High Speeds

7 mils today at my grandma's house.

7 miles today in 54:43.

A.M. Ran 3 easy miles. Did run the full 7 because of my race tonight.

P.M. Drove over to kiwanas park in provo and warmed up about half a mile, then did some strides in my spikes. Yes, spikes. Crocs (unfortunately) do not get good traction on grass, so I use spikes in cross country races, but everything else I race in Crocs.

There was a pretty weak field and around 300 into the race I took off and no one followed me. Despite taking an accidental detour, I ended up with 7:01, beating second place by ten seconds. It was really hot.

7 miles today in 55:14.

Four miles total alone, both while waiting for my younger siblings to get ready, and while cooling down. One mile with Jacob in 8:01. Two miles with Joseph in 16:46.

7 miles today in 55:35.

Only four miles today, 2 with Joseph in 16:20. I'm a little bit under the weather.

From Dad's blog :

Three miles today at about 8:00 pace. I have a sprained wrist, and that was all my wrist could tolerate. 

Three miles in the morning in 23:11. In the evening, I had a 3k cross-country race. Due to my sprained wrist and sore throat, I didn't think I'd do very well, but I decided to run nevertheless.

After about three hundred meters into the race, everyone else had dropped back except me and the leader. Not having the strength or the confidence to break away like I did last week, my plan was to draft behind him for as long as I could. Hopefully, I would make it to the kick.

About 1000 into the race, I was feeling strong and tried to pass the leader, who was a short 12-year old with a really fast turnover. Kind of like Aiden Troutner, but faster. His face was flushed and he looked tired, but he managed to hold me off, so I decided to keep drafting and bide my time.

Around 1800, I tried to pass him again, but again, he held me off. It was probably good I didn't, because we were about to hit the biggest hill on the course, and leading on the hill might be enough for him to pass me back.

With 600 to go (2400 into the race), I made my move. I had survived the hill, even surging to wear him down. I think that was the best place to pass him, because the finish line blocked by the trees, there were no spectators cheering him on, and all the factors combined to demoralize him (Who says there's no child psychology in running?). 

I ended up with 10:54 and winning by 10 seconds. My wrist never bothered me once. Much more than I was expecting.

5 miles today in 38:53.

7.5 miles today in 57:19, counting William's half mile in 5:11.

7 mile today in 56:10. ). 5 with William.

Ran a mile or so to get to mile 23 of the Top if Utah marathon, then ran to the finish with my dad, 'pacing' him and encouraging him to run faster. He has paced me through countless time trials throughout my childhood, so I thought I'd return the favor. 

After I got home, I finished up with three, doing Jacob's and Joseph's runs. 

7 miles today in 55:01. Two of them with Joseph in 15:52.

Three miles in the morning at about 8:00 pace. I had a 1k race in the evening again at Kiwanas park. There's not much to say. I sprinted from the gun and took the lead. No one followed me, and I ended up with 3:07. Second place was 3:26. Third was Kate Hunter, the overall female, chicking almost the entire field with 3:31.

All my younger siblings except little Steven ran with varying degrees of success. Joseph won his age division. Jacob was fourth in the same division. His spikes were not good for him. Jenny got third, Julia won hers, and little William took seventh, getting booted out of the prizes.

I ran 7 miles of misery today in 58:29. I think I was dehydrated and tired from the race.

7 miles today in55:01. Two of them with Joseph in about 16:30.

7 miles in 55:32. 

7 miles in about 55:20 today. One of them with Jacob in 7:54 and 2 with Joseph in 16:06.

7 miles today in 55:41.

A.M. Three easy miles in about 24:00.

P..M. Ran a 0.5 warmup and did some strides. From looking around at the competition, I had this suspicion that the winning time would be 14:45, and it was pretty close to that.

From the start of the race, it felt too easy. By 200 meters, a leading pack of four had formed. Myself, Grant Gardner, Casey, and one other kid in a green jersey. Four is unusually large for a leading pack of a kids' race of that size. Then the messing around began.

Green jersey took the lead, and the rest of us happily tailed him. I think that me, Casey, and possibly Grant, could have broken away, but everyone was too scared of everyone else to make a break. We were all thinking "If I go ahead, someone will tail me and then out kick me. Better stay where it's safe." I tried a few surges, but when the others easily responded, I backed off.

Around 1900 to go, my Dad yelled at me to drop everyone, so I surged. The course goes by the finish chute, then does another mile loop before actually finishing. So everyone, thinking it was the end and that I was just kicking, went after me. Green jersey actually sprinted into the finish chute a mile too early, and found to his dismay that there was still a mile to go.

Our split at 1.5 was 9:22! (6:14 pace) That is some serious messing around. We were racing like they do in the Olympics (Much slower, of course, but the same concept.) The false kick wore green jersey out enough to make him drop back with 1300 to go.

Then Grant took the lead for 200 meters, only to be passed by Casey, who was making his move with  1100 to go. I went after Casey. Grant tried, but being only twelve, he died around 900 to go. All this happened on the biggest, meanest, ugliest hill (which we had to run twice for the 4K, unfortunately)

Then with 750 to go, I kicked. Despite my 1.5 miles of 'resting' at 6:14 pace, it was miserable. At 600 to go, the race director was standing on the side of the course. He shouted, "Now it's a real race!" I kept thinking Casey was catching me. My dad wasn't much help, shouting "He's catching you! He's catching you! Pick it up!" Casey was actually not catching me. I ended up gapping him by 5 seconds and narrowly winning. 

7 miles today in 55:58.

Seven miles early in the morning in a little under 56:00.

Seven miles today at my Grandma's house.

Seven miles today at my Grandma's house. There was a really annoying poodle on the course. I almost kicked it. 

From Dad's blog : It was the discussion of Laman and Lemuel that helped Benjamin break 6:00 mile for the first time and never look back