Sock tans

First official practice! It was a 50% on farm run. I went out 2 with the group and came back 2 with Danielle. 7:37 average

Weights later, it’s been a while. My body felt it. Did 30 extra burpees and like 20 extra lunges and dead bugs because either someone on the team yawned or was using the wrong leg or didn’t count out loud with everyone at the end of each rep. We’re stepping it up a notch this year lol. It’s crazy the difference now from what it was my freshman year (everything was so relaxed back then), now things are so much more structured, expectations are higher, but it’s so great because our team atmosphere is so much better now. And our resources are growing. We have amazing coaches, a nutritionist, weights coaches, athletic trainers, a sports psychologist, an academic coach, an athletic lab, athletic training room, brand new weight room, even a doctor at the hospital that works specifically with SUU athletes. And everyone previously mentioned is actually taking things more seriously, there’s more respect all around. Everything and everyone is stepping up their game. It was kind of a joke my freshman year, at least compared to how things are run now. And it’s also the best team we’ve ever had according to Coach, including the 2012 team Coach has been talking about and using as an example since before my freshman year. Kind of crazy how much can change in 3 years. 

Stretched, rolled out, and Drew elbowed my piriformis and dug into my illiopsoas, hurt like heck. Didn’t realize I was so tight. Now my hips are sore

Came home from work and was itching to run again. It’s been a while since that has happened, I think I’ve finally 100% pulled out of depression. Also, I lost weight this summer without meaning to. Just a couple pounds, but still. I think it was my lack of an appetite. Or loss of muscle mass. Or both.

Ended up biking 8.6 miles, 42 minutes.

Sat down with Coach last week and made a plan for building up mileage until I’m back to 10 a day. I’m starting that up this week, and I’m going to actually stick to the rhythms this time. 

Was pretty sore today. 80% on the track and whistle hills, 3x15, 20, 25. To get back into faster paces I’m going to start small and work up. Just so I don’t reinjure myself. So I only did 2 of the 3 miles. First mile was 6:00, second (block lap + a little on track) was 6:30. Worked hard on the hills. Felt surprisingly good, I could have easily finished the 3 miles but I think I should take it slow coming back just to be safe. Cooled down to 6.5

Felt great. 50% on Cross Hollows, out and back 2 miles. 7:37 average. 

10x100m strides at 60% of mile pace with 15 seconds recovery afterwards.

Weights later, yep I'm going to be sore tomorrow. I actually kind of like weights though. It's hard but it's worth it.

Talked with Coach after practice, he gave me advice on what I should do if I want to be a coach. He said I should try to get a teaching degree. I'd been thinking along the same lines, I've thought about being a teacher since 8th grade but once I started running I veered towards coaching instead. But I can do both :) Ended up deciding to change both of my majors later in the day, both suit me better and I feel good about them. Switched Psychology to Mathematics Education because I love math and ever since middle school I've kind of had in the back of my mind that if I were to be a teacher I'd teach math :) Psychology really interests me, but I'm not as confident I'd be great at it. Math just clicks really well with me. Switched Physical Education Teaching/Coaching for Exercise Science because the PE - Coaching major sets you up to be a PE teacher as well as a coach and I don't want that. I just wanted to coach. I'd rather be a math teacher. Exercise Science would also open up more job possibilities if coaching didn't work out. And I think I will stick with these majors, I feel really good about them both. I feel like they set me up for what I want.

4 miles on Dikes. Felt good, pretty sore.

Met with a math advisor and our athletic academic advisor to get my schedule changed and everything squared away. Turns out my ACT score from high school was high enough so I don't have to take like 3 classes, which saves me a year. I get to go straight to Calculus I :) And with my Exercise Science major I will remain eligible for track/xc, I'm well through that major so I'll have to start taking it a bit slower and get more math and education courses completed.

I'm actually really excited about this, I'm doing something I know I'm good at and putting it to use, so it's not a wasted major like psychology might've been. I really enjoyed my psychology classes and got good grades in them, psychology fascinates me and I love learning about it all, but I had no direction or path paved out for what I'd do with it, except for maybe counseling. But to do that I'd have to get a Master's, and I didn't feel as stoked about it as I should. None of the paths I considered taking like psychology, english, art, or family life/human development really stood out to me as something that'd secure me the kind of job I wanted. I love all of them and have interest and skills in all of them, but I think math is the way I want to go. I'm more confident I'd secure a job with it as a major, I'm more passionate about it and it goes well with my desire to become a track/xc coach. The emphasis in education will get me certified to teach it, which allows me to help others learn, grow, and improve. Which is the reason I've picked coaching and teaching over higher paying careers. And if I'm up for it later on, I could get a Master's and become a college professor. That I'm a whole lot more like YES to than Psychology.

Road Race!! I was on Paul’s team and we won! Oh yeah!

Mile warmup and strides before starting

Just went out with the group trying to stay relaxed. I’ve always gone out quick in the past and I decided to try to keep the first mile more under control this year. Also the course has always been like .1 short in years past but this year it was exactly 4 miles. It’s slightly downhill which is nice. Came through the mile right behind Brighton and Sam, then tried not to let them go. Eventually fell off and just tried to stay positive and work through it. Told myself it was gonna hurt no matter what so might as well run hard, there was no getting out of it. That helped me finish and continue to work hard. 

Splits were 5:51, 6:12, 6:45, 6:47. So like 5:51, 12:03, 18:48, 25:38. Ish, the splits were all high.

Feel good about it, worked hard, did what I could. I never gave up and worked through it, tried shutting off my mind and gliding through and that helped me not focus on the pain so much. Started counting down the minutes left and kept the end in sight, helped me to continue on. When Haley came and passed me I sort of fought but gave up quick, more just wanted to stay relaxed but I should’ve gone with her. Struggled the last mile and a half but I stayed consistent so there’s that. The last mile I started feeling some pain in my femur I think so I might be cross training tomorrow and see how it feels on Monday. It was very minor so I think I just need to get new shoes and be a little more careful, give it some rest and I’ll be fine.

Overall I’m happy with how it turned out! Compared to last year I was 1 second slower,  but that’s not really true because it was longer this year. The full 4 miles, all the other times I’ve run it it’s been about 3.9. So it’s still about a 45 second improvement.

When it came down to it I really didn’t want to bike so I ran instead, didn’t feel any pain until like the last .5. That’s encouraging, probably just means the fast pounding on the road yesterday aggravated it so I’ll just have to be careful. 8:01 average