You've got to want it to win it

This morning I joined Amanda for warmup for our workouts.  It was her final workout before nationals this week so it'll be exciting to see how she does!  After our usual warmup and strides and drills, we changed shoes and then stretched for a few minutes while we waited for Kep...  He wasn't too long though, and the workout was actually ok I thought :)  He told me I was doing sets of three 400s with 90 seconds rest and a 400 between sets.  I was supposed to try and hit between 75-78.  My times were 73, 75, 75, (I took 200 recovery during the 90 seconds), then 76, 76, 76 for the second set, and then I was surprised to find out I only had one more set and was glad when I hit 76, 75, 77 and was feeling really tired towards the end.  Afterwards I changed shoes back and cooled down with Amanda and then added 3 laps at the track to get to 8 for the day.  Then I went to the training room and did a 10 minute ice bath.

This morning after getting up to drop my sister off at school I decided I might as well get my run done so I wouldn't have to do it when it got hotter and since I thought it might be a good idea to put on something other than pajamas.  I ran down 1300e to 900s, then down to 900e and over to 2100s.  From there I ran up to 1900e, back over to 900s, and then home along 1500e.  I only had to stop at the light at 11th east on 21st south, I was pretty happy about that :)  avg pace was about 7:40 so quicker than its been the past week :)  Afterwards I went and got my lift done.  Just 2 more lifts and 3 more workouts and then it time for Junior Nationals!  Right after I changed my goals to include winning, I discovered that the girl who took 2nd at Footlocker this year is signed up... So I've used that as incentive to work harder and do my best, so that no matter what happens in the race I know I tried my hardest and worked out as best I could to prepare.

This morning after I gave my sister a ride to practice, I decided to stick around and get my workout done too ;)  We warmed up to Sunnyside for a lap and then back to the track.  Then some stretching before a mile of speedchanges.  Then I braced myself for what I expected to be a very challenging workout, even contemplating going back to my instructed threshold...  But I was at the track and ready.  Also the 400s on Monday gave me confidence I could get some decent work in.  We started with two 1000s.  We were supposed to hit 75 pace, thinking about Monday I was not sure how well that would go, so I just held on as long as I could.  I amazed myself with how long I was able to go, and got myself through the workout.  I hit 3:15, then 3:11.  We took about 5 minutes standing recovery between each.  Then we did four 500s and were supposed to hit 88.  The ones where we started on the curve were hardest for me since there wasn't much room left to swing wide on the final curve, but I made the best of it.  I hit 1:37, caught up on the second with 1:30, fell back on the third with a 1:36, then even led part of the last one with a 1:28 :)  At that point my legs were just dead and I was so happy to finish!  Until we were told two more 1000s :'(  Again I just did my best to hold on.  I hit 3:25 for the first one (crazy how that was my fastest one when I did 1000s last week and today it was my slowest!), but then was able to bring it down to 3:18 for the final one.  I was so glad to be really done, as were the others.  I changed out of my spikes and then cooled down 7 backwards laps to get to 8.

This evening after getting my nutrition screening assignment done (finally!) I went for a relaxing run.  The TA who did the nutrition lab with me definitely could tell I was an athlete when my pulse came up as 40!  And BP 94/55.  For my run I started along 1400e over to Blaine, to 15th and to 2100s.  From there I went up to 2100e and ran all the way over to Foothill and then ran down as it turned to 500s.  I hit 1300e and then ran home.  My legs felt great considering how hard I ran this morning.  I made sure to stretch out really well afterwards. 

This morning I went for a run on Pipeline.  I went the switchback way and wiped out just over a quarter mile into the run.  Like all the other times I fall on trails, it was slow motion and I was trying to catch myself but was just caught and then hit the ground.  At this point I have mastered turning so I hit my hip instead of my knees though, the scrapes weren't too bad.  I just got up and kept going.  The switchback parts weren't as bad as I remembered, but I forgot about the hills that follow.  After reaching the road at the end of the trail at 3 miles, I went out another mile on the road before turning and going back the same way.  Took the switchbacks down extra carefully because it would have hurt a lot more falling on the way down.  

After getting off work at 10 I went for a run.  Out at Cottonwood Complex.  Where the sprinklers were on.  Did laps around the baseball diamonds where the lights were on until we hit 4 miles.  The end. 

This morning I decided that if I were going to put a track in my backyard, I'd pick the one at Granite high.  4 lanes so it feels smaller, also some trees placed perfectly to cast shade on a lot of it :)  after 4 laps warmup and 4 laps of speedchanges, I put on my spikes.  Started with a fast 200 to get the turnover going, and hit 32.  Walked and then jogged back to the start for two sets of 800 and three 400s.  For the 800 I hit 2:30 (73 first lap), then 69, 72, 72 for the 400s.  I took a lap after that, and then a few more minutes.  I was mentally preparing to push through the 800 because I knew it would be hard, but if I got through that then I'd just have the 400s left, but then I found out the second set was inverted so the 400s were first.  I hit those in 74, 73, 74, and then on the final 800 went 2:42 (78, 84).  I was so happy to have finished without collapsing!  My legs just felt so dead and like they weren't even there!  After another recovery lap, I changed back to my trainers for cooldown.  It was a tough decision, but I decided to get the rest of my miles done in the cooldown so I wouldn't have to run after work again.  It was a long cooldown, but it was worth it.  From Granite we went along 500e all the way to 1300s, then up to the drinking fountain at Liberty and then back to 3300s on 700e and through the Granite parking lot until we had 6.75 cooldown, bringing the total to 12, and the grand total of the week to 70!  The most I have ever done before is 65 :)  So this is a new record for me :)