I didn’t get much sleep during a chilly night with temperatures falling into the 20’s. I was warm, but just couldn’t seem to sleep more than an hour at a time. Each time I woke though, I had another opportunity to enjoy a beautifully clear, star-filled sky.
I gave up trying to sleep by 6:30 a.m. and had the tent down and packed by 7 when I woke John and Henry. We hit Bob Evans where I ate a ham and cheese omelet because I knew I wouldn’t be eating again once we made it to the State Meet and I wanted something that would stick with me. The meet had been moved to Hebron and the National Track Speedway…a racetrack for dragsters…about 30 minutes east of Columbus. It had been moved there after 26 years at Scioto Downs, necessitated because slot machines had been installed at the horse racing venue. We arrived an hour before the first race was scheduled, parked easily and made our way to the media tent where I picked up the credentials that would allow me to traverse the course for pictures, views and access to runners and coaches that civilians did not.
The course appeared to be fast, hard and flat. There were long straight-aways and not many sharp turns. Spectators could see so much more of the race from the stands than they ever could at Scioto Downs and access to the actual course and views of the runners were superior, as well.
The only runner I knew in any of the six races was Anna Boyert of Medina. She’d been battling illness all season and had only begun serious training and racing about five weeks earlier…too little time to be completely effective. She’d been improving each week though, and with her third place finish at the regional meet, was confident of a good effort and day. And she had one.
Sometimes as a competitive runner, you have to size up the situation and make a bold move. Anna, normally a strong finisher, made such a decision shortly after the mile mark in the three mile race. There was a solid pack of over 15 girls at the front at that point. She made a strong surge and gapped the entire field by 20 meters. Eventually, a group of front runners would pull her back in but now there would only be six girls with a shot at the title. The move, while costing her valuable strength, would take out some other fast finishers. Someone had to do it and maybe it would have happened later in the race, but you can’t be sure and if you’re feeling great and know it needs to get done…you do it.
She reached the final 600 meters of the race still running first but with four girls on her heals. Over the next 400 meters two of them would pass her and another caught her at the tape, pushing her back to fourth overall. I photographed her a 100 meters from the finish and I could see by the tired agony on her face, she’d left everything she had out on the course. She crossed the line exhausted, disappointed, and on an empty tank. She can second guess decisions she made or didn’t make while running the race which could have resulted in a different outcome, but no one who knows running can question her absolute all-out effort. She ran to win…what more can you do?
I returned home and made my way to the Metropark for a short run before dark. I was inspired by the effort of Ohio’s finest young runners and determined to run hard and test the calf I’d been nursing for a couple of weeks. I had on the new shoes once more and in the cool evening air, felt sleek and fast as I covered the first mile.
I knew I was running faster than normal, but it was so effortless that I kept the pace. I crossed River Road near the sledding hill and run along the crest that overlooks the Chagrin River before coming down the sledding hill and crossing back over River Road. I made my way around Squire’s Castle as dark was settling in still feeling like I was moving fast. There was no pain in the calf as I ran the final mile, but I elected to keep the pace where it was instead of running faster…which I could have done easily…and not risk an injury. I finished and looked at the watch to see I’d run the 4-mile course in 29:55…or about 2 minutes faster than I had ever run it before.
I made dinner for Holly and I later that evening, sautéing mushrooms and onions and then adding chicken breast meat and corn and putting the whole concoction over noodles fried in olive oil. It wasn’t bad and Holly starting to like that I’m cooking for us both. What am I doing?
Run workout: 30 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 140 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 500.
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