final thoughts (xc08)

I don't really know what to think about this season. I ran faster and more consistently compared to last year, yet I came away from almost every race much unhappier. Strangely enough I also felt less in shape this year than last, although my times say otherwise. I ran 5:27 for the first mile of almost every single race this year; it seems fast but I didn't think it was out of reach for me to hold that for all 5 miles. Maybe it still isn't out of reach but I will probably have to reevaluate my goals for the rest of my time here. There are hundreds of "could haves" or "should haves" flying through my head. I should have run more over the summer. I shouldn't have dropped my training like I did. I could have gone faster in workouts. I should have gone faster in workouts. Normally XC is the "good" season -- and this worries me. I've had a few bad track seasons, but I could handle them and weren't nearly as unhappy with them. I've only improved by a very marginal 22 seconds from last year (comparing PRs); in high school I dropped from a 19:02 (first 5k) to 17:44 junior year, and then from that 17:44 to 17:06 senior year. This is off of really low mileage and nowhere near good coaching as I receive here. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

then end of xc08

27.10.2008	6.0	upper arroyo. Went alright...
28.10.2008	6.0	9x400 at central, ran pretty fast: 73, 72, 72, 75, 76, 76, 75, 77, 72
29.10.2008	6.0	modified huntingson – ran up los robles to green and then back full arroyo way.
30.10.2008	4.0	5-4-3-2-1 lacey, went decently fast but didn't switch gears well enough. Did around 5.5 laps +/- 50m
31.10.2008	3.0	Pre race...alone since I had review session to go to at 4:00.
01.11.2008	5.0	best race this season with a PR of 28:29.03; didn't feel like it would be a PR until the very end – need to calm down the first mile; 5:27, 11:15, 17:15, ??:??, 28:29.03 (1st on team, 42nd overall / 92)
Total	30.0
03.11.2008	6.0	lower arroyo. Uneventful, but DST was throwing me off
04.11.2008	5.0	6x800 going every 4:30. did this on the track because midterms prevented me from going to practice on time. Ran pretty consistently, but it was on track so that's expected. (2:34, 2:35, 2:35, 2:36, 2:33, 2:32)
05.11.2008	5.0	mildly abnormal tree... seems shorter than last time I did it
06.11.2008	6.0	(3 on, 1 off) x 7. Did 9 laps...
07.11.2008	5.0	garfield and back short way
08.11.2008	7.0	5k tempo in the arroyo, didn't go very fast but didn't feel like i could have gone much faster...18:57. This is bad news seeing as how i ran probably 18:0x for the first 5k of my race last week...
Total	34.0
10.11.2008	6.0	upper arroyo. Went okay
11.11.2008	5.0	9x400 at central. Ran alright: 74, 75, 75, 74, 77, 76, 76, 75, 73
12.11.2008	6.0	Rosemead+ :)
13.11.2008	3.0	5-4-3-2-1 at lacey. Felt a little slow but it'll be fine...
14.11.2008	5.0	pre race...slow
15.11.2008	5.0	poor race. Went out in 5:15 and died pretty hard. A mediocre end to a mediocre season. 5:15, 11:12, 16:54, ????, 28:19.53 (3rd on team, 85th / 105)