Well here we go...

Harts warm and cool with 6x1000's today. So we finally got a pretty accurate time in what we should be running based on our time trial but it was a lot slower then we had been running. Last week we were running in like the 4:40 range and I was supposed to hit 5:14 today. So my times were not very consistent at all today and it felt kinda harder. Prolly cuz I was trying to get into the new course for the 1000's and figure things out. My times were 4:39, 4:53, 5:03, 5:04, 4:56, 4:53. So yeah all over the place, but it felt alright. My last few felt really good

PM: 3 miles AC. Not many girls there, but it felt pretty nice today. Mia tried to pet a wiener dog but got attacked by an evil chihuahua. And then a guy drove by us and bleeted at us like a goat. Pretty interesting. I had to get home right after so I couldn't stay and do weights and plyos. 

5 miles up to green springs with 4x200's afterward. It was a really nice run today. It was a nice pace and really good weather. Kind of really quiet all morning but the run went by pretty fast. Really nervous to race today but kinda excited. My first XC race ever! And the farthest I've raced in my life :O it'll be good to see where I'm at and see where all the hard work this summer has put me.

Race: So...I was so nervous for this. I have been thinking about it ever since the time trial. But as we got to the starting line I calmed my nerves pretty well. Did a little over a 2 mile warm up. We were at the starting line and all of a sudden it started and we were all like "what the!" and there were a lot of girls to get by. We all kind of got stuck in between them. But my goal was to stay up with Kaelie. I wanted to stay with Alli Peterson but she got ahead quite a bit so soon she was too far ahead for me to catch her. But Kaelie would weave in and kept surging so I kept going with her. By the little inclination after the track I was feeling pretty good and calm. My first lap felt pretty good but up behind the buildings by the road was the hardest part for me. I felt like a snail and didn't really want to get my pace up at all. But by the end of the first lap I was in "my spot" and I didn't get passed the rest of the race (except megan at the end) and I was doing pretty good at catching girls. I would get up with them thinking that we could just run together but soon they would fall back as I kept my pace. By the last lap my legs were really tired and then by the time I got to the track Megan passed me and everyone kept telling me to catch her. My brain wasn't motivated to go catch her so I kept close behind her and then had a pretty good finish. So...my first race is over with!! Now that I know how things go next time I will apply our phrase "dare to go" a lot better and not let my head get the best of me at the end.

Didn't have to a double and that was so nice. But it was pretty hot in the afternoon, did 3 miles out to Hot Nails. And then did some striders after that! :)

AM: first morning practice. Had quite a few girls out. Easy 3 to AC, nice run.

PM: I was really negative about this run all day long. I had no positive thoughts toward it whatsoever. But it turned out pretty good. We did 7x30 seconds and 5x1 minute sunrise hills. Not too bad, but a good workout

AM: nice, quiet easy 3

PM: did the 1/1 workout. Ran by myself again during this. It was a pretty good workout. I got 10 in, I wanted to max out but I didn't get my 9th one by quite a bit and then barely missed my 10th one. Mile warm and cool.

Ah this was an awesome race. I went into it a lot more positive then Tuesday and I wasn't quite as nervous so I started out with a lot more confidence too. The race was a really good course, super flat with a lot of grass and concrete but the grass was really well mowed. I didn't start out very well but slowly moved my way up til I caught this cedar girl and then I just stuck with her for the rest of the race. During the race I would start to feel negative and my body would hurt but just like Roberts said I would just tell my body to shut up and I was able to pick it up again. I found good places to surge this time and I actually listened to my coaches when they would tell me to do something. At the very end I was about 100 meters away from the finish line and I started to sprint but I wasn't catching anybody. I thought that was all I could give but I saw this girl in front of me and thought "I can catch her" and my legs sped up and I beat her. I know this race was a lot easier so that's a big reason why I got a lot faster time in this race and I think it was a little shorter then 3 miles, but I did feel a lot better about this race than cedars. A lot stronger and more confident so even though it's not an accurate PR I still feel really good about how I did this race performance wise