Matyasse-Wells Triple Crown Race(s) Recap

June 11, 2015

Backstory:

I'm not exactly sure how the plan for this quest for three races in one day was initially conceived, but sometime last summer (2014) Clint and I had the idea to try to complete three races in 3 different cities in 2 different states all on the same day. Unfortunately for our plan, the first race was rained out shortly after our arrival at the race site (Fisher Fair fairgrounds). We did go on to complete the next two races in our plan that day and vowed that we would try again this summer to do all three if they were scheduled for the same day again. We were pretty excited to learn that all three races would indeed be held on the same day, and signed up in the spring for what we hoped would be our epic adventure.

Here in Central IL the summer has been pretty darn wet and rainy. We watched the forecast in the days leading up to our races (why?! The stinking forecast seems to change minute by minute here and even if one thing is forecasted...often what happens outside is quite different ;-)) and it appeared that getting wet at least at some point during our day was inevitable. We just crossed our finger that none of the events would be canceled and knew we'd deal with whatever was dealt in the way of weather while running...heat, rain, whatever! Last year not only was our first event rained out, but our second event (Dog Days 5k) was insanely hot and our third event (Moonlight Chase 4 miler) had a delayed start due to lightening and it rained for much of the race. Racing is unpredictable...but that's part of the "fun"!

Sometime during the week leading up to our race weekend, Clint began dubbing the day "The Matyasse-Wells Triple Crown"...I kinda love it ;-). Additionally, to add to the fun, our racing team placed bets on Clint's finishing times for each race. This inspired the two of us to each come up with 8 total bets each: finishing times for each of us in each of the 4 races and then also a total for each of us for race times for the day. 

Predictions:

Clint says Rachel will compete-

1. Fisher Fair 5k in 21:10

2. Dog Days 5k in 21:40

3. Moonlight Chase 4 miler in 28:30

4. Three races in 71:20

Rachel says she will complete-

1. Fisher Fair 5k in 20:45

2. Dog Days 5k 21:05

3. Moonlight Chase 4 miler in 30:10

4. Three races in 72:00

Clint says he will compete-

1. Fisher Fair 5k in 18:30

2. Dog Days 5k in 18:50

3. Moonlight Chase 4 miler in 25:00

4. Three races in 62:20

Rachel says Clint will complete-

1. Fisher Fair 5k in 18:45

2. Dog Days 5k in 18:45

3. Moonlight Chase 4 miler in 24:30

4. Three races in 62:00

Race 1 - Fisher Fair 5k - Fisher, IL

After my usual act of languishing in bed hitting snooze on the alarm more than I should and a breakfast of a Larabar each, we departed Normal shortly after 6am for Fisher, IL (about 50 minutes from home). About 12 minutes into our journey I yell at Clint in a panic, "I forgot to get our race numbers!", thinking about them sitting on the passenger seat in my car. He points out to me the fact that the race numbers I have in my car are for Dog Days (race #2). Whoops. Clearly having to organize race accessories and plan for more than one event in a day had fried my brain a bit. 

Once we arrived at the fairgrounds where the race was held, we made our way to the packet pickup area and grabbed our numbers. This race has a great option: you can pay less for the race entry (just $14!) if you choose the "no shirt" option. Seeing as race shirts just tend to pile up around here...that's a great option for us! Interestingly (puzzlingly?!;-)) this race boasts some interesting "swag"...

?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

After an obligatory visit to the fairground bathrooms, we located some friends/teammates for a pre-race chat and pic...

...and then headed out for a 0.70 mile warm up before heading to the starting line. 

I decided just to go out "hard" and hold on for as long as I could. As soon as the start was signaled, I took off as quickly as I could manage (and heard a noise that I later learned was a photographer getting basically trampled by runners). My first few strides (few!!) were in line with Clint, but within mere seconds he was gone.

I was proud of myself for keeping Karen, fellow Often Running Racing Team member and all around awesome runner, in my sights for just over a mile (this is not always something I can manage:-)). My first mile ticked off in 6:40, which turned out to be clearly far too quick as my next two miles were far less impressive. 

As I started in on the second mile, I tried to fight the strong mental urge to slow down. I KNEW I had gone out too hard and really doubted my ability to hold onto the pace. I also told myself that maybe I should just buck up and try harder. My 5k PR of 20:56 was set just 3 months ago and maybe, just maybe, I could manage a time near that (if not a second or two faster!). Somewhere during the beginning of the second mile I had the pleasant surprise of seeing teammate and friend Andy who had biked down to spectate. He yelled at me for smiling, and I scowled at him ;-) and soldiered on. Mile 2 ticked off in 7:05, 25 seconds slower than the first mile. Sigh. 

As I started the third mile, I did my best to increase my pace. I remember thinking that I would be OK with this darn race ending anytime as it had actually started to heat up to an uncomfortable level. Mile 3 was over in 7:01, slightly better than mile 2.

After the final right-hand turn, I dug in for the final tenth of a mile straightaway back onto the fairgrounds. My watch actually clocked the race at 3.08 instead of 3.1, and has my final 0.08 at a 6:15 pace. 

Thanks, Andy, for capturing my true colors

Total 21:12 (6:50 pace), 1st in age group (out of 11), and 43rd out of 277 total participants. 

Clint had an amazing race...18:10 (5:52 pace), a PR!!! He also earned 2nd in his age group and 15th overall out of 277. I'm quite proud of him!

Look at that poor kid...this might be one of my fav race pictures ever ;)

After the race, we hung around a bit and then Clint and I hopped back in the car since I needed to get home and cleaned up to head to Peoria with my friend Jillian for my final wedding dress fitting (!!!!). 

Thanks to Karen (who ended up 3rd female overall in a FAST field with a stellar 19:46!), Gary and Jamey for sticking around for awards and for grabbing ours!

Once we got back home, I showered and quickly got ready to head out again...Jillian picked me up shortly afterwards and we headed to Peoria with little Nadya. First stop was Cyd's for some lunch (I tried to eat light seeing as I didn't want gut bombs sitting inside while I prepped to run two more races).

**Race 1 predictions results: Clint was closer on both of his predictions for this race so I lost! :-( (Clint - his prediction was 18:30, my prediction was

18:45, his actual finish was 18:10! Rachel - his prediction was 21:10, my prediction was 20:45, my actual finish was 21:12...Clint was only 2 seconds off of my finishing time!)

Race 2 - Dog Days 5k - Hudson, IL

We headed out to Lake Bloomington around 4:45. There was a notice on Facebook stating parking could be difficult due to the rain and flooded roads/ditches. Even though the race start wasn't until 6 and the race site is just about 15 minutes from home, we wanted to arrive in plenty of time. 

We arrived around 5 and found prime parking not far from the start/finish. Clint, as usual, was a parking champion!

Ready for #2!

We corralled the rest of the Often Running Racing Team for a group picture (maybe our first with almost everyone!). 

Poor Karen was left out, as she was already off at the mile 1 water stop getting ready for her volunteer duties...so Clint photo-shopped her in later ;-) -

Nicely done, CW ;)

After hanging around a bit, we heard the announcement that the race director (Mitch!) wanted to try to start the race ~5 minutes early due to the questionable weather. We all lined up and were sent off a few minutes prior to 6...worked out great for us since we needed to hit the road ASAP for number three!!:-)

We're off!

I started out with Amber and the two of us had determined that we both wanted to go out at around a 7 min/mile pace for the first mile. I wanted to see if going out a bit easier for my first mile could result in the coveted negative splits and an overall better time than the morning's race. It rained on us a bit during that first mile, but it provided a welcome/refreshing feeling and wasn't bad at all. 

Well, once again, all of the excitement (or something!) got the best of me. Soon mile 1 ticked off....6:36?! Whoops...this was faster than mile 1 at Fisher...not slower!!

I pressed on as mile 2 started and did my best to keep a steady-ish pace through the slight hills in this portion of the "inner loop." I love mile 2 of this race, because it's an out-and-back and I get to see who is in front of me after they turn and head back and I also get to see Clint! I cheered for him and a few other familiar faces and carried on to finish out mile 2 in....7:19?! Ugh!!! This was 43 seconds slower than mile 1. I did learn later that many people posted slower 2nd miles compared to their 1st miles....but a 43 second difference is wayyyy too much. I need to work on a few things!

Mile 3 started and I set my sights on catching Joe, teammate and friend. I was able to close the gap between us a bit and caught/passed some other runners between us on that final mile. I wasn't able to catch him, though, and he finished with a PR (way to go, Joe!).

I tried to pick up my pace for the final stretch as I neared the crowd at the finish line. I saw Clint who yelled at me and I finished the final 0.1 in a 6:22 pace (good to have a bit left in the old tank!). 

I ran a total of 21:24 which earned me 3rd female, 21st overall (out of 158) and first in my age group. I am pleased with my 6:54 average pace for my 2nd 5k of the day. I'm still rather astounded to see sub 7 min/mile paces for races of any distance. 

Ready for that finish line!

Clint got 7th overall (out of 158) and 1st in his age group with an 18:29. Last year, we both got 1st in our respective age groups as well! Fun times :-)!

As soon as the race was over, we jogged back to the car and got in a 0.6 mile "cooldown." Frankly, my legs were toast and the thought of sitting down for 2+ hours and dealing with the inevitable cramping was not appealing. I knew we didn't have much time for a long cooldown, but was glad we took a few minutes for a quick one at least! This brought our daily mileage to 9.7...not that I was obsessively counting or anything ;-).

**Race 2 predictions results: Clint was once again closer on both of his predictions for this race so I lost AGAIN! :-( (Clint - his prediction was 18:50, my prediction was 18:45, his actual finish was 18:29. Rachel - his prediction was 21:40 my prediction was 21:05, my actual finish was 21:25.)

Race 3 - Moonlight Chase (4 miler) - Eldridge, IA

Clint drove the 2+ hour trek from Lake

Bloomington to Eldridge. We managed to have enough time for a FAST bathroom stop about halfway through the journey. We arrived in Eldridge with about 20 minutes til race time on the clock. We were meeting our friend Aaron there (with our race numbers!). Aaron advised us to park in a high school lot not far from the starting line and actually stood in a parking spot to save it for us...this helped immensely as we were definitely cutting it close! 

Ready to chase the moonlight with Aaron!

We put our numbers and shoes on and I chose to wear a short-sleeved shirt instead of my Often Running jersey seeing as it was still soaked from the race ~2 hours prior. We quickly made our way to the start and got in a short 0.3 mile warm up before taking our spots at the starting line near the front of the crowd. 

After a few seconds of standing...we were off! My legs screamed in protest, but allowed me to press on. I told myself (and I REALLY MEANT IT THIS TIME ;-)) that I would take this first mile easier than the other two first miles of the day and would keep the pace right around 7:00. The first mile ticked off in 6:59. Mission accomplished!!

As I started in on mile 2, I was really regretting my choice to wear my short sleeved shirt. The temps were indeed cooler than the earlier part of the day, seeing as the sun had gone down. But...I had overestimated my ability to tolerate sleeves. Ugh. I hate running in sleeves. I kept thinking about taking my shirt off but the fact that I was running in what felt like a sea of tiny high school and college students made me keep the shirt on. I did my best to keep my pace steady from mile 1 and envisioned finishing in an even 7:00 pace/28:00 total. Regardless, I was fairly certain I would get a 4-mile PR tonight as my current PR was 31:20, a 7:50 pace (set in 2011 at the Steamboat Classic). Mile 2 was completed in 7:08. Not too shabby. 

As I started in on mile 3 I reminded myself that I was halfway done with this thing and, most importantly, I was just 2 miles away from accomplishing our goal of completing 3 races in 1 day. For basic the entire race up to this point, I had been trailing Aaron by ~10 yards. I decided it was time to catch up to him. However, my body was definitely feeling run down from the day's events. Though I felt like I was putting forth some good effort, mile 3 ticked off in 7:14.

I told myself I WOULD catch Aaron in mile 4 and that I WOULD pick up the pace so mile 4 was faster than 3. I dug in and caught Aaron shortly after the start of the 4th mile. We chatted a bit and enjoyed the last mile of this festive and unique run. The course runs through a few Eldridge neighborhoods and most people come out into their yards to watch and yell, eat and drink and have a generally fun time. It's *almost* as good as the crowd support at the Bix!

I saw the "1 mile turn around" for one of the shorter races spray painted on the pavement, deduced that the finish line was just a half mile away, and picked up my pace. My final mile ticked off in 7:09...my watch had the course at 4.07. My final 0.07 was at a 6:15 pace. 

My final finishing time of 28:55 earned me 119th out of 977 total participants and 5th in AG out of 74 (just shy of an award...awards go 4 deep at this race!). My 7:14 pace isn't quite what I would've liked...but let's be honest, I know I should be pretty pleased with this especially considering these miles were my final 4 of 14 total miles spread out over 13+ hours and including 3 races!

Clint's Moonlight performance was pretty darn stellar:  26th out of 977 total participants and 1st in his AG out of 35 with a time of 24:31 (6:08/mile pace). This was also a 4-mile PR for him! Yes, this absolute stud set two PRs in two different distances in two different races on the same day :-). Pretty incredible!!

We were pretty excited to successfully complete our quest for 3 races in 1 day! Even more exciting, we managed to have some great personal performances. 3 total PRs and 5 total top 3 age group finishes for our combined 6 race performances is pretty  fun!! Add this with the fact that we saw many of our favorite people throughout the day and this is certainly a day to remember forever. 

After we left Eldridge, we went to Granite City in Davenport for some delicious, salty food. Thank goodness they serve food until 11pm! It felt great to replace many lost calories! After dinner we headed over to my sister's where we basically just arrived and crashed. We were able to spend a little time with her family the next morning before heading back to BloNo. What a weekend!!

**Race 3 predictions results: I was closer on 1 and Clint was closer on 1 (Clint - his prediction was 25:00, my prediction was 24:30, his actual finish was 24:31...I was ONE second off!! Rachel - his prediction was 28:30, my prediction was 30:10, my actual finish was 28:55.).

Next up...the BIX on July 25 and then our wedding 13.1/5k! {send me a message if you want more info/want to join in on that fun!!}

Happy running, all! :-)

~Rachel

Park 2 Park 5 Miler Race Recap

7-4-15 Park 2 Park

 

Oh Park 2 Park...I love to hate this race. Hate to love this race? Either way, I know I'm not alone. Typically the weather is stupid hot on the 4th and the hilly, sunny course through my home of BloNo, IL is no joke. However, it's a fun and festive environment on a great American holiday that brings out many familiar faces which also makes this "terrible" race a whole lot of fun. I believe I have run this race 4 or 5 times over the past few years.

 

Going into the weekend, I felt pretty decent. I had run 3.5 easy miles with the lovely Heat Wave ladies Monday night, 4 easy miles with Clint Wednesday morning, and 2 easy miles with my  sister Friday morning (after my RAUCOUS bachelorette party...see pic).

Nadya and Charlee...two of the sweet ladies who partied the night away Thursday night to celebrate our upcoming wedding at my bachelorette party! (They belong to the two Matrons of Honor, Jillian and Megan, respectively and are just too sweet :))

Maybe all of these nice, easy miles have been somewhat good for my body...because it endured some punishment over the weekend decently well with only minimal-to-sometimes-moderate discomfort in my troubled right foot {11.5 total run miles including the race Saturday, 8 trail miles early Sunday, a pretty intense 75-minute hot yoga class Sunday afternoon, 32.5 bike miles Monday am and 3.5 easy run miles with Heat Wave Monday pm}.

 

Saturday morning, we got up around 5 and left around 6 to meet friends and teammates Karen and Joe at the Corn Crib so we could all drive together over to Miller Park. We arrived right around 6:30 and pulled in behind good friend AP. I hate to admit it (after whining about it the afternoon prior when we made the plans ;-)), but getting to the race site with a full hour to spare was really nice. I visited the porta potties right away (ok, why are the porta potties at this race always right in the middle of the action?! Weiirrrrrd!!) and then stood around for a while chatting with friends. We all reveled in the mild, cool morning temps. 

"Obligatory" pre-race selfie with pals AP, Clint and Joe!

 

After a bit AP, Clint and I went out for a short, easy warm up...and then cut it short to visit the porta potties again. Race day morning priorities...always a balancing act!

Soon it was time to jog to the starting line...I saw one of my Metcalf runners, who taunted me a bit. Love it! AP asked me what my race plan was and I responded with my typical, "who knows!!" {maybe I need to start being more mindful of race strategies??} My pie-in-the-sky goal was to stick as close to a 7 min/mi pace as possible and ultimately I just wanted to beat my P2P PR of 38:31, set in 2011. 

 

We all lined up together at the front of the field and before long...we were off! I did my best to hold myself back from sprinting out too hard for that first mile (as I can often get carried away!). I stuck next to/right behind AP and the first mile ticked off in 6:55. Not too shabby...but I was feeling a bit tired from that effort and knew the hills coming soon would likely mean I wouldn't keep that pace up for long. 

I started mile 2 sticking with AP but quickly noted the fact that he wasn't breathing as heavily as I was and informed him he needed to start working harder and leave me in his dust! He brushed the comment off and we stuck together for about a third of a mile more, at which point I started to fall behind his pace. 

 

Mile 2 - 6:57. Pretty consistent with #1

 

Somewhere during the third mile someone turned up the heat. The formerly mild, cool morning began to feel more like a typical July-summer day. Darn it all!  Mile 3 was completed in 7:17. Whoops! I tried to tell myself that all was not lost...yet...and tried to pull it together. However, then...Gregory street and its stupid hill happened and mile 4 was my slowest of the race as my crap slowly hit the fan: 7:27. Yikes!! "Get it together," I told myself! With one mile left...I knew the pain would be over soon and did my best to dial in a bit more effortfully. I dumped a cup of water over my head to cool off as I went through the final water stop and set my sights on the stadium and finish line. 

 

My final mile was 7:15 and the final 0.05 on my watch was at a 5:57 pace so I'm happy to say I had a bit left in the tank for a strong finish in spite of slogging through miles 3 and 4. I crossed the finish line in 36:07, a PR of 2 minutes and 24 seconds and earning me 7th female (out of 354), 3rd in my AG and 58th out of 688 overall. 

 

We hung out for the awards ceremony (quick and dirty thanks to the amazing Larry Schumacher...awesome!) and then a group of 6 of us ran back through the course to our cars 5+ miles away at Miller Park. 

Woot! So excited that Coach Molly came back for this race! Her BF Bryce WON the race and we were excited to get to spend some time with her while she was in town.

All in all it was a great day with good friends and I'm glad to have been a part of it! Congrats to each of the other participants. 

Thanks to Often Running for the privilege of being on this super fun and supportive racing team (I've learned so much from my participation and have definitely become a better runner over the past year), Adidas for the sweet and functional gear, and to my Often Running and Challenge Triathlon teammates for the support and camaraderie. This multi-sport community is just so much FUN! :)

 

Next up...a triple threat weekend with Clint on Sat the 11th with Fisher/Dog Days/Moonlight Chase! Bring it on! :-)

 

After that...BIX on the 25th and then someone is getting MARRIED August 1! If you want to join us at 2pm for our 13.1/5k runs at Timber Pointe between the ceremony and reception (this is an open invite!!)...let us know/check out the facebook event for more info! :-)

Happy swim-bike-running, all!

Steamboat Classic 15k Race Recap

6-20-15 Steamboat Classic 15k

{I've gotten a little out of order as I still haven't written a race report for Tri-Shark which was in early June, stay tuned for that one at a later date...if I get around to it ;)}

 

Clint and I left to head over to Peoria at 5:21am. We had planned to leave at 5:15 so by our standards we were pretty much right on time ;). Five minutes out and I say in a cold panic, "I forgot my watch!" Clint, of course, offers to turn around but I tell him it's not necessary. I didn't want to make us late(er?) and I really didn't have high hopes for the race anyway. As we drove, though, I was distracted for much of the time thinking about how on earth I would run "blind"?! I am terrible at estimating pace, time, etc.! I decided that I would shoot for an 8-minute/mile average for the race and hoped that there would be clocks with split times at the mile markers to help guide me on my watch-less way.

 

Soon enough we pulled off of the highway and into a parking lot not far from the Mark Twain Hotel where we planned to meet up with the rest of the Often Running team for a group picture. We walked over to the hotel, keeping our eyes peeled for cast-off leftover boxes of meat but sadly saw none {aside: last year we found some nasty leftovers in the parking lot pre-race;-)}. We found the team in the lobby and took a picture before some (the smart ones?) headed out for a warm-up. Paul offered up the use of his selfie stick but for some reason we didn't take him up on it and instead had someone else in the lobby take a (very nice) group team picture of those of us in attendance.

 

Love these somewhat crazy cats! :)

Clint and I took a bathroom break (separately, people!) and then headed back to our car to leave our gear. While we were at the car I realized I actually needed to hit the bathroom AGAIN so we went back to the hotel quickly before heading to the start line. I did a bit of jogging and a few "strides" as we made our way to the start line...probably not enough of anything to constitute a REAL warm-up, but it was something at least. Frankly (right, wrong or otherwise!) with my foot being such a loose cannon lately I didn't want to "waste" any good running on a warmup!

 

After standing and dancing around a bit in the starting corral it was soon time to get to work. As I ran across the starting line, I identified a girl that I had seen that ran around my pace at the U of I half marathon (I think she actually ended up beating me by a bit). I recognized her because she runs with an interesting gait that seems like it consists of some excess arm movements...but clearly works out for her as she is running faster than I can manage! Knowing that I ran around what she did at the U of I, I thought that maybe I should try to stick with her since I was running sans watch. However, within the first hundred yards or so it was clear that she was starting out much faster than I am currently capable of so that idea was scrapped....I tried to reassure myself with the thought, "maybe she's just running the 4 miler today!" ;-)

 

I settled in to what I thought was a comfortable pace and before I knew it I saw the first mile marker. There was a clock at mile 1 that let me know that I ran that mile in 7:07. Sweet! I mean, probably a little on the fast side but I will take it. I felt good and was moving comfortably. My foot was a non-issue at this point as well.

 

Shortly after mile 1, Mike Eckhoff ran up on my right side. He said hi and we chatted for a bit. I told him that I didn't have a watch and was running blind. He told me that if I stayed with him, he could help me out and tell me splits. I decided to try...but this didn't last long. As we approached the Mile 2 sign just after the entrance to the park (and the start of the HUGE hill...and where the lucky 4-milers get to turn back around!)...I dialed it back a bit, thinking I wouldn't be able to hold Mike's pace for the rest of the 7+ remaining miles.

 

Sadly, there wasn't a clock at the mile 2 marker, but I "felt" like I was still running about what I had at the beginning of the race. As I began the third mile and did my best to power up that stupid HUGE hill for the first time, though, I felt my pace slow. I did my best to take even strides and to breathe through the pain. Before long, I was cresting the hill and continued along the course. Somewhere prior to the first 5k point I saw Clint running on the inner loop of the park as I was on the outer loop. He looked strong and great (as usual) and I could tell was pretty far toward the front of the 15k runners. Awesome! Seeing him gave me a little mental boost and I dug in a bit harder than I had been.

 

At the 5k mark, I was greeted by another clock. This one proclaimed that I crossed in 23:00 (7:24 pace). Great! With some quick-and-clumsy mental math, I estimated that my pace had definitely dropped from mile 1 but not by much. I made up my mind to make it to the 10k mark (I was assuming...correctly...that this would where the next clock would be) in just over twice my first 5k time...so 48:00 or under.

 

I did my best to hold my pace steady as I soldiered on. The first time running down the big hill on the way out of the park was kinda fun, in spite of slight worries that I would topple over and roll down the hill. When I saw the HUGE hill at the park entrance for the start my second loop, I sighed and pushed forward. A guy had run up on my right side at this point and I made it my personal mission to lose him. About halfway up the hill, I was successful. I continued on my way through the second loop. Somewhere on this loop I saw Josh Favus cheering and then later I saw Ansel Wachter (who worked at Running Central and I know from both running the NYC Marathon with an Easter Seals fundraising team in 2013...an AWESOME runner!)...both of them were spectating and cheering at the top of two different hills in the park. Talk about a great spot to hear someone shouting your name!

 

At the 10k mark, I ran past the clock in 46:45. My goal for running the 10k in under 48:00 had been met! (At this point in the race, my average pace for the entire race was 7:31 min/mile and my average pace for the second 5k was 7:38.) As I continued past the 10k mark, I realized that if I could hold my pace steady or increase ever so slightly, I could likely finish in under 1 hour and 10 minutes. This seemed kind of crazy to me, even at this point in the race, since I haven't been running much lately (thanks, plantar fasciitis) and I wasn't sure how long I could hold onto a sub-8 pace.

 

As I got into the 3rd 5k of the race, I felt great. My foot was aching a bit...but the level of pain was nothing compared to where it has been at times over the past few months. I started pushing a bit harder to see just how hard I could run the last 5k. When I got to the point where there were 2 miles left in the race, a clock told me that I crossed this spot at 55:00.

 

"Two miles," I told myself, "just two stupid miles...you can make yourself hurt for two stupid miles. Run these miles in 7 minutes each and you will finish in 1:09!" I picked the guy directly in front of me to catch and pass...and then did so. At mile 8 (so 1.3 left), a kind girl told me that I was approximately the 16th girl. Wow! I started to notice that when people cheered as I passed they were saying things like, "good job ladies," so I assumed that there was another girl (number 17?!) close behind me and knew I should try to hold her off.

 

We turned to the left and started down the final hill. The girl I assumed was behind me was suddenly passing me on my left. This happened right around the time that I saw the Often Running team on the street corner, smiling and yelling. I thought, "Oh dear me...I shouldn't let her pass me now!" and dug in and passed her right back. I "sprinted" toward the finish about as hard as I could...and she passed me back again. Oh well!

 

I saw Clint cheering from the stands to my right and then I crossed the finish line in 1:08:53. I ran the final 5k in 22:08 (an average pace of 7:08...and really those final two miles were run in 13:53!). This is one of the ONLY races (actually THE only one I can think of!) that I ran the final 3rd of the race faster than the first 3rd! And...specifically, the final 2 miles were both faster than my first mile! I ended up being the 19th female overall out of 354 total gals (no females other than that one girl I mentioned passed me in the final miles...I guess the girl at the Mile 8 sign was a bit off ;)...maybe there were some manly women??)

 

Check out those insane triathlete tanlines ;)

I stumbled around for a minute and soon saw Clint, who came bearing water. My legs felt decently terrible and my foot was definitely talking to me...but shortly after the finish I realized that I could've indeed kept going for a few (?) more miles had I needed to. This is a good, good feeling.

I believe I have only run 2 other 15k races:  Steamboat in 2011 (in 1:23) and Hot Chocolate in Chicago in 2012 (in 1:21). So...hooray for a large PR!!

Clint and I both got awards for being in the top 25 15K finishers in our gender! What a day :-). He ran it in 1:00:20, a course PR with a pace of a sick 6:31/mi!

THANKS to Mitch for the privilege of being on the Often Running Racing Team, my Often Running and Challenge Triathlon teammates for the support and camaraderie, Coach Clint for the leadership and guidance and Adidas for the sweet gear. Can I just say, I am actually in love with my new racing flats. Not only are they beautiful (Pink! Purple!) but they are crazy comfortable...and fast!

 

CONGRATULATIONS to fellow Often Running Racing teammate Amber who qualified for Boston on Steamboat day! And, of course, CONGRATULATIONS to everyone else who ran Steamboat! What a great morning it was...full of awesome efforts all around!

Bring on the next race and more fun adventures! :)