The returning runner…
Act 68 – It’s only two races…
A week earlier I had trained through a local 5k on the track and managed a credible 20:38 on a blustery day while lapping clumps of runners every lap but the first. For the USATF Pacific Region Masters Championships I had done a solid taper – hoping for a sub 20 performance. Problem was, I had conservatively planned to hit around 43 seconds for the first less than half a lap but here I was at around 53 seconds. Ok, gotta dial it up…I spent the rest of the race vainly trying to make up the extra 10 seconds. I just didn’t have it. When I crossed the finish line I’m sure the clock said 20:50 something but checking my official time later and I recorded a horrendous 21:15. Not sure how that happened – I wasn’t happy at 20:50. Anyhow, a really “off” performance although I had somehow managed a 1st for 65-69. A week later I tried switching back to training through a local 5k and went even slower. Ugh.
At 67, the mind immediately goes to “wow, suddenly age is catching up with me!”. That’s what I thought a decade or so ago when after running a string of 7min/mile half marathons, I mysteriously struggled to run 8min/mile in the 4th race of the series. What the heck?? I didn’t seem injured. I didn’t feel sick. Turned out I had pulmonary embolisms that almost killed me. I had to convince the docs that my walking around pulse was normally 45 bpm and not the 85 bpm that I had at the time…Ok, back to now. Not injured. Didn’t feel sick. And, my pulse is fine – mid 40s resting. I always was a “streak” runner back in the day so maybe just a couple of off days.
Got me to thinking though…Maybe I really hadn’t sucked that bad. Two years ago I had run in the US Masters 5000 championships in Sacramento. It was beastly hot and, unbeknownst to me, I was fighting a giardia infection. I collapsed at 2-1/4 miles. Seriously, I mean full on spazed out collapsed. Well, here I was back in Sac for a championship and I had not only finished but won my division. That is better than collapsing. And, well, I had done the same local 5k last year and missed a turn and ended up going almost 5 miles. Well, this time I stayed on course and finished 6th instead of 60th (or some such). So… try to put things in perspective.
Seriously, don’t get down over a couple of “off” races. It happens. Look for positives! I live in Reno Nevada so I think I’ll spin the wheel one more time and will do a race up in Susanville this weekend. Come on lucky race!
Photo: 2024 collapse and 2026 post 1st place race with teammates Aryaan Swamy and Lucas Rolin.