Spring-time!!!

Winter has hopefully passed over Gunnison and is heading to the Southern Hemisphere. One sure sign of this change is that each afternoon I am greeted by warmer temperatures and a strong gust of wind that has brought singing birds and a glimmer of green back to the foliage around the area. This also means another thing...outdoor track! Although I do have special places in my running heart for cross-country, road races, and yes even indoor track, I have to admit that I enjoy outdoor track the most. I kicked off the outdoor season last weekend with my running mates Jesse and Paul as we headed to Tempe, AZ for the ASU Invite. As much as the warmer climates made me forget about the last 5 months of bitter temperatures, the fast pace required for the 1500 and 800 reminded me just the same. My strength currently is my strength, and so to run fast in the metric mile I needed even splits. The race went out much slower than expected and I tried my darndest to make moves but it was to no avail, I basically had one speed. So on to the 800, deciding that today would be a much needed speed session rather than a chance to lower some personal records. I was staggered to the far outside lane at the start. As fast as the gun went off, I was getting swallowed up by runners to the inside. I'm not sure if the entire field made up the first stagger by the cut in line or not, but one thing was for sure, I was basically all out! As I passed through 400 I could already feel the tingly sensation creeping on. When I heard 54 seconds as the split, it went away, probably from sympathy for what was to come. I didn't have any notches to turn it up to but I gave it all I had. I don't want to say what my closing 400 was because it wasn't pretty. But lets just say that if you are scotish, you would pernounce it sixty-free. I realize that I could have gone out slower and produced a faster overall time, but hey, it was a speed session. The bright side is that these races were just "tune-ups" for a 5k at Mt. SAC in just over two weeks...thank goodness.