Today was the Bob Firman Invitational! (Explains the all day drive) When I got there I found my team spot and gathered with my team. We all got our race numbers, our bibs, chips, and hip stickers, and then Natalie, Becca, Sarah B, Annie, Maggie, and I all ran a mile and a half warm up. We ran out on the dirt road for half a mile then turned around and came back. Annie and I took a POTTY break and then the 6 of us went out another quarter mile and back. When we got back we changed into our spikes, did a jewelery check, and went over to the start for check in. We had been assigned box 30, and since the start is divided by a flag line, we were far out. But it was nice because it was us, Ogden, and 2 other schools who were in the boxes far out, so we had space. We did our prayer and cheer and then several strides. I don't know how many we did, but they were long strides and we did a lot. Last year our girls team got boxed in at the back at the really tight start, so it was nice to have some space and it was really easy to merge onto the dirt, except it was really dusty. Going along the dirt road passing people like I always do, there was a sharp turn around a little pole thingy, and a Park City girl put her hand on my arm and tried to shove me into it. I used my elbow and *BAM*. She deserved it. I worked my way away from her, and when I ran on the beach I used the packed sand as an advantage against others and really pushed through it. This year there were big yellow pipes on the beach that we had to jump over, which I thought was really dumb. People were cutting me off at the hill, but a space opened up at the top so I pushed through and gained a lot of distance on those cutters on the downhill. My 2nd lap was just me battling a Davis girl and 2 Park City girls. When I passed another Davis girl, I did a speed change to get away from her, because I could tell she was going to stick to me. My speed change lasted long enough so she fell away, and that speed change had also gotten me away from the people I was battling with earlier. When I exited the sand for the 2nd time, my plantarfacia started to kill me! I suddenly started to whimper, good thing there were no other girls close enough to hear that I was hurting. I quickly stopped whimpering, sucked it up, and dealt with it. In the final kick, a Davis girl started to outkick me. I went with her, we passed a Park City girl, then as I was about to cross the line first she surged ahead and I'm pretty sure we had one of the closest times. In the finish where they take our chips off my foot stopped hurting, but that last half mile on it really hurt. At mile one I had read a 6:04, which I thought was good, but then I realized how badly I had slowed down, about 7:12 each for my last 2 miles, but the third was probably a lot slower and the 2nd probably a lot faster. After my race I changed into my flip flops and wandered around for a bit and laid down for a bit. Then I went on a mile and a half cool down with Sarah B, the same route we had done for a warm up, since we had previously measured it and neither of us had a Garmin, since I couldn't find mine in my bag. I'm pretty sure I packed it, but it was probably the one thing I forgot. I always forget something and never remember until it's too late. However if I go to my room now and it's not in the charger where I supposedly left it... then it's really buried in my bag. I was glad to have had one of the first races, because then I got the rest of the day to hang out, cheer for teammates, and eat. Good job everybody! Today was a tough race, it was hot, but we all made it! When we got on the bus it was really hot and we were all dripping sweat. The pizza place was cold, and it felt really nice. We walked over to a gas station to get back on and since it was fueling, we went into the gas station for a few minutes and got a ton of sugary food, because the bus is a no sleep allowed zone! Hehe. The bus was indeed a party. I love making blanket forts with Sarah Sa, eating skittles, Milanos, pink wafers, gatorade, etc...
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