AM: So today we met at the Cottonwood Complex. We did our normal warmup (around the baseball field, then up the hill where you enter, then to the hospital, down to the next road, follow to next road, and basically go around the block) and then we went over kinda by where the start to the regions course was, and we did some strides. Then we got water and then went to the start line of the regions course, and then we did a tempo run of the entire regions course, the long one so that it would be exactly 3. I was supposed to hit 22. I hit 22:10. I PR'd in a workout!!!! So I was thinking "7:20, hit 7:20" that whole first mile. I was feeling good. at the half mile mark, I realized how fast I was going. I was up with Bill and Ryan and Ethan I think it was, who were hitting a time faster than me. Bill said "you've committed to this pace now. No crashing" or something like that. So I tried to keep up, and I think I was thinking too much about it. I was thinking "No crashing no crashing no crashing" I tried to think positively and it worked!!! But then literally as soon as I thought one bad thought I crashed. It was "not Bessie, I don't want to run up it right now." I fell off of them right then, and then about halfway across the flat part of roller-coaster I thought "I worked this hard already only to crash? No!" So then I tried to pick it up again, but there was that other hill, and I got the negative thoughts again, and I was so close to walking. But I remembered arms, so I focused on them and got past that part. Then when I recovered, Susannah passed me, making me think even more negatively. Then at the top of Miranda I decided I wasn't gonna let myself completely die. I picked it up, trying my best to think positively. I counted down how far I had to go. Just around the triple trunk tree, along the fence, up Bessie, then back down and I'm done! I kept that in mind the rest of the run. So close to being done!! Then came Bessie... my new enemy. I was struggling to keep it positive, but then I heard Bill yelling something like "finish strong!" and I got motivated again and DID finish strong! Thanks Bill! Then we went for our cool down. I had a choice between doing 3.5 to get to 10 or 5.5 to get to 12. I chose to do the 12, because I need the mileage, though I really wanted to do the 3.5 miles. We went over to that gravel area again and to the frisbee area. I started to fall off around the frisbee area. On the way back I tried to catch them, but I never did. I got to 12 farther away from the cars than I liked. But oh well! I think I've finally started to realize what has been making me crash, even though Bill has been telling me all along. I guess I never really got it in my head that being positive is the key factor of running. I never truly registered it, it was just some sort of idea that would most likely help me. Now I know how to get myself to stay positive! Now I'm excited for this season!!! :) PM: I went 3 miles around my neighborhood. It was HOT!!
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