You've got to want it to win it

Only workout of the week today at the track.  Giselle, Kate, Bekah, Nikki, and I started our warmup in the snow but finished it with blue skies in view.  The workout for LD was three 1k thresholds with 60 seconds rest and then five 400s with 90 second rest, and then 200s.  Because there were so few of us, we decided to to our workout in the opposite direction of the norm :)  Bekah ran the 1000s with me, we hit 3:44, 3:43, and 3:41.  For the 400s I was supposed to go at 10k goal race pace, but I hate practicing at race pace... Anyway, I wasn't sure what my effort level should be after the thresholds, so I just picked it up to where I was pushing the pace but not going crazy.  My first one was a 1:17.  Kep said I could stay at that pace as long as I wasn't pushing too hard.  The rest of them were 1:18, 1:16, 1:17, 1:17.  I didn't want to do the 200s after that since those would have been for turnover, but I already did that in the 400s.  Instead, Kep just wanted me to do two 150s, untimed, just to focus on my form as I came out of the turn.  I need to remember to run tall during my race!  For cooldown I ran just over 2 miles to finish at 8 total for the day.  Then Tim worked on my calves and shins.

At practice today, everyone who didn't workout yesterday had theirs today.  Besides them, there was Nikki, but she had to go take a test.  So I ended up running by myself!  I ran through upper campus and on the road by the post office.  Going up Sunnyside there was a strong wind coming out of the canyon!  Good thing I was planning on turning above the zoo anyway.  I ran to 4 miles on Wasatch, then ran back to campus the same way I had come.  I am in the Olympic Development heat of the 10k at Mt. SAC!  We leave tomorrow, we are testing out the new Trax line to the airpot. :) 

This morning I got my premeet done before we traveled to Mt. SAC.  I ran to 11th Avenue and then back to the track for strides and drills.  Then Tim worked on my calves a little bit.

1 mile shakeout in the morning.  My race is at 7:10 tonight.

Races were postponed half an hour when I got to the track, so I had some time to just relax and think about what should happen in my race.  Before my warmup I was able to watch the first bit of the race before mine.  I did about 2 miles warmup, then some strides and drills.  I went and changed shoes and got my hip number, then did more strides while we were waiting to go on the track.  When the race started I made sure to be towards the front of the pack, and to not press ahead of the others.  My goal was to be patient the first 5k, and then start to push with whatever I felt I still had.  Some twin girls took the lead, I recognized them from an indoor race.  They even did their hair the same :P  Before too long, I could tell that one or both of them had icy hot on (a lot of girls did in the bull pen, I wish that stuff was banned!) and I could feel it affecting my lungs!  I knew Kep would want me to just sit behind them, but I also knew that if I wanted to breathe I would have to go around them!  So I did.  And I think I messed up their mental focus, I made it so one of them had to tuck behind.  Every time one of them just got slightly in front of me, I could smell the icy hot so just had to press forward.  Also their telepathy was broken, they were talking to each other during the race!  Eventually another girl came up so I let her lead.  No icy hot, so I didn't mind letting her share some of the work.  Then another girl came, so I just had to make sure to not let either of them get too far ahead.  I couldn't let myself let people go because they didn't smell like icy hot.  My 5k split was 17:27, not bad.  Now I could pick it up if I felt like it.  A few girls did, and now there was a lot of shuffling positions.  Didn't see the twins again, and I don't think the other girls had icy hot, but I was mindful not to let anyone go!  Each lap less to go I kept moving up, and with 5 laps to go I was at the front of my pack.  One girl had gone early and had opened a lot of distance on the pack.  I wish I had felt confident enough to go with her!  But I decided to focus on at least opening on my pack.  I could tell they were getting farther away, though I was not sure by how much.  The cheering was so loud everywhere!  In the final 4 laps I just kept counting down by the 100 meters to when I would be finished!  With just over 400 to go a girl started a crazy kick and took off!  I pushed hard the last lap, that split being 73!  And clocking a 34:46.96!!!  Second best time in school history!  And taking third in my heat :)  and my time would have been 14th in the elite heat.  But it was fun telling people I was in the Olympic development heat :)  My feet were very blistered and cut up afterwards, they hurt more than anything during my cooldown!  But I was able to do 2.25.   

This morning I went over to the track hoping to run on some of the trails nearby.  Giselle came with me the first 25 minutes.  The area by the corral where the entrance to the trails was closed off, so I ended up showing her some of the Footlocker course there.  After she was done, I ran more on the roads.  My calves were very sore, and it took me an hour to do 7.5.  Had a nice stretch after, tomorrow I hope I can get 10 in!

This morning I went for a run from the hotel over to Mt. SAC (it really isn't that far, I could have just done that yesterday and saved time for not driving...) and along Grand like yesterday.  I ran on some of the trail since it is right by the road.  I went to a little over 4, and then stretched before heading back.  I made a detour through CPP campus and finished at 10.  My calves were pretty tight at the beginning of the run but I didn't notice near the end.