I can do it. I will do it NINE times!

Steeple again!! Yay! Warmed up with Vanessa and Ashley, then got ready to race. Was a little nervy before, but no problemo. Ran reasonably well, not super fast, but it went well. Especially, my water jumps were awesome! Well, one of them was bad, but the rest went so great - better than ever before, it just kinda 'clicked' today. So I was happy even though the time was kinda slow. Cooled down after for a few minutes. Then I ate ice cream. (DS 355.2) (S spike 53.3)

Moved out of the dorms and into Vanessa's house! And helped Spela move too. It was a long and tiring day of going up and down 3 flights of stairs over and over and over and over and over again. I probably should've run in the morning before all the moving stuff... but oh well. I'm not going to beat myself up over a missed run. 

Speed work today. Left my watch at home, so just estimating on the times. Warmup on the canal trail, then a 3k - the 1st and 3rd k @ GP 96/400, with the 2nd k @ GP 88/400.  Right on for the first 2k, then the last k was too fast by about 8 seconds total. Then we got 10:00 rest, then did 2x800's @ GP 2:40 w/4:00 recovery. Times were about 2:37 and 2:33 - oops. 5 minutes break after that, then 2x300 @ GP 51 w/3:00 recovery. Right on with those. Then a little cooldown with Jessie and Amberber. (DS 358.5) (S spike 56.7) 

Ran up Green Canyon with Vanessa. The weather was absolutely perfect and the canyon is so beautiful! Felt a pretty crappy, but the atmosphere made up for it. (K 589.2)

More speed today! Started off with a 3k with the first half at 96/400, then race effort with hurdles and water-jumps on the second half. Time was 11:28, water-jumps were average. I seem to have a problem with landing on my right foot - every time I lead with my left, I'd somehow try to land with my left as well. Not so good. Friday I'm going to do some more water-jumps to try and remedy that situation. Anyway, after that we did 2x300 accelerations and we were done. I'm liking these short workouts! (DS 363.5) (S spike 59)

Easy 60-minute run around town from Vanessa and Jeremy's place. Pretty nice run: great weather and I felt good (though a tad hungry). Luckily I did my run early, since I ended up being sick a couple hours after I'd finished. (DS 371) 

Ate 4 pieces of pizza way too close to practice, so my stomach was super nasty for the whole workout. We warmed up, then did a 'handicap 1500,' where we all lined up, slowest to fastest, and started at different times according to our PRs in it. Then we should've ended up together, if we all ran exactly on our adjusted PR. We were kinda close, but some of us were way off. Like me: I ran 11 seconds under what I was supposed to get (5:03), so I did a 4:52. Still, it was fun... I guess. Then we got a break, then did 2x300 accelerations. After the workout was over, I went and worked on  my water-jumps for the steeplechase. They went really well! My first one was awful, but after that I got past my weird blockage of not landing on my right foot and had really solid jumps. I'm SO excited for Conference next week! I think I'll be doing the steeple and the 5k! Woo hoo! (DS 377.3) (S spike 60.5)

Ran on the underwater treadmill for an hour today. It was great to not have my foot, shin or back/butt hurt at all for an entire run! First half of the run I did at 6.6 mph with 39% jets (equivalent to about 7 mph), then the next half was 7 mph with 45% jets (equivalent to about 7.5 mph). Good run. No shoes!

Today's workout went great - we did our usual warmup, then started off with a 2000 @ GP 96/400 for the first 1200, then race effort over hurdles and water-jump for the last 800. We were a bit quick for the first bit - more like 94/400 - total time was 7:25. Water-jumps were great! SI joint issue was a bother, though. Then we got 10:00 break, then did an 800 - GP 2:06 for the first 600, then all-out for the last 200. Again we were too fast, but it felt good: first 600 came at 2:00, total time was 2:31. Five minutes break, then we did 2x150 accelerations. Fun and fast today! Ran home to cool down. (DS 382) (S spike 62.5)

Fast and fun easy run this morning with Vanessa. Talked lots and just enjoyed the awesome weather and company. (DS 386)

Easiest workout known to man! Warmed up for 20 minutes, then we did a 1200 @ GP 4:30 (we got 4:28), then a 10 minute break, then a 300 acceleration and 10 minutes cool down. That was it! Yay! Felt fast and ready to go... one more day... (DS 389.7) (S spike 63.5)

Easy 30 minutes with four push sections (about 25 seconds each). Felt pretty good, though there was a little pain in the shin and butt. All in all, ready to race tomorrow! (DS 393.7)

Goals: 3k steeplechase - win or PR (altitude adjusted); 5k - top 3.

Way excited after the race! Ran the race out front from the gun, but let a Nevada girl gap me on the fifth lap and I never caught back up. Time was a bit slow and just felt kinda crappy for most of it. Still, it was a solid race and cool to take second as a freshman! And there were fish in the water pit, so that made my day. (DS 397.7) (S spike 65.4)

Easy shake-out around from my aunt's house, legs feeling pretty stiff and sore. 

Weird race. There were almost 30 runners in it, so the pack was enormous and there was lots of jostling as we started. First lap went out pretty slow as I'd hoped (around 92), then the next lap the pack sped up a whole lot (around 83) and stayed quick for the next few. I wasn't so happy about that since I was feeling a bit tired. A fast Nevada girl took her own lead, but I stayed in the next pack after a NM girl, a Nevada girl and another NM girl. I must've zoned out for a bit then because next thing I knew, one NM and Nevada girl had gapped me and I was just with the other NM girl I'd stuck onto. We played 'surge' games for the next few laps until I started to stretch out with 4 laps to go. I lost her and was trying to go get the next girls, but I couldn't really figure out which ones they were by then, since we were lapping lots of people. So, finally, I got my eyes on one with a lap or so to go, but I only gained about 30 meters on her and she still had about 20 on me as we came into the finish. I'm pretty happy with how the race went (mostly that I didn't die like I did in the 3000m in Indoor), just a little frustrated that I lost the pack just ahead of me. Still, it was a great way to finish the conference championships and I'm excited for Regionals in two weeks. (DS 401.7) (S spike 68.5)

Ouch. Not-so-easy easy run this morning for 55 minutes around St. George. So exhausted and sore, I just plodded along as best I could... which wasn't very well. Hopefully my legs start feeling like legs again soon. (DS )

Another easy run. This time it was a bit easier, but still tired and slow. Just a half hour. Did some bodyweight exercises as my 'weights' afterwards. Got a massage from April later, it killed. I hope it helps with the issues I've been having. (DS )

Speed workout. Not so speedy. Legs still were feeling quite dead and I didn't wake up early enough to run in the cool weather. It was pretty hot, at least to my wimpy Logan-acclimated self. Warmed up on an extended version of the DI loop, then did the speed workout: 2000 with first half @ GP 3:45, then the next at race effort half over hurdles (sadly, no water jump at PV), then 10 minutes break, then 5x300's @ GP 54 w/90 seconds recovery between, then 5 minutes break and a final set of 4x200's @ GP 33 w/3:00 recovery. Times didn't go so well. 3:55/7:44 then 58, 56, 56, 55, 54 then 35, 34, 33, 33. So, I was a bit off today. Mostly I'm just still dead from last week. (DS ) (S spike )

Easy half hour again, this time in Baltimore! Ran around my sister's house, enjoyed the scenery and cool weather. (DS )

Did abs and other exercises tonight after a long day on the town. Squats and lunges with a “medicine ball” (aka baby), then lots of abs (used a sack of rice for those).

Another speed workout, this time at Towson High's track in Baltimore. Felt lots better than Wednesday, but still a bit tired. Warmed up on the track for two miles, then did 3x1000's @ GP 3:30 w/4:00 recovery, 10 minutes break, then 3x300's @ GP 51 w/3:00 recovery. Times were about on: 3:29, 3:31, 3:30, then 51, 51 and 51. I love running at sea level! My nephew and my niece came with me to the track and cheered me on, they got especially excited when I'd pass people. Good times. Cooled down on the road. (DS ) (S spike )

Dead again this morning, went out and survival-shuffled for 45 minutes. I'm feeling pretty exhausted, part jet-lag and part running around Baltimore with my sisters nonstop for the last few days. (DS )

Minimal speed workout. Started off  with a 1600 - first 1/2 at 88/400, then 80/400 on the last half. Wasn't too bad, 5:34. Then 10 minutes break and then 3x300s @ GP 51 w/3:00 break. All of those were on. Then 5 minutes break and 2x300's @ GP 57 w/90 seconds break. 55 and 56 for those. Easy cooldown after. (DS ) (S spike )

Ran on the water treadmill today. Last night I killed myself playing tons of soccer and ultimate, so my trouble spots are a bit ouched and some side-to-side muscles are super sore. Not the brightest of ideas, but that's in hindsight. Oh well I guess. So I did the treadmill to relieve some of that and it went ok. 8.5 mph w/33-44% jets for 30 minutes, then 7.5 mph w/50% jets for another 5. 

Easy cheesy workout today - yay! Warmed up a bit, then started with an 800 @ GP 2:00 for the first 600, then 34- on the last 200. Got that one pretty much right on - 1:59 and 34, total 2:33. Then I got 10 minutes break, then did 2x200's @ GP 34 w/3:00 recovery. 33 and 34, so right on again. Nice. Then cooled down, felt a bit sick from lunch. (DS 439) (S spike 76.3)

Went to the track once we got to Eugene. There, Caroline, Erin and I took off on an easy run around UO's campus. After that, I did a couple laps on the track with a few 100m strides thrown in. Feeling a bit sick (sore throat, congestion) and stiff from traveling, but I'm hoping I'll get over it before Saturday's race. (DS 442.7) (S spike 76.8)

Nice little run from the hotel to the park area with the awesome trails and around for a while and then back. Did a few pushes. Still feel sick, a little sicker even. Blah. (DS 447.7) 

It seems that I'm doomed to do badly at Regionals. XC went terribly and so did this race. Since I'd been feeling really congested and sick, I'd been taking Sudafed in an attempt to feel race-ready. It helped me feel a little more able, so coach and I decided that I'd be ok to race. Turned out I kinda could race, but not well at all.

The first lap I stayed with the pack, but once we got to the first water barrier I totally lost them. If someone told me that they'd left the barrier at the men's height, I would've believed them -it felt that hard to get over- and my landing was the worst ever. The barriers weren't too awful, just tiring, but every water jump was terrible and wore me out way more than usual. All in all, I just was exhausted and breathing felt like I was still at 4000 feet. My head ached and the only reason I did ok in the midde/end was my refusal to drop out or get last place. I finished. And didn't get last.

Definitely a disappointing end to the season, but the circumstances were mostly out of my control. Next time I'll not get sick! Now I'm glad to take a week off and recover before starting up for cross country again. (DS 452.2) (S spike 78.7)