Blake Bennions running

I ran my first run after taking 2-3 weeks off. It felt really good to get out running again, I was feeling a little out of shape and some things hurt in my stomach and chest because I haven't run in a while. By the end of the run, everything felt great besides my lungs, they aren't used to the cold. I think I went out a little fast the first mile but I calmed it down. I saw Kramer run at Footlocker Nationals today, it has been amazing having the opportunity to be his teammate the past couple of years. I am really looking forward to the first indoor meet, hopefully it is is mid january like last year. I will take tomorrow off and then next week it will be back to buisness.

Today I did the figure eight loop, when I was about to finish I found Ashton as he started his run and I did another lower loop with him, I wish the track was open. I am pretty happy I did 6 today because tomorrow I have a math test retake appointment in the morning and then a dentist appointment after school so I think I am only going to do a mile or two, I also have a lot of physics I need to get study. I have a LOT of tests this week, 1 in AP US history, 2 in Computer tech, 1 math test, 1 physics test, and oh yeah a lifeguarding test. It is pretty crazy. I got my PSAT results back, it was a 1620, not very good but I was tired and didn't finish a lot of the test so it was ok. I can't wait of the ACT, I am really excited to see how I do! I am way more excited for the indoor meet though, I really want to race a 1600! Today I felt good, my legs felt good, everything felt good except for some things around my stomach, I don't know what it is. I have no clue, but whatever it is, it's just getting used to running again haha. I am really happy I can just jump back into decent runs without too much trouble, it is really nice not to have to start a season after taking a 6-8 week stress fracture recovery break, its the first time since I have moved to Utah that I have had a good offseason. I feel like I am finally awake agian, I love the feeling I get all day every day when I am running. I think I will just put in a decent returning week of something like 30 miles, I think I will probably do 6 miles on wed-friday and then 4 or 5 to finish out 30 on saturday. I will have to talk to Coach Murphy and see if this is a good plan. I want to be running in 40+ miles a week again by the time indoor track comes around, and I also want to do some speed the next few weeks at the oval and maybe some hills. I really want to run some great times in indoor and set myself up for a great track season.

I didn't have time to do a real run this day, I had a dentist appointment and then a temple trip after the temple trip we stopped at someones house for soup and I ran home from there.

I ran with Ashton, Jacob ran with us for the first 2/3 miles and then went home. We did the lower loop twice and, a lap on the track, and 2 laps around the soccer field. I am getting pretty good at basketball, if only I was 6 inches taller... of course most of what makes me good at basketball is my speed. I have to go to work so I can't write much. But I am so excited for that first mile race. I am looking forward to it so much. I want to qualify for state in the 800m and the 1600m, with Coach Murphy coaching me in my best area of running (track) I believe great things will come of this season. I sort of want to do a 10-12 mile run before we come back to school in january.

Long day, and I still didn't get everything done that I wanted to academically. Practice was really good today, we did a lot of core, and then we did lunges. My hamstring cramped up on the second set so I had to stop. I stretched and "iced" them with my water bottle for 20 mins and then I went outside and put snow on my hamstrings before heading out with Ashton for a run. At first we only did 1 lower loop, it was a pretty tough run and I was having trouble running at first because my hamstrings still hurt, but after a mile it was ok. We decided to do 2 once we had finished the first one. It was a good run! Really tough though, and very slippery. Once I got home I had to shovel the driveway so that was a little bit extra added onto the core we did today. One more day...

We did 4 miles and then a bunch of push ups, sit ups, and lunges. I did some dips too. I felt really good on the run, I wanted to do another 5 or something but the calander that Coach Murphy left for us said just a 30 min run. I think that is all we did, it was a good workout! I went home, took a shower and then slept until past 7, I am very glad that school is over for 2013.

Well I meant to do 10 easy miles at about 7:30 pace for 75 mins today haha. But instead I did 7 of them a lot faster. I discovered the treadmill today, I was hanging around my work today after the inservice and I tried out a treadmill for the first time, I did about a mile and then went home. Then i went ran to the Cottonwood heights rec center, which is 1.5 miles, and I ran 7 miles on a treadmill. I put the speed to 9 miles per hour, I didn't know how fast this was until half an hour into the run when I checked and saw it was 6:40 pace, although I guess it was ok because the Treadmills incline thing was broken so it was a little easier than 6:40 anyway. I went down to 8.5, 7:03 pace for a while and then I went back up to 9 because I wanted to go home, theres not a lot to do on a tread mill besides make sure you don't fall of and fix your form. I went back down to 8.5 for the last mile and overall on the treadmill I did 7 miles in 48:13 mins. Pretty good, I didn't feel like it was too fast. I still had to run 1.5 miles home after the  treadmill run, my legs were feeling really heavy and actually I found that it was a lot easier to run faster than slower after running on the treadmill, it was a peculiar run. My dad said that running on treadmills can be bad for your joints so I think I will try to do most my runs outside, but maybe once a week use a treadmill this break. Overall a good run, I am happy that I can still do a run like that. I am very tired, and I have been averaging a very low amount of sleep the past few days, tonight I will go to bed at 11 or earlier, and then I have to wake up at 7:30 so I will get a good 8 and 1/2 hours of sleep.

5 miles on the treadmill at low 7 minute range pace, this treadmills incline worked so I did it at .5 which I think made it more difficult, I couldn't really tell. But it was a good run, although I was really tired. I guess it is to be expected because I was practicing my driving layups for 20 mins before I did my run. I didn't run on monday, it was a rough day. I went to work at 9 and stayed 4 hours longer than I thought I would, I didn't bring lunch and I was doing training in the water for 3 1/2 hours from 9-12:30, that took a lot out of me and I thought I would be able to go home by 12 so I didn't bring any food or money, I ended up not eating until 4. By the time I got home I just didn't have any energy, I did some core though. And I guess you can call the swimming cross training, I would much rather have done a 3 and 1/2 hour run though...

I wouldn't call them easy, quite a bit of uphill. I got home from my grandmas at 5 and wasn't sure if I would be able to get myself out the door. Before the run I was debating between just doing a 4 mile run or doing a 6 mile run, I chose 6 miles. But when I got up to Brighton High School, and did a lap on the track, I decided to maybe do 7 or 8, I kept telling myself to do more until I got to 10. It was a good run, cold and tough though. The valley is beautiful at night, and its good that I did a longish run outside. Tomorrow I am still deciding wether to do the run on the tread mill or outside, though decision.  I still need to check the calander that Coach Murphy made for us to see how long I will run. I have been getting in quite a few sit ups and push ups, and some lunges over the break, I will probably do more before I go to bed tonight.

I was wondering when I would be going running today, but I found time right after I played raquet ball, so it was another run in which I was already tired. I did 4.3 on the treadmill, I was running just under 7 minute pace, like 6:58 or so. Then I ran 1.5 miles home, and I stopped at the church and ran around it for an extra .2 so I could do 6 miles. One of these days I need to do a 5-6 mile run at 6:30 pace, that is the pace that Talem Franco told me he ran at for his threshold runs, and he has a very very good 800 time and really good 1600 as well, that along with more strength and power in my legs and I will earn a sub 2 minute 800 this year, this year the only races I want to do are the 800 and the 1600, maybe a couple 400s.

I waited until past 8 to start my run for the 2nd time this week, the important part is that I am running. Tomarrow will be another 8 mile day. I also have a basketball game tomorrow against one of my coworkers. I played age of empires for most of today, I was really suprised how fast time went by. I want to do some speed work in preperation for the USU meet, I want to get top 10 for the mile.

Another run I didn't start until past 8, and another run I had to start by telling myself it would only be 4 miles. But I got myself to do what I needed to which is what is important. Looking at last years result for the USU invitational, I want to get top 5 for the mile and 800. I know I can get a medal, assuming they give out medals. Of course last year a lot of people couldn't get to the meet because of a snow storm. But I am really excited for that meet. I did the Brighton/rec center loop and stopped at the rec center for 3 miles on the tread mill, I did 1 of them at 5:56 pace. I felt pretty good, but I guess 5:56 isn't that fast, I just wanted to see how tough it would be. Maybe next week I will do a mile at 5:00 pace or a bit faster. I also had some striders during my run, I had stomach cramps for most of the run as well.

Brighton High/Rec center loop with 2.5 on the tread mill at the rec center. I ran 5:24 mile on the treadmill, although I forgot the incline... still it was kind of tough, I think I will do a sub 5 later this week. This year my return to track won't be embarrasing. I had stomach cramps again. I took on my 6 foot 5 coworker in basketball, he shot 5-7 from beyone the 3 point arc, and he stuffed me on 8 layup attempts. It was really really hard to put up points because he's so tall and right now I am doin really bad a jump shots and 3s. I completely kept him out of the key though, all his points were 3s and jump shots, I can't block those because I would have to jump. So the final score was 7-21, although he is better than a lot of the guys of the olympus basketball team so I guess I shouldn't feel to bad. Good day!