You've got to want it to win it

Today for practice we did the usual first mile on the track and then decided to go to Wasatch.  We ran along Foothill to Sunnyside, and then went up and through the golf course to get onto Wasatch.  I ended up running with Sarah, and we went the farthest.  We turned around at 4.5 and ran back the same way. We finished with strides on the track.  Light day at lifting afterwards in preparation for PAC-12s this Friday. 

This afternoon we had a workout at the track and balif.  We did the usual track route warmup and then strides and drills on the turf.  The workout was three 1k thresholds with 40 seconds recovery on the track, then four 200s on ballif with equal jog recovery, then five 400s on the track at goal race pace with 2 minutes rest.  For the thresholds we were in just 2 groups.  Having such a large group is helpful sometimes, but not on the track.  We made sure to switch leaders for each one so that everyone could have the chance and get the experience.  This made one person in the group mad but she is notorious for an attitude at practice and being bossy so it was probably to be expected.  Times were 3:48, 3:45, 3:48.  Next we ran down to ballif for our recovery before starting the 200s.  We went in smaller groups for those, which was nice, even if it was short lived.  Times were 36, 38, 38, 39.  My stomach was not feeling so great so I took a potty stop before getting started on the 400s.  And when I was in the bathroom I missed the instructions for the 400s, which I guess were different from the goal race pace like it was posted in Training Peaks.  The first one was an 83, which was ok for our GRP, but the next one was an 80, (I had to change shoes after this one because my arch was hurting too bad.  Also I asked Hannah what was up because I led the first 200 on that one in 40 and then someone blazed past me on the last 200 even though the pacre was fine, Hannah said no faster than 77 was the only instruction...), and the one after that (for me anyway, I was a little frustrated and confused each time on the back half when everyone pushed ahead and I was last in the group),  then 79, 77 for my last 2.  On the last one, I was at the back by a bit, which was especially frustrating since Shay and I led in 38 which was plenty fast, especially for a no faster than 77 instruction!  Uggh.  Anyway, it was nice to have it done so that we could cooldown and go home for the day.  I asked Becky on the cooldown what it was actually supposed to be, it was dropping 2 seconds each rep.  I do feel bad for not being able to help out with this part of the workout, I guess I should have asked.  But it would have been nice if anyone that heard the instructions would have told me that there was a change in instruction from what was on the app. And if Kep didn't change the workout from what he posted in the app.  But the second one was too fast compared to the first one anyway, so I don't know why a certain other teammate was freaking out so much about picking up the second one... Oh wait, yeah I do, that is just her.  Anyway, finished my cooldown with Hannah and Sarah, since they were the only other girls who went the full distance, and then rolled out my foot when I was done.  I'm just glad that not all days are like today. 

Shorter run today in preparation for Conference on Friday.  We did our first mile on the track and then ran out on Guardsman and 15th.  At 1300s, we were at 3.3 and most of the girls turned around and were confused why Sarah and Kate and I kept going.  We wanted 6, so we needed to go out 3.5... and they didn't get that we could just turn around on a random street when we were at the distance we needed.  That is what the Garmins are for. :)  On the way back I started to feel awful, and had to make a potty stop on Guardsman.  Ran the rest of the way back on my own.  To fill our lifting time today we just did core and stretched.  I saw Tim for a massage afterwards.  He gave me a golfball to use on my foot since it's been having issues.

We went and checked out the course in Colfax, WA today.  It is a flat 2k loop that we will run 3 times.  Because of how it is set, in a ditch between two mounds (too short to call them mountains), it creates a passage for the wind, which will definitely play into the strategy tomorrow.  We only did one stride from the start, the rest of them we did with the wind to our backs to not waste energy.  I can't believe this will be my last Pac-12 Championships!! I am excited for the team :)

This morning there was rain at our hotel in Moscow, but not at the course in Colfax which was awesome!  And the wind wasn't even that bad either.  With an hour before start time, we started our warmup.  We ran a little longer today because it was a little chilly, but also because we had the extra time.  We did our strides and warmup drills before going to our tent to put on our spikes.  The tents are really fancy, they each have a portable heater in the middle and a porta-potty for each team at the back of the tent.  We had to be on the line 15 minutes early, so we had plenty of time for strides.  Mack told me to remember to whisper to people as I passed them.  I knew she meant my teammates, and encouraging words, but I joked that I would say to girls from other teams, "I had a baby this year", as I ran by.  Too giggly for the start line.  I had to make myself not think of that when we were lined up for the gun so that I wouldn't lose it.  The boxes were wide enough for us to start in two rows of 5.  Which was actually really awesome because it helped us get out together.  Also because we were in box 1, so no one was to our left, and the first turn on the course was left.  We did a great job sticking with each other, and there was a group of 7 of us together at the k.  By the end of the first 2k loop, I was running next to Shay.  We just focused on keeping up with each other, knowing that we would be able to find our rhythm and work together to pass anyone we could.  The first big place to make a move for us was on the second lap, just after making the turn so that the wind would be to our backs.  When this part was coming up, I called to the team that the time to go was now.  I didn't see Shay after that point, but I knew Andrea was with me, and suspected that Jess was probably nearby as well.  It was from here on that Andrea and I helped push and pull each other along, as we switched places many times.  My 3k split was 10:20, so I knew that I had a good chance of finally breaking 21, if the second half went well.  Going into the third lap, Andrea had passed me and gotten momentum on the one downhill (it is literally a bump, not really a hill but it is enough to give you a rush going down it for the 3 steps) and caught a few girls.  I followed in her footsteps, and passed the same girls.  I ran by her side again, and kept giving her encouraging words and together we kept passing people.  Again when we got to the part where we turned and the wind was at our backs, Andrea had a good position to pass some more people.  I was boxed in, but once outside the curve I was able to pass the same people and run with Andrea again.  During that stretch of the course, Jess caught up to me and I could tell that she was really tired, but I tried to pull her along with me and work with Dre as well.  At this point, we could hear spectators from other teams saying "You've gotta get Utah" to their athletes, so I knew that we must have looked good and were wearing the targets on our backs.  We kept going, and focused on catching the people that the coaches said we would need to in order to place well as a team.  Mack pointed at an ASU girl and said I needed to catch her, and I was getting tired at this point, so I thought to myself that maybe on this one I would say "I had a baby this year", but it wasn't as funny in my mind as it was on the starting line, since I was really tired.  But I caught her, and Andrea caught her, and I'm pretty sure Jess caught her too.  Going around the corner with about 600 to go, Mack told me to catch 2 purple.  They seemed so far away, but I did my best to close the gap.  I caught another girl or two going up to the hill, and then there was some space between me and the next girls.  But I could tell I was gaining distance, and I caught one purple girl before finishing.  And I finally broke 21!!!!!! And so did Andrea!!!!!!  I was 39th, she was 41st, and Jess was 45th, also getting a PR.  If I am not mistaken, there were 7 maybe 8 PRs on the team today :) And we met our goal of having our top 5 in the top 45! And as a team, we took 5th!!! A huge improvement from the 9th place finish last year, and our first time placing in the top half of the conference.  It is amazing what can be accomplished with teamwork.  I can't imagine a better way to have ended my final Pac-12 championships for cross country.  

For cooldown I did 3.5.  I was exhausted and had a hard time keeping up with the team, and my foot was really starting to hurt.  I didn't notice it during the race, but it sure hurt a lot afterwards.  I iced it on the way to Lewiston in the car.  

7 miles in the neighborhood after the flight home this morning.  My arch didn't hurt at all, but my heel sure did.