Read Much, Run Far

The steeplechase did not go especially well, but I was only 20 seconds off my PR and my form was apparently better than any of the other women in the race. I also got a boost of motivation from it, after feeling discouraged for a while. Yesterday I lifted and ran 30 minutes, the first time I have done so on a Sunday in a really long time. The steeplechase is all about strength and stamina. Stamina's what I need to work on. I'm already strong enough to get over all the steeples. It's inbetween the steeples that I need help. The stamina will come in the next few weeks as the training I've done lately starts to kick in. As early as this weekend, I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of improvement. And of course, a lot of it is the mental aspect. I gave up on Saturday, and I can't do that again. There was this girl that I really should have beaten, but I just got further and further behind her. Never again, I have to give it everything I have and attack.

Mark also suffered a discouraging meet, but he didn't turn it into a boost of motivation. Instead, he considered quitting, and I tried to help him. His problem is that he listens to one of our assistant coaches, who does not give encouraging advice. He actually said to him that he doesn't consider him a high jumper unless he can jump his own height. Appalling! That's like when Tim made the comment about a person not being a runner unless they run under 8 minute miles. Anyway, Mark psyches himself out and assumes that no matter what he does, it's not going to be good enough, and so he just goes through the motions to get it over with. I told him what I thought, that he should just try his best all the time and not worry about what other people think (because after all, who does track for OTHER people?), but I don't know if he was really listening.

At the time, apparently Maggie was over there talking to him, so he probably wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to what I was saying to him. She had a bad night, and now she is transferring, I would assume to Goucher, to be with Eliot. I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I'm sad because I will miss my friend, but also I'm kind of glad because maybe she'll be happy there.