My Miles

 5 with striders.

This was such a hard race.  I went into it already mentally drained from the long day beforehand. Good things happened, but it was hard.  I was able to push myself on the hills, just like in practice, but my ankles were killing me, and my time ended up being two minutes slower.  I think back on it and I can't think of a point where I wasn't pushing myself.

I slept through my alarm this morning, so no early run.  In the afternoon, it was awful.  I teach piano on Wednesdays now, so I just went 4 plus striders.  I have not felt that sick and bleh since the stupid track workouts.

Easy 3 in the morning...piano after school.

AM-3miles.  Really nice and humid.

PM-5.5 miles.  3x2 min repeats, 4x400s. We ran to Harts on our warmup, and halfway there it started to pour!  We were soaked!  WE LOVED IT!  I was able to keep up with Chancie for all of the repeats, which I consider to be an accomplishment. We did our 400s, but when I finished my third one this random old guy without a shirt and in spandex came up to me.  His name is Dennis Budd, and at 63 years old he was training for the Iron Man World Championships in Hawaii on October 13th.  He talked to me for twenty minutes about the importance of form, especially the motion of the arms.  He helped me with my arms and gave me some drills to run to fix them.  The drills he gave basically built off of what was on that sheet at camp, but more specific.  He said that when you are training, you need to exaggerate your arm movement and to put your arms especially wide, so in a race, when you go to your natural form, your arms will be in the right spot.  He also said that leaning forward with your hips (again, just like camp) will make you go faster.  There was a bunch more stuff about how to step and whatnot, and I really enjoyed it.  I then ran my last 400 with him observing and yelling what I needed to change.  My time was 1:36. 

AM-easy 3

PM-5.5 with  a huge workout that is too long to type.  My thirty second repeats went well.  Kaelie wasn't there yet so I was able to lead out and to run hard.  I stayed with Kaelie and Chancie on the 800s; times were 3:26 and 3:24.  Thousands were hard.  We did the Indian Run with the Level One and some Twos for the first one.  Then most of them stopped because they only had one, so Kaelie and I finished together.  I was able to stay right with her for the last two!  She wasn't feeling that great, but that is completely besides the point.:)

Very good run/race.  I got around two minutes better this time and was able to stay positive the whole time.  I passed a couple of people on the stadium hill on the first and second laps...weird to think that actually works. 

AM-easy 3

PM-4 mile run with 1 mile Indian run, 4x100s, 4xstadium hill sprints.  The 4 miler went really well...congrats to Miquelle for her first 4 miler since her concussion!  None of the level 2 girls were able to do the Indian run, so I hopped in with the level 2 boys on theirs.  It went really well, but then I had to do the last two laps alone.:(  The 100s, can I just say, are a lot nicer than 200s.  I was able to hit them hard and get them done with Sarah.  The hill sprints were relatively nice to do.  They pushed me hard, and now that I have raced a couple of times, I can see how they can help pass people.  Weights were death...I am always so sore afterwards.

AM-easy 3

PM-Michigan.  It was horrible.  I almost died in the last 400.  I was so discouraged when Coach told me just to go right to the 400.  In the previous 800s, I did not go fast enough.  Not nearly.  From what people were telling me, it was supposed to hurt a lot worse.   I just need to learn not to be afraid of the pain and that it will go away after I am done.  I wanted to get B-standard, but I was not remotely close.  I guess I will just have to wait for the next one.

no run, with pit and piano and royalty...

It is so depressing to run by yourself...knowing that your team is up and racing.

AM-this was awful.  We had 4x30F secs, 2x800I, and 2x1000T.  I wasn't planning on running the workout.  I just didn't want to run by myself so I was going to run the one mile warmup and then finish up with some 800 loops.  Oh well.  I pushed hard, which was good.  The 30 second repeats and the 800s were hard, but doable(?).  The thousands were what killed me.  When Coach Holt said that it would be Indian run style, I was freaking out.  Me, actually having to keep up at Rachel's and Mia's pace.  The first one, I stayed until I felt I wouldn't be able to hold up the fast pace anymore, and then dropped out, which was at the 400ish mark.  I finished at my own pace.  The next one I almost (ALMOST) considered easier.  I started up in front, so I could set the pace.  I hope I went fast enough. I was dying, so I think that works.  This time, I was able to stay with the group until the 500ish mark.  I was hurting so bad, so I admit, I walked for like 15 meters.  By the time I got started again, Chancie had come over and kept me going for the last 500 meters.  I was glad afterwards that I did it, but I was 10 minutes late to Trilogy.  oh well.

PM-easy three with 4xstadium hills and four 100s.  I just stayed with Chancie and called it good.  Weights and plyos afterwards. 

PM-Michigan...a lot better this time. I actually did the whole thing!  I was right on track with the times for the first set of 800s.  As per usual, I started to go slower by the next three 800s. However, I was able to stay focused and to push harder.  My ending time was 35:04. I am not sure yet if that is B-standard or not, but Liz said that B-standard is somewhere in the 35 minute range, so here's hoping.  Striders afterwards.

AM-easy 3

PM-This is probably what I would call the best race yet.  I was so very nervous beforehand...I don't know why.  I wanted to push myself, just like Coach Roberts said, so I told myself that I was going to start fast and stay that way.  I did, and I settled into my groove a lot faster and better than the last few races.  I was able to pass a lot of people. I stayed positive and told myself that this is my one and only XC season, so I might as well push hard and go out with a bang. I did just that, and was able to knock 1:49 off of my PR!  I am so grateful for all of the JV girls who, even though we don't win, went and worked so very hard and did their best!

easy 3 at the stake fun run.