Keep Calm and Run On

Gorgeous recovery run today. We drove up the canyon and ran on a trail by South Fork. It was the same run we did on my recruiting trip last year that we got lost on. This year, coach printed out maps for each of us to run with. I ran with a group of 6 girls and we finally figured out the loop coach wanted us to run. It was so beautiful! The trees were all changing colors and it was a great run.

5 miles in the morning and 8 before dinner. I felt pretty good because yesterday was easy. I felt sore from weights though.

Odd but I loved today's workout. All day I was dragging, really tired and not looking forward to a hard workout. We ran to the track and ran 2 miles warm up. Coach didn't tell us the whole workout but told us as we went. We wore out spikes and ran 1 400 on the grass (a 75). Then we got 10 minutes rest before running an all out mile on the track in our flats. When I heard that, my stomach dropped and I was having a lot of flashbacks of racing the mile on this track.... not the most pleasant thing. But it is super cool now be on the same team as my competitors. I ran a couple laps and did speed changes until we started. Our first lap was 73. The second lap I felt like we slowed down but I was stuck behind the leaders. One girl broke out and sped up. 800 was 2:29. I am not sure what the third lap was, but at the 300 I moved out wide to kick and finish. I was 3rd and ran a 4:59. It is crazy to think what I spent weeks trying to break I can now run in a workout. Then we finished with 7 400's on the grass at 76. I felt so good on these and ran 75-76. Then I ran 5 miles cool down before weights and a 10 minute ice bath after. I loved today's workout because I pushed hard and it felt good to push hard. It was also very similar to what I ran in high school and that was way nice.

5 miles in the morning and 7 in the afternoon. Felt pretty good, my calves were sore though.

Woke up this morning and my legs felt like they were layered with bricks... We ran to Rock Canyon School fields for a threshold run around the grass. We ran more warm up laps than usual which was amazing because I got to run straight back to the school after we were done! We ran 15 minute threshold (2.5 miles) I liked how we didn't start crazy fast and were able to pick it up each lap. My legs felt tired but I felt fine running with girls and not working by myself.

Awesome run today. I was home for the weekend and got to run with the East team! We ran at my favorite trail- Pipeline. It was a cool fall morning, but the leaves were gorgeous and it felt good to run with the team again.

Workout at the intramural fields. We ran 400, 800, 400, 800, 400. It should have been a workout I could handle fine but my legs were so. Dead. They felt really heavy, tired, tight and like I had been racing the past couple days. They never warmed up or felt better, I just had to hang onto the group and plod my way through. It was really frustrating. I love the speed workouts where I can push myself into pain that feels good. I felt like I couldn't push today. My 400's were at 77 and 800's 2:40. I hope to get my legs recovered and better by my race.

A.M. run I felt a lot better. My quads were really tight and sore in my afternoon run so i got in the ice bath for 15 minutes.

Easy run in the morning before leaving for WI.

Today we went and ran the course. This course was made specifically for cross country and I had heard it is like the Celestial Kingdom for runners... ha. It is a pretty nice course though. It is wide and the fall leaves goregous. I had to admire them today when I am not racing. My legs feel really good and I am excited to race tomorrow.

Well this race was a good experience. It's crazy that it is only my second college race because I raced so much in high school. I ran a mile this morning before breakfast and felt great, just cold. I wanted a longer warm up because it was cold so I ran 3 on the course and got in a few strides at the line before beginning. The race was really big- 48 teams and 327 girls all to elbow and race. The first mile of the race was fun. We were packed tight and it was entertaining to throw some elbows and jostle around for position. My first mile was 5:32- right where I wanted to be. I had to pick it up and push with the girls around me for the next few loops to the 3k. My 3k split was 10:22-faster than I was planning on and coach had said the second half of the race goes even faster. The second half of the race, I felt weird. I didn't feel like I was running that fast and felt like I was slowing down. I wasn't fully there and racing. I was hanging out with girls around me and trying to pass when I would settle but I didn't feel as sharp mentally to be racing. I think a big part of this was, the race was so big, I couldn't see anyone from my team so I didn't have anyone to chase or work up to. I think someone yelled 17:15ish by the 5k (which is a new PR!) And I realized my season goal of breaking 21 in the 6k might be checked off. The finish was uphill and the longest finish of my life. I was so tired but reminded myself every person in a point and counts. I am thrilled with my time- I guess that is the reason I am so tired now. I ran 6 miles cooldown with the team.

This morning, we woke up at 5:30 to get our run in before we left. It was pitch black and rainy. My calves were really tight and I was so tired. Luckily my body knows how to run because the rest of me was still asleep.

A group of us met for a recovery run before weights. We ran Carterville. I wasn't super sore just tired overall.

Interval workout on the fields by the track today. We ran 15x400 at 85 pace. I was relieved to hear it wasn't a fast workout but more of a pacing one. So I had to strategically place myself to the back of the pack so I wouldn't be the one to run faster. I felt pretty good, they didn't hurt bad but made me tired. I finished 8 and later ran another 5 miles.

Today was awesome! I got to go to the state meet and cheer (great job everyone!) It was so weird to be going to the meet and running after with all the girls who were my competition last year, but definitely more fun. It was way weird that I wasn't racing though I felt so nervous I felt like I was. I ran all over cheering and after did my run. It felt so good to be running in Salt Lake again- I've missed all my runs!

My lab got out way early today so I got to run 4 miles before my test which felt great. Later my 6 miles were really long. I felt super tired and way out of it. Hopefully I feel better for workout tomorrow.

Today we ran at the track. I ran 2 miles warm up and then we started with an all out mile. Again. Great. That always make me really nervous especially because I have been super tired. I actually ran even splits- 75, 2:30, 2:45- and finished with a 4:59. I did not feel alert and pushing but I was just running to finish and be under 5. We got a really long recovery then ran 2xmile repeats on the grass and track. We ran 5:52 and 5:50. Those felt better because they were at a pace that hurt but was manageable to hold.

Split my run today between studying. I ran 5 miles then another 4 with some people in my ward.

Workout at Rock Canyon Park today. We ran 5x700's around the field (700? Yeah weird.) I felt good for the first one but was tired by the end... usual Monday slump. We ran 2:31, 2:32, 2:30, 2:29 and 2:27. Luckily we finished our workout early because the wind really picked up on our cooldown. I am really excited to taper this week!

Today I woke up feeling kind of sick. All morning I felt like puking and wasn't sure if I should run. But it was a recovery run so I ran with the group on the Carterville route. I felt ok in the run. I never puked but my stomach hurts so hopefully I will feel better tomorrow.

Workout at the intramural fields today. We ran 6x400's at 80. (though we hit 78-79 every time) I felt tired and after finishing miles I took a 10 minute ice bath.

Recovery run to the cemetery before leaving for Portland.

We ran the course today in Portland. The race is at a park. We run the same loop 3 times before finishing 100 meters on the track. It's pretty flat and open so it will be easy to see runners in the race. It was rainy and wet so tomorrow will be muddy!

And I was right- we ran a very wet and muddy race. It rained early this morning and all during my warm up and I was splattered with mud by the end and my spikes got the true cross country initiation. I got a good 3 mile warm up and felt good, just really nervous. We started on the field in the middle of the track. We had to start again because a girl fell in the chaos of wet slippery mud and I didn't get as good of a start the second time. I spent the first part of the race moving up into position with the San Fran girls. (and laughing when I saw some girl shoving with her shoulders in the first 400 meters for position...)The first loop went by really quick and I was in a good spot- stride for stride with the taller SF girl. I was dreading the second loop because it is usually hard but I still felt really good. I was right in the front of the pack with a LMM, Portland and 3 San Fran girls. It felt good and I just knew the last lap would be a lot faster and harder- and it was. I was fine until we ran down off the field and into the last 800 meter loop. The group started pulling away and I was struggling to stay with them. We all started kicking and I was determined to get at least one girl. I passed one girl before the track and down the final stretch passed another girl to finish 4th with a 20:38. And it must have been a good kick- the girl I passed told me I have a bad a-- kick... :) Fourth place is better than I thought- I had no idea I would with the front pack for that long. Now as I look back though I am kind of mad. I was only 3 seconds behind the winner. 3 seconds. And I felt so good for the first few miles. During the second loop, I thought "take the lead and pick it up" but immediately decided it was would be too scary because it is a college race and they would definitely pass me. So I sat. I am mad I couldn't gut it out the last part because I had stuck with the top group for the whole race. I don't know if I will have another race like this but I got to stop letting college racing intimidate me. So I will be back next year in the front to win it.

Carterville run today. I started feeling sick yesterday and my throat hurt the whole run. I wasn't very sore just very tired.

Today was an awesome run because I got to run with the East team! I was in Salt Lake for a family party so I ran with them. We ran to Sugarhouse and they did hills (I ran laps instead) I have missed running with boys- come to Provo Tomy and run with me! Even if you are now way faster.... I have missed running in Salt Lake and my team.

Our workout today was 800's. But because I am sick (along with 3 other girls) I just did a run to get miles in. Once I started my run I was glad I wasn't doing the workout because I was not feeling good. We did new stuff in weights today that will make me sore so I took an ice bath for 10 minutes.