The Renegade

Today was the first official track practice, so it was a little different. I jogged an 800 before and then after the whole team meeting and segregation of the event groups, we did a mile warmup with a standing warmup and stretches. The workout I did was 4x400m @ 79 w/ 400m jogs + 6x200m @ 39 w/ 200m jogs. It was really supposed to be 8 200s but when I started the workout I thought it was 4 200s, so I did those and was already feeling like crap and when I found out there were four more I decided to cut it at six. 

Splits:

400s- 79, 82, 80, 77

200s- 37, 40, 38, 36, 40, 38

The whole thing was done continuously, so I was never not moving. It really started to get tough once the 200s came around, especially after I had ran the 4th one all out and found out I still had some more. Afterwards I did a mile cooldown on the infield, which felt super long. Then 4 100m strides on the turf barefoot, and then hip drills, then weights. I went heavier than I ever have on the bench, so as I'm writing this (the next day) I'm feeling kind of sore. The weather was nasty today. It was snowing and just got worse throughout practice. 

Recovery run on the river trail, all the way to the end and then around the golf course and the fairgrounds. A little while after turning around I started to feel like crap, but that's kind of to be expected. I just took the ACT and I didn't get very hydrated. Strides afterwards. 

Tempo day. I just did a two mile tempo just to keep this week a little easier still. We ran to the normal spot, and after doing the regular warmups we started. I ran it in 12:41, so that was actually a little too fast, but I didn't feel like I was going way over my lactic threshold, at least not as much as the 3 mile last week. Then we ran back, did strides, and a got in a solid weight session. 

Recovery run down to Woodruff and then Golf Course loop. I actually didn't feel too bad, despite getting 5 hours of sleep last night and forgetting my water bottle. But I did sleep 13 hours the night before, so that must have had a late effect, seeing that I didn't feel too good yesterday. The run was followed by some barefoot strides, which felt good. Fartlek tomorrow on the cross-country course, so i'm actually excited about that. 

Workout on the XC course today. It was a fartlek, so 3 x 3min hard w/ 2 min easy and then going right into 3 x 2min hard w/ 1 min easy. I really enjoyed this, and it was good to have a workout the really gives you a break mentally. My blister was only bothering me a little bit and like always I couldn't feel any shin pain. When we got backs to the school I did some hip drills and lifting, but not as much today. Later after my brother's musical I took the band-aid off my foot and the top of the bister was ripped, so we'll see if I can run tomorrow, but that was probably good for it.

1 hour easy in a loop through the island and river heights. I actually felt pretty good and relaxed. I thought it was going to suck. The weather was amazing, like a typical spring evening. I was planning on stopping by woodruff to do some strides on my way back, but my stomach was bothering me so I ran straight home. I did a few pickups in the last half mile to replace them.

Solid day. We did the 8 x temple hill workout again or at least a few of us. Basically just Johnny and Kristin and I and a few other girls. Before track I ran a mile barefoot on the turf and it felt pretty dang good. Then after the team meeting we jogged up there and did the workout. It didn't feel any harder than last time. Times were: 

31.47,     38.50,     38.00,     36.40,     35.93,     36.91,     36.77,     33.41.    Avg- 35.92

I ran the whole workout with Johnny, and that was nice to have somebody to run it with. I was super surprised when I ran that 31. I geuss I was ist excited to get going but I'm pretty sure it would have a lot harder he first time I did this workout. I brought my average down too, which is expected for a workout done every other week. We jogged back and then did 100s w/ 300 jogs in 14.51, 15.69, 14.66 and I missed the last one. Then 100s on the turf barefoot. (I did all the strides with Jack.) Then we did the usual hip drills and weights. The weather was really phenomenal today too, so I'd say it was the best track practice yet. 

Good day again today. It was beautiful weather and I felt okay too. Before practice I did a two mile loop abround Willow Park, and then for the main run I ran to First Dam w/ Jack. We took it at a real chill pace, but it was great because then I could get in the volume and still make it sort of a recovery day. After that I ran some 200s with Mark, the first one being part of his 400. Times were 34.42, 31.72, 28.86, 29.5. They a felt pretty good except for maybe the last one. The 34 felt really controlled, like I could have gone and done 3 more of those, which would be an 800 PR, and that was after a lot of miles. Makes me pretty confident for Thursday, even if I am racing the 2 mile also. Finally 4 100s on the turf, which felt good as always. We are doing starts tomorrow, and that should be fun.

Pre-meet day. Did some miles warming up and then a bunch of waterfall starts and strides. Then I did maybe a mile cooldown. 

Long day, but pretty satisfying overall. I started out by jogging 3 laps about 45 minutes before the two mile. I felt pretty tight in the shins, but I had Jack stretch them and they felt better, but they were still pretty sensitive in some parts up until I raced. I did some more warming up later, but I didn't really get a chance to do strides or stretches. 

3200m- 11:38 PR

This was pretty dang dissapointing. I started super fast with Keith in maybe a 73, so way quick. I told Keith we should slow down, but he didn't listen. He has the wrong race strategy for the two mile. Anyways I spent most of the race maybe 80 meters behind him, but then I started reeling him in the last 600m and finished it 2 seconds behind him. If he hadn't started his really late kick I would have caught him! Oh well, it just frustrates me that I've been running so many miles and I'm still not as fit as I was arobically during cross country. 

Did some more jogging after that. During the mile, Jack was in the lead and looking pretty good. I went into the rec center to fill my water bottle and when I came out he was nowhere in sight on the track. Turns out he collapsed at 1200m. He was out for five minutes and he ended up getting loaded on an ambulance. We'll how he's doing but I don't know if he'll run again. 

800m- 2:12 PR

Very satisfied with this race. My splits were approximately 30, 34, and then a 68 400m. The start was so fast. I don't know what I was doing! Maybe if I had made the 400 splits a little closer than I would have ran that faster. I was basically right behind the three Ogden guys that beat me up until 200m then I died off. I really started feeling the pull back as soon as I hit 400. It hurt but I learned from it, and I PR'd by six  seconds!

Some more jogging and strides. 

4x400m Split- 58.83 ​PR

This race got me so energetic! I started out on my leg and I felt really good, and it didn't really start to hurt until the last 100. My team was Johnny, Jake, me, and Mark. Splits were 52.19, 59.46, 58.83, and 58.13. I was inpressed with Johnny running a 52 seeing that he ran a 51 earlier. So that was automatic PR since I've never race it before. I could probably run like a 56 if didn't race before then, so that was a huge confidence booster.

2.5 mile cooldown with Mark and then strides.

Well I geuss today was my long run but it's okay to switch it up sometimes. I woke up this morning with a heck of a knot in both my calves. But with a little massaging they felt better. Half day today so we just met at first dam in the afternoon for a run up the canyon. I told myself I was going to go at my own pace strictly so that's what I did, trailing behind Coach Strand and Mark and Vickie. Then I caught up to Vickie and ran with her till we turned around. It got really muddy as we got higher up the canyon, and we ended up turning around, but not after going for 50 or so minutes. On the way back I went by feel and ran alone at a good pace all the way back. I felt pretty good the second half, but only because it was all downhill. Well tomorrow I'll run seven probably and hopefully I can get get the soreness out of my calves.

I woke up this morning and my calves were even more sore than yesterday. All that racing in spikes on Thursday must have really done a number on me. So I decided that if it was only going to get worse from running I should take two days off instead of one after this week. 

Rough day today and it was all my fault for not getting enough sleep last night. Th workout was 4x1000m w/ 400m jog in 3 min rest + 4x400m w/ same rest + 4x150m w/ 250m jog, full recovery in between segments. I had a fairly tough time, but then again Ks always suck. I'll lay down the times first.

1000s-    3:33,    3:36,    3:39,    3:45,

(9:25 recovery)

400s-    82,    85,    76,    74

(5:44 recovery) 

150s-    20.8,    23.1,    23.6,    24

The first two I ran with a good little pack of guys, but by the last 1000 it was just Davis running with me and he ran the whole workout by my side, which is nice but I was surprised with how fit he was on 1 week of track, the only running he's done since cross-country. If he trained solid he would go places. Anyways the 1000s sucked but the 400s and 150s were alot easier. Except that I'm pretty sure my form sucked on the sprints. After  I finished I was pretty delusional and couldent really walk straight or talk very well. I've learned my lesson about sleep that's for sure. I'll probably feel tired tomorrow too.

Premeet. I felt so tired at I could only jog less than three miles plus some strides in my spikes. I think I'm sick or something. But hopefully tomorrow I feel better.

Okay meet today. I didn't get a ton of warming up in before the mile, and I geuss I should have. I didn't feel to energetic but I felt better then yesterday. The mile felt okay actually. I led the race for te first 150 meters before I got overtaken by a pack of Sky View guys. Then there was one kid that I held on to for the whole race and that's how I ran it. I was still on his shoulder come the finishing chute and I was battling it out with him so I let out my ferocious scream and scared the crap out of this kid, plus let me kick it into high gear. The rest of the meet I just relaxed and ran the medley and the 4x4, which in both of them I sucked pretty bad. But oh well, I got a two second PR today. 

Post-meet run up the canal trail. I really just didn't feel jazzy, but hey it's an off week. When I got back I did some strides, iced, and maybe did some hip drills, too.

Amother premeet today. Felt better than the premeet on Tuesday but I was kind of tight. We did a short mile warmup before we did our strides because of the soccer game, and then got on the track and I busted out some 200s in 34, 28, 34, 30. The first one I did by myself and the next three were with Keith and Isaac. Then we all cooled down together, three miles for me.

So we left the school at 6:30 and and got to the meet on West Jordan at around 8. I waited in the restroom line for what felt like almost an hour and then chilled for a little bit longer, then jogged a mile to shake out some of tightness and that helped out. Then maybe two hours later the first call for the mile came so I got my stuff and then did my warmup with Mark and Coach. I had a good comfortable amount of time to stretch while the first two heats were going on, so that was great. Then my race finally came and I was stuck in the back for starting. So of course I had to start out pretty timidly so I didn't get spiked. The good thing is that I never got boxed in. I tried to run a smart race. There was a headwind in the homestretch, so I made sure to do most of my passing on the opposite side. I also tried to pull it off before the curves. My splits were 75,79,79,75, so that's not bad. I felt like I had a little more strength in the third lap, so that's why it wasn't the slowest. My finishing kick was weaker, and I'm kind of mad about that because if I really sorinted it in then I would have shaved at least a second off my time. That was my only race so after a grueling 3 mile cooldown plus strides and hip drills, I got to relax the whole seven hours after that.

I chose the absolute craziest time weather wise to get some extra miles in today, but I ran two miles during seventh, soaking wet by the end, and then after it had cleared up a bit another half mile with Johnny. I  felt better than I did any day last week, so I think this weeks going to be a lot better training wise and racing wise. After we had our little team meeting in the gym coach told us to stay inside and run, but that he "wasn't going to tell us any more and was leaving". So that gave a few of us the signal to go outside to do our planned workout anyways. Mine was the temple again, along with Johnny and Isaac, so we headed out there. This time it was nine reps, so that made it a little harder. The workout just didn't go as good as I thought it would, but I think that part of it is from racing on Saturday and only having a day to recover. I'll lay down my times:

38,    37.2,    37.5,    38.2,    36.4,    36.5,    37.7,    38.3,    38.3

It went pretty consinstently the same through all the reps until the last two, where close to the end I felt like I had no drive whatsoever and that there something pulling me back and downwards, stronger than just gravity. I just felt really really sllow on the last par tof those reps, and that's where Isaac got me. On the way back to the school I felt pretty crappy but once I composed myself I was able to run a couple more miles along with strides pretty easily. So I'm happy with my miles today. This will be my second longest day of the week and then hopefully I can put in 10-12 miles on saturday, because I feel like I'm neglecting my endurance. In the middle of the week I'll try to run sufficient miles too just not a ton because we have Cache-Box Wed-Thurs and I'm racing both days. After icing a bit I was able to go in the weight room and do the normal stuff, which I haven't gotten to do in two weeks. I'll try to do that more often, maybe on Friday, too. 

Premeet today I did lots of broken up jogging with a set of strides in between. They were two 200s at mile pace and then two at 800 pace. I felt pretty tight, but i really don't think that affects how I feel the next day ever.

I'd have to say today was successful. I jogged half a mile before we left the school and was feeling pretty tight. My race was at 5, and I'd say I did some warming up at around 4:15. Did some strides in my spikes and I didn't feel too good. But later when I was pretty much ready to race I felt pretty energetic and excited. Mark won the race so that got me even more pumped. So my race started and I was seeded pretty far on the outside, but I easily took a good position in front of most guys, and my first lap was a 70, so like way too fast (gotta work on that) but I didn't feel really in the hole. Kinda just tried to keep a good pace, obviously not as fast, and it was 78 for the next lap. After that I think the mile really flys by because you have the third lap you need to push and then the last one you need to kick. And it did. Third was about the same and my last lap was maybe a 74. I passed a couple of people on the last 200 and there was an MC kid that I caught up to but he just barely beat me by .02, despite my efforts at leaning. Right after I looked at my still running watch and I knew I had PRd, I just didn't know if I had broken 5 yet. I did a 1.5 mile cool down with Mark and Nick Allen from Mountain Crest, ate a little but, then got stretched out and ran another 2.5 on our XC course, which felt really good. So now I think I'm ready to get a 4-5 second PR tomorrow in the 800m, or at least I feel ready!

Day 2 I would have to say was pretty dang good also, it's just that I had to wait a lot longer for my race. I jogged a mile around the track before we left to USU which felt good, and then hung out for a while at the meet until I finally did my 1.5 mile warmup. I felt okay. Then I plugged in to my tunes at that REALLY got me pumped up and the adrenaline was rushing. The SUSPENSE was INTENSE while I waited for my race. Excuse me I had to. Anyways my race came and I felt ready as ever. I was seeded with a 2:20 for some stupid reason so I was kinda far out on the waterfall, but I had a good aggressive start as always and started in second, but then got passed by a few people. At the 200 mark I had to slow down a little so I wouldn't get spiked and that was annoying. Split was approximatley a 31. I ran the whole rest of the race without any tactical difficulties. I was at 64 at the 400, so right where I needed to be. I was hurtin pretty bad. At 600 Mark told me I was at 1:35, but I really don't know if that was accurate because I don't think I ran a 31 for that but who knows. Last 200 hurt but like always I didn't get passed and I passed one kid. I took Strand's advice and instead of trying to go hard I just lowered my shoulders and that helped a lot more than I expected. I didn't have the whole neck bending that I usually do. Well great meet I PR'd in both events, and as a matter of fact it was once my season goal to break 2:10 so I'm proud of that. That goal is out the window and I knew that, so for the past couple of months my goal has been sub 2:05. I was going to do the steeplechase but for some stupid reason Coach Line would only let two from each school go, so I ended up just watching. After the meet was over I ran 3 miles on our XC course and for some weird reason I felt AMAZING. I got to my families car after and ended up running two more while my brother got his haircut. I have no idea how I could feel so good on my cooldown today when on Saturday it felt like crap. I'd actually have to say I've never felt so energetic on a cooldown. I geuss it's just a sign of greater things to come. 

Today I felt surprisingly good for just having a hard meet and not a lot of sleep. I did my standard two-mile loop during seventh hour plus some lifting and then I ran 6 miles on the canal trail with Mark, and Johnny for part of the way. It just felt nice and relaxing. We picked it up a little on the way back and I did not mind; it felt good. We'll have to see how long this feel-good streak goes for. When we got back we did some 200s, three for me, the last two being 30s. They felt pretty hard, just because I was tired but they were quick. Closed it off with some barefoot action on thee turf, because I love how those strides feel.  

I didn't get a chance to run today because I slept in and we were traveling the whole day. Frustrating I know, but I don't think I'll lose any fitness because of it.

Tough workout today, but it was a great way to kick off my big spring break training week. It was a workout that we did for cross country this year, but I didn't finish it because I ws having a tough day. Definitley more af an aerobic stimulus than anything else, and I haven't really had that in while. It was 1 min hard, 1 min easy, 2 hard, 2 easy, 3 hard, 3 easy, and so on all the way up to five and then do the same thing backwards down to one again. I warmed up two miles to Merlin-Olsen Park and started there, and the workout took me all the way past the Stokes Nature Center before I had to turn around. It was pretty easy going up, and then my first 5 min segment was up the canyon into headwinds, so that was pretty slow, and then the next 5 min one after turning around I was sort of cruising, but it still felt hard. Coming back down canyon road was super tough, I'd have to say the second 4 and 3 were the toughest part of the workout. I just went in to oxygen debt. Probably because on the way down the rest is shorter than the previous tempo segment. I could hear the toilet calling me by the end, so that made it even worse. Where I started was right where Canyon Rd. starts but I ended up finishing past that in the park. And if the restrooms were not unlocked I think I would have died. Anyways after that I did some strides on the field. On the cool down I didn't feel bad at all and my form felt good. Overally great workout. I think I needed it and it will make the mile feel a bit shorter. I just calculated the pace the best I could and it was maybe 6:30-6:40 avg. for 8.5 miles. I was surprised and it makes me even more satisfied with the workout. Tomorrow  is and easy day, I'll probably run at least 7 miles (trying to make this a high volume week, as long as I don't get injured), and then wednesday I'll be in Salt Lake but I'll get on Highland's track and do the workout there, using sugar-house park for the tempo parts of it. It should be fun.

Recovery run today. I felt really tight and constricted with my stride when I started, just the opposite of loose. I was tired too because of the hard high volume workout yesterday. I ran the long way to Old Main, up 5th North, and then came back home the normal way by the temple. But not before I stopped off at the track to do some strides, 2 200s in 32 and 33, and then some 40m flys on the turf. I then just ran home. So today was pretty easy, but not so much that it didn't feel like somewhat of a grind. And that's fine because this week will be just that, a grind. I just better not get injured. Tomorrw I have the "Michigan" workout in Salt Lake.