Blake Bennions running

A new fresh month! Started it off on a solid note with running up to the gym, getting in a good workout, didn't feel as strong as I usually do and was a little tired, I kept at 165 for bench and 35 for curls, I did 50 for dumbell rows, I moved up on the oblique machine, pull downs happened. I did 10 of each of the 3 pull up variants that I do, I did my simulation of the twister for Spartan. I rowed for 500m. I did abs. Just kind if hit up all upper body, oh I did rope pulls too. Can't remember if I did any other stuff. I let squats go until later because my legs were feeling beat up from the past two days, my right hamstring/quad/hip is feeling a little weird, not bad though. I ran 4 more miles after gym, I also stopped at the park and did monkey handles and then monkey bars and then more twister simulation stuff. I ran a little at the park too, like half a mile. Then I ran home and finished with a hard kick/near sprint and then cooled down a little. Will do abs with Adam later along with burpees most likely.

Other good news!!! Draper days is July 14th so I can get my fast 5k in without having to worry about it being too close to Spartan.

It feels like my body isn't building back the way it should be. Today I ran up to the gym, I was already feeling beat when I started the run, I worked out for a while at the gym but my body wasn't feeling very into it and kind of telling me to rest on lifting. I did a decent amount of stuff but not crazy and then ran home. Body is tired, I think lifting a ton and running a good amount is hard for the body to adapt to. I'm going to run more later tonight and probably get up to around 7 or 8 miles. Then tomorrow I will go low on running and high on lifting if my body is feeling well enough, and then Wednesday I will race and get in mileage but no lifting at all. And then Thursday will be mostly lifting with like 4-7 miles. But I also have a new rule that I need to take one day a week off/easy and that will just be by feel.

Pre-Race run at around 6:50 pace. Felt easy, tomorrow I'm just going to go out with the leader until I die or win.

Warmed up 3 quarters of a mile and then raced a good race, I went out hard like I planned and fought for the lead for the first mile and then this other kid came through as the other guy started gapping me. I got caught by two other guys pretty fast and a 3rd a little later, there had been a group right behind I was slowly getting swallowed by. I was racing pretty hard and did a good job keeping mentally strong, although I feel like maybe I could have been a little stronger trying to stay with the last guy who passed me, I gave him too much of a gap to get him back. Brandon was coming up behind me and I wanted to catch the other guy so I picked it up but the gap had grown too much, I surged to the finish a little extra when I saw I was close to sub 17:00 but didn't quite reach it. But this is the best time I've had on this course which feels amazing and overall it was a really good race with some strong competition! This is 30 seconds faster than last years time on the same course which is a big confidence booster, draper days will be good too and I think my goal of sub 16:30 on that faster course is certainly in reach after this. Will do a few miles later with Adam.

Later- 2.5 miles with Adam. Body is feeling that nice wake up call to racing when its been a good while. But I'm in good shape, good sign for Spartan, don't think the gym is open today but I will do core and such.

Worked out a lot, bench, curls, curl machine, rowing, weighted rowing machine, back machine, obiques, abs, dumbell rows. More bench. Wide grip pull ups and hang. I think that was it.

Ran 5 miles while my dad biked after dinner, also stopped at the park for monkey bars with 40 monkey bars going into some pull ups. Averaged low 6:00. Tomorrow will probably be long run with rest upper body.

I also did a solid amount of core with Adam and again later at night with some shoulder and back workouts.

7.5 with 1700 feet elevation gain at the top of Milcreek canyon, went there with my Mom while she hiked. Pretty good run, did it in just over an hour (minus stopping at the top to take pictures and enjoy that for a bit). I got up to the top of some lookout, there was a peak over to the left but no trail so I just trail blazed up to the top to get a better view. It was pretty cool! Today is going to be a rest day for strength. 7.5 isn't that much mileage but since it was in the mountains it's a better and longer work out than that would typically be. I might do a few more miles tonight, who knows.

Went for a light jaunt to the tennis court because I wasn't feeling that good tonight. Once I got there I decided I wanted to go farther and ran up the hill. Got in about 2 very light miles, like incredibly easy. Felt a lot better afterwards.

3 miles at the Brighton track with Adam, we ran a pretty easy pace, like just under 8:00 per mile I think. Spartan race is three weeks away, so that's coming up quickly. So really I only have 2 weeks of training and then I will go kind of easy the week of. I will get more running in later, 40 miles for the week will be a good accomplishment. Also will go lift for a while today, once my energy levels are higher, it was hot out.

Later went to the gym with my dad, I did bench of warm up at 135, then sets 2x10@165, 2x10@175, and then one set of 5x185 cause I'm just getting to doing 185 again. But the 5x185 felt really good at the end of all the other sets so I think I can move up to make it a part of my normal workout. I did dumb bell rows with 55s in between as well as curls with 35s, getting a little too easy. I did the curl machine at 80 afterwards and that was really hard. Then I did obliques, pull downs, and weighed rowing machine. Then I did wide grip pull ups and then hang. I also did abs. Then I ran 2.5 miles averaging just under 6:00 and then did 500m of rowing in 2:00. Tomorrow I will do a Spartan workout, not concentrating on weighs or running, just Spartan crap. Good to get 40 miles this week. Last time I ran 40 miles in a week was last July when I ran the Jupiter peak steeplechase. Next week I will get in at least one run of over 10 miles, might save it for draper days and just do a large cool down.

3rd workout at night, light job over to the tennis courts and did 12 wide grip pull ups, monkey handles with the exchange, monkey bars forwards and backwards with pull ups throughout. Then I did some more pull ups and hangs. Then I bear crawls and ran home and did shoulders and core, new additions of bridges and supermans for back and butt. I need to train as hard as possible these next couple weeks. Tomorrow I'm going to do some Spartan obstacle training and burpee challenge, outside of that its in the air.