Gotta Run...

Run with my track coach Boyd Prince.  Recently returned missionary Joseph Furse also ran with us part of the way.  

Nice run down a wash up on the Hurricane hill.  It felt great!

Ran a 4:52 easy mile for P.E.  After school a hard run uphill on the rim trail. I ran with the soccer guys...(when I say with I mean they ran it but not necessarily with me). I try to convince them to change sports from soccer to track, but they won't listen. Oh well, guess we'll see who takes state!

Hard run uphill to the H.  I ran with Ryan.  I was dead by the time I reached the top.  Coming back the wind was blowing around 15-20 mph.  Brrrr! I felt like a popsicle when I got done!

Personal record by 4 minutes!

Just a nice 3.5 mile trail run up on the hill.  Still a little sore from the half so it was nice to loosen and relax my legs a bit.  

Another mile for P.E. class, but this time just in the gym.  After school Ryan and I ran a 10 mile loop out south.  He had never run that far before so I went a little slower to stay with him.  I have been trying to get him to do track, but he says he wants to do soccer.  Too bad cause we are going to take state this year for track!  Hopefully he changes his mind.  Anyways, I'm still a little sore from the half, but I made it just fine.  Just putting in a few more long runs before track season starts.  I can't wait!

5 mile biking trail loop in St. George at night.  For some reason my hips have been hurting ever since the half.  I can't figure out why.  Other than that it was a normal run.

Very cold up in Salt Lake.  I just ran a little ways from the hotel we were staying at for honor choir.  

First day back running after the honor choir trip.  It was really cold!  My legs were sore from something I did in P.E.  Not sure what it was.  Maybe stairs.

It was windy so I had to run south.  I ran 8 miles around 6:00 pace.  When I was done I had my dad come pick me up and I cooled down for half a mile.  I felt great!  I thought it was going to be really cold so I wore my warm clothes.  Turns out I was sweating after about a mile and a half.  Here are my mile splits:

5:58

6:09

6:00

5:49

6:25

5:56

6:15

6:13

10.82 miles at an average 6:40 pace.  I ran out south in Arizona on a dirt road by the dinosaur tracks.  After I got done I jogged a little cool down finishing at 11.5 total.  My feet and ankles were bothering me for the first mile but after that everything was fine.  

Ran a hill run with Ryan.  He was struggling from shin splints but he made it the whole way.  I decided not to run too far cause I'm running a 5k in the morning.  

The race was down in Las Vegas on Fremont St.  There must have been over a thousand people running!  I started out running with three other guys, but by the first mile I realized I was going too slow.  I started picking up the pace and lost two of the other guys.  I finished with way too much energy.  I felt like I hadn't even ran at all.  Guess I've forgotten how fast 5ks are.  I still got a pr!

Later that night I just ran a quick 1.5 miles to relax a bit.  My legs are not sore, but I am still having problems with my right hip.  I also got a headache, but that's normal after a race in Las Vegas. 
 

I was going to do some 2 mile repeats to get my speed up a bit, but after the first one my stomach was hurting and my calves were really tight for some reason.  I didn't want to keep pushing my calves so I just jogged for a mile and was done.

February has been a bad month for me.  After the first week I got sick and had a few minor injuries with my back and feet.  I decided to take a few weeks off before track started so I would be ready to do the workouts.  It really helped and now I am almost fully recovered and ready to take on this season.  Today was the first day of track.  We had twice as many guys as I expected, but I guess that usually happens and then half of them drop out in the first week.  Anyway, we designated Mondays for long runs so we ran a 10 mile loop course out south on the asphalt.  

For track today we have 2 miles for both warm-ups and cool down. For our workout we ran 3 miles on the canal trail. Then we ran pyramids -- 8, 6, 4, 2, 4, 6, 8 -- at 4 seconds slower than 1600 race pace. It wasn't really fast, but I'm not used to that yet so I took it a bit easy. 4x100m strides, those felt nice. I still got really sore and iced afterwards.

Warm-ups and cool down was a mile. Then we ran an easy 5 along the canal. This past week was a real killer. Track started and I had loads of homework because it's almost the end of the quarter. Hopefully the stress will cool off a bit in the near future so I can focus on my running and get some good sleep at night.

Warm-ups and cool down was a mile.  Then we ran 4x200s a little faster than 1600 race pace.  After that we ran an easy 5 miles on the cinder knoll loop.  It was a really fun run, nice and relaxed the whole way.  It was a great stress reliever.  My feet didn't bother me quite as much so that is a good sign.  I am trying to run lightly on them as much as possible.

 I got up at 6 this morning and this time I actually went for a run.  I've been waking up at 6 this whole week, but I always had to do homework.  Hopefully that's over with.  Anyway, just 3 mile loop around my house on the opposite side of the fair run.

This afternoon I did half a mile warm up with the track team and our speed drills. Coach told us to go 5 today. All the other guys just left Joe and I so I decided to take a fun trail run up on the H hill. Joe said his calves were really bothering him so I told him to take the weekend off. I ran a 5 mile loop course. I didn't think I would feel like going fast, but it turned out I was wrong. I felt great! It was really hot though, hottest day this year so far. Hopefully I will get used to the heat soon so it doesn't affect me too much.

This morning I ran an 8 miler on the H hill from highway to highway, the Gould's wash run. My dad rode along with me on his bike and my mom drove behind us. I love running up on the H hill. There are so many great trails that are really fun, and I get good altitude training. The first mile I went slow, more of a warm up mile. After a few miles I felt really good and started to pick up the pace. Here are my splits:

1 - 7:16
2 - 6:19
3 - 6:55
4 - 6:16
5 - 5:56
6 - 5:59
7 - 5:51
8 - 5:51

Afterwards I jogged a little cool down. I won't be able to run this afternoon because of preference. Darn girls distracting me from my running! Oh well, it will be fun and I got a good run this morning.

Half a mile warm up.  Then Joe and I went on the Gould's rim trail run.  We both felt good and had a good talk.  It was a nice easy 8 to start off the week.  

We had warm ups for half a mile then we ran fartleks for 5 miles.  Joe and I went together on a loop course on the asphalt.  Back on the track we ran 4x200 at 27-29 secs.  It felt great and coach said my form was awesome!  Cool down was half a mile.

Half a mile warm up. Then we ran 1x1000 and 2x800 at a good pace and sprinting the last 150m. Then we did 4x100 accelerators. I noticed interval workouts are a lot easier to finish this year than previous years. My endurance must be getting better. I'll probably run out south later. The wind is crazy today!

After resting a bit from track practice I ran 4 miles out south and had negative splits each mile.  The first mile I started out kinda slow and picked it up throughout the run.  It was a flat asphalt run to the sign just before Sky Ranch.  Avg. Pace -- 5:43.  Here are my splits:

1 -- 6:10

2 -- 5:50

3 -- 5:30

4 -- 5:20

Afterwards I ran a mile cool down uphill waiting for my dad to come pick me up.  I'm probably going to be sore going into this first meet but coach says we are not going to back off until close to region.  I'm sure I can qualify for my events without resting too much before meets.

Half a mile warm up.  Then Joe and I ran up the trail along the virgin river starting at Pah Tempe.  It was really windy, but an enjoyable run anyways.  Ran 6 and felt good.  Ready for the first meet tomorrow.

Today was the first day of the Hurricane Invitational track meet.  It started at 3:00 with the girls 3200.  I rested all day and didn't worry too much about the race.  At 2:00 I went over to the track and started warming up.  I just ran a couple laps to loosen up my legs.  After watching the girls races (2 heats) I went down to the bull pen and got my number.  They had a slow heat of guys first and then it was our turn.  I didn't know what I was capable of this first meet so I just drafted off a couple guys -- Nathan Fletcher and Jonathan from Timpview and Hayden from Snow Canyon.  Us four guys were alone most of the race.  I felt like we were going too slow, but I didn't want to pass them because I wasn't sure what I could do.  Last lap came and I had way too much energy.  I passed them on the home stretch to win it with a PR by 11 seconds!  Already qualified for state!  Here are my splits:

1 -- 1:14
2 -- 1:15
3 -- 1:14
4 -- 1:15
5 -- 1:14
6 -- 1:15
7 -- 1:12
8 -- 1:03 (Yeah I know -- way too fast!)

Afterwards I did a mile or so cool down with Hayden and all the Timpview guys.  My legs feel great so I hope they will be good for tomorrow.  Anyway, I'm excited for what I will be capable of this year.  School records -- here I come! 
 

Woke up this morning and ate half a bagel.  Then I went to the track around 8:30 am.  Both girls and boys had 3 heats of the 1600 and I was in the last heat.  First lap was 1:09 which was too slow.  Then we picked up the pace for the next 2 laps.  I passed Nathan on the home stretch of the 3rd lap and kicked it in for a PR -- 4:27 and qualified for state.  We did a mile or so cool down with Timpview, Hayden, and Dustin.  Surprisingly, my legs held up really well.  By the time the 800 came around I was ready.  I ran a 60 first lap and a 60 second lap to get another PR -- 2:00 and qualified for state.  I got second in the race though, a guy from Ogden outkicked me on the last stretch.  Five minutes after the race my legs were still fine and coach wanted me to run the Medley 800.  The 200 guys did a good job getting us in a good position and Mitch held his own.  When Mitch handed the baton to me we were in 3rd by about 2 seconds.  I ran a 61 first lap and a 61 second lap and pulled ahead for the win.  Unfortunately, we got disqualified from a bad handoff with the 200 guys.  They should have taken Mitch and me out of the race.  It's ok though, now I know I can run back to back 800s.  My legs are still fine, but really tired.  I don't think I'm going to be too sore though, so that's a good sign.  It's been a lot easier to run multiple events this year, probably from all the extra miles I've been putting in.  Anyway, great way to start off the season -- 3 PRs and qualified for my 3 events.  Looking forward to a 2 week break between track meets so I will be ready for the next one.

Dirt road up on the H hill.  6.5 miles up and back.  Easy recovery run from the track meet.

I went to Washington today and ran on a bike trail.  I decided to do 5:00 intervals at 3200 race pace.  After 2 of those I was completely shot and I had to turn back.  On the way back I ran fartleks at 1:00 intervals of slow, moderate, and fast.  It took me 4 whole cycles to get back to the car.  Whew!  I was done!  Then I went to the gym for a nice workout.  

This afternoon I had to take my guitar down to St. George to get new strings put on, and I had to drop off a camera at my brother's house, so I decided I might as well run down there.  I called Hayden and we went on a 12 mile loop on a trail over in snow canyon area.  It was tough going uphill for a few miles, but after that I felt great.  It didn't seem too hot but I was sweating like crazy afterwards.  I don't know about Hayden, but my legs were tired coming back on the bike trail.  I haven't ran that far without stopping for a month.  My legs were not quite used to it, but I made it ok.  Anyway, gotta run...

I didn't run today.  All I did was ride the stationary bike for a while and play soccer and basketball.  

I decided to do speed work today on the track. Two sets of 4x300s with only a 100 meter jog in between each 300. I did them at full speed I was dead after each set. Usually I do 3 sets, but my legs were completely shot after 2. My warm up and cool down were half a mile each.

I played racquetball all day before my run.  After my run I went to the gym for a workout and played racquetball again with my brother.

No run today but I went on a hike with my dad and my older brother.  It was really steep uphill on a poorly defined deer trail.  My calves got a good workout.  We jogged on the way back down whenever possible.  

Ran a half a mile for warm up.  Then we all ran south for 8 miles.  Coach drove out there and ran to meet us halfway and then ran back with us.  I felt great!  We were running at a pretty decent pace and I was hardly breathing, felt like I could go forever.  

We ran a half a mile warm up.  Then we did some speed work at a really fast pace.  We ran an 800, 600, 400, 200, 200.  It was really windy again.  Afterwards my legs were like jello and really wobbly.  We ran a mile cool down.

Ran a half a mile for warm up.  Then we did 6x400s at 65 pace with one lap walk in between.  Then we did a 2 mile cool down.  My legs were dead after those 400s.  Just starting to get used to speed work again.  I have a meet tomorrow but its not important, just another workout.  

Redrock Invitational today.  I only ran the 1600 and the 3200 for a workout.  It was windy for the 1600.  I did warm up a bit, half a mile. I won the 1600.  I was trying to push Hayden for a 4:33 but I only did a 4:35 and he ran like a 4:40, which was not bad considering the wind.   Then I ran a mile cool down.  It took forever before the 3200.  Hayden and I decided to have a little fun and trade laps.  It was fun and I wasn't nervous at all.  My legs were kinda tight going into it but not too bad.  I ran a 9:56 and won the race.  Afterwards my lower back was really tight and Hayden and I ran about a 2 mile cool down.  I was so hungry when I got back.  My legs are pretty good now so I probably won't be too sore.

Warm up was half a mile.  Then coach took us on the three falls run up to the second fall.  It was 2 and a half up and then 2 and a half back.  Lots of rocks and sand.  It was fun though and easy.  Coach is fun to run with.

I didn't go to track practice because I had an ortho appointment today.  So I went later by myself on a dirt road.  9.3 miles easy.  

Just an easy 2.5 miles this morning in the dark.

1 mile for gym. 

This afternoon I did a half a mile warm up. Then most of us drove to the sand dunes by sand hollow and did some sand hill intervals. We ran 4x 1:30 intervals at VO2 max. Then we jogged down. After recovering we ran 3x 1:30 intervals and jogged back down. I ran it barefoot. It was a really good workout and a lot different than the boring usual stuff.

2 miles this morning.

Half a mile warm up.  Then Joe and I ran 3 easy.  Then we did 4x400s and I was not feeling it.  Yesterday's workout completely wasted me.  1 mile cool down. 

Didn't run this morning cause I have APUSH homework.  

Track practice was half a mile warm up.  Then we ran 4x200s at 1600 race pace which felt really relaxed.  We were working on our form.  We ran them around 30 secs.  After that Joe and I ran the Angel Heights run which is 5 miles, at a moderate pace.  It felt like we were running for an hour.  That took forever!  My legs are not sore but really tired.  Good thing next week is a rest week. 

Today was Pine View Invite.  My legs were tired from the past week, but I knew I could still do good.  I just ran the 1600.  There were 4 heats and I was in the last heat with Hayden and Josh.  Warmed up for a mile before the race.  The first lap I was boxed in until the homestretch.  I caught up to Josh on the next lap and Hayden was following right behind me.  I passed Josh right at the end of the second lap.  I pushed the third lap to widen the distance but Josh hung on the whole way.  My legs were feeling it going into the final lap.  I finally broke Josh on the last curve going into the homestretch and ended up winning by 4 seconds.  I got a 4 second PR!  I felt great and did better than I expected!  Afterwards Hayden and I took a mile cool down.  My legs are doing fine now.  Official time was 4:23.89.  Here are my splits:

1 -- 1:05

2 -- 1:07 -- 2:13

3 -- 1:06 -- 3:19

4 -- 1:04 -- 4:23

There wasn't much wind at all so I was able to go my own pace the whole way.  I was going for straight 66s so I was pretty close.  I'm only running the 800 for the medley tomorrow.
 

Wow!  It was hot today.  I got a nice tan in just a few hours while waiting for my only event, the medley.  Coach wanted us to qualify for state now so we wouldn't have to worry about it later, so he put our best guys in it to run it.  The meet was going so slow!  I felt like I was losing a lot of energy just standing around.  I got to watch the 3200 and the 800 this time and it was fun.  I saw my buddy Hayden take the 3200 right at the end and saw Josh get a good time in the 800.  Finally they got to the medley and we were int the third heat in lane 2.  I held the blocks for Mitch.  Mitch ran a great 200 and handed off to Presten.  I hurried and got the blocks off the tracks and turned around to see Presten flying around the curve way ahead of the next guy.  He handed off to Colton in first place.  Colton ran a decent 400 and handed to me within a second of first place, 2 teams just ahead of me.  I caught up to the other two guys on the backstretch and passed the second guy at the end of the first lap.  I came around the turn and just sprinted the last 300.  I came in way ahead of the next team to get a state-qualifying time of 3:37, just 2 seconds shy of our school record!  Coach got my 800 split time at just under 1:58, which is a 2 second PR!  With that time we should be able to take state!  I got a blister on my left foot from the friction!  After the track meet I came home and was so tired I immediately laid down and took a nap for 2 hours, which felt really good.

Half a mile for warm up.  Then coach told us we have an easy week, which I really need so he wanted us to go long but easy.  Matt and I decided to go to Molly's Nipple, a prominent point in the mountain range along the east side of Hurricane.  It was 3 miles to the base, 1 mile of steep uphill climb (which we did not run, just hiked).  So it was 8 miles in all.  Great view at the top!  Could see for miles!  I even saw the D on the Dixie hill!  It was a nice run, but going uphill really worked my calves.  I'm not doing that run again anytime soon.  Took forever!

Half a mile warm up.  Then we went 4 really easy miles and it was nice to have some fun with the guys.  Then we did 8x100 strides at 17, 16, 15, 14, 14, 15, 16, 17.  That was really easy and I hardly even got breathing, but it was mainly form and it felt really good.  This was the first really easy day in a while and I loved it!

Didn't run today because my blister got really bad, I think from P.E. and also because the track team was gone to Page and I had to go to solo and ensemble for chamber choir.  When I got back I had to plan for Prom on saturday and help someone ask really late (three days before).  Oh well, it's my easy week.

Didn't really have track practice today cause of the freshmen meet.  I came and ran with Joe anyway.  We ran like a mile and a half.  Then we ran 4x200s pretty fast.  Then cooled down a half a mile.  Felt really relaxed and didn't push at all.  I'm really loving this week!  

Woke up this morning with a sore throat and a stuffy nose.  Very bad sign.  I'm going to be sick.  I decided I better not run today cause it always makes it worse.  I came home and watched a movie and slept for about 3 hours.  I feel a little better now, but it's just starting.  Tomorrow is Prom so it was kinda bad timing, but hopefully I feel good enough to still go.  I got sick last year at the same exact time!  I always get sick twice each year!  Once in the middle of cross-country season and the other in the middle of track season!  I hate it!  But there's nothing I can do now but rest and recover quickly.

I didn't run today because of Prom and because I'm still sick.  I was feeling great this morning, but after a long day of expending my energy I'm now back to where I started.  Prom was great though!  I think the best thing for me to do now is get some good rest and try to recover as quickly as possible.

Mile and a half warm up.  Then we drove to Toquerville to Ben's house.  We played basketball for a while.  Then we ran about 4.5 miles on some trail.  I felt horrible and started coughing afterwards.  We didn't even go fast!  I think I'm going to let myself get better before I try to do anything.

No running today! There was a relay meet at pine view that would have been fun but I am still sick and really don't want it to get worse.  I think I'm going to play the rest of this week by how I feel and really listen to my body.  If I'm still bad I won't run.  No pushing at all!

Haven't ran all week since monday.  Today I had to run a mile for the Great Race for Dixie State College D-day.  I didn't really want to, but it was ok.  Anyway, I felt really horrible and almost passed out during the race.  I wasn't even going fast but I could hardly breathe and my legs wouldn't move.  I had a major headache right afterwards and I didn't even push it.  I must be sicker than I thought.  I still put our team in second though.  Guess I better rest up really well.  This is not going away very fast.

Decided I felt good enough to go to track today.  Half a mile warm up, then we drove to Toquerville and ran 6 to the Devil's Hole and back.  I felt much better than last week, but not quite back to normal yet.  It felt good to run again though.

Went to track practice and warmed up with the team.  It was really windy and I was going to watch a soccer game at pine view so I decided to run down there.  When I got there it was windy there too, so I just ran like a mile and a half.  Felt ok but not better yet.

We had practice in the gym today because of a horrible wind.  We did warm ups.  Then we did some drills with medicine balls.  Then distance ran for half an hour around the gym going up and down stairs the whole way around.  We must have ran like 60 laps.  I was tired out and sweating bad.  I felt really good though, so I'm going to be ok :)

Today we didn't have track practice so I ran with Coach Prince and Joe.  We ran to La Verkin and back which was about 7 miles.  Then we did 4x100 strides.  It was windy again.  

Ran by myself on a volcano south of town.  It was 2 miles steep uphill and 2 back.  My legs were a little sore, but I felt good.  

Was going to run today but my leg was hurting bad.  I'm really sore from something so I'll take the weekend off. 

Not as windy today!  I was excited for a track workout for once!  First we did warm ups.  Then we ran an easy 2 miles.  Then we did a pyramid 200, 400, 600, 800, 800, 600, 200.  Coach decided not to make us do the 1000 and let us skip a 400 on the way back down.  We were all very grateful for that.  Then a mile cool down and stretching.

I was going to go to the track meet today but I didn't know when the bus was leaving and I really didn't feel like running a race.  I can still feel my sickness a little bit.  It won't go away!  Joe was down at the track when I went down there so we decided to do the workout.  It was 10 min easy, 10 min moderate, 5 min hard, 10 min easy.  So we went on the cinderknoll run.  It wasn't windy today so it got pretty hot.  Hopefully I will be ready for friday.

There was only me Jared Joe and Mitch at track practice today.  All the freshmen and sophomores were gone to a freshmen meet in Kanab.  We did warm ups and then the workout.  Mitch ran with Joe and I because his workout was the same as ours.  We did 4x600s at 35/200 pace.  Then Joe and I did 4x200s at 30 pace.  It was a tough workout and it kicked my butt.  I feel strong right now though, so I think this season is going to be a good season.  After that Joe and I ran a 2 mile cool down around Chums.

Didn't do much today.  Just ran to the elementary and played ultimate frisbee with the distance team.  Then ran back.  I'm only running the 3200 tomorrow cause I have state choir solo and ensemble on saturday.

Coliseum Championships today.  I ran the 3200.  My competition was Spencer Gardner from Sprinville.  He was seeded ahead of me and I didn't know how I would do against him.  I decided to run on his shoulder the whole race.  He almost left me at one point but I hung on till the final lap.  I passed him on the last stretch to win.  Not a PR but a good time anyways, especially for being high altitude and coming out of a sickness. 
 

Didn't get to go to SUU today cause I was up in Lehi singing.  I had a lot of fun up there and we got a superior rating.  I was going to run when I got back, but it was 9:30, dark, and really windy.  Not to mention I was way tired.  So I just went to bed.

Practice today was INsane! Started at 3:00 and didn't get home till quarter to 6!  We were going to do a pyramid but coach decided to have us do 6x400s instead.  I didn't think it was going to be too bad but it was!  Here are my splits: 64, 64, 64, 61, 60, 61.  I was dead after the last one.  Then coach wanted us to do 6x200s!  We started doing those at 28 second pace but after two I couldn't take it anymore.  I was cramping up everywhere and the area around my right kidney was exploding!  We decided to stop there.  

In P.E. today we ran 12 minutes stairs. 

We just ran a couple of miles and played basketball.

Ran 4x600s around 1:40 in a horrible wind.  Then 2x200 accelerators.  One mile cool down.

Just an easy 5 today on the canal trail.

Drove up to Provo on the bus for BYU invitational.  We went to Provo track to practice.  I ran 2 miles and then did a few quick 200s to get my legs limbered up.  

Medley Relay was the first race today around 3:00. Our team was ready to break the school record. It was a perfect day! Our 400 runner, Colten, was sick and was throwing up but wanted to run it anyway. We were in the last heat, lane 2. Mitch ran the first 200 and handed off to Presten. It was a bad handoff but they made it in the lane. Presten came around in 3rd and handed off to Colten. Colten fell back to 6th but still ran an good 400 and gave it all he had. When I got the baton I was in 6th place and the first guy was over 50 meters ahead of me. I passed a few guys on the first lap to get in 4th. First lap was a 1:57. I looked at the clock and it read 2:37 so I knew I had to run the last lap in 58 seconds to break the record. I thought, no way was I going to catch the first guy but I gave it all I had. On the final stretch I caught up to the other 3 guys and barely pulled ahead right at the finish line to win! Presten and Colten caught me before I fell over and held me there while we looked at the time. It was 3:35.5, only .4 faster than the school record! Coach got my split time at 1:55.5! That is a second faster than our 800m school record and a 2 second PR off the last medley 800 I ran! We were all so excited and ready to take state!

I ran the 1600 afterwards. Halfway into the first lap I immediately got stomach cramps all over! Kept a good pace for the first 2 laps, but my legs were shot after that. Last 2 laps were 1:10 and 1:12! Way slow! I ran about 4:35.

Basically same workout we did before BYU.  2 easy miles and a few quick strides.  Tomorrow is region and we are ready.

I was so ready for region today.  We had region at Snow Canyon.  The first race was the 1600.  Josh stayed with me for two laps and then dropped back to help his teammate get 2nd.  I won with a 4:28.  Didn't have a long time to rest before the medley.  Colten wasn't feeling good again so we decided to switch Colten and Mitch places.  Colten ran the first 200 and handed off to Presten.  He put us in first by a few yards.  Mitch ran the 400 in 53 seconds but the Cedar guy put them in a 3-4 second lead for the last leg.  Josh was running the 800 and he was around 30-40 yards ahead of me.  I ran the first lap in around 56, which is a little fast.  On the back stretch I pulled within 5 yards of Josh.  I came around the last turn and passed him into the home stretch to win.  I think we got a region record but I don't know the official time.  Somewhere around 3:35 so it could be another school record too.  My 800 split was 1:56.  Our team is looking pretty good right now so we may just pull it out.  Watch out Cedar, here we come!

Iced down Wednesday night when I got home and got in bed after studying for A.P. History test.  I was ready to run the 3200.  I decided I really wanted to go for the school record in the 800 so I didn't push it at all in the 3200.  I just drafted off Jon from Cedar until the last lap and made sure I just beat him at the end.  In the 800 I ran a 59 first lap, which was too slow for the record, then I picked it up and kicked it in at the end to win with a 1:56.40.  Only .18 faster than our school record!  My legs burned for 10 minutes afterwards!  It was horrible but I got the record.  So in all I got 2 school records this year, and 2 region records!  Now it's time for state!  I'm excited!  Our team got 2nd by 7 points.  We messed up in the javelin and a few places, but I know we can take Cedar at state.

Ran a few miles with Joe and Matt today in the wind.

Another short run with Joe and Matt.

This will be my last blog for a few days.  We are leaving for state tomorrow.  Just an easy 3 with Joe today.  I feel like I'm rested and have loads of energy.  I'm ready to explode!

Did the same workout as BYU.  My legs were sore from something I did on wednesday.  I ran a few miles and did a few quick 200s. 

Woke up early and ate a bagel and drank some juice.  Then we went to the track.  1600 was the first race and the girls were just starting when we got there.  I ran a mile to warm up and did some quick strides to loosen my legs up.  The still felt pretty sore.  I didn't know what was going to happen.  I was ranked 2nd going into the race behind Luke Puskedra.  Ran a slow first lap in 1:08 and picked up the pace after that going 1:05, 1:04, and 1:04 for a total time of 4:23.88.  Just one hundredth of a second faster than my PR!  Yay!  And I took 2nd barely in front of Mike from Morgan.  This boosted my confidence because I knew my legs were ok.

Medley relay was later on in the day around 4:00.  We were ranked 1st going into the race but we knew Cedar and Park City were right with us.  We figured if we got a PR we would win.  Mitch and Presten ran the 200s and got it to Colten in 3rd.  Then Colten dropped to 4th when he handed to me.  I got into 3rd on the backstretch and paced my first lap.  Then I went all out the 2nd lap but it wasn't enough to catch up to Cedar and Park City. Even though we got a 2 second PR we still got 3rd!  We ran 3:33.  All of us PRed in our splits.  Ryberg from Park City ran a 1:53 split!
 

Woke up and my legs felt a lot better than the day before. Ate another bagel and got some juice. Then we went to the track and waited for the girls to run all their 3200s. Some guy got hit by the javelin through his leg! That postponed everything for another half an hour. I didn't run till around 10:00. This time I had a good start and kept it up the whole race. Ran a 1:10, 1:10, 1:13, 1:12 for the first mile in 4:45. I started to get tired on the 6th lap and was breathing hard. I was running right with Mike from Morgan for the whole race. I debated whether to pass him or not because I could tell he was tired. I decided to wait. On the last lap I took off and passed him along the backstretch. I got 2nd behind Luke with a 9:33. PR by 8 seconds! Luke ran 8:54! Insane!

The 800 was my last race. Montes from Ogden who was ranked 1st was hurt and didn't run. I was up against Ryberg and Luke. First lap was horrible like always in the open 800 with everyone throwing elbows and cutting people off. I finally broke loose and got behind Luke at the end of the first lap. Just pulled it in the second lap and beat Luke at the end to get 2nd with 1:57. Ryberg won with 1:55.

I felt pretty good about my performances and my legs felt better after all my races than they did before all of them. Our team went on to get 2nd! We beat Judge by 4 points. Cedar won. We got 2nd with only 7 guys! Got home around 12:30

Just a quick mile today to keep my legs somewhat loosened up.  Taking a short rest for a bit and maybe I'll go down to Cali and see if I can break the school records.  Not sure what I'm doing yet.  Anyway I ran in the heat and dived in the river afterwards.  Oooh that is so nice!  I felt so good today!  I just laid there and listened to the river for a half an hour all alone.  It was beautiful! 

I've decided to rest for 2 whole weeks.  I've decided my body really needs the rest before I start building up.  Also, I'm wondering why everyone keeps saying go slow on long runs.  I can see 7:00 pace for really long runs, but if I'm training for cross-country I'm going to be running sub-5:00 miles for a 5k.  How can I do that when I only practice at 8:00 pace?  Anyway, after a long break I'm going to slowly start building miles and work up to 70-80 miles a week over the summer.  Then when the season hits, I'll probably jump back down to 40-60.  And a few weeks before state I'll hit some speed work and back off on the long mileage a bit.  If I'm only going to be running one race that's only 3 miles I'm going to have to have some speed training no matter what.  Sub-5:00 miles for a 5k are not attained by always practicing at 8:00 pace!

Thanks for all the advice!  So according to what you guys are saying I should be running around 60 miles a week up until a few weeks before state and I should keep my speed training throughout the summer.  And that I should push the hard days and keep the easy days really easy.  I'm thinking maybe I will build up a really strong mileage base over the summer while weightlifting and cross-training at the same time.  Anyone know how to coordinate weightlifting and cross-training with mileage?  I have a membership at Gold's Gym and I usually workout and play racquetball and swim laps about 3 times a week.  How should I coordinate that with my workout schedule?  Do I workout on hard days or easy days or on long run days or speed days?  

Also, since I really only mainly care about state, when should I begin changing my workouts in order to peak at state? 

I just couldn't stand it any longer.  I had to get out and start running again.  Ran about a mile and a half in the morning and it felt so nice.  Did my sit-ups and push-ups.  Last week I could hardly make myself rest I had to stay active somehow.  I played basketball and racquetball almost every day.  

4.5 miles with Joe in the evening.  It was pretty hot but it felt nice to sweat again.  Did some more sit-ups and push-ups.  Then I went to the gym and had a nice workout and a swim.
 

A quick 2 miles in the morning. I need to get used to morning running. It was really hard for me to get up and just do it. Sit-ups and push-ups.

 Evening run from Red Cliffs to Quail Lake - 4 miles against the wind.

Easy 2 miles in the morning. The cloud cover was nice. Sit-ups and push-ups.

3 mile loop in the evening.  Really windy.  Then I went to Gold's Gym for a workout and some racquetball.
 

3 miles on the adjacent fair run loop in the morning.. A little windy but not bad.

8.5 mile trail run with the club.  My legs were pretty sore from yesterday, but I still made it.  

Just 1 mile this morning.  I really didn't feel like running but my legs were so stiff and sore I had to loosen them up.

No morning run, I had to go sing early with my quartet for a cancer survival thing.

Ran in Washington in the evening 4 miles on the trails. 

Morning run up on the Gould's Rim Trail. Nice 5 mile loop course. It felt great. My average mile pace was 6:22. Overall a nice fun run to start off the week.

Evening run in Washington on the trails.  About 5 miles I wasn't sure but it was just over 30 minutes and I was running pretty fast.  It was really hot and I was soaked with sweat afterwards. I'm looking forward to the 10k USG this friday.  Hope to see some of you there. 

Hill run up on a volcano south of Hurricane. Really fun run. 4 miles.

Had to run after young mens and I had some pizza there.  Not a good idea.  Started a 5 mile run from out south to my house.  I ran 4 miles fine, but then I got a major side ache and had to walk the last mile.  Never again! 

Had to do some speed work and some down hill training.  In the morning I ran 2 mile intervals down the hill going into toquerville.  I timed the first one in 4:22.  Calves got really sore though.

Went to St George and got some new shoes, Saucony Grid Sinister.  Look nice and feel great.  Ran 1.5 miles downhill but my calves were killing so I ran another mile flat.
 

I feel awful today. Couldn't sleep after 5 with the stomach flu. Had to throw up a bunch and I still feel sick. My legs are pretty sore too. I don't know if I'm going to make it to the race tomorrow.

Actually I think it's food poisoning.  I haven't eaten all day.  I threw up over 20 times and it's still not gone. 

Finally I feel good enough to run again. 3 miles in the morning on the fair run.

3 miles later from Red Hills to the lake.

3 miles Angel Heights in the morning.  Started at the top and came down in the shade.  Adam rode his bike with me.

3 miles in the heat on the sheep bridge road to the river and dived in afterwards. 

Left to go to Idaho and didn't get there till pretty late.

Got a chance to run the State X-Country course.  We stopped there on our way up.  Tried to remember everything.  It was a really nice day and good to get my legs loosened up during a long drive.

Spent the whole day with family playing games and visiting.

We found a 10k to run in Idaho Falls so I decided to do it. It was a nice scenic run along the river and past the temple. I was by myself the whole way until the course put us back with the 5k runners. I had to dodge a bunch of people. It was ok though I just ran it like a morning run, only a little faster cause it was a race. I won by 3 minutes with 34:47.

Decided to wake up and run a couple miles in Idaho.  It's a little harder to breathe there.  My cousins ran with me for a while.  Then we left to come home.

3 miles on the Angel Heights run in the morning. Hopefully I can get back to a regular routine now for a few weeks.

6.5 miles on a soft dirt road with Joe in the evening up on the H hill.  Mostly downhill the whole way.  Felt great!  Avg. mile pace was 6:30 exactly.  Did a half mile cool down. 

Morning -- 3 miles on part of the bench lake course.

Evening -- 7 miles out south to my house.  Started at the top of the hill by Sand Hollow Lake and ran home.  Nice easy relaxed run.  My legs were a little tight so it helped loosen them up a bit. 

A.M. 3 miles on the grass at Three Falls Elementary.

P.M. 5 easy miles on the Gould Rim Trail.

A.M. Decided to run the x-country course this morning. Warmed up half a mile. Then took it easy most of the way except a few strategic spots that I wanted to work on, visualizing the race the whole time. Good run and half a mile cool down. 4 miles

P.M. Had a birthday party at Quail lake and another activity at Sand Hollow so after I got done at Quail my dad dropped my off on the road to Sand Hollow and I ran there.  4 miles 

No morning run today.  My dad took me up to Kannaraville and I ran 4 miles on the road.

A.M. Regular Angel Heights 3 miles.

P.M. 4 miles up in Virgin in the shade.  Nice downhill run.  Got home in time to watch an old friend of my brother's race in the Olympic Trials 5000m.  Josh Rohatinsky.  Awesome!

A.M. 3 miles out and 3 miles back on a dirt road south of town. 6 miles.

P.M. 6 miles out south to my house.  Took the longer way at Angel Heights to make it 6.  Pretty hard run, but took it easy the last mile for a cool down to conserve my legs.

I'm running the Freedom 5k in Provo July 4th.  Should be good for a speed day. 

A.M. 6 miles on a dirt road by the Jem Trail up on the H hill. 3 out and 3 back.

P.M. Was going to go 6 on the same route as yesterday, but my hip has been bothering me just on the right side and every step it hurt.  I stopped after 2 miles where my dad's truck was and decided to stretch it and ice.  Hopefully it isn't injured.

Decided not to run this morning cause my hip is still bothering me when I try to run. I'm thinking it's from overuse and too much stress. I play racquetball frequently and weightlift with my olbliques. Perhaps it's just from stress while running. Anyway, I'm going to see what happens in the race tomorrow and decide what to do after that. It doesn't hurt except when running and it usually goes away after a half a mile or so once it gets warmed up. Could it be a muscle that's just sore or...I don't know but it's just inside my hip bone below my belly button.

Jogged a couple miles with Hayden and Joe before going to bed. 2 miles

Jogged a mile with Hayden and Joe before the race and my hip wasn't hurting at all.  Started the race with hundreds of people.  I was behind a lot of people at the first but quickly got through to the front and hung there with about 10 guys for about 2 miles.  Then it was just 5 high school runners in a pack at the front.  I caught up to the first two on the hill and thought I could take them in the last stretch.  But Jonathan Nielson from Timpview took off and beat me by 6 seconds.  I got 2nd and Steve Morrin, a sophomore at Lone Peak got 3rd just 3 seconds behind me.  Hayden got 4th in the 10k and Joe got 13th I think.  Jogged a mile cool down afterwards.  My hip didn't bother me at all during the race but afterwards it was killing.  I'm going to rest it this weekend and see how it feels monday.

First time running in 2 weeks and my legs were really stiff, so just a mile in the morning.

Later I ran in St. George a mile and a half and it felt great.  My hip didn't hurt at all. 

No run this morning but I ran 2 miles at full speed late at night and it was awesome.  I had to see if my hip would hurt going full speed or not to make sure it's ok.  I felt good but my calves got a bit tight so I iced them.  Going to Des News tomorrow with Hayden.  I think I should be ok.

2 easy miles this morning and felt great. Leaving for SLC today for the race.

1 mile with Hayden from our hotel around temple square and back.

Race started at 6 am.  I was at the front of the starting line with the rest of Team Utah and Team USA and the running blog team.  Took off really fast and by the first mile I already knew my legs were not going to hold up.  2 weeks is a bit much to rest before a race.  I basically just made it the rest of the way to the finish.  Our team got 3rd just 2 points behind the running blog team.  Team USA killed us all.  My legs were sore going into the race and now they are so stiff I can hardly walk.  My hip had no problems during the race but I thought I could slightly feel it a little afterwards.  Hopefully it will stay strong.

First day of xcountry in the morning.  4 miles easy.  My legs are still really sore.  I took an ice bath afterward and they feel much better now.  Hopefully they will be ok by tomorrow.

Too sore to go to afternoon practice.

No morning practice. Still sore

Afternoon we went swimming in Chase's pool. 

Morning -- 5 miles Angel Heights. Half mile warm up and cool down. Legs feel a lot better after taking an ice bath yesterday.

Afternoon -- Weight room workout. 

Evening -- 2 easy miles around town after dark.

Morning -- 5 miles cinderknoll run. Half mile warm up and cool down.

Afternoon -- Swimming at Chase's pool.

Evening -- 7 mile La Verkin loop with Joe.  I feel so great after the sun goes down.  We picked up the pace coming back and got pretty tired but it was a great run.

Morning -- 5 miles canal run.  

No afternoon practice

Evening -- 2 easy miles. 

Today I went on a long hike for my workout.  I went with my family down Fatman's Misery, an awesome hike that starts in Zion and goes through some beautiful scenery.  We had to rapell down into slot canyons with pools of water, hiked through miles of river, and saw a big waterfall.  Great hike and had some killer uphills.  8 hours.

Morning -- 7 miles same course through La Verkin as I ran with Joe the other day.  Half a mile warm up and cool down.

Afternoon -- Weight room.  2 cycles full workout.

Evening -- I highly recommend running in the rain.  It's so nice.  I loved it.  Just as the sun was going down and it reflected off the clouds and the rain.  Oooh beautiful.  And it smelled so nice.  It was really cool too.  4 miles from out south to my house.

Morning -- 5 miles moderate with Coach Prince. Went up to the middle school and down to the river on some trails. Came back up a major hill and back to the high school. 1 mile cool down.

Evening -- 3 miles around town in new trainers.  Saucony Ride.

Ride -- 3

Morning -- 4 miles easy run. Half mile warm up, 1 mile cool down.

Evening -- 4 miles from La Verkin to my house.  Saw Hobie Call, just moved back here from Idaho.  Nice run in the rain. 

Ride -- 12.5

Happy Birthday!!!!!

Morning -- 6 miles around town. Nice easy run by myself. Then I cooled down a mile barefoot on the grass inside the track. Oooh that was nice. Afterwards I did a couple accelerators barefoot on the grass. Coach Prince watched me and said my turnovers look really good. It's my birthday today!!!!

Ride -- 19.5 

Morning -- Washington County Fair 5k. Pretty sore from racquetball 2 days in a row, but I was ok. Ran 5:08 avg. pace which is slow, but not for the start of the season. Good race to get me back in racing mode.

Evening -- Went to the track to run on the grass barefoot. After jogging a mile and a half I decided I felt like a little speed work. Ran 2 800's and was dead tired. I can see why my 5k was so slow. I need to keep up the speed work.

Ride -- 23

Morning -- 6 miles rim trail. Pretty tough hilly run on a trail. 3 miles out and back, with a major uphill coming back. Cooled down a mile barefoot on the grass and did 4x100 accelerators barefoot on the grass.

Afternoon -- Weightlifting 1 curcuit.

Evening -- 3.5 miles on a dirt road easy working on improving my form.

Ride -- 34

Morning -- First day of 5:45 practices! Ugh! Too early. 3 miles around town.

Afternoon -- Some exercises with medicine balls and then a mile around the school. My usual mile cool down barefoot with 4x100 accelerators.

Ride -- 39.5

Morning -- 4 miles easy around town. Legs were really tight.

Afternoon -- 1 mile up to the middle school. Speedwork around the course about 1.5 miles. 1 mile back and a mile cool down barefoot with 4x100 accelerators.

Ride -- 48.5 

Morning -- 2 really easy miles.

No afternoon practice

Evening -- Went for a run but my back was really tight for some reason. Only a mile to keep my legs limbered up for the race this saturday. Hurricane Invite.

Ride -- 52 

Morning -- A few miles around town. Legs feel great for race tomorrow.

Ride -- 56 

First Cross country meet on my own turf.  I was ready to break my PR and maybe even go under 15.  We started off pretty fast coming around the first mile in 4:40.  I'm thinking it may have been a little short there cause the next mile we came around in 10:20.  I distanced myself from everyone going down the hill and completely broke away at the top of the hill the second time.  Came in at 15:21 which is only a PR by 1 second.  Which is good because I haven't been doing hardly any speed work so I should improve quickly once I get that started.

Morning -- 4 miles moderate around town. Joe came with us for his last time before leaving for college.

Afternoon -- Ran to 3 falls elementary for some speed work on the grass. We ran 4 min. race pace. 2 min. walk. 1 min. sprint. 2 min. walk. 3 sets of those and on the 2nd and 3rd sets coach started me way behind the others and had me catch them on the 1 min. sprints. Then ran back to the high school. Killer workout, I could hardly jog back to the high school afterwards.

Ride -- 64

Morning -- 3 miles easy around town.  Half warm up.

Afternoon -- 4 miles easy around the schools. Half warm up.

Ride -- 72

No morning practice

Afternoon -- Ran out a mile and a half to a killer steep hill. Ran 4 sprints to the very top, about 150 yards or 25 seconds. Then 3 more a little over half way up. Almost fainted from the heat and breathing so hard. Then back to the school.

Ride -- 75.5 

Morning -- 3 miles easy around town. Chums BK route.

Afternoon -- 4 miles indian runs with varsity. Easy.

Ride -- 82.5

Morning -- Just a mile or so around town at a pretty moderate pace. Then ultimate frisbee, but no quick sprinting.

Afternoon -- No practice but I tried out my new spikes on the new track. Felt great.

Ride -- 84.5 

Woke up, ate a simple breakfast and drove up to Cedar for the SUU meet.  It was a really nice day with a slight breeze and a lot of sun.  I felt really good and knew I was going to have a great race.  Started out in front but too slow.  Picked up the pace and soon it was just me and Hayden.  I didn't use hardly any energy until halfway.  I picked up the pace at 2 miles and broke away and finished 1st in 15:40.  Used my red shoes.

Morning -- 4 miles easy around town.

Afternoon -- 5 miles easy in the rain up on the H hill on the Gould's Rim Trail. Felt nice and relaxed. Fun run.

Ride -- 93.5 

Morning -- 3 miles moderate hills.

Afternoon -- Intense mile repeats around Chums. 3 miles under 5:00. Then a couple sprints at full speed. Oooh, day before a race. Oh well, Coach Prince told me I shouldn't push races unless they are important.

Ride -- 99.5 

I decided not to put this as a race report because I didn't consider it as a race.  Coach Prince said I shouldn't push too many races in a row, so I decided I would just use this race as a practice for region, since region is at Cedar this year.  I ran just behind Jon for 2.5 miles and then decided to try and make up some ground on Hayden, who was about 25 seconds ahead of me at that time.  So I took off, much faster and didn't push it the last 200 meters.  Don't know what my time was but I don't care.

Morning -- 2 miles really easy around town.

Afternoon -- Sprints

Ride -- 103 

Morning -- Sprint intervals. 8x100+ yard relays with Tayler.

Afternoon -- 4 miles easy up by sheep bridge.

Ride -- 108.5

Annual 12k Peach Days run this morning. I jogged it with Matt. The winner is whoever gets closest to their guessed time. I didn't care so we just jogged it. The police car led us the wrong way so we ended up going 8 miles instead of 7.25, in about 58 mins. Good little morning run anyway.

Ride -- 117 

Morning -- Woke up and ran with Joe before he had to leave. We ran Angel Heights 5 miles easy-moderate. Had a nice talk.

Afternoon -- I drove up on Kolob Terrace for my run today. It's pretty high elevation. I warmed up a couple miles. Then 2xhalf miles up a steep hill. Killer on the quads and the lungs. Half a mile cool down after each one.

Ride -- 126

Morning -- 3 miles moderate around Chums/BK.

Afternoon -- 5 miles trail run with lots of hills and a really long steep gravel hill. 1 mile cool down on the track afterwards with a couple 100m accelerators.

Ride -- 135

No morning practice.

Afternoon -- 2 miles slow, but I decided to go 2 more around the track with 4x100m accelerators.

Ride -- 139 

Morning -- 2 miles easy

Afternoon -- 5x400s and 2 miles.

Ride -- 144 

Morning -- 1 mile easy

Evening -- 3 miles easy with Tayler up in Provo.

Ride -- 148 

This was a really fun race.  I wanted to win and I didn't care about my time cause the course was really long.  I ran with a pack for a mile or so.  Then it was down to Jonathan and me.  He broke me the last mile and I didn't have the guts to catch up.  Next time I will though.  It was still fun and all the news articles are saying I got first?

Afternoon -- No more morning practices! YAY! We ran 3xMile repeats around Chums. Nice interval workout. And some strides at the end.

Ride -- 152 

5 miles moderate on a dirt road in Toqerville by Ben's house. Out towards Devil's Hole.

Ride -- 157 

We ran Indian runs for half an hour. Then I decided to do some speedwork by myself. 4x300s with 100 jog in between.

Ride -- 163 

We ran 600s today but I have a race tomorrow so I only did 2. Then I ran 5 miles around the track with some accelerators.

Ride --169 

Drove up to Murray with my parents.  The rest of the team went to Las Vegas.  Wanted to get some good competition.  My legs were sore from speedwork we had done so I decided to draft the whole way until I could break away and see how my legs were going to hold up.  Turns out I had way too much left at the end.  Just hung in 2nd until 300 to go and sprinted in with a decent time but not fast.  Cool down with Hayden, Ben Johnson, and Ben Jarvis.

4 miles out on the fair grounds.  Really hot today! I saw the temp. sign and it said 105 degrees?!!! Anyway, mile cool down on the grass barefoot.