You've got to want it to win it

This morning we did our bike and run up at Jeremy Ranch.  We had 8 teams, and Bill ran the whole way.  I was on Gavin's team and I started on the bike.  After the turnaround at mile 5 I was starting to feel tired, and my quads and calves were getting sore.  The last 2 miles it was very windy and it felt like there were small rocks in the wind too.  Gavin and I finished in about an hour and a half. 

This morning we had an easy day with just 2 laps around Liberty, quick water break between laps.  Surprisingly my legs weren't sore from yesterday.

This morning I started with a 2 mile warmup with Emily, Natalie, and Abigail.  We went over the last mile backwards, and then ran a part of the Murray Invite course.  Then we took a potty break and then headed to our stuff.  I changed shoes and took my Gu.  On the line I did strides.  Going out I don't think I had a very fast start, but it wasn't bad.  I could see a pack of girls so I decided I'd try to run behind them for a bit and see if I could keep up.  They were all faster and I didn't catch them, but it kept me pushing.  At mile 1 my time was 6:11, and then after the turnaround I began to try to catch people.  I caught up to Emily and then passed her, and then later she caught back up with me and I had to push to stay with her, and during that push I passed Taylor and Mel.  At mile 2 my time was 12:12.  During the last mile I got passed back by Mel and 2 other people.  No one tried to pass me and I didn't work towards passing anyone.  I started my kick at the 3 mile, where my time was 18:30.  I came so close to breaking 19, but I still have a few races to try in.  Afterwards we did a cooldown of a big loop going out backwards on the course and around the block that the park was on.  I ate a lot of popsicles afterwards :)

This morning we met at Sugarhouse and did the cemetery loop.  I ran with Natalie, and by the time we finished we were running at 6:30 pace!  Our average pace ended up being 8:01.  On the way to the cemetery my leg was hurting a lot, but in the cemetery it didn't hurt as much and then by the time we got back it was fine.  We lost the new girl, Alex, or Nemo as we want to call her, so we did our core and pushups when Bill went to look for her.  We had to send a second group but found her eventually.  At home afterwards I took a 10 minute ice bath.

This morning we ran out 4 miles and back on Drycreek up by the JCC.  We carried rocks up to our little pile about a mile and a half up.  I ran with Natalie the whole way, at the turnaround it reminded us of a Pride and Prejudice scene.  Afterwards I did my core and crunches.

This morning at Fairmont we did 2 miles warmup of 2 big laps around the park.  Then we did 3 sets of step ups.  Then we were doing Js, 10 laps.  I made it to lap three before my leg started hurting really bad.  So I sat out the rest of them and while I waited I did my core and pushups. 

This morning I swam freestyle for 45 minutes.  Then I did weighted arm swings, and my core and pushups. 

This morning I swam freestyle for 45 minutes again.  Someone in the lane next to me was giving me tips on keeping my head to the side to breathe and breathing when my arms wouldn't be in the way.  Then I did my core and pushups. 

Tonight I biked for 30 minutes.

This morning I swam 30 minutes of freestyle, today in the outdoor pool because they were getting ready for a swim meet.

This evening I did the 7/11 Slurpee run with my team and the team from Illinois.  7 7/11s in 8 miles.  My leg hasn't hurt since Thursday and it didn't hurt on the run.  I was with Natalie and Amanda for most of it, but on the 5th I told them to go ahead of me since I was slow chugging my slurpee, and then I left the 6th with them but then my stomach wasn't handling the slurpees that well and I walked every other block from third east up to thirteenth.  There we had the 10 oz slurpees and I walked up to Sunnyside from there.  Felt awful afterwards =P

This morning we ran on the Pipeline Trail with the visiting team.  We ran up the way with the switchbacks, I haven't done that one since Amanda and I were freshman.  I started a few seconds behind everyone because I was still waiting for satellite, but it wasn't enough that it was hard to catch up.  Going up the switchbacks I caught up with the other team and Tomy, and eventually I passed them too.  They still had one guy kind of a way up ahead.  I was tired at the top of the switchbacks and I stopped for a few seconds, but then Tomy told me to keep going, so I did.  Then Tomy and I were in the lead for a while.  After recovering from the switchbacks 2 of the guys passed me, and by the turnaround at 3 miles Bill caught up to me and then was making me push to catch Tomy.  Around then one of the guys behind caught up and he and Bill took off, Tomy and I were taking it easy on the downhills.  Then to get more miles Bill wanted us to run to church fork where the bridge is.  Tomy and I did that and then just ran back to the cars to finish.  Afterwards I sat in the river twice, 5 minutes each time.  Good workout :)

This morning for practice we were at Sugarhouse.  For warmup we started a grass loop and then ran past the freeway to Parkway Avenue and up to 1700e and back into the park.  Then we went by the big road hill and did 10 laps on the grass there of just running up and down the hill.  Then we ran back over by the cars and did 2 sets of the circuit.  Then we got water and did a longer version of our warmup, going to 2700s and up to 1800e to make the loop. 

This morning at Cottonwood Complex we started with the usual warmup of a lap around the baseball diamonds and then out on the road for a total of 3 miles warmup.  Then we did fartlek on the region course in the park.  We did 1 minute on, 1 off, 2 on, 1 off, 3 on, 2 off and then the same going back down (3 minute on twice).  By the time I finished I was at the start of Bessie before the finish so I ran that and then stopped.  Then for cooldown we stayed in the park and ran where it was flat.

This morning we met at Shoreline for practice.  We ran out 2.3 miles because there was construction tape closing off where they are still cleaning up from the oil spill.  When we got back we went out .7 on the road and back to make it the full 6.  Afterwards we did our crunches and pushups.

This morning we did 2 laps at Liberty and then did strides.

This morning I did my warmup with Abigail, we went out .75 of a mile and back on the equestrian trail.  Then I changed shoes and we got on the line.  When the race started I went out too fast, I went with the pack of lead girls.  After a bit Maryanne caught up to me and I stayed with her for a while and then we caught Emily and I was losing Maryanne so I tried to push with Emily too but I lost her a little before the mile mark.  My mile time was 5:48 (I was confused by the paint mark being at a different place than the sign, so I only caught the 1 mile split).  I should have pushed harder the rest of the race but I had worn myself out already.  Afterwards I ran the last mile backwards and then back to the finish for cooldown. 

This morning we did the cemetery loop from Sugarhouse.  I ran with Natalie, and on the way back we had our pace to 7:30s and as we finished we were at 7:00.  Our average pace was 7:52.  Then we did our core and pushups.

This morning I was awake since about 3 and I was thinking about going to practice but I had chills and instead I fell asleep for about 3 hours when it was time for practice.  When I woke up it was too hot to do the run outside so I did it on a treadmill.  I listened to my ipod the whole time, and did my best to not look at how far I'd gone.  The first time I looked I had almost done 5.  I took a break at 7.5, when the treadmill had timed out.  Then I made the last 5.5 with my ipod.  It feels so good to be finished!

This morning we ran on Drycreek up by the JCC.  We carried rocks up to the pile 1 mile and a half up, and I turned around at 3 miles.  Did core and pushups afterwards.

This morning we ran on the Jordan River Trail starting at Peace Gardens.  I went out a mile and a half and back, then did my core and pushups.  

This morning we did 2 laps at Liberty and then strides.  Then we cheered on the members of our team not racing tomorrow, who were doing speed.  Then we did crunches and pushups.

This morning with Amanda I did a half mile warmup, we just went to the finish line and back from where we had parked.  Then I took a Gu and changed shoes.  Then we went over by the line.  There weren't a lot of people so Amanda and I started right on the front (not many people did).  Going out there were 3 guys ahead of me, but then another guy passed.  Then another guy caught up to me and I stayed with him and worked to the other guys.  I noticed as I crossed the train tracks that there was a train coming and wondered if all the runners would make it through before the train.  Not many did as I found out from Amanda later.  I realized this also when afterwards I was running parallel to the train as part of the course.  About 2 miles in I caught up to the leaders and passed them.  One of them came with me and I ran with him most of the time.  When we got to the 3 mile sign I noticed it was almost 3.25 on my Garmin.  At the water stop I splashed myself and then drank a little bit of water (what I hadn't spilled when I was picking it up).  At around mile 5 the course was confusing because there was a right turn arrow and we had to go around a barrier type thing and then we weren't sure which way but we went parallel to the freeway instead of under it and that was right because we saw the 6 mile mark (which was actually around 6.25, anyway).  Then at the water stop I splashed myself again and drank a little.  I knew that around then Bill and Emily wanted me to take my Gu, but I couldn't make myself do it because I have never tried during a race and I didn't want to end up not being able to wash it down for a while.  At around mile 8 the guy I was running with got a lead on me, and then I was passed later by another guy, who I saw pass the other guy too.  At the 9 mile mark my Garmin was at 9.9 and then I wasn't sure how hard I wanted to push for the rest of it because I was worrying that it would be 14 miles instead of 13 if it was a mile off there.  At the water stop I splashed and drank a little again, and by then I was closing the gap on the guy who had took the lead before I was passed.  I accidentally stepped off the road a bit and rolled my ankle in a way which I'm pretty sure that if I weren't running would have sprained it.  It didn't hurt luckily, though my left calf hurt after that.  Eventually I caught the guy and I moved right past him, I don't think he tried to come with.  The mile 12 mark was closer to being accurate, my Garmin read 12.08 there so that was the most accurate out of any of the others.  From there I guessed that the rest of the course probably was accurate and that helped me push to the end.  I thought I could hear the guy coming up behind me but he never caught me.  After I finished I went back and cheered on others.  Amanda and I had a good time with our first half-marathon, and both of us got PRs :) 

This morning we did the cemetery loop.  My calves were so sore and felt really tight at the start of the run, I was running with Amanda and it took us longer to warm up.  At about 4 miles my  calves finally warmed up.  Then Amanda had to go, so I did the second lap in the cemetery by myself and ran back to the park.  Then we did 10 hills, running up and walking backwards down.  Then for cooldown I did a lap on the road in the park with Natalie. 

This morning for practice we met at Cottonwood Complex.  Since we were all sore from hills yesterday we did a 5 mile warmup, similar to what we usually do but we went out to 3300s instead of 3900.  Then we did 10 rollercoasters on Big Bertha and the hill before that.  Then I did a little more than a mile cooldown to get in 8.

This morning we had practice out at Wheeler Farm.  We started out with a 2 mile warmup of a big outer loop, and then we went to the loop we did last time for fartlek.  We did a ladder of fartlek.  We did 1 minute on, 1 off, 2 on 1 off, 3 on 2 off, 4 on 3 off, 5 on 3 off, 4 on 3 off, 3 on 2 off, 2 on 1 off, 1 on (Bill didn't make us do the last minute recovery).  I was with Natalie most of the time.  I didn't start out very hard I think so I tried to push from the first 4 on through the end of the workout.  Then we ran to the drinking fountain for water and then we went back across the bridge to do 10 hill loops.  Then I did 2 of the fartlek loops for cooldown to get me up to 10.

This morning was a tough workout.  We ran on Drycreek up by the JCC.  We got our rocks and carried them up to the pile as usual.  Up until the pile I was able to keep up with Taylor and Tomy.  Then we went to the 4 mile mark for the turnaround.  I stopped before going back to look at the valley.  Then we stopped at the hill 2.5 miles in and ran that 10 times.  It was hard, but I wouldn't let myself think that and instead focused on them one at a time.  Then when I was done I ran back to the parking lot, Bill and Ben finished ahead of me.  I saw some lizards on the way back down.  Then I drank a lot of water.  Tough run today, but it feels so good to be finished.

This morning we were at Liberty.  We started with a lap warmup, and then we got into 2 groups for fireman.  I was in the fast group with the guys and Natalie and Abigail.  They were going too fast!  I fell behind as it got closer to my turn but I still stuck with the group and did my part.  Abigail dropped after one lap and I wanted to very much but I kept going.  Towards the end of the second lap the guys were pretty much all sprinting to the finish and Natalie and I fell behind, but it was only the last stretch up to the drinking fountain so we did well.  Then we did 10 hills, 5 laps on the hill behind the pond.  Because of all the hills we've been doing this week, they didn't even feel like hills.  Afterwards I just went back to the drinking fountain because I only needed 6 today.  Then I did my crunches and pushups.

This morning I got up and ran 5 miles on my own, from my house to the U campus and along the Shriner's route.  I made it to the roundabout just out of the alley for my turnaround point to hit my miles.