Xterra World Championships 2011

I have been looking forward to this all year! I qualified back in April and have been building for a strong performance on the world’s biggest stage for off-road multisport.  Drew was unable to make the trip to Hawaii with me this year but my brother-in-law so kindly used some miles to get my sister a ticket and we had a mom’s getaway, oh, and race!  We flew on the Thursday before the race and I was hoping to get over and get out on the bike course for a pre-ride.  However, by the time we got bags and got through the line for our car and got over to the race venue I only had about 10 minutes to get on the course.  That was not likely to happen, so we just checked into our place and I went out for a little run to get my body going after all the travel.  I was a little disappointed because I would have rather done the pre ride 3 days out rather than 2 days before. Friday morning I headed to check out this new bike course.  I had heard all kinds of reports so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  There was a lot of climbing but it was nice because it was shorter climbs with a lot of different stuff in between including all sorts of environs and terrain.  The longest sustained climb was about 7 miles in bringing you up to the high point of the course and then sending you down a long fast descent.  I liked the course and was pretty excited for this change.  Saturday was a pretty relaxed day, I headed over for a swim at DT Fleming beach.  The water was calm and I was hoping that it would remain that way and the storm with the 7ft swells they were calling for would hold off till after the race.  After some pointers from my coach and a few practice ocean starts with Michael Stone, I headed back for big breakfast then checked out the bike to make sure it was dialed and ready and then it was just resting up and preparing for the big day. 

 

Sunday Oct. 23 Xterra World Championships

Got up and had my nice pre-race breakfast (eggs, with sweet potatoes, a fruit smoothie and, of course coffee) and headed over to transition on my bike to get my legs spinning.

Set up transition waited in the long line for body marking and got ready to go! Jumped in the water for a little swim warm-up and then found my spot on the beach and waited expectantly for the cannon to blow.  BOOM!

Swim- 30:54   63/170 Women  11/25 Age-group  38 /145 Amatuer

It is always fun to run into the ocean and start swimming with 650 people.  A lot of bumping and kicking and pretty much chaos, but the nice thing about the ocean is there is a lot of room to spread out, that is, until you get to the buoy.  I thought I was getting into a good pace and groove and going right toward the first bouy but when I got out there I was pretty far inside because of the current.  I came into the mass of crazy swimmers and an angry lady on a surf board yelling at everyone to get around the bouy! I had to join the mass chaos of treading water to get around it.  After that I felt like I was able to find a good rhythm again and I felt pretty good. You have to do two 750 meter laps with a short beach run in between.  The whole first lap I was happy to find that I could see pink caps (pro women) right in front of me the whole way.  I pushed a little through the second lap and thought that I had a decent swim.  I was annoyed that my goggles had leaked a little so my eyes were burning with salt water the whole time!  I exited the water and ran up to transition to find out how things really had gone. 

Bike- 1:45:20  19/170 Women  2/25 Age-group   4/145 Amatuer

Hot climbs!

I didn’t have a very fast transition but I wanted to make sure that I was ready for a hot bike ride!  I headed out and found that I was in the train with tons of people!  I did expect this and knew it was going to be a little frustrating because the first three miles have some spots that I knew would get clogged up with riders having trouble. The course was not technical by my standards but it is mostly single-track leaving little room to get around all the people who it may seem more technical for.  One comes off, and then everyone gets backed up and comes off!  This is where bike skills really come in if you can do it all really slow behind everyone!  This is also when I realized that I must not have had a great swim after all because I was passing a lot of girls right away and continued to the whole time!  Every chance I got to scoot around people I took and then I hit it hard on the last long climb around mile 7 knowing I had a great downhill to follow and I really didn’t want to get stuck behind anyone because this is where I am able to gain some more ground.  Some sections here were a little scary because you would be bombing downhill and then into a cloud of dust and could not see a thing!   I made sure to get in plenty of water and nutrition.  I had two flasks of EFS for bike and run and it was great!  All in all I had a good bike I felt good and was hoping I gave it enough.  I knew I would have to dig deep on the run and I started preparing my mind in the last mile of the bike.

Run- 56:34   26/170 Women  3/25 Age-group  13/145 Amateur

After another fairly slow transition I came out right behind a girl in my age group who I had just passed at the end of the bike.  I tried to focus in on my run form and tell myself that I can run and I can pass people!  I have found I lack confidence in my run and I have to change my mindset at the beginning. I started a little conservatively to get the legs rolling in a new way and was surprised to find that I was feeling pretty good.  I passed the girl right ahead of me and set my sights on the next female up the way, a pro.  Very soon I caught her as well.  I was so excited to be passing people on the run!  I just continued like this and kept passing more men.  The run course pretty much goes up for 3.5 miles and then back down to the beach and is filled with twisty turny trail through tight forests. Right at the top of the run Maia (champion for my age-group) caught me.  We had a short friendly exchange then she raced away like it was nothing.  She is a fantastic runner and I was just trying to keep her in my sights as long as possible.  Shortly after a short climb a nice guy gave me a little push as I passed and encouraged me on that I was “3!”  I was hoping that meant 3^rd and not 3 in front of me.  I raced down the course with the fear of being caught again by the last girl in my age group that I had passed. I did not want a repeat of last year when I lost 6 places on the run.  I hit the beach and knew that I had to keep digging near the end I got into the cheering path of Kathy Tank!  She cheered me on like no other and then I hit the last grassy hill a grueling final climb to the finish and gave it all I had.  I got passed right on the last corner by a 15-year-old, grr.  This was, however, by far my best run in an Xterra yet!  I was very happy with my race. 

Grueling long slow run up the beach

Finish 3:16:19   21/170 Women  3/25 Age-group 30-34  8/145 Amateur Women

Nice and dirty

I was pleased to find that I had made my goal of a podium finish at World Championships!  I was third in my Age-group, 8^th amateur, and 21^st woman! Not bad. I am very happy with how things turned out but I am a competitive athlete so I always want more.  Now I keep thinking how I will be faster next time. 

Too bad I kept looking somewhere else and not into the lights.

Season Wrap

It has been a good season!  I won all but one of the mountain bike races taking the overall title.  I took a number of 2^nd place finishes at Xterra South Central Championships, Mountain Championships, Moab, and Indian Peaks.  A very strong and close race at US Nationals for a 4^th place finish and now culminating the season with a podium finish at World Championships.  It has been good but an Xterra win has again eluded me.  I’ll be back.

I have so many to say thanks to this season!  A big thanks to my coach, Jared Berg, who helped me make huge improvements this year! My brother Erik for helping push me through those hard runs.  My sponsors Real Estate of Winter Park for the Epic Single Track Series, Winter Park Competition Center helped me get to worlds and they put on the best mountain bike series in Colorado that has helped me develop my bike racing skills.  I had an awesome time racing with MORF racing this season, the first team I have been on. Thanks Newton for the amazing running shoes, Maxxis tires, Redstone Cyclery and First Endurance.  Huge thanks to Dave at Bolle Eyewear for the awesome shades! Marie Koepke is amazing with reflexology and Mara Pacyga the best PT!  Also, thanks to Amy at Bella Vita.  There are so many friends to thank for your encouragement and support those who come out and cheer and those who just give words of encouragement.  Special thanks to Sarka for helping me with some equipment, amazing!  And thanks Keith for the bike box.

Most importantly I need to thank my family for their sacrifices.  My husband and daughter are amazing and they put up with all my training and weekends racing.  My mom, for all the hours she spends with Ashlyn making it possible for me to get out for some quality workouts.  You are the best! 

*If you would like to see more results you can check it out here. 

*Go take a look at the course for yourself in the highlight video here.

Xterra US National Championships

Heading into this race I have been feeling good and motivated and ready to race! I had high hopes, looking for a win! My season has been full of 2nd places in Xterra and I was ready to change that.

My race crew (Ashlyn, my mom, my niece, and I) headed out on Thursday morning bright and early for our long drive to Ogden. It went alright but I had hoped to arrive about an hour earlier than we did but it was no big deal. We drove straight up to Snowbasin on the way into Ogden so I could hop on the bike and ride the new section of the course. It was a good ride. I was feeling great and having alot of fun thinking it was great. But then I realized that they took anything that had been remotely technical for the mountain bike course out to make it even less technical than before. This generally does not bode well for me. I like a course that requires some bike handling skills. When I got to the top I had to make myself slow down and take in the amazing views because I knew I wouldn't do it the next time I was there. I love riding here this time of year!
After the ride we went and got some dinner and made some stops which put us checking in a little late. But we did get upgraded when I checked in which gave us a great room at Ben Lamond which is right next to the race expo area. Perfect location and very nice and comfortable!
Friday we enjoyed the wonderful breakfast included at the hotel then I headed out to get in a little swim and a quick run. Friday was race day for Ashlyn, after registering and getting a hair cut with Paul Mitchell I had to get her over for her race. However, she was sleeping pretty late and almost missed her race. It would be okay but she had been so excited about racing for over a week! She made it just in time and had a great bike!

"This is what Xterra is all about"

Race Day
Race morning came with a lot of extra hype surrounding the race because Lance came out to play. Yes, that is right, 7-time Tour de France winner himself decided to give Xterra a try. It wasn't hard to find him all day. It was fun to have so many more people around lining the course.

Swim --  26/89 women 12/72 amateur women 5th Age-group
The water felt good even a little warmer when I stepped in than it felt outside. For the first time in this race the pros got their own start wave 30sec ahead of us. I found a spot to start my swim which was similar to what had worked for me last year. The swim was difficult on the way out you have to swim directly into the sun and it is impossible to see anything. I felt pretty good besides the jam of jostling and kicking around the bouys I felt like I was able to find some space and swim at a good pace. I know my swim has improved alot this year but it is hard to know where you are coming out. When I got into transition I was happy to see some ladies I knew were faster than me just getting in too. I sped through and hurried to my favorite portion.

Bike 15/89 women 4/72 amateur 3 Age group
My game plan was to get the legs moving on the road out and then find my best climbing and hit the bike hard the rest of the way and hopefully catch some of the pro women ahead of me. It seemed like it took my legs a little longer than I would have liked to really fell good but I was passing people in no time and figured I must be towards the top of the women based on peoples cheering as I came by. I definitely favor a course that takes some skill on a mountain bike which this course did not have. The course was beautiful though! We climbed out from the swim at 4900 ft up to the top of the Sardine peak trail topping out about 7300 ft and then a fun fast descent into transtion at 6400. So very little downhill which I consider a strength! I was feeling strong but was chagrined when a girl in my age group passed right near the top. Didn't see that one coming. I was able to catch her on the descent but she pulled away on the short climb back to transition. I knew then that I had my work cut out for me on the run. This course convinced me that I would love to have a 29er in my race tools. Every amateur that beat me on the bike was on a 29er and this course was perfect for one... smooth gradual climb.

Run 25/89 women 12/72 amateur 4 Age group
As I headed out on the run I knew that I was going to have to push it. This has always been my weakness. I had a good transition as I slipped on my Newton racers for their first race! I could see the two girls ahead of me and just wanted to catch them. On my way up the first big climb on the run I was told that I was the 5th woman. Really? So, I ran. I did notice that all the camera men on the run where scuring around in front of me and really into taking pictures of the man in front of me. They would click and then pick up and run without taking my photos. I thought it somewhat interesting. Then I passed him and realized why...It was the bachelor Ryan Sutter. I could see the girl in front of me the whole time but could not quite muster enough to catch her. All I knew is that Maia, who has beat me all season was behind me and I was just hoping to hold her off. As, I descended the new part of the run which used to be on the bike I was feeling excited that I was almost there. I came to the end where we rounded the single track to climb about 50 meters up the steep road and then down to the finish. Right before I rounded the turn Maia passed me and I had nothing more to catch her. She got me by 10 secs. knocking me into 4th for my Age group.

Overall I came in 6th Overall, 4th in my Age-group. Not quite the win I was looking for but it was a great race. I knew that I raced strong and it was just amazing that we were all so close. I was less than 4 minutes out of 1st overall on a 3 hour course. That is tight to have the top 6 women that close! The next amateur woman was 5 minutes behind that. Now that is some good racing in the top women!

So now I sit with a mix of emotions being happy with my improvement and performance but also disappointed that it wasn't just a couple minutes better. This is the first time I look at the results and feel like my run time is comparable with the top girls. Thus, I am now fired up for my final push of the season as I gear up for Worlds in Maui on October 23th.

Below (other post) is the fun highlight video of the race and I made the cut! About 6:09 into the video you see me.

Xterra Highlight video

Check out 6:09!

Getting Ready

Well we have been trying to make the most of the warm days we have left! It has gotten pretty cool here in the mountains but we did have some fun. On Labor Day we took Ashlyn out for some singletrack on her Strider. We weren't really sure how it would go. Well...she loved it! She was a natural and took it right up over rocks and balancing down the hills. She really didn't want to stop.
Posted some video of the riding on my facebook page.

She is also getting ready to run, run, run. There is a kids bike and run event at Xterra Nationals and Ashlyn is pretty excited. She is also excited for the trip to go and cheer for Mommy.
As for me... it is about a week out and I am feeling pretty good. Ready to race! Also, jsut found out that we will be racing with Lance Armstrong that should make it a even more exciting!

Epic Series Finale!

Well, last weekend concludes my mountain bike races for this season. Saturday was the King of the Rockies Tipperary race which is the final race of the Epic Single Track Series. This has always been one of my favorite courses too! I had been leading the series with 4 wins and 2 second place finishes. This series overall takes your top five finishes so I was hoping for another win today so I could take the overall with a perfect score.
It was a beautiful morning for a race and I was excited to get going. We started out good and I got into a good climbing pace on the lower part of Tipperary. Once I got to the point I knew I could pick up the pace for the top part I finished passing the last couple Expert women that I was following and then it was time to try and work my way up in the Pro field. I was able to pass a few more and ended up 5th overall and won the Expert field by a decent margin.
I was very happy with my season here in the Winter Park series! Looks like I will be bumping up to Pro next year for the series...yikes.
Just wanted to send a huge Thank you to my main sponsor for this series Real Estate of Winter Park and also to Bolle Eyeware for providing me with some awesome shades!

Xterra Indian Peaks

Okay, I know that I am a little behind and this race report is a little overdue!
I raced Xterra Indian Peaks in Eldora on Aug 6! I have to say that this is one of my favorite Xterra courses! It is a time trial swim start which makes it feel so much nicer! It is hard to know where you stand the entire race but it is so much less hectic. This year the wind did not start whipping like last year either and that made for a wonderful swim around the little lake even though I found myself swimming really wide and probably a little further than I wanted. Upon exiting the swim you have to throw on some shoes and run quite a ways up to the transition area. This is not the reason this is my favorite course, but I do it to get to the next part.

I had a good transition and jumped on my bike, this is the second and biggest reason I love this course! Alot of fun fast single track! This bike course favors my skills a little better than most Xterra courses in the fact that it is mostly single track and there is a small technical downhill section. I was out there having fun on the bike and was able to burn through my two laps and find that I had caught one of the pro women that started ahead of me and I was able to put down the 3rd fastest bike split, fastest amateur! I threw on my Newtons and headed out on the run with another good transition. Unfortunately it didn't take too long for the pro to pass me again on the run. The run course is also very fun with great single track but that also means it is rough making me slightly weary with my still healing ankle. My running is just still not up to par after my early season injuries and the training lost. I was able to maintain a second place Age Group finish and 6th Overall despite losing 6 minutes to many people on the run.
Now I am trying to get that running pace going for Nationals!
My in-laws also made there way out to Colorado to visit for a little while and there showed up here and were waiting at the finish with big smiles alongside my mom and Drew! Of course, Ashlyn is always there with a big smile and hug too after cheering hard. I think she actually gets it now when I pass and I have been able to hear her sweet little voice, "Go, Mommy, go!" That's a great pick me up! It was a great day with some relaxing in the grass post race!

Crankworx

Yes that is right, I won!
My season has been going well this year especially in the Epic Single Track Series but I still had yet to win the expert field overall. That was my goal heading into the Crankworx XC race. After Beaver Creek I had some mid season time off for recovery so my legs were feeling nice and fresh.
At the start the Pro women start ahead for this race so I quickly moved to front of the pack and was leading the pace up the first climb. At the road I wasn't sure how comfortable I was with setting the pace that was new to me. I had two girls pass on the lower part of Upper Elk climb and I just climbed my pace and regained the lead on the way down. For the most part I kept the lead the rest of the race until the final climb up Arapaho when the other girl passed me. I just hung with her through the climb because I knew I would put time on her as soon as we started down. I ended up putting 3 min on her in the final miles of single track! I was very happy to take a win here I was 9th overall so I still have room for improvement on those pro women!

Ashlyn got to bring her bike up to the race this time too. She went right over to the little pump track on her Strider and had a blast. This seemed to be when she started to really get it. Now she is loving her bike and wants to go all the time!

Xterra Mountain Championships

This weekend was Mountain Championships in Beaver Creek it is the final race of the championship series before Nationals and is also known to be the most difficult of the series. Going into the race I was feeling excited to race because I know I have made some big improvements this season but also a little apprehensive about trail running on my still healing ankle. I had to keep telling myself I am already qualified for Worlds so the goal here is to still race hard but not re-injure my ankle!
It was a very nice weekend. Drew and I left early on Friday so he could go and pre ride the course (just so he knew what I would be going through ). We were able to leave Ashlyn with her cousins and my brother-in-law. She was very happy to have a weekend at their house and wasn’t sad at all to say goodbye. It definitely made for a more relaxing race weekend just the two of us. Had a great hotel location right at the start and seemed like everyone was staying there! Went out and found a perfect pre-race paleo dinner across the street and Bob’s Place.
Saturday brought a beautiful race morning as I set up transitions and tried to get my ankle all warm and ready. I got a great spot in transition right next to the pro rack. The race starts in Nottingham lake in Avon. It was a nice 66 degrees for the two lap swim. I tried to start smooth and then get into a good pace. I felt good and actually was able to find some room which I have had trouble doing here in the past. When I stood up out of the water I was excited to see that I was exiting right alongside my teammate, Vanessa, who is a great swimmer. This boosted my confidence because I knew that I had made a big improvement on my swim. I fumbled through transition which was a little slow. I chose to take the time to put on a brace for added support for my ankle. I jumped on my bike and got my legs spinning on the short pavement section before we start climbing. The bike course consists of about 3600 feet of climbing and much of that is right at the beginning. I got into the train of people on the climb which was slightly frustrating but was probably good because it held me to a good pace at the beginning, forcing me to not go out to hard on that climb. I was feeling strong and passed a few ladies on my way up. However, I got passed by one girl near the top. So the chase was on and she is a really great climber. I wasn’t able to catch her and was about a minute and a half behind as I came into T2. Another terrible transition and I was off running trying to get myself psyched for this run course that as always kicked my butt with another 1600 ft of climbing! I had some slight quad cramping on the first big climb but felt that I was able to hold a better pace than in the past. I got to the last single track section and stayed focused on not rolling my ankle. I was still able to cut my run time by 10 minutes.

Success! No rolled ankles and I was able to take 2nd in my age group. I cut my time from last year by 29 minutes! I am happy with the day and now I am looking forward to some more gains by US Nationals in September and then World in October. I know there is room for improvement and also hopefully a strong and healed ankle.

Hill Climb

Mountain Bike racing has begun in Winter Park! The Hill Climb Kick-off is always the first race in the Epic Singletrack Series. It is also my least favorite of the 7 races. It starts at the base and climbs over 2,000 ft of elevation in 5.3 miles up the mountain road to the top of Mary Jane where the finish line is. I had numerous small issues throughout the race not feeling the best but I was able to push it out and win Expert 30-39. Love you Winter Park but glad the Hill-Climb is behind me! I do much better when there is a lot more to do biking besides climb.

Big Thank you to my main sponsor for this series Real Estate of Winter Park!

3 Grand County Triathletes Perform Well in Moab | SkyHiDailyNews.com

I was recently featured in an article in the local paper. Check it out.
My ankle is doing alright. Much slower going than I would hope. Building up to run very very slowly. argh!
Also, here are a few fun photos that my friend took in Moab.

3 Grand County Triathletes Perform Well in Moab | SkyHiDailyNews.com

Xterra Moab

It was so nice to get out of town this week into some sunshine. It was snowing yet again the two days before we left for Moab. Needless to say we were ready to get out of town and actually ride our bikes. Drew, Ashlyn and I left on Thursday and drove till we hit sunshine and warmth! We arrived a little later than we hoped but we did get a great camping spot at Ken's Lake where the triathlon was being held. Our spot was actually right on the run course! Because we got in late we weren't able to get riding that day but we did manage a post dinner hike up to Faux falls which was the run course.
Friday morning, Kim and I set out for a little pre-ride. At first I was a little worried when we climbed the road for awhile and I knew that it was out and back double track. I was hoping it would be a good technical bike course. We got on the Steelbender trail or "Flat Pass" and it turned out to be a very technical bike course. I had a fairly relaxed afternoon with Ashlyn and getting thing ready and nice camp dinner.

Race morning came and it was a little chilly as we rose early. I wasn't really pumped on jumping in the 58 degree lake (glad it wasn't 55 like out in Santa Cruz!) I got a little warm up in and was feeling pretty good my sprained ankles were not feeling bad and I was ready to race. I allowed plenty of time to get in the water and get my feet and face used to the freeze.
The swim went pretty well, I felt good and was about the 6th woman out of the water!

I hit the bike hard to try and catch those top girls! Felt pretty good all the way out and saw that I was 4th at the turnaround and then I had a little bit harder time on my return. Had a few small crashes but also stopped for a fellow racer who went down hard just ahead of me. I stopped to see if there was anything more I could do he hit his head pretty hard. Continuing I came to the end of the bike and out the last little climb both quads cramped really bad but I pushed through I tried to fill up on water and nutrition down to transition. I was really excited to use my new Newton's so I slipped them on and headed out onto the run course feeling pretty strong. My shoes felt great! Light and fast and my ankles felt good however, I was getting some occasional cramps during the run and had to keep taking shot blocks. I felt good going into the second lap. I made it to the water fall and was on the final couple miles when I rolled my ankle all the way over again and went down in a heap. I was so mad that I just re-sprained my ankle (mix of fatigue and over confidence in it) but all I could think was "get up and run quick before the pain sets in!" So that is what I did. I grunted my way to the finish and ended up winning my age group! It will be really great to actually be able to run a race with out and shot ankle!

So the rest of my time in Moab which was supposed to include lots of time on my bike turned out to be just some quality time with Ashlyn while Drew got some good time on the bike. I wasn't allowed to ride at all in case I came off my bike on the rough stuff. Ashy and I had a great time though and enjoyed the warm whether and some ice cream!

Now I have 2 months to focus on rehabing my ankle I only have bike races until Beaver Creek on July 16. I am really hoping to get this ankle strong by then and have a strong race!

South Central Championships in Waco.

I decided to make a trip south to race in South Central Champs this April. I really wanted to get an early season race in this year and I also wanted to have a chance to qualify for worlds earlier in the season. I have family about an hour and a half from Waco, TX so this race made sense.
It was a long road trip with a two-year old but I brought along my crew (mom and my 12 year-old niece, Alyssa). After a night with Grandma we headed to Waco on Friday to pre-ride. It was a super fun course! I had heard it was a good course but I didn’t have high expectations for TX. The course was really fun and twisty single track through the trees with short steep climbs and it suits me well even though I have only been on bike a handful of times. Saturday I was feeling good and excited for the race on Sunday. I went to the venue listened to the race brief for tips on the course and all then headed out for a little run. About 20 min into my run I rolled my ankle pretty bad. I was really upset as I made my way back. I found some ice and talked with the man in charge of the med stuff for XTERRA, he was really nice. I iced like crazy that night, but I have to say my confidence was not real high.
Race morning I got up extra early to try to stretch my ankle and get some of the stiffness out. Set up transition and tried to prepare myself to race through some pain. The swim was in the river which is something I have not done before. My plan was to swim hard so I could get on the single track early. I felt pretty good on the swim but felt I was all along alone only to look and find that on the upstream portion I was swimming way inside of everybody which would be more in the current and that isn’t fast. I didn’t feel too bad though. I got out made a good transition and hopped on the bike but when I looked at my watch I was not impressed.
I love the bike portion and as I said I knew this was a good course for me. However, being from Winter Park, where everyone is still skiing, I haven’t had much time on my bike yet. I hit the bike hard and felt good with only a few minor “oops” one over the bars and one to the side. I tend to do that on the bike I get to amped and I make silly mistakes. I made some passes but felt pretty alone out there so I had no idea where I was in the pack. I did turn in 9th fastest bike split (including pros). I finished strong and prepared myself for what I knew would be the hardest part. My run has always been my weak link so that didn’t help. I slipped on my Newton’s and headed out. As soon as I started I just tried to change my mindset and tell myself that I am not a bad runner and I can pass people on the run. I was surprised at how strong I felt despite the ankle. I knew it was hindering me some but I felt good. That early season focus on my run is paying off, big shout to coach Jared. The last part was hard mottled clay and that was the worst. I made it through the finish and went straight to the med tent for some ice. I still had no idea where I had finished then my mom went and got my time card and I found that I was 2nd in my Age-group which means I qualified for worlds!
I ended up 12th overall 4th Amateur. Not a bad end to a roller coaster weekend.

Big thanks to everyone who helped.
• Newton, the shoes felt great even with a sprained ankle, light and fast.
• Marie, my reflexologist who helped with oils on my ankle.
• Jared, my coach, obviously all the run training has paid off so far.
• My support crew, my mom and niece Alyssa who not only take care of my crazy two-year-old but help me out a lot.

It has been too long!

Sorry about the lack of blogging. I guess I am not very good at this. However, I am going to reclaim this blog and try again. I am hoping to make this a good place to share life including updates on family and race reports!