Match Play

You ever seen a bald Jizzle Wizzle?  Well, you’re going to on June 25 next year.   I imagine most readers of this blog think I only lose bets, and, well, I do lose a lot of bets.  But, today was match play at Hayward Field for one mile and I prevailed.  As a result, the Jiz will shave his head for the 2011 WS.

Unlike last year when we each ran our respective miles for time with pacers, this year we decided to race each other, and it actually turned out to be a fairly evenly matched race.  The Jiz definitely came fitter to Hayward Field this year than last year and looked sharp, too (Monkeyboy noted that his hair looked less untooked than last year).  In my attempt to channel Galen Rupp, I bought a 30 pack of Breathe Rite strips and shaved my face for the first time in a couple of months.  Even my mother-in-law said I looked a lot younger.

Less Untooked Jiz, Breathe Rited Up LB, and Laurie

So how did the race play out?  You can watch Yassine Diboun’s video below, but I’ll recap.  There was less trash talk this year, perhaps because Monkeyboy wasn’t there to stir it up?  It was cold and we both knew we were about to hurt.  Ticer yelled go and I dropped behind the Jiz who took us out in 74-75 for the first 409 meters.  The second lap we slowed considerably and I almost kicked him a couple of times.  He must have been subconsciously saving for the third lap as we came through 809 meters in 2:33-2:34 but my plan was to stay behind him the first two laps no matter what the pace.  Breaking five was not going to happen and that was OK.  This was fun racing.  I eased around him on the first curve of the third lap and while I ran a 75, the Jiz hung on and we were together at 3:49 after 3 laps.   One lap to go and I thought I had it all wrapped up only to hear shouts from people that Andy was coming.  Meghan sternly said, “Craig, Andy’s really coming.”  Holy cow, Mr Wizzle was actually kicking hard. In typical Galen style, I looked back at the end.  I managed to hold him off down the stretch and we finished with times of 5:06.0 and 5:07.6.  Big 5-second PR for the Jiz.  Fun race.

After the race it was Rusty Nails, Sierra Nevada Pale Ales and, of course, Track Town Pizza.  What a great day.  Now if I could just beat him at WS…

17 Comments

  1. I just got through watching the annual “Match Play” — set to massage music. I laughed, I cried, I checked my watch several times.

    1. Best Galen Impresssion: Great job Craig, complete with the breath rite strip and taking it out with 700 meters to go was Lord Ballish, jumping AJW with a 150 meters to go would have been just plain mean.

    2. Most Improved: AJW setting PR’s in mile when you’re in the 40-somethings age bracket, that’s impressive, however — its easy when you take up running the mile in your 40’s too. It’s motivated me to take up bowling so I can improve at something too.

    3. Worst Sound Track Ever: Seriously, give us some Crystal Method “Trip Like I do” or “Keep Hope Alive” to get the blood pumping, bag the massage music, it stinks — did Kelly Woodke give you that music!?

    4. Most Memorable Moment: Ticer yelling out the first lap splits 63, 64….!

    5. Best Quote: AJW’s Son…”I have no idea”, that was awesome, something everyone who has kids can appreciate.

    Going to run the 3rd annual Eyerly Turkey Trot here in Iowa, its 17 degrees!

    • @Cougarbait, Perhaps Yassine’s choice of soundtrack had something to do with the newborn at his house where he edited the video? And Ticer, well, I thought he was giving me a hard time calling out 63 64 because of my 800 time trial where I went out in 66 and then died, but he actually couldn’t read his watch. Hope you enjoyed your 17 degree Turkey Trot in Iowa.

  2. @Craig and everyone else that showed up at the track yesterday… great seeing you all…it was well worth the trip down. Looking forward to another great season.

    @Cougarbait: Point taken about the music…I had to throw the video together in between cries of a three month old baby and I wanted to find some music that didn’t have lyrics so we could hear the dialog…I do admit the choice was a bit weak. Maybe next year you can go head to head with Logan and I’ll back the video with some Rage or Crystal Meth! 😉

  3. Well that was one of the best races I`ve seen all year and I work right across the street from Hayward Field,I got myself so worked up by the third lap that I forgot to ring the Cow Bell for the bell lap….and yes next year I will wear my glasses.
    I`ve been watching Craig`s workout`s for the last couple of months so knew what he could do. AJW that was very cool you guys are pure entertainment.Thanks.

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