Tuesday 8 February 2005

Tue 8 Feb, track race

Yes another race tonight. Maybe too much racing in the past 2-3 weeks and not enough training, but I think its ok. Tonight is Round 11 of a 12 round comp for the North West Region of Melbourne, tonight we were back at Aberfeldie (home of Athletics Essendon), and races for me will be the 1500m and possibly a 400 and if I was stupid a 2000m Steeple.

The men's first heat was to be at 7.20pm but due to electronic timings issues we are 25 min behind. Not to worry, I feel very heavy in the legs and this will enable me to run a few more run thrus and do some more stretching. Darren C, an U16 club member, is in my ear, he is trying to tell me he is going to go easy and run in my heat and drag me around for a sub 5min. But not tonight, I will be happy with anything under 5:10. The heat allocations happen and thankfully I am in the 5:05+ heat. 16 in the heat, a young 13 year old from Williamstown will win this and the next place getters will be either me, David from Essendon or a couple of guys from Coburg. I start from the widest part of the starting line next to David from Essendon, deliberate plan, and move in behind him straight away (David is a 40+ who consistently finishes between 4:58 & 5:07), the first 300 is done in 60sec (plan) and I am sitting 5th or 6th. Along the back straight (400-500) I follow David around a couple & now sitting 4th & feeling good. Near the water jump (550m) a club coach tells me not to go so wide, sitting directly behind someone I can not get my stride the same, so I am sitting on his shoulder, hence not near the racing rail. Crossing the s/f line (700) a time is called which equates to a 82-83 sec lap (too slow) and I notice I am still wide on the bend, I am ready to make a move around David, along the back straight I moved along side & made a spurt to move in front & take the rail before the bend, this lap was a 79, but the allusive 5min will not be (didn't think it would). I hold third spot and I did make ground on the leaders, crossed 1.1sec in front of David which was really good, according to spectators & coach Burkie I very much looked in control of my position and the time will come. Tonight's time was 5m 05.1sec (PB is 5:02).

Did a 12-15 min cool down jog, but I have decided thats it for me, its cooling down and I feel a bit tight in the lower back, so I will watch some races and just chit chat for the remainder of the evening.

Plan a 60 min run tommorrow, but kids are home and I want more than 5 hours sleep (got home after 11pm), so I will run in the evening before dinner (this should impress Julie...).

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