3.3 Seconds

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I have 3.3 seconds on my mind.

Sometimes I think- that’s so short. Some roller coaster ride drops are around that long, and I think they’re way too short. On the other hand, 3.3 seconds can seem like forever, like if you had to stand in an ice-cold shower for that long. Brrrr!

3.3 seconds…

Last weekend, I ran a new personal best time in the 1500m run at the LA Jets Track and Field Invitational. I reached my goal for the season which was to beat 4:47 by running 4:46.97. Since I had been working really hard and getting faster each week, I was really happy and proud of myself.

When I saw the official results, I discovered an interesting fact: the national record which was set back in 2005, is 4:43.70. And I realized…

3.3 seconds is how far I am from breaking the national record.

AND I REALLY WANT TO DO IT.

So, as it turns out, I reached my original goal and already have a new one in place. There are only a few more weeks left in the season and I know they will be difficult and painful. I am choosing to believe that in this case, 3.3 seconds is on the short side and I’m going to go for it 200%. Everything I’ve been doing is going to get taken up another several notches. I’m ready for it and I’m excited about the possibilities.

I have a new motto: Train insane or remain the same.

Until next time…

 

 

 

 

2012 Encinitas Sprint Triathlon

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Yesterday I did the Encinitas Sprint Triathlon at Moonlight Beach. It was my first non-youth triathlon with longer swim, bike, and run distances. It was also my first ocean swim. I was pretty nervous about the swim since I’d never really swam straight out into the ocean before. The water temperature was super cold, too. It was 60 degrees! Brrrrrrrrrrr..

I wasn’t planning on wearing a wetsuit because I don’t like having to take it off during transition, but at the last minute, I decided to wear one and I’m glad I did. I did a full body plunge into the water before the race and it took my breath away. I spent about 15 minutes jumping around in it until I started to get used to the temperature. Man was it COLD!!!

It was a 375m swim or a quarter-mile. Once the horn sounded I just went for it. Whenever I am in a big race or facing a really hard track practice, I always think of the Nike slogan: Just Do It. It will eventually be over and the sooner I finish, the sooner it will be done. Those three words always get me through whatever craziness I have to do.

So I bolted for the water, got in as far as I could before I had to actually swim, then started diving into the waves. It was choppy and there were a lot of people around me, but I just kept going. I am the weakest at swimming so I was really happy and relieved to have it behind me when I finally came back to shore.

Next was the bike. It was 10k or a little over 6 miles. My legs felt like they were red hot. It was a different kind of burn than I get from running.Halfway through the bike, I looked up and saw my friend’s dad riding alongside me. It was weird seeing someone I knew. He took some video of me with his phone, which you can see on the video of the race (below). Pretty cool!

My favorite part was the run. The triathlon runs are very different for me than my road races or track events. I think because you’ve already done a swim and bike, your body is in a different kind of state. When I run, it feels like I’m going at a “warm-up” pace even though I’m not. Also, unlike in track events, when I pass someone, I’ve noticed they don’t give much of a fight like I see in track. Anyway, I had a ton of fun at this race. I will definitely do it again!