Step by step, mile by mile

"I'm back and I'm better" - Bryson Tiller

Finally got in a real run, and man it felt great. None of this baby treadmill/biking cross training stuff. Headed up to the Colorado SM's track(it's 60 degrees here), and did a workout of 2x800 and 1x1000 with a 2 minute 400m jog in between each. Wasn't sure how I'd fair after all this easy stuff. Felt quick at first, and I was like "dang it you lost your touch" but then the guy yelled out "69" and I was at first happily surprised, but when I remembered the goal pace was 2:30 per 800 I took back that feeling. Figured I might as well finish with what I have left. Hit the 600 mark at 1:45 and that's when the wind really hit me. Forecasts say 20mph+ and id believe it, it was brutal. My legs were sapped on that last stretch and I finished in 2:22, a bit quick but I'll take it. Next one I hit the 400 at a high 73, perfect. Finished that one in 2:29. The 1000m I had my dad take a snapchat video on me finishing for the story, but he took it at the first 200 so I went fast to look cool for the video and hit like a 33-34 200m. I don't remember the 400 split but I know I hit the 800 at 2:32 and was feeling that lactic acid buildup, man. Gave what I had without going ham, which wasn't much because I finished barely at 3:12. Some long strides in the soccer field after and a cooldown to add to 6. I'm really happy with how it went today, I think I could have dropped some better splits later on if my my first repeat hadn't been quick. I was afraid I'd be struggling to do like 5:30 pace but luckily that wasn't the case. I was pretty tired at the end though so I need to start some solid training. But the main highlight- no Achilles problems!! I felt it during the warmup, but afterwards I felt no pain for the first time in a week! We'll have to see if this lasts. Today got me excited for simplot! Tomorrow we find out if our 8:21 added PR time qualifies us for 4x800 finals. Shout out to mason for saving us with his 1:56 PR.

Core that night 

some easy miles in the morning before my Colorado School of Mines tour. I talked for a while with another runner and found out he has a blog, so shoutout to C_crop #possiblefutureteammate happy annoy squidward day my dudes

A little over 4 back in Utah. It suprisingly got much warmer, I wore my state hoodie and spandex and was dying at the end. Managed a 6:47 pace which was a bit out of the comfort one, I can tell basically all my endurance has dissipated but it's for the better. No achilles pains either! Sub 6 pace the last half mile which was nice. Zante's feel nice. UINTAH MADE THE 4X800!!!! I'm so happy.

Mile warmup at sprint practice. Good core and strengthening. We had to do this plank/pull-up thing and coach Heaton made everyone stop and watch me do them and said I was doing them perf.  Later Heaton asked me what I've been doing lately, because I'm way stronger than before, according to her. Cool beans, and a nice mental boost for Simplot. We did some jog down sprint back stuff after, and I got in some good work, I made sure my form was good. After that I left practice for my run. It might have been my watch buggging out but it said my first mile was 5:53. I slowed down after that to not push too hard. Ended up doing 6 miles at 6:43 avg pace. Felt pretty good, I started striding out the last two miles and got the pace down in the lower 6's.

Pre-meet with strides. Everyone left while I was putting stuff in my car so I ran the opposite way as everyone else, and I went a bit quick. 6:57 avg pace. Oh well, what can you do.

mile warmup on the track, then a mile outside later with Christian.

First half of the race went alright, hit a 5:20 first mile but then I started struggling. I think I should have waited longer to race after my break. I got passed by Christian on lap 8 and after that I just went in to easy cruise mode. Big mistake. Last 150 I was about to lap some guys(for the second time) but they ran side by side and it was difficult to pass, there was barely enough room to squeeze through. Some massive green river kid yelled "hurry up"! At me. I passed and he immediately passed as well. I tried to hold the lead but he cut me off hardcore. Wasn't fun. He let out this monstrous war and cut me off and pushed me again. I had probably been jogging the past 6 laps but I kicked harder here than I ever have in a race. He moved to not let me pass, but I swung into lane 3 and beat him by probably half a second. I dabbed on him after we finished and I genuinely thought he'd beat me up haha. Christian did 10:36, but the rest of Uintah didn't do as hoped. Mason was 3 seconds off 1600 finals, Aaron ran what Austin did, 4:57. 2 mile cooldown with Christian, then I got a picture taken with the HJP members, shoutout to Casey Clinger for joining. After that 2 miles with Aaron, Mason, and Izen, and we flew for that. I can tell my trainings been shoddy at best this month.

Mile warmup on the track s/o to me for solving a rubix cube in 52 seconds 3 miles later with Mason through the ghettos of Pocatello. Mason kept running through alleyways that were probably half a mile long and sort of sketch, I carried a big stick, props to teddy Roosevelt 

Finals today. Warmed up for the 4x800 with my boys Aaron, Mason, and Christian. We did a couple strides outside and I felt pretty good. Aaron's been sick all week and I was now getting the epiphany that I was probs sick too. Mason made all of us wear sweats until we started the race to keep our muscles warm, but I really don't like heat so I felt uncomfortable. Todd gave me some needle spikes so I wore those to race. Strides on the actual track weren't great. My pace was alright but it winded me bad. Officials tell us before the race anyone who gets lapped gets DQ'ed from the race in case people lied on their seed times to get here. Race starts, Christian does what he does and is in last, maybe second to last in the first 400. We thought he'd move up, but he didn't. Still, the pack was semi close together, save a couple. The problem with that is Christian assumed I'd be in the first lane to hand off, and I was pushed back to lane 5! He literally was maybe 5 feet from the hand off one when he saw me. Unfortunately he didn't slope his angle for a clean handoff, he beelined for me and sort of tumbled into me. So starting off with a bad start, and starting at the very beginning of the exchange one. I work to file behind two guys. First two laps felt alright, as crappy as the first 400 of an 800 feels, I hit maybe 61. But with the sickness and non-existent endurance, I couldn't do my kick from last season to pass like the guys. I lost probably 2 seconds on them, maybe a little more. Handoff to Aaron, and I've hit my wall. My legs feel like bricks, so after a bit of shuffling he slows down, and my spikes get entangled in his shoes. It was messy. Aaron takes off and I'm hoping he catches guys and runs a PR, but neither happens. The conditions hit him and he couldn't go. Handoff to Mason at probably 8:38-9, and I know I'm not getting my name on the school record. Mason ran cray though and got us from 8th in our heat to 5th, goot thing too, because if he had ran any of our paces he probably would have been lapped. But Mason has a die hard spirit and came in at 8:42. Aaron was seriously pissed at my for fraying his shoe with my spikes and I honestly couldn't care less. Cooldown with Mason, during which the parade started. We couldn't find anyone but Davis and they brought a huge speaker so we chilled with them instead. Aaron, Mason, and I went to the store after, and Mason had our splits. I dreaded to hear mine. 2:09, 2:13, 2:16, 2:02. I was surprised by that, I thought I would have had to worst split. It made me feel a bit better, I didn't feel all that good, with Christians handoff I probably ran maybe 805 or 810 meters. So I'll accept it. 4x800 didn't get medals, but our 4x400 team did, which riled me up. I wish I had just not taken my break until after simplot so I could have been on it.

Another 2 miles during the 4x200 because I was bored. These 2 bozeman girls followed me the entire way, and I saw Travis Feeny and Garrett Barton from Ogden and waved to them.