Northeast Dubois Invitational

Ladies,

Tomorrow is our last regular season meet. It's the Northeast Dubois (pronounced "Doo-BWAH") County Invitational. It's hosted by Northeast Dubois High School, not in Jasper. I think I have it nailed down now.

I do know some details. To whit:

JV Boys and Girls run at 5:45.
Varsity Girls run at 6:15. Ish. You know 1/2 hour won't be enough separation.
Varsity Boys run at 6:50.

We'll see Princeton, Shoals, Jasper, Loogootee, Techumseh, NE Dubois, Southridge, Forest Park, South Spencer, Tell City, Washington Cathedral, and Washington.

Top-5 runners get trophies, 6-20 get medals.

Okay, that's pretty much all I have at the moment. It's enough. We'll get there, we'll have plenty of time to warm up, so don't sweat it. Sure, I want you by the pool ASAP after school, but aside from that, we have nothing to worry about. We'll follow the boys' team down, Hiles knows where to go.

As for the course, it's mostly flat, but there is a beast of a hill in the middle. It's simply the hardest hill you'll run all year. No use sugar-coating it. It's tough. It's also an opportunity. Every girl that runs that hill will dread it. Use that mental weakness to your advantage. Make up your mind that, the second you crest, you're going to lay on the gas for 40 yards. Open a gap, and likely as not, it will stick. It will be slapping your opponent at their weakest possible moment, and it might be the difference in the race.

Who will run varsity? Here's the list as I see it right now:

• Danielle
• Carrie
• Shelby
• Keeley
• Alli
• Morgan
• Chloe

JV will be as follows:

• Locki (first alternate)
• Diana (second alternate)
• Bret
• Lauren
• Hanna

Obviously this is subject to change. I will say this; this is absolutely the last chance to change the Sectional line up. Assuming you all run, the seven fastest runners will run Sectional. 

A word on Sectional, who runs, and misplaced chivalry... I know by this point in the season you are all tired of running. Some of you want it to be over, you don't want to run another race, etc. This is normal. It's okay to feel that way. It says you've been pushed, and you are tired. I'm okay with that, I can relate, really. Every athlete feels like this sooner or later. That said, you still have to fight for the position. You still have a job to do, it's what you spent the whole season preparing to do, and each and every one of you should fight for the honor of being on that Sectional roster. 

I've seen hints of some of you (okay, outright examples) trying to do the chivalrous thing and offer your spot you've earned to another person. That makes great television, but it doesn't pan in real life. You want to be a great teammate? Do your very best, run the spot you earned, and pass every shirt you can. This isn't about making a BFF, it's about moving your team as far as it can go. You can be BFFs outside of the event. Your team needs the best athlete to run, and if that's you, that's you. 

I like to end with personal anecdotes, so let me offer another. When I first started running, one of my friends asked me what time I'd like to ultimately run (for 5k). I thought about it a moment, then said, "15:30". He looked me up and down for a moment, silently considering what I'd said, then said, and I quote, "Bill, you might wind up being one of the best runners in Lawrence County some day, but I don't know about 15 and a half." He was trying to be kind, because that was a pretty lofty goal. 

A couple of years later, I was in the final stretch of a long season. I routinely trained 24 weeks for a peak race, logging 75-85 miles a week in many two-a-day sessions, weekly long runs, secondary long runs mid-week. On top of that, I would have to train much of it alone, as there weren't many people with the same goals as mine. Naturally by the end I was burnt out and ready for the break.

Each season ended with a 4-race series, each race becoming progressively more focused (and painful), building to the big race. In this particular season, I had broken 16:00 in the first race, 15:50 in the second, and in the third, ran 15:40.something. That's significant, because if I had run 15:30-anything, I would have considered it close enough. In fact, I wanted it to happen in the third race, because I didn't want to run the fourth. I was tired. 

It didn't happen. By less than a quarter second it didn't happen. I was crushed. I didn't feel I had another week in me, that I would likely go slower. Still, I'd committed to going for it. I had done all the work. Who knows when I'd be healthy enough again? There was no choice, I had to do it.

The following week, I told myself if I wasn't at sub-5 minute pace at mile 1, I'd pull off. Mile 1, 4:58. I'd told myself if I wasn't sub-10 minutes at mile 2, I'd pull off. Mile 2, 9:58. Crap, now I was stuck. I had to go for it. Mile 3 was slightly slower, 5:03, but the last tenth was right on pace. Final time was 15:33, close enough to the life goal. I was absolutely gassed, but also absolutely happy that I had gone ahead and tried. 

Now comes the twist - it turns out I would never be healthy enough to challenge this time ever again. I developed a debilitating heel spur right after this point, and for all intents and purposes my 5k racing career ended. Had I caved and not gone ahead with that last race, I would never have run as fast. I would have regretted that decision forever. 

You all have abilities - now - but you don't know how long it will last. Never take it for granted, because all too soon the time passes. Make the most of your right now, RIGHT NOW. Remember, racing often comes down to who wants it most. Of course it's not easy! Understand this, master it, and use it to your advantage. To me, knowing my opponent is weak gives me strength. Know this: all runners are tired at this point, and weak. Seize the opportunity!