Well I didn't think I'd make it this far....

No running today. My knee was pretty inflamed after the long car ride back, so I just did a good ice bath in the morning and another one at night. I also rolled my legs and stretched. Hopefully IC can get a handle on this annoying inflammation. By the end of the day, I could barely feel the inflammation at all.

AM: Four miles on my own.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/244869614

PM: Today we ran up to the Zoo Trail and met by the water tank. Once Bill got there we measured up a half mile to do our half mile repeats trying to mimic Footlocker. We would run one 800 uphill, then run out 200m and back as recovery, then run an 800 downhill back to our start, and a 200m out and back recovery to our start. For the ups I hit 2:56, 2:57, 2:51, 2:54 and for the downs I hit 2:39, 2:40, 2:36, 2:39. Then we headed back down to the school and added a lap in the teacher parking lot to be at 13.

      Overall this was a solid workout for me. I pushed myself and hit fast, consistent splits, and it is particularly hills which inflame my knee but I was able to run through it.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/245799001

AM: I set my alarm wrong so I barely woke up with enough time for school. But I think it was a good thing because my knee was pretty inflamed and running would have made matters worse. 

PM: Today ended up being a pretty awesome day! First, Natalie came to run with us! And it was a  long run, so we had plenty of time to gab :) We did our infamous 15 miler backwards. We ran up towards the Avenues and went up Death Hill in the cemetery. Then we ran over to the City Creek water fountain. After we got some water, we hopped on the JCC trail and did that whole thing backwards, which sucks right at first, but gets better as you go along. Then after we got off the trail we took the other trail that goes over by Popperton and Shriners, where we turned and headed back to East the usual Shriners route. It was nice to run with Nat again, as always.    

     Second, I found out today that I was chosen as Math Sterling Scholar! Yay! That was pretty awesome, and then to cap it off I got to see both Girls and Boys basketball teams crush their first game of the season! This season is gonna be good....

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/245798977

AM: Bill said to take it easier today so I didn't run in the morning and rested my knee. 

PM: Today we met Ryan out in Draper for once. We ran the Draper Park 5 mile loop. It was windy so it felt cold when we started, but once we started running I got way hot. Once back to he cars we did 5 strides on the grass field and then headed out. 

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/245798948

AM: I arrived early and ran the course once by myself. Then I waited for Bill to arrive and I warmed up with him some more talking about the race. I got a good 6 mile warm up and then I changed into my flats and hurried over to the line. While everyone was waiting at the line freezing for the start, some guy talked on the mic forever about how COLD it was, and finally he decided to start us. I was right in the front and got right on Chuk before we even made the turn onto the road. I sat right on his shoulder through mile one (5:10) and into mile 2 (10:14). I need to work on my downhill, as I thought, because it was at all the downhill parts that Chuk would surge and gap me, then I would have to work and close on him with the flats and ups. I was on him until the last uphill turning on the finishing, downhill straight by the tennis courts. I closed on Chuk and was 5-10 meters behind him at the tennis courts. I think mile 3 was (15:19).  All that was left was the long, downhill finish and here is where Chuk broke away from me. He gained probably 50-60 meters on me on the last stretch. 

        I honestly did well in this race. I stuck on Chuk almost the whole time, and it was tough because he was throwing in surges the whole race. I just need to work on my downhill. I know Bill is going to focus on this now, because running downhill is crucial for Footlocker. Chuk might have had the advantage on the downhill because he is a lot lighter, but I know I can still do a lot better with it than I did today. Afterwards I did a mile and a half cool down and then headed home.

Oh, and also my knee felt really good today! I barely felt it during the warm up, and I didn't feel it during the race. On the cool down it got a little more agitated but it held up really well. I took the stick to my legs yesterday and really got in deep. Whatever it is that is inflamed, I got it yesterday, so at least now I know that I can reach it. 

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/245798920

AM: Met the group and Natalia at Sugarhouse Park for a recovery run. We did our usual Cemetery Run and we added a lap around Sugarhouse Park once we got back to be at 10. It's funny to think how last year, when Natalie and I were the same speed, we would keep a nice comfortable pace for both of us on these types of runs, but today Nat had to push herself to keep up with the guys. I had fun teasing her to keep up with our 'slow' recovery pace the whole time. (6:50 avg) It's a nice change to run with a girl that can keep up with me! Oh, how I miss all the good times from last year. 

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/246116960

PM: Since my knee began to bother me two weeks ago, I had to come down in miles and give my knee some resting time. I need to get to at least some mileage this week since Footlocker is next week, so I went for a six mile run. I tried to talk myself out of it for about an hour, but once I got out the door I was really happy I went for a run. I felt pretty good, and I can tell that the inflammation in my knee is going down a little every day!

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/246116957

AM: Today we met at the Oval bright and early for a speed workout. This will probably be the last, big speed workout before Footlocker. We did 8 laps warm up, lost count and did 5 laps of speed changes, and then a lap recovery. We changed shoes and were told the workout. 1Xmile (an actual mile not a 1600) with a lap recovery, 2X800 each with a lap recovery, an unknown number of 400's with recovery back to the 300 start, and then 4X300 each with a jog back to the start recovery. I was to hit the mile in the same time I hit the first mile at Nike, which was a 4:52. The 800's in a 69-70 first lap and then trying for a 65 second lap. The 400's in 65, and finally the 300's were just all out sprints. Also, there was all these annoying, FAT, ice skating coaches yelling at their skaters in lane one, so we'd have to dodge them, plus there was a golf cart-ish thing in one corner that took up the first three lanes, then there was a bleacher by the finish line taking up the first three lanes. With all this dodging and moving, Bill figured we'd loose about a second per lap. So there is this factor in all the rep times. I hit 4:50 in the mile; I pushed it and still felt good after, although now I knew the speed the rest of this workout would be, so I prepared for the 800's. I hit 2:16 with 69 and 67 splits in the first 800, and then 2:17 with 70 and 67 splits in the second. Those hurt; I pushed both and didn't totally fall off my goal, which was 2:15. After the second I was really feeling it. Next were the 400's, and my goal was to hit 65's, but then Bill said that if I hit the first one in 62 or under, that we'd only do one. Great. I gave it everything I had and got just barely over a 62. So at least we only had to do one. For the 300's I was exhausted, plus I didn't have any breakfast. I gave those whatever I had left and hit 47, 48, 48, 47. Then we did 5 and a little extra laps cool down to be at 10. I am glad this is over.

PM: Right before work I went on an easy five mile run to loosen up from this morning's brutal workout.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/246394428