Post-race Struggle
Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, 'I've never seen anyone run like that before.' It's more than just a race, it's a style. It's doing something better than anyone else. It's being creative."- Steve Prefontaine
I've put my own little twist on this quote. When I first read the quote in an email of the day last year, what really stuck out to me was how Steve seemed to feed off the positive energy of others. So, while I know there's some deeper philosophical meaning in what he's saying, I've boiled it down to "when you look good, you feel good"( or at least when you think you look good you feel good). For some that may seem pretty self-centered or narcissistic and what not, but for me, it’s just one of the ways to psyche myself up and have fun with races. On Tuesday I broke out all the special gear: headband, short shorts ,and my spikes from freshmen year. And it made all the difference. I finally broke the five minutes for the mile (thanks in part to the incredible pacing job by Coach Boehm a.k.a. “the metronome”).
But enough of myself; everybody brought their A-game on Tuesday, and it was incredible. I think it all those PR's come back to our training . Running in training groups was something that really helped me this year. I really liked the group of guys I ran with, and it made practice not only more enjoyable but it’s great to lean on your teammates when you’re having an off day or tough race. In addition, the cutback in mileage at this part of year just makes you feel so much more rested and ready to race. I think its these things which lead to a strong showing at our most recent meet the Borgia Invitational at Big Driver golf course in Washington, and I'm very excited for the varsity's upcoming district race there this Saturday, especially after the way our season ended last year.
-Thomas Linhares
