3k

Is there any better way to spend your Friday night than at a track meet? Maybe, but a track meet was where I was last night. The club I belong to was putting it on. The original schedule for the meet called for a 3000, 400, 100, and mile, but had to be changed once the meet started (more on that later). I was running the 3000, for the sole reason that I needed to in order to qualify in the race series. I need to run five races, and before last night I had only run two. Last night was the third, and then there's only two more I'll be able to run before the end of the year.

I didn't have high expectations going into the race. I hadn't run the past two days, and have been taking it easy for a little while now anyway. Regardless, I seeded myself in the first and fastest heat of the 3000, which was for runners with an expected finish of 11:00 or less (my PR is 10:35; last night I gave myself an expected time of 10:45). The race started out well and I came through 1600 meters in 5:45, which was about the time I was expecting. After that, the wheels kind of fell off and I struggled to the finish in 11:14, I think last in my heat. Not that I've ever felt like I'm that fast, but I don't certainly don't feel like I have any short race speed at this point.