Life Liberty and the Pursuit of a Shiny Gold Medal

This is what Cedar High kids call a power run. Uncomfortably fast for extended periods of time like 35-50 min. But today was different. What was supposed to be an average 45 minute power run turned into the 45 minutes from heck. It was 30-50 mile an hour wind and frozen rain and our route took us into the wind continuously for 3 miles straight. Im proud to just say I survived. 

Today was hill reps up Chevron hill. Its been windy and cold, but I thought I was ready. After a 1.5 mile warm up or so we started off at steady really sustainable pace. I think it was 1:02. The next hill 1:02 hurt a little worse. I fell off at the end of the third at a 1:04. Then I died. I don't like excuses but I got a vaccination for hepatitis. They would've kicked me out of school if I didn't and I figured Monday was the best, but it killed me. I've had adrenaline rushing through my body for the past 24 hours or so. The cool down after was terrible, but by tomorrow I should be good. I'm way excited for D-Hills next week. I think I have a shot at a few freshman school records and maybe a state qualifying time in the 2. I guess I'll just have to wait. 

Today was intervals. Third hard workout in a row, but considering my past two workouts it went amazing. I warmed up a mile or so and started with a 600 at 2 mile pace. I don't whether it was the fact we started with the mile guys or just I was finally recovering from that shot. Either way I went out hard and hit 400 at 71 to 72 and finished with a 1:48. And we had a serious backstretch wind the whole time. The next two where 500's. 1:28 and a 1:29. The end of the last 500 is where the pain started to set in, but its really no surprise because it was 9:20 pace. The last three were 400's. I nailed the first one in a high 1:10. So the pace was still really consistant. The last two where hard, Really hard. I had other 2 milers try to hang with me but I held on and dropped the pace a little to a high 1:08. It hurt... a lot, I still had some left though. The final 4 was fantastic. At 200 I gave up feeling and killed it. If I've ever given a workout everything it was this one. The workout killed me and then I killed it. The final 400 was a 1:07. I hit a little over 9:20 pace. After I got in another couple miles to bring it up to 10 and added a short weight session.

My seasons starting to finally look up. These intervals have gotten gradually faster. Two weeks ago it was sub 10 pace. Then it was 9:45, and now 9:20. I can't wait to see what I can do on fresh legs Saturday in the 2. 

600: 1:48

2x500: 1:28, 1:29

3x400: 1:10, 1:08, 1:07 

Today was a mileage day. I did 5.5 with strides at 7:30ish pace and then 4.5 at 8ish after practice. It felt good. Just an easy day. Glad I have another easy day before the two mile. I should rip that record apart, and maybe even state qualify if I run smart. 

I only did 4 but I spent the whole day running around so I'll count it as 5. Tomorrows the two. I'm so excited!

2.5 mile warm up

2 mile race: 10:13

1.5 mile cool down

1 mile warm up

800 meter relay leg: 2:10

6.5 additional p.m. miles 

The extra mile  

Warmup felt great, but I don't feel like I pushed it half as hard as I could've. Kenny took 3 and I think I could've beaten him had I gone with him but I was sacred of the pain. The race wasn't really that bad. I'm happy with my time but I should've moved up a few places. It was a 10 second PR and the school freshman record, but not state qualified. I had too much left in the after though. The 800 sprint medley leg surprised me. I forgot how fun of a race that was! And I ran a 3 second PR practically solo so I'm happy. I did another 6.5 to bring my mileage up to 50. So this week started crummy and ended quite well. Maybe not all that it could've been but the best I could've done.

They really aren't threshold or VO2 max miles. For me it basically means fast and faster. So we did a 6 mile power run. Bridge, 6 miles, and I pushed it to 6:30 pace. My pace even dropped going up a terrible hill into the wind. Its about the fastest pace I've ever run for that course. We then did the Vigil acceleration workout. It was fantastic. I was relaxed and felt like I had a ton of speed. I was dropping people that have dropped since the first day of xc training. I was mentally strong and I could easily see me going low 9:50's. I'm in the best shape I've ever been in! Two after as a cool down.

In three inches of snow we... did an track interval workout. Inverted ladder 600, 400, 400, 300, 400, 400, 600. The paces where a little weird so it was mostly by effort because I was lacking a watch but Pruitt had my 400 splits soo...

600: 75-76 at 400

400: 77

400: 72-73

300: Faster than average pace

400: 75

400: 73 

600: 75 at 400 with a fast kick in the last 200. 35 maybe faster maybe slower.

It felt easy. Nothing really all that difficult. I dropped every two miler though, and Kenny's run 9:55 so I'm thinking low 9:50's. Through it all I was strong, relaxed and confident. Really an amazing workout considering the snow.  I'm way grateful for the snow. It makes everything so much more interesting!

It was a "just for kicks" relay meet today so I warmed up a lot and cooled down a lot, and ended up running nine miles. Pr's in the 1200, and 400. Tied my 800 pr. I still feel amazing. 

6 mile easy run with strides. I feel great and relaxed and fast. I'm breaking records this weekend! 

Got stuck in a slower heat and lost track of the pace in the middle laps. The first and last laps were on pace with a 1:09 and felt like I should've gone 4:30's. Ah well I'll take a 4:44. but I have to trust my own pace better. I know what state qualifying feels like I just have to stay focused. 

2 mile warm up

2 mile race

2 mile cool down

9 later that day

 Not gonna ramble about this race. I ran poorly. Lost focus and all will to fight the pain. I should've gone sub-10 I just lost the race mentally. Next week I'm just gonna go for it and I'll slaughter 10! 

Chevron Hills again. Even splitted them with a 59, 60, 60, 59 for the 300m hill. I was strong and relaxed, I just need to race like that. 

Track Work out. 1x500, 3x400, 5x300 at goal mile pace with 2:30-3:00 minutes or about 250 meters of easy jogging rest. I ran a 4:32 pace. Easiest track workout this year.

1 mile warm up 

500:  1:16

3x400: 1:07.7, 108.3, 1:08.5

5x300: 51.2, 51.9, 51.5, 49.9, 49.0

5 mile cool down 

With the running in between plus the to and from school it adds close to 10. 

So for the 5 miles I did with the team we basically had an hour long pinecone war in the middle of a 4 mile route. So I got around 6ish from that and an easy 4 after. It might've been more, or it might've been less. It all evens out in the end.

3.25 with strides

1.75 later

I would've done it all at once but life got in the way.