Day 82
Overcast and cool, today will be the best day we’ve had for running a 3k in a while. There’s a bit of a breeze, sometimes blowing the clouds away, sometimes blowing a light mist in, sometimes conspiring to do both things at the same time.
There’s just enough time to run over to Mars Cafe before it’s time for Emily to warmup. We dodge the construction up to one of my favorite streets: Kingman Blvd. The crabapples have bloomed and gone but there are plenty of irises in bloom. We cut back north on 29th, ‘Cause that’s what you’re gonna run I tell her.
A quick word before she hits the track: Today isn't about ten minutes and thirty whatever seconds. It’s about four — five, six — years of hard work getting to this point. Celebrate those moments out there. And one last time:
— Work hard, have fun…and race together, ‘cause your not out there alone. I grab a spot by the start as the the final few flights of the of SHR are finishing. Above the stadium a solitary hawk rides a thermal. I take it as an omen.
There is a recall as a girl from Hempstead goes down in the first 50. Second time of asking everyone gets through the first turn safely. The field stays closely grouped until coming down the homestretch toward the first kilometer. Emily gets across the split and keeps clicking off 84/85s as the field keeps shedding girls out the back.
They come through the halfway mark at 5:15. The two West girls and one of the sisters from Johnston have separated themselves. Emily and a girl from Valley are working their way toward a pink-clad Waukee runner.
Another 85. This is where the 88s have started in the past but Emily shows no sign of letting up. She comes through 2k on 7:00 and the realization starts creeping in: Holy cheez-its — this is gonna happen. 800 to go. Emily has shed the Valley girl and caught the one from Waukee. Together they are eating into the gap up to Skopec.
Four hundred to go. The Waukee girl gets a gap Emily but who cares. The Valley girl won’t catch her. She crosses the line. 10:33. Sixteen second PR. Fifth in the State. Seventh on the All-Time list. All in the last race of her career.
You could say her peak was perfectly planned. Rubbish. You could say she wouldn’t be denied. But she was. Failing to qualify for Drake at Forwald. Not making State last season. Not PR-ing for over a year. But those failures were just signposts along the road.
Taking over the race when no one else would lead, putting your yourself in position to have an impact, taking risks (going out in 5:15): rehearsals for the day it would all come together.
The 4x800 goes less well. We aren’t in contention after the lead-off leg runs into some traffic trying to pass on the inside. It’s not fun not showing out on the big stage but three of the four (and five out of six counting alternates) are back next year.
Some people say you win or you lose. Others say you win or you learn. I’d offer you learn or you lose. Because even if you are winning, but you aren’t learning from the experience, you are losing. Because if you aren’t learning from your successes as well as your failures, how will you know how to repeat them?
Back at the hotel, a couple group juggles and a round or two of bibblety bobblety boo. Dinner from Gateway Market and time to hit the hay in preparation for our busiest day of the weekend: DMR, shot, 4x200, 400h and 4x100.
