You've got to want it to win it

This afternoon we had a workout at Sunnyside Park.  We ran there and did a lap around the fields for warmup.  Then we did our drills and strides and changed shoes.  Then Kep put us into groups.  I was with Hilary, Bekah, and Nikki R..  We were doing 8 sets of 3 minutes with 3 minutes rest between each set, though on the last 2 we had 2:45 rest.  The first 2 Bekah was in the lead and I was just ahead of Hil and Nikki, but then Bekah moved up a group and then Lucy joined us.  I struggled during some of the next few to keep up but I was usually able to close the gap by the end.  I think the portion with the uphill was what got me, I really need to work on those!  For the recoveries I usually jogged around a bit and then stood for the last few seconds before getting on the line to go for the next one.  Afterwards we changed shoes back and Hilary and I did laps around the field while we waited for Lauren to be done so that we could cool down with her.  We needed 2.5 miles cooldown to be at 10 for the day and we finished just by the entrance to HPER W.  

This morning we lifted.  The freshmen just did stuff with the bar for most of the time.  In the afternoon we had a recovery run.  We ran down to Guardsman and then over to 900s, then cut up to Military Drive which turns into 1700e.  We ran all the way to Emerson, where it ended, and cut down to 1600e and took that to 1700s and cut down again to 1500e.  We ran until about Garfield Avenue and then turned around and ran back the same way.  Then we did 6 strides, 3 drills, and 3 hurdle drills at the track to finish.

This afternoon we did our second workout for the week.  We took trax down to 900e and ran to LIberty Park for our warmup.  We did our drills and strides and then changed shoes.  I wore my new flats, the Saucony fastwitch 5s, that I picked up yesterday.  The workout was a 20 minute tempo run at 6:15-6:10 pace.  I was with Bekah, Hilary, Nikki, and Lucy.  The first lap I felt alright until I got to the part along 500e and then I started falling behind Lucy and Bekah.  I knew Bekah was going to stop for a minute and wait for Amanda before going again but I didn't know that Lucy was stopping too until we got to the entrance at 1300s and both of them dropped.  Then Hilary caught up to me and passed me and then going along 500e again Nikki passed me and I wasn't able to catch either of them.  I finished the workout and was glad to be done.  Then we did four 30 second strides.  Then I needed 1.75 miles to get to 10 for the day so I ran part of a counter clockwise lap and over to the trax station at trolley with Amanda and Hilary.  When I got home I finally took an ice bath!  I did 15 minutes, and I was able to clean out the ice box of the giant ice cube that formed when our freezer door was somehow left open when we weren't home a couple days ago :P

Today we had an easy run and strides in preparation for Stanford on Saturday.  I ran with Hilary, we went out on Foothill to 1700s and then down to 2100e and back to campus.  When we got back we needed to do strides on the track and we were cutting through the parking lot above HPER and then a car was coming really fast towards us and be both screamed!  It was terrifying!!!  Then as we continued through the parking lot, Hil cut her shoulder on a sign.  Intense 30 seconds in the parking lot.  Then we did 8 strides and 4 drills and we were done for the day.  I did half of my strides in my socks.

This afternoon after arriving at the hotel I went for a run with Amanda, Alyssa, and Cassie.  We went along a trail starting at the Yuba Drive trail head.  We turned around just after 2 miles.  When we got back to the hotel I took a 15 minute ice bath.

This morning after arriving at the golf course at Stanford and getting settled, we did a warmup around the course to familiarize ourselves with the course.  Then we did our routine drills and strides.  We had a little over 2 miles then.  Then we changed shoes, I wore my pink spikes, its been a while!  We went over to the starting area and got in our box, we were in 35.  We did a few strides and then did our team prayer and cheer.  The boxes were narrow and they had us put 2 on the front and 2 behind and everyone else behind another line.  When the gun went off and the race started, it was crazy packed!  Right next to me I saw a girl tumble to the ground, taking a team mate with her.  I was lucky not to have been dragged down as well.  The whole first loop I didn't even know what part of the course I was at because of how packed it was.  I just kept passing girls the whole time.  Going up the hill towards the turnaround of the first loop I could see a team in yellow in a pack so I decided to make them my target and focused on catching them, which I did.  On the second loop when I got to the turnaround I had a panic moment because I saw where the course continues for the guys race and thought that we were actually on our small loop and I was really confused.  But then I was relieved when we passed the part of the course where the small loop actually cuts in.  On the last lap I was almost in no-man's land but then I counted the girls in the pack just in front of me and found that there were 10.  So I made it my goal to pass all 10 of them before the race was over.  Going up the hill to the turnaround I caught 1-4, and then coming back down I caught 5-8.  The rest of the race was a battle to get numbers 9 and 10.  At one point I could tell that we were all going the same speed, I wasn't closing on them at all.  Going down the final straightaway I passed 9 but I think she passed me back, but I did pass a girl who started walking before the finish.  I felt that I had a great race for my first college invitational.  However, I am in the same trap as in high school of not getting out fast enough and having to work my way up.  I know that I can place higher up if I get into a better position from the start.  I'll just have to keep working on improving that.  Afterwards I changed shoes back and I ran a cooldown with Macee.  We followed Amanda, Alyssa, and Cassie on the bike path.  We turned around at a mile, but we missed the entrance to the course where we had left for our cooldown so Macee and I actually ended up with 2 and a half miles cooldown instead.  

In the evening after returning from a night in San Francisco, I went for a 20 minute run with Bekah.  We just ran out on the road by our hotel and back.  I needed a little bit more mileage so after that I ran on the treadmill until I had 3 and a half for the evening.