all mild depression can occur in a loss of physical performance. Nowadays, whenever I think about running, it goes beyond making me sad; it makes me angry. Of all the years for this to happen, it had to be my senior year when boys are supposed to be at their best. I never knew how valuable to ability to run well was until I lost it all. With this blog, I will be reviewing a workout plan designed by a former marathoner (who shall remain nameless) that is meant for a "catch-up" in my performance. My goal with this is to 1. Figure what happened and how to be prevent it from occurring again, and/or 2. Make sure this never happens to another runner.
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