You've got to want it to win it

This morning Bill came in the dining room as I was eating breakfast to see if I wanted to go for a run.  So I went and I got my running clothes and we did an easy 4 miles.  We went the same way as last year, out 2 miles and back.

Tonight I went out to the Oval with Bill, Abigail, and Dakota.  We started with 8 laps warmup and 4 laps speedchanges.  Then we changed shoes.  We did two sets of four 400s with a lap recovery.  The times I was supposed to hit were 1:20, 1:18, 1:16, 1:14 for both sets.  My times were 1:22, 1:19, 1:18, 1:14, 1:19, 1:18, 1:18, 1:13.  Then we did 2 laps cooldown.

Today we did an easy flat run.  From the school. we ran out on 1300e to 2100s, did a lap in Sugarhouse, and came back along 1500e but went up Bonneville Drive and over and down Sunnyside to get a full 6.  I ran with Natalie, Ben, and Bill the whole time, and Amanda and Abigail were close.  

Today we ran down to Liberty Park for a warmup.  Then we did a backwards lap of fartlek, ten sets of 30 seconds off 30 seconds on.  Then we ran back up to the school for cooldown.  

We all arrived in San Diego today.  I didn't run today, I'm just going to rest and then do a light workout tomorrow.  The Hotel Del is amazing :)

We got to see the course today. I walked one lap of it with Erin and Suzy Hamilton. Then I ran the second loop of it. I did a mile and then I did 10 strides on the part of the course just by the finish, going opposite direction of the course so it was slightly uphill, walking back down each one. Then I ran the smaller loop and finished at the athletes tents for cooldown. I felt really good on my strides, and I really want to do well tomorrow and push harder than in any other race I've run.

This morning on the bus ride over to Morley Field I was very nervous.  I relaxed by listening to my iPod.  At the course I sat under the tent for a few minutes waiting for the time to warmup.  A little over an hour before my race I did about 2 miles warmup, over the smaller loop and then over the big loop cutting out the hill.  Then I did a few light drills and took my Gu.  As girls from the other regions were being announced I did my strides along the course by the athletes' tents.  I was the first West girl to be announced, I had bib 50.  At the starting line we were allowed to exit to the side to do strides while other runners were announced.  Finally we were all led back in to line up for the start.  When the gun went off I felt I had a good start, but that was probably just because I didn't get boxed in (I really need to work on quicker starts!).  But going into the smaller loop I realized I was at the very back of the pack.  And I got dirt and woodchips in my eyes.  So I knew I was going to have to always be working towards passing, so that's what I did.  When people tried to pass me I just passed them right back and moved on.  My first mile split was 5:33.  The first lap was over fast.  At the 2 mile my time was around 11:4o.  I knew that the bigger loop would again be quick and that I was fast coming to the point where I had decided I would start to pick it up, right after the hill as other people were trying to recover from it.  On the way to the hill I passed a few more, and then a few at the top.  I flew down the hill and closed on the girls in front of me.  At the 3 mile I was with 2 girls and I was able to outkick both of them.  I don't know what's up with the timing system but I was pretty sure I crossed at 18:13, and Bill who had been watching the race online said so too.  Its probably weird because they don't do decimal times.  I was very happy to have placed 22nd, especially since I had the slowest time from all the regions (though with different courses and conditions they shouldn't be compared that way), and I beat 6 of the girls who beat me at regions last week :)  After cheering on the guys I did 2 and a half miles cooldown on the lower loop of the course.  Back at the hotel I enjoyed a nice day at the beach :)