Sock tans

So it's monday, and naturally I am usually slower on mondays, so I was bracing myself for a hard workout the entire day, which probably didn't help one bit.

We did our avenue hill run. We went over to this park that was right below the start of the hills. We did strides. Except these strides weren't our normal flat strides. No, they had a hill in them that looked like a wall from the start, and they were extra long.

Well, I wasn't feeling too great when we started the run, and by the time we got to the park I was starting to have a hard time breathing. I was having a hard time placing why this was, but I just tried to push through it. I did a few, and by then I was breathing really hard, and it was hard to get enough air in. I stopped for a few to try to get it back down and closer to normal, then finished to get 8 strides instead of 10. 

My breathing had calmed down when we were getting drinks at the drinking fountain, and so I was okay for the first couple hill strides. I wasn't doing as well as I might've, but it was okay considering. I was able to hang on to Sarah on the hill, and then I'd fall off as it got harder to breathe. But I was able (for those first few) to start the next one with the group. Then I fell off as the hills got steeper, and breathing got harder. Often times I would have to go super slow on the recovery to get my breathing down, and, I know you're not supposed to, but I walked one of them.

When I got to 11th it was a miracle because the hills just kept on coming and it went on forever! But I knew there were only 10 of them. Then I did the shriner's run back, stopping at the drinking fountain for a little bit. Just normal running was okay and I could breathe fairly well, at least at the pace I was going, which was slow.

Then I got to the track and looked at the mountains, and realized why I had been having such a hard time breathing. It was so smoky you couldn't see some of the distant ones!! Stupid fires. 

AM:

We went up to foothill and turned and followed it to the cemetery, where we did 3 laps of fireman. I fell off of the front group right before foothill, so when I felt ready I tried to catch up to them using the downhill. I told myself I could and so I did. We found the gates were locked, yet Bill had us squeeze through the fence. I was able to do the fireman for 1 1/2 laps, then came the hill and mentally I lost it...I then had a hard time trying to catch them again. I had slowed down too much for too long. So really I only did about 1 1/2 laps of fireman and the rest was chasing them down. Then from there it was just back to the track.

PM:

mile warmup mile speed changes. Then we did another lap and started the speed.

We did a timed mile where I was supposed to hit like 5:55-6 or something. Around there. So I tried to keep up with Abigail because she was pretty close to what I was hitting, just a little faster. I was doing good the first 2 laps, and then started to slip a bit. The last lap is where I messed up a lot. I think I was just in the mindset of cross country races where they're 3 miles long, not only 1. I knew it was the last lap but it didn't really register until I was done. I fell off of Abigail and I completely died. I hit a 6:17. That's my problem, once I fall off it's pretty much over. I need to just stick on. Ug.

Anyway, we did 2 laps recovery, and then we did an 800. I can't remember what I hit. Then another 2 laps I think, and then did 400s with a lap in between each one. I was supposed to hit these at 82. The first one I just tried to hang on with Abigail. Then on the 2nd one Bill said to switch off leading, so I had to lead this one. I hit an 81 I think. I have a hard time remembering these things... especially when it's the day after. Sorry. Anyway, third was like 82-83ish and last 86 because I gave up, which I should NOT have done.

Then we did 2 grass laps of cool down. 

Today was the race at bountiful, except varsity didn't race. Instead Bill gave us a workout to do. We went to sugarhouse. We started out all together and then it split into groups. Abigail and I were at the front and everyone else behind. We stopped at a drinking fountain on the way and Sarah caught up, so when we got to sugarhouse it was the 3 of us. I think others thought we were going pretty fast, but I felt like we were going a normal pace, maybe even slower. But I guess that was just me because I was feeling good...The back group caught up at the light.

Sarah Abigail and I did a lap and then 10 100 meter strides, or what we thought was 100 meters. Then we did another lap and headed back. Our pace got a lot slower. I felt like I could've gone a lot faster. We stopped at the drinking fountain and I chugged a ton of water and felt crappy the rest of the run, which was only a mile, or even less. Idk.

AM:

Morning practice. We went up sunnyside to foothill then followed it to guardsman then back to the track. I was able to keep up with the front group until the end of guardsman and fell off there, but we were close enough that I got to start the hills with everyone. We did 8 hill strides up the hill with the K on it. Then we went over to the line and did 4 400s with standing recovery. I was supposed to hit 85. I tried to stick with Abigail on all of them. I hit the first 2 too fast and the last 2 too slow. Then we did 2 grass laps cool down.

PM:

Varsity ran to fairmont and then did 10 strides. Interesting run, probably the most eventful one I've ever had :) Some nice old lady gave us candy and we ate it, but then later realized that might not have been the best thing to do... But we're all alive still so I think it's alright :) Then we found out that fairmont has a ton of fences blocking off areas, so we were trying to hop on of them and cut myself. Turns out we could've just gone around the fence. Great.

Then we did 10 strides and went along 9th to 9th and then back up to the track. I walked up the hill though, turns out we were supposed to run up it... whoops. 

So there was no official practice today. I had to stay after school to talk to a few teachers so I started late. But we did a mile warmup, 2 miles speed changes, then a mile cool down.

Then we ran the torch in at the homecoming game!!! That was fun!!! 

1.5 mile shakeout run with JV girls as they were warming up. Actually .5 of it was with them.

 Then I did about 1.5 miles for my warmup. Then I ran to the line and did a few strides. I don't think I was well prepared for this race... at all.

 I started out great. I was chasing the lead girl for a while there. The first time on roller-coaster I was feeling pretty good and was racing better than I have been. Then I let it go to my head and died. My quads were burning and it was basically a battle between pushing through it and backing off. I noticed that I never really wanted to speed up because I knew it was going to hurt if I did, and that there would be a high chance of me quitting on myself. I was about a mile into it where I started to crash. I was in third, and with every person passing me I just felt worse and worse.

I'm trying to learn how this all works, and it's made me realize that running is made for crazy people who think pain is a good thing, and that it's worth going through all of it. But honestly, it's proven that Cross Country is the world's toughest sport and makes me wonder: why in the world do I find this fun? Actually no I don't find it fun, I think it's torture that's meant to make you either really happy or really miserable.

After my race I was really questioning why I like to do this. And why I'm still doing it. I realized why people think running is horrible and the one sport to NEVER do, or why so many people have quit. Because doing bad in races over and over again is agonizing. You want so bad to just do amazing, but the pain is a lot to overcome. I have decided that I'm going to get in the mode that I was in over the summer, and then I will start to have good races again. Too bad Cross Country is almost over. 1 week of hard training left, I can do this. Once I know that I've trained hard, I will probably do well again.

Kind of a crappy start to my day. And then my phone just broke. Great.