Blake Bennions running

I did an easy run around city, first  I went a mile to the southeast, then I went back through my neighborhood and did 3 miles west and back. It was pretty easy, I felt really good, tendinitis is mostly gone. No aches or pains, I am now healthy. I picked up the pace for a mile during the run just because I was feeling good, I am in a good mood! I went to Panda Express after the run, orange chicken is incredible... Panda Express is the best! I also did 100 of those 6 inch leg pull sit up things Coach showed us last year, it was the first time I have done 100 of those in a row, great workout!!! I was partially doing those because I felt like I may have had too much orange chicken and fried rice haha. I am also going to do push ups later today, I need try doing push ups faster so I can build more power. I usually do reps slower because it builds up more strength but I am pretty sure doing them faster gives you more explosion and pop which I could use. 8 miles doesn't seem long at all anymore, it is amazing how much endurance I have built up this year, thanks Coach!

Later- I ran home with my brother from the rec center after playing wallyball, we picked it up for a while during in the middle of the run. It was 1.2 miles, it was a nice addition to my overall mileage for the day.

The workout today was 20 minute warm up, 30 minute tempo run, and then a 10 minute cooldown. We ran as a team for the warm up somewhere in the medium or high 8 minute range. When started the tempo ran around draper park. I started out the tempo run with Conner and Davis but after 5-8 minutes we caught up to Brayden, he had run with Kramer for a little at first. Davis and Conner fell behind in the first 10 mins so I ran with Brayden the rest of the way. We averaged just under 6 minute pace for the run, 5.1 miles in 30 minutes, and finished about 200 meters behind Kramer. When there was about 4 minutes left in the run we started giving it all we had left, I really started running hard at 2 minutes and then gave it even more when Brayden shouted up that there was 50 seconds left. It was a tough, good run. We finished on the lower loop and started heading back to gather everyone up. We did 2 laps on the track to finish. It was a good run! I am happy with my fitness level this early in the pre-season, my goal of a 4:22 1600m this season seems very realistic right now. My goal for friday is to make a PR in the 1600m, and everything is pointing to it being very possible. I think if I can get under 4:40 for the 1600m before we even start doing heavy track workouts, I will be in a very good position to reach my goal. It is really exciting to see this dream starting to take form, I know with hard work and a bit of luck I will do a lot of great things this year. I am starting to get confidet in my running.

Not a whole lot of time, I need to go to work soon. I had a really good workout today, I am a lot more confident because of it. We did a 2 mile warm up, then 8 400s, 4 at 3200m goal race pace, 4 at 1600m. My splits were 75, 74, 74, 75, 62,64, 67, 64. I felt really good on these, the second half were tougher but manageable. I got boxed in on the 67 and I would have had to cut someone off to get out, I decided that wouldn't be very teammate like so I took the 67. I always get boxed in or out of the inside track on these now, it can be frustrating but today I felt really good. It was a really good workout! We did a lap in between each and then a 2 mile cooldown.

We ran the lower loop and 2 laps on the track, then we did 4 striders. It was easy and felt pretty good. I will make sure to get plenty of sleep tonight, I am a little tired. I went to Davis' house with Read, Jacob, Ashton, and Brian to help Andy make his pinewood derby car after the run, I wasn't a whole lot of help haha, but it was fun. We played hide and go seek and tetherball and stuff, Jacob and Ashton  definitely helped the most. I am confident in my ability to do well tomorrow, I think if I am feeling good I will be able to make a PR. 

I did good in this race, I could have kicked harder though, and there wasn't really a time in the race where I felt like I had an opening to make a move. I tried at one point but the guys in front of me made it hard to get back in lane 1. I should have kicked harder at the end but I just couldn't kick start myself up to a higher gear so I just came in sort of easy. This was probably my lack of a warm up haha. I got to the meet late, I had been at alta until 4:15 or so, I met kid who just moved to alta yesterday so I talked to him for a while when I was waiting. When  I got picked up I went home and stopped by panda express, good decision! And then I stopped at home and spent like 15-20 minutes, I am not sure how. Anyways I got back left to the oval but even though google maps said it was a 20 minute drive, it took me 35 minutes or more, that was kind of my fault because I accidentally turned onto Bangester highway at one point... o_O. I got to the oval as they were assigning heats. Fortunately I ran into Ashley right as I got to the oval so I left my stuff with her and ran over to get my heat number. I got there just as they started calling heats, the first was for sub 4:35, the second heat was sub 4:45 so I joined it. I had warmed up maybe 400 meters at this point... maybe.  I kept warming up for the next 10 minutes, I think I got to about a mile including many striders. I knew a lot of people in my heat, Jared Croft (won and made a PR by 6 seconds at 4:32), Dakota, Andrew Lawson, Brandon (elementary school friend), and the top guy from corner canyon. So it was a stacked heat to say the least haha, the Corner Canyon guys took the heat to challenge themselves but did well! Part of my motivation during the race was to be the fastest product of Burton elementary haha. 4:45 is a good time for this early in the season, I really agree with my Coach about being able to start the outdoor season with a low 4:30s 1600m time. I want to do all of the races at the last utah indoor meet, I am sad that there are only 3. I want to make a PR in the mile, and get under 4:40 at that race, but I also want to do what Coach Murphy said I should do and run the 3200m and the 800m. I want to run them all. And because it is spaced over 2 days I think that is possible! I am excited to try out the 3200m race, I think I can get in the lower half of 10 minutes on my first race. My goal for the season is to run under 10 minutes. I ran just over half a mile for my cooldown and then drove home. I ran another 4 miles at home, really easy, I read it on Conner Mantz's blog a long time ago that he did that after a meet and I have been meaning to do it ever since. It sounded like a good idea. Good race, it was another step towards reaching my goals and dreams. I am really happy about how well I am already doing! This season is going to be special!

I ranged from 7:00 to about 8:30ish pace on this run. I stayed at the Cottonwood heights rec center and did 2.5 miles on the tread mill before running back to my house and past my house up to this gas station a mile away, then I ran back to my house, I did an extra .6 along the way. I stopped at home to use the bathroom and then I went back out and did another 2.4 miles. I might do 1.5 miles with my brother later tonight. My big toes have been bending inward, I noticed this a few months ago and showed my Dad but he didn't seem to worry about it so I didn't really care. But yesterday after the meet he asked to see them again and he said that they are bunions, then he told me I might have become flat footed, so i looked and my left foot is almost completely flat footed, the arch is pretty much gone, the left bunion is much worse than the right. He said it was because the tendons were breaking down or something. I am going to see a doctor in a couple of weeks. The problem might be from before I even started running, because I googled it and most bunions have these blister things on the side of the toes, and I have had those since 8th grade, maybe 9th. Well it is kind of sad but whatever. I will get the foot supports and it will probably be ok. No reason for this to affect my running at all. I have done some core today, I will probably do some more tonight.