You've got to want it to win it

Today at practice we started with 2 laps warmup on the track and then stretching, since Bill said he was sore. Then we ran over to the soccer field where we did 6 strides up the hill to the fence, walking backwards back down and jogging back to the start. Then for the run we ran to Shriner's drinking fountain and back. We did a lap on the track when we got back to bring us up to 6 for the day. When I got home I did my abs, pushups, and arm swings.

This morning I got up and ran 2 miles with my iPod.  I ran from my house to 1700s and back twice.

Today Nat and I traveled to Albuquerque.  We rested pretty much all afternoon and then in the evening we went to the stadium to watch steeplechase and to do a shakeout run.  We did a mile over to a field and did some laps there.  Then we stretched and did 6 strides.

After relaxing in our hotel room all day except for when we had to leave to get food, Nat and I got our stuff and took the shuttle to the track.  When we got there Bill tool us to get waffles since we still had a few hours and he took Nat to get her t-shirt so she could get printing on the back.  Finally when we were back at the track and had our shirts printed and had taken a POTTY break we went and warmed up.  We ran for about 5 minutes and then stopped to stretch.  After that we did a few drills and ran for a bit longer.  We were doing strides and then it was time to get to the track and put our spikes on.  Bill had put some towels in a bag of ice from the hotel and we draped those over our shoulders as we changed our spikes and then did a few strides on the track.  Finally they began to line us up.  The start of this race was not like one I've done before, they started us 2 in a lane at the green lines which mark the 200 starts and we had to stay in the lanes for the first 100 meters.  It was fun doing it this way instead of in alleys!  I took the lead immediately and held onto it for most of the race.  My first lap was a 1:13, and at the 800 I was at 2:33.  On the third lap I could tell that there was a girl coming with me, but she never tried to pass me so I figured she must be struggling to hold the pace or she was sitting and would have a good kick.  At the mile I was at 5:22.  There were times when I would surge and I could tell I was separating a little bit on her but I never was able to pull away.  With 2 laps to go Bill was saying 700 left and telling me to go.  The girl behind me moved at 700 left and really separated on me and at that point in the race it didn't look like I was going to be able to catch her, I didn't have a kick in me at that point.  Going into the final lap she had probably 10 meters on me but hadn't been opening further since when she broke off.  At 300 I went to my toes and pushed and noticed that I was closing on her.  I kept it up through 200 to go and then reaching the final stretch I told myself that since I closed on her as much as I had that I would be able to catch her and I did with maybe 50 meters to go.  It was a great race and I was very proud of my finish, Bill was complaining that I never kick that hard in other races haha.  Afterwards as I was on the podium they announced that I would receive a special award from the family sponsoring the 3200.  A really cute elder lady gave me a watch in memory of her brother who had been a great distance runner.  At age 19 he left to fight in WWII and never returned.  She came to America and got married and had a son who she named after her brother.  He was a distance runner too, and his 5 daughters were runners.  It was neat to talk to her afterwards to get more of the story, I couldn't hear all of it on the podium but afterwards they gave me the piece of paper that the announcer had read about it in addition to what they told me.  Afterwards Nat and I went to dinner with Bill, and now it is officially time to start cross country training!!! =DDD

Today we did the flagpole to flagpole run.  It was windy and a little bit rainy but that didn't stop us, its officially cross country!  I'm going to hopefully be able to run with the East High team while getting my workouts from the U done, we'll see if we can incorporate those.  We went to the U flagpole first and then the Westminster one.  Nat and I hadn't run since our race Saturday so we stayed towards the back at a relaxed pace.  And we got separated from the group because we hit 2 red lights haha.  Oh well.  When I got home I did my crunches, pushups, and arm swings.

Today for workout we met in the commons and then ran to Sugarhouse Park and did part of a lap, until we were at 2 and a half miles, and then turned around and came back the same way. I was with Taylor, Natalie, Amanda, and Abigail for most of the way back. All of us had been in a group on the way there. When I got home I did my crunches, pushups, and arm swings.

This morning we had practice at Liberty Park.  After waiting a long time for Bill we decided to run to the half mile mark and back and then stretch for a few minutes.  Finally we decided to just do our workout.  I did 3 full laps to bring my total mileage to 5 and a half.  When I got home I did my abs, pushups, and arm swings.

Today after graduation practice I went for a run on my own with my iPod because if I went to practice that would be cutting it close to making my graduation.  I ran from my house to Sugarhouse Park and then did part of an outer lap going counter clockwise until I was at a 2 and a half.  When I was at about 2 and a quarter I totally tripped and wiped out over a tree root but fortunately it was just grass and mud streaks on my skin and no cuts.  I went back the same way I came.  When I got home I did my abs, pushups, and arm swings. 

This morning we had practice at Liberty Park.  Some of us are racing tomorrow so we had an easy workout.  We did a lap warmup, 10 strides, and then a lap cooldown.

This morning at the race after picking up packets, I did about a mile and a half warmup with Abigail.  We ran out to 4500s and back and did a lap in the park, then dropped our hoodies and then went out and back again.  Then we changed shoes and I took my Gu and then we did some strides over to the starting area.  When they lined us up we both did a stride to get onto the front line.  When the race started there were 2 girls with me, one was Emily and the other was a girl in a red shirt.  They both passed me and I didn't fight too hard to catch them right then because I know I have a habit of always starting too fast in 5ks after track season.  But then I heard Bill yelling from behind to catch them now so I pushed.  I was able to catch the girl in red but Em was able to hold the gap.  At mile 1 I was at 5:31, so just a little slower than at Running of the Leopards.  At the turnaround I think Em opened the gap even more after the turnaround when she saw where I was even though I wasn't that close.  Still I tried to close on her the last half and eventually I probably was going the same speed as her but she still kept the gap on me.  I finished in 18:28 (according to my watch, I haven't seen official results) so I guess I've got work to do to break 18 on a flat course.  Afterwards I cooled down 3 and a half miles in a group with Bill, Emily, Rob, Greg, and Lisa.  Then I had fun racing up the climbing wall with Abigail!

This morning I went to cross country practice with East as a super senior!!!  But I did get my workout done too.  We did a road lap for warmup, then stretching, followed by 6 strides and 3 hills.  We had a lot of standing recovery between each but it was good because of all the newcomers we had.  The strides aggravated my ankle a bit (I hit it on the edge of a pool as I was getting and it is pretty swollen right now, doesn't hurt that much) but I ran through it.  After we finished the hills we ran around the pond and along the stream over to the drinking fountain and then we were done.  Then we did some crunches and pushups.  Since we got 3 miles for the workout I stayed and did 2 grass laps afterwards to bring my miles up.  When I got home I did a secondary strength workout, which included pushups, crunches, side crunches, negatives (I can't do pullups yet), dips, supermans, and arm swings.

This morning for practice I went early with the advanced group.  We ran up 2100s to 2100e and then turned and went under the freeway and then to 2700s and down to Alden Street.  Then we went back to Sugarhouse backwards of how we head out on the cemetery run.  Some of the group went into the park then to meet the others but I stayed with Nat, Taylor, and Bill doing an outer lap.  I got a sideache so was unable to keep up with them but after I ran it up I began to catch up.  I caught Taylor and as I finished my mileage in the park by where the team was meeting I had almost caught up to Nat and Bill.  When I got home I did my assigned abs workout.  I was unable to do the ones that require a medicine ball because I don't have one, I'll have to go to the gym for those ones I suppose.

This morning for workout we met at Sunnyside Park.  We started with a warmup of running to the gully via 1500e, then doing 2 and a half laps going counter clockwise, and then exiting at the top out onto 900s.  Then we met back at the park and stretched for a few minutes.  Next we went over to the white tree and did arm swings.  Then Bill put us into 3 teams and had half of each team go to the other side of the field.  We did 2 stride relays, each person did 4 strides in each.  After the first one Bill rearranged the teams a bit.  Then for cooldown we did a big lap around the park and then a lap in the field, bringing our total mileage for the day to 5.  When I got home I did my pushups, crunches, side crunches, negative, dips, supermans, and lunges.

This morning for cross country practice we had an advanced group again.  We met at Shoreline across from the zoo.  We ran along Wasatch Drive over to Thunderbird and then cut down to Foothill and to the flagpole.  Then we went back the same way to greet the newcomers.  We did some in the parking lot to bring us to a full 6 before beginning the buddy runs.  I had Tess, Tania, Sage, Camille, and another girl in my group (she ended up keeping with Nat's group so I figured she was alright).  We ran to the fence and back which is almost 3 miles so I added a little afterwards.  

This evening I went to the gym and biked for 20 minutes.  On youtube I looked up the ab exercises I didn't know how to do with the medicine balls and I did those with Abigail and Delaney being so kind as to toss the medicine ball with me.  I still don't know what backups are (I used to but I forgot) but I did all of the other exercises I was supposed to. 

This morning for cross country we met at Liberty Park.  We started with a lap warmup and then some stretching.  Then Bill assigned us into groups for fireman.  At first he put Nat and I in group 1 which was with the fast guys but then he moved us to group 2 and a half so we got to go with some of the freshman girls instead :)  We did one lap with them and then joined the guys for a second lap :P  At least we only had to do one lap of fireman with them instead of 2 :P  Then we did a lap cooldown and were done.  Then I did my crunches, side crunches, pushups, dips, negatives, and arm swings.

This morning I took my iPod and went for a nice run.  I ran up 1300s to Wasatch Drive and then turned and went over to Thunderbird.  There I cut down to Foothill and ran along there all the way to where it curves into 500s until I reached Guardsman.  Then I turned and went back to my house along there and then 1500e.  When I got home I went to the gym with my mom and did my abs workout which included the 3 medicine ball exercises, supermans, and the swiss ball stuff.  I still don't know what backups are :P

This morning at practice we had an earlier practice for the advanced group.  We did the cemetery loop but didn't go in the cemetery.  Back in the park we ran to the garbage can and back to get us to 6.  Then we got into groups with the newcomers.  For that workout we ran up out of the park and then down to 900e on 2100s.  Then we went over to Fairmont Park.  There we stretched for a few minutes as we waited for everyone to get there.  Then we did 8 strides with about a minute recovery between each.  Then we ran back up to Sugarhouse the same way we had come.  Then we did one set of the Flannagan circuits.  Too bad Bill wasn't there, he is obsessed with those!  Then we finished with our core.  Since it is my second week of doing the Utes core assignment I got to increase to 2 sets which included crunches, side crunches, pushups, negatives (maybe I'll be able to do real pullups soon!), dips, supermans, and I did step ups for one set and arm swings for the other.

This morning I went to practice at Sunnyside Park.  With the team I ran to the gully and did 2 and a half laps.  The group got separated at the light because some people went and some didn't, I was in the group that did.  When we got back to the park we met at the white tree and were stretching for a few minutes when Emily suggested a few of us go back by the gully and look for some of the newcomers who weren't back yet.  Up to that point, the area behind my right knee and my hamstring were feeling kinda weird but I decided to go run back to see if we could find any of the people who weren't back yet.  That got me another half lap in the gully but coming back to Sunnyside my right knee and my right hip were feeling really weird.  I decided I didn't want to run on all of that so I went to the gym and biked 5 sets of 1 minute on 1 minute off, like the team was doing for their run.  Then I did a 10 minute cooldown.  Then I did my abs, this time 2 sets since its my second week.  My mom is awesome for coming and waiting for me to do my workout and then throwing the medicine ball with me :)

This morning the team met at Liberty Park for workout.  As the group started the run I talked to Emily about my leg hurting.  We were thinking it was IT band pain and she said I should take a few days off.  I cheered on the group as they did their hills.  I texted Coach Kepler and told him my leg was bugging me and he told me to go see the trainer so I did.  The trainer happened to be Emily's brother in law, that was kinda cool.  After doing a few things to my leg he was able to determine that it was just my hamstring.  He said there is probably a muscle imbalance between my quads and hamstrings.  So for the next few days I'm going to be working on hamstring strengthening exercises.  When I got home from visiting the trainer I went for a bike ride on a route I asked Jeanene for.  She said to go up to 2000e by the Highland seminary and then stay on there all the way until it ended at almost 4500s.  The whole ride was about 10 and a half miles.  Later in the day I got my secondary strength exercises done and did a few hamstring strength exercises.  I also had my mom work on massaging my hamstring, we heard it pop really weirdly but it felt really good.  

This morning I went to the gym with my mom.  I did elliptical for an hour.  I did backwards for the first 15 minutes, then forwards for 5, then backwards for another 15 and went I went forwards again I decided I liked backwards better because it felt better for my hamstring so I stayed stepping backwards for the rest of the time.  I had it set on an incline that worked hamstrings and I know that helped.  When I was about half through the workout some dumb lady who works at the gym turned the giant fan facing the whole row of bikes and everything and made it face into an empty room so she and this guy could place equipment in there :P  And then what made me more mad was when she unplugged it after :P  But I still finished the workout which was the main goal anyway and getting hot while working out happens so oh well.  After that I went and did 2 sets of the abs workout including swiss ball crunches, swiss ball inverts, supermans alternating arm and leg, supermans with arms and legs together, medicine ball tosses, toss and twists, and 1-2-3s.  And after each set of those I used the hamstring weight machine in the wieght room.  

This morning I went to the gym with my mom again.  I did elliptical for 45 minutes.  The lady next to me unplugged my fan so she could plug one in for herself, even though she already had one :P  That made me kinda mad so after about 20 minutes I got off and plugged mine in to a different outlet :P  Then I finished my workout.  Then before I left I went into the weight room and did the hamstring machine.  At home I did 2 sets of my secondary strength exercises.  

This morning I went for a bike ride.  I started at my house and went to Sugarhouse Park along 1500e. I did a loop on the road in the park to see if I would catch the advanced practice group but they were out running, I just saw a few people.  I left the park by the rose gardens and I saw Abigail there so I stopped to talk to her for a second.  Then I continued on my ride.  I went up past the Highland seminary and then on 2000e under the freeway and stayed on 20th all the way to about 4500s where it ends, like I did last time.  Then I just went home the same way I had gone last time, I didn't stop back at the park.  The whole bike ride was a little over 11 and a half miles.  My hamstring hasn't bothered me for a few days so I ran out a half mile and back on 1400e since its flat.  My legs felt great, my form felt weird though.  I think that would be more because I had just gotten off the bike than because I haven't run for a few days though.  I would have run more but I was feeling a bit sick so I went home and watched Meet the Robinsons :)  And towards the end of the movie when I was feeling better I did 3 sets of the secondary strength exercises.

This morning I went to Liberty Park to run since its soft and flat there.  I did a lap and then stopped to stretch, and then I had wanted to do another 3 laps but on my second lap towards the end my hamstring was bugging me again so I finished that lap and called it quits.  Then I stretched for a while afterwards.  When I got home I did 2 sets of the abs exercises.

This morning I went to the gym and did elliptical for an hour.  I did 5 minutes going forwards with low resistance and then 10 minutes of backwards with higher resistance.  I did that 4 times.  Then I went into the weight room and did 3 sets of exercises on the hamstring exercises and 3 sets of weighted arm swings.  When I got home I did 3 sets of the secondary strength exercises and 2 sets of abs.

This morning the team went to Pipeline but I didn't think my hamstring would be up for that many miles so I ran to the gym instead.  Then I biked for 40 minutes.  Then I went and used the hamstring machine in the weight room, and ran back home.  I did 2 sets of my abs with the swiss ball and the supermans and then did the medicine ball exercises when my dad got home.  My mom came home while I was on my last set and she wanted to do that one with me so she traded my dad.  After I was finished with my abs exercises I threw the ball for her to do some of them.