The Workshop
Journal
Personal Briefing

🌅Personal Briefing - Monday, May 11, 2026

Good morning. Back after a stretch off - here's where things landed.

🏃Training

🏃Today's Plan

📅 Build week 1/5 - 10K in 6 weeks Races: 10K (06-20) - 39d · Half Marathon (10-11) - 152d · Half Marathon (11-14) - 186d

✈️ London (no abs equipment - running + stretching only)

🏃 Today (Monday): 22-min easy run · skip · 5-min stretch Target pace: 9:30–10:00/mi (Z2, conversational) Z2 balance at 25% (build target ≥60%) - keep it easy today to rebuild the ratio.

Best window: Evening - 77°F, sunny, wind 10 mph

📊This Week

Tue: 22-min easy run · skip · 5-min stretch · pace 9:30–10:00/mi - keep the easy base going · London (no abs equipment - running + stretching only) Wed: 4x400m at sub-7:00/mi, 90s jog rest · skip · 8-min stretch · pace sub-7:00/mi - Wednesday intervals - speed work, hard day #2 of the week

This week: 0 runs · 0.0 mi · 0 min Zone check: insufficient data this week (0 runs, 0 min) - keep building consistency before zone targets become meaningful.

Recent runs:

  • Sat 05-02 · 3.1 mi · 24 min · 7:36/mi (Z4)
  • Mon 05-04 · 1.1 mi · 10 min · 8:26/mi (Z3)
  • Thu 05-07 · 4 mi · 40 min · 9:59/mi (easy)
  • Sat 05-09 · 3.2 mi · 24 min · 7:34/mi (Z4)

👟 Shoes: Brooks Ghost 17 - 159.9 mi (83 runs since 2025-10-18). At current pace, replacement around 2027-05-18.

✓ Nice walk yesterday (240 min). 2 family walks this week - lifestyle win, not a run substitute.

☘️Notre Dame Sports

🏈Football

No news to report! Here's recent information in case you missed a previous newsletter:

The 2027 class is the active recruiting board now. April's Champ Monds IV / Aidan O'Neil double was the headline; this past weekend brought another wave of campus visits, with Monds back on campus alongside St. Thomas Aquinas recruits and Charlie Partridge working the in-home circuit (visits with Marcus Fakatou and Jackson Vaughn). Marcus Freeman has otherwise turned the page to fall - rebuilding the Love/Price RB room (both went in the 2026 NFL Draft) and structuring the team around CJ Carr at QB. May/June is officially official-visit and camp season.

Upcoming:

  • Sun Sep 6 - vs. Wisconsin, Shamrock Series at Lambeau Field (season opener)

Last Result: Blue-Gold Game - Blue 41, Gold 40 (Sat Apr 25)

🏀Women's Basketball

No news to report! Here's recent information in case you missed a previous newsletter:

Roster work for 2026-27 is essentially done: portal additions Anaya Hardy (Louisville) and Madison "Nat" St. Rose (Princeton, two-time All-Ivy) join the No. 1-ranked HS class headlined by McDonald's All-Americans Jacy Abii and Jenica Lewis. ND replaces four of five starters from 2025-26 after Cassandre Prosper went to the WNBA and Vanessa De Jesus, Iyana Moore, and Malaya Cowles all moved on; KK Bransford's transfer to UCLA closed the departures. Niele Ivey will be in Mexico in June coaching Team USA's U18 squad at the FIBA AmeriCup June 8-14. Hannah Hidalgo's NCAA single-season steals record from this past March remains the headline of the offseason.

Upcoming: Summer workouts begin in late May.

🥍Lacrosse

Men: dominant. No. 2 seed Notre Dame ran past Jacksonville 18-5 in the NCAA First Round at Arlotta yesterday. Luke Miller put up five goals (a first-half hat trick), tying the program record for goals in an NCAA Tournament game. Teddy Lally added a hat trick of his own, while Matt Jeffery, Brock Berhman, and Gavin Lynch each scored twice. Thomas Ricciardelli stopped 16 shots and held Jacksonville to its lowest scoring output of the season. The Irish are now 14-1 in their last 15 first-round NCAA games and have advanced to the quarterfinals 14 of the last 16 years.

Quarterfinal: vs. Johns Hopkins on Saturday at Hofstra (Hempstead, NY). Hopkins played the spoiler in the opening round, knocking off defending champion Cornell 9-8 in overtime - so the path to the Memorial Day final got both more interesting and more dangerous. Hopkins-ND remains one of the sport's signature matchups; the Blue Jays will not be intimidated by the seed line.

Women: heartbreak. Notre Dame women lost a 13-12 first-round thriller to James Madison Friday in Evanston, blowing a five-goal lead as the Dukes used two late fourth-quarter goals to win it. JMU advanced to play No. 1 overall seed Northwestern in the second round on Sunday. Notre Dame's season ends at 12-6 - a tough ending given how the team had played down the stretch.

Upcoming:

  • Sat May 16 - Men's NCAA Quarterfinal vs. Johns Hopkins, Hofstra (Hempstead, NY)
  • Mon May 25 - Men's NCAA Championship Final, Charlottesville (if advances)

Last Result:

  • Men: Beat Jacksonville 18-5 in NCAA First Round (Sun May 10)
  • Women: Lost to James Madison 13-12 in NCAA First Round (Fri May 8) - season over, 12-6

📋Around the Program

  • Baseball completed the Stanford sweep with last Sunday's 18-13 slugfest at Frank Eck - eight runs in the sixth (Jayce Lee with two HRs in that frame, an Andrew Graham homer too) - to push to 24-20 (11-16 ACC). Regular-season finishing kick still ahead.
  • Softball's season ended. The Irish dropped game one of the ACC Tournament 13-3 to Georgia Tech in five innings in Greensboro. Georgia Tech's Addison Leschber (HR, 5 RBI) and Alyssa Willer (HR, 3 RBI) did most of the damage. Avery Houlihan's two-run double accounted for ND's only meaningful offense.
  • Women's tennis ran out of road. After upsetting Northwestern 4-3 in the First Round, the Irish were eliminated in the NCAA Round of 32.

🔴Utah Utes

🏈Football

No news to report! Here's recent information in case you missed a previous newsletter:

Spring camp is wrapped (no spring game by Morgan Scalley's call) and Utah came out of it largely healthy - the rebuilt offensive line under first-year coach Jordan Gross took the most visible step forward. Scalley on the OL: "You're talking about a brand-new crew having to work together, having to communicate together with a new offensive line coach… I'm very pleased with the progress." Devon Dampier's command of new OC Kevin McGiven's offense is still the most-watched offseason variable; Daniel Bray is being talked up as a real factor in the backfield, and Nate Johnson continues his QB-to-WR transition. Coaching salaries are now public - McGiven at $1.1M, DC Colton Swan at $850K. Sept. 26 at Iowa State remains the Big 12 tone-setter.

Upcoming:

  • Sept. 3 - vs. Idaho (season opener, Rice-Eccles)

🤸Gymnastics

The 2026 retrospective is now complete. Utah finished the season 10th nationally, missing the NCAA Championship by 0.125 at the Corvallis Regional Final - the first time in the program's 51-year history the Red Rocks didn't make nationals after 49 consecutive appearances. Three individuals still represented Utah at NCAAs: Avery Neff (7th all-around, 4th on floor), Ella Zirbes (floor), and Ana Padurariu (beam). At the Big 12 level, Utah swept the major individual awards - Neff: Big 12 Gymnast of the Year. Padurariu: Big 12 Specialist of the Year. Carly Dockendorf framed the season this way: "This season didn't define our program. It was actually an opportunity for refinement moving forward… turning rejection into redirection."

The 2027 reset has structure: Dockendorf signed an extension through 2031, USA National Team coach Steve Arkell joined as bars coach, Olympic silver medalist Grace McCallum is on staff as Student Assistant Coach, and the freshman class is headlined by five-star Bailey Stroud plus internationals Gabrielle Black (Canada) and Ayla Miller (Minnesota).

Upcoming: 2027 season begins in January.

📋Around the Program

  • Softball's season ended. Utah was shut out 7-0 by No. 16 Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals at Devon Park - Cowgirls ace Ruby Meylan (just named Big 12 Pitcher of the Year) tossed a one-hitter. The Utes finish 35-20 - a solid year overall but a flat exit in OKC.
  • Baseball got swept at TCU. Utah dropped the series finale 4-3 in Fort Worth yesterday after losing the opener 3-0 and falling Saturday too. Big 12 record now 11-16 (24-22 overall) - the bullpen-driven losses there hurt at a key part of the schedule. Final regular-season weeks still ahead.
  • Men's basketball roster continues to fill: three perimeter transfers (Jackson Holcombe / Utah Valley, Taison Chatman / Ohio State, TJ Burch / Wright State), Noam Yaacov at the point, four other internationals, plus 2026 signees. Still hunting a true center.

🌰Ohio State Buckeyes

🏈Football

No news to report! Here's recent information in case you missed a previous newsletter:

The 2026 transfer portal window closed with Ohio State adding 17 portal pieces to a roster that lost a staggering 47 of 91 scholarship players from 2025 (31 portal departures, 5 early NFL entries, 11 exhausted eligibility). The headline addition remains Alabama IDL James Smith - the No. 1 IDL in the portal - to anchor what Matt Patricia is rebuilding for the second straight year. Other arrivals worth tracking: kicker Connor Hawkins (Baylor, 18-of-22 FGs last year), WR Kyle Parker (LSU), TE Hunter Welcing (Northwestern, 28-296-2) replacing NFL-bound Max Klare, plus CB Dominick Kelly (Georgia) and RB Ja'Kobi Jackson (Florida). The Buckeyes had 11 players drafted in 2026 - all four top OSU prospects went in Round 1 - so this rebuild is more comprehensive than usual. CBS Sports has OSU at No. 2 nationally post-spring; the offense returns Sayin and Smith and four of five OL starters.

Upcoming:

  • Aug 30 - season opener (Week 1)

📋Around the Program

  • Softball's season ended. The Buckeyes were shut out 9-0 by Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament opening round at Maryland on May 6 - Lorin Boutte took the loss, allowing two earned in 2.2 IP. Ohio State finishes 26-27 but was third nationally in home runs (116). A frustrating ending after the walk-off Senior Day series win over Washington the previous weekend.
  • Baseball hosts Wright State Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. ET in Columbus, then goes on the road at Michigan Thursday May 14 (6:00 p.m. ET).
  • Track & Field competes in the Big Ten Championships May 15 in Lincoln, NE. Softball NCAA Regionals start May 15 - bracket reveal coming this week.

🏔️Treasure Valley

🍽️Food & Drink

The Boardwalk pipeline finally has dates. Descanso opens Friday, May 22, while Spitfire and Ground Rules are soft-opening at the end of the month - three new concepts in the same downtown development. A few floors up, Peregrine Rooftop (cocktail bar with DJ-driven sunset vibes) is also moving toward opening, giving downtown a second meaningful rooftop option alongside The Boise Post.

In bigger restaurant news: Seattle's Cactus Southwest Kitchen and Bar is moving into the former P.F. Chang's space downtown - fall opening targeted, with remodel work first. The longer pipeline still runs through Anesso (sandwich shop from the Black Moon / Broadcast crew), Boise Thai Noodle House (908 W. Main, spring), Hemlock steakhouse, Coa Cantina in Barber Valley, Cán Coctelería speakeasy above Amano, Bobby's Cafe, Idaho Burrito, Schnitzel Fritz downtown, and Handel's Ice Cream (first Idaho location, late spring/early summer at 1581 E. State Street, Eagle). Eastside Tavern still wraps May 16 after 15 years.

Green Acres Food Truck Park is also into its sixth season behind Payette Brewing - bigger space, more options, alcohol still on hold while Garden City regulations get sorted.

🎉Events & Things to Do

  • Tonight (Mon May 11): Snail Mail at Treefort Music Hall, 6:30 p.m. Indie-rock show in an intimate room.
  • Tue May 12: Quiet midweek; Farm to Fork Market every Tuesday evening downtown - 30+ vendors, fresh produce, handmade gifts, Tuesdays on the Creek live music nearby.
  • Wed May 13: FC Naples at Athletic Club Boise, 7:00 p.m. - USL League One on home turf.
  • Thu May 14: John Butler Trio at Knitting Factory, 8:00 p.m. (long-form jam-rock you've heard for two decades). Also: Blueface with O.T. Genasis at Revolution in Garden City, 8:00 p.m. Arms Length at The Shredder, 6:00 p.m.
  • Fri May 15: Matt Maeson with Vincent Lima at Knitting Factory, 8:00 p.m. Idaho Capitol - Dirk Kempthorne lies in state at 10:00 a.m. with full Boise services running through May 15-16.
  • Sat May 16 – Sun May 17: Gunfighter Skies Air Show at Mountain Home AFB - the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds headline. Big day-out option if you're back from London. Capital City Public Market downtown 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., Boise Farmers Market 9 a.m.–1 p.m., plus the usual Eagle / Meridian / Nampa Saturday markets.

Forecast for the week: today is sunny and mild (high 85°F), but Tuesday spikes to 94°F - the first real heat of the season. Wednesday cools to 87°F, then a front rolls through Thursday (73°F with morning showers) and Friday settles back into a more normal 77°F. London has nothing on this in either direction.

📰Local Headlines

  • Idaho Gives 2026 cleared $5.155M from 12,000+ donors across 700 organizations during the May 4-7 window - bringing the campaign's lifetime total to $33.08M raised since 2013. A strong year for the state's collective-giving infrastructure.
  • Boise Hawks home opener Tuesday May 19 - Pioneer League season starts with two six-game homestands. Ballpark season is back.
  • 2026 USA World Jet River Race Championship is officially underway in Emmett - international jet boat teams in the Treasure Valley if you want a weekend day trip.
  • Carryover reminders: Public memorial events for former Gov. Dirk Kempthorne (died April 24 at 74) Friday May 15 in Boise. New Expo Idaho park (wetlands, skate features, Greenbelt connection) still in design. ITD director Scott Stokes retiring June 30. HP confirmed exit from its Boise site in 2027 - long-term redevelopment story to watch.

🔗Worth Reading

Generated on Monday, May 11, 2026

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