Disclaimer: If you don’t like the sappy stuff, skip to the bottom :)
Wow. The Women’s Distance Festival was my first “race” after moving to Albuquerque in late June of 2011. I showed up with no expectations, no goal, and knowing not a single person. That day I broke nineteen minutes for the first time in five years (18:56), I won overall, and I met a lot of fabulous people...including current race director, Eric Beiderman, and many members of the Albuquerque Road Runners. In July of 2012, a faster 18:05, a second win, and friends, there to cheer me on...Lululemon had become my Abq family.
July of 2013. Today I ran a lifetime PR of 17:51. Faster than college, at altitude, win for the third year. Surrounded by people and teammates I love, dressed up as hot dogs and out of bed before the sun rose to cheer on our crew (Dukes Track Club). Not only that, but it was hard not to get a little emotional as the sea of teal and red Dukes Track Club jerseys flowed across the finish line, personal record after personal record. I’m a sucker for this stuff, I know, but to be surrounded by women and men who push you and support you consistently...that’s invaluable.
A lot has happened in a year. I’ve dropped minutes from my marathon time. I feel stronger and happier than ever. I have AMAZING sponsors (Saucony, Nuun, and Nuttzo). I have a coach who I trust 100% (thanks Brett Schumacher!) And most importantly, I have teammates, friends, and fans who inspire me, everyday, to never give up.
There's a long way to go still and a lot of work to be done...but you can't do it alone!
There's a long way to go still and a lot of work to be done...but you can't do it alone!
For those “non-saps”
I am not allowed to complain about a PR, or anything about today...but I made a rookie mistake, which I'll blame on fidgeting with and not starting my watch, and ran the first mile too fast. 5:28 first mile, which should have been a 5:35. Second mile around 5:40, third mile around six minute. Just a little tweak and holding back, not running from adrenaline, saving something for that last bit. Playing it smart would have led to a stronger finish and an overall faster time. I’d love to take this down to sea level and see where consistency could put me. Years ago, I never thought I’d break 20min. Now it’s time for a new goal...but what??? There's still a LONG way to go! THAT SAID, I'm psyched about today, and I hadn’t run a 5K since this race last year. I was VERY nervous going into this, since this race meant a lot to me, number one because the race itself is awesome, well organized, and a ton of fun, number two because I'd won it the last two years, and number three because this was the first REAL benchmark of fitness to this point. I’ve made a lot of changes in terms of recovery (foam rolling and massage as often as possible), nutrition (eating MORE food, not just clean and real food), and training (more miles). Things I’m still working on...strength and sleep, my dreaded S’s. But it is nice to know that even with these changes, I've not lost anything, and I hope I can say that I've gained something by being 14 seconds faster than last year. Yes, it is 23 miles short of a marathon, but still, I hope it means something! Race Results here...2013 Results. 
