Chapter 17: It’s All In The Family But I Am Of No Relation
Distance
Running is a sport driven by time. And with time comes natural barriers. Just
look through the chapters so far. I’ve had run ins with 6 minutes, 5 minutes,
20, 19 and 18. But as I switched my focus to track season, I set my sights on
the simplest of barriers: 1 minute.
Before
every new track season, Upper Dublin had a team wide 400-meter time trial. The
400 was the ideal distance for both sprinters and distance runners. It was
probably too short for a distance runner, but anything longer would be way too
much for a typical sprinter. The coaching staff tried to spread out the talent
and then lined us up for heats on the track a couple weeks into the winter.
This helped set the line ups for the first few meets of the year.
Now
let’s back up a second and set the stage for this race because, although it
sounds like a silly and meaningless event it was actually a monumental moment
in my running career. For starters, my PR at the time was about 61 seconds. I
had split it in my last race as a freshman on our Suburban One Frosh/Soph
Relay. However, in practice just a few days out from the time trial, I had run
63 seconds for the last rep of our workout. So I was feeling pretty good.
I also
had a bet going. I was trying to run faster than my friend Mark Pyfer in the
time trial as he had been faster than me the previous year. I felt I had
narrowed the gap. I’m not actually positive if the bet was with Mark or with
Tanzer but there was definitely a bet. And the value of the bet was definitely
a quarter[1].
So at
this point, I’d say I had the perfect combination of confidence, swag and
thirst to prove myself. Also it was a time trial rather than an actual race
which played to my skills[2].
When
the race began, I just went out and sprinted for as long as I could. I don’t
remember all the specifics, but I know there was probably someone faster in my
heat who I used to help pull me along[3]. Ultimately, when I
finished, I could tell things went well right away. When the coaches told me my
final time, I was ecstatic to hear that I had run 56.9 seconds which was a
massive personal best and my first time under a minute in the one lapper. I
can’t remember for sure if I actually made him pay up the quarter.
But
believe it or not, this race wasn’t important because of the quarter. My time
in this race beat a couple of the older guys on the team who had previously
been out of my league. I think it was the first time I realized I could maybe be
a decent team contributor one day. Also, just as importantly, I think it was
the first time my teammates thought I could maybe be a decent contributor one
day.
We had
a team dinner to celebrate Cross Country at the end of the week and I was the
most involved in team discussions I’ve ever been thanks to my 400 PR that day.
For the first time I could really remember, I began to feel like a part of a
family other than my own actual family. And let me tell you, it was one heck of
a feeling.
[1] For some reason, I remember the
quarter very specifically. I made a lot of bets for a quarter in my early high
school years including one on a Patriots-Chargers playoff game. I might have a
gambling problem.
[2] For some reason, I’m a real solid
time trial. That may sound like a brag, but it’s not meant to be. I’d be much
happier to brag about being a real solid actual racer. I think I just overthink
the big races too much and get way too nervous which is why time trials play to
my advantage. I can get the right amount of nervous for those (which is still
more than the average person for a time trial as most average people don’t care
much at all)
[3] Sam Ellison was also in this heat
with me, before he reached true Sam Ellison level (we will get to that) and I
managed to beat him. It was the only chance I would ever have to be in the same
realm as him, so I’m glad I picked up the W when I had the chance.
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