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

Holey bovines it's August already. I won't say it, but s****l is coming way too fast!! Aargh!

I finally increased my pushups/crunches from 20/40 to 22/44 - I'm going to try to make it to 50/100 by increasing by 1 more pushup/2 more crunches per day, we'll see how that goes. Wow, today is a day for tangents... anyway, we warmed up and all, then we ran to the Firestation and did some hills. I did 6 of them: times were 56, 54, 56, 53, 48 and 49 seconds. I haven't done repeat hills since track, so it took a couple to really get into it. On the way back, I ran with Haley and Ashleigh. I got a pretty crazy workout by pulling some extra weight back to the elem! :) (Alchemy 43.6)

It rained again, so I hurried to get out and run in it and, like last time, it stopped 2 minutes into my run. That is not fair. I think that the rain hates me. : ( Other than that, it was a quite nice 5-miler, foot wasn't so happy, but w.t.f., I'm sick of caring about it. I was afraid I'd be sore from hills, but I felt pretty good, 7:35/mi avg. (DST 112.3)

(23/46) Wash pkwy '5-miler' ran it mostly w/Jac, 7:41/mi avg, back of left knee hurt, other than that quite a good recovery run and foot was fine. (Alchemy 47.2)

Evening club run, wanted to go 5-6, but my knee was killing me - I went out 2.5 to make my run 5, but I stopped a few times on the way back. Also my guts were heaving lots the last half . Yuk. Basically one of the worst runs that I've ever done. Angry face. Avg. 7:21/mi on the way out, way way slow on the way back, total run avg. 9:02/mi. (DST 117.4)

Iced foot and knee before run, then met up in BH for our friday run, (24/48) ran out toward the strip to 'closet creations' and back. Knee hurt the whole time, foot only hurt for a little while and was good. It wasn't hard at all breathing and muscle wise, so that was a plus. (Always look on the bright side of life - listen to the song! http://www.mwscomp.com/sounds/mp3/brghtsd.mp3) : ) Avg. 7:44/mi. (Alchemy 53.4)

Today, I decided that since my knee's been hurting since Thurs. to take a break this weekend. However, I am a complete idiot and played some very intense indoor soccer for an hour and a half with my crazy brothers friends (2 on 3 as well). So this 'rest' day was basically wasted. Ruth = Total Dimwit. I guess I did do a lot of sprinting during the games, so I'll add a mile to my mileage. (DST 118.4)

AM XC practice (26, 52), ran to the Firestation hill, then ran 7 of them: 54, 53, 51, 50, 49, 47, 48. Was happy that most were negative splits, but I wish I'd given it that last bit on the last hill where it went up. Shucks. Overall, good workout on the hills, thought I think I still could push more on the first couple when I'm just getting going on them. (Alchemy 62.6)

PM XC practice, backwards DI loop with extra loopiness to make it 2 miles, legs pretty tired, but an alright run altogether. Heat wasn't bad at all. No watch, but I'm guessing around 7:45/mi avg. Then played indoor soccer for an hour, boy am I exhausted. (DST 124.1)
 

AM XC, (27, 54 - man it was hard this morning - yuk), then easy Tortoise fence run. I seem to have misplaced my watch, so I ran w/o it, which was probably good so I didn't have the urge to go fast, since my legs were totally sore and tired from all of yesterday's craziness. I think that my knee hurts worst when I have too many hard runs in a row, so I'll try to back off more often so it doesn't kill me anymore. Ran with Jeff for most of it, really nice relaxing recovery run. (Alchemy 67.1)

PM XC, ran to Wells Fargo and back, I was feeling AWESOME and it wasn't too hot out, so I just got into a nice smooth rhythm and just went with it, didn't have my watch still, so I don't know how fast it was, but it felt great. (DST 126.6)

I'm pretty pumped for the race tomorrow, don't want to get my hopes up too high, but I'd like to get around 19:00... maybe get in the 18:00's... but I'll just go and see what happens.

(AM) Got out and ran a couple loops around the park by my house just to get my legs moving, they were kind of stiff but not awful, felt good to get going in the morning. (Alchemy 68.3)

Kinda sucked that we warmed up early for the race thinking that girls were first, but after warming up the second time (each about a half mile), we ran the race. Course was pretty hard: long grass, windy, soggy grass places and a couple of intense hills, but overall it was a good first race of the season. Was pretty tough, I got worn out faster than I thought I should, but it'll only get better from here on out! Last year's time there was 21:15, whereas this year I ran 1:46 faster, so that was a great improvement. I kind of have a goal to keep all my times at most under 20:00 this season, so this was a good start to that. And my old racing flats definitely need retiring... they are so dead and killed my feet. And I won by lots! Yippee! (DST 127.6)

XC, (28, 54) at HS finally, grass loop warmup, then Ultimate Frisbee. (Alchemy 68.8)

Evening run, ran pretty easy out on AZ strip for a out-and-back 6-miler, felt good to run by myself and just relax. On way out I felt great, but the way back I was feeling pretty fatigued, probably just leftovers from the hard race yesterday. Avg. 8:08/mi (Alchemy 74.9)

My alarm didn't go off this morning, so I barely made it to the race in time to register and warm up for the race, only got in a .65 mile warm up and didn't get much stretching for my sore muscles. Course was really quite flat and easy, (good thing, too - otherwise I probably would've died) just took off at a reasonable pace and held onto it, mile splits were 6:17, 6:25 and 5:59. Probably could've raced it harder, but it was a good race and fun to win!

Then after the race, I ran the course again w/ Big Willy just for some more mileage. My hammies are very very sore (like they weren't already. ha ha ha). (DST 131.3)

XC and such (29, 58), 8 am is way too hot out already. Ran Foremaster, started out with Jeff, then mostly ran by myself the rest of the time.  Felt way sluggish today, legs were so heavy and it took way too much effort to have run avg. 8:05/mi for the run, with most miles either (downhill) 7:30 or (flat/uphill) 8:30. Not so great today, but what the hey - I'M GOING TO VEGAS! (Alchemy 75.4)

Woke up way too early to go run before school, out to the Stake Center and back. 8:16, 7:55, 7:44 miles. Felt ok, kinda tired. (DST 140.4)

Afternoon practice after school, (30, 60 - yeah!!!) warmed up and talked to Holt morning runs and about goals for the team - we think we can do really well if we can get a few specific people to come out and work hard at it! Yay! Ran reasonably easy Chuck-a-rama 4 miler, way hot, but compared to yesterdays crap-for-crap run it was great. 7:53/mi avg. (Alchemy 83.3)

Slow slow easy run to 2450 traffic light and back. Foot bugging me again. Need more sleep. 8:38/mi avg. (DST 143.4)

Took a nice cozy nap after school in Holt's room which felt so good! XC practice (31, 62) in the hot afternoon, ran grass loop warmup, got billions of papers from Holt, have a crap-for-crap headache, ran to Harts for a 1.5 warmup before 4x800m repeats on the grass loop: 2:50, 2:50, 2:48, 2:49. First three were good, I felt really strong and got a good rhythm going, but the last one my legs were pretty tired and were giving on the hill part, so that sucked. Overall, it was a good workout (which was surprising, I wasn't really feeling it today). Then I ran 2 backwards big grass loops for a 1.5 cooldown. It was really weird because I've never run it backwards and it looks and feels really different that way. (Alchemy 88.8)

Run at the high school w/ the team this morning, Arctic Circle w/ Rob and Holt. Legs pretty tired out, but good overall. A little less than 8:00/mi. (Alchemy 92.3)

Pretty crappy run this afternoon, (32, 64) lunch was later with the assembly schedule today, so my guts were nasty mean for the last 3 miles of the Green Springs 4-miler we did. 8:24/mi avg. Legs still felt drained and it was quite warm yet again. (DST 147.9)

Not the greatest race of all, my legs felt pretty spent the whole time and I didn't feel like I was running well, but I must've done ok at least, because I won! Last year Region was at this course and I PR-ed there, so I was hoping to get a really great time, but I didn't that much. Oh well, there are other races in life that matter more. I was excited, though, that I beat my last year's time at this race of 19:33 by 37 seconds! (Not as phenomenal as last week's improvement, but still good!) (Alchemy  94) (DD spike 3)

Well, this morning I thought we were doing a long run this afternoon, so on our Arctic Circle run, I decided to make it a tempo after the first half mile of going reasonably fast. Avg. min/mi including the 7:20 pace half mile at first for the 3 miler was 6:45. It felt good and I liked running fast in the cool morning lots!! (DST 151.4)

So, after a harder morning run than usual, you can imagine my dismay when after warmup and stretches and such (33, 66 - I almost died doing them today) Holt sent us on the 1.5 mile warmup we do before speed workouts. Ouch. So we did 5x800m repeats on the grass loop. At first I thought, there's no way I can run these fast at all, I'm going to die. Then I decided, what the heck, let's see if I can run better this week than last with me being already tired. So I did! Times were 2:51, 2:47, 2:46, 2:46 and 2:42. My legs were very dead, but that just goes to show ya that when you think you're dead you can still run faster! Bwah ha ha ha ha.... I think I've gone over the edge. Then two more big grass loops for cool down, backwards again!!! (Alchemy 100)

Morning: Ran easy AP out-and-back 4-miler, 8:25/mi avg. Good recovery run, legs really worn out. (Alchemy 104)

Afternoon: Suckiest hill workout ever (x5) up Foremaster. Legs still out of juice and knee weak and achy the whole time. Forgot my watch, but tried pushing them, I think I gave all my guts on the last couple. Maybe I'm just a stupid ugly whiner. (DST 157.4)

Morning Arctic Circle, I did some yoga last night at YW and I feel much better (at least mentally) than I did yesterday (it was a crap day), so I just had a good relaxing run to loosen up some very tight spots (such as my right upper calf). Avg. 8:13/mi. (Alchemy 107.5)

Afternoon practice, (35, 70 - Jac will pay!), finally a pleasant surprise for our run, (no offense, Holt) expected an AT run, but instead we just went on a nice 4-miler! I think it was the yoga. :)  Legs still pretty dead and calf knotted, but I was surprised that the really hot weather didn't hurt so bad as usual - I think I'm acclimatizing to it finally! Tried picking up the pace a little on the easy spots, did ok... avg. 7:53/mi. (DST 162.1)

Asleep and slow this morning, right calf is still so tight it's hard to run with and left foot was hurting more than usual. Pretty frustrated. Avg. 8:36/mi. (DST 165.1)

Afternoon (36, 72) ran a 'long' run of 5 instead of 7 because it was so freaking hot outside. My legs finally started feeling like legs by about halfway through! I am so excited! The first half I was just trying not to plod and my calf was so knotted still, but the second half I started feeling pretty good and a lot looser than I have since Monday, so I picked it up a bit and ran 7:58/mi avg total for the run. Very happy to finally get in a solid run that actually felt good! (Alchemy 113)

Got to sleep in all the way 'til 6:15 this morning, ran with the 6:30 crew instead of the 5:30 crew which was a fun change, though it was odd for the sun to be coming up while we ran - I kinda like it more in the total dark. Ran with Holt, my legs are finally feeling mostly good so I got in a solid run, just talking about stuff w/Holt and letting the legs go with the flow. Avg. 7:20/mi. (DST 170.6)

Afternoon practice (37, 74), ran an easy Dogpound with Monty most of the way. I thought Holt said to do it backwards, so I did, but he didn't, so that sucked because I hate it that way. Oh, well. 7:50/mi avg. (Alchemy 117.6) 

Race up at Bicentennial park in Cedar, the course was basically 3 differently sized loops around a slightly sloped grass/dirt park. Last year it was really short and I got 17:52 there, but they changed it a titch to make it long enough. Wasn't really 'feeling it' during the race, legs pretty tired out, foot bugged me the whole race and knee wasn't all that happy either, especially with some of the sharp turns. Kierstin Blauer stuck on my shoulder almost the whole race which was frustrating, though I pretty thoroughly outkicked her at the end. Ran with spikes for my first time ever in a XC race, so that was interesting. Fun to win! (DST 171.2) (DD spike 6)

One thing I think I learned from this race is to not let someone being close to me freak me out - at first I was panicking over it, but I knew I could beat her so I held her off the whole race - I need to remember that, especially at big races where people will be near me.

Wanted to get in 4 this afternoon/evening to make it to a 50 mile week, but that idea kinda gave way to the idea of recovering more this weekend. 

Ran watchless this morning so I wouldn't go crazy fast like I always have the urge to on Monday mornings... was pretty muggy. I saved a toad in the road from getting run over! Foot kinda hurty, but overall a nice run. (DST 174.2)

Afternoon (38, 76), it was actually rather nice out (90 degrees), though a little muggy still. Warmed up on DI loop, then did grass loop pyramid of 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1000, 800 and 600. I think the distances were a bit off on a couple, but what the heck, it's better than running around a track a billion times. Times: 2:00, 2:46, 3:16, 4:38, 3:20, 2:50, 2:10. Knee was feeling a bit achy from the get-go and got steadily worse as we ran, the last 800 was quite hurty, the 600 I almost died and the .5 mile cooldown hurt lots even with a long break after the repeats. Iced lots at home with my handy dandy frozen veggies! We'll see how it feels tomorrow... (Alchemy 124.4)

So basically I suck. And so does my knee. Ran a slow hobbling Arctic circle (8:41/mi) this morning and the warmup this afternoon (39, 78). (DST 177.7) (Alchemy 124.9) But my calves are bigger and more defined than Spencer Finch's, so life doesn't totally suck.

I'm taking the rest of the week off for my lame-o knee to get better. Not so sure how well that's going since I walked around a ton at the meet today and it is about the same as yesterday.

Knee felt a little better today... if only I didn't drive a stickshift (no offense Kermit). I HATE not running, not only do I feel lazy and tired, I'm grumpy!

Knee was mostly ok today, just too much walking around at practice made it sorer. Trying to get into some PT I hope.