Week Five

Lindsay took 8th place and Maira took 6th place in the Open Race at the Bartlett Invite. Both Bees set LIFETIME PRs, too! Way to go!

@Bartlett "Flyin' Hawk" Invite:  After a solid week of workouts, including an impressive hill workout at Wadsworth and an equally good PPM at our course, I was hoping that we would break our historical struggle with racing this weekend.  It seems that this week has been our "crux" over the years:  last year, many blamed our poor races on the cold; the year before, we struggled with injuries; and the year before that?  Homecoming Week is just too tiring.  But as I warmed up with the Frosh/Soph squad yesterday, I felt optimistic.  When we arrived at the hilly section, we all agreed that it felt like nothing compared to Wadsworth.  And when the gun sounded, the group looked confident.  At the 800, we seemed to be ok; it wasn't a great start, but our leaders were in a decent position to run well, and our other packs were finding each other.  In the hilly section, we looked strong; each bee worked the uphills and downhills with confidence.  It seemed that we lost steam in the back section, which was devoid of fans, and heading into the second loop, we lost all focus.  By the second hill section, we did not look as confident, and by the finish, our kicks were non-existent.  All finish times were slower than at Warren, which is not surprising since Bartlett's course is a true 3.0 miles.  But the times were significantly slower, which shows that we also had a mental lapse today.  But the Frosh/Soph team did not let their races go to waste; they quickly dispensed advice to the upcoming racers, and vowed to disperse to the empty spots on the course to cheer. 

The Varsity race offered the same story:  a decent start, a mental lapse at the start of the second loop, and missing kicks.  Admittedly, Joseline did set a lifetime PR in this race:  20:52.  She dropped significant time from this season, and just edged out her lifetime PR of 20:53 from Sterling last year.  That being said, this group (as we discussed) needs to bounce back from this race by displaying mental toughness on our course Monday. 

The Open Race offered some more success:  Maira and Lindsay seemed determined to break our "bling-jinx" of the day.  Both started strong in 10th place at the 800 mark, and raced with courage the whole way.  What had been missing from most of our previous racers--confidence and determination--was all over their faces whenever I saw them.  Both moved up during their races, and they ended up 6th and 8th respectively in order to earn medallions.  They also each set lifetime PRs for the race:  Maira shaved :33 seconds from her previous best, and Lindsay dropped :14.  The other lifetime PR setter of the day was Josefina in that same race.  She too looked confident each time I saw her, and she finished with a great kick.  That confidence paid off in a new lifetime PR of 27:57, dropping :51 from her previous best!  Also, congrats to the Open Crew--although not everyone was happy with their races, you guys placed 5th as a team.  Nice work!  :)

In reviewing our results, it is interesting to note that the four PRs from the day were ALL from women who did not race at Warren.  This leads me to believe that many of you are simply struggling with mid-season fatigue...the tiredness that comes with the accumulation of racing, homework, and a long Homecoming Week.  And let's be honest...while it would be AMAZING to set a PR every single race, it is not likely for it to happen.  While it is so much fun to have a weekend like we did at Warren, we must learn from our successes AND our struggles.  This meet shows that we need to work on the mental-toughness required to work through fatigue...to work through the crux.  I believe that you all have the strength and integrity to do so!  So let's get some rest and come back ready to protect our house on Monday.  Look at your splits below, bee honest about mile two, and set some goals for Monday!  Click here to look at your splits (specifically mile two) and set some goals for Monday.