T-Minus 24 Hours

I was informed today that I'm allowed to pout about a bad race for no more than 72 hours. Since said bad race was last Saturday, that gives me through tomorrow. However, after much deliberation I have decided that I don't need 24 more hours. You see, lately I have decided that I need to model my life after the ever-optimistic and comletely non-nuerotic Tommy Neal. So from henceforth, before I act in any situation, I must pause, I must scratch my chin, and then I must ask myself, "What would Tommy do?" In this case, Tommy would chalk it up to a rough day at the office and get back to the grind! Right Tommy? Right! What I'm trying to say is that I am, get this: OVER IT. No really I am. Seriously. I AM.

Ok, but in all seriousness it was REALLY ugly...I mean it made the Gate River Run look like my best race ever. I won't go into details. Let's just say I ran WAY faster on the same course....um....five years ago. And a 19-somethingish 5k race has never hurt so flippin bad. Sometimes results like this really make me question the whole "money in the bank" theory of training. You know, the idea being that every mile contributes a little something in the long run. I was a believer....now I am not so sure. But ANYWAY...
...not a pretty picture....

So I did a bit of post-race overanalysis like always and decided that maybe I'm not being reasonable with myself and perhaps to expect to race in the 18:20's on that course on that day after two hard on-land workouts since getting back into the swing of things a few weeks ago just isn't reasonable at this point and that I should keep the bigger picture in mind. Did that entire thought just come straight from MY brain? Why, yes it did! Egad! Eureka! Heavens to Betsy and Hallelujah! No, but seriously, I guess that running a bit sub-par tops not running at all BY FAR. I will take that any day, at least there's somewhere to go from there. That goes without saying.


I once watched a FloTrack interview with Lauren Fleshman and she explained that one of the most important things you can do as an athlete to keep things in perspective is to take everything one day at a time and always run in the present without comparing yourself to what you were when you were at your best, but still keeping in mind what you want to be.There is simply more work to be done, onwards and upwards, and Club XC is the main goal at this point for 2010.


The day will come when my first sentence in this silly blog will be "HOLY CRAP!!! I HAD A BREAKTHROUGH RACE!" That day is not today, but stay tuned.