Sock tans

I realized today that people think we're crazy. True fact. Well, I guess we run ALL the time, with no breaks. Except sundays. :)

So we did 2 laps warmup and stretching, and then Bill got my hopes up for not doing the drills we normally do. I thought that meant no drills, and I was all for it! But NO we did the really long drills where we run around the track to the numbers and do a drill for 50 meters, stride 50 meters, then jog to the bleachers and run up and down them all the way over to the start and do it over again with a new drill. We did butt kicks, high knees, power skips/bounds, lunges, and grapevine/karaoke both ways for a total of 6 times. As if that wasn't enough, we went over to the hill with the K on it and did 10 strides up it. On the drills the lunges just killed my legs and made them feel all tired and sore and blah. I hate lunges. So for the strides, my legs weren't good. The first couple I did good on, but my legs were all shaky and felt like jello. 

Then we went for a run. We went up Sunnyside/Emigration Canyon for 4 miles and came back. The way up felt horrible, and I was just trying to convince myself that it wasn't that bad and it was only 4 miles. Yeah, mental battle. I did pretty good i guess. Then on the way back it went by so much faster. Probably the downhill. Abigail and Kiley caught me with like a mile to go, and they were obviously picking up the pace. I probably should've tried to stay with them huh? but I was just so tired...

Anyway, I think I did pretty well today considering it was monday, and mondays are always horrible. I know I pushed myself, so I'm happy. 11 miles for the day. 

          Speed today. We did normal team warmup of 2 laps and stretching and drills. Then distance did a mile warmup and a mile speed changes. There were 2 groups, one group doing 1000s and another doing 800s. I was placed in the 1000s. So we ran over to the start, and then we were off!!!

           So my first one I hit the time right on: 3:40. Bill wanted me to stick with it, but it really felt just sooo fast!!!! I tried, but the 2nd one I did really bad, probably got like 10 seconds or so off. I'm not sure of my time. Then Bill told me and Kiley that if we were going to go that slow, then we might as well do 800s. Suggestion: don't tell me I can do less, because then I will do less. That's just me. So I did the rest 800s. I really wasn't feeling it. When I tried to move fast, I ended up thinking negative thoughts and slowing down. I know this whole thing was all mental. I just need to work on that. My times for the 800s were 3:40 and 3:41, really bad I know. I wish I could do it over again. But on top of all that, my calves were hurting. It's weird, they were fine last week, and I thought that maybe I was done with that problem, but yesterday they started killing again!!! I think it was the bleacher drills and strides up the hill, and then 4 miles of uphill. But yeah, they kill. They never hurt THIS bad. But when I run, luckily, they don't hurt quite as bad as walking up (or down, for that matter) the stairs.

          For the 1000s we had a 200 jog recovery and a bit of standing recovery, while the 800s were just standing recovery (for me.) So naturally, the others were a half mile ahead of me when it came time for cool down. I was in a bad mood and didn't want to do ANY cool down, but I did a half mile at the track with the group, and then we went to the cemetery and did 2 laps and came back, and then did a grass lap. That got the others at 10, which meant another half mile for me. Awesome. So I did 2 laps on the track.

          I just hope that tomorrow racing won't be a problem and that my calves will grow into cows, as Bill might say. :P (Am I racing? I'm not sure...Lots of people say they aren't.)

Today was the race at cyprus. The first thing that came to mind when we got there was "Their track is tiny!!!!" It only had 4 lanes, where the whole team is used to 8. Ha. So I was supposed to run the 800, the 800 in the medley relay, the 3200, and the 400. So I started to warmup when the boys 1600 was going on. I did 2 miles warmup, and had time for a mile speed changes. Then I did like a full half mile's worth of drills and strides and handoffs, no joke. I did so many!!! I'm counting it as a half mile. :P

Then they called the 800 girls to the starting line, and then Tomy said "win it" and Olivia said "you can win this thing!" and Bill said "Be prepared to match the first lap, and then out-kick the girl in the last lap. You can win." and that got me a bit nervous. Everyone was planning on me winning. Just a bit of pressure. 

I went out quick and got in position for first, which I hadn't really been planning on. I was hoping to have the girl from Woods Cross there with me to block a bit of the CRAZY wind, but no. Then Bill yelled at me "Okay you're committed now, don't lose it!" Yeah, remember that race where I had the lead the first 3 1/2 laps and lost it in the last 200? Wasn't gonna let that happen again. So I pushed the entire time. My first lap was a 1:15. The time thing says I have a 2:41, but I swear it was faster than that. I don't think I slowed down 11 seconds. But whatever, I have to go by what they say I got. At least I was 10 seconds or more ahead of the Woods Cross girl (who got 2nd.) :) I'm sure if I had Abigail and Natalie to push me, I would've been faster.

Then was the medley relay. I was the 800 runner. Great thing to have just run the open 800 literally right before. Not. That's alright though. Some girl called me crazy. Ha. That's me. We were in 2nd when I got the baton, and I was catching up to first place, kicking of course, when she starts kicking really hard in the last 100 meters. I wish I would've pushed harder with 300 to go so that we might've had a chance at winning, but oh well. We got 2nd. Which is good. I think.

Then I did a mile. They called for the 3200. I went over there, ready to do it, but not really wanting to because of the hard wind and the rain. Then Bill scratched us from it. :) The other teams followed. No 3200!!! Yay!!

Then Bill didn't make us run the 4x400m relay. He said we could arrange teams if we wanted to, but he wasn't going to make us. Well, the girls were trying to make a team, and they only needed one person, so I said I would. I went last. We were in last place when I got the baton, but this was for fun, right? So I just focused on my arms and moving my legs and tried to move fast. We finished 3rd though!!! (Also last...Ha.) 

I hate the rain. Unless it's sunny. Then I like it. I like it after it rains!! Then we can go puddle jumping and take pictures of pretty rainbows (maybe...). Yep, it was raining. We met in the commons and did 2 vertical laps and stretching and drills down the hallway. Then we did high knee ladders down the hall and back. Then wall sits and step-ups. THEN we went for our run.

We went down to Liberty, the short way to the drinking fountain. Then we decided to go on the wood-chip trail thing. We did a fartlek of 2 minutes on, 1 minute off, 1 minute on, 1 minute off 5 times. So it wasn't too bad. We started on. I kept up with Natalie, Bill and Chris for the first lap. Then either they sped up or I slowed down or both. But I fell off. And then pretty soon I could no longer hear bill yelling the ons and offs, so I just guessed. Yep, no watch. I need one. I would really try to listen for it, and a couple times I heard a faint aaaww sound. When you get far away, that's what you hear. They both sound the same. I got really mad at the cars at one point because they kept adding on noise. But I knew that it was no use. ha. i guess that's what happens when you get frustrated. Kiley never caught me, and neither did Patrick or Caden, so I think I did pretty good. :)

Then we ran back up to the parking lot, and we had 3/4 of a mile to go, so we did a lap-ish around the field and parking lot then did a lap around the school to get to 9. 

I am not a fan of my shoes. Yep, got some blisters today. I am getting new shoes as soon as possible. Anyway, today I really didn't want to go for a run, but then I remembered Bill saying that 1 day you don't run is 2 or 3 days that it'll take you to get you back to where you were before. That got me up. I just did a 4.5 mile loop around my neighborhood, so that I have 10 for tomorrow...:0

So I thought for some reason that we were going to be getting together to either do a long run or speed today, but I guess not. So I ran 3 miles with Olivia (which sucked because I ate like 30 minutes before), and then she had Violin so she stopped and I took a break, did some chores, and then I looked at my phone at 1:05, and I had gotten a text from Bill saying that he was going to be at East at 1 to run. Great. Well, then I combined a 3 mile loop and a 4 mile loop so that I could get 7, which put me at 10. My blisters hurt the whole way. Definitely getting new shoes.