Redemption

AM: It was the peach days 12k, and last night I hardly got any sleep because it's our family reunion and we have family over at my house, and these little kids that just run around screaming... :( But anyways I woke up feeling really tired but I wasn't worried I was just going to run it as if it was a tempo run, considering it's not a race you win, it's one of those guess your time things. But it felt good to get in a nice workout, so I'm happy with it.

PM: 4 miles of easy jogging on grass, I started to feel really sick again, and I don't know how to get rid of it.

AM: Woke up with my head in pain, and jogged a little bit around my house

PM: I've been resting all day, so I decided to go out and do a few miles, but my head is just pounding, and I can't stop coughing, WHY CAN'T I STOP BEING SICK!!! Apparently there's like an outbreak in my school, everyone on my team is sick, and during school pretty much everyone is coughing and sneezing and all complaining about not feeling good, I hope I can get rid of it soon, but on the plus side when I get pass all of the coughing and the pounding headache, my legs feel amazing, sharp, fast, and ready to race :)

RACE REPORT: Well lets just say I was being a wuss, I haven't been feeling well so I just kind of gave up, but considering the circumstances I'm not going to complain too much, about half way through the race, I had to pretty much slow down to a stop, because I was coughing so bad I couldn't seem to breath, I felt like I ran the race with no oxygen. After that I pretty much just stopped trying, I just wanted to get the race over.

I train hard, I always felt like I've had good/positive mental strength which has helped me race well when it mattered (even though the past 2 races I've kind of contradicted myself on that statement), and most importantly I love to run, I love to work hard, and I have a strong desire to want to be the best. Mike (Mike Finch) your my role model, your a great runner, your positive, and humble, and nice, and even when your having a bad day you always seem to pull of an amazing race, your the champion I want to be like man. I know I can do SO much better, and starting now you have my word...I WILL. If I want to be as good as I think I can be, and someone that somebody looks up to someday, I got to start acting like a winner. Acting. Training. Racing like a champion, so Mike...Casey, don't count me out because I think I might pull a few surprises this year, I know I have it in me :)

If anyone wonders why Pine View has such a good team, I know why, you guys work hard, you guys have a great team, and I look forward to see you guys excel at state this year :)

We did (pretty much) 1000m repeats (it was .6 miles), but it was on the road, my splits were 3:03, 3:00, 3:05, 3:00, and 3:03, then we did (.4 miles) which equates to about 650m in 1:56, 1:55, 1:57, and 1:47 all with short rest, I came really close to throwing up, and had like a coughing attack at the end. You know how some people have problems with injuries, I've never had an injury (which is pretty impressive considering I've been running since I was 8, and have completed 3 marathons, and too many halves to count.) I have problems with being sick apparently, IT WON'T GO AWAY, its been about 2 weeks now, and it's really starting to get annoying now.

AM: 4 miles Golf course loops, so it turns out me and Austin thinking we were way ahead of everyone were going slow, but we thought we were going fast, and when we come for our second loop we look back, and we're like, where is everyone, are they only doing one lap? So we were confused the whole time because there was no one, and apparently we were going REALLY slow (I usually have no idea what pace I'm doing in the mornings, because I'm so tired.) Anyways by the time we get back coach is waiting for us in the car and asked us if we got lost or something, it turns out all of the varsity runners finished the run and already went home... I have no idea how they got ahead of us :)

PM: 4 miles easy, it turns out I'm notorious for starting out super slow, and still ending up being the first one done, it just takes me so long to get warmed up. Then we did some speed work on the track, we did 2*300+3*200+4*100's which hurt considering I have been feeling very ill, I'm thinking it's a reaction to may training, because I don't really get sore any more, so I just kept on training, never really rested, but I am just constantly tired, and sick, so I'm thinking I just need to take it easy this week, and hopefully I will be ready by Monday.

am: 3.5 miles easy, REALLY easy.

Pm: Well I know this kind of sounds lame but I was Trevor's houses were we were playing football for like 2 hours, and then I went to Shelby's house where I ended up being chased. I know I at least got in like 1.5 miles in all that.

The reason for the extremely small mileage this week is because I've been sick for over 2 weeks so I was talking with my Mom (who is also my assistant coach), and my coach, and we decided that I just really need to rest this week and hopefully I will be a lot better by next week.

Las Vegas Invitational: It was awesome, best race this season, It's nice to finally have had a good race, after so many bad ones. I made a promise to myself to make sure I was going to have a good race, no matter what, even in the worse conditions if I was to still go hard, I would be happy, and I did it. I have still been kind of sick feeling, not as bad as it was during Dixie, I think the rest is helping me, but I still can't get rid of my cough. Anyways it was a huge race, about 250 people at the starting line there was the large school and the small school division. And so I was 18th over all, but 3rd in the small school. It was a great race, the start was so hectic, it was really wide for the first 100m but then it funnels into this really small road, where I was getting elbowed and pushed like crazy! But it's alright I like more aggressive races. It was a true 5k, maybe a tiny bit longer I suspect, but it was ran in loose dirt most of the race, but I realized that if you ran more onto the outside it's more compacted so I decided I would rather run on the outside of the dirt road and maybe run a little farther, than run through loose sand. I felt weird because I was the only one doing that, but it worked for me. Everyone at the start took off sprinting, and I was like in the middle to back pack the first little bit, but once I hit the first mile when all of the "sprinters" are dying out, I started to move up like crazy, I was passing somebody like every second. And right at about 4000m coach told me that this kid about 5-6 places in front of me is in the small school division, so I had to pass him. I got a second wind and I was just flying, I felt so good I started passing everyone I caught Victor Medina from Canyon View, and he started to move up with me, but then he fell back. I passed the kid that coach told me to get, and I felt really good about that and then I just kept moving up, finished in 17:53, which isn't that fast of time, but I was talking to this kid that's from the team that's like hosting the meet and he said the course is really slow, he said it's a minute slower than the average 5k. So all in all it was a great race, I probably past like 15 kids the last 1000m.

PM: We ran up thrill hill, arlington hill, and Devils throne hill, and back. I am sooooo mad. I thought for sure I was don being sick, I woke up feeling great, but then right as the run started it just went downhill, (actually, more like up hill), my headache continued, and coming up Devil's throne hill, I was coughing so bad I couldn't breath and actually had to stop and walk to catch my breath. I have never walked during a run! I am done with this, I don't care what I do to get rid of it now, I just want it gone, I'm thinking about setting up an appointment with a doctor to get rid of this, I don't really believe in taking pills and stuff, but I don't care any more, I've been sick for 2 1/2 weeks, and it's getting dangerously close to 3, I am done with this.

We did ladders on the track, I love them, we did 100-200-300-400-500-600-500-400-300-200-100m I don't know what times I was getting, but I know I was going fast, by how far ahead of everyone else, it's funny the longer the distance the bigger a lead I end up having, on the 100m I was actually beat by Austin, the 200m I barely beat Austin and Jesse, the 400m I was like 3 seconds ahead, then by the time it got to the 600m I was like almost a whole 100m in front! I love interval type work, especially if it's on the track, I LOVE the track. I didn't notice being sick to much, but it's still kind of hard to breath, it feels like I have asthma or something. I swear my heart rate was easily above 200 bpm like the whole workout, I felt like my heart was going to explode, it was a great workout, I'm excited for track this year, track is my favorite.

We did a six mile run with 10 surges throughout it (10 sprints about 100-200m) And we were about done, and all of a sudden we here Jesse yelling, so we turn around and see him limping in pain, so I decided that we should carry him like a chariot, so we each grabbed a limb, and lifted him with one arm and ran with him all the back to the school like 600 meters. Haha it was really funny seeing coaches face as we got back to the track carrying Jesse and running.

We ran up ciminal? I don't know that's just what they called it it's this huge hill that's like agonizing trying to get to the top without walking on the way back there was this barbed wire fence and I without even slowing speed jumped over it, I did not realize how high it was until I got to it, I barely made it over! Taylor, Austin, and Jesse, all stopped and were in shock how I made it over it was crazy! And so then I was pumped full of confidence, and KC told me a few weeks ago that if I jumped over the fence beside the track she would make me  a pie, so I did it, and now she owes me :) 

I'm still trying to keep my mileage low, so I can hopefully stop being sick, it's been 3 weeks and counting, but it's just subsided to a lot of coughing now, especially when I'm running... It's really annoying.

AM: We did our warm up/cool downs and also some running games.

I went to the doctor, and it turns out I have some pretty bad asthma, and lung issues, he was checking my lungs, and he said Wow! I'm surprised you can even run, apparently their so filled with crap that there struggling being able to get oxygen in, so he gave me some inhalers and medication for it, and told me that you will feel so much better actually being able to breath when you run. So hopefully I can get rid of it, and be able to get back in this season.

I wasn't really supposed to run today, but I just jogged a little bit.

AM: I ran on the grass next to my house, and did 1:00 easy 1:00 hard, 4 times I felt great! I was really moving, I can finally breath again, those inhalers work :) Then I did 4*100m hill sprints on the grass. And a nice easy cooldown.

PM: Well I just wanted to do a nice hard tempo mile to start the workout, so I was thinking about a 5:20, but as I was going I was feeling great so I was like what the heck and ran a 4:58 mile (to START my workout!) I can't believe how easy that was, right when I was done I just kept on jogging, then I went straight to a 1/2 mile cross country race simulator on the hilly grass next to my house, then 3*100m sprints on the grass.

I didn't get to run :( I went up to Idaho to a funeral, and I was just busy with that the whole day.

AM: I woke up and ran on the treadmill at the hotel, (I hate running on treadmills!), I did a mile warmup, and I decided I wanted to do some hill sprints so I put the Incline all the way up and  put the MPH up to 10 and did it for a 1:30 then I put the incline down and ran a 5:20 mile (on a treadmill which just isn't the same, I can't tell if it's harder or easier, I just know it sucks :) ) Then I lifted some weights and did a few sprints on the sidewalk out side. I know it's not much but I was limited on time.

PM: 7 Mile fartlek on grass; 3 miles easy-1 mile 5k pace-200m sprint- 1 mile easy-1/2 mile 5k pace-150m sprint-1.5 miles easy

We did some core workouts and drills, then we did a minute timing our cadence, I got mine spot on (180 steps per minute). Then we did a minute fast on the track, and I got all the way around (400m) plus about an extra 5-10 meters, and it was EASY, I was sprinting, but I was going comfortably. Then we did a 15 minute run at a decent pace probably about 7 minute mile.

Nebo Invitational: I started out my first mile WAY to fast, I think I was around like 5:05 or something like that, then when I got to my last mile I felt like I was trying to move through a brick wall! I couldn't quite seem to move. But it was a good race I pushed myself hard, it's just that I ran stupid. I shouldn't try to go out with such a fast pace, I should try the Jason Quinn style, start out easy pass me with about a mile left and somehow still end up placing really good. At the finish I used my sprint finish strategy which ALWAYS works, I am still looking for the day that someone will beat me at the finish,this is what always seems to happen I start sprinting, and if someone is right next to me, we both take off full speed, I let him get just enough of a lead that he thinks he has it, then almost always they slow, and that is when I pounce and nip in the win. I don't really mean to do that but it just happens naturally. I feel bad though because I feel like it's not the most fair way to win, but hey it works :) . It was nice to have Casey pushing me the whole time, coach told me I had to beat him so I made sure I did my best to try that :) Casey... I've been trying to beat you this whole season so I am so glad I had you at that race, because I was really wanting to just die out a few times but I made sure I gave it everything to try and stay right behind you, haha I got a little bit lucky this time I'm looking forward to racing against you in the future, Cedars going to be EPIC!

AM: I did one of those local 5k races in St. George my aunt was hosting, and she wanted runners so I decided to do it. It's funny racing those types of races, it's one of those right when you start the race everyone takes off at a full sprint, then you end up running by yourself after the first 200m about when they realize that they probably shouldn't of token off so fast :) I didn't have anyone around me so a few times I got scared I was going the wrong direction, but it was nice, more of a tempo race, rather than a give it everything you've got type things.

AM: Did 4*400's with jogging a 400m in between, went nice and fast; felt great.

PM: I was doing a 7 mile tempo run, and I made sure I stayed focused and kept my head clear, and my form smooth. That's one of my problems during races is that I tense up and my brain gets all fuzzy, which throws any form of tactics out the door, so I will start working on that in my workouts. Stay relaxed and focused. Then when I got done I just did everyone's cool down laps with them just to get a longer more relaxing cool down.

AM: I did the 40-30 drill with Taylor, it's where you run a 200m in :40 then 30, then 40-30-40, then 40-30-40-30, then 40-30-40, then 40-30 only resting in between sets. To be honest I didn't quite hit all of those 30's especially on the 40-30-40-30 set, but I at least tried and got pretty close. The last one though I ran the 40 second 200m right on, then sprinted as fast as I could and turned out a 1:06 lap meaning my last 200m had to be at least close to 26 seconds, I pretended like I was in the last 200m in a race so I gave it EVERYTHING. Great workout!

PM: We ran up and down smith mesa 3.25 miles straight up, then 3.25 miles straight down, we did this same workout at the start of the season, and she told us she was going to have us time it going up and down then we do it again near the end of the season, and to make goals. My goal was to run up it in under 30 minutes, and down it in under 17 minutes, at the start of the season I ran up in 32 minutes and down in 17:36, today I reached both my goals, I made it up in 29:54! I booked it at the end to make sure I made it, I can't believe I was so close! Then I made it down in 16:40, so 5k PR!!! I'm just kidding it was like straight down hill there is no way I'm counting that :)

I ran a mile from young men's to get home it was the leaders house so it was somewhat close to where I lived, so I decided just to run home rather than bother my mom for a ride.

We ran over to the splash pad where the grass is at and did 2 minutes run, 1 minute sprint, 1 minute walk, and we did that twice, then we did 1:45 run, 45 second sprint and did that 3 more times. then we ran a long cool down back we took a much longer route. Usually I would love the longer cool down, the only problem is, is a lot of people don't seem to quite understand the concept of a cool down and they all took off super fast. So me, being young and stupid and ultra competitive had to take off with them. But it was a good workout, although my hamstrings are SUPER sore from yesterdays run straight up and down that freaking 3.25 mile mountain (on a paved road, but hey, still a mountain...I guess if you get technical it's a mesa.) It is really hard for me to get sore I hardly ever get sore, so if I do it has to be a REALLY hard workout. I think it was because during track I would do like every single event every race (which probably isn't a good idea), so I got really good at quick recovery. Honestly, at one track meet I ran 11 events in ONE day I did the 100,200,400,800,1600,3200,110 hurdles,300 hurdles,4*100,4*400, and Long Jump all in a 5 hour track meet NO JOKE, it was a really stupid idea, but it was my favorite meet ever!

just did 5 miles easy my hamstrings were a little bit tight, but other than that I felt good.

Cedar invitational: The  race went about as close to perfect as It's going to get. It was great!!! I'm so excited I finally ran a 15 I honestly never expected to have ran that fast. My strategy was run my first mile really comfortable, and then stay strong my second mile, then my last I was to give it everything I had. And I did just that, haha, except for I kind of forgot what lap I was on, so I had to ask another racer...that was embarrasing. But anyways great race, I'm really proud of how I did, I beat my goal so I'm happy :)

We went to Las Vegas today, so I was only able to get in 5 miles this morning, I was hoping to get a bit more...oh well. It was nice I went on a trail so I didn't have to deal with the noise of cars or anything, I just enjoyed running.