No, not Putney. Nor Plymouth. I didn't race 'cross this weekend. This year, I'm loving 'cross in an absent way. Because I love the sport, I really do, but we need some time apart, me and 'cross. Definitely a case of its not you, its me. A part of me really wanted to go to Putney, with that kick-ass run-up, but the reasonable part of me informed the less-reasonable part of me that I probably wasn't going to have fun while riding, and I would come home and whine to my friends about how I can't ride my bike because I never ride my bike and if I'm going to race, I need to ride a bike. So instead, I ran a 3000m on the track! Because that is an exciting prospect! It was more of a time trial than a race, since only three of us showed up, myself and Rion and Frank, and Rion and Frank wanted to break 11 minutes, while I wanted to break 12, so it didn't look like I'd be running with anyone.
The 3000m run is a benchmark that skiers tend to use to gauge fitness, although I think it favors runners... good thing we do things like strength tests and double pole tests as well. I tend to run two of these each year, which leads to many data points. yay data nerds! I decided to not try and run even splits like I do every year and listen to Frank's advice of running splits that start a little fast, get slower, and then speed up at the end. I went to the extent of writing those splits down for a 12, 12:15, and 12:30 time, expecting to be around 12:30. Since graduating highschool, my PR is 12:18, and I don't know how fast I was in highschool, but it was fast enough to get to sectionals. Or states. Or something like that. My memory of highschool track is somewhat fuzzy. Last June, my first 3k of the year was 12:38, and I was pegged. I suppose that's normal for a 3k on a track, but my first thought when I finished this one was that I didn't have to do another one until next year. Phew!
There isn't really much to say about a running race that is against your watch on a track. The weather was nice, a little breezy but not enough that you felt slow, I didn't get lapped by Frank or Rion, and I hit all my splits for running a twelve-minute 3000m, gaining two seconds on the 5th and 6th laps to finish in 11:58. woot, new PR. It is nice having some affirmation that you're on track with your training, so now I am more confident in my fitness than I had been feeling after the last 'cross race. After all, pure sweet cardiovascular hell is what I am training for...
That was a fascinating race report, no? I could talk about my four-hour rollerski on saturday instead... whats that? You don't want to hear about that either? boo. But, now is the time to train, racing can come later, and its time to focus on what matters... like halloween candy?
5 comments:
4 hour rollerskis and 3000m time trials are what some of us are just dying to hear about...not. we'd much rather just do them ourselves.
Congrats Alex! I'll think you'll have a good year this winter! CX does make you fast!
except I'm not racing CX, Cary, I've only done five races this season... but thanks anyway! :)
I dunno. Blogging about a long rollerski and a 3k time trial could be quite interesting. There's an audience for everything, and I think I'm in that one.
I agree with you Chris, I wouldn't be blogging about a 3k if I didn't find it interesting, or at least relevant to what I'm trying to do (ski fast). I know I'd much rather read about a 4-hr rollerski than do one... but thats just the lazy in me talking!
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