P.V.H.S.X.C.S.T.S.

I can't wait until I run an "easy three". I seriously love summer practice, It's like school, except minus everything that makes school undesirable, such as classes. now if this summer just lasted forever, I'd be good. I'm still going really slow. like really really slow. but I run my whole run, that's something I want to always do. people say slow and steady wins the race, but in this case all the newbies who run fast and walk lots are still beating me out. so the saying should be fast and steady wins the race. for example, Michael Finch v. Susan Hutchins, I'm pretty darn sure fast and steady's gonna win it. oh but I'm feeling alright with myself. while trying to encourage a darling freshman today at her first day I was telling her that even though it was my third  year, I'm still not terribly quick, but I'm so so SO much farther off than I was when I began. running really has changed my life.

today during to warm up Coach decided to try to keep it together. It's kind of a good idea, and kind of embarrasing, but I think I liked it. the run was slow and slow. the distance is starting to feel a little better, but as long as I keep going slow. so I need to learn to pick up the pace and continue with my three milers. we didn't time ourselves at the dirt mile, but it wouldn't have made me feel very good anyway. today at kids club the girls were missing megan.  goes to show who their favorite is! ah, oh well, I still love them. 

be proud, be so proud! first off I went running by myself, accomplishment number 1. secondly I went running on a holiday, accomplishment number 2. thirdly I went running in the middle of the day in this hot humid air, accomplishment number 3. and last off, but not least, I went running while on vacation! that's right, I'm in Arizona right now, dying of humid hotness by lake powell on the fourth of July all by my lonesome. not going to lie, it was awful. my stomach decided to randomly cramp up to a crippling degree while I was the farthest point from home, luckily there was a "short cut" nearby. it was the longest short cut I've ever seen, but short cut none the less. so that's why my mileage is only two. I actually have no idea of how far I went, but I do have a run here I know is some where between 3 and 3.5 so it was that, but edited slightly. I think I should get a special prize for this run, as long as that special prize is extraordinarily improved running skills, I'm all for it. well, this is my lovely independence run report, I wonder how many of those you'll get today.

so Erin and Alyssa said to count our five mile hike as mileage on here. so three mile run, five mile hike. I did this awful workout thing with my mom yesterday so my thighs are so sore, it made today's run just buckets of fun! found out i got a four on the APUSH test, not too bad I guess. It really was my favorite class all around, absolutely loved it! but this is about running, not APUSH. run was a little less than fun, and a little less than convienently close. The hike was bunches of fun though, Kanaraville is not for the faint of heart, or the cold of feet.

hooray for eternal level ones! but anyway, today's run was good, very very slow paced, but the whole thing was ran. I think it was my first time going up and down that beastly hill past the fire station this summer. some of the other hooligans I was with charged up the hill "with all the speed of a unicorn" (it's a quote from the Bible. read it, it's in there.) but the point is they were as swift as a coursing river as they ran up the hill, but they all stopped for a breather at the top of the hill and were out of energy. finally, for once slow and steady did win the race! I was able to keep going my same pace up the hill and after the hill and I finished before a few others, it felt good. so that is my story of my lovely July 9th run.

okay, I'm a struggler, big time. My stomach is hurting me like a beast. I just want to curl up in a ball and groan and complain, but I don't think that'd help anyone. So I ran up to the dirt mile, then felt like I was going die a slow and painful death,  so I decided to turn around with Candice and Austin. we walked for just a short spell which was wonderfully helpful to feeling better. today at kids club I was just tired, and the girls were all either tired or roudy and I didn't feel like moving, nonetheless playing games with children who just complain the whole time. Ah, there have definantly been better days! well, I won't be seeing you all until next monday, I'll attempt to run at girls camp!

okay, this was a girls camp run. let's just say it was really. really. hard. I walked, a lot of the time I walked, but I did feel like I got a good work out in. the first lap we did was up the beastly hill, then down the huge stretch of campsites. It was only a slight decline over a long period, but when someone suggested that for the second loop we go the opposite direction, as to avoid the "beastly hill" we found that the whole way is a slight incline. forever. and ever. so yeah. I ran with Erin, so fun to run with her, I miss her. curse the fastness!

oh why is it still so so hard? I just want to run an easy three for once. I may go to afternoon practice today, but I just feel discouraged. um, let's see here... I ran with megan today because she's been gone for a while and she was being nice. it's so much better to run with people. I was able to keep with a the big group until about 3/4 of the way to the turn around point for the level ones. I struggled hard core on the way back. I had to stop twice I think. I don't walk my runs, I run them, but I did have to stop and catch my breath for a moment. I was reading my race report from when I broke 30 the other day. It makes me want to be back to that, it makes me want to work hard and get goals again. I just remembered the feeling of crossing that finish line and hearing my time, and that feeling is way better than the feeling of giving up on a run.

PM- um, I think it was kind of a bad idea. I'm so not up for six miles in a day yet. it was slow going and all by my lonesome. I was doing alright until we got to the end of the long street before you turn into the school, there I kind of died. like a lot. I felt horribly exhausted, and not in a good way.

oh my goodness! I am so so so exhausted from yesterday! It was slow going today, seriously compared to the rest of my summer I was going half the speed of normal. It took energy just to lift one foot in front of the other. it's not that I'm sore or achy, I just have no strength or energy. I love being sore, I actually crave it sometimes, but this is just flat out tired. I just want to cuddle up and sleep, or just walk the whole run, but then it isn't a run. part of me says no more afternoon runs for a while, the other part says I better get out to afternoon runs so I can learn to do it. ugh it's so tough!

oh it's all just so dandy. I just feel tired, I don't want to work hard, I don't want to push myself. ah, but I want to get good. I just found out I was kicked out of my online PE class. splendid, considering I was going to take that stupid proctored final tomorrow. sometimes, I just hate school. so that's put me in a sour mood. anywho- my run was fine, the hill was tough, my whole body just didn't want to work though. so that's my run report for today. tomorrow's a grass run. joy.

I haven't run on a thursday in a long time! I guess karma is being kind and letting me skip out on the grass runs. I had to go take some online finals this morning so I was unable to run the whole thing with striders, but I did as much as time would allow. Today's run actually felt pretty good, I was surprised! it was the first time in a long time I didn't feel like beating myself up over slowness, so that was grand! Jake and Nick still hate me, but I think eventually they'll grow to learn to at least humor me and my "outgoing -ness". Jake and Nick I'll get you yet!

ran around the park thrice with chancie. it was a lovely little run, we chatted about actually important subjects and it felt nice to have some conversation more than the superficial "so... what's your favorite color?" but I always enjoy conversation on runs, it makes them so much better. I've really been feeling super tired, I think that maybe if I sleep up I'll have more energy to run a little tougher, so nighty night, I'll see you all on monday morning! I'm so excited for camp!

what is this? Susan running on a Saturday? what? anyway, I saw hoards of people while running today such as Aubrey also on a run, Wes and Jason in a car, Jarad and Joy in a car, and my mother on a morning walk. the run was slow going but I felt pretty good. You know all the times I complain about running alone? well I guess I kind of enjoy it, just not when I should be running with the team, if that makes any sense. I've learned to be a little less hard on myself for not being as good as I was last summer. I've hardly been in town this summer, how am I supposed to be good if I don't practice? we'll I've come to practice whenever I've been in town, so I'm doing what I can.

what's kind of sad/ awesome is that last week I ran as many miles in that one week as I did the entire month of June. That can be taken two ways... I'll take it the awesome way. running in the rain was good, because it wasn't like pouring, and it wasn't super hot outside either. I sort of love cross country, even if I only see people from the back. XC is kind of the best thing ever and I'm so excited for camp!

home from XC High Altitude camp!! It was way fun, but also way tough. I have yet to go on a four mile run this summer, and now at camp I ran a four miler everyday AND a three! it's kind of a toughie. but it was so great. as much fun as it would be to recap on here everything I've done, it wouldn't be fun. so basically in short, I was a lot slower than I thought I'd be and it was kind of a downer, but I'm sure this week has made me so much stronger. I ran more miles so far this week than I did the entire month of june, so that's kind of impressive. see ya'll on monday, and I'll be sure to do my saturday runs so I don't end up in... "hail"

ran at the high school with a large troop of hooligans. I really just feel so so tired, I kind of just lugged along. it's weird, my body was tired and sore, but breathing wise and heart rate I didn't feel too pushed. I need to quit the simple jogging and actually get my heart rate up there and just deal with the sore legs. I'll try to be motivated enough to actually do well, but it's a lot easier to say I'll work hard as I sit on my couch, but when the time comes it's tough to convince myself to do something uncomfortable.

Bleh! My stomach was feeling all sickish, it wasn't fun. once my stomach started feeling ill, my speed decreased by like 1,000. not a good run, but at least it was a run. So pretty much now I feel obligated to do my saturday runs in order to get into heaven. I guess it's a good thing, but I was just so so exhausted. well, I'll be sure to sleep more, I'm not getting near enough sleep this summer.

today was alright, on the way to the turn around I was able to keep up with erin, alyssa, and mariah for a little bit. and then Micah and Taelor until we were going up that hill. I know I'm going to regret saying this later, but I really think I need to run more hills. Hills are my downfall, I just can't make it up them well at all. You know I'm not the one for random spurts of running quickly and then walking the rest, which is why I don't want to run up the hills hard because I don't think I can make it all the way. I still feel so tired, how can I feel not tired?

PM: I think I can handle six or seven miles a day, but as long as they're split like this. on the way to the turn around I was feeling pretty good, running pretty strong. on the way back I got tired and just lugged the whole time. plyos (sp?) were interesting. I just can't jump. I think it's very much a susan problem, I'm ultra stiff. being so stiff makes me such an awkward dancer, It makes throwing really really hard for me, and it makes me jump like a two year old trying to reach the cookies on the top shelf. oh well, better luck next time.

so so so so so tired! why am I just so tired and exhausted? my legs were all sore from plyos yesterday, and I'm just tired in general. I have yet to be able to time my dirt mile once, I don't run up with anyone with a watch so I don't get to know. I'll be camping with my family tomorrow, so I'll see if I can find some sort of a run. and then on thursday I'll be gone all day as well going up north to see the sound of music with some friends. oh! striders felt good. like I kind of hate striders, and I kind of love them, but I think it's an effective way to improve my speed.