What I cannot stress enough

Consistency is everything in this sport. Keep on truckin' and it will all pan out. Avoid setbacks at all costs. Take your multivitamins if you get sick, get your sleep when you feel run down, even when you don't, ice your injuries, don't overstretch, strengthen your weak points, whether that be speed, endurance, a part of your body that always gives you trouble, whatever your weak point is, strengthen it. Eat as much as you need to recover, just avoid setbacks and you will be fast. Consistent training is everything.

Getting Back Up From The Fall

My title has two meanings, because this track season, I had to A) recover with a less than ideal fall cross country season and B) learn the steeplechase, my new event in which I fell down in as many races as I stayed upright. But I definitely grew as an athlete and the season reaffirmed my belief in the long-term and the value of patience. I'm very grateful that my season went by without injury and that I made serious leaps in my fitness.

My first race was a 5k at Davis, where I ran a terrible race. The only redeeming part was kicking down Erick Garcia and passing him on the inside.

My second race, a steeplechase at Sac State where I ran unattached, was a great introduction to the event. After I finished in 9:37, I was so fired up I wanted to race it again. I ran very conservatively, because I was worried about hitting the wall and injuring myself. Looking back, my form was absolutely atrocious at this meet, and I can't believe I came through without an injury. But seriously, now I was stoked for track season because I got to run the coolest event. And even cooler - I had run the conference qualifier in my first race!

Heading into April, I kept working on my hurdle form, which got a lot better once we got some alumni - Tim and Jessica Helms - to show us proper form and some new drills. At the Chico Distance Carnival, I went into the race gunning for the regional qualifier - 9:07. After going through 4 laps at regional pace, I even started to pick it up and pass people. But coming through the backstretch the knee of my trail leg hit the barrier and I was down in a heap. According to my coach, because I was in such a fog that I don't remember how it happened, I was on the ground for two or three seconds and then got up facing the wrong way. So I had to turn around and race again with a sore knee. And although I still managed to PR by 10 seconds in 9:27, I was pretty bummed that I hadn't been able to get the qualifier. The only good thing was that I didn't permanently damage my knee, I just got a major bruise.

The next week was Woody Wilson. I wasn't able to get my head into the race, and I was only able to run a 9:25 when I should have been up with the leaders. But this race definitely taught me to focus just on the race and not let other parts of my life get in the way.

And then came my best race of the season at the Causeway Classic - this was a serious breakthrough race. After the Woody Wilson steeple where I didn't put it on the line, I stepped up big time for this 3k. In the race, I actually executed tactically pretty well. After running :68, :70, :64, and :70 for the first four laps, I was right on the back of the second pack. With 1200 to go I was hurting and was right behind a teammate and a Sac State guy, but coming up to 1k to go I felt like the pace slowed so I just threw in a burst of speed to keep the pace at :70. With 600 to go I was in fourth, having passed a couple other guys I started pushing. The race up front had been between my teammates Jonathan Peterson and KC Cody as well as Sac State's Dominic Vogl. So I picked up the pace, trying to catch the Sac State guy in third, who was easily 50-70 yards ahead at this point I would say. So I really turned it on, and pulled even with him with 200 to go. At that point I had really started to run out of steam and I felt myself giving up. But I buckled down, ignored my aching legs, picked up my turnover, and gave it my all. I passed him on the turn coming in to the homestretch and kept going. I did look back twice, but I couldn't tell how fast I was going anymore, and I was worried I was going to lose right there. But I finished in third with a huge PR - 8:29!!! - and just felt amazing. The time converts to a 9:05 two mile or so, so I can be really proud of my time. My last 600 was a 1:37, and the last 200 was a :31!!! Nice finishing speed right there. What was even cooler was that the UCD guys finished 1-2-3 and my effort had displaced Vogl, making the team score even for the last event - the 4x400. Although we lost in a close battle, it was really cool to see my effort pay off for the team.

Flying down to Irvine was my first flight with the team, which was pretty cool. I really liked the outside water barrier, even though I made a fool of myself by almost falling in it as I warmed up. I felt really in control of myself in this race, and the conditions were perfect. Although we were on regional pace through 3 laps, I slowed down with the leaders on the fourth lap. Moving up from 3rd to 1st in the fifth lap, I knew I was going to have to really start moving if I wanted to get 9:07. I really went after it with 800 left, and after coming through in the lead at the bell, my legs really started feeling weighted down. But I kept driving, and was still in the lead coming up to the water barrier with 150 left. But going over I caught my trail leg and face-planted in the water. I got up quickly but was in second for good, coming through in 9:15. At this point I felt like fitness-wise I was ready for a sub-9:10 at least, but wasn't getting it thanks to all of my falls.

So after a week off from competing, it was time for Big West!! I was chosen to run the steeple with my teammate, Kyle Suarez, down in sunny Northridge. I couldn't believe that I was actually going as a freshman, I had never thought of myself as good enough. So I competed at 9:45 in the morning, and it was already in the 80s and I was sweating like crazy. We dumped a bunch of water over ourselves right before the race, and then off we went. I was in the second third of the pack for the first lap, and then surged through the water pit and pushed into third. I settled in there for a couple more laps, then pushed up to second place, right off the leader's shoulder. And it was cool, my form was so much better than the leader's that I would actually hurdle into first place over every barrier, and he would have to surge to catch up again! But with four laps down, Mike Powers and some other guy went by me into the lead. And I tried to go with them, but my legs just didn't respond. I got passed by three more guys in the course of the next two laps. I definitely didn't have my usual kick, which was disappointing, but considering my allergies/cold and the heat, I was pretty satisfied with my result. Looking back on the season, I am very happy with how far I've come, it's been a lot of fun.

So yeah, now it's two weeks off and then I start ramping up for cross country again. I have a lot of goals for this season, I'm amped to get training again.

Lydiard's Training

If anyone has books they recommend describing Lydiard's training methods, please let me know. I would really like to read up on his ideas, they seem to have worked wonders for his runners in the Olympics!

Demons

FIRST CALL FOR THE MILE RUN
His heart twisted around in his chest like a wild animal; it was an absolutely wrenching shot of adrenaline. They were going to run it after all! He was going to have to go through with it!
Then he got control again and steadied himself.
...
SECOND CALL FOR THE MILE RUN
Flash went another shot of adrenaline through his veins - he took two gasping breaths that seemed wrenching from his body as if from one tossed suddenly into an icy sea. He got control again, this time with difficulty.

Cassidy looked Denton in the eye very briefly, then smiled. He gripped Denton's forearm and held it hard for a moment. Then he turned back and ran off down the track. So, Denton thought to himself. He had seen it in Cassidy's eye. So there it is after all.

- Once a Runner

So as the season ends for many of us the question will be; "Is it there after all?"
Will it be there when we need it for the last qualifying rounds? If it is not for some reason, will it be there in the fall? A year from now? When we want it most? When our demons just want to wail on?

The Black Ice Knee Fiasco and Comeback

So about two months ago I was out for my long run up in the foothills and slipped on black ice, fell on my right knee and gashed it pretty bad. I got it cleaned out by our trainers, a couple small rocks were taken out and then I waited for the swelling to go away and tried running after 5 days of biking. This was probably not too soon but then my knee swelled up to the point I couldnt walk so I went to the doctor and it was found I had a fever and strep, caused by an infection and not swelling of the injury. This was kind of good news because I thought something was wrong with my IT band and that would have taken longer to heal than the infection and swelling to go away. After another week off I had taken a total of 2 weeks off with two short runs in the middle, but at least was pain free and ready to run.

After the black ice knee fiasco, things have been getting better. I have a February and March of training that can only be described as crap, with 3 workouts in that time and three weeks above 50. Amazingly my third workout was great... 8, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 8 very quick for the training up to that point - 2:23/66/30/64/30/62/29/2:13. That was nothing short of a breakthrough in training, then three days later was the fall and back to square one. Now I am running really consistently, I hope to be ready come November, the month of resolve.

After talking with Gary (my coach) about a comeback plan, we decided that there is no need to try to salvage the season as far as running fast times, but really just putting in good miles and workouts to help in the future. The other thing is to race a few 5ks in order to learn how to race the distance on the track. My first collegiate track race was at the end of my third week back; a 1500 in 4:09. We chose the 15 because otherwise I would have had to run 5ks on back to back weekends, which I dont think is the greatest idea when not in shape. I think that was a pretty good sign because I had pretty much only done tempo work up to that point, and nothing under 5 minute pace except strides since the aforementioned workout, so a 4:26/4:27 mile equivalent is fine with me, last season I had opened with a 4:32 off far more consistent training.

A week later I raced my first 5k, which was not as successful, but it is easy to see why. I was at the end of my first 75 mile week since January, my shoe came untied in the 3rd lap, it was my first 5k, my training was up to that point very inconsistent, it was ridiculously windy on the last turn, etc. My initial response was anger at seeing 15:46 but in retrospect I don't see why I should have expected to run very much faster than that given the circumstances. Right now I feel like I am rolling pretty well though, having just completed my first 80 mile week since October, then doing another 80 and handling the fatigue pretty well.

This last weekend I ran at a last chance meet put on by Santa Clara University and USF, a 3k. It went decently I suppose, it was hot and for some reason the other runners in the race thought I shouldnt be in second place. I was passed on every 200 by someone even though I was trying to not let people in by keeping close to the runner in front of me and eventually shuffled to 7th place by the mile, which I ran in 4:45, off of completely even splits (71 points). On lap 5 I must have run a very slow split and I think I only passed one person. Over the next lap I passed 3 more, then 2 more at 600 to go. I was repassed at 300 to go despite having made a good surge at 600 out and again at 400 out, held onto whoever that was and then ran away in the last 200 to get 2nd place in 8:57, which is about a 9:35 3200. Damned positive splits (5th lap). First place, Cheyne Inman, had just run away with it and it became a race for 2nd after the mile. Later we put together a 4x4 and I split like 56. At the end of an 80 mile week, and 6 weeks of training after 2 weeks off, plus a horrible February with no workouts and low mileage, I will accept those times. It was a good experience, putting in random surges late in the race.

This weekend I have a 5k at Davis, assuming I get in. Hopefully dropping down to 55 miles this week will give my legs the freshness they need in order to run well at that distance.

I have recently applied to a job in Montana at a resort in Glacier National Park which is at 5k ft and hope to get that. The resort is called St. Mary Lodge and Resort, located on St. Mary Lake. If I get the job I will stay there from June 1st-ish until August 10th-ish then go to Chico XC's week of camp in Tahoe. Some other guys that are in for the Montana gig include Torrey Olson, Matt Duffy, Charlie Enscoe, my teammate Cameron and some other assorted runners that Torrey knows. If I don't get the job I will stay in the Bay and work for my dad and try to get to altitude a few times. I got a call today from them but wasnt around to pick it up, called back and got their answering machine, didnt know what kind of message I could possibly leave so I didnt. I wonder why they havent just emailed me... Im kind of excited/worried to see what the call was about.

Causeway Classic

Well, it's coming up to championship time. I feel like it's high school all over again, and we're having our last couple of meets before we really buckle down for the big-time. My fitness has improved in leaps and bounds this season, it's been an enjoyable ride. My most recent steeple was a let-down, but I made up for it in a big way at the most recent meet - in the 3k in the Causeway Classic against Sac State. Although my laps were slightly inconsistent to begin with, I settled in at 70s for the 3-5th laps, passing a couple people until I found myself in fourth place with 1200 to go, a good 50-70 meters back of third place. So with 600 to go I started my drive for the finish, coming closer and closer to Sac State's Dominic Vogl until I'm right behind him with 200 to go. As we round the curve coming to the homestretch I just push through the lactic acid wall and pick up my rhythm and go for broke. I ended up in third in 8:29.97, an exciting finish behind my teammates Jonathan Peterson and KC Cody. In the last 600 I managed a 1:37 and the last 200 in :31. Pretty sweet day.

Recent Quad Meet

So, I ran the 5k recently at a home meet against Fresno State, Stanford, and USF. So the conditions were hardly ideal, sunny with 15-20 mph winds, so I didn't run a great time. But nevertheless, I had a fun finish, and here's some photos to prove it:









That was the most dramatic finish I've been in, and it was against Erick Garcia no less, a 9:09 2-miler and 15:30 at Woodward!