Ethan's runs

Birch Creek after Conference with Conner and Stockton 7:30ish pace. Good run, legs still a little tired.  + My first fastrunningblog entry!

Today we did 2x800 3x400 4x200 in the grass.  Not a great workout for me today, I got way too little sleep and my liver is still hurting me (feels like a severe side ache). It wasn't too hard though. My splits ranged from:

800 2:33-2:43(i think).  These went Ok

400 1:05-1:11.  These were about right(downhill)

200 35-37  Pretty slow (half up half down)

Today, We did a loop that was essentially 6 hill repeats and 6 200's.  It wasn't too hard, although after the second hill, my liver started hurting again.  It went away for the rest of the workout though.  I need to get more sleep and I have started drinking a ton of water to try and flush it out. Speed wise, the workout wasn't super quick but it wasn't slow either. Pretty average.  We are starting to taper and I think it is the perfect time, It's getting to the point where my legs don't bounce back from a workout like they usually do.
 

We did golf course extended, ran with Conner and JC.  My legs were feeling really tired, and it was a really hot day, not a bad run though.  It was good to have a break from workouts.

Early morning practice.  We only did 2.5 miles and visualizations because of region tomorrow.  I'm getting a little worried about the energy in my legs, but I feel like I'm ready.  I have been drinking alot lately to help with my liver, so we'll see what happens tomorrow.

I slept pretty average but was feeling pretty tired throughout school and before the race.  I took a 15 minute nap under our team tent and then got warmed up and ready to go with the team.  It was a weird feeling when we lined up because we had been working toward this moment since summer, it was strange to realize that we're finally at region and state. The gun wen't off and I had an average/slow start, it turned out to be perfect.  I was moving up within the 1st 400 meters and we hit the gravel, still behind several bonneville kids (they start really fast)  I slipped in behind Nick and slowly made my way up.  I was feeling good and very loose, no liver issues.  We hit the mile pretty fast ( i never heard the split but was later told it was close to a sub 5, I don't know how accurate that is though.) by this point I think i was in 5th or 6th place. We went up around the big loop and coming in at 2 miles, I was running in a little pack with Travis and Mark, just hanging off the back (7th place).  Mark had this amazing surge at mile 2 (later he told me it was part of the plan) and opened a little gap, Travis and I held reasonably well, but the pace went significantly up.  at about 800 to go, mark summers was a ways ahead and Travis and I were neck and neck. I was starting to hurt pretty bad.  We rounded the corner into the last 300 ish meters and I have never kicked so hard.  He almost caught me in the final straight but I barely held him off. I ended in 6th place, and was very happy, no liver problems.  We took 2nd as a team and only lost by 5 points to Ogden. I ran a 15:51 (31 second course PR)  and 5:11 average pace. Im super excited for state xc now!

awful sleep. Wen't to bed extremely late due to a late night activity and had to wake up around 5 to drive down to snowbasin Ski resort.  We drove down to watch Brad Huber's MTB race.  He is really good and won the division 2 JV race! It was really exciting.  I ran 5 miles easy on the trails at the ski resort.  Some of the best trail running I think i've ever done, it was super pretty and nice trails. A really good mental break.

Today is generally a hard day, but we're starting our taper for state.  warmup around the block,  then an altered russian interval workout.  2x(3x300 R pace) 3x200 F pace. It felt okay, but my legs are very tired from the race/lack of sleep.  300's went 51, 54, 53, 49, 50, 52 (not super consistant) while 200's were 30, 30, 30.

Super easy day today.  Less than 4 miles of easy running with the team.  We did a few up's and a few minutes of "indian running " (short easy speed).  It felt good after yesterday's workout to give my legs a break.

Hill repeat circuit today.  Not too hard of a workout, we did the beauty 3 times+ lyons hill 4 times running tempo getting from one hill to the other, than a 150meter sprint on the run home. Not a hard workout although my legs are still tired.  The taper has been good, now i just need to work on sleep and hydrating more. (liver is barely showing up again during several workouts)

Fall break spent in yellowstone.  Katelyn and I ran an easy 4 miles around the back basin/porcealin basin geyser boardwalk.  It was a pretty amazing view.  It was lots of fun, good mental break. 

Last hardish workout before state.  4x1000 @ tempo pace (3:29) with 1 minute recovery.  I did a warm up, then 4x1000's: 3:29, 3:27, 3:25, 3:23.  They were pretty fast, but with a little extra recovery. It was extremely cold. Done on a rolling dirt road.

Today was a road run from our lunch spot in yellowstone to a super pretty scenic loop.  It went right past a huge waterfall and was thick with trees.  I'm feeling good, felt easy but managed a 7:00 ish minute pace. Very fast coming back as it was almost all downhill.

Today we did a premeet-like day with some really short 15 second sprints.  5x(15 sec R pace 30 sec recovery) finishing up the taper. 2 days to go until state!

Last day before the State Meet.  I'm super excited and super nervous.  We did some easy running, striders, and had a chat with the team.  Tonight is the state team dinner, tomorrow is breakfast with the team and then we had to SLC to race! I'm feeling good and ready to get some of my goals.

I went to bed last night at 11:00, too late. Fortunately, Sky View does a team breakfast and we get to sleep in a little bit.  I still managed pretty good sleep.  Breakfast was good, not too much, not too little.  This was alot of fun and good to take my mind off of the race.  We did visualizations and then headed to SV to load busses. We each got our own seat on the bus which was nice, so I took a 45ish minute nap.  We got to the course about when I woke up.  After watching several other races, and the after the girls raced, we warmed up.  I did a little longer warmup than usual, about a mile to a mile and a half.  We did several Up's and got our spikes/flats on.  Conner Mantz wasn't able to warm up with us due to his leg injury.  He warmed up on a stationary bike.  We got to the line, passed the uniform check (didn't have to do a last second uniform change this year), did some more strides, and warmups and got ready to go.  Fortunately, I started on the line and not behind someone.  The gun went off and I had a slow start.  I got pushed straight to the back and severely boxed in.  After roughly 400 meters, I saw my dad and he yelled to get out so I more or less pushed some kids out of the way and got to the outside where I moved up.  This was a bit rude, but I really had no other choice.  By this point I couldn't see Mark, Nick, or Travis.   Throughout the race I felt like I had more and more energy and was able to pass alot of people.  I came by Travis without knowing it because of their uniform color change. I came by Nick and Mark and thought they would stay right on my tail, but they didn't.  I kept moving up. With roughly 800 to go a woods cross kid and I were going about the same pace.  We hit the track and I started to kick, I held him off for a while but he got me by half a second.  We were able to catch Garrett Barton with about 30 meters left.  I finished 14th with a time of 16:11.  It was a really good race for me.  Last year i took 92nd. I also had the opportunity to be interviewed agian.  Our team did OK, better than last year but not quite what we were hoping for. 5th place as a team.  Alex took 6th.  Unfortunately, Conner Mantz took 2nd.  If he hadn't been injured I'm sure he would have won it.  A great experience and now I'm looking forward to more training and a good track season with these guys.

RESULTS: http://ut.milesplit.com/meets/180261/results/335730

NEWS: http://news.hjnews.com/allaccess/injured-mantz-nearly-defends-a-title/article_dd422cb6-5a71-11e4-a390-1b5edd625067.html

The "off-season" begins.  Time to take a bit of a break, and build speed and mileage for indoor and outdoor track season.  Today, we took a mental break and went on an easy relaxed run.  Explored some trails. Trespassed. Good  fun.

Another easy day, just Stockton and I, we attacked a STRAVA segment just for fun and then ran a half mile barefoot on the golf course grass. Sub 7 pace on the way back to SV.  Awful sleep the last 2 nights.  9.75 hours combined.  Its been rough trying to catch up on all the work I missed by being at State XC.

Sketchy run with Stockton up Green. Horribly inconsistent mile splits.  Our first mile we took a little steep, sketchy side/game trail and ran hiked making it like a 17:00 minute mile.  Saw lot's of bones, on that trail... a jawbone and skull, it was getting dark and super creepy we finally got back to the main trail and ran a low 6:00 minute mile and then an average mile.
 

Easy day, made up the route as we went.  Good pace (6:57ish) legs feeling good.  I'm trying to figure out if Ill go to footlocker or not. If so Ill keep running, if not I'm going to take a week off or so.

Just Stockton and I again today.  We did a 3 miler at a pretty easy pace up smithfield canyon, it was quick, but not hard. I'll probably take a break wednesday and thursday if not friday as well.

Recovery week. No run today.

another rest day.

final rest day, longish run tomorrow.