Michael: The Plan

 Shadows and shadows

That quietly follow me

As if I were dead.

 Wednesday, February 26, 2020



I never explicitly set out to win a race. I do plan to always do well and expect to win my age group, but even then I don’t look up my competitors to watch out for them. If I’m running a race for the first time and it’s on an unfamiliar course, I will look up age group winners from several years past to help plan out racing strategies, but not to seek out individuals at races that I should be concerned about or to hang on their shoulder, or try to game them in any way.



In high school when I was required to double in the mile and two mile, that reality created a winning strategy of hanging on the shoulder of my competitor in the mile until the last 150 yards then out kicking them. That way I could reserve some energy for the two mile later that afternoon.



That strategy may still be effective; I don’t know. I haven’t employed it outside of several duathlons years ago.



For all other races I set a time goal and go from there. That time goal is based on previous performances, training, and age group times or competitors times I recognize. When I look at age group times I look at the winning time and set out to beat it, particularly if that person was competitive in the overall standings. As I get older there’s often not that many results that are competitive and it becomes a little more problematic to determine what’s a realistic expectation.



Fortunately, for Saturday’s 100k that’s not the case. I ran the race last year in 12:22 coming in third. The weather’s going to be great. I’m well rested, though have a bit of a sore back, and will have a great crew member there supporting me and pacing me my last lap. Therefore I’m going to run under 12 hours.



That time would win any other year’s event. Whether that’s good enough this year is out of my control. I don’t know who’s going to show up. I’m going to control what I can and do what I’m capable of. The placing will have to take care of itself.