GOING THE DISTANCE

6:30 am-  Nice cool 4 miler but my knees were still really sore so I fell behind a bit.  So I just admired the beauty of the mountains and got lost in deep thought.

3:30pm-  Did a loop down around chevron then back up past the double churches then did a few loops in the church parking lot.  I had planned to do 4 miles but it was the first time running in my kinvaras and they worked my calves a lot more than usual.  So my left calf got pretty tight so I went home and did 3.8 miles.

9am-  Me and my dad and my dog went into the desert for a run.  We went all the way out to washington parkway exit and did the dinosaur tracks loop then I came home for 6.8 and my dad went farther, 8 miles.  When I first got up my calf was still pretty sore but I stretched and rolled it so it felt pretty decent.  The run was really slow though about 9 min/mile average.  My legs were burning up the hills.  I just didn't feel to good but its good to have my run over with for the day.

7am-  Went to xc this morning after being sick yesterday.  Still didn't really feel great today.  I didn't have much energy so it was hard.  It was also the last running club,  I was able to make it through that.  Hopefully I will feel good tomorrow so I can give a good push on the time trial which I haven't had any good experiences with.

7am-  Met with the xc team at the high school this morning for our 1st time trial.  I was still not feeling 100% and the warmup was hard but I decided I was good enough to race and try my best.  As we started and got going I felt better and got positive about the race.  I got some cramp in my stomach a couple times but other than that I felt ok.  I just kept Dave and Reed in my sights so I could pass them in the end.  Last 800m Cam came up on my shoulder so props to him, he ran great.  But anyways that got me going and I pass Dave and Reed on the grass then just kept charging into the finish and finish about 5 seconds behind paul.  Time was 11:57.  I didn't really know what to think about it.  Last year I only ran the first time trial but got 12:01.  I guess its good though, I feel I did my best.

7am-  The run for practice today was 8 miles with a 3 mile tempo.  We ran down to the river then started the tempo at 2 miles.  All us level 2 guys stayed together for about the first mile.  Then a few dropped off and just Andrew, Cameron, Preston and Jake finished with me. Our mile times for the tempo were 6:40, 6:30, 6:17.  So pretty good pace.  The way back up 2450 was tough, my legs were sore and tired.  This was the first full tempo I have done with the guys down at the river and my longest run the whole summer.  All my muscles and bones feel fine, just a little sore in my muscles.

4pm-  Went to lift weights with the team at 3:30 after they did their afternoon run.  Good sesh, got swol.  But then to get a ride home my mom said I had to walk over to my dad's work (reid ashman manufacturing) and get a ride from him.  So I went over and he had already left so I decided to run home.  Nice short run in my kinvaras.  

7am-  Met at the little valley park this morning for xc practice.  We warmed up and all then ran three miles on the grass.  I ran bare foot and about half of us did.  Then we put our shoes on and went to do a hill workout.  I was really gonna go hard and try to do this full workout.  So we started and I was up with Matt and Colton and Reed and those guys on the one minute repeats.  We had 5*1minutes and 3*30 seconds.  My legs felt ok and I really got a good workout.  On the 5th (last for level 2s) every one was getting sluggish so matt told us to give it a good push if it was our last one.  So Cam came out of nowhere and like Cam Levins he totally wooped everyone up the hill.   Waited for everyone to finish those then started the 30 seconders.   I got sprinting on the first one and some tendon or something in my ankle really started hurting every step.  On the inside portion next to my achilles.  My legs felt really good but got really tired so thats bueno.

9am- 5.3 miles on the church rocks loop.  Got up really early and me and my dad drove over to the trailhead by the freeway.  Pretty fun loop but I struggled going uphill.  My legs were really tired from the hard workout yesterday.  But other than that it was easy and fun.  I was thinking about the race on tuesday and realized how close it is and I getting really excited.

7am-  1k repeats workout this morning.  Met at high school and did warmups and agilities.  Then started the workout. 6*1000m.  My goal time was 4:15 based on the time trial last week. The speed was 87% this week and we ran on the PV course so all that made for a harder workout.  It got me breathing a bit but 6 repeats got my legs tired so good day.  Race tomorrow, I'm ready to go.

3pm-  Went and did the afternoon run with the team.  Im still pretty nervous about doing doubles.  I might just start with one a week. Anyways hot good run.  Lifted weights after the run and I am so swollen I probly weigh like 160 now.

7am-  2 miles easy this morning.  Only went because I had to register for school after and that was the only time I could.  Otherwise I probably would have gone for a bike ride.

6:45pm-  First race of the season.  I came into this race ready and excited and a little nervous.  I warmed up 1.5 miles then did some warmups and watched a lot of the girls race then we all went to get in the starting line.  We stood there till the cedar coach came then he started the race.  I didn't start in a good position so I was passing people from the start.  Good first mile, 5:30 I think.  My legs felt good and my cotton mouth had gone away which I get at the start of every race.  I started to get a little uncomftorble so I just blew any thoughts away and kept pushing.  I saw kyler and kept him about a good 25 meters ahead of me.  We got onto the sidewalk on the east side so I tried to surge and get some speed.  Coming onto the track the second time I tried to think positive thoughts like, "I feel great, next time on the track I'll be finishing stuff like that."  It really helped when I told myself positive things.  As I came around by the green wall I was really close to Kyler and Matt was closing in on me.  We came past coach and he told us some stuff so I started to speed up more.  I got on the side walk and started to kick a little bit.  I got ahead of Matt and Kyler.  Matt said "only 600 meters" and I got a little adrenaline boost.  I was coming up on Dallin the desert hells kid who beat me in the region mile and I wanted to beat him really bad.  I sped up and got on his side and we kept speeding up.  We passed lambert from cedar and as we got onto the track I was so close to giving up, my stomach hurt really bad.  But I didn't want any regrets so at about 200m I dug deep and started sprinting and I passed him then on the curve blew pass colton and finished.  I was pretty happy with my race and it was a 24 second PR.  Things I can work on is my form when I get tired.  I get tired and I lose my knee drive and I start to land on my heels so that can always be improved.  Super pumped to have a great season. 

3pm-  3 miles easy and I did 4 striders after.  We did the Sandbergs pond loop and jumped in there.  My body is getting a bit sore and battered from a lot of mileage so far this week.

3pm- 5.25 miles with some slow sunrise hills.  I ran over to the hill with all the boys then with just paul and krenshaw we just ran up it at about 8 minute pace.  So it was hard but not as stressing on my bones like sprints up the hill are.  It was really hot and water tasted really good today.  

3pm-  1/1 workout over on the field by the tennis courts.  I ran with paul and josh until I ended at 11 repetitions.  I stopped there because of mileage, cuz so I could do the tempo tomorrow.  It was hard at the end and it was a really hot bugger.  Hard day.

8am-  Went over to Hurricane High School on the bus.  Varsity wasn't racing, we had tempos.  I had 8 miles with 3 tempo and Matt and Byron had 12 and 4 tempo.  So I ran with all the guys then Abel, Krenny and Kyler turned at 2 miles.  Me, Byron and Matt kept going to the airport but there was no right turn and there was supposed to be.  So we went up into a neighborhood and through some desert than ended up in airport at the end of the runway.  Luckily no planes were taking off.  We crossed another fence and I think ended up on the road we were supposed to go on.  I went a little further then flipped it and started my tempo at 4 miles.  I stayed on the paved road and went the right way.  My laps on my watch were messed up so I dont know the exact mile times but based on what my watch always said when I looked at it I would say I averaged about 5:55 mpm.  It felt fast but I felt good and never really felt bad.  It was very slightly down hill the whole way back.  My legs felt decent but I got a little sore in my shins after.  The boys racing ran really good and the girls and youngsters too.  But the boys got a perfect score so that was legit.

3pm-  6 1k repeats.  My goal pace was 4:15 and I got 4:03, :08, :09, :09, :08, :09.  A little bit quick but they felt relaxed enough to not get breathing crazy.  My legs got really tired after because of the amount of running.  It basically feels like it works my legs as hard as the 1k repeats did last year.  

6am-  Ran 1.5 miles in the morning.  Got there at 6 by my watch and everyone was already gone.  

3pm-  5.5 miles by way of washington fields.  Super hot and boring cause going out to washington fields is the worstest boringest run ever.  My arch is kinda getting sore and today is kinda had a spasm and hurt pretty bad.  My mom said probly because I haven't been wearing my orthotics.  So I will wear them every other day instead of just none everyday. 

5pm-  Got some tendonitis in my foot similar to what taylor had.  So I went over to the rec to pool run.  I tried to mimick the 1/1 workout that the team did today.  That went pretty good.

3pm-  Tried to run 1 mile really slow.  It wasn't too bad, but I didn't put any pressure on my calves or ankles.  It's really frustating cuz I really want to race on saturday but I don't see that happening at this pace but i'll hope for the best. 

5pm-  Got into the pool and did 25 minutes kinda hard.  then 4*30 second sprints.

3pm-  Did the warm up and the cool down with the boys.  My foot felt a little iffy then got warmed up but still was about only 80 percent today.  It feels like it has been improving about 10 percent every dad so I will be able to race on saturday.

4pm -  Went to go pool run at the rec.  I had to be done in half an hour cuz my family was going to dinner for my mom's birthday.  But the dang swimteam was taking up half the laps and the disabled people were taking up the other 4.  So I just went outside by the volley ball court and did a bunch of pushups and core stuff.

6pm -  Time trial today.  Little bit out of shape since I have been running low mileage the last week and did nothing yesterday but I still had a pretty good race.  I warmed up with the team, to harts and back.  1.5 miles.  Well first of all at 5 we had team pictures.  So after the warm up I got my racers on and did some warm ups and lined up at the start.

Started the race out pretty quick.  I got behind kyler who was behind abel and byron.  I might have started out a bit too quick but better too quick than too slow I would say.  Got a good pace going around the ball fields.  My legs were not feeling too great, and going up the hill was really a struggle.  Matt passed me going around the PV rock and Colton passed me going on to the grassy straight.  I made sure to stick on colton and did the whole second lap. Coming onto the hill the second lap I got some negetive thoughts in my brain and those almost killed me but I quickly got them out of my head.  As I came through the finish/start line and started the 800 loop I passed and started to pull away from colton.  I felt a little second wind coming and saw matt in my sights I just didn't have the legs to beat him today.  Decent race, nice PR for me on this course.  I really hope to do good at the grass relays.  So I will.

3:30pm-  Went over to the rec center right after school.  Had a pretty good workout and it hurt.  My legs burned after my final 4 minuter.  

7pm-  Got to Sugarhouse park after travelling all day.  It felt great to get out of the car.  We changed and ran the state course.  It was my first time.  It got me really excited but it also made me see that I need to keep getting stronger and tougher.  It seemed like a pretty tough course with hardly any flat, level ground.  Good simple 3 miler to shake out the legs for the race tomorrow.

10:30am-  Today was the AF grass relays.  I feel just that I had a good race.  I ran fast and all that, but I didn't dig deep in my soul like I can.  Starting and getting the baton from Byron I felt good trying to stick with desert hells.  But he started to slip away about 500m in and I wasn't mentally there.  For some reason I chose not to go ham.  He got a ways out there and I told myself he was too far and that was my mistake.  If I can win the mental battle with myself I can run much better so all I can really do is move on and focus for the next race.