I had to make a tough choice this week.

After my big improvement in the steeple at my region meet, I had a difficult choice to make. I had the option of running a meet in Virginia this Friday to try and drop my steeple time enough to try and maybe get to Nationals, or I could take this weekend off from racing like I had planned and rest for Duke Twilight on May 8th, where I plan on attempting to break 15 minutes in the 5000m. The races would be 9 days apart, but it would be added stress on my body plus I would have to front the gas money for my teammate and I to drive up since the rest of the team won't leave early to get us there. After some thinking,I decided to not race the steeple this weekend. Breaking 15 minutes in the 5000m seemed like a more important goal to me this season and I think I will have a better chance. Maybe I will try to find a meet back home to try and qualify for Nationals in the steeple.

Just raced at Regionals!

So here's what went down... I had a packed day with the 3k steeple, 1500, and 5000m. I started off the meet well with a new PR in the steeple/Regional Championship/facility record. 9:31.3. Why couldn't I do that earlier and have a shot at Nationals? I don't know, but I was very happy with my performance in that race! Next was the 1500, and I didn't "race" it, I just ran it. Too soon after the steeple and I wanted to save my legs for the 5000m, in which I was seeded first. Apparently, I did not do the right things in the 4 hours between the 1500m and the 5000m.... Maybe I didn't stay off my feet enough, or was in the sun too long, or warmed up too much after a long day of racing. I'm not sure, but the 5000m didn't go. I fell way off my goal and felt like I failed myself and my team. The 10 points I should have scored from the win, didn't happen. I cam nowhere near my PR. But, it happens and I have to move past it. A slightly anger-driven cool-down and some music helped out. Plus, our guys 4x4 killed it and won us the meet. Now, my sights turn to Duke Twilight. Time to go under 15 in that 5000m.

So it begins...

I decided that it's time to share the story of my journey as a runner with the world. I may not be the fastest guy out there (yet...), but I have gone through many of the same trials as most runners do, and I feel it'd be beneficial to share them. This blog may contain feelings, workouts, poems, quotes, and anything that I come across in my journey. I feel like I should begin this blog with what I believe about running...

Every human on this planet was born to run. From the day we are born, our bodies are anatomically designed to propel ourselves, and fast. From the way our quads and hamstrings work together to flex and extend our legs, our calves to add speed to our gait, and our freely moving shoulder joints and core muscles to provide stability to our bodies. We were designed to chase down our prey and to escape from our predators. Unfortunately, the vast majority of us are born into an overly civilized world. We have eliminated the need to hunt for our food because of prepackaged foods in super markets. WE have pushed our natural predators out of our civilizations with modernization. We were once animals, but we have become domesticated. We have all but eliminated the need to run, but for a small few of us, they have not eliminated the desire. A small group of us remain runners. We have not allowed our bodies to lose their function. And most importantly, we have not become domesticated. We are animals at heart. And so very often, we get the urge to let that animal free. We lace up our shoes and burst out the door. We thrive off the feeling of the wind on our faces, the sun in our eyes, the fresh air. Our air conditioner is the rain. Our car is our feet. When you look in our eyes, you don't see a person. You see the eyes of an animal, a wild beast. We have tapped into our roots, our primal instincts. Sure, when the run is over, we go back to our modern, domesticated lives. But you can never keep the animal within caged for long. Eventually, it will come back out.