Time may Change me, but I can’t trace time

That’s the end of my 2007 track season.  In both of my last two races I came up short of my time goals but, when I look back on the season as a whole I can say that I’m happy with how it went.  The highlights for were my three PB’s (3:40.38, 13:21.53 and 27:56.92), and winning the Canadian 5000m title for a fourth time in a row.  I was also very pleased with how my last month of training went.  I definitely got to a new level of fitness in my workouts.  Before if I was to run 5 X 1200m in 3:12 that would have been good, a few weeks ago I averaged 3:08 for 5.  Most of all, I am healthy, motivated and enjoying the sport.

A little more on my last race in Brussels…  After Heusden in late July I simply was not done with my season as I never fully tapered and got to that last peak (I was hoping to end in Osaka).  I went back to Guelph and kept training without a race in mind.  After looking at the Canadian Olympic draft it was clear that getting the 10 000m “Eh” standard would set me up well for next year (much better than the 5000m “Eh” standard).  I looked over the rest of the track schedule and there was only one 10 000m left, Brussels Golden League.  Normally I wouldn’t bother asking to get into a Golden League race but I figured they can always throw one more person in a 10 000m (I’m not taking anyone’s spot) and maybe they want at least one runner on the line who was not born in Africa.  So thanks to Chris and Mark’s work at Total Sports I got a spot on the line.  I sat down with Dave (Scott-Thomas) and he came up with workouts and a plan to go after the “Eh” standard. 

The best case scenario was that there would be a few guys also looking for A standard. The most likely scenario was that the second pack would be out in 13:30 and I would ave to run solo and pick up the pieces of the pack that fall apart.  That was the chance I had to take.   Here were the things I had going for me; best month of workouts ever, coming off a 13:21 5000m, spiking up (27:56 was run in flats), tapered (100km last week vs. 150km in final week for 27:56) and 47 000 fans!  The thing I had going against me, that turned out to be much harder and worse than expected, was running alone.  I went out in 64 point (easiest 64 ever) and was at the back of the pack, then I settled into my 66.XX’s and fell off the pack quite quickly.  The back of the second pack went through 5km in about 13:35 (27:10 pace) whereas I was through in 13:53 (27:46 pace, on track for the 27:47 “Eh” standard).  Then things started to get a little harder and the 67’s turned to 68’s then to 69’s.  I passed one Kenyan very quickly and then caught up to another around 7km.  This guy would speed up when I went to pass him and then slow down when I settled behind him.  This went on for a couple of laps then Bekele was came up.  I moved out to lane two and thought he’d fly by us.  After a bit of a straight, a full curve and then half another straight he finally went by us.  I then moved right behind Kenny and I found myself running with him.  Maybe it was part adrenaline, part having a pacemaker but I broke the string of 69’s and rolled out 900m with Kenny.  Once he got to 500m to go he picked up the pace and that was it for my pacemaker.  I came to 800m to go and calculated I needed a 1:56 for “Eh” standard.  At that point I, maybe, had a 2:10 in my legs and I lost all motivation and drive and ran 2:23 for my last 800m.  At least the 2 Kenyans I passed didn’t catch me so I beat a couple of guys.  I’ll tack it up as a good experience and hopefully an 85% solo 10 000m in 28:14 will toughen me up.

This was my third trip to Europe this summer and usually I don’t get to see too much more than the tracks and hotel/dorm rooms.  So this trip I decided to do a little sight seeing since my season is definitely over.  I went to Paris (I’m in Charles De Gaulle Airport right now) and caught a Razorlight concert on Saturday night.  Wandered around Paris all day Sunday, checked out Champs Ellyses, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame etc.  Yesterday I took a 3 hour guided bike tour from the Eiffel Tower all over Paris.  Our guide, Taylor,  happened to be a runner so we talked track a bit.  He ran XC and track for Texas A&M a few years ago and was a great wealth of knowledge on Paris. Taylor spewing out info by the Grand Palais. I ate wayyy too many crepes while I was there, yesterday I had 3 pains chocolate and 4 or 5 crepes.

I cannot find a picture of myself and Bekele running together in the 10 000m.  If my memory serves me right I was with him for at least 800m and I remember seeing tons of lenses around the track.  If anyone can find a good picture of myself and Bekele from the race then I will give them my Memorial Van Damme T-shirt (its a medium Adidas tech top).  It has to be a professional type picture of just myself and Bekele and you have to be able to see my face.   Best pic wins and if the same pic is submitted twice the first person wins. 

Now I’ll take two weeks of down time.  That means 10 days with no running (a little mountain biking and skateboarding for fun) and then a couple 20 minute runs before an easy week of running to ease back into it.  It also means pigging out a little on the foods I’ve stayed away from for the past 9 months.  I can’t even remember the last time I had on order of french fries, but I can tell you the next time will be soon.

Speaking of diet, check out the pic below of the 10 000m boys… eat your fruit kiddies if you want to run like these men.

5000m at Memorial Van Damme