Break Time Is Not Down Time

It's October Break, and Vassar is kind of deserted right now. We had the option of going home for part of break, but about half of the team elected to stick around for practices. In addition to doing workouts with teammates, being at Vassar makes it a lot easier to cross-train, get treatment for injuries, and just makes getting through a workout a little bit easier. We're approaching the end of our regular season, with one more race before our two championship meets. Thus, it's that much more important for us to stay focused on training, with the end of our season in sight.

Last weekend's race came against some very difficult competition. Racing against a number of Division I teams, we had nine of our top ten runners all break their personal bests, yet we still finished in the lower half of the team scores. The Albany course lends itself to faster than average times, and combined with the cool temperatures and decent footing, it was a day to shine for many of my teammates. I, however, was the lone runner in our top ten who didn't set a new personal best.

While I know the conditions and course presented an opportunity for a fast race, I was just happy to run five continuous miles. Due to a host of injuries, I've gone from running around 70 miles a week in September, to running a combined 60 miles the last two weeks, with the rest of my aerobic work either on a bike, aqua-jogging in the pool, or on the elliptical. Needless to say, I really miss being able to run every day.

So while last weekend's race didn't look particularly good for me on the statsheet, compared to what I've done in other races, nor did it feel particularly comfortable, I was just happy to feel the ground under my feet with each stride.