Failure makes me work even harder.

AM- 3 to AC easy. Then 4xhill sprints w/ 4x100F.  I felt super good on these except the last one I didn't really push the last 50m.

PM- 8 easy.  Felt pretty good.  I am feeling pretty positive about my running lately!

AM- 3 easy to AC.

PM- mile repeats w/ 2 min; 4x200 w/ pizza cool/warm.  I ate some peanut butterr (a food under suspect up until today in terms of it affecting my stomach) and so...let's just say I really felt like crap today (if you know what I mean).  The first mile I felt good just sticking with Byron 5:26.  Next mile I felt good too 5:28.  The third one is when I felt my stomach and then the sprinkler made my shoes heavy (I have figured out my shoes are very absorbent).  I got a 5:33 on this one.  I just freaked out a little because I was feeling off.  The last mile I just stuck it until the last lap and I just wasn't believing in myself as much as late today so I got a 5:32.  I basically did the 200m on my own, because I started behind the guys and I had to fix both my shoes, but felt fine other than my bowels.  On a positive note, last time I ran this I never ran faster than 5:35 and this time I never ran that or slower!  The one and only thing I need to work on is believing in myself!!!  I really don't think I have anything wrong with me mentally (that wouldn't explain how I do well sometimes), it's just when the going gets tough I don't believe in me...sad but true.  But I am going to work on it and improve!  Still positive about my running!

AM- 3 to AC easy.  Calf bugging a little this morning...got to take care of that before it worsens.

PM- 4 w/ 2x400m I.  I felt good this run.  I may be getting a little hurting in the calf, but not real big pain.  Will take care of it to make sure.  400's felt really good.  The first one I didn't really know what we were doing so I didn't end well, but then the next one I went with mike (but the second one we went .3 instead...fools!).

AM- 3 easy wore my compresion sleeves all night to help calves.  Felt half-decent.

PM- 5 w/ 4x200m  It was a super slow regular run.  Felt super good.  The 200's felt awesome, except the last one...which for some reason I just didn't try on, but I'm not fretting.  I ran around 28, 28, 29,and well above 30 for the last one...so haha we'll forget that one!  I felt super strong and realized I'm a little flat when I try to run fast sometimes (meaning I don't bounce off the ground enough), so I tried to bounce more these 200's and I felt super good.  Ran right with mike on all but one.  The last one I just didn't move my legs because I started a little hesitant and was behind the others.

AM-2 miles T + 1x1000 I + 2x400 R + 4x200 R w/ Pizza warm/cool.  The 1st mile- 5:26. 2nd mile- 5:25.  So that was very consistent and it was pretty comfortable...I felt well within myself.  1000m- I don't know what my time was but I felt I ran it well.  1st 400m- 1:06.  2nd- 1:05.  The 400's were good, I felt fast, but something in my foot was hurting like none other and it really hurt to run on the balls of my feet.  4x200m- I don't know my times.  My foot was hurting even more on these, but I felt I ran them fast.  I ran with Jason behind the group, because my foot hurt and I wanted to help Jason push.  Turns out I had this decent cut on the ball of my foot right where your foot would move a lot...so hopefully it heals!  I felt really good though!  I felt like I could've gone even faster, but I think that I needed to just hit the times that I needed to.

PM- 3 easy.

6 miles w/ 4xfartleks.  My left leg was way tight because I had been walking funny on it, because of the little gash in my foot so I took the pace easy other than the 30 sec. farleks I did.  Most of the run I was just thinking about the mission age being moved...so I eligible to go right after I graduate basically.  So you can see why it was on my mind the whole run!  Anyways, it was a very peaceful run out onto misquito trail and I never really noticed how beautiful the scenery is so that was cool!  Overall, a great run just need to fix the tightness in my left leg and learn to run on my cut cause it isn't that bad I just have been running funny on it so I have to fix that!

AM- 3 miles easy.  Foot healed on Sunday, so I was feeling just dandy!

PM- 3 miles easy w/ 4x200m.  This run felt really relaxed and easy.  Coach gave us a pep talk about our race and my moto for tomorrow is based off of one of the quotes: “Ask yourself: 'Can I give more?'. The answer is usually: 'Yes'" -Paul Tergat.  Then, we watched solinsky go beastmode breaking 27 min in a 10k on his debut.  It just need to trust myself and go for it and really just give more.  So, the 200's I asked myself can you give more than you usually do on these? and of course the answer was yes.  So, I worked hard and stayed with mike on all 3 except the last one, because I got a sideache and fell behind on the cool down, but I still pushed hard!  Never felt better and I know exactly the question I need to aske tomorrow and it's 'Can I give more?'

AM- 3 easy.  Felt really good this morning.

PM- 3 mile warm up then RACE.  I was super nervous before and I hadn't eaten so I was actually shaking pretty bad and my body felt light (not in a good way...like a dizzy way).  I was nervous, because I'd never had a good region race in my running career ( fresh.- went out fast and died...lost to people I had NEVER lost to before, soph.-died and didn't get to go to state even though I'd been on the team all year and it was the state winning team, junior- I did good then the last mile I had a side cramp and died to around last place.)  Sooo...you can see my reasons for being nervous, but I was determined to break down this mental wall!  Then, the guns goes off and we start and I start out in the front with Mike and True Tom and am there for the first mile, but they made their move there and I was breathing hard, so I freaked out, but I wasn't tired or spent...I could've went...but mental wall sometimes have to be taken one brick at a time until the whole thing is too unstable to stand!  I then started to die just a little, but still surged to try to keep up with mike, tom, and JJ.  The desert hills guys caught and passed me and I tried to stay on them.  Then, the last lap I was a little behind brigham and josh but I wasn't going to die....not like all the other regions!  So, last 200m Ben came on me and I said in my mind 'no! you are not dying off!!!' so I sprinted all guts out and passed josh and was less than a second behind brigham!  I think it was good to break down a mental wall....now I think I can take that into going to the next step....which I KNOW I can jump the gap between the two!

AM- 3 miles easy.  Felt pretty darn good.

PM- 5 miles easy.  I felt really good today!  I am so excited for the rest of the season!  I think I will definitely get things rolling!

AM- 3 easy.  I love AC runs in the morning!

PM- speed workout. 800m at I, 600m a little faster, 400m at R-pace, 200m, 400m all out, 200m all out.  So on the 800's I stuck with Mike until the last 100m he gaped me by like a few seconds gitting a 2:22.  The 600 I was right with Mike until the end.  Then, on the 400 I was with him again forgot the time.  The 200 was like a 32 second I think...I couldn't hear coach very well, but I ran it ahead of everyone else!  It felt awesome that I wasn't behind mike as usual and it reassures me that I can give so much more during a race!  The 400m all out wasn't all out...I slowed down the last 200m, but I still ran a 1:01!  The 200m all out we staggered and I hate that cause I use comparisons to know the right pace...which is dumb and I should stop that.  Anyway, braden went flying and I thought I was going slow, but I finished within milliseconds of mike at a 27.  I felt really good, because I was strong the whole way!  The all outs I needed to just trust myself and not compare and just dig deep and go all out!!  That's what I gotta do at state:) 

AM- 3 easy to AC

PM- Didn't know how far I was suppose to go really, and I didn't know where to run wave hills in flat Idaho...there is barely bumps in the ground let alone a hill!  Anyways, I just decided to throw in some fartleks.  I went about 3 miles into it then I felt like I had to go to the bathroom, but I kept telling myself it's all in your head and you can hold it.  But then it got to where I almost couldn't hold it, so I had to end my run early.  I think I shouldn't have eaten eggs cause sometimes they upset my stomach (I know....it seems like everything does).

So, I ran in the morning before I had to head off to a cousins wedding.  It was PERFECT outside!  The temps were awesome and I was feeling really good!  It was nice to feel so good after feeling so crappy yesterday.  I made the run a lot more simple (yesterday I was weaving through a neighborhood) and just stuck to the main roads.  I had a solid pace of 7-7:30 pace the whole time.  I really am excited to run at state!  I have no doubt if I prepare well enough I will crush this mental barrier of mine!!

AM- NONE! oh man that felt good not to have to run in the morning!

PM- MASTER BLASTERS!  I wasn't in the mood for this today, but I still gave it a good go!  I went out pretty fast, but it was hard, because I would be behind almost everyone ( cause my group had an eigth grader who did pretty amazing considering he ran with senior and juniors) and I had to catch people, but mike and them were long gone by the time I got to go.  Also, another one coach didn't want me to pass him, because he's jealous of my mad running skills...don't be mad coach just accept you for who you are...slower than me! haha Just kidding, but anyway I felt decent today...need to get to bed tonight because tonights sleep is what counts!

Drove up north for state and ran an easy 3 miles+striders.  Felt pretty good.

AM- 2.5 miles just to get the legs going felt good, but I slept terrible...woke up at 4:30 and only could half sleep after that.

PM- RACE.  Did mediocre in my opinion.  Yeah I was by the people I have been all year, but I looked at my pace and its 5:32/mile and I've run that in mile tempo workouts...heck I've run faster.  I am determined to be fully committed now.  None of this half stuff I've been doing.  I haven't really raced yet...just tempoed really.  And I am going to go through the pain and just DO IT!  I'm sick of waiting for my break through race.  I am going to make it happen!

So, first day back from a 4 day break so easy mileage...NOT!  I expected it to be like 4 miles, but instead we did a hill workout!  5x Sunrise hills (beast of a hill).  I wanted to really push it today, so the first two I really just went hard and was a bit ahead of michael.  I regretted that later.  The next 3 I was so great, but I just wasn't feeling great (I felt like I didn't eat or drink enough so I was woozy).  Michael told me later I shouldn't have went out so hard and maybe I couldve ran better.  Normally I am stubborn and don't listen to him, but he knows how to run fast (look how legit he is), so next workout I will try to hold just enough back at the beginning and really push later!  I think I learned today that I can really run by myself (something I doubted) and push myself. Now, it's just a matter of nailing workouts!

AM- 3 miles to AC and back easy.  I felt good.

PM- 7 miles w/ long hill.  We went down to the corner by the beginning of miquito trail then up to the end of green springs.  Felt good at first, but then all these stickers got stuck in my shoes so then I stopped to take them out (they were making an annoying noise scraping on the ground) and there was a zillion, so I fell way back, so I basically tempoed really fast to catch up and I finally did!  I really felt good other than my stomach was super uncomfortable because of gas.  But really I realized I am the only one holding myself back.  I really have put this limit on myself that I have run a certain speed, so that's what I should run.  But really I CAN run much faster if I push myself.  That's what I am hoping to set out to do the rest of the winter!

AM- 3 to AC easy.  It's starting to get cold in the mornings (for st. george that is)!  But felt great!

PM-  Workout today.  Was a pyramid where we went 1 minute I pace total with 15 seconds of the end at R pace with equal recovery.  And then up so it was 1, 2, 3,4,3,2,1 (all with equal rest).  Today I tried something suggested by goggles (I know...taking advice from a freshmen...my status in society is surely going to go down).  He said sometimes it helps him to talk to himself outloud.  I didn't really talk, but I whispered to myself.  It helped me not turn to beating myself internally and I stayed really positive!  I stuck with mike for every single one and even push ahead of him on some of them (he is feeling a little sick I believe), but really I think if he was feeling good I was feeling good enough I would have stuck with him!  A couple of the R pace ending I didn't do as well, but that was mainly to do with me not hearing Coach Holt whistle and slipping on a dirt turn.  I was proud of me that I stuck it in the whole workout, because normally I die off...and to put on top of that I felt fine running as fast as I did!  I really think this was a positive step towards my goals!

Got out early today and coach holt had meetings, so some of us went right after and others at 12.  We went out to do roller coaster hills, which is my favorite run of ALL TIME!!  So, as you can imagine...it was a pretty awesome run :)  I have felt really good lately, especially mentally I think I have been getting stronger.  I am going to take it to the next level this up and coming weeks...I can just feel it coming and I'm going to do everything in my power to make it happen!

Ran at 6 am because I wanted to get my run in in the morning and I had the ACT at 8.  So, it was pretty cold for st. geezy.  I wore long sleeves and gloves.  But I really like morning runs, because they are cool...which I love to run in the cold...just not LIVE in the cold haha.  Threw in some fartleks that were pretty solid.  I am feeling better than ever!  Can't wait for time trial and pre-footlocker!

Today we did a workout we've never done before.  It was 2000m (my splits for the thousand were suppose to be 2:56) and then 2x 1000m I pace (same pace, but of course with 3 min recovery).  At the beginning of the workout, I was pretty negative and really had to try to shake it off.  I wanted to stay with mike, but I think my negativity, and the fact I was super dehydrated may have played a part, held me back today.  The 2000 was decent, my splits were 2:51 and 3:00 (5:51 total).  The second half I could have pushed it more, but I just...didn't.  Then, the first 1000 I ran a 2:48 and stuck just behind mike.  The very last thousand was tough, because I was tired and my spit was almost like paste, I had flushed cheeks after so I think I was pretty dehydrated, so I died off at one point, but then I finished really strong.  I got a 2:50, which for feeling crappy was pretty darn good.  Overall it wasn't quite what I wanted, but it still was progression!  Last time we did something like this I ended up at like 3:08's at the end!  Another great step, I thought, towards my goals!

AM- 3 easy.  Felt pretty good.

PM- 6 + striders.  I felt pretty good.  It was a really easy pace.  I forget how good of form I have (I caught my form in the mirror a couple of times).  All I really need to do is lessen the time my feet are on the ground and have a quicker turnover and believe in myself and I could see massive improvements.  But anyways I think the improvements I've seen the past bit is really going to show on saturday at Pre-Foot!

AM- MICHIGANS!  Woke up early to get in the workout.  I felt really good this morning...really fresh.  We started out with the 800m and I think we were on for that.  The first 800m always feels easy.  The 3 loops of 800 loop were at 10k pace and they felt easy for once too.  The 2nd 800 is usually where I die off, but this time I actually pushed it and led for a bit.  The last 3x800m at 10k pace were harder, but still not hard physically...just mentally.  Everytime I fell off mike even a little I pushed mentally to speed up.  And when it was down to the last 400m all out I psyched myself out right before it.  I did it fast, but I think I coulda stuck with mike.  Anyway I ended with a 24:23 which is a 1:30 faster than last time and coach said this is 30 seconds slower (cause last time we did it all on the track).  So, this was awesome cause it proves I can run close to mike in a race and really helps push towards my goals!

PM- 3 easy barefoot at 2450.  Calves were tight but I felt good.