How I became the best

Really solid speed workout today. Warmed up 1 mile and stretched. Workout was 5 sets of a 600 at a little faster than 5k pace, 300 meter recovery, a 200 all out sprint with a pretty sharp curve in the middle, 300 recovery. We hit the first four 600s anywhere from 1:58 to 2:01. The last one Heston did in 1:51, I did in 1:56, Nate 1:57. That one hurt a lot, the 200 after that was pretty tough too. On the last 200 we did Heston gapped me a bit, I caught up to him at 150, then I slowed down a lot. I was pretty much spent on the fourth one, so I was suprised I went faster on the last one. Sat around for a while in the shade, then jogged a mile back to the school and watched the soccer game. 

Easy 5 miles with the team. We ran the long way to Nate's house and swam in his pool for a little. I just put my legs in because I still had to go further. Ran 2.5 miles back to school.

1 mile warmup, then 3x1200 at race pace. We were going to do 4 but coach said if we could break 3:50 for the 3rd one we would be done. I honestly think we should have done 4 of them under 3:50, but whatever, it was a good workout. Splits were 3:48-3:53-3:41. Our rest was way too long also, like 5 minutes or more. This would have been much better if we had done four with shorter rest. 1 mile cool down back to the school. Once I got home I went to centennial and did laps on the grass until I got 8.2 for the day.

1 mile jog to the sports park. We did 4 strides then played soccer for 15 minutes. I probably ran harder than I should have, but we won and thats all that matters. 1 mile jog back to sf. I'll do more later. 

Just kidding I wont do more later

Good race today. Warmed up with the team a before the first race, and again before my race. 2 miles warming up. Got a few strides in and I felt really good. The start was really fast, Heston went to the front after 300 or so, and that one timpview kid took the lead soon after. I was in a pack with the leaders, probably 6 of us. Passed the mile in 5:20. It was hurting a lot, and I slowed down in the second mile. I dropped off the pack and was about 10 to 15 seconds behind them, and it looked like Heston was dropping off too. I kept putting in really strong surges to get up to Heston, but I never could gain any ground on him. I ran by myself for most of the second half. I should have stayed with that pack, they were only 20 seconds ahead of me, I'm pretty sure I could have stayed with them. Heston had an amazing kick at the end and went from 7th to 3rd. I was completely by myself so my kick didn't really matter, but I got a 3 mile pr which was nice. 800 cool down. 

Drove down to St George. They had a treadmill down at our condo so I did some intervals. 1 mile warm up, 800 in 2:36, 800 jog, 800 in 2:36, 1 mile jog, 800 in 2:33, 800 jog, 800 in 2:33, 1 mile jog, 800 in 2:30. I was going to do another one but I had to go to the bathroom. Swam after with the fam. Its way hot down here. 

Easy 7 miles after we got home from St George

Warmed up before the girls race one mile, and another mile before my race. Got in 2 strides before the start. Start was pretty similar to Saturdays race, Heston went to the front and I tucked in right behind him. About 1200 in, there was still a Salem Hills kid with us, and Nate was right behind me. We dropped him pretty soon and passed mile 1 in 5:17. It felt really easy, which I was pleasantly suprised about. I let Heston keep leading for the rest of that lap. At about 2400 I could tell Heston was slowing. Nate and I ran on either side of him. 100 meters before the 2 mile, I made a big surge and automatically gapped them. After 20 seconds or so I couldn't even hear them behind me. Honestly for the next 800 I was running scared, I kept thinking of how Heston came up on me in the Salem race. I still felt really relaxed and easy because of the slow first 2 miles, and at 800 I looked back to see how I was doing and realized I had gapped Nate 20 seconds and Heston was way back, he must have been having a bad day or something. From there I picked up the pace thinking I might still get a decent time. I had a good finish, but I didn't sprint all out because I didn't really need to. Cheered people on for a little after I finished. Finished in 16:24, got in 1200 cool down. 

Just found out the course was actually 3.15 miles, so I guess thats a pr. It felt slow though so I'm not sure.

4 miles later with a 1 mile tempo thrown in, not too bad. 

Crappy workout today. Jogged a mile to the sports park. The workout was supposed to be 600 400 200 400 600 with 100 rests, but what ended up happening was 600, 550, 400, 200, 525 with like anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes rest because we couldn't figure out where we were supposed to go. I was kind of disappointed, I really wanted a hard workout. Maybe I'll do one later. Ran back to the school and another 800 cool down.

Warmed up a mile at the gym then did 3x1 mile hills. First one was 3% grade starting at 9.5 mph and finishing at 11 mph. 400 recovery. The second was the same but the incline was 3.5%. 400 recovery. The third one I started at 4%, 9.5 mph, and progressed to 7%, 11.7 mph. Felt good, the only really hard one was the last one. Cooled down 800.

5 miles easy, it was hot though so it didn't feel easy. Murray Invite tomorrow.

Pretty lame race today. Got to Murray at 2:30, race was at 4. Warmed up a half mile at 3, then another mile before the race. Got in 4 strides. My start was really good and I got into the top 10. I stayed right next to Heston and focused on not losing any ground on him. Down the hill Heston got 5 meters on me and I worked hard to get back to him. I still felt like I was relaxed and I thought I was having a great race. I was still with Heston after a mile. At mile 2 I was in about 10th, but I was really fatigued. My coach said I was using really long strides, not overstriding, but going around the turns and uphills I was working harder than everyone else because of my long strides. We've been working on that all year, I'm not sure how I forgot. I gradually started falling behind and people started passing me. After 3 or 4 passed me I put in a bug effort to stay with one of them, but I just kept losing contact with people. At the big hill I surged really hard up the first half, but immediately slowed down for the rest of it. 3 people passed me there. At the top of the hill I stumbled because my legs were giving out on me, then Nate passed. I think 5 to 10 more people passed me in the last 300. Really really bad finish. I was really excited to have a good race, but I guess I'll just have to use this as a learning experience. Talked to Angie afterward and she thinks if I fixed those few things I could have been top 10 and up with Heston. 1200 cool down with Nate and Heston then sat around for a few hours. I also think I need to stop doing extra workouts, I think its just tearing up my legs. 

10 miles kind of easy. Started at 7.5 mph and increased 0.1 mph every half mile until I got to 9 mph then I slowed down a lot. Felt good.

Sat around then warmed up a lap and stretched. When we started Fletcher went out too fast going quite a bit under 6 minute pace. Right on pace for the first mile in 6 minutes with the new Heston. I decided then I didn't really want to go for a pr so I decided we would alternate 6 minute miles with 7 minutes miles. After 7 laps J Heston caught up and surged hard. We averaged 5:40 pace for the next 2 laps. Then he told me he wasn't running that pace the whole time, and he took off. Those next 2 laps must have been really fast for him. I ended up running about 5:20 for that mile, so he was probably 4:55 or something. I still felt really good so I just setteled in and started running 90 seconds a lap. I had already gotten 30 seconds ahead of schedule by 4 miles, so I just focused on getting through each lap in 90 seconds. I started getting more ahead, about 45 seconds ahead by 7 miles. I still felt great, but the only problem was I really really had to go to the bathroom. I started slowing down after that, getting back down to 20 seconds ahead by 9 miles. I still had a ton left in my legs with a mile left so I figured I would push it a little and see what I could get. Started kicking it in, and passed 10 miles in 58:58, so I think I probably ran the last mile in low fives. My last lap was 70, and I slowed down after that. After the hour passed, I walked the rest of the way down the track. Ice bath and rollout.

Easy 5 with the squad. Pretty easy, my legs felt sore at the end, and my left knee and left hip both hurt. Thats pretty understandable though because of all those left turns yesterday.

Good workout. It was ridiculously windy and 55 degrees but I'm just grateful it wasn't 95 again. We warmed up half a mile and I wanted to do like 2 miles but coach wouldn't let us. Workout was 6x800 at race pace with 1:30 rest. The whole workout really wasn't that hard, I would have liked to put in a harder effort. They were 2:40-2:33-2:33-2:32-2:33-2:16.5. The last on was good, faster than mile pace! We have our invitational on friday and I'm super excited! I think I'll have a great race if I can recover from monday. 1 mile cool down. After I got back home I ran around the cemetary and then to centennial and did some loops and 2 strides on the grass. 2 miles there. 

4 easy miles. Played a lot of soccer later.

So the race went pretty good. I can't argue with a pr, but I can't say I'm not disappointed. I really wanted to stay with Heston. Warmed up a mile an hour before the race, and another mile before. Got in 2 strides. Started good but this kid sprinted out ridiculously fast for the first 100. He was definately sub 60 on that first 400. It took us about 800 meters but we caught him and he faded bad. I was in a pack of 7 or so at the mile, which we hit in 5:0x, it was pretty fast. Then the kid from springville started pushing and I was just barely hanging on to the pack. They slowly got away from me and pretty soon I was by myself again. The kid from Maple Mountain who I usually beat was right behind me. I just kept pushing and trying to get away, but he's a trooper! He just wouldn't let go! I caught up with the other guy in front of me with a big surge with 800 left, but immediately fell off pace again and he got away, the kid from Maple Mountain passed me then too. I tried to get back up with them but my lungs are what hurt the most this race and I couldn't get up there. Had a pretty good finish but not all out because there was nobody to go after, the other group was 10 seconds ahead by then. Coach said I need to use my arms way more at the end and I would have definately caught that pack ahead of me. Passed the 3 mile mark and someone yelled out 15:50 which was a 16 second pr I think. Right when I stopped I had an absolutely terrible side ache. I couldn't even stand up straight. Nate was about 5 or 10 seconds behind me. Cooled down 0.25 miles, will probably do more later. I think if I had not eaten pizza last night and maybe taken that run easier on Monday I could have done better, but I'm excited for the end of the season, I think its going to be great!

Very little mileage this week. I was going to do a long run but didn't have time (homecoming was today) so I just did like 7.

4 miles easy in the morning.

Nice little workout today. Warmed up a mile and a half to the west end of the river trail, then did a 1.5 mile tempo to the end of the sports park. First mile was easy, not hard at all. Then Heston and I picked it up a little for the last 800, it ended up being less than 1.5 though, finished in 7:55. Cooled down with Spencer, the other Heston, Wyatt, and some others. 5.2 miles total. 

Great workout today! Warmed up a mile to the sports park, then stretched and did 2 strides. Workout was 12x400 at 2 mile pace with 90 second rest (200 meters). We ended up going faster but I was feeling really good. I ended up leading a lot of them because Heston wasn't pushing the pace. First one was 75, which was right where I thought we needed to be but Heston said we should go faster. He lead the next one and we got 73, but he wanted closer to 70. I lead the third one and got 70. Next few were 72s, 8th one was 71, 9th one was 70. Heston dropped out on the 8th one because he had to leave. Coach told us to work on our finishing for the last 3. Ran a slower first half on that one, then had a good sprint at the end and closed on Fletcher who was doing his last one, 68. On the next one coach pulled nate aside and told him tp try to beat me from 300 out. Right when he went I pushed it hard too and gapped him after 100 meters or so. This was my strongest one by far, 63. I think Nate was 68. On the last one I took it a little easier the first 200 and kicked the last 200, 67. Definately the best speed workout of the season! One mile cool down. I might do more later, but probably not. 

Easy 4 miles

Well, that sucked. Warmed up 2 miles, felt good. It had cooled down, and I was set to get a pr. I honestly don't know what happened. Got in 3 strides. I let Nate start in front next to Heston to try to prevent me from going out too fast. Stayed behind Nate for 200 but realized he wasn't going fast enough so I went around the outside of the big group and got within 5 meters of Heston. I wa in 10th or 15th through 600. Casey from AF slowed it down a little so there was a really big pack up front. I just focused on getting a good position and getting back with Heston. Passed the mile in 4:59, and I knew then that I had blown it. I was already very fatigued, people started passing me and I completely let go. I would put in a half hearted effort here and there but nothing that made a difference, Nate passed me somewhere after 2 miles,  and I didn't even try to follow. Tried to get the most out of the race by practicing kicking from 400 out, but that lasted for at most 10 seconds. I know I could be so much better, I don't know if I'm just not trying hard enough in races or what. I was really looking forward to something in the 15:30 range. Today was literally the perfect day to do something like that and I blew it. Maybe my problem is running the first mile too aggressively. I'll try going out with a conservative first mile next time. Mile cool down by myself because I was super po'd. 

Went and helped out with the Jr. High meet today. Jogged around the course so I got 1.2 miles warm up, then we paceed the girls race. It was really slow, 8 minute pace about. We just did one loop, a little less than a mile. Then we did the boys race. They were faster, but only about 6 minute pace. Then coach had us jog 400 meters before our workout. It was a 15 minute fartlek, not too hard but I put in a good effort. Heston wasn't there to push me so I was out front with Nate not far behind. Cooled down half a mile and walked home. 

5.75 miles in AF at my brothers soccer game. I'm going to push my mileage back up next week, probably close to 50. I didn't even consciously decrease my mileage I kind of just didn't keep track very well.

4.5 miles with Heston, Nate, Guts, and the other Heston. It was pretty quick on the last mile. I wanted some recovery so I let Heston and Guts go ahead and I ran with the other Heston. The last mile for us was 6:30. 

I wasn't going to run any more, but I ended up playing soccer for 3 hours, at least 4 miles. I'll just say 8 for the day.

Tough workout today, it went really well though. Warmed up a mile to the sports park and stretched. I was pretty sore from all that soccer yesterday, I didn't realize how much different playing soccer is from running! Stretched a lot. The workout was 4x1000s and 2x200s. Heston went out really quick, but he held his pace on all of them. Each of his were 3:04, his last one was 3:03. I went 3:11-3:08-3:07-3:03. My 200s were good, I beat Heston on the first one, and we ran the second one at different times. Felt really relaxed, I could have gone faster on the first ones though. Overall this was good! 1 mile cool down.

Easy 5k with Guts. We ran to the sports park, did one loop, and ran back. I drove to the sports park afterward, ran 2k on the grass, 1.5k out and 1.5k back, and finished up to 7k at the sports park. Felt good, really sore though.