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Conference Championships!
As promised, here is my race recap from the Big Sky Track & Field Conference Championships. Portland State hosted the 2-day meet, but due to their lack of facilities we competed at Pacific University in the adorable farm town of Forest Grove, Oregon.
My 10k took place Friday night, in some pretty humid weather! It was semi-overcast and there was no breeze to cool us off from the warm temperatures. At the start line, we were told that there would be 2 “water stations” on the track for us to take cups of water. I thought, “Psh, I’ve never needed water during a race before, I don’t need any today!” Wrong. I took a cup on the second lap, and every other lap after that. The heat or humidity gave me chills during my run, and I used the cold water to splash myself every few minutes. By the end of the race, I (and all the other runners) was drenched! (I like to think the extra water weight added a few seconds to my overall race time, though I don’t know how realistic that is… ;) )
Thursday’s pre-meet run, Friday’s warm-up and cool-down, and Saturday’s recovery run all took place in the same area around the university. It was one of the most scenic and beautiful places but pictures do more justice than words do:
My 10k was not my fastest, and I didn’t place as high as I had hoped. But I’m happy with my season and relieved that it is over at the same time. Today marks the first day of my two-week break from training and I plan on thoroughly enjoying my extra time :)
Our Women’s Team placed 3rd in the conference, a position we are all very proud of. Needless to say, everyone was in great spirits last night as we went out and celebrated!
Conference Team 2013
Some of my best memories of college will be weeks like these spent traveling to new places with a team of 50 amazing athletes, with great competitions and fun celebrations!
After the meet and awards ceremony concluded, we had a special dinner at Monteaux’s Public House in Beaverton, Oregon where we were presented with a special menu just for us.
Eating dinner at 9pm is definitely out of the norm for me, and I was starving by the time my sandwich came! Afterwards we walked through Hillsboro to a frozen yogurt place where they had a super unique toppings selection including “cheesecake balls” (like malt balls), blue cookie crumbles, “zagnuts” and apple pie filling!
I now have a full 24 hours of traveling until I am Home Sweet Home. Which will most likely culminate in a post on healthy eating while traveling… ;)
Mt. SAC Relays 10,000 meters
It’s taken me a few days to write a recap for the Mt. SAC Relays 10k. Actually it’s hard to believe that the race was already three days ago. The race was Thursday, laaaate Thursday. So late that we didn’t leave the hotel and head to the track until 8:00pm, and we didn’t toe the start line until nearly 10:30pm. A time when I’m usually winding down, I was instead summoning all my energy to run the fastest 6.25 miles of my life.
Mt. SAC (San Antonio College) is an iconic host of high school, collegiate and elite running events. A sign with a flame stands at the entrance to the stadium: Where the World’s Best Athletes Compete. Among some of this weekend’s competitors included Olympians Morgan Uceny, Carmelita Jeter and Ashton Eaten, plus elite athletes from all over the world. Just being accepted into the meet was an honor and I felt very lucky to be there!
I’ve competed at Mt. SAC a total of 12 times since 9th grade, including 9 cross countries races and 3 track meets.
Mt. SAC Throwback
The 10k is tricky because it’s about pacing. Of course the first couple of miles are going to feel conservative, in order to have enough energy to power through over half an hour of racing. My previous best (okay, my only 10k time) is an altitude-adjusted 38:48. Going into Thursday night’s race, I had my sights set on 37:30 which would be six-minute-mile pace. 90 seconds per lap, for 25 laps.
The 33 girls in the heat formed a pretty solid clump, and our first lap was a few seconds slower than goal pace. There were definitely some elbows flying until we began to spread out.
The hardest part about racing 10,000 meters is being mentally tough. My legs are a lot stronger than my mind, and 25 laps is an awful lot. I have to keep myself positive for 37 minutes, because once the moment of doubt or fatigue comes in, you will struggle.
Staying on pace for the entirety of the race, I finished in 37:17, approximately 5:57.9 mile pace. I was beyond thrilled, but mostly just exhausted. My calves are still sore from wearing new spikes for such a long time, but I’m more confident about my next 10k and my abilities to run consistently.
As content as I was with my own race, I am humbled by the fact that many of my competitors were able to complete the same distance in 34 and 35 minutes.
With the first 10k of the season under my belt, it’s back to the grind to keep working hard until the conference championships!
