Week 1 Training Blog: Nicole And Samantha Humphries

Week 1

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Week 1 (August 15 - 21)

* Week 1 is told in the words of Nicole.

Monday, August 15 - 5 miles

I woke up at 6:15 a.m. and headed to practice at 7 a.m. I ran 5 miles at an easy-ish pace with Sam. We call this just a distance run, or an easy run: a run where we are just getting the miles in. Afterwards we did medicine ball exercises. At school, I had a quiz in pre-calculus, and then I came home and did homework. After dinner, Sam and I went to do strength training where we did some lifting, strengthening exercises, drills, and core. I came home and ate a protein bar and went to bed.

Tuesday, August 16 - 6 miles

I woke up 6:15 a.m. and ran at practice at 7 a.m. We did a workout on the track which was 4xmile repeats with a 1 mile warm up and cool down for me. I felt really good during these; it was fastest I had ever done them, but it still felt really smooth and controlled. This workout is my favorite workout, and I love doing repeats with Sam because we pace each other. At school, we made s'mores during chemistry. After school, I volunteered at and animal shelter, came home and took a nap, and then did 30 minutes of cross training at the gym at a medium effort. Then I made a peanut butter chocolate banana smoothie, which is my favorite, and studied for my chemistry test before bed. 

Wednesday, August 17 - 5 miles

I woke up at 6:15 a.m. and ran at 7 a.m. again. I ran 5 easy miles with my team for another distance run. It felt really easy and helped me to recover, but it was really hot and humid outside. After we ran, we did medicine ball exercises and hurdle drills. At school, I had a chemistry test and pre-calculus quiz which I was nervous for ,but I ended up being well prepared. I came home and did pre-calculus homework and relaxed.

Thursday, August 18 - 6 miles

I went to practice and completed my 2nd workout of the week. We did a fartlek at a park on grass, which consisted of 20 minutes of 1 minute on, 1 minute off at 5k pace, plus a warm up and cool down. This was our first time running on grass this season and it felt really good and was nice to have a change of surface/scenery. Sam and I formed a solid pack with some of the guys on our team that really helped me to push myself during this workout. After school I came home and cross trained for 30 minutes before doing strength training. Days where we have workouts are our hardest efforts and longest days, so I was really tired by the end, but it was a good day. 

Friday, August 19 - 4 miles

At practice, I went on a super easy run of 4 miles with my team. We got to sleep in 30 extra minutes today, which was needed. It was a really fun run and felt nice to be able to recover after a long day. After the run we did 6 strides. It was a stressful day at school because I had a quiz in every class, but I treated myself after school by going shopping. I went to Ulta, which is one of my favorite stores. Then I went to team dinner with the girls on my team. We ate spaghetti for carb-loading. The food was really good and it was a fun bonding experience. Then I went to bed and slept really good. 

Saturday, August 20 - 5 miles

This was race day. I slept in because the race wasn't until 9:15 p.m. at night, and it felt really good to be able to get some rest. Then I ran for 1 mile as a shakeout. I usually do this when we have night races because it gives me a chance to stretch out and get my legs moving. I did some drills afterwards. I made oatmeal for breakfast and then took a salt bath. Then I went to go eat lunch at Jersey Mike's with my mom. After that, I did Normatech, took a nap, and watched a movie to relax.

When it was time to get ready to race, I braided my hair. I do this before every race because it helps me feel confident, which encourages me to be at my best. I felt really good before heading to the track and warming up. My team competed in a 3,200m on the track with other local teams. This is something we do to kick off the cross country season before transitioning into 5ks. I warmed up with my team and then raced where I ran a 10:35.65. Reflecting on the race, I wanted to run slightly faster, under 10:30, and be closer to my sister who ran 10:24.07. Looking back, I feel like I kind of zoned out during the second mile and should've been able to finish harder. However, this was a huge 2 mile pr for me, about 20 seconds, and I am very happy with it being the very beginning of the season. Overall I felt really good and smooth, and it felt really nice to compete again. I am excited to keep working hard, compete, and improve as the season goes on. In the future, I want to work on my pre-race nerves and being more confident. I want to start going out with my sister instead of staying behind out of fear. I am really proud of my sister and am so thankful to have her. I am also proud of my team for working hard and doing their best. After the race, we cooled down and traveled home.