Ichan 1,500m And Champions League

Ok so here's the recap on last nites race.
After a very stressful day at work{it's always a bind running a race on a work day but when the powers that be allow both your co workers off and you're left doing the work load of three......}I still made my way up to New York and Ichan Stadium to run the 1,500m and kick off my stretch drive of 7 races in 8 weeks leading into Nationals in Sacramento in late July.
It was touch and go for a while if I'd get to Randall's Island by 7pm it was close to 6pm when I arrived at 34th and 8th Ave and had an hour to get to 103rd st,thanks to a uptown express #6 I was there in no time and a brisk walk along 103rd st to the 103st Bridge put me on Randall's Island and at Ichan Stadium by 6.40pm,and still time to log a mile warm up on the famed mondo track.

There were 15 of us for the 1,500m but based on time the fast heat was cut off at 4.40 and 8 of us toe the curved line,my reaction to the gun was good but once again the starter went w/ "on your marks"b4 firing the starting pistol,I'm so used to the traditional"on your marks,get set...starting pistol"need to keep that in mind for the rest of the season.
Got boxed in on the rail down the back straight but came through 300m in 49 seconds which was what I was aiming for so no need to panic,however the pace slowed on the second lap and the eventual winner took off down the back straight w/ hindsight I allowed too much real estate to develop as I swung around the two pacemakers and set off in pursuit of the leader and the second place runner.
1.59 at 700m a 70 second split and w/ that my hopes of a sub 4.10 out the window,my focus now was reeling in the second place runner,I had the option of tucking in behind him and looking to out kick him in the closing 200m or chasing a semi respectable time,I went w/ the later.

3.07 at the bell a 68 second lap,the leader was clear and I knew down the back straight I'd have to hold off the advances of the third place runner,w/ 250m to go he went by me and I just didn't have it to keep him at bay or go w/ him,if I hadn't used up so much energy at work during the day I might've been able to make a fair fist of it,as it was I chased hard up the home straight but to no avail,the winner in 4.07,the runner up in 4.13 and yours truly in third in 4.15{the official results should be on NYRRC website tomorrow}.
Splits of 49,70,68,68 clearly there's room for improvement and in 5 weeks time when I next contest the 1,500m also here at Ichan I'm hoping for better,as it stands 4.15 at last years Nationals in Oshkosh would've got me bronze,as I said there's room for improvement.

Despite feeling the effects of a long day at work and not getting home till 11.45pm I was up and at em by 5.27am and diving headlong into the fray come 6.25am,there was never a consideration of not running this evening no matter how tired I was,w/ my next race scheduled for Monday I could ill afford to burn a rest day during the week and force myself to run Sunday so just like back in the day{84 to be exact} when I first moved up to 10 milers I knew that no matter how tired I felt when I woke up and no matter how dead on my feet I may feel,those thoughts had to be banished,think positive,feel positive.
My spirits were lifted upon my arrival home,as I changed into my running clothes I flicked on the tv to catch the end of Man City Spurs,the game that could decide who finishes 4th in the Premier League and go into the Champions League next season.....
0.0 w/ 12 mins to go,I'd have settled for that even though it'd mean it'd all come down to Sundays final games to settle the issue...w/ 9 mins to go Kaboul jinked his way into the City area and crossed from the byline, a deflection off a City defender forced the keeper to parry the ball and Peter Crouch stooped to head in the winner,mass hysteria from the players and the travelling Spurs fans who's made the journey to Manchester....mean while your truly was getting his jig on too!!
Full time and we'd done it,no matter what happens Sunday we are in next seasons Champions League for the first time in our history and providing we get through the qualifying rounds the "Glory Glory Nites" of european footie will be felt at White Hart Lane next fall.

Buoyed by that I went out and cranked out a 67 min 10 miler,I had to dig deep over the final 2.5 miles but I'm no stranger to grinding it out over 10 miles my 19th since March 14th,I get to do it all again tomorrow but hopefully on fresher legs.