Blake Bennions running

Great way to start off the week with a strong track workout performance. We ran 4x400s on a grass course with 4 90 degree turns. I hit the splits for this workout well, all 66. If I can hit 4 of those in a race, I will achieve my goal this year of 4:24. At the Coaches invitational I am going to aim for a low 4:30s time. I was feeling good today after the first 2 400s. I ran my best, its hard to do because theres nowhere to really pass people because there are those 90 degree turns so often, but I ran hard. After the first two I noticed some patterns with how people were running and made a strategy of how to run the workout better, I pretty much just took the first straight a little easier and that gave me enough energy to stick with Brayden and Alec until the last straight away and they kept easing up before the 3rd cone and that gave me enough energy to give a good kick at the end. This workout does a great job of simulating a race, it was hard to find a good time to make moves! I ran behind alec and Brayden for the first two, on the 3rd I ran 2nd behind Brayden and on the last one I kicked ahead of Brayden on the last straight. Brayden just got back from a break though, I was impressed with how well he still managed to run after not being able to run much the past 9 days due to injury and the band trip. I hope Kramer gets better from whatever is hurting him, he needs to get back in there and break some school records! 2 mile cooldown, I was tired but I enjoyed it towards the end. Nice workout, I ran hard. Ready for some mileage tomorrow.

We warmed up, ran to the gully and did the gully long run, and then ran back. It was hot! Tomorrow is a trimeet, I don't know what I am racing. Why not the 1600m and the 400m. I don't know if I am running in the 4x800m this weekend, if i am, hopefully I will run the 3200m too because I would be a lot more recovered for the 3200m than the 1600m, but I really don't know. Maybe I will take tomorrow as a workout, not sure, I will ask Coach Murphy about it. I am tired, my body isn't used to warm weather, but I am really happy that it is finally here!

I had a lot of fun at the trimeet today! I ran a 55.11 for the 400m so that was good. I won the 800m, I didn't try that hard on the last lap, I just strided in. Its fun to win races, I enjoy it almost too much. A lot of our new guys did awesome at this meet! We had a lot of performances under 5:30! We swept the distance events, 1,2,3! I had a lot of fun just hanging out at the meet and on the bus. It was a good workout today, I am ready for the Coaches invite, low 4:30s!

We warmed up and did about 7 miles. I felt good, the pace was a little too easy but thats ok. We ran to nam and ran around that area for a while before doing the cookie factory loop, I haven't done that in a year. We also did about a mile and a half on the track. People started talking about winning the XC state championship today and I said we would have to be willing to do around 70 miles a week if we were seriously thinking about competing with American Fork. I got mixed responses from that input. Personally I want to push my body to its limits, and then push those limits these next 14 months. I don't want to have any doubt that I did all I could to get on a Division 1 team, after BYU-H shut down its athletic program, its either Division 1 or Division 3. I want to do extremely difficult speed workouts and a lot of mileage. I will ask Coach Murphy if I can do more than the rest of the team if the other guys on varsity don't want to do 70 miles a week. I have some big goals and I am willing to work as hard as I can for them. I am going to do my best to convince 5 or 6 other guys to be willing to work as hard as they can, I would love for our team to win region and get a top 3 finish at the state meet in xc but we need the commitment. I honestly love track more than any other sport, and I really want to make it to the state meet this season. That is my goal.

We warmed up with the sprinters and then we did the lower loop and ran around alta for a while. Then we did 6 100 meter build up sprints. Then we worked on handoffs for a little. I played basketball afterwards. I felt good and its felt easy until the sprints. Tomorrow I am aiming for 4:33 in the 1600m and 9:55 in the 3200m.

I had some drymouth but was feeling ok before the race today. I started off a little slower than I meant to and ended up having to wait in the front pack. I made my move after 300m and then just went wire to wire to win the 2nd heat. I kind of wish I had been in the first heat because I would have had competition. I didn't really hurt much until I kicked, I didn't really have anyone to race with so I just kept out ahead of the rest and mantained my lead by a good couple of seconds. When I run the 1600m at Davis I think I will go low 4:30s, maybe even sub 4:30, its a fast meet!  I am happy that I made a new PR but I am going to take it down another 10 or 11 seconds before region. The 3200m started out ok, I worked my way up to behind Davis, I was passing but he cut me off and I had to slow down. It was lap 6, my arms were hurting, and I needed to use the bathroom, and that just pushed me into mental distress. Next week I am only doing the 3200m, time to run under 10:00.