Sock tans

I was having a bad day. I didn't want to run period. Although, the weather cheered me up a bit. It was sooo sunny and it was actually warm! It got me happy for a bit, and made me think that running might actually be pleasant today. WRONG!

We met up at the track, because of how wonderful the weather was. I was hoping that it wouldn't be too hard, considering my awful day at school. Okay, it wasn't completely bad, but it's gotten to the point where i wish it was summer and that school didn't exist. But then again, without school there would be no track and cross country....

We did 2 laps warmup and stretching circle, then drills. Lots of freshman and girls! Lets hope they stay. 

This is when I figured out some of what we were doing: tempo run. great. Distance went down to liberty park. We went short way to the drinking fountain. then we went to the start. Here's what I knew: tempo run on the sidewalk, and I was supposed to be going 6:35-6:45 pace. I didn't know the distance until right at the starting line. 6 miles. :(

Well, my thoughts were not very high at all in the beginning, which probably contributed to my crash and hard time running. I think I started too fast. That didn't help me at all. I backed off so that I was with Kiley and Patrick instead of Bill, Tomy, Chris, Natalie, and Emily. I tried to keep up with them.

1st mile mark I missed my time range by 3 seconds, which really made my spirits go way down. I thought to myself "I had a 10 second time range and I still blew it" and stuff like that. Kiley and Patrick were in front of me now, and that didn't make my thoughts any happier. Looking back, I ask myself "Why didn't I try to stay positive?" It has worked for me so many times, and I think it would've helped me a lot. But I was not in too great of a mood.

I still tried to push the 2nd mile, but then the wind was blowing and made it hard, and it was on a slight uphill, so it made it worse, and one leg felt like it was being worked really hard and the other one was fine except for a slight pain in my shin. The being worked leg hurt like no other. My hip and calf and slightly under the knee were all hurting, sore, tight, and tired; not a good combination. 

at about the 2 1/2 or 3 mile mark is when I backed off. I wish I hadn't. It was just a bad day. I really just wish my legs would be okay and not hurt like those wonderful couple of weeks back. I feel now like I am super slow and can't do anything. I am really worried about the next race. I hope that my legs will be back under control by then. What can I do to get them to be not so tight and sore and tired?

We then went long way back and up the hill, and up to the track. Made it to 12 1/2 miles. Maybe tomorrow will be good. I hope. It's speed is what I am told. 

Speed at the oval. except today there weren't that many people and nobody stood in lane 1!!!!! That was nice. Mile warmup, stretched, another mile warmup, and mile speed changes. Another lap, then we changed shoes and ran to the 800 start.

1st 800 I felt good for the first little bit, and then I felt sick to my stomach. Bill said to match that (2:53), and I tried. But i'm not sure if I did. I couldn't find the watch that I brought, but I knew I had brought it! Annoying.

Then we did 2 sets of 5 300s. I really was not feeling that great, which really bothered me because my legs were fine, and I had iced a lot just so that I could feel okay today. But I guess my stomach doesn't agree. Ug. :(

I was always not hitting my times right and was really slow. Not having a watch doesn't help at all. I don't know like any of my times.

Then on the 2nd set I did much better. Bill made me lead one, and I either made it or got really close. I think I yelled something like "I don't feel good!" when I started to fall back and he told me to keep going and to catch up. I was frustrated at the time, but it helped me a lot. Thanks!

we did a lap recovery in between the sets. When we were done with the sets, we did a lap and then changed shoes and did 5 laps cool down to get 10 for the day. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Then, as I was putting on my sweats to go out to the car, I found the watch in my sweatshirt pocket. Annoying. 

So, today was supposed to be a recovery run, so I took it a bit easy. Maybe I shouldn't have.

Track warmup: 2 laps and then stretching and drills, then hurtle drills and strides. Man, my hips hurt after the hurtle drills!!!

Distance went on a run. We were aiming for 12. We went up Sunnyside, to the crosswalk thing just above 19th E, then down a bit to 19th and went along 19th to Harrison. We then went down Harrison to 17th E. and then to Browning to pick up Natalie. I considered going home, then decided it wasn't worth it. Then we went to Emerson and down to 16th E, along 16th to 17th South and down to 15th, and followed 15th to sugarhouse park. We went grass way around, and then my calf twitched randomly for a few seconds, and it freaked me out a little, so I started going slower. Then it stopped after just a little bit, but I still went slow. When I knew that it wasn't gonna happen again, I tried to catch the group again.

Then came the cemetery run, one of the runs that I don't have painted in my memory. I went down Hillcrest Ave. to Imperial Ave, then didn't know which way to go, so I went right and it took me down, and then I wasn't sure if this was the right way, so I turned around after a bit. Then I went back up to Imperial Ave, and went along it the opposite way for about a half mile, then really felt lost so I turned around and went back the same way I came (minus the circle and the little detour I took after Hillcrest.)

Then I ran 2 laps and called it good. Quite a day. A lost one. :)

     I'm loving this nice sunny weather!!! Track warmup. 2 laps and stretching. Then we did relays. We started with the 4x400m relay. My team was Natalie, Camille, and Dominique. I was first. I felt really good the first 100 meters, then we went right into the wind, and then it was so tough. I think I slowed down a bit. Then I just pushed the last 200 or 100 meters. I passed it to Dominique, who passed it to Camille, and then she passed it to Natalie.

      So then we did the 4x200. Same order. I felt pretty good on this one. But my hips started to hurt.

     Then came the 4x100, or so I thought. The order was messed up. I started like way too far back. I thought 100 meters was from the one set of numbers to the other. But no one agreed. But then again, I'm only a newish distance runner. So i guess I don't count. I just wasn't fond of running more than everyone else.

     So then I crossed the line, and thought I was done, but everyone was like "keep going!" and then everyone else kept going, so it was very confusing. Turns out we got to do a 200 instead of a 100. Wow. Great communication.

     Then distance went for a run. We went down to 13th and to Sugarhouse park then did the road way to one of the hills that the state course for Cross Country. We did 4 of those hills continuously. I just tried to push. It is weird - I've noticed that I recover a lot quicker than I used to. On the downhill I could usually get pretty close to Kiley, Bill, and Natalie. Then I'd go back a bit, then catch up again, and so forth. 

      Then again I thought we were done, but we ran over to a different hill, more curvy and steep, and felt longer, and did 4 of those continuously. I felt like I was only working my right leg. It was weird. Again, I recovered quicker than I used to. Then we ran another road lap. Then we went along 15th and then along 15th for a while. then we went up around some church and went someplace, to Sunnyside, and down to the track to get to 10 for the day (including track warmup)

So it was speed yet again. Met at the track and did 2 laps warmup, stretched, and did drills, then split into groups.

Distance: We split into newbies and more experienced, then more experienced split into groups based on levels of fitness. I was in the fastest group. You know, there are lots of ups and downs about being in the faster group. Ups: You get fitter, you get better, you get faster, etc. Downs: You get longer workouts, faster times to hit, and people who are lots faster than you who make you look like you're really wimpy and slow. :(

2 sets of ladders: 800, 600, 400, 300, 200. First set was okay. I felt okay. I got pretty close to my times. 2nd set I got cramps and felt horrible. I didn't want to go on, but yet I wanted to. By the 400 I was feeling miserable. I hated every bit of it. But I am told it will help me.

So then we went on a mile and a half cool down to get to 10.

This picture is for those of you who are super dedicated and have garmins:

Long run today. By myself. It certainly doesn't help to keep hearing the same songs over and over again over 10 and a half miles. It got to be quite a boring run.

I went from my house to Princeton Ave. and up and then over to laird park. I kept going up Princeton until I got to 21st E. and then followed it until I got to Sunnyside. Then I went down and by the tennis courts to East, then I decided to go to the cemetery. I went along 13th to 500 S. and into the Mt. Olivet cemetery and did a lap in there. Then I went up to Guardsman and to Sunnyside, to Deistel Rd. then to Military Dr. and to 1700 E. I followed 17th to Browning then went down to 15th and over to sugarhouse, then did a road lap, and came back along 15th and up browning. 10 1/2 miles

So I felt great the first part. Then my energy slowly went away and I got bored of the music. But i still listened to it. The last mile was where I had to force myself to keep running because I just wanted to stop and was so tired. But I did it!!!

:) I got up to 65 miles this week!!!! This is the first time I've ever done it!! last week was the first time I got as high as 60, and now that is history! ha.