Breaking a Barrier

            Wow the month of April flew by! I think I was at home for one weekend the entire month! The first weekend I was at Stanford where I opened up my outdoor season with a 5k after spending the entire month of March cross-training. It felt good to be back running again. Nine days later I was back at the airport and on my way to Walnut, CA for the Mt. SAC relays. I ran my first steeple chase of the year in 10:09. This was the fastest time I had ever opened a season with but far from my goal but that was o.k. I needed to feel the race out again and get used to all those barriers! After being home for five days I found myself back on a plane and heading to Palo Alto, CA to race at the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford.

            After Mt. SAC I analyzed my race and wrote down things I could improve on. I felt I underperformed and was ready to make my next race better. The week leading up to Payton Jordan I was very focused yet relaxed. I had the confidence to know I could run a PR and the determination to do it.

            When race day finally came I felt very happy. Levi was at the same meet and traveling together makes it even more fun for me because every track trip we go to together is like a mini vacation. Before the race I wrote down my goal time but I also wrote down where I wanted to be with 3 laps to go. My goal was to see the clock at 6 minutes with 1200m remaining. I told myself to get to that point by being relaxed and not going out too hard. After that I wanted to bring each lap down by 1 second and get the A standard for the Trials. I knew this would be a tough task as those last three laps of a steeple can be brutal. But I was ready for this.

            The race took off at a fast pace, which was to be expected on an Olympic year in a stacked field. I hung out near the back trying to be as relaxed as possible. As I came through the finish line with three laps to go I looked at the clock and watched it tick off 6:00. Perfect. Now I had to go for it. I kept moving up through the field the last 3 laps but I don’t remember my placing at all. As I watched my race on Flotrack a couple days later I was surprised where I was. I think I was so focused during the race I was oblivious to everything else. That was fine for this race but in the future I also need to be able to focus on my jumps, pace AND the competition all at once so I don’t find myself with gaps that are too big to cover.  

            The last three laps I noticed some of the other women around me were starting to struggle. I was attacking the hurdles and found myself getting slowed by those around me. John yelled for me to get off the rail and go around, which I did for that one hurdle, but I probably should have went wider on more hurdles and the water jump. I may have run slightly farther but it would have been quicker than trying to navigate in the pack.

            My last water jump I felt my leg give a little as I came out. All that jumping was getting my legs a little tired but I sprinted for all I was worth and crossed the line in 9:59.  This was a new PR and my next goal in line for my season. For Mt. SAC I was just going to race and re-awaken my “steepler” self. For Payton Jordan my first goal was to go under 10:00. My water jumps were still slowing me down as I landed deep and did not push off the barrier so without getting any fitter I know I can take more time off.  My next goal is to go under 9:55 and I will get that chance this weekend as I travel down to the University of Oregon for their Twilight meet Saturday evening.

Women's 3k Steeple courtesy of Flotrack:

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