SIZZLING!

I've been pretty bad about posting the last few weeks but I've been busy with my grad. school class, working around the house and getting ready to start my new job as the Radiography Program Director at Richland Community College in Decatur.

I've been running pretty consistently, four days a week for about 24 miles. I get two easy days of five to six, a tempo or track session and an eight mile long run. After tonight I think I'm going to step up to ten mile long runs and faster speed days.

Tonight I ran the Sizzling Mile at the SHG track. I was in heat eight with the 5:00 to 5:30 people. As I was warming up I thought maybe sub-5:30 was a little ambitious of me to attempt what with my injuries of late. The hamstring is great and hasn't bothered me for about a month.

I challenged Dan from Hardy Breed to a duel and he accepted. When we lined up on the waterfall I took the position closest to the outside and out of traffic. When "go" was yelled I stayed outside, clicked my watch at the 1600 meter start line in 2.09 seconds, and waited until the pack strung out on the backstretch of the first lap. Joy and I were together and at 200 I was in dead-last with Joy a half-step ahead. We hit 400 in 1:20.90 (1:22.99) and I took the lead from Joy, picked off one or two runners and worked my way up behind the main pack a few seconds ahead of us. I hit halfway in 2:44.44 with a 400 split of 1:21.45.

I decided to start racing at the half and put down a hard surge the next 200 to catch, pass and gap the pack I was chasing. Dan was leading that pack and I passed him right at the 1000 mark. I hit 1200 4:04.45 with a 1:20.01 third lap and gave one last, long dig in the gun lap.

Things got a little muddled the last 400. I think I passed one or two more people but Carl B. caught and passed me on the last corner and a skinny little 15 year-old nipped me at the line. I guess that is karma's way of getting me back for sprinting down the 12 year-old a month ago.

I ran the last lap in 1:17.11 for a total time of 5:21.56, unofficial. My official time was 5:21.85 and I finished 12th in my heat of about 20. Dan finished a few places back in 5:27.60 and Joy finished in 5:28 high, I think. Our heat was won with a time of 4:56.

If you subtract my 2.09 seconds from waterfall to 1600 meter start I ran the high school mile in 5:19.76. That feels pretty nice.

In a nostalgic note for Nate, I ran into our old friend Clint L. He brought one of his runners down from Peoria, she won the women's division in 5:18. It was nice seeing you Clint!

I am going to shower and hit the sack.