C Mantz Run

Today I didn't highdrate at school which wasn't very smart.  We first warmed up the course we were supposed to go.  We did mile intervals at tempo pace with a minute long recovery.  Each time I did around a two minute recovery because I wasn't feeling very great and my throat was really dry.  My first time was a little slow- 6:58 and I was going for 6:50's. My next one I didn't feel very great around the half mile point and it was 7:43.  After that one Coach told me to start a little later with the girls and recover for a little longer.  The next one I tried so hard, but it was an 8:10.  My next one was 8:07 and my last part I was sprinting my guts out to go as hard as possible at the end.  I really regret my times now that I look at them because it doesn't look like I tried, but nobody seemed to have a good day because it was so hot and I feel a little tired from Friday, still.  We cooled down a little ways to the track after getting a drink.  Coach had us do 200's if we felt like it.  I was feeling much better after the cool down, so I decided to go all out.  It was 37 which was way good for me.  I wanted to do another one for fun because I was feeling even better.  It was 38.  I was really happy with those 200s atleast.

So, today we did tree of life extended, but super slow for a pre meet.  We jogged to a tree and came back, then went around a certain area on the canal really slow.  After that we did six striders and that was all.

Before today's race I didn't feel mentally very prepared.  I was really tired because I felt like I didn't get enough sleep.  When we got thereI started to actually feel a little more pumped.  We warmed up quite a bit and everybody on our team were trying to explain the course all at once so I was a little confused and worried that I'd go the wrong way.

We finally started.  I ran down that first strip really fast, which helped a lot because I stayed up in that closer to the front pack almost the entire time.  We went on a really bumpy trail, then onto a dirt road which brought us into the trees.  I knew there were three MC girls in front of me and Riley and Kaitlin.  We went on a really narrow trail down a pretty steep hill right after we got into the trees.  Right before we turned onto another trail, I slightly twisted my ankle and it hurt a little, but I kept running.  While we were going up this little hill a MC girl was in front of me going slower than I'd like to, but I couldn't pass her and my ankle slowly stopped hurting as we went up that short hill.  Then we did some crazy twists and turns and I passed one of the MC girls up a hill.  At some points I was slightly confused on where to go next, but they had the trail marked pretty well and I never got totally lost.  I did twist my ankle another time, but it didn't hurt much.  When we finally got out of the trees I thought we were almost done and I passed the other MC girl.  I thought after you go up the hill you went into the finish, but actually you went around the same loop we started.  Before I got onto that trail, a BE girl passed me unexpectantly.  I caught up to Riley and drafted off of her because there was a slight headwind.  On that final sprint I tried to pass Riley, but she would sprint which is great for her.  I tried a couple times, then we sprinted to the end.

I felt super good at the end and neither of my ankles hurt which was really weird.  I don't know why, but I was talking really loudly and easily right after which makes me kind of feel like I didn't try hard enough, but I just felt so good.  I was happy about my time and our team is doing so well which I am so happy about.

Afterwards we did a quick cool down.

For early morning practice, I got there a little late and everybody was already going up 6th south.  I caught up to the girls when I got to the top of the hill.  We did golf course extended, but the coaches were with us and made us go even more extended up the canyon which was actually really fun.  We were a little tired from yesterday and my calf was sore (I think from twisting my ankle, but it doesn't hurt anymore) so we were going slow, but sometimes the pace was pushed.  Because I'm a freshman, I have to catch the bus to NC and I only had 15 minutes to change, but I was happy I stuck with the girls.

We went to beast for a warm up and I thought it was going to be really hard, but it turned out to be super easy.  We went up it four times, and in between we did a longer recovery.  After that we did 30seconds at race pace which I felt amazing for.  Then, the team played 10 dot dot and that was really fun.  After that we jogged back for a mile.

Today, I went on a long run at a pretty slow pace.  I did have some fast parts in there, but it was mainly at a nine minute mile pace which was very easy.