Blake Bennions running

Warmed up and then did 4 miles and 6 striders on my own. I need to be patient and keep a positive attitude, its hard to keep some negative things from getting to me but I need to concentrate on the positive.

Bad race. Cold and windy and I mentally lost it at the mile. My arms really hurt by the end, that type of crappy race, the worst type. I will come back tomorrow and hopefully win my heat. I cooled down with Lone Peak, awesome guys!

Bad meet, need long run. Some extra mileage, lots of thanks and respect to Coach Murphy for pulling two 15-16 hour work days in a row to come to this crazy long meet, its a lot of time to sacrifice for us runners and I am really grateful that he was there, it means a lot!

Ran at Liberty Park with Murphy, and with Sarah and Maddy at the beginning. I'm tired, Spring break is here!

Wasatch Pepperwood loop with Pulpy and then 1.5 mile loop on my own. I felt good today, plenty of energy.

2 mile warm up, the 12x200m at 1600m race pace with 200m jog in between each, the last few were pretty hard!

Up to late, I had family over, I ran around the city, it was a peaceful run and gave me an opportunity to think, I should be more positive and concentrate on enjoying each day a little more instead of just anxiously waiting to see how things will turn out. I just heard we are meeting on the track at 10, so I will be there!

Warmed up 2 miles, then did 1600m in 5:18,jogged a lap recovery, 4:06-4:08 1200m, slow. Them another lap recovery, then 800m in 2:32, little too slow, then I jogged another lap and ran a 63 second 400m, kind of wanted to run faster. It was a hard workout, probably did too many hills yesterdays run, I'd say I did 2 miles of steep hills yesterday and 2 miles downhill too, so i was a little tight in the hamstrings and calves today. But i definitely needed a workout like this, my arms were hurting a lot today, which i take as a sign that I'm not getting enough oxygen. I think I'm going to start taking albutoral regularly, 2 puffs twice a day, and two puffs 15 minutes before i race, that was working in cross country pretty well. I need to take things one day at a time and do great training, i really want to make USU track and cross. I also need to start pulling together a monster kick at the end of races, something like a 65 or 64, maybe even 63 to cap things off, 68 isn't fast enough, I need to do better. At the meet next week I'm going to run sub 4:30, I'm going to medal, and I'm going to run sub 65 for the last lap.

Awesome run, it felt really good, and today was very beautiful and perfect for running. I ran the Wasatch dimple dell loop, I'm excited about running more in the future. I'm going to get past 50 this week and I think I'm going to start doing some extra running each week just for fun. Tomorrow I will run at least 8 miles not sure where. The gully long run is completely closed off.

I ran about 100 minutes with Tayte, we ran up Bell canyon in little cottonwood from his house, then ran down and over to the gully and through to 9400 and ran back from there. It was a really good run, great views on that route! He's going to kill it at the mountain running nationals this summer! I'm going to be on my mission by then, I will have to save my mountain running days for later! This has been a really good week of training.

10.5, warm up and then 10 miles at porter Rockwell, felt good today. We brought the pace down to 6:55 and then Davis started running faster and it felt easy so I went with him and started going 6:25 or so, after a while I was on my own so I don't know what pace I was going, it felt easy and good, Davis almost caught up in the last mile with 6:05 so it was probably wasn't faster than 6:20 pace. So it was a good run.

Easy 20x200ms, I'm ready to kill it at the meet on Saturday. I've been feeling crap for a long time, but I'm ready to destroy the mile at taylorsville, no more pansy 68 second first laps, I'm going to go out in 65 hold on for laps 2 and 3 and then run the last lap in 65 or better. I need to get in the good heat at the Davis Invite so I need to improve my PR. I'm feeling real energy and fire, I'm going to finally do it.

Warm up and then 6 miles in the snow. Some guy started wearing high heels to school...why couldn't I have been born 10 years earlier?

Warm up, then 3 miles more warm up, then 4x200m at 26-28 seconds. I ran 27 and 26 for them all, maybe 28 on the first. The last one was good, solid effort. They were a little bit hard but not bad, my arm started hurting a significant amount right above the elbow, so thats weird. I'm really grateful that I'm not doing the 3200 at Taylorsville so I can be free for the 1600m. I'm going sub 4:30 this time, I'm going to PR!

Pre meet, easy 20 minutes of running and 6 striders. Need to get 8 hours of sleep tonight.

Long meet, I didn't race until 12:30, more than 4 hours after we got there. I started out ok, didn't run in lane 1 as much as I would've liked, I settled in on the first lap and was surprised to hear I only ran 67, but the next lap I got into 5th or 6th place and started trying to get ahead of this kid from Wyoming cause he was falling back a bit and was in my way but each time he would close the gap and start elbowing me, I elbowed back but he wouldn't move, this happened a 3 or 4 times until I just decided to let it go. He probably cost me 3 or 4 seconds, but I was getting pretty tired by the end of lap 2 which was 69 seconds or so, but I worked through it and stayed with the pack, I kicked past the little jerk but he came back. But if hadn't been messing up my race I would've killed him and maybe gotten 4th. But I gave a good effort and handled the situation well, probably going to be in the fastest heat of the regular meet at Davis Invitational, but I will still run sub 4:30 there! After that I had two hours before the 800m, I was the last seed of the fastest heat so I was in lane 3 or 4 for the first hundred which added a second or two but once I got up there I was fine, I ran a good first lap and got 60, Murphy told me to go for 59 so if you take the first turn into account I probably did get 59, but the 2nd lap was hard, I was tired and worked through it respectably but I only ran a 66 to get 2:06. Then I had a decent break in which I cooled down a little and eventually got to the 4x400m, Andrew gave it to me with the lead and I opened the gap further so we were far ahead and hung on for the win, I think I ran 54 or 53, it was a good effort. After my 400m I ran to iceburg with Andrew and got a shake, I wanted to get small but all their sizes are pretty big! Goodmeet though, I had fun, got a medal, and I'm going to break 4:30 and 2:00 soon, probably 10:00 at some point too haha. I think a sub 2:00 could happen at practice, after my 1600m at BYU, or maybe the 2nd day of racing at region, or maybe after the season. I'm going to improve a lot atthr Davis Invitational, its going to be a good PR!

10.25 mostly on my own. After I was alone, I picked it up pretty fast for a few miles because there was no one else I needed to run slower for, I guess that's a good thing about it. The best thing about porter Rockwell is driving to great harvest on the way home afterwards and getting a free sample of bread, its also great because than I can get calories in sooner after the run, and it usually takes less time taking the freeway than going the usual way. But today was pretty bad, 50 minute drive home, there was a traffic jam and it went all the way to the belt route and I finally passed the crash as I got on, would've been 30 the other way, but I didn't mind too much, running makes things better. I think that even if people do stupid or wrong things that I disagree with, maybe I could still try to be more positive about it and just be happy with what they do right.

We warmed up and then did 4x800m and 2x400m, the 800ms were supposed to be 2:25, I ran them in 2:25, 2:24, 2:24, 2:25, and then the first 400m was for 68, I ran 66, and the 2nd 400m was at 64 and I ran 64 or maybe 63. So it was a good workout! We walk-jogged a lap between 800ms, and a little less than 200m before the 400ms. I'm going to run 4:27 at the Davis Invitational this weekend, I'm racing to win it!

Ran a very easy recovery day with cubby and read, and then did 6 striders. Getting ready for some great times the next couple of meets.

Bad workout, wasn't mentally prepared for it, things went wrong. I need to be patient and concentrate on the race, my race, no one else's opinion matters, I know what I can do and I'm going to do it.

Easy 20 minutes after the warm up and then 4 striders. 4:27 tomorrow.

A new PR in the 1600m, which always feels great, I also ran sub 4:30! I am really happy about it, I was going for 4:27 but I'm still really happy about breaking 4:30 and getting a medal. I want to break 4:25 at BYU next week, its one of the best tracks in the country for Distance and its always a great, fast meet so I believe that I can do it. The racestarted out and I got a spot in the middle, I kept that spot for the few lap, a few people passed me and I passed a few people, but going into the final lap I remembered what Coach Murphy said before the race "Don't be a baby on the last lap" and I took off like it was a 400m, all I cared about was that lap, nothing before it mattered time, I had to get out in lane 3 to start my kick, I went from8th or 10th to 2nd place right behind the leader with 200m to go, I was starting to hurt but I stuck on his back until a few guys past me, down to 5th place, I moved out to lane 2 so I could block off any people and gave whatever left I had, I was dying after such a hard lap but I still managed to push past 2 more guys and get 3rd! Good race! I ran the 2 mile as well, pretty fun but I lost mentally with 2 laps to go, not a horrible race though, good workout if nothing else.

Still pretty disappointed that I'm missing BYU. I think I have to run 4:24 on my own this week to do it, I'm kind of annoyed that other guys trying to get on USU get to compete at BYU and I have to go to Herriman. I'm trying to be positive but it feels like trading in a Lamborghini class meet for a pick up truck. I ran 7 miles today at 7:00-7:15 pace. Ready for a hard track workout tomorrow. A few more thoughts, I need to think less highly of 4:20s in the mile, its just like PRing in the 4:30s, its still just putting all I have out there and doing my best, just because its fast now doesn't mean its any different.

Pretty good track workout, we did 3x600m with a full recovery, the goal pace was 1:36. I ran 1:34, 1:33, and then I gave a little harder effort to get 1:30 on the last one. It wasn't easy of course, but I think I can do 1:30 or maybe 1:29 next time we do it, it was pretty fun! Looking back I kind of wonder what 800m I would've run if id ran the last 200m of the last rep, I think I would've made a PR. A sub 2:00 the 2nd day of Region is in my grasp, im going to crush that barrier. I should run under 2:05 after the 1600m at Herriman so that I will be more comfortable with at the race for region. I'm going to do super at the 1600m, I saw a quote from Henry Ford the other day "Whether you think that you can, or you think that you can't, you're right." I believe I can run run a 4:24 on Friday, I'm going to run as fast as I can, and I'm not going to let up. This is going to be a great meet, and I'm going to accomplish great things. Also looks like we get two easy days to get ready for Herriman, I will be in great condition to race.

Warm up and then an easy 30 minute run with 6 striders. I was having trouble sleeping, I think I fell asleep at like 1:30 because I went downstairs and ate a bunch of food after not being able to sleep for a long time and it was 1:00, I fell asleep pretty soon after that. I think I was thinking about the race too much,I need to stay relaxed and run the race. Then in the 800m afterwards I will run under 2:05 for sure.

I I'm running the 1600m, 800m, and 3200m at region. I'm going to do my best and I'm not going to let anything get in my head or screw with me. Warm up and 20 minutes easy, then some striders. Going to get mentally ready for tomorrow.