It doesn't have to just be running - you may have put the shot just to pick up some points.
It doesn't have to just be running - you may have put the shot just to pick up some points.
Well there have been so many...
But among the most miserable was a high school cross country race in which for some still unfathomable reason the slow-tempo commercial jingle to a women's deoderant gets stuck in my head. Run like crap. And the whole way I'm thinking, in a whispery melodious voice, "Soft & Dry/To help hide/When you're nervous inside...."
ExCoastRanger wrote:
Well there have been so many...
But among the most miserable was a high school cross country race in which for some still unfathomable reason the slow-tempo commercial jingle to a women's deoderant gets stuck in my head. Run like crap. And the whole way I'm thinking, in a whispery melodious voice, "Soft & Dry/To help hide/When you're nervous inside...."
I have to compliment this post. It really was well written: "slow-tempo"; "whispery melodious". It also was a strange and unexpected confession.
Kudos.
I cleared 4'10" in the HJ once, and then missed 3 times at 5'0" as a HS freshman.
HS soccer match against a team with a 50+ game undefeated streak. Multiple passes to me went under my trapping foot and out of bounds. One teammate was screaming at me during the game and after. Without saying anything, my dad went to the park with me later that day to pass the ball around and rebuild my confidence. Nothing like that happened before or after in a 12 year career of soccer - it was freaky. My suckiness didn't really matter, though, as they trounced us 5-0.
72nd place out of 74 in the state decathlon my sophomore year.
http://lancertiming.com/results/spring99/decath.htm
Take your pick out of all 10 events.
KTilton wrote:
72nd place out of 74 in the state decathlon my sophomore year.
http://lancertiming.com/results/spring99/decath.htmTake your pick out of all 10 events.
hey, it could be worse. you could be #74.
KTilton wrote:
72nd place out of 74 in the state decathlon my sophomore year.
http://lancertiming.com/results/spring99/decath.htmTake your pick out of all 10 events.
brave post - did you have a go in the pole vault? kudos to you if you did.
I like this thread. Here's another high jump story...
As a junior in high school I usually jumped around 6'0" with a season best jump of 6'2". At a home track meet one evening they started the bar at 5'0" and I opted to pass. Then I passed on 5'2" and finally on 5'4". I decided to come in at 5'6". I was so sure that I could easily clear 5'6" that I got lazy and just sort of casually strolled up to the bar and gave a half-assed hop. I hit the bar. On my second attempt I gave it a little more gusto, but still had a lazy approach....positive that I could clear 5'6" with little effort. Missed again. My third jump I meant business and gave it a good strong effort. Miss #3. The official sort of laughed at me and said "How can you pass the first 3 heights and then foul all 3 attempts at the height you come in at?" I was pretty embarrassed.
Oh, and I have one more that's a little more embarrassing. Last one, I swear......
Same year. I was scheduled to run the 110 hurdles and 300m hurdles at a regular season home meet. I had the fastest time in the conference in both events, but the guy with the #2 times was there that day. So there was a little pressure. In the 110 hurdles I had a bad start and was pretty wobbly over the first two hurdles. I got really off balance and stepped off the track into some wet grass where I slipped and hit my keester in front of everyone. On to the 300m hurdles....I was running well heading to the third hurdle. It was windy that day and the hurdle had blown over. For some reason I tripped over the hurdle that was LAYING ON THE GROUND. I face planted into the track. I got up and started yelling at the official because the hurdle was on the ground. He had little sympathy since I had tripped over a hurdle that was LAYING ON THE GROUND. But they let me have a re-do and run in the second heat. I ended up winning heat #2 and had the #1 overall time. But it was little consolation since I had fallen twice in the same track meet and I was supposed to be the best hurdler in the conference.
Last race of the track season I was hoping to break 4 mins for the 1500. The previous week I had run 4:03 after a 800 so I figured I had a good shot. Well get to the meet and I find that I am in the slower of the 2 races. Despite my protests the officials wouldn't let me run in the faster race. The first race was won in about 3:53 with 2/3rds of the field under 4 mins. By now I was fuming and proceeded to run the first lap in my race in 60 and the next in 63 with the others 50m or so back. At about 900m rigamortis set in and I hit the bell in about 3 dead. The last lap took about 90 seconds as I was swallowed up by my pursuers. I promptly retired a few weeks later at the age of 20. I started running again at 39 and know I will never break 4.
Junior year of high school. Modest PR's of 1:58, 9:50 and 4:30. Go to the private school state meet to run 2:07 in the 4x8, 2:04 in the open 8, and 10:36 in the 3200. I've never felt that bad physically in a race before, AND, I've never had my coach yell at me like that before. Absolutely brutal.
That's easy. My first race ever was a cross country race in grade 9, after about a week of running. I'm not sure what the time was, but I was 4th last out of 207 grade 9 boys. I'm pretty sure I was over 30 minutes because I ran 27:54 after another month of training.
Playing Basketball Sophomore Year In High School Towards The End Of The Game The Opposing Team Gets A Technical Foul Called Against Them. Being The Best Free Throw Shooter (Approx 85%) On The Court I End Up Taking The Shots. First Free Throw I End Up Completely Miss (Atleast 1-2 feet short). I Look Over At My Coach and He Just Lowers and Starts Shaking His Head, Meanwhile All My Friends Are Laughing Their Asses Off. (They Still Are Today) Luckily We Were Up By 10 And I Didn't Cost Us The Game. After That Season Was Over With I New That I Had To Hang Up My Basketball Shoes And Retire From The Game.
Capspwnt
midwesta wrote:
Junior year of high school. Modest PR's of 1:58, 9:50 and 4:30. Go to the private school state meet to run 2:07 in the 4x8, 2:04 in the open 8, and 10:36 in the 3200. I've never felt that bad physically in a race before, AND, I've never had my coach yell at me like that before. Absolutely brutal.
Why was your coach yelling at you? It's not like you were sandbagging intentionally. He must have had some money riding on those races.