The Renegade

I chose the absolute craziest time weather wise to get some extra miles in today, but I ran two miles during seventh, soaking wet by the end, and then after it had cleared up a bit another half mile with Johnny. I  felt better than I did any day last week, so I think this weeks going to be a lot better training wise and racing wise. After we had our little team meeting in the gym coach told us to stay inside and run, but that he "wasn't going to tell us any more and was leaving". So that gave a few of us the signal to go outside to do our planned workout anyways. Mine was the temple again, along with Johnny and Isaac, so we headed out there. This time it was nine reps, so that made it a little harder. The workout just didn't go as good as I thought it would, but I think that part of it is from racing on Saturday and only having a day to recover. I'll lay down my times:

38,    37.2,    37.5,    38.2,    36.4,    36.5,    37.7,    38.3,    38.3

It went pretty consinstently the same through all the reps until the last two, where close to the end I felt like I had no drive whatsoever and that there something pulling me back and downwards, stronger than just gravity. I just felt really really sllow on the last par tof those reps, and that's where Isaac got me. On the way back to the school I felt pretty crappy but once I composed myself I was able to run a couple more miles along with strides pretty easily. So I'm happy with my miles today. This will be my second longest day of the week and then hopefully I can put in 10-12 miles on saturday, because I feel like I'm neglecting my endurance. In the middle of the week I'll try to run sufficient miles too just not a ton because we have Cache-Box Wed-Thurs and I'm racing both days. After icing a bit I was able to go in the weight room and do the normal stuff, which I haven't gotten to do in two weeks. I'll try to do that more often, maybe on Friday, too. 

Premeet today I did lots of broken up jogging with a set of strides in between. They were two 200s at mile pace and then two at 800 pace. I felt pretty tight, but i really don't think that affects how I feel the next day ever.

I'd have to say today was successful. I jogged half a mile before we left the school and was feeling pretty tight. My race was at 5, and I'd say I did some warming up at around 4:15. Did some strides in my spikes and I didn't feel too good. But later when I was pretty much ready to race I felt pretty energetic and excited. Mark won the race so that got me even more pumped. So my race started and I was seeded pretty far on the outside, but I easily took a good position in front of most guys, and my first lap was a 70, so like way too fast (gotta work on that) but I didn't feel really in the hole. Kinda just tried to keep a good pace, obviously not as fast, and it was 78 for the next lap. After that I think the mile really flys by because you have the third lap you need to push and then the last one you need to kick. And it did. Third was about the same and my last lap was maybe a 74. I passed a couple of people on the last 200 and there was an MC kid that I caught up to but he just barely beat me by .02, despite my efforts at leaning. Right after I looked at my still running watch and I knew I had PRd, I just didn't know if I had broken 5 yet. I did a 1.5 mile cool down with Mark and Nick Allen from Mountain Crest, ate a little but, then got stretched out and ran another 2.5 on our XC course, which felt really good. So now I think I'm ready to get a 4-5 second PR tomorrow in the 800m, or at least I feel ready!

Day 2 I would have to say was pretty dang good also, it's just that I had to wait a lot longer for my race. I jogged a mile around the track before we left to USU which felt good, and then hung out for a while at the meet until I finally did my 1.5 mile warmup. I felt okay. Then I plugged in to my tunes at that REALLY got me pumped up and the adrenaline was rushing. The SUSPENSE was INTENSE while I waited for my race. Excuse me I had to. Anyways my race came and I felt ready as ever. I was seeded with a 2:20 for some stupid reason so I was kinda far out on the waterfall, but I had a good aggressive start as always and started in second, but then got passed by a few people. At the 200 mark I had to slow down a little so I wouldn't get spiked and that was annoying. Split was approximatley a 31. I ran the whole rest of the race without any tactical difficulties. I was at 64 at the 400, so right where I needed to be. I was hurtin pretty bad. At 600 Mark told me I was at 1:35, but I really don't know if that was accurate because I don't think I ran a 31 for that but who knows. Last 200 hurt but like always I didn't get passed and I passed one kid. I took Strand's advice and instead of trying to go hard I just lowered my shoulders and that helped a lot more than I expected. I didn't have the whole neck bending that I usually do. Well great meet I PR'd in both events, and as a matter of fact it was once my season goal to break 2:10 so I'm proud of that. That goal is out the window and I knew that, so for the past couple of months my goal has been sub 2:05. I was going to do the steeplechase but for some stupid reason Coach Line would only let two from each school go, so I ended up just watching. After the meet was over I ran 3 miles on our XC course and for some weird reason I felt AMAZING. I got to my families car after and ended up running two more while my brother got his haircut. I have no idea how I could feel so good on my cooldown today when on Saturday it felt like crap. I'd actually have to say I've never felt so energetic on a cooldown. I geuss it's just a sign of greater things to come. 

Today I felt surprisingly good for just having a hard meet and not a lot of sleep. I did my standard two-mile loop during seventh hour plus some lifting and then I ran 6 miles on the canal trail with Mark, and Johnny for part of the way. It just felt nice and relaxing. We picked it up a little on the way back and I did not mind; it felt good. We'll have to see how long this feel-good streak goes for. When we got back we did some 200s, three for me, the last two being 30s. They felt pretty hard, just because I was tired but they were quick. Closed it off with some barefoot action on thee turf, because I love how those strides feel.  

I didn't get a chance to run today because I slept in and we were traveling the whole day. Frustrating I know, but I don't think I'll lose any fitness because of it.