Once again I fail at updating my progress through what could, quite possibly, be my (second but) last NCAA Cross-Country campaign! Whatever, I've got a log full of memories in addition to my own fading ability to remember things, and that's enough--probably.
Anyway, we're on our way back from Zap Fitness right now after having been in the mountains getting some solid training since Thursday afternoon. Personally, I've always loved Appalachia. Most people would say it's nothing more than a bunch of coal mines and trailer parks--but I feel like they've just made the crucial mistake of assuming the entire region is like West Virginia. West Virginia sucks--don't let anyone tell you different. On the other hand Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina are sweet places. Note I didn't include South Carolina. It sucks, too. Really, don't go there.
Training's been great, the last week and a half or so. After get back up to Tally for pre-season on the 19th I've been on quite the roll! Despite only going 6 miles in the tempo that first Monday I feel like I've been getting fitter by the day! The "Time Trial" (a 4mile tempo for everyone on the squad and an official try out for kids wanting to try and make it (20:20 for 4miles now makes it, gentlemen--so train hard all you under-developed HS guys and be out there next year!)) went easily, as did the next long tempo the following Monday. Then, THEN, we rolled up to North Carolina on Thursday and I won my first ever Cross-Country race! That pretty much sets me as a favorite for the to slot in Terre Haute come November so I figure Sambu and all those boys out West may as well just throw in the towel and start fighting for 2nd. Hah....if only. But seriously, while it was kinda fun to win the whole goal was to run a good LT-type workout in non-Florida weather (I emplore anyone to attempt anything longer than 20min continuous in Florida at 5:10 or less pace until the end-ish of September). I kinda messed it up though. We were supposed to run approx. 5:10 pace and stay together as a team, but I got frustrated with getting suck behind guys coming back to us and struck out to get up to front after about 2.5 miles. The rest of the crew in the 'race' still had good workouts as Dave (on big 9 days after starting back up) moved through to 4th (he's a freak talent and I was just waiting to see his 1:48 running ass come flying by, laughing, about 5m from crossing the line...)
Bright and early the next morning we rolled for a good long run on the Virginia Creeper where 2.0 and I cracked out 18 miles (Ol' Dirt Proct's longest run ever by a solid deucer). This, of course, was followed by a mad dash to Mountain House for a feast fit for a King such as myself.
Sunday capped off two big weeks for me (though most people wouldn't really consider them that--but hey, I'm a lil' bitch so...meh!) so this next week back in Tally I'm gonna drop things down about 20 miles per week and make a big push to be like Spike The Lizard. Spike is a new addition to the H-4, and despite being the position of a non-full-time resident has been accepted with open arms. Spike has also been given a major level of respect for his position of King of Lazy. The guy seems to do nothing but chill under his heat lamp on a giant toy tank in the cage and grow. Big. So that's what I'm going to do. Minus the heat lamp...maybe. I recognize that I'm doing everything I can in training to take my body to the level it needs to be for me to reach the next realm within my running 'career', so it makes sense that I need to emphasize doing everything I can when I'm NOT exercising to recover from the evil I put myself through--to grow. So that's what I'll do. When I'm not running I'm going to sit, to chill, to nap, and recover. Even though that means the #1 Girlfriend is gonna hate me for being so damn boring. Hell, I may even partake in some Satan Biscuits as it seems I'm already having trouble keeping flesh on the ol' skeleton! The blessing of a Smyth-like metabolic rate is a blessing, but also a curse if I don't pay attention and drop too low too far out from the race(s) that matter (and thus lose allllll of my minimal ability to recover. Stupid endocrine disorder!).
