Suzette's Running Blog.

First Cross Country practice of the 10/11 season! I was so excited, i could barely restrain myself from all of the excitement! For practice we ran the dreaded and not to mention difficult state course. There is one hill on that course that always seems to bring me down. I am going to try to overcome this hill in the next few weeks, but it is hard. Then we did one circuit and i hate them. They are difficult near the end because you are just so out of breath since you've been working at it for so long. Unfortunally, at the end of the day i realized i had rubbed the back of my ankle raw and it hurt badly. 

Ran at Sunnyside Park and did Fartlek. I had a difficult time since i had rubbed the back of my ankle raw the day before. Even with the band-aid i had placed to help it heal faster, it only aggravated it and caused it to become even bigger and to bleed into my shoe during the workout.

Ran at Shoreline Trail by the zoo. I was not feeling up to running the full workout and risking opening the cut again. Sadly, i ended up opening it up once again and making this large cave on the back of my ankle. 

Ran at the International Peace gardens. I arrived late with my friend but we found our other coach and she told us what we were doing. We ran out along the trail heading North until we hit the end of it, unfortunally we didn't get to run 25 min out that we were told to but we made it up in the park by running through other areas of the park. In total, we ran 5 miles and then did some core stuff and then step-ups.

Ran at Liberty Park. We did some speed workouts. Fridays are the toughest.

Today i ran at Sugarhouse Park with my team and got lost (as usual) on the run. It was a good thing that i got lost with my friend Patrick though. We were able to stay on the given route for the majority of it, until we took a wrong turn and headed west instead of east and back to the park the same way we began. Then we did crunches and push-ups. 

Ran at Fairmont Park. We played the penny game and ran out as far as we could for 25 minutes. The team that got out the furthest away from the park would win (coordinate wise). I ran with my friend Michelle and we didn't get too far, but that was ok. 

Did some trail running. These runs are definitely the most enjoyable ones. 

Ran two 800's as best as i could for that day. I found it quite hard since i had little sleep the night before. My first 800m was ok, but the second one was just terrible. The recovery between the two 800's was about half a mile and we had to jog it. We also had a warm up and a cool down, making it six miles for the day. I've decided i really need to get to bed early...

Ran at Sugarhouse Park.

I thought the hill workout was actually very enjoyable and that practice in general was very relaxed.

Ran at Pipeline Trail up Millcreek Canyon. I have to say, that was a pretty good run. I started out strong and kept it up- Including on the way down. That was, until i got lost and soon after found one of my friends. I really enjoy trail running, but i need to get better at finding my way back...

Today I ran at Wheeler Farm. I thought everything was fine except for the smells that were being emitted from the horse areas and hopping the fence and running through the horses. The speed workout was good but i began pushing myself when coach told me to keep up with him. I tried as best as i could, despite the pain i was having from my muscle. Anyways, no pain will stop me from running. 

I went up to Jeremy Ranch and did a Bike/Run with my team! 

 I thought it was really fun and i'm glad that i was able to go this year since i missed it last year. 

Well, the way that this went was that we ran a mile and biked a mile, etc. We had a team member too and we would trade on and off between each activity.

In the end, i ended up running 5 miles and biking another 5 miles too. It was great! 

Practice was held at Liberty Park today and we didn't run much. We ran two laps around the park, taking it really easy. We did this mainly because tomorrow we are all running races somewhere in the valley. I am going to run the Freedom 5K; i'm not going to lie- I'm pretty excited for it.  

Ran at Sugarhouse Park. We did our usual run with the cemetery loop and i finally managed not to get lost. Mainly because i stuck with two of my team members for the entire run. 

Today we had practice by the JCC. This trail has to be one of my favorites to run, especially because the return portion of the run is all downhill and you can go pretty fast on it- if you're careful, that is. It's a shame that i wasn't feeling well at all today so my time was terrible and i didn't really get the chance to enjoy it as much. Throughout the run i kept feeling really lightheaded and often tripping on rocks. I couldn't keep my balance and running became quite a challenge when it came to running next to a drop off. I almost fell twice off the trail and I lost count of the number of times i tripped and twisted my ankles coming close to falling flat on my face. Today was one of those days i probably should not have ran. I also kept feeling pain on my right hip, like right where the epiphysis of my femur is. I've been ignoring it for the past week and i think i will continue to, unless the pain worses. Overall, it was worth going to practice and running but it was tough making it down in one piece feeling the way i did. 

Today we had practice at Fairmont Park. It was a fairly easy practice. We started off with a two mile warm up, then did ten J loops and lastly a cool down. I wish i could have continued running the J loops but my ankles and leg were acting up painfully, so i was only able to do six of them. Hopefully i'll be better soon.

Today the team and I ran at Sunnyside Park. I ran with Abigail, Michelle and Nemo. We started off our run pretty well and on track, that was until we couldn't find the water fountain by the Chevron. We kept going and going. Overall, we ran 6.1 miles in one hour exactly and i didn't have any discomfort from my shins or femur.

Ran at Liberty Park with my team. We started off by doing a lap warm-up and then running past the drinking fountain, all the way back up to the starting mark for our first 800m. I ran my first 800 with a time of 3:26 and then recovered to the starting line for the second 800m. My time for the second one was 3:33; It was much slower because i think i ran the recovery quite slow. Once again i recovered and then did my third 800m. My time for my third 800m was 3:22. I did the same thing once again and ran it one last time, only i forgot what my time was for the last one. After, we ran back the opposite way through the park, on the trail, back to the drinking fountains to meet back with the rest of the team. It was a great practice and i feel like my legs are feeling better from the damage i did to them earlier this week by running dizzy. Running dizzy is like running blindly, especially while on trails and twisting your ankles on these trails with the rocks really really hurt.

Ran over at Pipeline trail with the Illinois XC team. At first it felt fairly hard because the trail started off with several switch backs and they were pretty steep and uphill, but as the run progressed, i was able to continue on and pick up my pace as i ran towards the "elbow." Sadly, I managed to twist my ankle even more than it had already been and i lost my pace right around the four mile mark. Other than that, it was a great run. I love trail runs and i think we should do them more often, that is, as long as my ankle isn't twisted.  

 Ran at Cottonwood Complex with my team. We did a warm-up, ran the course and then did a cool down. The warm-up was really easy and i kept up with a team member until my ankles just wouldn't bend-they froze. It was so painful to stretch them. Once i got back from my warm-up we began running the course while doing ladders. I eventually caught up to a couple of my team members and ran with them until we finished the course but before i finished the course i managed to pass them. Right after, we ran our cool down and called it a day. I think this is a really good course to run and practice on.

Hiked two miles with some friends at Rockport along the lake.  

Hiked another two miles but in the middle of the afternoon. We would have gone further but the sun was really getting to us- especially me. 

Ran at Sugarhouse Park with my team and we did our usual. I ran with Abigail the whole time while talking. Our final time was 51 minutes. I am proud to also announce that for the first time ever i was able to run the full course without getting lost. It felt like a great achievement. 

Ran up to the top of Emigration Canyon from Sunnyside Park and back. At first, i thought that it was going to be a difficult run and that i was going to be last but it wasn't hard and i was not last. I was however, the last one to reach the top of the canyon. In the begining, i was running with Abigail and Natalie, Bill and Dakota were up ahead along with Taylor and Ben. Amanda was behind along with the rest of the team. This was the case until we reached the mouth of the canyon. People started dying out since it was a constant uphill run to the top. I eventually caught up to Dakota and passed him. Abigail soon did too and in no time we were running together again. Then i guess i started running faster because i caught up to Amanda who had passed me before entering the canyon. Abigail soon caught up again. We all ran together for maybe ten minutes and then i guess i started running even faster because by the following time i had turned around to see where they were, they had to have been at least 1/4 of a mile back. Then i found Emily and i had asked her where the cafe was and she told me i had already passed it and to keep going until the top guys ran past us. So, i kept going and going and going. When i saw taylor, i asked him how much further and he had told me about 1/2 a mile. So i decided to run it. I was close to the end, i didn't want to quit then- it would have been senseless to quit then! Not long after, i saw Bill and Natalie. Bill told me to keep going about 1/4 of a mile more and then turn around so i did. Once i turned around, i just ran back down the canyon almost non stop. When i saw Emily at the bottom, she offered me water and i took some. I then continued running back to Sunnyside Park and then found Amanda's sister at the mouth of the canyon. I passed her and kept going. When i reached foothill, i found Raydgeen and Riley waiting for the light to turn. I ran with them for a little bit but then picked up my pace once again and reached the park. My final time for the entire run was 1:32.53.

Best run ever. =) 

Ran eight miles this morning on a treadmill early in the morning before departing for San Fransisco, California. I ran it in just under an hour.

Ran six miles on a treadmill in San Fransisco, California. At first, i was ok but about two miles in my left ankle began to kill me. I ended up pausing my run to stretch for roughly five minutes until it was completely stretched out and painless. After doing that i was able to complete my run.  

It is now day three of running on treadmills and i am begining to hate them. I feel like a hamster. This morning i went on my run for 3.00 miles and then went swimming. Later in the afternoon i went on my second half of my run to complete my six miles. The only reason that my run was split into two, was because i was told wrong-but that's ok. As long as i get my full mileage done, I don't care how it's done.  

Woke up early and ran on a treadmill again.

Was only able to run about 5 miles on the treadmill since we had a car accident late monday night/early tuesday morning and had gotten little sleep. This had to be one of the most difficult runs i had done because i was so sleep deprived. 

Ran my first day of cross country boot camp. It was really hard for me because i had gone on vacation for two weeks earlier and it just killed me. 

Ran at the track with the team. Today was a speed workout, and fairly difficult. About halfway into the workout, i began to feel really really sick. This ended up messing up my speed, and my timed mile. By the end of the workout i was wiped completely, not just because of the work i put into it but also all of the distractions i have had this week since Monday afternoon. If only anyone knew...

I went Sandboarding but in order to reach an appropriate dune, you had to hike, a lot- in the sand. The dune i went to was about 1.5 miles away. I spent roughly three hours Sandboarding. Since this is a relatively new sport, per se and not many people get the chance to practice it, there is no such thing as a lift. It's called your own two feet. The dune i chose to go to was about 200 meters high and very very steep. I ran up this hill multiple times over, as many as i could fit in, in my three hour time range i had to practice my Sandboarding. Now, to hike up this sand dune is crazy, but to run it up multiple times over, without a break except for the minute it takes you to strap on your board and go down the dune, is just down right INSANE. But hey, it's Sandboarding right? Why not? After doing all of this, it eventually became the time to head back to the parking lot. So, we started our 1.5 mile trek back to the car once again. 

Sandboarding is fun but if you mix it with running, it's even better. 

Ran with the XC team for the first part of my run and then got lost with my friend Abigail by the K-mart. Even though i was paying attention to directions today and someone had told me prior what thunderbird is, i still couldn't find the place or fountain by it. Abigail and i thought the team had taken a street right before the K-mart called Maywood, so we did. Then about halfway into that street we realized something was seriously wrong because the rest of the team was not ahead on that street and there was no bridge at the end. So, we then took a left onto 2300 East. Luckly, 2300 East meets 2000 East which has a tunnel to the other side of I-80 and since i had heard something about bridges and tunnels we decided to take it. We kept running on that road until we hit 2700 South and took a right until we hit 1500 East. Now, the intersection of 1500 East and 2700 South sounded really familiar and i believe it was mentioned in the directions we were supposed to follow so we took it and followed the normal Sugarhouse run that we normally take until we hit Sugarhouse Park where part of team had already gotten there. I must say, this was a pretty interesting run, but i really do not enjoy getting lost all the time. I think we should take a run that is a little more straightforward than having many turns and really confusing colloquial and local landmarks that i have no idea where they are located. Overall, i am willing to attempt this run once again as long as i am with someone.

Ran up at Jeremy Ranch with my XC team for a speed workout. My fastest mile time was a 6:47 and my fastest 800m was a 3:19. I would say thats pretty good for high elevation but then again i was not dying as some of my other team members were so i think i should have pushed a little bit harder. Just enough to get me really tired but not enough to get me feeling really sick. I thought this was a great workout because it really showed up how much we had progressed over the summer and gave us an idea of what our future race scores may look this fall. Overall, it was a really fun day!  

Ran the Guardsman Trail with my team in Big Cottonwood Canyon. I know i have said before that i had my heart set on certain trails like the JCC one and Emigration Canyon but now i have a new favorite. One that beats both of these trails. Its the Guardsman Trail. It's all uphill until we reach the top, really rocky, a trail run and best of all- it runs through a couple of ski resorts at high elevation. I saw The Canyons and it's lift 9990 which i hike up in the deep snow during the winter for some quality back country skiing and snowboarding! At the begining of the run, i thought to myself this is going to be a hard run but after the first mile i had passed the majority of my team and i was the third person to make it to the mile mark. Not to mention, i did start running at the end of the group... About 1.25 miles in to the run i began to see two of my team members ahead of me walking and not too long after i had to end up walking for roughly 5ft. I shortly passed them as they were having a really tough time and caught up with all the guys that had passed us when we began walking. I stayed up with them and passed all of them but Taylor for the rest of the run. On the way up, i did pass Taylor briefly but then at the next opportunity he passed me and i was not able to retrieve my spot once again. Once we reached the top and it was time to head back down, i began to pass people again. I ended up passing everyone except for Ben who ended up getting up far enough that i couldn't catch up to him. At the 6 mile mark i was begining to feel really tired from the night before since i had only had 4 hours of sleep but i decided to push harder and just get through it. After all, its just sleep. Right around the 6.5 mile mark, my coach told me he wanted me to gap the group. So i did. It actually was not as hard as i thought it was going to be. I believe that the majority of the group was 20 minutes behind in comparison to when i got there with Bill. I was so happy at the end of my run! I had actually accomplished my goal for a practice! My goal was to finish either first or second and i finished second. I was able to finish my entire run in 1:20.32. I think this season is going to be a great season for me. I can't wait to do this run again!

Ran at City Creek but i unfortunally did not get to run with my team. I instead ran with the Cottonwood team. We went out for about an hour and i didn't feel like i had actually ran enough. I had this huge guilt factor that i had to run more. The run was really easy but really painful at the same time because by the end of the run the grass had really cut up my legs and they were BURNING. I eventually figured out that they were a series of small cuts that really hurt. Overall i thought that this had been a really easy and relaxed run, but at the same time i had a hard time running with another team because i wanted to run with my team. I think i would have gotten a lot more out of the workout because there really was not much to strive for to be the best at practice. Oh well. 

Ran at Liberty Park with the team. We started off doing two laps warm-up, then we did six strides (while dodging the sprinklers) and then finished off with two laps cool down. It was a nice and very easy workout. I'm glad that it was not a speed workout because i was quite tired from the entire week.

Ran for some time at some nearby park.

Distance: UNKNOWN. 

Ran with the team up at the track for a speed workout.

It was rather hard considering i was begining to feel pretty sick while running it and i was overheating. However, i kept going because it would be considered 'slacking' if i were to sit down. All i did was push hard.

Ran with the team up at the track for a speed workout.

We started off with a one mile warm-up and then we did two mile speed changes and finished off with a one mile cooldown.

I ran my first mile at 5:02 and i didn't count the rest.

I also ran earlier this morning for a half hour.

Ran to Sugarhouse Park with the team!! 

We started off our run at the East High track and ran down 1500 East all the way down to Sugarhouse Park. Once we got to the there we dropped right down into our hill and ran it up ten times with one minute recoveries. It was one of the hardest workouts i had done in a really long time! By the time i had finished the third lap up the hill and back down, my head was throbbing!! I had to then turn to my coaches and ask them what i should do. They told me to give myself more recovery time. So, instead of taking one minute, i had to take two. That seemed to do the trick until it came to running the last two laps, but i pushed through anyways because i really wanted to complete the workout. Shortly after, we were instructed to go get some water and run back. Sadly, after taking a few sips of water i felt like i was about to faint. I then waited a few minutes for the feeling to go away and ran back with some team mates back to the track. It was really, really hot.

First race of my XC season! At first i was really excited but then i got really nervous. I was almost sure that i was going to do really well and i ended up running the worst i have ever run in my highschool XC career. I will admit that i really was not feeling quite up to par as i should have been. Earlier that morning i had began feeling rather lightheaded and felt a migraine type headache coming on. I probably should not have ran but i did anyhow. I started off the race pretty well but then i got boxed in a couple times, bringing me towards the middle of the pack. This annoyed me immensely. I kept trying to get ahead and every time that i was starting to succeed, some girl would decide to throw me an elbow (Talk about violence..). During my second lap i heard my coach instruct me to begin running some speed changes and that would get me ahead. I tried to, i really did but i was already pretty nervous and pressured enough that once i started to i felt like i was going to be sick and that would waste my time even more. As i got closer and closer to the finish line i began pushing myself more and more. So much so, that once i crossed the finish line i almost puked. Hopefully i do better next time. 

Since today was Labor Day, i ran alone on a treadmill.  

I ran for 1.59 miles as a warm-up, then i did four miles going relatively faster and then finished off with a 1.61 cool down. Overall, it felt really nice to be able to get out and run.  

Morning:

Got up really early and decided to go to morning workout, even though i am suffering a bad cold. We did a mile warm-up, then a mile of speed changes. After that, we all lined up in two lines with numbers and ran two 300s. I nearly died during the second one but at least i got through it. Then we did those team strides. I couldn't get the hang of slapping my team mates hands though... I will need to get better at that. Then we did a mile cool-down.

Afternoon:

We ran up to This is the Place Heritage Park from the track and then ran our course. It was a great way to learn where the course was and also to estimate how difficult the race was going to be. It was rather challenging running all of the course and to make matters better, i am really sore from Monday. Once we finished that, i ran back with Patrick, Michelle and Tania to the track. We stopped at two water fountains too since i was dying of thirst the whole day. Not having fluids at lunch and throughout the school day is pretty bad and very very difficult. This afternoon run was 6.32 miles. 

Since there had been no early morning practice and i was exhausted beyond belief from Tuesday, i was not able to get up to run before school.

RACE DAY!! =D

Started off by walking up to the track as soon as i got out from school and got ready to race. We all then got on the bus and left to our home course. The only problem i saw with our home course is the superlative fragrance given off from the horses at the start and finish lines. It is a rather repulsive smell and it tends to linger on one too... When it came to running my warm-up i went with the girls and we managed to run approximately a mile or a mile and a half. We kept going until someone told us we had five minutes before the start of the race. Since we had already done our cheer, we were able to make it on time and stay warmed up without wasting any valuable time. Once we were about to start, Bill noticed that there had been too many girls and that the starting line was just not wide enough for all 52 of us, so he extended the race a good amount. Right before the race, Bill mentioned to all of us that this particular race was one for fun and that really helped me. I was able to push my limits and the limits of many other girls to the point where i came out succeeding. About .75 miles into the race, the majority of our competition had begun to die off. Girls were dropping like flies and you could tell that they were really struggling. Once we hit the long, steadily increasing hill i began to hear people slow down immensely. I only pushed harder and harder until i reached the top of the hill and took it upon myself to pace myself using my watch and regain control of my breathing. I was able to catch the majority of my breath right around the time i saw my coach Bill and he told me to catch up to the Bountiful girl that was right ahead of me and pass her. Shortly after, i succeeded and she didn't put up a fight. I then caught up to my teammate Josephine and ran with her until i passed her. Unfortunally, i slowed down a little too much on the slick downhill and she caught up to me. Once the downhill was behind me, i began to gap her once again but then i came across the most annoying cyclist and just would not get out of my way!! She ended up catching up to me and we ran together for the majority of the race. I got to the point where i could not keep up with her when we were about 20 ft away from taking a right, right where the trees were. She began to out kick me and i ended up a few seconds behind. Overall, it was a really good race! It felt amazing to get out there and do so well! It paid off, even though i could hardly walk before the race and afterwards i was completely stiff and Natalie was too!

Fun Race!!

Morning: 

Super sore again, but i managed to get up for morning workout once again. We ran up to Sunnyside Park and did two full loops around it. We then did an 800 and finished that loop and went for one last loop around the park and then ran back to the track. To complete our four miles, we ran one loop around the track and then went inside the locker rooms to get ready for school and eat. 

Afternoon:

We took a very easy and light workout by running two grass laps around the track and then did ten strides across the length of the entire football field while trying not to slip and fall. Then we did two more grass laps around the track as a cool down and did our core. My abs have been so sore this week but my calves have been aching far worse. I mean they felt really tight while doing strides today and i had stretched before too! Oh well....

RACE DAY!!!!!!!!!!! =D

Ran the Murray Invitational! I was very nervous at first, but as time passed i felt better and better about the race. Once it came to be the time to start the race, the official came up to us and said it would be another 15 minutes before we could start our race....that sucked. When it came to be the time to start, we got ready -in position and the gun fired. Shortly after, the officials fired another gun because there was a massive pile-up. Unfortunally, I was tripped by them and landed on some rude West High girl. IT HURT! Not to mention, i have been having this strange pain under my knee for a few days...so it hurt even more than it should have! Two of my other team members also got trapped in this pile-up and fell also. I've learned today, that cross country is a violent sport. There is so much aggression! So many people trying to drive you off the course and throwing elbows at you....I've never had anyone try to drive me off the course until today. 

After the race, it was time for our moment in glory. The cross country team running the torch at halftime during the Homecoming game. It felt great! Especially after running a tough race just moments before! Today was great! I'm quite sad though to see that tonight was the last time i would ever get to run the torch at East.  

Went to morning practice and was only able to run one mile because i was hurting.

Went to Saturday early morning practice and began running once again. It felt great to get back out running and enjoy my run. I did a fartlek for 10 sets of one minute on, one minute off. I also did a two mile warmup around Sugarhouse Park and finished off with an inside grass lap of Suaghouse Park.

Ran four miles with Dakota since we are both still in pain. We did three laps around Sunnyside Park and ran back to the track. Then we got in a really really really cold ice bath for 15 minutes. It hurt.

Went to morning practice and did one mile warm-up and one mile speed changes. Then i did 10 strides on the field and had to walk each of them back down backwards. We finished off our morning workout with two grass laps cool down.

Afternoon:

Ran a mile warm-up and a mile speed changes, only sadly for me i was starting to hurt badly in the same region where it had been killing me a few days before and i couldn't continue. Then i went to Bill and he told me to do strides with the rest of the injured people and not even three steps into my first stride, Bill told me i was done. I couldn't continue on, so i went pool running moments after with Susannah to finish off our workout.

We did a ladder going up to five minutes and back down with one minute recoveries each time. In the middle of our workout we ended up changing lanes and it hurt so bad because we were really sore. My highest heart rate was 200. My others were all ranging from 130-164 and i had a 180 once too. We then stretched inside the pool and called it a day. 

Ran with the team up to the firehouse up on 11th ave, passing through the U campus. Since i did not know where i was going, i kept up with Susannah and Natalie until my right leg began to really hurt and i had to stop and stretch before the pain got any worse. 

Went to morning practice and since i didn't quite remember the run, i decided to follow Ben and Tomy eventually caught up to me so i ran with him for the rest of the run. We went up Sunnyside then up Guardsman, down 800 South and headed south on 1300 East until we reached Sunnyside back again and back up to the track. Then i did my core. The total was 2 miles according to Google Maps Pedometer.

Went pool running in the morning with Tomy! We did a ladder again with 1 minute off each time.

I have to say, I am not happy about my race results- at all. The race course was hard though. The sand patches were so tough, especially on my leg that was already quite painful before the race. In addition, i got out to a terrible start. My team in general did too, i could remember seeing almost my entire team at the back. Hopefully, my following races will be better.

Well, i have to say that today was an interesting day. At the start of workout, my leg had begun hurting but i kept ignoring it until the pain was truly unbearable. My leg ended up dying by the end of my first speed change for warm-up. Then i went and told Coach and he told me to do strides and i did. Halfway into practice, Gustavo ended up figuring out what was going on and he massaged it. I must admit, it was a horrible pain while it was being massaged, but afterwards it felt so much better. He then wrapped it up in tape and viola! I was able to run! It felt amazing to be able to run without pain that i ended up finishing my speed changes and i ran the perimeter of the football field multiple times without it hurting! I then finished my practice off with two grass laps around the stadium. It felt amazing to run without pain- something i have not experienced in WEEKS!

Sadly, I missed morning practice today by sleeping through my 5:15 a.m. alarm clock. Getting to morning practice lately has been so difficult with such little sleep due to my studies. My studies are very important to me and i will sacrifice sleep for them. 

In the afternoon, however i went on the run as instructed to. It was a five mile run but since i have lost some of my strength to push through runs with my leg hurting and having to do incomplete workouts, i ended up walking two portions of the run and having to stop and stretch my injured leg somewhat to lower the pain so that it is 'tolerable' to run on. I was in a lot of pain by the end. I hope that tomorrow it will be gone so i can race well! 

Was really excited to race today because it was a tri-meet and those are really, really fun! I love them! Sadly, i ended up not running it because i could feel my leg giving out only on the warm-up and it was just under two miles. I am supposed to go see a doctor according tomorrow and i really hope i do; simply stated: I'm tired of being in pain constantly. Where is the relief? For the rest of my mileage i ended up accompanying Abigail on her cool down so that i would at least push through and get some mileage in and not have today be a complete waste of time. If only certain people on our team would understand that. Something is always better than nothing unless you are severely injured. I don't plan to stop running until after regions and if i qualify-state. 

I am going to have to start running harder even if it really decapitates me if i want to take regions. It's only a few more days; six to be exact. I can do this.  

Went to early morning practice for a nice morning workout. We started off to running out to the gully, which we have not ran in almost all summer long! We did two laps around the gully and it was pitch black. You could hardly see where the trail was or anything and there often was no handrail separating the trail and the river but that running it was really fun! Even though it was fairly dangerous. Then we all ran back to the track and did 10 strides as long as the length of the soccer field. For a cool down, we did two grass laps around the stadium. This had to be one of the best morning workouts for a very long time and my leg was not hurting! Until the end, but thats ok-because it was the end of workout. 

Since we had no morning practice and my leg tends to start hurt after few miles and on Wednesday i ended up not running my race due to strong pain, i decided that it was best to not go for a shake-out run.

We were excused from school halfway through the day to begin our trip to Cedar City for our Invitational. Since i was pretty tired because i have not been getting as much sleep as i need, i ended up sleeping for about 30 minutes of the trip. Those 30 minutes may not seem like much, but it was and it felt reviving. The trip was about four hours long and by the time we arrived to Cedar High School for our Invitational, we had about 20 minutes before the start of our race. For warm-up, i took the girls around the school and ended up running around the inside of the school rather quickly while looking for bathrooms. The second the girls were done, I took them back outside. We did some strides inside the school whenever we saw a long hallway. Once we got outside, we ran back to our shady spot to get our name tags and ran to the starting line with five minutes to spare. During those five minutes, we did some strides so that we could stay warmed up and stretched whatever muscles needed to be stretched. Then this guy came forth and began explaining us the course (very badly). Then i noticed that he raised his arm and it had the gun ready to be fired. (I think most people were waiting for the regular routine of taking 'three steps back from the starting line,' and then waiting for the whistle to get up to the starting line.) I then focused on the course ahead of me and waited for the gun. The second the gun started, i went out as fast as i could without burning myself out for the rest of the race for the first 400 meters. I then began my duties of passing people and not letting anyone pass me. I strongly desired taking a good place in this race. After the first 800 meters of the race, most people began to die off so it began to become an easier task to pass people. Eventually i got myself all the way up to 11th place and then up to 10th!! I held up my 10th place for the last mile of the race until this one girl outkicked me in the last 300 meters of the race. I was not happy because the top ten get medals and i was eleventh... It felt like a mediocre spot to be in. Eventually, everyone got me to realize that it was not so bad to have gotten 11th place because to begin with it was out of roughly 120 girls and because i have been relatively injured for many weeks now. My time was 22:14. After my race i took the girls on a cool down and then took some of the varsity girls and give them tips about the course while they warmed up while i cooled down. Then we went out for a pizza dinner and i got congratulated by many people and many parents at that restaurant for my performance at the race! Team dinner at this restaurant was really fun along with the bus ride back! I loved this meet!  

Since i was not able to go to practice since i had a vital appointment scheduled then, I didn't do my workout with the team. Instead, my coach, Bill came to Brighton's track to give me my workout and he was kind enough to run it with me so it would feel easier. I started off by running from my apartment up to the track, which is about half a mile away and then continued on running on the track for two more laps for my warm-up. Then i started off my mile of speed changes! By the time i was half way done through my speed changes though, my legs began to kill. I finished my speed changes and then proceeded to stretch them. It felt much better after, but i was still in pain and thats something that is unavoidable considering my current physical condition. I then began to start on my two 400s and two 200s. My first 400m i finished it in 1:41 and then 1:42. My first 200m i did it in 42s and the last one i did it in 41s. Then, i went on to the field and did strides on the football field to the second 40 meter mark. I did five of those. To finish off my workout, i ran a mile on the track for cool down. Overall, it was a great speed workout!

Today we went to the Utah Food Bank to give back to our community for almost two hours! We sorted through strawberries and thew out the ones that were spoiled and crawling. Rotten food is disgusting. After, we went to the Murray River Park and ran two miles. It was great! I'm ready for tomorrow!!

REGIONS TOMORROW!

Today was REGIONS!!! We started off by warming up for about 15 minutes under the hard rain and then found a spot in between some trees and tried to keep our heart rates up by doing some core. Then, we quickly ran to the finish line and listened to instructions because there had been some course alterations. After that, we were instructed to take off our sweats and continue warming up. Two minutes later, we found ourselves at the start of the line, waiting for the gunshot to start off our race! I got off with a great start!! I managed to keep it until i hit the first hill since i have not done hills in a very long time. Every step of the way, i listened to Bill as best as i could. I do recall staggering on listening in two situations but then i just pushed hard and went for it and it worked! I loved every minute of this race! I managed to pass quite a few girls during my race and then i ended up behind Amanda. I tried to pass her in the last 400 meters of the race but i sadly ran out of ground and couldn't quite out kick her and definitely was not able to catch the girl in front of her. There was so much rain during the race and the grass was so slippery!! As soon as we crossed the line, we got the news. Then, Susannah and i went on our own cool down and later walked over to the Awards Ceremony. I also got a new P.R! It was 21:19.3!

WE ARE THE 2010 REGION CHAMPS!!!

Today our coach let us pick where we could run as long as it was an 8 mile long run! Susannah, Amanda, Abigail, Natalie and I ended up running to up to Legacy bridge and then we traversed through the U and reached a trail head. We then ran heading North on the trail and ended up by the JCC. We passed the JCC and later reached 11 Ave. We then ran close to the fire house and turned back taking the Shriner's way back to the school. Then, to complete our mileage we ended up running a lap around the track and an additional 100 meters.

Had a speed workout at liberty park! We started off by running 1.5 warm-up and then decided on running a one mile, two 800s and then another mile. My first mile i finished it in 6:58. My first 800m i finished it in 3:20. Then i had to leave for an MRI... I intend on finishing my speed workout tomorrow morning after Pipeline at the track here at Brighton High School, since my mom didn't let me finish my run because it was dark.

Went to run up at Pipeline trail!! We went out 5 miles to the overlook and then came back! Finally, another trail run! These runs are the best ones because they are more challenging in some ways. The only aspect that i do not like would have to be all of the rocks. In fact, my right hip is hurting right now due to a rock. I really hope it goes away within the weekend. 

The run went really well overall, except for further injuring myself... I managed to complete my run in 1:17!! The last two to three miles of my run i kept up with Rj and Scott until I eventually passed Rj and continued on by myself. However, before then while i was running with Abigail and Maggie, i encountered a TARANTULA. It was gross and we screamed and thats how Scott and Rj found us. I think Amanda was with them too but i can't remember. After, i finished the trail portion of the run, i continued running to complete my ten miles for the day. It felt great to be done! 

So, today i went to the doctor and found out that i have several stress reactions and that i really should not be running unless i really want to have a stress fracture develop in the next week or so. He also said that i could only cross train and run States, but only run minimal mileage. That afternoon i was told to go do a pool workout and so i did. I went for 5 minutes warm-up and then went for 3 minutes on, one minute off ten times. For a cool down, i went for another 5 minutes and then did some stretches while i was still in the pool. 

I made sure that when i was on, i ran as fast as i could. The closer i got to completing my workout for the day, the tougher it became to finish strong. (At least i know i got something out of my workout, since pool running has never really felt very effective.) 

Since i could not make it to practice due to the fact that i had to complete a project with others, I called my coach to see what he would like me to do for a workout. He told me to go on the Eliptical for approx. 40 minutes. When i first got on the machine, i entered all appropriate information and then began at a 3.5 mile per hour pace. Once i warmed up, i went faster and faster just to see how fast i could go. Then, the curiosity intensified even more to see if i could keep up an even faster pace of 6.5 miles per hour- which became difficult after six or seven minutes. I tried to keep my pace up there but i am pretty sure it ended up averaging out to about 6 miles per hour. I guess it is not bad for an Eliptical workout! I most definitely kept my heart rate up during the duration of my workout. I finished it off with a five minute cool down (even though i should have done ten) so i would not be too far up from the forty minutes i was supposed to do. By the time i got off, my tibia's affected area was throbbing considerably, but definitely not as much as after a long run for practice. Today did not feel like a waste!

Went on another pool workout/run but this time with Sarah and Rebecca! We did a started off with a five minute warm-up and then proceeded on to our ten sets of one minute on, one minute off. Too bad Swim practice was going on, forcing us to change lanes multiple times! After a while it got really annoying; we managed to change three lanes in a span of 10 minutes! Once we finished, i led the girls and myself to finish off with a five minute cool-down.

Had to drive all the way to the creepy International Peace Gardens on the west side of town. I really dislike this part of town because of the number of hobos around. I waited around for the team for almost an hour with my coach Emily and we talked. Once the team got back we all did core together and stretched. There were certain core positions that really did NOT feel pleasant on my injury. It hurt!!! Surprisingly, the step-ups we did were not as aggravating to my injured tibia as some of the other core.

This was my crucial workout. If i didn't run this well, i was not going to see myself running States. Not running States would feel like the end of the world for me considering the fact that i have been running on an injury for a month until i collected some courage to go see what was really wrong with me. My doctor cannot seem to see how i can run and disguise my pain so well. I guess its because i just choose to ignore and push through the pain as best i can.

Well for today we started off with a lap around Wheeler Farm while AVOIDING the horse cages and having to hop fences to get around. Then we started on our Fartlek!! We had to do a one minute on, one minute off- ten times. We had to do two sets of these and in between the sets we were allowed to have a five minute rest period. For almost the entire workout, i kept up with Abigail but then i lost it during the last three minutes. I am not proud of that and i feel like i should have pushed myself even harder and kept up with her until the end. Then we all did as a team a cool down and it happened to be another lap around Wheeler Farm. Oddly, by the time we were done i was feeling quite lightheaded but it could have been the high heat-80F. I can't believe that this was the last speed workout of the season. It went by so fast.. I wish i could relive it once more! I am very excited for State and determined to preform/run my best! I hope to P.R too!! =]

Did weights in the weight room for about an hour. Since i'm injured and have to stay off my tibia, i did five machines for upper body- three reps, eight times each.

Since i still can't run for another month minimum, i went to the gym with Patrick to do weights and use the bike. I used several machines, while very sore and then hopped on the bike for nine miles set with a tension of six. Workout was hard since i was sore.