Sock tans

I ran to the track, then for practice we did Shriners run to City Creek, then to South Temple and back along 13th. Then did 2 progressive 300s, I hit 53, 52. First one felt surprisingly easy, I thought I was barely gonna be under 60. Second one was a bit harder, I think the wind picked up a bit. Plus I was tired. Finished to 12. 

AM:

Morning practice. VA loop then X strides on Rowland Halls turf, then 2 progressive 300s. I went 53, 52 again. Grass lap cool down.

PM:

Up to Sunnyside, 3 laps, back to the track and did a mile of speed changes, then two grass laps cool down.

2 miles warmup and strides.

Had a hard time getting myself to go fast for some reason. But I still got out fairly good. Going up the hill I passed a few people. The whole first mile was uphill which sort of sucked. By the mile I was starting to mentally crash because I didn't know how much more uphill there was and I wanted it to end. But I pushed through anyway, where Bill yelled out my split for the mile he said it was 6:23 but my garmin said 6:44 (we've established my garmins lazy so that's probably why). Second mile was 6:29 with rolly hills, last was 6:07 pace with downhill and a few ups. Was 10th with 300 left but just couldn't kick, 2 people passed me again in the last 50 meters. Ugg. Mixed feelings about it. Felt like I worked hard, maybe even harder than I did at Nebo. I got the same time I did last year! With the elevation change though I bet if it was run in Salt Lake I would have been under 19. I did 2 miles cool down.

AM:

15 on pipeline going first up the switchbacks to elbow, then to the overlook and back to the cars. My calves were really tight and I went pretty slow. One of the runs where it was harder for me just cause it was so long, probably because I was by myself for most of it.

PM:

3.5 miles around my neighborhood, squoze it in before Homecoming. 

AM:

4 miles, VA loop before school

PM:

Ran to Sugarhouse, then did 1600, 1200, 800, 400. We finished every one of them (following state course) at the road by Highlands track. I was supposed to go 6:00 pace so 6:00, 4:30, 3:00, 1:30. I hit 5:53, 4:33, 3:03, 1:23. It was harder than I was expecting, when I heard the workout it seemed like it wouldn't be that bad. It wasn't, but I had to work a bit harder than I anticipated. It was the quarter mile coming from the pond to the road that I had to focus, mostly because I slipped and lost focus going around the pond because of the geese. They were annoying and slowed me down, now I know how the front guys felt when we were doing 1000s a while ago. Ran back along 13th and added to what we thought was 9 but was really 9.5 (I guess we did our math wrong haha)

AM:

Today was the huge late start because of Sophomores taking the Plan test, so Bill, Chris and I went up to pipeline. 8 miles. Felt okay, quads were a bit sore.

PM:

Went to the cemetery, did 2 laps and back to the track. Then added in lane 8 to the 300 and did 2 progressive 300s. I hit them both in 49. That surprised me, I didn't think I could break 50. I guess when I want it I can do it (I was racing Chris the last 100 meters). Went up to Sunnyside, did a lap, went along guardsman to the second crosswalk and back down to the track then added a little to get to 7.

AM:

3.5 miles at Steiner on the treadmill

PM:

Went up to Sunnyside, did 2 laps, then 8 barefoot strides, and two more laps back to the track and added grass laps to 6. My left psoas bothered me a bit going up to Sunnyside but halfway through the first lap it warmed up. It usually does it's just annoying. Right IT band is now tighter than my left. Rolled out when I got home. 

AM:

3.25 in the morning with Toph

PM:

3 miles along Jordan river with the team after our service project.

Our season really flew by...

Warmed up about 2.5 miles, strides at the line.

Started out a little fast, some Clearfield girls went fast next to me and surprised me but I knew they wouldn't hold. Stuck with Millika for a little over a mile, our split was about 6:02-6:03. Someone said to Millika "don't break" or something like that coming down Bessie which shocked me. That was when I realized I never really believed I'd be able to beat her. I wanted to, but never believed I could. I felt great. Then we turned and coming up the apple tree hill my legs started to hurt. Millika gapped me a tiny bit, I closed it on the downhill, but on Miranda she gapped me again and this time I didn't close it. I should have done a speed change or something up the hill, I noticed I was stronger at hills than she was. I just didn't want to hurt. After she gapped me I crashed and burned. Okay it wasn't that drastic but I felt like I was going so slow, she was probably only racing for place so she must've slowed down too. I kept working to try to catch her until about 2 miles which was about where I decided I wasn't going to win and settled for second. I shouldn't have done that. I know if I would have sucked it up and accepted that it was going to hurt I could've had a much better race and possibly beaten her. I didn't want it enough to be honest, I realize now I was fine with second.

Kind of mad at myself for not pushing through the pain like I did at Nebo, and even Park City. I guess there were more people in those races and felt more like a race than region did, but still. Then again I wasn't very confident for it, the hills intimidated me. And they weren't bad so why I don't really know. But now the past is in the past and we've got to look towards State. I'm feeling way more confident towards State than I did for region, which is kind of weird. But I know I've worked hard and I know I'm going to be motivated by it being my last high school cross country race. And I know there will be lots of competition and I won't be top 10 unless I hurt. We've done speed on the course. I'm stronger at hills than I realized and I will be dropping mileage. I've still got a week of training to tune everything up and make sure State is amazing.

I did a mile cool down.

AM:

10 miles on Jeremy ranch road with Bill and Garek. Felt really crappy. Stomach was not agreeing with me. Hopefully my second run today will feel much better.

PM:

Felt better than this morning. 4.25 around my neighborhood.

This morning I slept in, thought maybe sleeping longer would help me get better faster. But I missed the morning run which made me sleepy all day, so idk if it was really worth it.

It's weird to be back to a small group, I liked the bigger group at practices, but now since region's over only top 10 on our team are required to come to practice. And we definitely didn't have 20 kids at practice today...

We went down to Liberty for speed. Went long way to the fountain, then over to the hill. We did 5 hills going from the road, up to where it starts to go down, turned left and came back along base of the hill. Then did a mile, 5 more hills, another mile, and 2 x 800s. I was supposed to hit the miles at 6:00 pace or under. I hit 6:06 on both of them. (Random fact - that was a second faster than the time I got on my first ever 1600) :) Not that it really matters. On the 800s I went 2:52, 2:42. I caught a cold over the weekend, looks like the sickness on our team finally spread to me. I was pumped that I didn't get sick, so it's a bit discouraging. Made the speed a lot harder, my throat burned and on the 800s my lungs started to as well. I was discouraged, I wanted to be hitting my times. I think mentally I was struggling too just because I want to be feeling awesome right now so that I can sharpen up for State. If I didn't have this stinking sore throat I know that the speed would not have felt that awful. Went back up to the track.

I'm trying to get healthy again, gargled with salt water and drank warm lemon/honey water. The salt water didn't hurt as much as it did yesterday, so maybe that's a good sign?

Was going to run this morning but couldn't run alone in the dark and didn't have the motivation to go to Steiner. This cold has really drained me of energy, this run normally wouldn't make me this tired. I don't usually get tired on runs until about 10 miles in, but today it was at mile 5. It was adventure run. Stopped at the Shriners drinking fountain even though I expected it to be off, it was on but the water had an electric flow going through it so not much of a drink. I'm just not gonna go to that fountain anymore. Got to the track and turns out the boys went to the second drinking fountain. I added on with them when all of them got back until they got to 9, then added a little more to 8, until I decided Id add to 9 cause I hate feeling like a slacker. I really do feel exhausted, I haven't felt this tired since my first 15 miler on rail trail. If anything positive can come out of it Garek got better in a week so maybe I can too, which would make me better by state. Not quite how I imagined this week would go.

Today we did VA loop and went along guardsman and into Sunnyside to the white tree. We did 8 strides and then 800s. I finally felt like I could push myself today, except my pushing myself was at a slower pace than normal. I was supposed to hit 2:50s and I told myself I WAS going to hit them whether or not that meant giving it my all. Which it did. But you know, I don't care. I know if I was healthy for the effort I gave they would have been a lot faster, and effort is all that matters right? We were supposed to do 4 but Bill made a deal with me that if I went between 2:45 and 2:50 on the third I wouldn't have to do the last one. I was right around the same time coming around the last turn so I had to really work to make sure I was under. But I did it. Times were 2:50, 2:50-2:51, 2:47. It was really windy too so that sort of sucked. My throat and lungs burned and was really congested, so much pressure in my nose! And on top of that had a headache. So for having all that and still hitting the times I'm happy. Did a lap and back to the track.

Today we did pipeline. Went out to the 4 mile mark, turned around and when we got to Rattlesnake we started a 10 x 1 minute on 1 minute off fartlek. Finally am starting to feel better, up until now it has just been building and slowly getting worse, so it's a good sign. I still sound like death and have congestion but my throat no longer burns. And the headache was a one day thing I guess :)

6 miles easy at Liberty.

5.75 easy. Was visualizing State in the middle of the run and realized I accidentally brought the pace down below 7:00, so I brought it back up. Sorry :) 

Ran up to the U of U track, did a mile of speed changes, then 400, 300, 200, 100. I was supposed to be at 75-80 pace, for all of it. Hit 76, 56, 35, 17. Then ran back. Feeling pumped for State on Wednesday!

Up to Sunnyside, one lap to the white tree, Bill gave us a team pep talk, and we ran back to the track. Ready for State!

Really crappy race and I honestly don't know what happened. One minute I was top 13 and the next I was 50th. Had a good first mile (5:50-6:10 ish there were people yelling splits all along the downhill of State hill, but I think 6:10 is more accurate.) I was 13th there. Honestly that was where it started to go downhill. The negative thoughts started there and slowly got worse. I guess I just thought top 10 wasn't gonna happen because of how much I was hurting. By Poker hill I was way far back. It hurt more than any race I have had this season. My arms killed, my legs were burning and I just felt awful. I tried to work up the hill, I don't really remember the hills much. Going by the bathrooms Bill yelled to slap myself on the face and get into race mode. Did that because I really wanted to be having a good race. But it only worked until the pond. Then halfway along the pond tried again. Nope. Then going up the little hill tried again but found myself thinking about how annoying the slant of the hill was. Then tried to refocus myself, told myself I was almost done. I picked it up with 600 left, then coming into the track area someone yelled 400 left, one lap on a track. That got me going a little, passed two girls in front of me and was going fast on the curve, then RIGHT BEFORE THE FINISH LINE about 6 girls outkicked me. I've had one or two outkick me before but that was just too much. This whole race was discouraging. I considered dropping out after Poker hill because of how far back I was and I knew my time was gonna be awful, but I knew I couldn't cause it just wasn't me. I finished the race last year and I was gonna finish it this year. What's the point of going to the trouble of preparing for a race and not even finishing? My time wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be but not even close to what I wanted. It happens to be my fastest State time but that's not saying much. I have never felt this awful about a race before. I just want to erase the past day and start over.

My thoughts on how I could've done better:

Better attitude. That really brought me down. I have been sick, could have been a part of it but not all. Maybe I tapered wrong? Maybe I shouldn't have tapered as much? I did better when I ran high miles then dropped to 50ish miles. Maybe when I go easy on the miles my body thinks it can take a break. I got sick when I started dropping. Idk maybe I'm stretching it for an explanation. Running has been pretty much everything to me, the thing I am most passionate about.

When I was talking to the SUU coach he mentioned that meets like this really shape a runner. I'm thinking maybe it's not the meet itself but what the runner does afterward. If they do bad do they get so discouraged that they give up and burn out or do they stand back up and learn from their mistakes, and try harder next time? I know I don't have a next time for State, but I do have a Nike Cross and a Footlocker, and a whole track season ahead of me.

I wasn't able to accomplish my goals for cross country but that doesn't mean I can't accomplish the ones I have for track. And who knows? Maybe I actually am good enough for a scholarship and am being too hard on myself. I'm hard on myself a lot. Maybe if I really focus now and do EVERYTHING right (ahem core) I can do the one thing I've always wanted to do (in high school): break 5 in the mile. And of course do the thing I've dreamed about since freshman year: run in college.

Mile cool down with Eleanor.

30 minute run, 7:33 average. Felt better than yesterday, calves are a little sore.

Started at the City Creek drinking fountain and followed the road until we hit the end (like the 29th or 30th campground.) Then turned around and came back. I think the sign said we climbed 1400 feet so that's fun :) Calves are a little sore, and quads and knee started to hurt towards the end, probably because of all the pounding on the downhill. I finally feel like I'm over my cold, I still have a slight runny nose but I feel much better. Feels good in a weird way to be back to doing longer runs.

Took the ACT today so I wanted a break and procrastinated my run until the afternoon, but accidentally fell asleep. I was supposed to run for an hour but unfortunately didn't have an hour of daylight left, and I can't run in the dark. So I got in what I could. 

Ran to the track, then we did VA loop + Shriners run to second drinking fountain + VA loop backwards. Ran with Garek, Jakob, and Chris. 7:34 average, the last 2 miles were both 7:03 for me (Garek ran through a light but the rest of us stopped, then Jakob and Chris went after him when it was actually our turn to go...and I didn't feel like sprinting a 400.) Felt good though! I need new shoes, they're to the point where they squeak when I walk in them. But oddly no pain, I expected my knees or something would hurt when they got worn out. Speaking of knees and pain my knee hasn't hurt for a long time :) This is good news.

Today I just felt overall exhausted. Maybe I shouldn't stay up so late...but I was finishing up some homework. And in yoga we had a 45 minute core workout...yay for that. I couldn't get away with sleeping today. Anywho, for practice we went up to This Is The Place and did some loop, then like a 600 or longer loop going fast, then ran up to the zoo trailhead and did hill repeats from there. 400 up the first hill, jog to the water tank, and did 4 x 800s on the huge hill alternating directions. 400 recovery between each. Got my new shoes all dusty. But I was glad to have them, otherwise I would have felt every rock in my other ones :) They feel good! Nice and cushiony.

Ran to the track then team workout was down to Fairmont, 10 strides, over and down to Liberty, long way around and back to the track along 900 S. Added to 9.2. Average pace was 7:36, miles 2-7 were 7:01 average.

I forgot socks today and that was a big mistake. Now I have 3 blisters on the backs of my heels. Okay they're not that bad but one of them really hurts. Anyway, ran down to Liberty short way to the fountain, then over to the mile mark. We did a 3 x 2 mile threshold workout. On the first one I hit 5:58 (whoops), 12:24 (6:26). Second one Bill wanted me to slow it down the first mile to be more even but I didn't work hard enough in the second mile (I guess I naturally slow down there) and hit 6:10, 12:42 (6:32). The third I was really struggling mentally and did NOT want to do it. But Bill said to be mentally tough so I tried to be. Worked with Toph and was nice to have him there to keep me focused, fell off at about the 1.5 cause he sped up, I should've gone with him but it was hard. Splits were 6:12, 12:47 (6:35). It was a hard workout, I would have liked to be down in the 12:20s for all of them but I gave my best and that's what matters. It was kind of a rough day for me overall so I wasn't exactly in the best mood. Running it in trainers kind of sucked too. On the cool down was really when I started to feel my blisters, ouch. 11 miles for the day.

Halloween: the day that it's okay to accept candy from strangers.

Ran to the track then went down to the city library / police station and went trick or treating (Bill started a race car) and watched pumpkins fall from the sky. Then ran back up (3rd time running up 900 S this week).