Running is a means and never merely an end

4 miles before I left to go back to Wofford for the semester. It's been great to be home this weekend. 7:55 average, about 15 minutes of which was on soft surface. Threw a lot of hills in there too just for kicks.

8 miles at 8:08 average. We ran down this random backroad off Conneticut Avenue just to see where it went and it ended up connecting to the high school where our track is! Who knew. So we got in about a mile and a half of the 8 on soft surface on the trails behind the high school. Kind of had to rush back for my lab.

Weights before dinner.

Loved our workout today! Well, now that it's done anyways. Actually no I really did like it for the majority of it. Anyways! 2 mile warm up on the trails, then we got back to the track and got right into it. Basically it was 4 miles continuously, but broken up into 600m 5k race pace (2:19) followed by 1000m "steady", aka like tempo pace (4:30). Which would be 6:49 average mile pace. We hit 2:18 for all of the 600's if I remember right, and actually ended up averaging like 6:30 something (my watch said 6:24 but that can't be quite accurate because we started and stopped at the same line, after 16 laps, and it said 4.2 miles instead of 4 so it must be a tad fast). 6:30 something for 4 miles, I'm pretty siked about that. Did 4 hundred-ish meter strides afterwards, and then a 15 minute cool down.

Coach Harris said Breck and I are in the 5k at ETSU on Friday! I think good things are in store - I am feeling a lot more mentally tough and probably physically faster too than 3 weekends ago when we ran there. Hopefully another sub-20 coming up???

8 miles at an 8:20 average pace. Did the same random-road-that-connects-to-the-highschool-trails route across from Converse as a few days ago!

Weights and core around dinner time.

Pre-meet!

AM- 5 miles on my own before class. 7:56 avg.

PM- 5 miles at Milliken Park with Breck + a few strides. 8:08 avg.

Breck and I will be running the 5k tomorrow night at ETSU! I'm actually so excited, I feel like both Breck and I have gotten so much better these past few weeks. I think we will both run well.

Time is unofficial (just based off my watch) and place was irrelevant, but I don't know anyways. Really just disappointed and confused. I don't want to keep thinking about it much longer because I haven't stopped since the race. But basically, my legs were so tired and I still wasn't strong enough mentally to make up for it, and I am just sick and tired of practicing harder and harder and not getting any better. I don't know what else to do.

Positives: Breck aboslutely killed it. Like she was only hoping to break 20, and she shattered it - 19:36! I wish I could have been there with her of course, but nevertheless I am so so so happy for her! She 100% deserved that, the way she's been practicing. Also, my family came to watch so I got to see them and have dinner afterwards. My mom gave me a really good talk after the race when I was so upset and she reminded me how little this is in the scheme of things and how much bigger God is, as well as how much I have to be thankful for. She said it's all I can do just to thank Him for the opportunities He gives me and blessings I have and just ask Him to make me better because I can't do it on my own. I needed that so desperately.

Solo today! 1 mile warm up into a little 4 mile progression run. Coach Harris said start at 8:30 and work down to 6:45, and that's pretty much how it went. Then 1 mile cool down. 7:49 avg, including warm up and cool down.

7 miles on my own on the trails by Millikan. It is such a beautiful day! February 8th and 70 degrees...I'll take it. I felt really good initially, but eventually my legs were just absolutely exhausted and I cut the run from 8 miles to 7. Maybe a day off would treat me well. Oh well.

Church was really good this morning. That, in conjunction with my talk with Nancy afterwards, got me thinking about my mindset during races. Perhaps I make it too much about me. How often do I pray or give thanks during a race? Next to never. Nancy said a cool way to keep your mind constantly defaulting back to God is to choose a specific portion of the track to dedicate to prayer every time you go around it. I'm really excited about trying that!!

8 miles easy on my own, 8:12 avg pace. I loved this run - lots of exploring in the rain around this neighborhood area I've been wanting to explore for a while. Had to rush off to lab right as soon as I finished so I couldn't stretch (or shower, or eat..). But I am headed to weights right now so I'll be able to loosen up and roll out after that!

2 mile warm up, then a little track work today! 2000, 400, 1200, 400, 1000, 400. The 2k was at 10k pace, the 1200 at 5k, and the 1000 a little faster than 5k, maybe just over 3k pace. The 400's were just as fast as we could do them, but keeping it under control. We got a 1 minute jog between the long reps and the 400, and 3 minutes jog between the 400 and the next long rep. I don't know my long split times, but for the 400's I hit 87, 86, and 85. After that we did 3 "X" strides on the infield, and a (too)brief cool down because several of us were about to be late for class.

AM- 5 miles recovery. 8:15 avg pace.

PM- another 5 miles easy with Breck. We explored a lot around parts of Spartanburg we hadn't been to, it was so fun. 8:22 avg. Weights afterwards.

Warmed up 2 miles, then did a 300 workout on the track in honor of our meet this weekend on a 300m track in West Virigina! The furthest I've ever been north, wowwie. 2 sets of 5x300 with a 100 jog back to the start in between each. Kept these fairly consistent. Cooled down.

I was so productive on the 6 hour drive over with my homework, it was crazy. And we had the best night in the hotel, so many laughs. So I was already coming into this meet with good vibes! Then I also absolutely loved the track, 300 meters was such an awesome length. And it was so nice to run the 3k again. I really enjoy this race.

So Coach Harris wanted Breck and I to hit 11:20, and said we needed to run 67-68's for each 300 lap to do that. The first few laps were under, maybe 65's or so. Then we evened out to a few 68's and maybe a 69, and then the last 2 were faster of course. I was never really in no-mans-land during this, I was always either right with Breck or right in front of another girl or two. Breck stayed on my shoulder for the first 2 laps, then took the lead and ran 10 or so meters ahead, and gapped to 15. Stayed like that for a while, and during that time the girls from Marshall behind me were being SO rude as far as racing ettiquite goes. They were like stepping on the back of my shoes and hitting the back of my elbows every time my arms came back. That was kind of annoying but if anything it kept me from slowing down, so I don't really know what their goal there was. With maybe 3 laps to go, Breck and I were back together. I think we both knew we were gonna PR. We both ran the last lap nice and hard, not sure what the split was but it didn't really matter, and I went 11:17, she went 11:18. Which is a 18 second PR for me and a 24 second PR for Breck!!! Mell ran the 3k with us too and PR'd as well, and went sub-11! What a good day for the distance squad. Super thankful for the good mindset and fun weekend in general that God gave me, and then threw in a PR just because He can. :)

Long run Sunday with Breck and Mell on the trails at Millikan, and also on the course. Legs didn't feel nearly as post-meet-y as I thought they would. Morgan came with us for the first 6 or 7 miles too that we did on the trails, then we dropped her back at the cars and finished out on the xc course. Good run.

8:12 avg pace. Mell and I just ran out past Converse for an out and back. It started freezing rain/snowing during the last 2 miles!! I'd kill for cancelled class tomorrow....but slim chance. Weights later.

10x400m, starting at 86 and getting faster. For how not mentally prepared I was (we had thought it would be a treadmill run today because the track was covered in ice and snow all day), these went really well. I don't remember my exact splits but they started at 86 and stayed 86-85 till about 5 to go, then steadily moved down to 81. It was good, and didn't feel very hard. Just cold!!

8 mile recovery run. Kinda rough because it was so windy and with lots of snow on the sidewalks. Glad I didn't slip!

Weights in the PM.

5 miles in the AM and another 5 in the PM, both on the treadmill. It was way too cold and windy to have a productive run. I almost forgot what it was like to sweat!

6x800m workout today at the track! They were supposed to be paced "slightly faster than 5k pace," or target about 3:05 for me. I hit 3:03, 3:05, 3:06, 3:06, 3:06, and 3:03. So not too shabby I guess. I did the last 2 on my own because Breck's leg was bugging her (she might have a stress fracture). Cooled down afterwards and did my core when I got back to my dorm.

Fun little 10 miles today featuring Anya for 7, Mell, then Breck Ciara and Marcus on their bikes with us! 8:03 average. I didn't feel it or realize it at all but according to my watch we threw down a 7:38 last mile, oops. Anyways we went down University drive out of Millikan Park, then turned around at the fourlane and came back and headed towards USC Upstate, then turned around once we were there and came back to Milliken and dropped Anya off. Mell and I finished up with a loop around the XC course.

Also, I watched McFarland USA tonight!!! Ahhh. I loved it so much. Lowkey cheesy and super predictable, but so exciting because RUNNING :) 

6 miles easy at Millikan. 8:15 pace. Legs kind of hurt for most of it, not sure why.

Weights & core later.

2 miles warm up, then our last workout before conference Saturday! And in the snow! 12x200m with a 200m jog recovery between each, starting at 42 and steadily working down to 36. Went really well, split-wise. Did some good stretching afterwards.

6 miles easy. Loving this little taper for conference this weekend!

This sounds like just a bad excuse...but we weirdly didn't have any time to run today. Had class all morning, then left at 2 for Birmingham. We got here around 8 (although now it is 7 here, because of the time difference), then went to the hotel and checked in our rooms, then finally out to dinner. Got back with full tummies and about enough time for a team meeting and a shower before bed. I'm not worried about it though. I think that not running at all is not much different then the super quick, super easy jog we would have hypothetically went on.

I am love love lovvvvving this weekend already. What a fun time. Our hotel is fantastic, we're in like suite-style rooms with the extra living room & desk area and everything. Dinner last night was so yummy. This morning was great as well, we got to sleep in?! Just keeps getting better. Anyways, Breck and I did a little pre-meet jog on the treadmill this morning before breakfast. Then we all headed to the track around noon. Also warmed up with Mell around 6pm for her DMR mile leg. 

The track here is electronically banked, which should be really interesting...I feel like one side of my body is gonna be aching real hard after 25 laps (50 curves) of leaning during this race tomorrow haha. I'm excited though - I think coach Harris is having Mell pace Breck and I on sub-19:30 pace, for the first 3k anyways. After that I think she will either choose to drop out (if her injuries or whatever are bothing her) or choose to race the rest of it for herself. I'm betting she'll do the latter. I'm a little nervous about that just because I know she's gonna pace us too fast, but I don't wanna just not try and go with her because of that. I'm gonna try my best. It's conference!! Last shot, for the indoor season anyways.

I'm praying tonight for joy during the race tomorrow, not just when it's over. I want to enjoy using all of my gifts out there, and the feeling of making myself weak so that God can show his surpassing strength. Also for excitement and positivity regarding my teammates - that I could account for their desires and worries as more than my own & serve them tomorrow instead of getting so wrapped up in "my" race.

So when we got up to the start line, they took the last 4 on the waterfall and took us up to the double waterfall 2nd line in the outside lanes. That was interesting because of the high bank, but we got into it quickly. The first mile went by surprisingly fast. As I had expected, Mell didn't pace us anywhere near 6:15 pace, but I guess that's how it goes in the first mile of any 5k. Came through at like 5:55. Second mile wasn't too bad either. I'm not sure what my split was, all I know is that my 3k was 11:38, so I guess that might be like a 12:20ish 2 mile? 3rd mile I could feel myself getting really tired, moreso mentally than physically. I think the laps started getting to me, and Breck too, and we both slowed down a bit during this next half mile. Coach Harris kept telling us we were still on pace for sub-19:50 if we could finish well. Finally the last 400 meters came around. I think I was feeling a little too good on the last lap (200m), and maybe could have started kicking with 300 to go. Anyways, finished in 19:47, Breck in 19:46, and Mell in like 19:16.

Not really sure how I feel about this one. I was happy to get back under 20, but a little bummed that I didn't PR and definitely bummed at how poorly I placed. I'm honestly just so happy that indoor season is over. I don't think I'm a fan. I think outdoor may treat me a bit better because the biggest thing I struggle with is getting past how many laps a 5k is (25 on most tracks indoors!). So maybe just mentally, if nothing else, 12 laps will be a little better. I don't know. I think I need a few days off to let my body recover, but more importantly to let myself miss running.