C Mantz Running

    Around 3.5.  Maybe.  We ran less than a mile warm up, then 2X30sec at I pace, a 5 minute recovery, and 5X15sec at Mile race pace (equal recovery in between the 30s and 15s).  After we cooled down, and then I ran an extra half mile with Kyler while he tried out his spikes from track on the grass.

    State pre-meet.  It was around two, but before I had to go to the dentist, so I ran there and back during 5th hour.  We went longer than I thought we would, and we did 6 strides, which was more than we usually do.  Eh, it's okay, it still wasn't much.  I'm ready for tomorrow.  After last week, I know it's going to hurt, but I know I can break 14:54 with the shape I'm in. 

    First, before I go on about my race, I just want to thank my coaches, teamates, competitiors, and most importantly my family for helping me have such a great race.  Most importantly I'd like to thank my dad for helping me out today.

    A very Bitter-sweet race.  Mainly bitter though. These last two weeks my throat had been very dry and sore when I woke up every morning, and I would wake up a few times a night because of it. I would just get a drink, and then it'd feel better.  Well, today it didn't go away in the morning, so I kept drinking water all day.  It finally went away about 30 minutes or so before the race. I had drank a lot of water though.  I warmed up with my team, and I felt good other than my throat and my stomache was starting to hurt a little from overhydration.

     The gun went off, and I sprinted out well, got in my position, and ran my race that first mile.  I kept looking back to much to make sure no one was passing me (mistake #1).  I ran up the hill, and it didn't hurt too much.  I should've sped up, but no one was too close to me.  I don't know where the mile marker was, but I heard 4:50s and 5:00s, but I wasn't sure.  I just kept running.  Right about the first time I went around the pond, my stomache started hurting.  I then went into a go-for-the-win mode instead of go-for-the-record.  I mentally just lost it, and kept looking back.  I kept running, and was at mile 2 just under 10 minutes.  This is where I should've known I'm going to have to hurt to get the time.  Chuk told me I ran 5:07 for that mile, and I wasn't sure what that meant.  After this I should've pushed it.  I was on record pace, and I knew I can kick and finish with a sub-2:20 final 800m, but I knew I'd won the race if I just finished well (mistake #2 or 3 or something).  My stomache felt better when I slowed down, so I went with that. I heard I was still in the high 13 minute range with less than a 400m left.  I think my last 400m I just got out of the zone.  I remember it feeling easy when I ran across the road, and hitting the track, and just watching the numbers go up.  My last 50m was like 10 or 11 seconds.  I was supposed to sprint.  Mike Buckly ended up second just like he was at region, except this time he was closer. Good race for me, but not great.

      Cooled down after with my team, then ran 4 more miles when I got home. 

     I was going to do a 4 mile slower than tempo run (around 5:40 average was my goal) uphill, and then 4 miles back down the canyon at sub-5:30s or faster.  I started running, but kept thinking, this isn't supposed to feel easy.  And I just kept pushing the pace.  I ended up running 4:40(downhil) that first mile.  Whoops.  Second mile was 5:24(uphill), so after that I knew I wasn't going to make it to the 4th uphill mile.  I decided to change it to 5 miles tempo after that.  I hit 5:12 the next mile (uphill, then downhill.  A little slower than I would've wanted for this mile.) and my 4th mile I was really hurting.  I wanted to go sub-26 for the 5 miles, but after the fourth mile I was done.  Last mile was 5:00(downhill). After I ran 3 miles easy, with a quarter mile hill push in between. Then I ran the uphill mile I didn't run at the end of the tempo before, and decided to push it.  It ended up being 5:20.  .5 cool down after.

    12 miles up Smithfield canyon and then back down in 1:11:20, and 1 mile cool down.  My legs were tired on the run from yesterday's and Wednesday's run.  I don't think I have much of that taper still in my legs.  Today was going to be easy, but I timed the run anyway, and I pushed it up the canyon a lot, and on the way down I was just tired as can be, but still pushed it because I wondered what my pace was going to be.

    I went for a long run up the canyon.  My legs felt really tired when I started, and got better the farther I went up the canyon, and then started hurting again on the way back.  Now time to relax a little.