The Renegade

So I actually woke up in the morning today (at like 9) and then I was on the road by 10. Decided I would do my threshold today in order to be fresh for Simplot, and my prelims are on Friday so kind of a long ways away but we'll see. I headed out to do my warmup in tights and a long sleeve shirt and I was like nope screw this it's pretty warm today (it had just rained and snowed so the inversion was gone too) so I after my warmup I changed into shorts and a sniglet, and decided to wear my road racers too. Started and I felt kinda flat, and I felt flat for basically the rest of the time. I was doing a three mile loop out behind my house. I hit the mile in 6:16, and then mile 2 in 6:28, and shortly after I had my heart palpatation again and had to take a rest. That doesn't worry me too much because it only happens once in a while and never in races 2 miles and under. After I got my heart rate back down (bad I know) I finished it off with a 5:49 split. Hung out a little longer than I should have before my cooldown, did that and then some strides on the road. 

Today was an easy run while a couple of my other teammates did a threshold. Finally, the weather is fantastic, I think we actually broke 40 degrees, it was sunny, and no inversion! I ran in  just shorts and a tshirt, and even then the warmth was more than I was used to. Kalin and Paul left during the 800m warmup and so I jogged up to River Heights after the drills and met them towards the end of their tempo. I felt pretty tired actually starting out. Waited for a minute up by the cemetery and then Paul came, ran about a half mile with him at 6:20 pace, turned around to meet Kalin but Kalin never came, he had turned around because his shin was hurting. We went back pretty slow (by now I was feeling better). Got back to the track and Coach had me do 4x200 @ 800 pace w/ 1:30 rest. I ended up doing them faster than date pace but the point was to run them hard. I ran 29.0, 29.5, 29.4 29.4. So that was a 1:57.3 if you add them up... yeah maybe someday. But add seven seconds to that and it's still faster than my PR..... that means it's time to PR! Hung around for a while talking and then we did the full set of lifts. Did I mention the amazing weather!

4 miler to the end of the river walk and back, (no GPS) and then 4x100m all in the 13s. Felt decent. Paul and I sort of left on our run and skipped the team warmup and coach wasn't completley happy about it, oops. It wasn't as warm today, but it was still nice. Then I practiced starts and did hip drills. I'm heading down to Simplot tomorrow to run on the track the day before I race and watch races. It's gonna be sick! Good luck to all.  

Premeet at the Wooden Oval. Jogged half a mile, did strides on the track, jogged some more for two. Not alot of distance, but it was gonna be a low mileage week anyway. My hamstring was sore like the whole time after. It was super fun watching the mile and two mile prelims. Pumped for tomorrow!

Well, I might have learned some lessons today.  No matter what kinds of lessons they were, I've gained experience.

After getting home at 11 after going and watching on thursday, I got everything ready as fast as I could, ate my pasta dinner, and showered. When I got to bed it was already past 12, so not optimal. I think I slept pretty well nonetheless, and I had a good sizeable nap on the bus up then next morning, which left at 7 am. When we got there it was just like Boise all over again, I had around five hours until my race. Considering that, I decided to go on a two mile shakeout, so I left and did a loop around campus on the grass (there was no snow in sight!) and ran around the turf football field a few times. I felt really good and it was nice and sunny and beautiful out. 

Chilled out for four hours, watched races, and when I heard first call for the boys 800, I thought that meant it was time to warmup, so I did a mile outside. I got back in and got everything I needed and headed down there. I got to the check in table and found that they had already checked everyone in! But luckily I found someone who checked me in late so I wasn't scratched. Then it was just a matter of time. I didn't pay too much attention to the other races. I got on the line (I was #2) and they said on your marks but then made us stand up. Then we got started right after that. I almost slipped starting but I got back on my feet fast. I ran super hard the first 50 meters to get to the front, and a kid almost got in front of me but I sped up, and didn't even make contact with him. Came through the 200 in 29, still in front. Came through 400 in 60. I started feeling it about 350m in. Watching my race video, I started to tighten up at 500 meters. I was imagining myself on an outdoor track and where I would be. Guy passed me with 200 to go, and got a gap on me, but it didn't get any bigger, it was just maintained for the rest of the race. Last 400 was 65, split into a 33 and a 32. I made the mistake of looking at the clock on the last stretch and that probably slowed my time down. The clock was off so I thought I ran high 2:04, so I was really hopeful about making finals. When I was walking away my quads and hammys were hurting once again, that only seems to happen after running an 800.

They misplaced our sweats, so me and a bunch of other guys from my heat were looking for them for awhile, but then we were told where they were. I watched the rest of the heats, then went on a half mile to a mile cooldown, then came in and checked results. I looked at the names right below the qualifying line first and I immediatley saw mine, the second one down. Yep, I missed finals by two spots. I instantly felt really terrible, and dissapointed. I ran outside and ran to the other side of the arena at like 5 minute pace. I was mad. Got back to where our stuff was and it was first call for the medley. So I got ready and soon we were waiting for it to start. I geuss I felt okay before it. I was just ready to blow off some steam. Indorr Medley goes 400-200-200-800, so I had to start running earlier because the baton was coming in faster. When I got it we were in second to last place with last way behind. I got it and sprinted to catch up with Davis J-team (J-TEAM!!) and a green uniform. I used alot of energy trying to catch them and ran a 59 or 60 my first 400. Than I started to blow up and they pulled away. I felt sooo tired, I just couldn't go faster. I ran like a 2:11-12 split, it was really bad. Still matched my 800 time from USU haha. Cooled down about 2.5 miles and I was done. 

Well, despite the way I felt mentally and such, I decided to run today. I was just going to do 8 miles but when I left the house I decided to get 10 for a real long run. It was good to do that. Ran from home, up Center, up Canyon Rd, up the Bonneville Trail, and on the Highline Trail before turning around. It was great out today, probably and around 40 degrees and sunny, almost as nice as Tuesday was. I has to stop alot for various reasons, but it was still a good recovery run. Started out running 8 minute miles and then my last few were sub 7. 7:39 ap.