Sock tans

We did the shriners run today, it felt like we were going pretty fast the first couple miles. Then at the top of the hill I got a drink and a huge sideache so I stopped for a minute. After I had run for a few minutes my right leg was getting a lot tighter than my left, so I stopped a minute and stretched it, then started again, same thing, so I switched sides of the road and it seemed to help. On the way back I caught up to someone new and we started talking and it distracted me for the rest of the run, which was nice :)

AM:

Today was our first Cross Country morning practice! Ah I miss running early in the mornings, before the sun is up. We did VA loop to 13th then back up to the track, Which felt really fast, then did 8 hill strides which I felt crappy on, those 2 pieces of toast I ate right before wasn't such a good idea.

PM:

I was dreading the speed workout all day, I had heard about it yesterday and was secretly hoping Bill had changed his mind and we were just going to do a run. I should have known better. We did a mile warmup and mile speed changes. The workout was 3x1 mile repeats with 2 laps recovery in between. Eleanor and I were supposed to hit 6:10. We hit 6:00 the first one, didn't even feel like I was pushing, I just wanted to hit the time. The second one hurt, 3:04, and the third I felt the lactic and probably crashed mentally. When Caden and Eleanor pulled away it was 10 times harder. It was a 6:20. I guess for not doing much speed lately it was alright. After the last one I did a lap recovery, then the girls did 2 grass laps cool down. My foot didn't hurt at all while doing it, just when I stopped to recover and right when we started. It felt good to finally be able to push myself. I feel like I'm finally coming back.

Today we ran down to fairmont, then did 10 strides and dropped down to Liberty, where we went long way around the park and back up 9th to the track. The weather changed from hot to warm with rain and wind back to hot again. Utah weather. I was so sore from yesterday, getting up this morning felt like a train hit me, I could barely walk it was so bad. My calves, oh they hurt so much.

AM:

Morning practice! We warmed up to Sunnyside and did a lap then back to the track. We did our chase 200/400 workout. I partnered up with Eleanor. I started with a 400. I didn't catch my first time, but the second and third ones were 75, 76. So I was doing better than I thought. I'm still pretty dang sore.

PM:

We did our 6 bleacher laps, then went for a run. We went up to the zoo, then along Wasatch to 13th and down to 19th then back to Sunnyside and back to the track. It was SO HOT. I ran with Emily, and it wasn't that the pace felt fast I just was so exhausted. My quads are now feeling it. I really need to get a new Garmin. I'll get one soon.

Today because of the race tomorrow, we did speed changes. I did a mile warmup, 2 miles of speed changes and a mile cool down. My legs felt dead, so I'm hoping by tomorrow they'll be better after an ice bath and sleep and such.

Today was my first cross country race! I was happy to race again, except this race was different from what we normally do. It was a 1 mile loop that we had to do 2 times, and it was a relay. And you had to jump over hay ever so often, started out with 1 row across the course, then 2, then like 3 I think, and then the last one had a ton of them. I was the 2nd runner. It was hard for me because there weren't many people around me, just a few I could see who had a gap on our team in front of me, and a few in back too. But I didn't like being alone, it made it a lot harder for me to push. I found myself just sort of running it a lot, then remember it was a race and start trying to push again. My first mile I was focused, but it wasn't as fast as I wanted it, a 6:21. I passed people like I was supposed to, but then in the 2nd mile I started to just run it and noticed I wasn't passing anymore, and it was hard to start pushing again. I thought the hay was a fun idea, but honestly I didn't like it very much in the middle of a race, I thought I was gonna biff it a couple times. I feel like I didn't have the focus or competition I needed, but hopefully next race will be good.