Steve - 2.5

So I had this idea to run an 800m time trial on my 30th birthday since I'm officially an old man. My idea was that if I ran fast enough, I could turn back the hands of time. Well I got a few other friends to join me. Even the wife came to the track for like the 3rd time ever in the 10 years we have known each other. I had this great idea to run at midnight (a Thursday night). We brought donuts and she brought a cooler with little sandwiches and water. I had this goal all along to break 2:15, which is a pretty solid 800m time. I knew it would be tough since the guys running with me  weren't runners. I'd have to basically do it solo. Anyway, everyone didn't really show up until like 12:30.

After I warmed up, I realized since lanes 1-3 were blocked partially at some parts I had to run in lane 4. This meant that I had to do some measurements to get 800m. So I went to the 400m start in lane 4 and paced back from the start to the 400m finish. It was about 80 foot lengths. So I paced out the same distance back from the 400m finish and put a marker there so I could see a clear finish. So if I started at the 400m start, did one lap, and then did another finished there it would be 800m. Anyway, I positioned my wife like a rook at the 200m point so she could take splits for me at 200 and 600. Probably the first and last time she ever will take splits for me.

We finally started at about 1 am. The last few days I had been starting to get sick but I was doing my damndest to fight it off. So I was actually feeling ok that night. Anyway, we started the race and I took off pretty quick. I knew I needed to run about 65-66 to have a realistic shot at 2:15. I came through pretty smoothly at the 200. My split was 31-32. Probably a bit too fast but I needed to bank the time. Legs started feeling a bit heavy but I pushed through it. I hit the 400m split and glanced down to see 70:xx. Shit, now I know I'm in trouble. I would have to run a 65 (a negative split) to run 2:15. So I knew it was basically out the window since my legs were starting to burn a bit. I tried to at least maintain speed as my legs started burning more. I got to the 600m mark and didn't even bother to note the split cuz I didn't want to hear any bad news. I threw down whatever scant kick I had left and hit the line in 2:29. A pretty disappointing time for sure, but that's life for you sometimes. We hung out for like 30 minutes and ate donuts and talked and stuff. Then I headed home and crashed at like 3 am and proceeded to get really sick for the next week and half or so. It was a cool experience and I'm thinking of making it an annual tradition (minus the sick part). I'm hoping to shatter that 800 time in the coming weeks and months.