AM - 6.5 miles. Today was our first time trial and I was just really happy with how I did. I beat my old PR on this course by 28 seconds and almost 2 min. faster than my first one last year. I got out fairly quick and me and Andrew stayed pretty close to the leaders for the first lap. On the second lap, I started to take the lead on Andrew and pushed it a little harder trying to catch some of the guys in front of me. I finally passed Krenshaw just before the big hill and was fairly close to Dave, Reed, and Nick coming into the final lap. I caught up with Nick at the top of the big hill on this lap and told him to come with me but he ended up leaving me in the dust so it was kind of embarrassing. I caught up with Reed around the final turn (Nick was gone but Dave was pretty close) and told him to come with me as well but he to started to take off just like Nick. The start/finish line had been moved so it was farther from that turn and I really had to get refocused right here. My body wanted to give up so bad but my heart wanted to beat those guys even badder (I don't think that is a word). I finally sprinted (or at least tried to sprint) at the very end and I barely beat Dave and Reed. I took 6th on the team in this race (basically 8th since neither Abel or Byron raced) which is still way good for me and makes my goal of making Varsity this year a lot closer than I originally thought. I really hope I can continue these results throughout the season and see what I can accomplish. PM - 1.5 miles. I went out for my afternoon and I just wasn't feeling it so just decided to cut it short today. Runner - Coach told us at camp to research a runner and I chose to do Alberto Salazar. Alberto's birthday is actually today and being born back in 1958 in Cuba that makes him 55 years old. He was a great marathoner in the early 1980's, winning the New York Marathon 3 years in a row from 1980 to 1982. He also won the Boston Marathon in 1982 in an epic battle and one of the closet in Boston Marathon history with Dick Beardsley. Salazar was also succesful in high school (trained with the Greater Boston Track Club) and college (University of Oregon) where he was a state cross country champ in 1975, was on a NCAA championship team in 1977, and was an Individual NCAA champion in 1978. Alberto did not win many more big races after his Marthons in 1982 and now he contiunes his love for the sport as a coach. He currently works for Nike on the Nike Oregon Project, a program where he trains a group of some of the best long distance runners in the world. Some of these runners include: Mo Farah (the 2012 5k and 10k Olympic Gold Medalist), Galen Rupp (Silver Medalist in the 10k in 2012 Olympics), and a more recently added Cam Levins (2012 NCAA 10k and 5k champion). He also coaches Mary Cain but not as part of the Oregeon Project. That is just some basic info about Alberto Salazar.
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