You've got to want it to win it

Today after the track warmups we did stepups and then went into the weight room for.  In there we did wall sits, leg lifts, planks, balancing on one foot, squats with the bar, calf raises with the bar (I just used weights), and then lunges and tippy-toes out in the hall.  Then a few of us went up to Steiner to run on the treadmills because the wind chill was freezing!!!  So I did 8 up on the treadmill there, and then did arm swings in the mirrors afterwards.  

Today we did speed out at the oval again.  We started with 4 laps warmup, then stretching, then another 4 laps followed by 4 laps speed changes.  Then we changed shoes, I wore my spikes because I felt like being a rebel today :P  We did two sets of three 300s with equal timed recovery back to the line and with 2 laps recovery between sets.  I was supposed to try to hit :56s, my times were: :54, :57, :55, :56, :55, :55.  Then we did another lap before changing shoes, then we finished with 5 laps cooldown to get us to 8 miles for the day.

This evening I took an ice bath for 10 minutes.

Yoga felt really nice today, we did pigeon pose and warrior pose which really felt good on my hips which had been hurting earlier.  For the run at practice we made a new route called the flagpole to flagpole run.  We ran along 1300e to President's Circle, turned around the flagpole, and then went back along 1300e to Westminster and ran around the flagpole there.  The run was supposed to be 5 but I did the math wrong and it was an extra quarter, but I just walked that part.  Then we did our core when we got back.

Today at the oval I got in 8 laps warmup and 4 laps speedchanges before I had to finally get my sticker from the bull pen and then go to the line.  I did a few strides with Natalie.  On the line I was the third seed.  Going out I didn't go fast enough at the start because two Skyline girls and Mckenzie came in from the right and there was a girl on my right so I was boxed in.  But after about 100 meters I was able to go around because the girl to my right was falling back, and then I took the lead.  I knew the pace was too slow, but I tried to pick it up.  The first lap was a 1:18.  Bill had wanted me to hit 74, 75, 76, 74 but so much for that plan.  At the 800 I was at 2:44 or around there.  I still had the lead and I kept trying to pick up speed.  On the last lap I knew Avery was getting close but I picked it up at the 300 and the 200 but then with about 100 to go she got me.  I hung on her for a bit but then I lost her.  Then right by the line at about where Avery got me last week, Jamie got me, I don't know how close our times were but they are within the same second.  After the others had finished racing we went for a 2 mile loop outside for cooldown.

When I got home I took an ice bath for 10 minutes. 

This morning I went for an easy 2 mile run with my iPod, from my house to Sunnyside and back.

At the meet we went for the same 2 mile loop as last night for warmup.  Then we went inside of the ice oval and did laps there, then some drills, then a few more laps until Natalie and I had to get to the bull pen.  We counted that as a mile and a half.  After going to the bull pen we were supposed to wait a few minutes until the first heat started until we could go out on the track for strides.  Natalie and I snuck out for a POTTY break and did strides then.  Then as we were waiting by the line as the first heat was going we did strides.  For this race I was second seed.  When the race started I got right out into the lead and stayed there the whole time.  The first few laps I could hear people behind me, which was helpful as a reminder to keep pushing.  Bill wasn't calling out splits, but I think it was better that way because then I can just go by feel.  At the mile my time was 5:30.  Whoever was in second at that point ran a 5:35.  I knew I had to keep going, so throughout the race I kept surging to make sure I wouldn't slow down.  On my last lap I really picked it up, and Bill said if I could run the last lap in a 1:18 I could break 11 (the last lap was a 1:18).  He told me that Jamie was coming up and that I had about 30 meters on her.  I kept picking up speed as I got closer to the 300 to go, and on that stretch Demetrio told me I had 40 meters on her.  They probably each judge the distance differently, but still it was helpful to be reminded.  Also Bill would do arm swings which was helpful too so that I would remember to keep my arms going to help me keep going.  Going down the final stretch I was able to pull out a better kick than last night and last week, and I finished 4 seconds ahead of Jamie.  I also broke the indoor state record for the 3200!!!!!  I was so excited when I crossed the line, I looked up at the clock and was a few seconds under the old record, 11:08, and I threw my arms up in celebration for having reached my goal! :)  And Natalie got a huge PR too which was awesome :)

Afterwards when I got home I took my iPod and did a 2 and a half mile cooldown, from my house up to 1500e, over to 900s, up to 1900e, and down 1300s.  Then I took a 10 minute ice bath.

Today the workout part of the track warmups was 2 cicuits, high knees where we step over each other, a plank, and then stride relays.  By the time we got to go for our run it was snowing :P  And Natalie, Abigail, and I only had shorts, but at least we had hoodies!  We ran up 900s to Guardsman, then up Sunnyside to the zoo, but instead of staying on the road we went on the road in This is the Place park because Bill is thinking of starting the leopards 5k there instead.  Then we went up on Wasatch Drive all the way over to Thunderbird, then down to Foothill and up to the water fountain past the flagpole.  Natalie, Bill, and Tomy all had to tie their shoes.  And Natalie's legs were like a lobster! Mine had warmed up because they weren't red anymore.  We went back to the school on Foothill, then down 1300s to 1900e, and over to Sunnyside to go back down.  At Guardsman Natalie and I turned and went over to 900s to go down so that the houses would block wind.  Then we were only at 9 miles when we got to 1400e so we went back to Sunnyside to go down to 1300e to add some.  Then we just did a clockwise lap around the block to get up to 10.

Today I had to start the workout early so that I could be back in time to babysit (I made it but I didn't have time to change out of my running clothes).  Out at the oval I did 4 laps warmup and then stretching, then another 4 laps and then 4 laps of speedchanges, and then a lap recovery.  Then I changed into my PINK flats and went over to the 1000 start.  The ice rink mats were pushed far back so I couldn't see the mark on the rubber, but I saw a pink highlighter mark and thought that must be it.  For each of the distances I was supposed to run the equivalent of 5:30 pace and then do an equal timed recovery.  For my 1000 I hit 3:29 so I was 3 seconds slow, then on the 800s I hit 2:43 and 2:42.  Then I was allowed 2 laps recovery before four 400s.  My times on those were 1:25 (I thought I would do them too fast since my 400 splits on the 800 had been 1:19 and 1:18), 1:20, 1:21, 1:21.  Then I did another recovery lap and changed shoes.  I did 10 laps cooldown to get up to 10 miles for the day.

Today in yoga we focused on quads and hamstrings, which felt really nice.  We also did a little abs.  And then we did even more at practice :P in the weight room we did arm swings, leg lifts, standing on one foot, and then wall sits before we got to do our run.  My quads were on fire during the last wall sit!  The run today was go up 900s and go to Shriner's like we do from the track, then go up to 11th Avenue and run all the way to City Creek.  We didn't go to the drinking fountain since we didn't think it would be on, and we were supposed to go down Memory Grove.  But Natalie, Amanda, and I didn't want to since we were cutting out the drinking fountain and we didn't want to cut it any shorter.  And we had the Garmins which is like ultimate authority :) haha not really, but anyway we went the way we wanted to and stayed up higher and came out by the Capitol.  Then we ran down to State Street, over to South Temple, and took that all the way back up to 1300e.  I was with Natalie and Taylor and we didn't hit any red lights.  At 1200e we crossed the street to be on the south side.  Then we went back to school along 1300e, and finished with a lap in the parking lot to bring it to 10.  Bill wasn't too happy about us cutting out Memory Grove... but I forgot he didn't have his Garmin :P 

Today when we got to the oval I did 5 laps warmup with Abigail and Amanda before stretching.  Then we did another 4 laps, followed by 4 laps speedchanges and then a lap recovery.  Then we changed shoes and jogged over to the 300 start.  We did two sets of four 300s with a lap recovery after each set.  The deal was that we each had a time interval we were supposed to hit but for any that were too far outside of the interval we had to do another.  I was supposed to hit between 56 and 58.  My times were 58, 56, 57, 59.  We jogged back to the start again for recovery from each.  Then on the second set I hit 58, 58, 56, 57.  Then after the lap recovery I was done because I had hit my 24 laps for the day.

Today for cross country practice I got to to the penny run for the first time!  The rules are that you go straight until you have to stop at an intersection, then you flip the coin and if tails turn left and if heads turn right.  So our run was leaving the parking lot, going up to the intersection at 900s and 1300e, flipped a tails so turned left and went straight until 500s.  We flipped heads, but then we had to flip again because that light changed too.  So we went left which was really straight, but then we had to turn down I think 400s for a few blocks.  Then at a 4 way stop we flipped tails, and then back on 500s we flipped heads and got to run down the curvy road into 400s!  Then we followed the sidewalk which ended up going north, we were on 1000e.  Then at 200s we had to flip the coin and got heads.  Then when we got back up to 1300e we just ran back to the school.  And I did arm swings in the parking lot. 

Today out at Saltair we started with a mile out and back on the road for warmup.  The weather was so much nicer than 2 weeks ago!  Then Natalie and I skipped to the bathroom as fast as we could for POTTY break and then hurried back outside to change shoes and drop off our sweats at the car.  Then we went over to the line for strides.  When the race started Ben and I were up at the front.  I didn't start out too fast either, everyone else was just slow!  In the corner of my eye I could see a guy to my right in neon yellow who was a little ahead of me but still I was shocked to be in the lead for the first part of the race.  Then a bunch of guys started passing me and it felt more like the race should be.  At around mile one the guy I had ran with last week caught up to me and again I just stayed with him.  My mile split was 5:48.  I knew keeping that pace the whole time would be tough, so I threw surges in when I thought of it.  At mile 2 my time was 11:50, and at mile 3 18:04.  By the turnaround the guy I had been running with had gone ahead of me, and I didn't really want to push that hard because I didn't even know how close the next girl was anyway.  But when I turned I saw Bill and Tee again, though this time they weren't as close.  So I was a little disappointed I wouldn't get to relax as much as I wanted to.  Bill caught up to me during the second half, and I let him stay with me for a while but then I really wanted to catch a kid up ahead who I could tell was dropping fast so I picked up the pace and passed him.  Then a while later Bill was up with me again, this time it was at about the 2 miles to go.  He told me I needed to keep picking it up so I said "ok" and surged ahead of him again.  At the water station Patti told me I was about 50 feet ahead of the other girl, so I kept my surge up.  With a mile to go Bill told me I should try to catch the kid in blue who was three people ahead of me.  So for the last mile I worked on catching the guys in red and yellow shirts (the guy in the yellow was who I had been pacing with last time) and then the kid in the blue.  I passed red and yellow, and up to the mile 6 mark I was still gaining on the kid in blue but I think he picked it up by then, and I didn't want to do an all out sprint to the finish but I finished a few seconds behind him.  Right after finishing I went out a mile and back with Bill and Ben for cooldown, and then I went and put on my warm stuff and ate muddy buddies.  My calves are so sore!  When I got home I took a 10 minute ice bath.

Today was so nice outside, we got to do our whole workout including team warmups up at the track!  We started with 2 laps warmup and then a stretching circle.  Then for the distance workout we did 2 miles warmup followed by 1 mile of speedchanges with a lap recovery following.  Then we changed shoes, I wore my pink spikes!  We did the same workout as last year on the Monday before Simplot (Bill, Amanda, and I all checked what it was on my blog haha).  It was six sets of 400, 200 with equal distance recovery after each.  The times I were supposed to hit were between 1:11-1:13 for the 400s and sub :35 for the 200s.  My times for the 400s were 1:18, 1:16, 1:15, 1:13, 1:15, 1:16.  For the 200s I hit :36, :34, :34, :34, :35, :37.  After the recovery for the 200 in the last set we changed shoes back and then did 7 laps cooldown to bring us up to 10 for the day. 

Today Abigail and I had to hurry and get our workout done after school, so we did it on our own.  We started with a warmup of going to the track and doing 4 laps. Then we did 8 laps of speedchanges, and after those we did another 4 laps and ran back home.

Today for practice my sister and I were just pulling into the circle as the team was leaving for the run.  Taylor hadn't started yet so we got the route from him as we got out of the car.  We ran along 1500e to 2100s, down to 1300e, across the 800s and then up to the stadium and finishing with 3 laps.  I was running with Taylor and we caught up to Bill, Amanda, and Maggie just past 1300s when we were on 1300s.  Then when I got home I took a 10 minute ice bath, it felt nice.  

This morning I woke up early and went for an easy 2 miles with my iPod to 1700s and back twice.  

After driving up to Pocatello and arriving at the arena, I had a few minutes before I needed to start warming up.  Natalie, Amanda, and I warmed up together, though we were all in different heats.  Bill came with us.  We did a loop from the arena which was a mile and a half, then stopped for some drills, then a smaller loop around the parking lot, then more drills, and then Amanda and I did another smaller loop to get us 3 miles of warmup before going inside.  We each did strides on our own since we were in different heats so needed the timing of our warmups differently.  Natalie was third in her heat, and then my heat went out onto the track.  We had a false start, it was hard to get trraction on the wood and someone slipped.  Going out Summer who had been starting up higher took the lead after the 50 meters cut in point.  But I went ahead and took the lead and no one challenged it.  I knew I wouldn't have to remind myself to keep pushing to pick up the pace as in other races, but I knew I needed to watch the clock.  I figured that by being in the lead I could set the pace, and that's what happened.  The first mile was in the 5:50s and I knew I should try to pick up the pace for the second mile because I didn't want to be so close to 12.  With about 800 to go Summer and another girl went around Jamie and I but then around the other side of the track Jamie and I passed them back.  Now Jamie had the inside but I worked to get ahead of her again and get back on the inside.  I kicked the last 300 and none of the girls were right with me, I figure they probably didn't kick as hard since it is just prelims.  After Amanda had finished, winning her heat and setting a huge PR, her, Natalie, Ben (after he had finished his race), and I went for a cooldown.  We did a loop like we had in the warmup, then checked back in to see what heat of the guys mile they were on so that we could cheer for our guys.  Then we went back outside for another half mile.  After cheering on Ben from our team and Taylor we went back outside for the last mile before coming back in to cheer for RJ and Dakota.  Then later we cheered for Abigail and Sarah, and we did yoga!  After we got back to the hotel I took an ice bath for 10 minutes, though the water wasn't that cold so tomorrow when I ice I'm throwing in a few buckets of ice.  

This morning I went for a run with Ben from Weber.  We started at the Maverick and from there we went up the hill towards the Hampton and up into a neighborhood with big houses.  It was pretty much all uphill, but when we turned around at a mile it was nice having the downhill.  

This afternoon I left my hotel and went out a half mile and back which ended up being out of the parking lot the way the cars have to go and then up the road and turning so it was a loop around the hotel but higher up.  Then I turned around and when I got back I did strides in the parking lot.  Then I did some stretching.

In the evening we went over to the pool at the Clarion (there was a lot of cool stuff there!) and rubbed ice on my legs.

This afternoon about an hour before the race, Bill took Natalie and I on a mile and a half warmup.  We did the same loop as yesterday, then Natalie and I did drills and a few strides in the field out on the south side of the arena before going back in for POTTY break and to get our shoes ready for the bull pen.  I took a Gu but I misplaced my water bottle so just had to get a drink from a rusty drinking fountain :P  Then Natalie and I went and did a few more drills and strides down by the track.  Then we had to report to the bull pen so we got our shoes and went over.  We changed shoes and got our numbers and then they walked us out to the track.  We had time for a stride and then they put us on our spots at the start.  I was on the higher up spot with Kelsey, Emily, Jamie, and Summer.  We had a false start, but they got us ready to go again.  Going out Summer was a little bit ahead of me, but after the first 100 meters I passed her and kept going.  None of the girls came with me and a few laps in when I looked at the screen I could barely see a girl in red in second coming around the curve as I was getting closer to the line.  My first mile was a 5:16, which if I had been able to hold it would have matched the meet record.  By this point I could see the chase pack on the opposite stride of the track and the announcers were stating that I had a 100 meter lead.  I figured out that the girl in red must have fallen back because at one point I counted at the other 13 girls were on the other side of the track.  Bill told me that my splits for the 200s during the second mile were even, I was glad I wasn't slowing down at least.  I lapped a few girls, and in the last 300 I pushed a little harder as I got closer to the finish but was going fastest down the final straightaway.  I passed Natalie and another girl as I finished, and I was very pleased with my time which was well under 11 minutes :)  Afterwards I felt like I had to puke but Bill was telling me I wouldn't, so I tried to hold it in as long as I could.  I made it off the podium without having to run off to puke, and I made it through a video interview with Flotrack without puking while on camera, but then I was talking to a reporter and had to turn around and puke a few times, mostly it was water.  They didn't put a cone over it though, oh well :P  After I was able to make my way back up to my stuff after talking to a bunch of people, I put my shoes on and went for a 3.5 mile cooldown with Amanda, Natalie, and Bill.  We did a loop through the neighborhood by the arena.  Then we all went and enjoyed a nice dinner at Maddox :)

Here are links to the race and the Flotrack interview:

http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/238138-2011-adidas-Simplot-Games/video/464578-W-3200-F01

http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/238138-2011-adidas-Simplot-Games/video/464716-Susannah-Hurst-3200-champ-2011-Simplot-Games

This morning after setting up flags and eating breakfast I went for my run.  I ran along 1500e to 2100s, then up to 1700e and then I continued south to about 2700s and then went up a few streets and turned back north on one of them.  When I got back to 2100s on 1700e I stayed up on 1700e to 1700s and then turned down.  When I got back to my house I had to add a quarter so I did that on 1400e.  

Today I went for a run on my own after I got back from clinicals.  I was kind of tired and just felt like taking another easy day.  I ran from my house down to 1300e, then took that all the way to South Temple and then turned and went up Virginia Street.  I took that up to 11th Avenue, and stayed on that road all the way up City Creek to about where the road splits.  I stretched for a minute and then went back the same way.  It was a nice run :)

Today for practice after the track warmups I was in charge!  For about a minute, I decided that we were going to do 8 miles.  We ran down to Liberty Park and did laps around the perimeter going clockwise.  I ran with Bill and Ben the whole way.  We did I think 3 laps around the perimeter and then for the last part we ran to the drinking fountain before leaving to go back up to the school.  Then we did our crunches, pushups, and arm swings.  

Today as part of the track warmup we did team strides out in the field, we each had to do 6.  My team dominated!  And when we finished we all did 25 pushups.  Then for the distance run we ran along 1300e to Sugarhouse Park, doing a partial outer lap up to about Highland where we reached 3 miles so we turned and went back the same way.  Then we did our crunches, pushups, and arm swings as we waited for Abigail to get back so that we could eat the cupcakes we brought in celebration of her birthday!!!  Happy Sweet 16 Abigail!!!!! =)

This morning I enjoyed my day off school with a morning run after getting to sleep in and eat breakfast :)  I ran from my house up 1300s to Foothill, then I went north all the way along the curve to Guardsman, and then I followed the Shriner's route.  I got up onto 11th Avenue for the turnaround.  I turned around at a little after 5 miles because I had done a lap around my block at the start because I decided I wanted to go in shorts instead of  tights.  It was a very nice day :)  I went back the same way I had come :)  Then I did my pusups, crunches, and arm swings before getting weights and going outside for lunges, squats, calf raises, and the other things I can't remember the name of. 

This afternoon I went for another 10 miler after I finished clinicals.  I ran along 1500e to Sunnyside, and then went up above the zoo and then along Wasatch Drive to Thunderbird, then on Foothill up to the flagpole.  I went back along Foothill to Sunnyside, then on Guardsman I cute over and down to 1500e, then had to add a few blocks out and back when I got to my house.  Then I did my crunches, pushups, arm swings, weighted lunges, squats, calf raises, and the other drill.  Then I finished off with a nice 10 minute ice bath :)

Today for workout we left the stadium and ran up Sunnyside.  We did our 5k course backwards, going up the This is the Place start route, then since Natalie and I had the Garmins we chose to go up to Wasatch Drive instead of up the canyon :)  We ran along there until we reached 5, then we turned around and went back the same way.  Later at home I did my crunches, pushups, and arm swings, then my weighted lunges, squats, calf raises, and militaries.  Later I took a 10 minute ice bath.