C Mantz Run

We did a warmup figuring out where the course was.  Then we did a 1200, then an 800 with a 3 minute recovery 3 times.  I wasn't feeling very great.  The last couple times I was really far behind all the other girls.

So, this morning I did an activity where we walked 8.3 miles.  Because we were walking, I didn't feel like I had gotten much of  a workout in and Coach wanted us to do a long and easy run.  I was planning on doing an eight at first, but Conner told me I should do a five because of this morning.  I did a very easy five and it was fun and exhausting because I didn't really eat much that day and I kind of did a half marathon with a lot of breaks and walking if you added everything I did today.  I am not counting those miles, because I did walk them.

Because we have a meet tomorrow, we were supposed to go very easy at practice.  I stayed with Danella, and we did about ten minute miles.  After the first mile where we ran to Mack Park and did about six striders.  I don't think I did the striders correctly, but I attempted. We ran back to the school and got in another mile.  It was very easy and it was hot outside, too.

So, today was our first big meet of the season! I was so excited and nervous that entire day, but it didn't help much because it was the first day of school.  I didn't get much of a chance to hidrate that day, which I think wasn't smart.  We did all sorts of stretches and warm ups before we ran.  Fifteen minutes before it started, we did about a .8 mile warm up.  I was wearing my flats when we did the warm up.  I got really nervous when we were beginning to line up because I had no idea how to sprint at the beginning.  The girls were awesome by encouraging me and telling what to and not to do.  We started out after the gunshot and I felt as if I couldn't go very fast because there were so many people, but the gun went off a second time and I looked back and everybody behind me was stopping, but somebody yelled to keep going and I was so confused.  It was a false start because somebody fell and we walked back to the start line. That got my nerves out so much and I was very far back and I was kind of happy that it was a false start.

When we started out again, I think I was further up than last time.  Many girls were shoving and every time I touched somebody I said 'sorry' because I felt so bad and didn't want to shove anybody.  After that first sprint I couldn't pass anybody because it was so crowded, but they were going too slow! At one point it was half road and half grass and once I got on the road it was hard to get back onto the grass.  A little after that it was a straight run and I passed what felt like 25 people because I went further to the side on the path.  Then, we went down the hill and I just let my legs go which I was going a little too fast to turn, but I made it. I heard so many people yelling my name, but I didn't recognize them because there must have been another Claire running the race. There is a little hill that's really steep after that and I just booked it up because I felt so good.  After that was mile one which was a little under 6:30.  For me that was pretty fast.  The rest of it wasn't as specific, but my next mile I passed quite a few people and it was about 6:45, I think.  I could see a bunch of girls on my team were around me, but we were going back and forth with being next to eachother.  That last mile was really tough.  A little after I passed the two mile point, I tried to swallow, but I could'nt!  There was a little dry spot in the back of my throat that kind of burned.  That last time we went around the lake it was really tough and a bunch of people passed me.  When we crossed the bridge and went around that last bend, I could'nt sprint! I tried to, but it didn't work out very well, and the last stetch a couple people passed me.

While we were in line all the girls in our team were hugging eachother and that is one reason I love our team.  I was so tired.  There wasn't any water and I was freaking out because that was all I wanted was water. Finally, we all walked back to our hang out area where we had water and I was feeling much better.  I was really happy with my race, but Conner was telling me I needed to think about what I had done wrong and I think I really needed to highdrate.  I was still happy and I felt good about it.

So, today was our first practice after school.  Us freshman rode on the bus to Sky View and we changed as quick as we could.  We were told to meet outside where we normally did and we were kind of confused.  We found out that we were supposed to meet somewhere else and we did warmups with the team in one of the gyms.  The coaches gave us a little speech which got me a little overwhelmed about the season, but I'm still excited.  For today we went easy to a point to do a tempo run.  Coach wanted us to do a 2 three times tempo with a couple minute recovery.  Us girls decided to go for a 7 minute pace and we kept together very well the first one which was really fun and easy.  We did about a half mile jog to recover, then did another two miles.  The first mile was pretty easy, but the second mile was really tough and it seemed to never end.  A group of us sped up ahead of everybody else and we were still about a minute slow for that mile.  We weren't feeling so great and it was really hot, so we jogged a mile back towards the school.  We did a mile instead of a two mile which was really tough for me.  We ended up doing a 2,2,1 tempo. Afterwards, we cooled down back to the school.  It was really tough, but fun at the same time.

I planned on doing a long and easy run, but I wanted to have a certain time to keep up with.  My goal was 8:31 and my dad planned on riding his bike up with me while I ran.  My first mile felt really good and I was going faster than I planned, but I tried to slow down.  My next miles were pretty good, but usaully a little faster than 8:30.  Once I got to six miles, I just wasn't feeling very good.  I decided to just keep it easy and not go for a certain time after that.  I really began to not feel good at last mile and I had to stop.  I tried to jog home with a couple of breaks because I felt like crap.  When I got home I took a hot shower and relaxed.  My first six miles were great, but my last ones weren't fun.