You've got to want it to win it

Today was supposed to be a long run.  I started the run up with the guys.  We ran along 1300s to 2700s then down to 900e and to Fairmont Park where members of the team who didn't go all the way to 27th were waiting.  We did 10 strides.  Then we ran to Liberty Park.  On the way, Bill and I missed the light at 1700s and went down to 500e toget to Liberty.  We were going to do a lap but I only did the part from 1300s to 900s because I was getting a headache from the cold and I was feeling sick.  I'm going to remember to dress warmer now because its always easier to take off extra layers.  I hope I don't stay sick too long (Bryce got Abigail and me sick).

Speed workout today.  We started with a warmup of running to the track, doing 2 laps, then 4 laps speed changes with 1 lap recovery.  The workout was three sets of a 300, a 1000, and a 300.  We jogged 100 to the starts of the 300s and 200 to the starts of the 1000s.  My times were :52, 3:35, :52 for the first set.  Then :54, 3:35, :54 for the second and :55, 3:35, :53.  I was so tired by the end and by the last set we were running right into the wind on the last straightaway.  Afterwards I did 5 laps cooldown and did my crunches and pushups and back to the school. 

Today we started with conditioning in the weight room.  We did planks, wall sits, leg lifts, standing on 1 foot, and squats.  We also did our lunges, high toes, high knees, butt kicks, and frog jumps.  Then we went for our run.  Bill and I had a longer route than everyone else.  We ran up Sunnyside to Shoreline Trail.  We ran on that (it was very muddy!) and at Red Butte instead of going on the lower trail like we usually do we went up a trail that went uphill for quite a way.  One hill was so long and steep and covered in snow (actually most of the trail was covered in snow) so very slippery, I had to walk pieces of it (falling down it and having to start over wouldn't have been fun).  We stopped for a few minutes when we were at the top of the last of the steep climbs.  Then we ended up at the gate that we run to from that trail but going through Red Butte anyway.  Then we ran back to the school the same way that we run to Legacy Bridge.  To get it up to 10 we did laps on the softball field.  My average pace was 9:22.  It was a tough run today, but it feels so good to be finished. 

Today we started with 3 sets of the circuit.  Then in the weight room we did some stretching.  We stretched hamstrings and calves, and we did cat and camels.  Then we did some lawn mowers.  For the run we ran as a group, Alice, Amanda, Natalie, Bill, and Michelle were all at practice today.  We ran to Liberty Park, did 2 laps and a little bit through the middle of the park, and then stopped at Great Harvest when we were at 5 miles. 

Today Abigail and I did an easy 3 miles since we're racing tomorrow.  We ran up Sunnyside to Foothill, then at 1 and a half we stopped to stretch, and then we ran back to school.

I started with a 2 mile warmup with Abigail.  We just went out a mile and back, and threw in a few strides on the way back.  Then we changed our shoes and dropped off our sweats at the car and took Gu.  Then we did a couple of strides before the start.  Going out I felt I had a strong pace.  I missed most of my splits, but I was at 2:52 at the half mile.  Probably a mile and a half into the race Rosy caught up to me, and I ended up running with her just about the whole rest of the race.  At the 3 mile my time was 17:56, PR!!  After the turnaround we were running right into the wind.  I drafted behind Rosy for most of the way.  Probably at the 4.5 mark I made a move to pass her, I gained some distance and made it to the guy who was directly in front of us.  But she caught up not long after that.  I continued to draft behind her.  Then with less than a mile to go she surged and put distance on me, even passing the next guy ahead of us.  With less than a quarter left, I started to kick, and closed the distance between me and her a little bit, but it ended up that as hard as I was pushing I reached the point where I wasn't closing any distance.  I got a new PR!  And this is the first 10k I went under 40 in :)  Afterwards I did a 3 mile cooldown with Bill.