The headline on this article pretty much says it all. Someone (or someones) on Air Force’s coaching staff neglected to enter their runners for a conference championship meet. There are several preventative lessons from the article and one on effort which I will get to further down the page. While most of this may come across as “duh” statements, it’s also the case that occasionally reading and hearing basic reminders in all facets of life is valuable so that we don’t create unnecessary stress.
1. For most of us, we can enter many races up to the morning of the event (large and/or popular races being an exception). We don’t need to send in our names days or weeks ahead like college programs. Still, it’s good to enter in advance and, if possible, do early packet pick-up so you can get your race number prior to the event.
2. You always want to allow ample time on race morning for unexpected delays in getting to the starting line. Two of my last three races I’ve had only a few minutes for warm-up compared to my normal preference for a longer routine. This occurred in spite of allowing an extra 15 to 20 minutes in addition to the time I thought I would need.
3. When you get to a race, make sure that you’re entered in the appropriate distance and that your name matches your bib, etc. At a race a couple of years ago, someone was registered for the mile and ran the 5K. While their 9-minute finish time would have been a whopper of a world record for the 5K, they were in the wrong race. Not only was this unfortunate for them, it also took the race officials time to recalibrate the results.
4. Look at the course map ahead of time and once on the course, pay attention to course markings and race officials’ directions. In my last race, a runner who was a decent distance ahead of me (too far for me to say anything) blew right past the turnaround point, kept going, and lost many places in the race.
5. Run hard until the end and don’t assume anything. The following is not to advocate taking advantage of someone else’s mistake or misfortune, and higher placing doesn’t feel quite as good when it’s due to mistakes or issues with rules. But, everyone who shows up is expected to abide by the same rules, run the same course, etc. and that is also part of the event. On one hand, it was unfair for the Air Force distance runners to not be able to contribute towards the team’s points because of a bureaucratic error by their coaching staff. On the other hand, allowing Air Force’s distance points to count would be unfair to the other teams who did everything correctly to make sure they were entered and registered on time. A couple of years ago, I could have sworn I finished fourth overall in a race but I was awarded third place. After verifying this with the race officials, all I could figure was that one of the people ahead of me either dropped out, was disqualified, or had run the wrong race. In my example, I had worked to maintain my place during the latter stages of the race even though a podium finish seemed out of reach. With the example in the article above, CSU could have shown up “knowing” they weren’t going to win the team title and settled. Though their win came from a paperwork mishap, it still paid off for them to show up and compete at their best effort. So, this bit is to advocate always racing at your best level even if you’re sure of how the results will play out and you’re tempted to cruise through the event.
Life doesn’t always allow us to carry out tasks or do events in the most ideal way possible. Sometimes you just have to run through the airport even though you allowed for plenty of travel time. Sometimes you have to work late to get a project done, even though you started early and budgeted your time well. But, you can cut down on the probability of things going wrong with your races (and adding stress to an already wired morning) with a little planning ahead.
For the getting over the top portion: a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that Yomif Kejelcha missed the indoor mile world record by running a 3:48.46, .01 shy of the 3:48.45 mark. This past weekend, he broke that record by posting a 3:47.01. That’s a large gap, relative to the distance and the speed these athletes are running. It’s possible he could try to lower it again but as he’s primarily a 3000M and 5000M runner, I would imagine that breaking world records at that distance would be enticing.
Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Gu Hoppy Trails: A couple of times I’ve gone for a run after a late-afternoon holiday lunch where I’d had a beer or two. Based on that, I was going to jokingly review beer as a pre-run energy food and give it a thumbs-down. It made me sluggish and I’m glad I was only going a few miles. However, Gu has introduced Hoppy Trails and it tastes just like beer. Unlike actual beer, this product gives you a boost during your run. The company is very clear that there is no alcohol and they also don’t put any caffeine in it. The hoppy flavor isn’t overpowering. While I wouldn’t use this as a go-to gel, given the number of runners who love beer as a post-run refreshment, this is a good way to sneak that flavor in before and during the run without compromising your energy level. In fact, you’ll enhance it.
References used:
http://www.letsrun.com/news/2019/03/air-force-forgot-to-enter-its-distance-runners-for-mountain-west-conference-meet-colorado-state-won-team-title-as-a-result/
http://www.letsrun.com/news/2019/03/wr-kejelcha-mile-indoor-34701/