Well I didn't think I'd make it this far....

AM: Today I met Bill, Dakota, Caden, Faysal, and Chris for an interval workout at Jeremy Ranch. We met at Cowboy Gub and then carpooled up. We started out with a mile warm up, then 3 X 1-mile repeats with a half mile recovery in between. Chris and I were to hit 5:15 ish but no slower than 5:20. The first one is the easiest with almost no hills, the second repeat has mainly longer incline hills, and the last one has two really steep hills. the first Chris and I hit 5:06, exactly about what I thought we'd hit. I was trying to find pace and that felt like a solid effort. The next one, I focused on giving the same effort and using arms and turnover on the hills, but we came in at 4:56, so we must have been feeling good because I honestly gave the same effort. The last one is the hardest, and I pushed this one, mainly the flats between hills, then just focusing on turnover and form on the hills. We came in at 5:09, which was around what I thought we'd hit. Then we turned and ran the five miles back as a normal run. 

It was a good workout and a great morning for the workout. Perfect temps with the softer surface of the road made for a great and fast workout. It went by pretty quickly.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/220986642 

AM: I have eluded sickness for a while now, but it finally caught me. I was throwing up during the night and when I woke up I thought I felt good enough to go for my run. I was wrong. I got through two miles before I was feeling incredibly nauseous. Looks like no school for me today :/

PM: After my morning run, the head aches started. It was like the stomach aches and head aches were taking turns. I managed to eat a bowl of soup and some cantaloupe for lunch, but it still wasn't very much food. I took several naps during the day and by about 5 I felt good enough to run. Surprisingly, my stomach held up pretty well. It definitely was not as strong as usual, but it gave me very little to worry about. My head had stopped hurting earlier. I did the workout the team was doing on my own. 3-2-1 mile tempos at three minutes slower than Murray, so a pace just enough to get the heart rate going, with a half mile recovery in between. On my two mile warm up, my Garmin died so I had to stop at my house and get my phone. I hit all my times spot on, but I had to put more effort into them than I would have if I wasn't sick, which I believe was due to the fact that I had eaten almost nothing all day. My goal times were 19:20, 12:56, and 6:25. I hit 19:21, 12:54, and 6:25. Usually on these workouts I aim for faster than my goal, but today just getting them was more than enough. Afterwards I did a mile cool down and had 10 for the afternoon. 

I am proud of myself for getting this workout in. 

AM: Morning practice today. We did a mile warm up and speed changes, then we did our 4 X 400-200 chase workout. I was paired with Chris and started off with the 200. On the first one I think I started sprinting to hard right off the line to catch Chris, and I strained my right hip right where I had done so twice over the summer. Great. My 400's were 67, 68, 68, 66 and my 200's were 28, 31, 31, 20. It was on the 200's where I could really feel my hip. We finished the workout and did however much cool down for 4.5 miles.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/222103767

PM: My hip has been really agitated all day, and at practice it only got worse. I was trying my hardest to watch each step as to not aggravate my hip more, but it was killing me. First day after straining it is always the worst. So I was only able to do the teams 2.5 mile workout in preparation for tomorrow's race. Now I get to make up mileage later in the week! :D:D:D:D 

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/222103765 

AM: Went on and easy 3.5 miles this morning. My hip feels strong but definitely still agitated. Since I am concentrating so much on my stride so I won't aggravate my hip, I am using more muscle groups than I normally do, so now my right hamstring is really sore. Greaaaattt!

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/222103763

PM: After arriving at the race, I did my usual shakeout, then closer to my race I started my warm up, then half way through my warm up I picked up the Varsity guys and we went for some more warm up. I got a total of 5.25 miles warm up/shakeout.  

Of course, today wasn't an actual race for me, but I just had to run hard enough to win. The team' goal was to win the trophy, so the race was a tactical one. My biggest concern was just going to be not aggravating my hip anymore than it already is, plus keeping my hamstring at bay. After some strides at the line we started. There were the usual sprinters who go out way too fast, but going up the first hill there was just three of us: Ryan, Chris, and I. I know the both Chris and I are faster than Ryan, so this race would just be about keeping the pace faster than I knew Ryan could handle. On a side note, I was feeling particularly sluggish today; I only got 2.5 miles at yesterday's afternoon practice, so I am way over tapered for something I shouldn't have any taper whatsoever for. Plus, I was racing this while focusing on my hip and hammy. So consequently, I was never able to break Ryan. He stayed with Chris and I the entire race. I would try to throw in a surge to gap him, but I just couldn't get myself to. We were hovering in the 5:30's range for splits, so we were going pretty slow. 

Coming through the bridge and onto the grass loop for the last time, we were still in the same positions. I was leading with Chris right next to me, and Ryan right on our heels. Coming off the downhill ridge, Ryan surged and passed both of us. That was a smart move by his part. I was holding back on the downhill to keep my hip at bay; Ryan noticed and made a commanding surge. Well anyway, I just passed him back like 30 meters later and Chris went with me. Once I made that move I could finally get my legs moving a little faster, and once I saw Bill on that last stretch, I was able to pick it up even more. Chris and I both somewhat kicked and finished strong. We ended up opening about a ten second gap on Ryan. 

Afterwards, we went on a cool down, did some core and strides, and played sharks and minnows the last bit as a team. I got to 2 miles cool down to put me at 14 for the day.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/222103760 

AM: Morning practice today. We went on an easy 3 out and back towards Shriners. Abigail stayed with us which was good. it was a nice, easy morning run.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/223883650

PM: Today we ran over to the gulley, where met at the little clearing right after the entrance to hear our workout. We did 10 X 1on/1off in the park, with an extra lap in the gulley afterwards, then back to the school. An uneventful, yet not boring workout. My hip is feeling stronger, although now my main worry is my hamstring. It is feeling very tight, almost like it wants to cramp on every step. Once it warms up thought, it isn't as bad.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/223883631 

AM: Since I only got 7 miles on Tuesday, I need to make up some miles so that I won't have to cram on Saturday, too much. So I went on an easy five mile run on my own this morning.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/223883597

PM: I was really late to practice today because I had to make up a test, but I did the workout after most people had finished. A mile warm up, two miles speed  changes, then two miles cool down for 5 miles. Then I took an ice bath and later at home I stretched my hammy.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/223883582 

AM: After arriving and seeing Natalie for the first time in ever, I went on my shakeout. I forgot my Garmin, so I was using Sam's Garmin. I did a two miles shakeout with about two and a half hours to my race. Then once it was closer to my race, I went on a warm up with the Varsity guys. I got two miles with them, then another mile and some just with Chris. I hurried to put on my spikes, then headed over to the line. 

The official would blew the whistle and all the guys would towed the line, but then they called us back because someone's foot was on the line. They did that twice, which was annoying. Finally they started us. I got out quite poorly. My hip and hamstring are feeling the best they have since I originally strained them, but when I go to a sprint from a standing position too quickly, I aggravate my hip and I didn't want to do that today. So, consequently, I was right in the middle of the pack and had to work the first mile to get in the position I needed. I hit a 5:10 first mile, and was in about 9 or 10 at this point. I continued working on the guys in front of me and manged to pass another 3 guys by the time we hit the track for mile two. Going into the last mile I was closing on the guy ahead of me and passed him right before the sharp right turn going up toward the baseball field. The next guy was a bits aways from me, but I fought the last mile to close the gap and did, but was never able to pass him. I didn't have very much kick, but had opened up a large gap from the next guy behind me so that cushioned my finish to a strong 5th place.

This race I sort of hovered. I did okay place wise and fought the race, but I could have been a lot higher up. This has been a tough week. I have had three set backs and have been feeling sluggish all week, I think because of two reason. A: I had a flu at the beginning of the week, followed by my hip and hamstring being strained. B, I hit lower mileage this week, and didn't hit it the way I should have, so consequently I am feeling really sluggish. 

I didn't get to do any cool down afterwards, which sucked. After I got home I ate and passed out. My mom barely woke me up with enough time to get to work. By the time I got off work around 10 ish, I was exhausted and come closer than I did all summer to not going for my run, but still managed to get myself out the door. I did the six miles I needed to hit 80 this week. Bleh :/

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/223883562