3000m Boston University Mini-Meet #3

Joe Shairs and I headed over to the 3^rd and last installment of the BU mini-meets to shave some time off our 3000m times we set a week ago. Our seed times (mine being 10:00) put us both in the same heat. The number 12 hip number put me up on the barrel start (lane 6) which is always fun. I jumped into the back end of the competition once we got going and settled in, seeing 39 to 40 second laps. I saw a 3:20 at 1K, on pace for a 10 minute race (goal was to break 10 minutes). After 8 laps, the clock time was 5:20. Joe was a few seconds up ahead. I did not take any advantage of Justin Renz moving by and chasing Joe with 6 laps to go. I was pretty flat but consistent. I passed a few runners that were coming back more than me pressing. I wound up with a finish time of 10:01.64, four seconds back from Joe (9:57.93) and matched my hip number, placing 12^th out of the 16 runners.  The 2.5 seconds delta (faster) than last week is progress. Meet results

On a side note, Shaun Dever from Greater Boston Track Club introduced himself to me. He saw my name in archives of the Wingfoot Express (newsletter). It was nice to see that he and the club have uncovered some archives going back into the mid to late 1990's.  

1 mile BU mini meet

I picked up Martin and drove to the last of the three mini-meets at Boston University. I got there in time to catch CMS teammate Scott Leslie take his heat of the 3K. There were several heats of the 3K and 400m before the mile event came up. My seed time of 4:52 put me into heat nine. My heat had seed times on the sheet two seconds quicker to three seconds slower. This gave me an idea where I sat among the competitors. I encouraged David Long to come to the meet at the Frosty Four and was excited to see him there in my heat. I warmed up inside the facility with laps outside the banked track with Rod Hemingway and Caleb Evanter from GBTC after watching the 1st heat of the mile.

The plan was to push a lap after 800m and see what happens. The race went out hard and I cautiously latched into the back of the race. Lap one was quick and noted a split of 35 after lap one. I was right behind Kevin Delaney, David, and Rod for the first four laps - seeing a 2:26 as I approached the clock (unsure of actual 800m split). I waited one more lap and wound up for a move into lane two passing the previously mentioned guys over that lap. I ran scared into the last 200m and just held them off where I could feel myself losing form. I got a time of 4:54.03 in a distant 5th place (4:45 won the heat). Check out the video of the race. My legs were pretty week as soon as I finished.

My goal was to break 4:50 but had a feeling based on recent workouts that such would be a challenge. I had some fun cheering on anyone I knew in the races and had to leave before the mile races ended. Looking ahead, I intend to run the Lazy Dog 3 mile road race in Lynn and enter into the GBTC Invitational with another mile. That mile event will get me started with the USATF All Terrain Race series.

Boston University Mini Meet #3 race results

BU mini meet 1 mile

BU - known as Boston University - hosted the last of three mini meets today. Dennis Floyd, Larissa Park and I arrived while the 3K was going on so we had plenty of time to get our numbers, relax, and then warm up for the mile. The three of us were signed up with seed times pretty close to each other. I seeded myself at 4:56. We had to wait for all heats of the 3K and 400m to finish before we were called over to check in for the 1 mile. We got into heat 7. I grabbed hip and chest #2 and warmed up with Dennis and Larissa inside.

Dennis asked me today while we were warming up "when was the last time we toed the line together on a track?" I was not ready for the question but I surprised us both that I did know what race it was (the year was fuzzy so I had to look it up tonight). We finished 19th (16:22.67) and 20th (16:24.56) in the USATF New England Indoor Track and Field 5000 meter championship race at Harvard in February of 2008. I was DFL (dead freaking last) and Dennis was bothered by an achilles issue. [meet results]

I was pretty nervous before the start as expected. It has been a few years since I raced on the indoor oval. I got sorted with my flats taking a few strides with one foot having an Inov8 and the other a Saucony A4. I went with Saucony. They called for heat seven as soon as heat six finished. I saw former CMS 'mate Jeff Goupil finish his mile in 4:57. I lined up in between seed #1 (a female) and seed #3 - Larissa. Dennis was a few runners down, maybe the 6th person to my right. The starting gun got us off in a hurry. I jumped toward the back and waited for those on the stagger fill in after the 1st turn. I planned on taking the first few laps cautiously to not worry about place but pay attention to the splits - staying in the hunt of 37 or 38 seconds per lap. Lap one and two were around just that. Three laps down and I was around 1:52 just behind Larissa and Dennis. I felt good and noted a good bounce to the track. I wanted to get aggressive and move up - get competitive with the 10 or so in front of me. I had to wait though and use patience. I passed half way (half mile or 800m) in 2:30 and moved out and put in a hard lap. This is risky. I could put in that surge and it could cost me a few laps later. I carried the momentum and found myself closing in on the two leading the race so I went after them keeping my aggressive move now for three laps. I passed them at the bell lap taking the lead. My inexperienced legs wobbled on the back straight, form started to break down, and I heard steps coming back on me. The guy blew by (he would win with 4:50.95) and then one more on the final straight into the finish line (he finished with 4:52.4). I finished 3rd with a time of 4:53.2. Dennis ran quicker than last week dropping his time down to 5:02.26 and Larissa was the 3rd fastest female in the mile (5:12.92).

BU mini meet #3 results - January 4, 2014

I was good with the time and beat my seeded expectation of 4:56. I had so much fun ripping through the 2nd half of the race. I had a negative split by comparing the 1st 800m (2:30) and 2nd 800m (2:23). Moving up through the race after 800 meters reminded me of my younger and fitter days when my mile times were under 4:40. I had the fitness to make the aggressive surges, back it up, and have the kick in the last lap. Today, it was all there in terms of instinct and execution minus the follow through (and slower pace) to the finish line. I had fun today and did not expect that. I expected the hurt box for 7 out of 8 laps and a physical break down in the 2nd half of the race. The race exceeded all expectations but I was purposely careful on the approach by keeping the first four laps within myself and staying out of traffic. The experience has me wanting more of this indoor track racing: what can I do if I ran another mile but ran the 1st 800m in 2:23?