2/5/17 to 2/11/17: Weekly Summary & BU Valentine Mile Race Report

Saturday night I showed up just in time to the BU Valentine meet.  I ran over from home, hoping to watch heat 1 of the men's 1000, but I had just missed it.  I was lucky though - as I was walking over to the far section of the stands to put my stuff down I heard over the loud speaker, "if you haven't checked in for the mile, you are going to be scratched!"  It was 3pm, and I wouldn't be running until 5:30 or so!

After checking in, I took a seat on the infield to watch and wait.  That amount of time between arrival and the race start wasn't ideal, but I was expecting that.  I jogged around here and there to loosen up just a bit before sitting down again.  When the race start was finally in sight, I did the standard drills with a handful of imperfect strides.  With such a big crowd, I was forced to go at maybe 80% as people would haphazardly walk across where everyone else was trying to warm up.

Once I got to the line, there was no time for nerves as the gun went off within ~5 seconds of lining up.  I didn't have much time to debate what to do, so I instinctively went to the back of the pack, and would remain in 2nd to last place until coming off the turn after the 800 meter mark.  There was a growing gap, and the race was not remotely going to plan.  I was already frustrated with a slow first lap, and when I came through 800 meters I didn't expect to run the time I wanted, but at a minimum I would race as best as I could.

I pulled out wide and passed a handful of runners, with a couple of them following me to close the gap.  I never did make up much ground though.  The whole race kind of sucked as I never had any pop in my legs.  Shaun Dever, the Flotrack announcer, giving me props was, without a doubt, the highlight of the race for me.  And really fun to listen to when I got home:

"You see Patrick Bugbee of the Cambridge Sports Union moving up in that chase pack. Just about any day you're out there on the Charles River you can see Bugbee going back and forth to work, he commutes via run.  Puts in a lot of miles.  If he isn't wearing that orange kit, he's wearing a bright orange hunting hat." etc. etc.

So, even though it wasn't a great race, I'm now pretty famous.  It's going to be tough remaining anonymous after that.

Splits courtesy of Stephen Binder:

"37.0 (209m)
35.5 (1:12.5)
36.8
36.6 (2:25.9)
35.4
36.2 (3:37.5)
35.2
33.2

My watch: 4:45.93
Actual: 4:46.22"

As for the week, well, here's the stuff:

5-Feb		Long Run (Catherine)		2:37:39		20.08		AM: 20+ at 7:52/mile.  Tired legs.  Tired.
		Super Bowl		0:00:00		0		PM: Off.  Sort of, watching that could be considered a workout.  What a game.
6-Feb		Easy		1:02:22		8.1		AM: 8+ at 7:42/mile.  Upset stomach, how fun.
		Easy w/Drills & Strides		1:13:42		9.14		PM: Commute home and stopped at the Harvard turf field for drills and strides, then back home.
7-Feb		Easy		1:03:34		8.03		AM: 8m commute at whatever.
		Easy		0:52:30		6.28		PM: 6+ at whatever.  Really exhausted.
8-Feb		Easy		0:55:11		6.02		AM: 6m at 9:10/mile.  Pure ice.  Yeesh.
		Moderate		1:12:23		9.05		PM: 9m at 8:00/mile.  7m at a moderate clip and last 2m slow with Eli and Raleigh.
9-Feb		Easy		1:05:19		8.02		AM: 8m slower in the storm.
		Harvard Track (BU Cancelled due to snow)		1:10:14		8.52		PM: Left at noon due to the storm.  Stopped at Harvard to run 100x4/600/200x2.  Went alright actually.
10-Feb		Easy		0:51:48		6.09		AM: 6m commute at 8:30/mile.  Rolled my ankle AGAIN!  Definitely minor, but frustrating.  Running through the snow for portions.
		Easy		0:57:31		6.41		PM: 6+ slow.
11-Feb		Valentine Invitational		0:00:00		0		AM: Off.
		Valentine Invitational		0:40:00		5.53		PM: 4:46.22 for the mile.  Not what I was hoping, but that's fine.

No splits for the Harvard track.  I think the 600 was 1:46ish.  The 200s were whatever.

Total: 101.27