You've got to want it to win it

This morning after putting up flags I went down to Liberty for my run.  I started with a lap warmup and then our assigned run was to do 4 miles of tempo at 20 seconds slower than our race pace from BYU.  So my pace was supposed to be 6:37.  At the half mile I was at 3:33, so I picked it up and then got to 6:51 at the mile so I was closer to what I was supposed to hit.  For the rest of it I was about 20 seconds slower than what I was supposed to but I was hitting around 3:20 for each half mile which would be about right.  Then I finished my lap and did 2 laps cooldown.   

This morning we had practice.  We started with a mile warmup and a mile of speedchanges, and then we did two 300s in 2 lines starting 5 seconds apart from each other.  I almost got caught at the end of my first one but I didn't on the second.  Then we did strides on the field in groups where you go when your team mate tags your hand, 2 sets of 3 of those.  Then we did a mile cooldown and had to hurry and get ready for school.  3 and a half total for this morning.

After school we ran up to This is the Place to go over our home course which we are running tomorrow.  While we waited for everyone to get there we stretched in the shade.  I like the course, we start by the Brigham Young house and go around the lower part of the village and up onto Shoreline.  Then we run a bit on the trail and then come back into the top of the village and run down and finish at the same place we started.  Then we did core in the shade and after that ran back down to the track.  The whole run was 6 and a half.

This morning I got up and ran a mile.

After school up at This is the Place Park where our home course is, I did about a mile and a half warmup around the park and then changed shoes.  Then I joined the girls for our cheer and then since there were so many of us and a narrow start line we moved it into the parking lot.  Going out Stansbury went fast but just a few seconds later Natalie and I passed them and they were pretty much jogging.  Then Natalie and I led the rest of the race, and I looked back at some points and I could see the Josephine was behind Natalie and there were 2 Bountiful girls.  Where the course takes a sharp turn onto Shoreline one of the Bountiful girls had passed Josephine.  After that it was just Natalie with me and I couldn't see any of the other girls.  A little before we get off the trail and back into the park Natalie passed me and kept going so for the last part through the park I was by myself.  On some of the last few turns I could see that the Bountiful girl was coming but I knew she wouldn't be close enough to catch me.  Afterwards I changed shoes and then all of the girls cooled down together, we looked at some of the buildings in the park.  Then we did our crunches and pushups and drank gatorade.

This morning for practice we ran up to Sunnyside, did 2 laps, and met at the white tree.  Then we did 8 strides down to the middle of the soccer field and back up.  Then we did an 800, my time was 3:05.  Then we did another lap cooldown and back to the track and then a lap around to make it 5.

After school we started with 2 stadium laps warmup and then did 10 barefoot strides in the field in the middle of our track with a bunch of painted lines and numbers on it (paint got on my feet :( )  Then 2 stadium laps cooldown and our crunches and pushups.

This morning I did an easy 2 miles on my own.

When we arrived at the park I did about a mile with the team over part of the course and then I ran with Maggey and Delaney to the far bathroom where there was no line!!!  Then a little later Bre showed up and I ran 2 miles with her.  Then I changed to my flats and with the other girls went to get a good spot on the line.  We did strides and then we had to wait for 15 minutes because the JV boys were finishing.  At the start all the teams to the left of us only could have 2 on the front but we got 3 and people on the right of us did.  When the gun went off and we got going there was a pack of girls to the left of me that tripped and I almost tripped but I didn't and then I kept going until I heard the gun and then I walked back slowly.  3 of the girls on our team had fallen, so we were definitely glad for the restart.  Going out the second time I almost tripped but I was able to catch myself.  I ended up way back and wasn't really able to start working up until after the baseball fields.  My dad said I was about 50 people back after coming down the first grass hill.  Up on the soccer field I started to catch up and about half way around I was able to count how many people were ahead of me.  I don't know why but it seems to always help me in races when I know what place I am in and then I count it down one at a time.  I was in 13th or 14th leaving the field.  Then on the second part of the course that was redesigned because of flooding I discovered that if you are trying to pass someone but they are hanging on, if you break wind somewhat loudly then they drop back.  I was in about 11th when I got over to the grass.  At the turnaround by the Indian head I was in 8th and then along the stretch back I got into 6th and was trying to close in on Summer.  At one point some of the Ogden girls took a wrong turn, I saw them getting back on the course, but I think they went faster after that.  I held my position until around the field just before the finish.  A girl passed me but I passed her back but then her and another girl passed me at the same time.  I got a PR though and I got a t-shirt this time :) 

Running the torch at our homecoming game I got about a half mile.

This morning I did 6 laps at Liberty Park.  My quads were very sore afterwards, I guess that's what I get for not doing a real cooldown yesterday...