I'm running around thinking "damn Jesuit is going to destroy me, their top 5 could probably all beat me." I see them, I shiver. This team is ranked fifth in the nation. They are the definition of excellence, year after year, an all boys Catholic school whose purpose in the world is to produce fast cross country runners.

I have new flats, this is the first race I do in flats this season. They are Oregon colors, they are simple, light and grippy. These are some nice flats.

Chuck tells us to go out really fast for the first 6 seconds. The gun goes off, I follow his words, I am in the top 20 at the 100m, some fall off, some catch up. 400m, top 15, I think "damn, is this what I want to do? run? this sucks Ive gone out way too fast Im going to die." I dont die. We make it up the hill and at the mile I am in 8th place. We go across, I pass one, one passes me. We head down the hill, my place doesnt change. Four Jesuit runners are ahead of me, I dont think I will be able to hold off the 5th much longer. I think to myself "I dont have what it takes to be a runner, this is stupid" The usual mind games of early in a race. I approach a mile and a half.

With a mile and a half to go, I am picking them off, I move up to 5th/6th. I think "I have a shot in this race after all" I pick more off, at two miles I am 10:24 and 4th place.

I pick off another, Chuck yells to me that the two ahead can be taken, just drive down the tangents. I drive down the tangents, I pass one with 800 to go. I realize that only one is ahead, weird, Im in second place "I have what it takes to be a runner, I am tough enough" The great mind games of the end of a good race. I keep up the surge, I keep increasing my speed. 300 to go, I start my hard kick, it isnt as good as it used to be, I have run it out of myself. 200 to go, Im moving quick, but my once used kick is gone. 100 to go, Jesuit guy passes me, takes off quick, cant go. Run as fast as I can to the finish, third place. Evan Watchempino has beaten me by 5 seconds, his teammate has run just slightly slower.

My last mile was 5:04, I have run 15:28, last year on the very same course, I ran 16:37 and was 8th in our league doing it, Vizci having won in 15:54.

Needless to say, I was pretty happy. More importantly I am not afraid of anyone in the state in division 3. They can all be beaten, even people in other divisions. Hm... Pretty much everyone.


Last night I had a bbq with at least 20 people because I turn 18 on Tuesday, that was fun. Nate Beach can pack away food like you wouldnt believe, I think it all must go to his humungous nipples. I learned today that I set the school record over Barry Fischer's 15:53, so that was a big drop for that record, 25 seconds. Im pretty juiced especially because he ran 15:30 at state that year and got second place.

Today was chill, I woke up ate, went back to bed, woke up, ate, sat around, ran 70 minutes in Kings, came home, ate and now Im chillin again. I saw coach Adams at Rancho, she was doing a 23 mile run, training for the marathon. What a dominator. I have never run 23 miles, my most was 19.

I dont know what Im gonna do about our team time, so far it reveals that we are one of the weakest teams in the NCS looking to make a bid for state, but I really think Colby can pull through, something was way wrong yesterday. Nate ran okay, 20 seconds behind the time that made me DFAL all-league last year and its early, he should be fine. Wheeler had a decent race, 10 seconds behind my time last year, then HD was sick and threw up a bit so he didnt have a great race but was 7 seconds faster than I ran last year. Now the thing about HD is that he will pull through and be decently close to me, hes been doing just as well as I have in all the workouts but hasnt been able to really race well. I know he could have gone under 16 yesterday, the question is; by how much? Im going to attribute his race to lack of sleep and sickness. Sleep is so underrated. It might be just me that needs 10 hours a night since I am the skinniest person on the face of the earth not living in Africa. I forget where I was going with that.

¶ 11:13 PM

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