8/31/09

Early Season Recap

9/1/09

Hills...Funny how the best things for you are usually the hardest.

I think the girl’s team can agree that Tuesday’s workout was pretty freakin hard. I believe Julia’s quote was something along these lines… “Ive never given birth…but I can imagine it wouldn’t be much worse than running those hill repeats.”

The 350m “Big Dogs,” or “Goat Hill,” or whatever else you want to call it not only tests your physical but mental strength in what Coach Jen calls one of “hardest workouts” all season. They trick you because for the first four or five you feel fine and you think to yourself that you may actually make it through this workout without cussing in your head. Then comes number 6 and it’s all over. For me anyways, number six started out rough and at 3/4ths of the way up the hill I was almost positive I wasn’t going to make it. That’s when you start cussing in your head and asking yourself why on earth anyone would put themselves through this kind of agony. But then it’s over with and you only have one left, but that one left is just one more you would rather not do. I took it easy down the hill, letting Tara go ahead to finish her last one.

I couldn’t help but think about a year ago when I was in the pool, wishing with all my might that I could be doing this same workout with the ladies.. wishing I could feel this pain.Paul came up and pep-talked me to the bottom of the hill, until I realized he was going to help me with my last one. I was a little nervous about the pain I was about to endure but excited that with his help my workout would finish off strong. "Crap," I said in my head as I hit the start button on my watch and we started up the hill. “Easy,” Paul said. "Focus on form, drive your knees, head up.” We were half way there and I could see the end point. “Now on your toes...start accelerating,” he kept saying. I was trying to not think about how tired my legs felt, but all I wanted to do was reach the little rock we use as an end marker so I could stop. “Almost there, one last push” he said. And that was it. We were done. My fastest one. Relief! I jogged down the hill, cheering on the rest of the girls who were doing 8 and got some water. Some of the freshmen were getting water and I asked Cora, “How was it?” She looked at me and her eyes got gigantic. “Well, you weren’t lying. It was hard.”

We finished off the workout with 4 x 100m strides . All I could think about was how I hadn’t run this workout in two years and although parts of it were uncomfortable, like I have said before, it sure beats being in the pool!

The warm-down was full of laughter, chit chat and informing the new people on how we need to keep up our status as the best looking team in division 2 (only kidding of course). Hillory and I held hands as we yogged and said “I love you.” (Sorry, Sarah… she cheated on you). Everyone laughed and we could feel the bonding going on as we jogged. It has only been 3 weeks but already it feels like the new girls have been here for years. Nothing like a hill workout to bring us closer.

Surprisingly, the legs didn’t feel as awful as expected on the warm down.. But there is always tomorrow morning! : )

9/9/09

Trail 401 - Gothic, CO

9/19/09

The Price of Being a Beefcake