Week of: October 20th - 26th
Monday: I don't remember
Tuesday: I don't remember this either
Wednesday: 800 repeats on track?
Thursday: Second 7 meet at EL (speed workout)
Friday: 3 miles easy with the team dressed up
Saturday: Eastern regional @ Belfast
Sunday: nope
Dresses aren't very fun to run in.
All week I was going crazy about regionals, once again I kept thinking both positively and negatively of the possibilities, “Kate Spies keeps getting faster, if she catches me on Saturday I'm going to cry.” She's improved so much, has anyone even noticed that? At a Winslow meet in September she ran a 22:54, yesterday she ran 20:07. That makes you wonder what kind of times she'll be running next year as she's only a sophomore right now. I just personally think that so many runners are denied the recognition that they deserve. Most people automatically notice the improvements and accomplishments of the winning runners in races, but not that many people take the time to realize that there are other runners in those same races that are actually doing better than those that are “winning”. That kind of improvement shouldn't go unnoticed. That's called hard work, and it's wonderful to see.
Eastern Maine Regional @ Belfast
I have been waiting for this race since summer practices! I was nervous as hell, but glad that it finally came. I love regionals because Belfast is my all time favorite course. Going into this race I wanted to do 3 things: have our girls get to states, win the class A race, and go sub 20 for the first time. I knew realistically that we would probably make it to states, but you never know, so we just wanted to get out there and run hard races, suck it up, and get it done.
I didn't get nearly as much sleep as I wanted to Friday night, but I tried to forget about it. I woke up, took a shower, had some coffee, and made a bagel. The only thing I regret doing wrong is only eating half a bagel from then until my race. During the race I was feeling absolutely dead. I felt energy-less, like I was dead-weight, and you can probably see it in the pictures from the meet. I wasn't hungry though, and I couldn't get myself to eat anything. It might have been nerves, but I'm also never hungry in the morning, and usually I eat strawberry oatmeal which we were out of (damn). Anyway, I half-slept the way there, and tried to think that it was 'just another race', which I guess it was. Before the the race I chugged a green gatorade (the only good kind), and had to pee a few times before the start, and kind of right at the start before the gun went off.
“There will be two commands,” (Oh my god I have to pee, I have to pee.)
“Runners to your mark, then I'll fire the gun,” (No I don't, no I don't.)
“Runners to your mark...” BANG. The start was so fast! Seriously, Messalonskee had a couple girls sprint right out and take the lead, and I was just like, hey whatever works for you guys, I'm gonna hang back here until I can pull ahead. I was in my usual starting position for the first 100 meters or so. Morgan Beede was ahead of me for a little while (I think she likes to have a fast start), and a couple of people I didn't know. I saw Kate Spies and I wanted to take the lead right then. I was planning on having a slow first mile since I knew I could, and should go 6:20-ish pace, but right from the start I could see that if I did that I would get shoved in back and have to make up for it, which I had an alternate plan for: run faster, right now. I did have to run faster to stay ahead, I ended up having a 6:01 first mile. I took the lead early on, and I could here people yelling that Kate was about 30-40 yards back. “Okay, think Melody.. we did the 40yd dash in middle school, how far was that? AH.” So I just kept running, and I peeked a little around the corners just to get a glimpse of where she/I was. My shorts didn't ride up that much this race! I went from adjusting them 10 times normally per race, to only about 5, such a dramatic improvement! Only the “no metal in your hair” rule was killing me! Okay, those cloth headbands are not made for all head-shapes! I have a tiny head that is not fit for those, they just slide right off! I had to adjust that a few times which hurts my arms so much during the race and I feel it a few minutes after. Anyway my race was so boring! I absolutely hate running alone, I had nothing to do the whole time except wait for the finish to magically appear in front of me. I was so dead! When I ran by Alex Luchini, he was like “Melody, you've got a huge lead, you can slow down if you want and still win!”, followed by a “just kidding don't do that!”. But I actually considered it for a second, I was like.. “blahhh I'm tired, I want to slow down so badly”. Which is why I admitted to feeling off pace, because I was thinking of being off pace during the race.
I finally found my race strategy though! Throughout the race I was looking at the tough areas (gravel, hills, mud, etc.) and thinking that my competitors might slow down a little on those areas, so on any area where I would normally slow down a little bit, I just threw in a surge and tried to distance myself that much more. I think it worked well for me on the course.
I got to the finish stretch and Kelton yelled: “you're at 19:15 right now, you can go sub 20!” and I just went. I had to go, I had been wanting sub 20 for too long. I crossed in 19:46, and I couldn't stop smiling like an idiot as soon as I got into the chute. I walked over to the table to get some water and I got a little teary eyed. Now, one of my friends was like “I don't get why girls cry when they do good!”, and I can't explain it! All I can say is that it was my ultimate goal, and it has been for so long. I never imagined that I could break the 20 minute barrier. I mean, I was amazed freshman year when I went sub 22! I never, ever, in a million years imagined how it would feel to go sub 20. I've tried so many times, and I've watched and read about so many people doing it over and over again like it was nothing, but never me. I'm still so overwhelmed, and I don't think I can explain how incredibly happy I am. Almost everyone on our team PR'd, and our girls got 2nd. It was such an amazing day.
After the awards, our top 7 took the plaque and did an indian sprint inspired cool-down where
the person in the front held the plaque, then the person in back ran up and grabbed it from the person in front, and you had to scream when you did it. We really looked like psychopaths, and it was so much fun. We ran by people and one of them was like, “Oh wow did you guys win?!”, and we all laughed and we were like, “uhh, no, we got 2nd.” So I guess the celebration run was a little deceiving to those that didn't know Brewer won. They were ridiculous by the way.
Oh and today me and my friends went shopping and we found $40 spread out in the middle of the road and it was the most amazing thing ever. God was like, “I want you to get some sweet new boots Melody, here's some money”, so what was I going to do, be like “No?”
Congrats to everyone that ran regionals, and the runners of 2nd 7 on Thursday.