Daniel Herrera — Race Reflections of a Miler: Grand Blue 1 Mile
The following post was generously composed by High Performance West Elite athlete Daniel Herrera, the Mexican record holder in the 1 Mile outdoors (3:56.13), hours after his 4th place performance at the 2018 Drake Relays Grand Blue 1 Mile Road Race.
Enjoy! // jm
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Without reflection, the possibility to grow is lost.
The omission of reflection also misses an opportunity to reinforce positive skills and actions taken, despite an outcome of defeat.
My 4th place finish at the Grand Blue Road Mile in Des Moines, most certainly, had both elements. Like a well-written drama, there were moments of triumphant highs with moments of fleeting promise, stitched by a unrelenting sense of urgency.
With 400 meters to go, Brannon Kidder aggressively led the race coming into the home straightaway — kudos to him for his boldness.
I followed Kidder's aggressive tempo, with the formidable seasoned pro Eric Avila joining me in pursuit. I waited patiently, purposefully, and without hesitation, to assert my bid for victory.
With 300 meters left, the opportunity to win was ripe. I took my shot. As did Eric. We gave honest chase to Brannon.
I am sure Avila was just as fixated on the same thing as I — winning. It’s all that mattered as we charged down the streets of Des Moines. Each of us maximizing our individual efforts to our utmost in an attempt to claim victory.
We're all familiar with the statements of “give it your all” and “believe you can win.” They may seem trite, but I think they hold a degree of useful validity.
Execution of such sentiments is elusive, difficult to employ, and requires well earned skill – of both the mental and physical flavor – to put effectively into practice. As with any skill, it takes awareness and purposeful repetition to hone and eventually own.
I did not win the footrace today. And that is OK. But it doesn't diminish my dislike for not winning. But I learned. And with refection, I'll grow. Becoming just a little better for the effort than before it.
My learning experiences from past races, coupled with today's, do contribute to a modest victory of enhanced knowledge. The accumulation of each educational victory give me an ability to further refine my craft.
Today, I just learned one more way not to win. And now am a little closer to a winning result than I was before this contest.
¡Viva el sombrero! — Daniel H.