Blake Bennions running

We were supposed to do an hour long threshold run. I felt really good and kind of wanted to to run on the faster side of 6 minutes per mile but I stayed with Kramer the entire time. I didn't want to be rude and go ahead of Kramer and everyone, I've been back to running a lot longer. It spread out to the point that Brayden and Davis were trailing by a bit but we didn't go that fast. We were holding a conversation the entire time, the average pace was high 6 minutes. So it wasn't a bad run, but I sort of wanted to go faster. I feel like I am on fire right now, I can't wait to go race on saturday! I am feeling really good, today I felt better on my run than I ever did in cross country. I am feeling really good right now. My tendonitis is getting worse, it was hurting at work when I was just walking but I put it in the hot tub for a while and I will ice it after my shower. But I don't even care about that right now, I don't feel like anything can stop me! I want to enter indoor track right where I left off last year, maybe even a little ahead. And I feel capable of doing it! Tomorrow at the oval will be fun, I can't wait to do some 400s, even if they're not going to be that hard.

I lost track of Conner's car when I was following him to the oval, and I didn't know where it was so I did my own workout today. It was a perfect day so I didn't mind at all. I've got my fire back, and a lot of passion. I am going let it all flow at the BYU invite this weekend. I did the figure eight loop and then I took a bathroom break before I did another lap on the track, then I did 4 400s on the track. I'm not sure how fast they were because I didn't have anything to time myself by, but I had my phone, which doesn't have a timer. So gave myself 3 minutes for each 400, I would run it and then I would give myself the rest of the 3 minutes as rest. The 400s weren't faster than 65 I am sure, but I don't think they were slower than 75ish either. They were definitely faster than 80, probably around 70 if I had to guess but I don't know. But I felt good, and they were hard. That is what matters. I am going to put everything I have into whatever races I run this weekend. If it is a 2 day meet, maybe I can run all 3 events. I have prepared to run some good times at this meet.

Today we ran in the gully, it was a new loop, we need to make up some new names for these loops. It was a really nice and warm day! We were going at 9:15 pace for about the first mile, so I pushed the pace. 9:15 is too slow for an easy run, I got it to the faster side of 8 minute pace by the time we finished with all the icy upper gully. We ran down part of the really steep road and then back up, then we ran all the way down that road until we go to 13th east and then finished. I got us going 7:30 or 7:40 for the rest of the run going down to 13th east. It felt really good and easy, amazing run. I really enjoyed it. When we finished the run, just as I stopped, I slipped on some ice and took a fall haha, it cut up my hand a bit but it wasn't bad. Just kind of funny. Great run! I entered my seed marks for the mile, 800m, and 400m as 5:00 for the mile, no time for the 400m, and no time for the 800m. I haven't trained a whole lot for the 800 or 400 so I don't know what I can expect, I am sure they will be decent but I am hoping there are some other good unattached guys to run against. I am very excited for this meet, there are some guys that I really want to race against. I will do the 2 mile next meet, along with the 800m and possibly the 1600m unless Coach Murphy says something else would be better. I am pumped!

We did a flying forty workout, we did 8 of them. One every 800 meters. We also did a two mile warm up, half a mile with the sprinters before the warm up, and then 3 quarters of a mile after the run. We also did a good amount of core, these new core workouts are really good! I had my first college prep class and my first Psychology class today, I was very pleased with them. I am really excited to learn some Psychology, it will be really fun! The only problem is that my mind doen't work as well when I am in a class where I don't know anyone for some reason. But I will get over that soon and be a good participent in the class! This semester is going to be amazing, I think I can pull of a 4.0 or close too it. I just need to be more organized and do all of my homework. I was re-entered to the BYU invitational with accurate personal records, so the competition will be more at my level. I am going to do some good things on saturday.

We did 4 easy miles on the lower loop and then 4 bare foot striders. It was a nice and easy run. I am feeling good for tomorrow, I am not going to set a goal time, I am just going to do my best to win my heat. The mile is what I am really concentrating on tomorrow, its my priority. I just need to get up in the top 3 or 4, within 10 meters of the leader, and then kick the last lap. I don't think I will try to go wire to wire, maybe I will get into 2nd. The main goal I have is to win.

1600m - I was supposed to be in heat 11 and would have run a little faster in that one. But I enjoyed this race, the first 4 laps felt pretty easy, I was just trying to slowly lose people and make them give up. I took the lead at the beginning. I started running a faster a little bit with about 400 to go and I was just kicking a little until I realized that the guy in 2nd place was kicking really hard. I started kicking hard but it was too late, he edged me just by a little. I could have kicked a lot hard for the last lap and gotten a few seconds faster. Due to the mile instead of 1600m, for a 1600m it would be like a 4:50. So I can definitely make a PR next week at the oval. I am very excited.

400m- Everyone from Alta left after the 1600m so I was pretty much alone at the meet. Luckily my friend from EFY, Kyle was there and he ran in my heat! I hung out with him for most of the next 3-4 hours. The 400 finally started, I took it pretty hard but eased up a little once it was clear I would take 2nd because the 800m was right after. Kyle won our heat, which was the 16th of 23, I took 2nd. So it was a good race! I ran a 56 second 400m, not too bad.

800m- Kyle left after the 400m but I ran into Marco and Andrew and all those guys while I was waiting for my 800m race to be called. The 800m was pretty close after the 400m, I was pretty tired by the time it was starting. I gathered all the energy I had left before the race and got prepared. We started off, I stayed in the back because it was way packed in the middle. After the first lap or so, I made my move. I passed 8 or 10 guys and got into 5th.There was another guy about 10 or so meters ahead of me, maybe more, with about 150-200 to go, I kicked pretty hard and got ahead of him.I strided in to the end for 4th place in 2:12. Not a bad race, especially considering how much little energy I had left. I was top 25% for every race, maybe not the 400m. By the end of the season I want to be getting medals in most meets. I want to qualify for state in the 1600m, I want to run a 4:22 mile. I want to break 2 in the 800m. I want to break 10 in the 3200m. And I would also like to hit a 53 second 400m. It was a nice meet, I am thinking of doing 4 miles or so after dinner.