There is a big -12 next to my name, and a simultaneous rush of blood to my cheeks as the meaning of this sinks in. Results of the Northern Athletics Road Relay Championships. A team competition, so naturally I'm concerned about my own performance first, and the subsequent hole I'd dug for the team. I knew I was going to be slowest, by some margin, so I carried a burden. I was a net loser. -12...that's how many I lost out to on my leg. 77 clubs and 140 teams, we came 62nd. Too many stats. It is what it is. Mid table.
Out of my comfort zone, is where it was for me. But that's a good thing, isn't it? Today I had to stand up and be counted. I think again, I had a poor individual performance on my own terms. I have more in me over that distance, but again, it didn't show today. Not fully prepared...in many respects. It was a little like looking down the barrel of a loaded gun as the first leg runners set off. Captivating! Later I found myself staring into another hole, a man thing surely. I just stood there, gazing...contemplating.
