Running is a means and never merely an end

Today was my first day back, and our first day of track practice! It was really weird, but fun, to actually be back out there practicing with other people since I've been training solo all winter. It was super obvious to me, by comparison and just by how I felt, that I was in far better shape than anyone else there. That makes me feel really excited to see what kind of times I will be able to pull out this season since this is the first time I will ever have entered into track season moderately in shape having trained over the winter!

Anyways, we did (what I believed to be) a really easy, basic conditioning workout today. Half mile warm up, 8 stadiums, and 4x150m. Evan and I went on a 2 mile cool down afterwards.

Half mile warm up, then coach D had me go with the distance guys and take them on a 5-miler around the school. My muscles feel so incredibly fresh since I took that week off, I can't remember the last time they felt this way. I never really took a break between XC and indoor track, so I haven't had time off since the beginning of last summer. We kept a solid pace (7:20/mile-ish I would guess) the whole time, and were still able to talk and laugh. Short cool down around the baseball field afterards.

Mile warm up, ladder workout (1200-800-400-400-800-1200), easy 22 minute jog with the guys. Our track is not regulation length, it's a little too short - the 400's are more like 375m - so timing is irrelevant. I felt a little more tired today, I would definitely say the super-fresh feeling is starting to wear off.

Strange workout today. .8 mile warmup. Pendy had the distance crew do one 1200, a few minutes rest, then an 800 on the grass, a few more minutes, then 10x100m. I felt like it ws pretty pointless honestly, it was really easy and really short. I decided to go on a 17 minute jog afterwards just to get a little more mileage in. I guess I got a little spoiled this winter being able to always manage my workouts by myself and not have to worry about the rest of a team and where they are at fitness-wise...but I really feel like I need to be doing more than this. At least more mileage, if nothing else.

Easy 8 miler around Cullowhee today with Evan + a half mile warmup. I felt good muscularly and cardiovascularly, but my joints were absolutely killing me. My knees, ankles, and the balls of my feet hurt so badly, probably because our track at the high school (where we've been practicing all week) is asphalt and my legs aren't used to doing speed work on such a hard surface. I guess it'll just take some getting used to!