The Mandrake Mile was the featured event at the last all-comers? meet of the summer, and after running 1500m in 4:40 two weeks ago, I was convinced that a sub-5:00 mile was in the bag. Unfortunately it didn?t turn out that way, and today I?m injured and disappointed.
I?ll skip the warmup details, the Boomer meeting with MarkGuy, rochrunner, timlooney, and dg9, and even the fashion report (same as last time), and get directly to the race. The weather was sunny and much cooler than it?s been, but the front that moved through also brought a stiff 15mph breeze that gusted to 25mph and was in your face around the far turn. Not the ideal conditions for a fast time, but not terrible either.
All-comers? meets really do bring out all comers. As the 15 or so runners line up, I recognize most of the usual suspects, some of whom may dip under 5:00, the string of people who will run slower than 7:00. But wait, who?s this doing striders down the straightaway? A little guy, 5? 3?, with thin, muscled legs of hard polished ebony, who looks built for pure speed. Holy carp, it?s Boaz Cheboiywo, former NCAA cross-country champion and a 3:35 1500m guy (=3:51 mile). I?ve never stepped on the track with someone of this caliber before?this is going to be fun to watch.
We?re running a true mile, not a 1600m, so we line up about 10m behind the finish line. Two weeks ago, I ran even splits off a 74s first lap and a 2:29 800m, so my plan is 72/2:25, then hang on with two 75?s for a 4:55.
Crack! The gun goes off and Cheboiywo takes off like greased lightning; it?s a beautiful and amazing sight to watch 4:00 pace from this perspective. I soon settle into the main pack with a few other runners, in 4th place. Lap 1 goes by in 76 seconds. Uh oh, that?s not right, it?s off pace and I feel flat and tired already. As we start the second lap, two runners ahead of me make a move, but I cover it. I sense the pace flagging a bit, so I pass one runner down the backstretch, tuck in behind the other as we round the bottom turn into the wind, then pass him as we enter the homestretch. I?m now in second place, behind the tiny streak far, far ahead. I hit the half in 2:32 and feel a sinking sense of despair; I?m not generating any power with my stride, am laboring with the effort, and can?t see running a negative split.
We maintain our positions throughout lap 3, which I hit in something like 3:49. I sense a group of other runners just behind me. With 300m to go, three of them suddenly blow past me. I try to respond but have nothing. I gamely make the effort, but I know sub-5:00 is out of the question. With 50m to go, I feel a ?pop? , and my right calf, which has been tight the whole race, gives out oompletely. I shut it down and gimp across in 5:08, for 5th place. Cheboiywo won in 4:08 and seemed to barely break a sweat.
The next event was the 4x400m relay with Mark, roch, and timlooney. I tried to shake out the calf but could only manage a few halting strides. Fortunately a willing victim, I mean substitute, was pulled from the crowd, and the relay went off as scheduled. I?ll let those guys tell that story.
Today the calf is swollen and the right AT is barking loudly. The Crim next weekend is almost certainly out. Grrr. What happened? I think I did too much in the last two weeks, and it left me flat and injury prone. Double grrr. Track season is over for this year, and I?ll have a long time to think about how to get it right the next time around.
------------------
DaveinAA[/URL" target="_blank">
