C Mantz Run

It was the practice after Ragnar weekend and I was still tired.  Coach had us do tree of life.  I stuck with Megan and we turned left at the end of the canal.  Everybody else turned right (which makes it a 2.5 mile loop).  We kept going.  I was feeling really good as we were running until we got to the last mile.  Then, I was struggling.  I'm pretty sure we were speeding up, then gradually slowing down, so it felt like we going so fast when we really weren't.  We sort of sprinted at the end, but it was a slow sprint.  It took us about 40 minutes (8 minute miles).

I was too lazy to actually run in the morning, so I went in the middle of the afternoon when it is blistering hot.  I felt amazing my first mile, actually too amazing. 1) 6:05 which is way too fast. My second mile I didn't feel the heat until halfway where I pretty much died.  I kept going though and it was actually pretty decent. 2) 7:23  I took a minute and a half break because I went over to the side a dry-heaved a bit (let me tell you, it was hot!).  Then, I kept going.  I tried for a sub-seven which ended up being a 7:05.  I was so tired and thirsty that I went to the graveyard and took a drink from the pump thing (which I don't know if the water was clean, but I was SO thirsty).  That break was about a minute and a half.  Then I cooled down home because I was too tired (which I regret) to keep going.  That mile was over 11 minutes.  The first three miles (including the break) took 22:04 minutes which was actually okay in the heat.  I was happy to be done, but it was one of those runs that I regretted cutting short.

We did golf-course.  Conner talked to me about pushing the pace at practice because that's what makes you get better, and last year the pace was always pushed, so I did. I tried pushing it up the hill.  Karlee, Lauren, and I stuck together along 10th east.  When we hit the trail, we slowed down a bit and a lot of the girls caught back up.  It was a ton of fun and felt good to actually go a little faster on an easy day.

I kinda-sorta-not really tapered for the Freedom Run because I had to get 6 miles in.  I wanted to get over with it, though, so I tried to keep them under an 8 minute pace.   I finished a little before 48 minutes.  On my last mile, though my knee popped really weird and hurt the last quarter mile (it's okay). It was fun and I was really pumped for the Freedom Run.

I woke up earlier than I should have, but I did get time to eat half of a bagel which was really good.  Karlee and I warmed up half a mile.  I was really excited, and not exactly in that race mode which was really wierd, though.  I did have a goal which was sub-7 average. When everybody wandered towards the starting line, I quickly did some leg swings and we walked up there.  When we started I didn't sprint as fast as I could, but I think that was a good thing.  Here are my mile splits: 1) 7:04, 2) 6:40, 3) 6:54, 4) 6:45, 5) 6:43, 6) 6:50, 7) 7:00, 8) 7:14, 9) 6:57, 9.3) 2:00.  My first mile I just stuck with Karlee.  There was a group of high-school girls near us and I think they were from Mountain Crest.  I felt amazing.   I was actually talking the first mile, too.  When we got to the first mile mark, I actually sped up.  I could see Megan and Holly Haguewood and was hoping that I could catch up to them.  Slowly, I kept passing people.  I felt amazing the first three and had caught up to Megan.  I talked to her for a minute, then kept going.  I found this set way to keep my pace by knowing I'd be around 3:30 minutes at the marathon marks and around 6:00 minutes at the half marathon marks.  That kept my pace pretty even until mile 7 where you go up that steep hill.  I started up it a little too fast, but nobody passed me going up it.  When I got to the top I wanted to give up, but I didn't.  I could still see Holly, but I just didn't want to speed up.  It felt too hard.  I kept checking my watch and doing the math to figure out the slowest miles I could hit and still get a sub-7.  I kept going, but wasn't able to go much faster.  The last mile, I just wanted to be done.  When I hit the 9 mile mark, though, I knew someone was behind me so right when I clicked my watch, I turned to see who is was and sprinted away.  My finish felt fast, but I didn't feel like I was moving fast.  I was happy to be done, though. My time really shocked me.  It was a nine minute PR from last year.  I wonder if the time was off, because my watch or the clock said 1:04, but I got a 1:03.  It was a great race to be sore afterwards. 

I was again too lazy to go in the morning and very sore.  I waited until it was early in the evening and went 4 miles.  I knew I had to go 10 total, but I didn't want to.  I went home and had some dinner, then went three more miles.  It started to get dark and I really didn't want to go any further, so I said that was good enough.