The Workshop
Journal
Personal Briefing

🌅Personal Briefing - Monday, May 25, 2026

Good morning. Here's your personal read.

🏃Training

🏃Today's Plan

🎯 10K - 2026-06-20 (26 days out) Phase: build → taper starts 2026-06-15 (21 days) This week: Two hard days (Monday tempo, Wednesday intervals) plus a Saturday long run; everything else easy. Next week: Finish taper and race-week shakeouts. Why today: Mon tempo and Wed intervals build race-specific fitness for the 10K; Sat long run builds durability; easy days protect the work. After this: Half Marathon on 2026-10-11 (139 days out)

🏃 Today (Monday): 20-min tempo at Z3–Z4 · skip · 8-min stretch Target pace: 7:45–8:30/mi (Z3–Z4, comfortably hard) Build week 1 Monday tempo - race-pace endurance for 10K. 3 days since last hard effort.

Best window: Lunch - 89°F, sunny, wind 12 mph

📊This Week

Tue: 22-min easy run · 8-min abs · 5-min stretch · pace 9:30–10:00/mi - recovery from tempo 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: 1 runs · 2.0 mi · 20 min Zone check: insufficient data this week (1 run, 20 min) - keep building consistency before zone targets become meaningful.

Recent runs:

  • Tue 05-19 · 2.6 mi · 22 min · 8:26/mi (Z3)
  • Thu 05-21 · 1.3 mi · 11 min · 8:20/mi (Z3)
  • Fri 05-22 · 2.7 mi · 26 min · 9:44/mi (easy)
  • Sat 05-23 · 5.4 mi · 51 min · 9:30/mi (easy)
  • Sun 05-24 · 2 mi · 20 min · 9:35/mi (easy)

👟 Shoes: Brooks Ghost 17 - 186.2 mi (93 runs since 2025-10-18). At current pace, replacement around 2027-03-30.

✓ 0 family walks this week - keep it up, those matter too.

☘️Notre Dame Sports

🥍Lacrosse - Title Game Today, 11 a.m. MT

This is it. No. 2 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Princeton, 1 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. MT on ESPN, Scott Stadium in Charlottesville. Third national championship game in four years for the Irish - a win makes Kevin Corrigan's 38th season the third title in four. The series is deadlocked 1-1; the last meeting was a 2010 first-round ND win at Princeton.

Princeton is a 1.5-point favorite per FanDuel - the first time Notre Dame has been a clear underdog in this NCAA tournament. The Tigers are 16-2 with the nation's most prolific offense (14.82 goals/game pre-tournament, 20+ goals three times), led by Nate Kabiri (83 points, 45 assists) and Chad Palumbo (74 points). Goalie Ryan Croddick made 20 saves in the semifinal rout of Duke. They have not been seriously tested in the tournament.

Notre Dame's case is defense and culture. The Irish have held nine of 15 opponents to nine or fewer goals - including all three NCAA Tournament opponents. Junior defenseman Shawn Lyght (ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, Schmeisser Award, Tewaaraton finalist) gets the assignment on Princeton's top attackman. Thomas Ricciardelli is 13-2 with a .582 save percentage (5th nationally) and made 14 saves to close out Syracuse. The offensive question is whether Josh Yago (54 pts), Luke Miller (44), and Brock Behrman (36) can keep pace if Princeton runs.

Corrigan on the program's ethos this week: "I couldn't tell you who our best player is...no one on our team cares." Discipline matters - Princeton lives on extra-man - and ND has to win the turnover battle to keep it close.

Upcoming:

  • TODAY (Mon May 25, Memorial Day) - Men's NCAA Championship vs. No. 1 Princeton, 11 a.m. MT / 1 p.m. ET on ESPN (Scott Stadium, Charlottesville)

Last Result: Beat No. 6 Syracuse 15-7 in NCAA Semifinal (Sat May 23).

🏈Football - Vaughn Announces Tomorrow

The big number today: T-1. Jackson Vaughn - the 6-4, 225-lb EDGE from Bergen Catholic (NJ) who reclassified from 2028 to 2027 - announces his commitment Tuesday May 26, choosing among Notre Dame, LSU, Miami, Auburn, and South Carolina. Rivals' Steve Wiltfong still has the Irish as "heavy favorite," and Yahoo/A to Z reporting frames a non-ND result as a surprise. He's a 4-star (No. 204 overall, No. 22 EDGE, No. 5 in NJ); last fall as a sophomore he posted 40 tackles, 12 TFLs, 8 sacks. A commitment Tuesday would pair him with EDGE Aidan O'Neil on what's shaping up to be an elite 2027 defensive front.

The Fakatou story still tilts toward Columbus. Wiltfong and Gorney both have Ohio State as the pick for 5-star DL Marcus Fakatou (Sierra Canyon, 6-6/275, No. 32 overall, No. 2 DL nationally). Fakatou named OSU his No. 1 last month, ND second, Georgia third. His OV slate: OSU May 29-31, Georgia June 1-3, Texas June 5-7, Oregon June 12-14, Notre Dame last on June 15-17. Freeman is well-served by the closing slot, but the public predictions all run through Columbus right now.

Upcoming:

  • TOMORROW (Tue May 26) - Jackson Vaughn (EDGE) commitment announcement
  • June 11-13 - Julius Jones Jr. official visit; commits June 23
  • June 15-17 - Marcus Fakatou (5-star DL) ND official visit
  • Sun Sep 6 - vs. Wisconsin, Shamrock Series at Lambeau Field (season opener, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)

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:

The 2026-27 roster is set, and the pipeline keeps strengthening. Hannah Hidalgo is back for her senior year - reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year (first in program history), three-time WBCA All-American (joining Skylar Diggins as the only ND players to do so), NCAA single-season steals record holder. She averaged 25.3 / 6.9 / 5.2 / 5.6 (pts/reb/ast/stl) as a junior. The 2026 recruiting class ranks No. 5 nationally behind McDonald's All-Americans Jacy Abii and Jenica Lewis, and the 2027 class opened with five-star PF Eve Long (6-3, Olathe KS, composite No. 12 overall) committing over Duke, UConn, UCLA, and Kansas.

Upcoming: Niele Ivey leads Team USA U18 at FIBA AmeriCup June 8-14 (Mexico). 2026-27 season opens Nov. 1 at the Eternal City Tip-off in Rome (Fox/FS1).

🔴Utah Utes

🏈Football - Trenches Are the Story

The new Scalley message is consistent and on-the-record again this week: "This season is all about really the development of the offensive line and the defensive line." Utah is replacing two first-round NFL Draft picks on the OL - that's the whole project until September. Spring eval was, in Scalley's words, "really good" with strong live work, and he's pushing for May to "determine how invested" the team is: "Their behavior will show whether or not they want to be elite."

Quarterback is settled. Devon Dampier returns as the All-Big 12 centerpiece (2,490 pass yds, 24:5 TD:INT, 835 rush yds, 10 rush TDs last year on an 11-2 team). Byrd Ficklin stayed too, and Scalley described the two as "as good friends as they are competitive." OC Kevin McGiven's system is built around explosive plays without giving up the physical identity. Scalley has also stepped back from defensive play-calling, fully delegating to DC Colton Swan.

Recruiting watch this week: top-30 interior OL Gecova Doyal is in town May 29-31 for an OV (other finalists: UCLA, Oregon, Washington). 3-star OL Tye Kennedy (Mountain View HS, AZ) visits June 5 ahead of a July 1 decision. Utah still has zero 2027 OL commits - Jordan Gross has to bend this trip.

Upcoming:

  • May 29-31 - Gecova Doyal (top-30 OL) official visit
  • June 5 - Tye Kennedy (3-star OL) visit
  • Thu Sept 3 - vs. Idaho, Rice-Eccles (Scalley's HC debut; Idaho's first SLC trip since 1993)
  • Sept 12 - vs. Arkansas (Rice-Eccles)

🤸Gymnastics

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

Deep offseason. Utah finished 2026 ranked 10th nationally, missing the NCAA Championship by 0.125 at the Corvallis Regional Final - ending the program's 49-year streak at nationals. Avery Neff swept Big 12 Gymnast of the Year (NQS leader on vault 9.920, bars 9.935, beam 9.925, AA 39.630) and finished 7th AA, 4th floor at NCAAs as an individual qualifier. Ana Padurariu took Big 12 Specialist of the Year. The program added bars coach Steve Arkell (USA National Team) in April; Olympic silver medalist Grace McCallum is now Student Assistant. Carly Dockendorf is extended through 2031.

Upcoming: 2027 season opens January.

🌰Ohio State Buckeyes

🏈Football - Big Ten Favorite, and Memorial Weekend Is The Visit Weekend

Fresh BetMGM number: Ohio State opens as the Big Ten title favorite at +180, ahead of defending champion Indiana (+250) and Oregon (+260). That's a 35.7% implied probability - and a reminder that the last time OSU actually won the Big Ten was 2020. The October-into-November stretch is the season: at Indiana → at USC → home vs. Oregon → home vs. Penn State. Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith both return, plus four starting OL and RB Bo Jackson.

This coming weekend is the recruiting headline of the spring. Fakatou and 5-star RB David Gabriel-Georges are both in Columbus for OVs May 29-31, plus WR Benny Easter and a stacked supporting visitor list. Wiltfong and Gorney have already turned in OSU picks for Fakatou - landing a verbal that weekend would effectively close it out before ND even gets its June 15-17 last look.

The 2027 class continues to take shape. 4-star EDGE Wyatt Smith (No. 78 overall, No. 11 edge, St. Thomas Aquinas FL - son of former Mizzou/49ers star Justin Smith) committed May 17, picking OSU over Missouri, Notre Dame, and Indiana. He's the 12th 2027 commit, alongside 5-star DE DJ Jacobs and 5-star WR Jamier Brown.

Upcoming:

  • May 29-31 - Marcus Fakatou (5-star DL) + David Gabriel-Georges (5-star RB) official visits
  • Sept 5 - vs. Ball State (season opener); 49.5-point favorite per DraftKings
  • Sept 12 - at Texas, 7:30 p.m. ABC

🏔️Treasure Valley

🍽️Food & Drink

Quiet news cycle on openings - last week's headline (The Boise Post on the 16th floor of the AC Hotel downtown, Pennbridge's "glocal" menu, $11-32 small plates / $29-54 entrees, reservations live on OpenTable) is still the freshest. The Eagle wave continues to settle in: Vessel Kitchen (first ID location, 55 E. State St.), The STIL + Bumble Coffee (101 E. Riverside Dr.), and Cellars at River's Edge (Nampa, Sol Invictus team in a 1921 farmhouse) all targeted late-May openings. Worth checking which are now actually open for a weeknight try.

🎉Events & Things to Do

TODAY - Memorial Day ceremonies across the valley:

  • Idaho State Veterans Cemetery (Boise) - 10-11 a.m., 10110 N. Horseshoe Bend Rd. Bus and overflow parking at Optimist Park 8:30-11:45 a.m.
  • Morris Hill Cemetery - 10:45 a.m. (Idaho Civil War Volunteers: brief presentation, 21-gun salute, taps)
  • Kleiner Park (Meridian) Rock of Honor Veterans Memorial - 11 a.m., reading of names + James Dewey Highley tribute
  • Fort Boise Military Reserve Cemetery - 11:45 a.m.
  • Merrill Park (Field of Honor) - noon hotdog cookout
  • Meridian Speedway - evening of racing (Modifieds, Latemodels, Pro 4s, Mini Stocks, Winged Sprintcars)
  • City of Boise turns on park splash pads and fountains (open through Labor Day, Sept 7)

Wed May 27, 1 p.m. - Outdoor municipal pools open: Borah, Fairmont, Ivywild, and the Natatorium & Hydrotube.

Fri-Sat May 29-30, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. - 43rd Annual Boise Greek Food Festival at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church (2618 W Bannock St). Gyros, spanakopita, baklava, live music and traditional dancing.

Weather today: Mostly sunny, high near 94°F, low 52°F, light east breeze 4-11 mph, 0% precipitation. The training engine pegs the lunch window at 89°F with stiffer 12 mph wind - the morning will be the only genuinely comfortable window for the tempo. If you can flip to a 7-8 a.m. block instead of waiting for lunch, the heat math gets much friendlier.

📰Local Headlines

  • Cactus Southwest Kitchen & Bar still incoming downtown - coexisting with the original 90-year-old Cactus Bar (first opened 1936).
  • Boise River B-minus from Idaho Rivers United's first community-led report card; growth-related trash is the main drag.

🔗Worth Reading

Generated on Monday, May 25, 2026

All briefings