Ladies,
I don't intend to be unclear or mysterious or ambiguous or any of the things I was today. I do intend to be the consummate opportunist, and for that I don't apologize.
It all started when I whipped the pink singlet out. Because of yesterday's workout, or more accurately how it ended, I selected Joslyn to be "Sydney". She donned the pink singlet, and everyone was told to chase if she tried to take off. Sure, it wasn't supposed to be a hard run, but your hard may vary... and if "Sydney" felt good enough to run a bit harder, the other girls were going to have to find a way to chase.
I also explained why we had to run faster - anything over 9-minute pace is wasting our time at this point, because most people can't race more than a minute to a minute-and-a-half faster than daily pace. We need to have runners between 6:30 and 7:30 pace. The math is absolute.
So we all took off together, which lasted maybe 2 minutes. I made the first move... I wanted to get the group going under the 9-minute mark. This might have been the first ambiguous portion of my workout explanation. You see, I said, "no slower than 9-minute pace". Most of the girls heard "run 9-minute pace". Not the same thing, not at all. I dropped the pace down to 8:20, settled in, and waited to see what happened.
At first, nothing. I looked back to see a line form alongside the pink jersey, and thought, "Okay, so long as you stay under the limit." Then movement caught my eye. Zoe had moved out ahead of the group. She soon caught my heel and was coasting along behind me. Ah, someone rising to the challenge!
I bid her to come alongside, which she did. Her breathing was effortless, her gait relaxed, and we just chatted. First mile 8:05. "Don't be alarmed. You aren't working hard, are you?" I pointed out. We were headed downhill, taking what the course gave us. Effort, not speed! Mile two was even faster at 7:43, but we were honestly just coasting along. The rest of the team was long gone, almost out of earshot. I wondered how the group let us slip away like that. Maybe they thought Zoe was crazy. Maybe they thought they were more tired than they were. What should have been obvious is someone was doing it, and more than that, was opening the gap. At least, that was what was going through my mind.
In the third mile we began to hear voices getting louder. Coach Jill was urging the girls to close the gap, and we could hear them narrowing in. Of course the move would have been far too late in a race; Zoe had but to kick and any thought of catching would quickly pass. Still, better late than never, and I was glad they were making the effort. I couldn't be sure who it was. My best guess would have been Joslyn, Carrie, and Madison. I was surprised when I saw who it was!
Mile three came at 8:02, Mile four at 8:03, and we turned. Coming up the trail toward us some distance away was Coach, Joslyn, Katlyn - and Diana?! Turns out Diana had her fastest ever 5k trying to chase us down! Joslyn looked relaxed, Katlyn was pushing a bit, and Diana was flush but confident.
When we passed this group we saw others coming. Madison was in pain, as was Chelsey and Carrie; I sent Zoe ahead with Madison, having turned those three back as Zoe got to them. I wanted to run a bit with the other girls to urge them on.
In turn I was able to run with Katlyn, Diana, Carrie, Chelsey. All were making good efforts, and I urged a few to bridge to the next groups ahead of them. I felt like everyone that could fight was. That's what I want.
It all wound up with Zoe and me doing a stealth catch on Coach and Joslyn. About the time we got to them we were near the 16th Street bridge. Coach said something unintelligible, and started to pull away. I soon realized she was trying to start a sprint to the finish. I didn't know if this was prearranged with Joslyn or if it was a challenge to me, but I went. She started grinning, and I knew it was aimed at me. I motioned back to the girls to hold back, and I went with her.
"I can't outsprint you" I told her, which is a fact. I can't outsprint anyone. I don't have high turnover. She taunted me. "I read your blog!" - which I instantly understood meant she knew I would chase her no matter what. I fought to hang on. I didn't know if she was waiting on me or not, but I didn't care. I was holding. I figured it this way... I might not be able to outsprint her, but I might outlast her. She started the kick almost 4/10's from the finish, a long kick by 5k standards. I have a bigger base than she does, so my plan was to keep her heel until she either left me or broke. With about a tenth to go I could hear her breathing getting very heavy and labored, and I knew the moment had come. I moved around her, calling her to come along. She didn't exactly let me go, but mentally I knew she was faltering. This would have been the time for the knockout blow.
I was in coach mode though, and I urged her to come back, which I certainly would not have done in a race. "Time to kick, Coach!" I yelled. Finally she gathered herself up and came around. I held my pace, which was all I could do, fat old man that I am.
So what is the point to all of this? Think about it. Last night I challenged you all to fight in practice, to be ready at any time to contest. Don't ever give up a place! So I designated Joslyn as the Sydney. Guess what? There was someone in the run faster than Sydney! It happens! Zoe is a very sharp young lady; she saw her opportunity and rolled the dice. She nailed it. There is no doubt she could have run the 2nd half nearly as fast as the first. If she had been afraid to try, she wouldn't know that now.
Diana ran out of her mind tonight. Who would ever have dreamt she would be in the top-5 people to hit the 4-mile turn? How about top-3? Well, she was. Katlyn quietly fought the entire run. Carrie came back at the end and put on a great show. Joslyn was steady and fast.
I'm not taking away from anyone else, or at least, I'm not trying to. Everyone did the workout. Everyone was tired and sore from yesterday. However, some elevated their games tonight. You have to be so opportunistic when you are racing, and you have to think quickly, because situations come and go in the blink of an eye. Tonight's opportunities I saw:
I don't intend to be unclear or mysterious or ambiguous or any of the things I was today. I do intend to be the consummate opportunist, and for that I don't apologize.
It all started when I whipped the pink singlet out. Because of yesterday's workout, or more accurately how it ended, I selected Joslyn to be "Sydney". She donned the pink singlet, and everyone was told to chase if she tried to take off. Sure, it wasn't supposed to be a hard run, but your hard may vary... and if "Sydney" felt good enough to run a bit harder, the other girls were going to have to find a way to chase.
I also explained why we had to run faster - anything over 9-minute pace is wasting our time at this point, because most people can't race more than a minute to a minute-and-a-half faster than daily pace. We need to have runners between 6:30 and 7:30 pace. The math is absolute.
So we all took off together, which lasted maybe 2 minutes. I made the first move... I wanted to get the group going under the 9-minute mark. This might have been the first ambiguous portion of my workout explanation. You see, I said, "no slower than 9-minute pace". Most of the girls heard "run 9-minute pace". Not the same thing, not at all. I dropped the pace down to 8:20, settled in, and waited to see what happened.
At first, nothing. I looked back to see a line form alongside the pink jersey, and thought, "Okay, so long as you stay under the limit." Then movement caught my eye. Zoe had moved out ahead of the group. She soon caught my heel and was coasting along behind me. Ah, someone rising to the challenge!
I bid her to come alongside, which she did. Her breathing was effortless, her gait relaxed, and we just chatted. First mile 8:05. "Don't be alarmed. You aren't working hard, are you?" I pointed out. We were headed downhill, taking what the course gave us. Effort, not speed! Mile two was even faster at 7:43, but we were honestly just coasting along. The rest of the team was long gone, almost out of earshot. I wondered how the group let us slip away like that. Maybe they thought Zoe was crazy. Maybe they thought they were more tired than they were. What should have been obvious is someone was doing it, and more than that, was opening the gap. At least, that was what was going through my mind.
In the third mile we began to hear voices getting louder. Coach Jill was urging the girls to close the gap, and we could hear them narrowing in. Of course the move would have been far too late in a race; Zoe had but to kick and any thought of catching would quickly pass. Still, better late than never, and I was glad they were making the effort. I couldn't be sure who it was. My best guess would have been Joslyn, Carrie, and Madison. I was surprised when I saw who it was!
Mile three came at 8:02, Mile four at 8:03, and we turned. Coming up the trail toward us some distance away was Coach, Joslyn, Katlyn - and Diana?! Turns out Diana had her fastest ever 5k trying to chase us down! Joslyn looked relaxed, Katlyn was pushing a bit, and Diana was flush but confident.
When we passed this group we saw others coming. Madison was in pain, as was Chelsey and Carrie; I sent Zoe ahead with Madison, having turned those three back as Zoe got to them. I wanted to run a bit with the other girls to urge them on.
In turn I was able to run with Katlyn, Diana, Carrie, Chelsey. All were making good efforts, and I urged a few to bridge to the next groups ahead of them. I felt like everyone that could fight was. That's what I want.
It all wound up with Zoe and me doing a stealth catch on Coach and Joslyn. About the time we got to them we were near the 16th Street bridge. Coach said something unintelligible, and started to pull away. I soon realized she was trying to start a sprint to the finish. I didn't know if this was prearranged with Joslyn or if it was a challenge to me, but I went. She started grinning, and I knew it was aimed at me. I motioned back to the girls to hold back, and I went with her.
"I can't outsprint you" I told her, which is a fact. I can't outsprint anyone. I don't have high turnover. She taunted me. "I read your blog!" - which I instantly understood meant she knew I would chase her no matter what. I fought to hang on. I didn't know if she was waiting on me or not, but I didn't care. I was holding. I figured it this way... I might not be able to outsprint her, but I might outlast her. She started the kick almost 4/10's from the finish, a long kick by 5k standards. I have a bigger base than she does, so my plan was to keep her heel until she either left me or broke. With about a tenth to go I could hear her breathing getting very heavy and labored, and I knew the moment had come. I moved around her, calling her to come along. She didn't exactly let me go, but mentally I knew she was faltering. This would have been the time for the knockout blow.
I was in coach mode though, and I urged her to come back, which I certainly would not have done in a race. "Time to kick, Coach!" I yelled. Finally she gathered herself up and came around. I held my pace, which was all I could do, fat old man that I am.
So what is the point to all of this? Think about it. Last night I challenged you all to fight in practice, to be ready at any time to contest. Don't ever give up a place! So I designated Joslyn as the Sydney. Guess what? There was someone in the run faster than Sydney! It happens! Zoe is a very sharp young lady; she saw her opportunity and rolled the dice. She nailed it. There is no doubt she could have run the 2nd half nearly as fast as the first. If she had been afraid to try, she wouldn't know that now.
Diana ran out of her mind tonight. Who would ever have dreamt she would be in the top-5 people to hit the 4-mile turn? How about top-3? Well, she was. Katlyn quietly fought the entire run. Carrie came back at the end and put on a great show. Joslyn was steady and fast.
I'm not taking away from anyone else, or at least, I'm not trying to. Everyone did the workout. Everyone was tired and sore from yesterday. However, some elevated their games tonight. You have to be so opportunistic when you are racing, and you have to think quickly, because situations come and go in the blink of an eye. Tonight's opportunities I saw:
- Zoe's break
- Joslyn, Katlyn, and Diana's chase
- Katlyn's catch of Chelsey and Carrie
- Diana's catch of Chelsey and Carrie
- Carrie's catch of Zoe and Katlyn
- Joslyn's break in the last 3 miles
- Zoe's catch of Joslyn with less than a mile to go
- Coach attempting to outkick me
- My assessment of how to break the attempt
- Coach's final kick
Ready for the overriding point? Every one of those things was a great thing all by itself. Not a single thing on that list was planned. The opportunities came, and these people chose to take them. By doing so everyone discovered something about themselves. Here's the big one for me - you can never be afraid to try. If you are healthy, the only way to lose is to never try.
North Harrison
For those parents looking for the easiest way down, the easiest, clearest way would be to go to Salem, drop south through Palmyra on Highway 135, and turn right. Ramsey is about 3 miles down the road on the right. The high school is right on the road, you can't miss it.
For those parents looking for the easiest way down, the easiest, clearest way would be to go to Salem, drop south through Palmyra on Highway 135, and turn right. Ramsey is about 3 miles down the road on the right. The high school is right on the road, you can't miss it.
Chelsea Scott Wins Her Race!
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