Life Liberty and the Pursuit of a Shiny Gold Medal

Went to the SUU indoor track and did a 2, 4, 6, 6, 4, 2 lap fartleks. Started at 5:30 pace dropped form there. Beast mode for a .1 track. Still blizzard conditions. 

KlonDIKES + sheep tunnels. Frozen blizzard conditions. Fun stuff.

All at d-hills cuz solo n ensemble and no snow. So legit. So warm.

8x400 @ mile pace w/200 jog inbetween

71

69

67

68

67

67

67

68

2 mile cool down while Tayson warmed up

2 timing Tayson. Did the last 400 with him and we went 1:05 closing in a 15 flat. 

2 timing Jensen. Did the last 400 with him and we went 1:12 opening in a 34. He died hard.

This was a much much better workout than the previous time I did a mile pace workout. The body isn't used to hauling that fast so it took a little while to get used to, but these lap times will drop dramatically once the speed starts getting added to the workouts. Between Monday's workout, the ACT yesterday and today's workout, I've literally been one prayer away from beast mode. I've done some awesome things lately.

Easy miles. Might've been more than 10 but whatever.

4x150 strides

Hurricane All-Comers

4:51

I did a couple other races. Got out kicked in the 800 and yelled at in the 2 mile. I'd just like to ask forgiveness publically for joking around in the 2 mile. I provide no excuses simply an apology for dragging out a too long meet longer and tarnishing the reputation of legit race in which Nick Hill went 10:07. Congrats.

I'm obviously not very pleased with this meet. I hated it all besides the adventure run up to the H. I honestly didn't enjoy it at all. I was nervous and went really counted I couldn't get myself to go simply because I didn't think I had enough "left in the tank" or it's "too early". I know what I'm capable of how do I just get myself to give everything I have. How do I get back to where I was last year. Uggggh. I just want to enjoy this. 

Today was crazy fun. 

Woke up at 4:30 am. Drove to Hurricane and met some super legit kids to run the lake to lake relay with. We blew everyone out of the water and took third behind the "naked men" and the "green shirt dudes". 

I had the 5th and 10th legs again this year. Took a while for my legs to hit that just slower than tempo pace (only for my first leg). Eventually I got it locked in and I cruised well although my first leg was rough.

10th leg was so much fun. I was entirely alone. I made it up to the top of the gravel hill and I turned around for a second to see if I had to go crazy the last 5 miles or so. I couldn't see anyone so I took off. I haven't had that much fun running in so long. It was just so beautiful (alhtough I like my moutain trails), and I cruised so fast so easily and so relaxed. It was beautiful. Last half mile up to the dam/dike thing was heck, and I hit some intense pain levels.

Super-duper fun day. I love those guys (and Kamryn). They are all such wonderful people. If any of you read this, thank you so much. I needed today.

4x1200 (lap jog rest)

3:58

4:00

4:00

3:57

Extra mileage in the valley out past CV

Had to tough out a lot of pain today because of last weekend. I'm pretty dang tired. I need to more time to relax. Extra mileage was gorgeous. Most enjoyable extra mileage I've put in in a long time.

Extended Bridge

4x150

Extra mileage past CV

Mindless and insanely fit. I'm still just so out of it. I need to relax, break some bad habits and survive the coming weeks. Same place as monday. So gorgeous.

Triple Crown!

4:50 (68, 75, 80, 67)

2:08 (64, hi 63)

10:37 (5:24, 5:13, 68 last lap)

Three Wins today. Very happy about my performances. 

Bike Path Narrows

6x100m strides

Usual extra 3

Very rainy today, but the legs felt pretty solid.

20xShort sage drive hills

Extra mileage on new bike path

Beast of a workout today, but I love short fast reps and I killed it.

Extra mileage was way fun too. Started a tan and ran like a wild man across some deer trails I came across. Trails are my bae.

Out Airport road to the neighborhood I ran most of my easy miles earlier this week. I really enjoy the area, but the 5 miles out didn't feel good and the 7 back up hill was heck. Good hard run but unenjoyable.

Something that bugs me beyond all belief: MM and BA... together. (I know none of you know who he and she are) That's just something that shouldn't happen. If there is supernatural power that could make that end ASAP I appeal to it for the good everyone.

Warm Up 

4x4min fartleks (sub 5:20)

4x30sec fartleks (mileish pace)

Cool down

Extra @ the Bi.

I went beast mode on these. The third 4 minute and all of the 30's were up hill on the left frontage road. I'm ready to do some damage in some races. Pumped for what's coming. Hamstring has gotten gradually more achey, although isn't a major issue. 

Some short miles pre-practice

Independence Loop

6x100m strides

Some short miles post-practice

Allergies getting pretty bad. Not feeling wonderful.

5x300 @ 800m pace (full recovery)

44

45

45

44

43 (high)

So sick today. My entire body aches. Still a super workout. Kindof a shock to intentionally make the legs move that fast, but things got better as the workout progressed. Definitely not too killer either. I had a few left in me despite being miserable from this head cold/allergies.

I honestly can't remember how far or where I ran. I was feeling like cus and stayed home from school because of this cold/allergy thing. I was visualizing and stuff, attempting to prep for the mile.

Ran this race like a freshman. Bronco took it out in a 30 and so he pulled the rains in way hard and so I took the lead and pushed through the next couple laps like a boss. Then Bronco got on my inside with 600 left and I held things together until 300 left and then I went plop and I died, almost literally. I was in so much pain when I finished this race. Not a good experience. So bad I avoided feeling pain the next day. I need to get my body back on line.

At least I'm admitting my time. Yes Jaiden you officially ran a full minute faster than me, and it sent me into rotten depression for a couple hours. Sometimes I care waaaaaaaaaaay waaaaaaay waaaaaaay too much, but I'm learning to deal with it and it's making me better. 

Things went as planned until 3 laps to go. I psyched myself out and got too caught up in time/pace/place. I then laid an egg an got beaten by Mckade who I wasted in the 2 mile and mile last week. Just proves the importance of mental stability, and props to Mckade for running fast.

Well I was low on confidence coming in to this week. I was kinda setting myself for a Nephi-esque blow up in the next couple weeks (no offense Nephi, I know your pain, I've been there before and you're making a solid comeback).

Windy 5xXC course reps (1k+) with VERY short rest (-2 min)

3:26

3:38

3:38

3:36

Sucked this workout up through a coffee straw. My times were up to 30 seconds slower than xc and I was toast by the end. So what how did I respond? I ran... 

4x200

30.0

29.1

28.6

28.4

These made me tired.

Don't remember much about this day.... Wait. Oh we ran bridge and did some new trails I've wanted to do for awhile. Fun stuff.

8 strides

Extra mileage

I was depressed this day. I've been re-evaluating everything in my life, and I'm off the charts busy. Naturally, I have to pick this week to deal with my mounting internal issues.

I only ran 6 today :( reasons I hate band....

3x(500, 400, 200) shortening rest (2min, 1:45, 1:30)

88

71

34

Full recovery jog

88

70

33

Full recovery jog

86

69

32

Short cool down

I was struggling with positivity because of huuge massive terrible wind and cold. Honestly the worst wind I've run in for a looooong while. Still depressed. Things don't feel right. I'm goin after a 400 at PV cuz that's the stylish thing to do these days, and with state jazz I'm over the top stressed. 

Easy miles

4x150 strides

Usual pre-meet ritual but because of the JV meet I ran alone. Found my very favorite place in the whole world today, and no you can't know where it is. It's so wonderful. Anyways, things were goin down hill hard core and I was really going to implode this weekend, but I exerted a twig of faith and the Lord provided. I pulled out Once a Runner for the first time since before freshman year. I read the chapters about the pinnacle race and it centered me. I found my reason for running. I realize that with my current mental issues its gonna take a few days for me to get back to the point where running is enjoyable, but this all one big long process. I know where I am going to be 10-15 years down the road and this is simply another step in the journey. That experience has helped me let go of my bitterness towards my competition and feel peace about running for the first time since, well since early Feb even Jan. Tomorrow is about competing, it's about having fun. Times will come as I realize I'm running a race to race. I don't race to get a time. I don't race to prove dominance over another man. I race for the sake of racing. I race because of the beauty that lies behind its simple painful facade. I race to feel the guts that it takes to run with the leaders. I race to be a part of what I've fallen in love watching. I race to test my boundaries. I race to go find my edge and live to tell the tale. I race because it is an essential part of me. Please understand what I am saying. My times/places do not define me. The simplicity of racing has just become a part of my life. I won't be able to live a proper life without feeling it on a regular basis. This post is for my future self attempting to over come my reoccurring problems. This post is for me because no one else is me.

Today was all about blisters. Never had an issue with them before, but I could hardly walk because of them after the mile.

1600: 4:34 (not last)

400: 56

Decent times. Good improvement. The mile is the race I started 5-10m behind everyone for the first 1k because I don't support going out in a 1:00, or at least my body doesn't.

No run Saturday becasue of state jazz. I really tried, but things didn't workout.

5x800 @ goal 2 mile pace (lap jog/full recovery)

2:29

2:27

2:27 (red lined it)

2:xx (dropped out with 150 left)

Worst workout I have had in a very long time. Something's just off and I hate it.

Alley's tree

Kick Workout

100 - 16.5

110 - 19.3

120 - 19.2

130 - 21.0

140 - 21.7

150 - 22.5

160 - 23.2

170 - 24.0

180 - 25.0

190 - 26.2

200 - 27.2

Actually the full distances this time. I actually managed to convince a coach that its 200m from the start of the 300 to the start of the 100 instead of the break line. Both Pruitt and Harris thought it was the break line so times were slow freshman year and fast sophomor year.

Overall a good workout. I never really hit a wall and I had so many gears left, but the wind hit me HARD the last 50 of that 200. Pleased.