Coming Up Short.

It's hard to believe that this time last year my 3,000m pr was 9.38.3. and here I am slightly boo hooing the fact I missed a chance to go sub 9 on Thursday,it's another classic example of how we as runners are never or seldom satisfied w/ our performances!

B4 I go any further let me state for the record that although I was nursing a sore throat and subsequently minor congestion on my lungs this in no way is being used as an excuse for falling short of my desired sub 9,Rod Laver once said and I quote"once you step on to the court you are admitting to yourself,your opponent and the fans you're fit enough to play....don't walk off afterwards saying you were ill or injured"
I'd feared for a few days my throat was getting sore,by Thursday I was croaking and subsequently the congestion on my lungs has forced me to shut things down for a few days to shake this completely so that I can resume training Monday or Tuesday at the latest.

As is my won't I seeded myself in the fast heat,if you're going for time in a race it's the best way although it's always curious to check the results afterwards to see where your time would've stacked you up in the next heat,case in point my 2.06.0 in the last Thursday Nite meet earned me 9th in heat 1,I'd have finished 5th in heat 2.
The race plan was to try and clock 36 seconds per lap to clock 4.48 for the mile and come through the bell in 8.24 and hope for a 34/35 second final lap to clock 8.59/8.59....easier said than done!

In a 17 man field w/11 runners on the starting line and 6 of us on the turn we broke at the top of the back straight and thus the battle to slot in where we wanted to be began,I came through 200m in 36 seconds oblivious to where I was positionally w/in the race,I was aware there were runners behind me so I wasn't last which although it's about time and not place you still never want to be last.
1.10 at 400m a slight pick up in pace,after this my splits become blurred,when they're coming around thick and fast over 200m it's hard to recall them all.
I hadn't planned to focus on kilometer splits to be honest but w/ Ian Brooks calling attention to us going through the first k I looked up to see 2.58 after 5 laps,on pace for sub 9.

The 1k split threw me off for recalling my mile split,I know I looked up each time I came through the finish but I just don't recall my mile time,I do know my 2k split was 6.01 still on pace for sub 9 but I was beginning to slide back through the field,I began to lose contact w/ Matt Chaston and Jimmy Lynch.
I was well shy of the 8.24 I needed at 2,800m but drove hard over the final lap to close in 9.08.3 and finish 14th of 17.

Slightly disappointed that I not only missed sub 9 but also missed a pr 9.07.1. but this time last year I hadn't even ran my 9.13.6. or 9.11.4. so clearly I'm doing something right.
Here we are in late February I have 10 more months to lower my pr and go for that sub 9,the question is when?I have 1 more indoor race scheduled in three weeks time b4 switching to outdoors and focusing on Worlds and Nationals,maybe post July I can look for a 3,000m to join the sub 9 club.