You've got to want it to win it

Happy hills week!  We were at Sugarhouse and we started with an outer lap of the park for warmup and then we stretched down in the field in the middle of the park.  Then Bill put flags up marking the path we were to go for the hills for today.  We ran it once to see what it was and then we started the workout.  We ran a loop and then walked over to the start for the next set.  We had equal timed recoveries.  We ended up doing 6 loops of it and then ran to the drinking fountain at the pavilion down there where Bill explained the slight uphill on the state course, then we ran it twice.  Then we were at almost 6 miles so we ran 2 outer laps around the park for cooldown.  When I got home I did 2 sets of secondary strength and abs.

For day 2 of hills week we went to Drycreek up by the JCC.  We started by getting our rocks and running with them the first mile and a half and depositing them on our pile, then we ran to right before the 4 mile mark but turned before it went downhill.  We did the big hill that is about 2 miles in for the hill today.  We ran it 10 times, up and around the bushes and then down.  I ran continuously, each lap was .3 of a mile.  When I was done I waited with the others who were done for a few minutes but then we decided to just run back for water, so I ran back with Natalie, Ben, and Taylor.  Back to the parking lot brought the total mileage to 10 and a half.  When I got home I took a 15 minute ice bath and then I did 3 sets of abs.

This morning I missed out on the team hike because I already had commitments to speak at a cross country brunch for Maple Mountain, but it was a great experience.  Ben came down to Salt Lake also so that was a plus.  We went to Sugarhouse Park and there we ran the state course once, then 2 laps on the outside of the park, and then different parts of the state course in random order before heading over to the pavilion where Maple Mountain's team was.  I'm not a good public speaker but I wasn't as nervous as I was earlier this week about it.  At the end they gave me some lovely flowers :)  After speaking there I went home and did my 3 sets of secondary strengths and abs, Ben threw the medicine ball with me. 

This morning for workout in celebration of hills week we went up to Guardsman Pass!  We got up there around 8:45 and got started.  I felt pretty strong on the first uphill portion before the trail turns at 3/4 of a mile.  The worst of the hills is done 1.2 miles into the run but it feels like forever!  Once reaching the top I stopped with some of the others to recover a bit and enjoy the view over Park City.  My calves and shins were burning then :P  When the group got going I started with them but couldn't keep up so I just ran at my own pace.  We went out 5 miles before turning around.  On the way back I was close to catching Natalie and Taylor on the way back but never did.  I was kinda annoyed on the way back with some bikers, they didn't yield and there was a large group of them that didn't :P  But later on when more courteous bikers did yield I made sure to thank them.  They weren't even supposed to be up there today since it is an odd numbered day but whatever :P  Coming back down the final hill I felt like I was going to die :P  Not really but I think it was worse than coming up.  At the bottom I joined the group waiting for everyone else to finish and ate some bagel seeds and graham crackers that Dakota had!  Finally we had everyone and departed around 11:30.  Thankfully we made it home in Natalie's car, the gas light came on when we were coming up the canyon earlier so we were worried we'd run out but we made it!  At home I did my 3 sets of abs and took a 15 minute ice bath.  And I realized I don't know which pair of shoes I was wearing, I have 2 old pairs of the same Mizunos but don't know which is which, and today I think I might have been wearing one from each pair.  Oops, I may just have to donate them soon so I don't have that problem again.  

This morning Abigail and I went to cross country practice with the Davis cross country team because we had a sleepover with our cousins who are on the team.  Today the girls were just going for a run.  It turned out to be an adventure run!  We ran out on the road behind the school for a little over a mile until we got to a little gully area and stopped to stretch for a few minutes and then we ran on a trail through it but it was really muddy and there were a lot of itchy plants but eventually we made it through and ended up taking a trail out of the gully through someone's backyard.  Then we ran on the highway and turned down the next street and went to someone on the team's house to use the hose to rinse off our legs from the itchy plants.  Then we ran back to the school and it was 5 miles to the parking lot.

Tonight after it had been long enough after having eaten dinner, I got in my other 5 miles.  I took my iPod and ran along 1500e to 2100s then up to 1900e and over to 900s and down to 15ooe and home.  I decided to save the core for tomorrow. 

This morning I felt like taking my iPod with me again so I did.  I ran up 1300e to Wasatch Drive, then ran over to Thunderbird and down to Foothill like we do on the flagpole run, and I ran to the drinking fountain and then back down Foothill.  I ran all the way to where it curved into 500s.  I threw in a lap at the cemetery because I knew it was at least a mile short of 10 miles if I went down to 1300e, but after the cemetery loop and running home along 1300e I was just a quarter short so not bad.  Then I did my 3 sets of secondary strength and abs when I was home alone with Abigail, it was a party!