You've got to want it to win it

Today we started with a mile warmup and a mile speedchanges, and a lap recovery.  We did the 200 400 chase workout today where the 400 person tries not to get caught by the 200 person who pushes them through the last 200.  I was paired up with Natalie, and I started with the 400.  We did 5 sets.  The times I got on the 400s were 1:17, 1:18, 1:17, 1:16, 1:14.  I don't know the 200 times.  After the 400s I got 200 recovery as I jogged over to the 200 start.  I only caught Natalie once, on the fourth set.  Towards the end my legs were feeling like jello.  Afterwards Natalie and I did 2 grass laps cooldown. 

Today Natalie and I went to jv regions to cheer.  After the mile was done we went on a 4 mile run with Bill just on the roads by the school.  However, we tried to make it just a loop, and it ended up being more than 5 miles.  Natalie and I stopped at 4, and Bill had gone ahead to get a car to pick us up, though we didn't know that.  Still from the 5 miles it would have been a couple minutes walk to the track.  Anyway it was cool to run somewhere we haven't been before.

Today we did a mile warmup, a mile speedchanges, and a mile cooldown.  And I massaged my legs with an ice cup afterwards.

This morning I got up early and went for an easy 2 with my ipod, just to 17th and back twice from my house. 

This morning I got to the track later than I had planned but I still had plenty of time to get in a good warmup and do what I needed to do.  I did about a mile and a half warmup, and then I took my Gu and had to get in the bull pen.  I changed shoes and headed out.  I did some high knees and skips on the way over to the line.  Waiting for the race ahead of ours to finish, I did a few strides.  Finally it was time for our race.  I was number 9 so I got to start second in the second alley.  Bill had told me what I needed to to was get out fast and then stick with the lead pack.  As the gun went off I got a good start and was easily able to break away from the other girls in my alley. Then at the 100 it turns out I was in the lead.  No lead pack to stick with.  I was by myself.  At the 200 I was at 36.  I knew that was a crazy pace but it felt right.  My first lap split was a 1:14.  As I crossed the line and saw the time on the clock I thought to myself "There is no way this is happening, I am not leading the mile at state right now and I did not just run a 1:14 first lap.  Its just a dream and I am going to wake up now and just be in my bed at home."  I was wrong, it wasn't a dream.  I was really there.  Bill was yelling at me to keep pushing.  He was yelling different than he does at different races.  I know he was shocked with how I was running the race, and so was I.  At the 800 my time was 2:33.  I didn't know how far the other girls were behind me but I was expecting someone to come up to me soon.  Even though I couldn't hear them, I assumed they were probably 5 meters or less behind me.  I could hear people cheering for them so I knew they had to be close.  I pushed during the third lap, and was at 3:53 heading into the final lap.  Starting that last 400 two girls caught up to me.  I knew they were kickers which was probably why they hadn't moved until then.  I hung on to them the best I could, but had lost them by 300 to go.  Then going down that stretch there was another girl who caught up to me.  The last 200 I knew was when I would have to give everything I had left to not get passed again, because I figured there was a pack closing in.  I did not get passed again, and I got a new PR by 10 seconds!  I made it to the podium this year too, and I scored 5 points for my team.  Afterwards Bill told me that during the first 2 laps I had a 20, 30, or 40 meter lead (he changes it every time he says it).  Also he noted that my last 800 was only 6 seconds slower than my first, which was great.  He said that it gave him a heart attack how fast I went out.  After I left the track I lost my breakfast...  Then I did about a 2 mile cooldown with Jamal and Bill.  Then later I took a 10 minute ice bath.  Now I'm just working on calming my stomach down and resting for tomorrow.  What a great day today :)

I had stayed the night in Provo so that I could get more sleep for not having to drive to the race.  I arrived at the track a little after 7:30 and then found Natalie.  We got ready and started our warmup at 8.  We did about a mile and a half in the field to the side of the track.  Then I took my Gu, and we did some drills and strides while we waited for our race to be called into the bull pen.  We got in some good strides while we waited, just focusing on staying warmed up during our wait.  Finally we were called in and we changed our shoes.  I was seeded number three, so for the first time ever I got to start in the first alley.  At the line I did some strides.  As the gun went off I held myself back from going the pace that I wanted to go.  Bill told me to try and work in a pack today so I did.  The first lap was too slow though, only a 1:22, and Bill had wanted me to hit a 1:17.  I knew I would have to push to try and make it up.  I ended up going out to the front with Kelsey from Boxelder.  We led the race for a few laps.  I could tell when she would throw in surges to try and break away from me.  I stuck with her.  The first mile was a 5:40, 15 seconds off of what Bill had wanted me to run.  Then with about 3 laps to go I started to lose her.  With 2 laps to go the Ogden girls caught up to me, they had started their kick already it looked like.  I tried to push with them as they moved away from me, and then again I tried to stay with the Orem runner as she passed me.  From the 600 I started trying to really close that gap.  The last lap I was still not that far behind, and at the 300 I tried closing in more but it wasn't coming.  Going down the last stretch was when I really was able to get on my toes and run with everything I had left.  I finished about a second behind Kelsey, and 8 seconds behind the leader.  I'm proud to say that being in the 4A division, it was the most competitive and my time and the girls ahead of me would have won any of the other divisions.  I'm glad to be finished with track (well at least for a few weeks) and to have been able to run faster times this year than ever and compete against the best competition in years.  Afterwards I did about a mile cooldown with Natalie, who had a great race also, taking 15th and getting a new personal best by 31 seconds.