Blake Bennions running

5 solid miles before work. Will do another short run after. Been thinking a lot about school and preparing for grad school and running for SUU. I really hope I can handle both and do well at both, but getting into my top grad school choice is also really important. College is so much fun, I wish I had like 30 hours in the day to do everything I want and need to!

I ran up to brighton high track, the temperature thing at butler middle said it was 109 degrees and 105 on my back. Pretty hot, not sure if it was actually that hot.

A little over a mile and a half to warm up in my trainers. Then a mile in my racing flats to see how they would feel. Then I had to go register for the sandy classic before work. Probably all the running I will do today. I hate it when its busy at work and I have to sit in a cubicle behind really loud person with an annoying voice, the microphones adjust to the volume of your voice so there's no reason to yell.. hopefully he's at the end of his shift.

I'm excited to race tomorrow, I think sub 17:00 and top 3 will be a fine goal for the race, I would say winning is my goal but I'm fairly certain Kramer will be there as well as Jared Croft and there are usually some other fast guys who show up. Jared Croft will be good comptition, even if I was in the best shape I've ever been in I wouldn't be able to challenge Kramer but I hope he's there because I love being in races with him!

I would also really love to do Jupiter Steeplechase this august, we will see. I need to be doing 10 miles per day by next week if thats going to be a good idea. But man do I love that race! And with Hayden and Tayte in europe I might have a shot at being king of the mountain if I do some mountain training in the mean time. But you never know who will show up, all I know is that that race is extremely beautiful and a lot of fun, and this time I won't get stuck in 30th place for the first 4 miles and I won't sprain my ankle haha. Going for well under 2 hours and I'm goign to stick with the leader as long as I can, even if its David Roche!!!

First race in half a year, much like last years race it's been a long a time since my last race and I've been coming back from time off. This year I'm in a little better shape. Like last year I led for the first half and then fell off and got passed by some people. Ended up with 17:30 something which isn't good but it's a step towards getting back in shape and you have to start somewhere. And now I can start doing some speed workouts. I think I will do one 3 mile tempo or race per week along with 10 400s with 200m rest and then also 3-5 times about a k at the park near my house. That will be my workout plan for the next few weeks. This week I plan on averaging about 8 miles but I want to jump to 10 per day next week. We'll see how that goes. I should be able to run in the 16 minute range for draper days but sub 16 is likely out of reach unless I somehow get back in good shape by next Saturday.

Two positives from the race:

1. Wasn't stupid enough to wear flats, I went with the safe option of wearing my new trainers and avoided injury.

2. This will help me get on a better sleep schedule. It took me until 3am or a little later to fall asleep last night so hopefully tonight my body will know to go to bed earlier. I've been staying up too late because this is likely my last summer of freedom and fun. Not that that next summer won't be awesome, but I will probably be out of state working hard at an internship.

I didn't get more mileage today but I did have just about a perfect day overall. Today's was the type of day that I wouldn't mind repeating over and over again! Started off with a fun 5k and then played video games smash counterstrike and starcraft and also ticket to ride and had dinner with my family all day! Then had quite the good night after i played some more smash bros with my brother and sister. Such a good day!

McDonald's is the worst thing to happen this world. Ok that's an exaggeration, but I really don't like McDonald's, I feel like if I reached into a garbage can and ate whatever I pulled out it would both be healthier and tastier than the abomination I had today.

Anyways I was going to run at Jeremy park but i was feeling sick from mcdonalds so I waited until I got home had some food and let things sit for a while and eventually got myself out the door. The run went ok. My ankles hurt a little and the right one still is a little aggravated but i'll see in the morning. I wanted to do a two a day tomorrow but it might end up being a bike day with hot tub and ice.

I wondered if dogs think houses and other buildings are natural objects or how much they understand about humans do. Whenever I have questions like this I realize animals have no language and can't actually think, they likely just feel and act based off those feelings and understandings of consequences and memory. So it probably doesn't occur to them at all how the house was made.

First 10 mile run since my injury. Awesome! Even better it was well over 100 degrees for the entire run! I finished at 6 pm and it was still 101 so it's been a pretty hot day. The first couple miles I took easily playing pokemon go and just kind of running to pokestops and such, what actually got me out in the middle of the day was a raid going on a ways from my house so I ran over there. My phone started overheating so stopped playing and just listened to music and kept running. I then stopped at the rec center getting there a little past 5 miles through and ran for 3.5 miles which I did 22 minutes, not a bad pace. Then I ran home. Good hot run. Tomorrows mountain run will put me past 40 for the week. My right ankle/calf is a little tight but I will take care of it before bed.

Not sure on todays distance. Ran up neffs canyon but its not a very runnable area and I wasn't sure I was going the right way so eventually I turned back and just hiked with my family. Oh well, I will just go with 4 miles running, a few more hiking.

Haven't been on for a while. I ran up at Alta with Tayte today, started where Alta practice is and went up towards sunset lake. I was totally dead by the time we got to captains pass or whatever it's called haha. My asthma had taken over and I was pretty done, but the way down was a lot of fun, great practice for Jupiter peak. I need to get in some longer runs these next couple weeks in preparation, hopefully I can get in like a 15 miler next week. I might run later today, I'm feeling good even though I was dying up at the top of the run today haha. I need to get some big mileage days so I'm not blindsided by Jupiter peak.

Also I have a great set up for training this year, I will be living right by the track with Jake and Liam, two fast hardworking awesome knowledgeable guys. Plus Cam Levins is coming back, that in addition to all the incredibly talented runners we have coming back, this is my season to finally grab on to my friends and teammates and breakout!

Kind of just guessing, I ran with tayte and we went from his house over to the gully down to amphitheater and back up to his house. The training I get with tayte is some of the most valuable training I do over the summer, past two days have been really solid runs, they've pushed me a lot and it's waking me up, feels like I've just been kind of going through the motions just running cause I needed to get back in shape but tough runs like these are so rewarding. Now I'm thinking of doing the d news 10k with some teammates and then maybe Jupiter peak that weekend. I think Jupiter peak will really prepare me for the season, if I can go sub 2 or even 1:55 there then that will give me a lot of confidence about my base going into the this year.

Ankle not feeling great today, not sure it i will race tomorrow.

Annoying run. I ran up to the rec center for a pace workout on the treadmills but some lazy people who weren't doing any actual work outs had moved all the fans to over where they are cause apparantly its really tough to sit on a bike slowly moving the pedals the wrong direction while watching netflix. So the people on the elipticals and treadmills on the other side of the room were all sweating a ton cause it was really hot over there and because of that it was getting very humid with sweat, you could taste it when you walked in, pretty nasty. I started the workout and did 2 and a half miles at 5:40s average and was going to move down for some faster miles but really wasn't enjoying the hot humid smelly gym and I needed to go to work too. So I just ran home and had a short day, I picked it up really hard on the way back for the last half mile/mile. I'd say it was well under 5 minute pace but it was also mostly downhill, I need to get some more speed in.

Not too bad

Solid day with 2 tennis matches and along with over 10 miles of running, I did a tempo during the run for 3 miles, I ran 2 miles a little faster than 5:40 per mile and then the last mile I ran at 5:18 pace and then picked it up to 5:00 pace for the last quarter mile or so. So ended up being about 16:30 and I felt decent. Good run

Solid run before work, didn't have much time so I just did 6. Perhaps more later.

8 miles with lots of hills in between 2 10 hour grave shifts. First run where I really truly have felt 100% in forever. Body was just ready to go, wasn't easy and I included extra hills. I'm remembering that summer before my mission, how great I was doing, mileage was feeling great and any day under 10 seemed too easy. And that was feeling so smooth! Next week will be a big week, I want to run 12 miles tomorrow. To kind of mentally prepare for Jupiter peak, then hopefully I can get an average of 8 in mon-thurs and then Friday probably easy, might just be 2 or 3. Then saturday I will do Jupiter steeplechase. So if things go well I could see a 60+ mile week. I might take a day off in between. And honestly not sure if I will even run tomorrow, graves can destroy you. But hopefully I just wake up tomorrow evening and go for a solid 12, I want to do Wasatch dimpledell loop.

Jupiter peak race strategy: all out on the first 8 miles up, start out at a comfortable pace, stay with whoever is in the front unless they're a pro or I'm feeling uncomfortable at that pace. Really start pushing after the 2nd and station. Then once I get to the top its just a matter of staying mentally strong and forcing myself to keep my stride open on the downhill. Tayte says it will probably be a pretty empty race with speed goat the same weekend. And while I'm not in great shape this is where I have shined before and I'm 3 years older and stronger, I just need to make it an 8mile race to the top and then stay strong and let the downhill do the work the way back.

Great run today :)! Ran up bells canyon with tayte and Jake, so much fun! Tayte is off to France and Italy for the next month now but its been great training with him. Julian also joined us for a little ways. Good day of training preparing for Jupiter peak. I was so tired today from getting about 4 hours of sleep per day since Thursday I decided to call out of my other job. Hopefully another mountain run tomorrow!

Told myself if I ran sub 16 for a 3 mile tempo that I could call it a day and just cool down back home. I ran 15:46! I opened in 2 5:18 miles and then kind of had dynamic pacing between 5:02 and 5:15 for a 5:10 mile to finish it off. So an average of 5:16 for 3. That was really good, I may do one more of these before going back to cedar and if I did I would go for 3 5:10s and maybe try and pick it up to 5:00 for the last mile. We shall see. But yeah very good effort, I'm in decent shape. Aerobic capacity could certainly be improved. But I'm finally back in good enough shape I know I can finish the progression run and make camp. I'm pumped for this year. Jupiter peak is an incredibly good aerobic builder for me, so even if I don't do crazy good that is a run that builds me up so much as a runner. So this will be a great week, then next week I might do a mock progression and might do another tempo at sub 15:30. And then after that week it will mostly just be good long runs with maybe some fast miles thrown in to prepare for going back to suu. Then I'm at suu and have the progression run and camp, and then things start really flying at me. So need to start preparing more for school too.

Good run with Alta today, always good to see coach Murphy. 6th summer of at least one Alta run with the Alta cross country team, wouldn't be a complete summer of training without it! I ran mostly with Ian, I think they're going to have a solid team this year! 7:30 average on the way up which is great. Good last challenging run before Jupiter peak, tomorrow will be an easy 8-10 probably up to Brighton tracks. And then Friday will be very easy low mileage, I need all the rest I can get leading up to first run of this distance in a long time. I could easily see myself blowing up during the race and not finishing very quickly at all but if things go smoothly and my body makes the jump like I'm hoping then I think I could pull off a time in the mid, maybe even low 1:50s. This race I'm hoping will help me jump back into the long run passion I had before my mission that has evaded me since. If I can average 8:30-8:45 going up and 5:30-5:45 going down I can run 1:52-1:56. I think that's a reasonable goal. But like I said I might not be ready for that, and that would be ok too. But I feel like this week especially my body is finally working like I want it to. Which is odd because I've been on an awful sleep schedule due to graves, I need to be strong and not take naps so that I will be able to fall asleep tonight before 5.

Couldn't run more today I had to go to work after I woke up and then when I got home my brothers wanted to play a game so I said running would only take 30 minutes, so I left and did the rec center Brighton loop, took me under 23 minutes!! That's well under 6 minute pace for 4.2 miles with over 350 ft elevation gain so not bad. I tried it with my trail shoes with inserts and I honestly didn't try to go fast at all I just let my body go at a pace that it wanted to and it wanted to go a little faster, but I felt like a had way more and it felt easy. So not exactly the day I had planned but it's fine, probably will give me a little extra going into the race to have 2 low mileage days anyways. Just however much I'm feeling tomorrow probably 2-4 but mostly just rest so day before the big mileage race.

Tested out different shoes

Ankle was not ready, body in general wasn't ready either I don't think. My ankle started having problems after 7ish miles and after that it was pretty much over. I kept having to stop and let it calm down for a minute pretty much ever mile and I couldn't run too fast wherever there were rocks or it would start acting up bad (there are rocks everywhere) so yeah didn't go exactly as I'd hoped. But it was a really beautiful run and I enjoyed it, and a great mileage day with a run that will pay off big later. I started out in the top group of 4 and the first giant hill was rough so after that I let them get away a bit. One of them dropped off and I passed him. I sat in 3rd for a few miles and then a guy with an Indiana jersey passed me, it took him a few minutes cause I kept putting space between us on the flat sections and then he would make it up on the others. I stayed within sight of him until the summit but 2 more guys caught up and I kind of ran with them from 4th-6th until my ankle started hurting about half a mile from the summit. After that I had to let them go and then 2 or 3 other guys passes me before I got to the top. Before the ankle thing I was hoping to use the downhill to catch back up to 3rd and do whatever I could to close the gap on 2nd and 1st and even after it was hurting I was hoping the way back would be nice and smooth so I could fly without worrying about the ankle as much. It wasn't, at all, it was pretty bad and like I said I had to stop like once per mile to give my ankle a break and I couldn't really go too fast so I got passed by a like 4 more people before the end. I talked with a guy who ran at Stanford until last year for a few miles coming down cause his ankle was also not doing well, I think he dropped out though. So yeah not a very good race but an awesome run.

Pros: Got a good mileage day in

Ankle will probably be fine, I think I managed the injury pretty well.

Still finished the race instead of having to wait at an aid station or something.

Cons: Did pretty bad

Ankle still not healed

So not a bad day, one thing I don't like about this race is that the start/parking area is like a mile away from the finish.

Additional note: I've always wondered why they give out coke at aid stations so the last 2 aid stations, since I wasn't really running for place or time anymore, I decided to give it a try.. And I threw up.. Both times. I don't know who can drink coke on race haha. On the other hand I don't know why I got it a 2nd time after it went so poorly the 1st, I guess it just tasted good. Also got 2 hours of sleep last night after laying in bed awake for many hours. I'm going to fight taking a nap before bed because I need to discipline my body and train it to sleep earlier.

Took yesterday off due to soreness and being careful with the ankle, today was just an easy run back. Was just going to do 4 but ended up doing a little over 5 so that's good. Also averaged around 6:00, maybe lower because I went pretty fast on the way back from the treadmills. Felt good, I was even feeling good on the hill going up. Just felt fast and smooth. I'm not completely recovered from Saturday but today felt easy.