Wrapping It Up

Yesterday's 30K wrapped up the 2012 Striders Winter Running Circuit in Ogden. It was another gorgeous day for a run---sunny, perfect temperatures, snow-capped mountains in the vista. I was a bit unsure how my body was going to respond after last weekend's hard effort and the effects of an allergy flare-up this week, but once I started warming up I knew it was going to be fine. The goal was to run a controlled effort and not let the other ladies who were in contention for the overall title get too much of a gap. I had a minute and forty-odd seconds to play with so I figured the best strategy was to simply stalk the other girls and let them do the pacing work. So that's what I did and it ended up working pretty well. I felt strong for most of the run, with just a bit of tightening up in the last two miles, and held on for 3rd place on the day in a time comparable to my 30K run split at the ITU World Champs last November. It was good enough to earn the overall cumulative series title, which is a nice validation of the hard work and progress I've made in running over the past year or so. Most rewarding, and I hope a sign of good things to come!

Some highlights of the day:
---The relaxed yet highly organized atmosphere of a Striders race; they know how to do it right!!
---Chatting with some of the other ladies in the middle of the race, miles 6-9.
---Running alongside the "wild" horses at Stink Corner...both human and equine athletes seemed to enjoy it.
---Hot drinks at the finish line; nothing beats a hot chocoloffe!
---Pausing just before the start to watch a hot air balloon drift by.
---Soaking up the post-race atmosphere with friends old and new.

This week's round of thanks go to Albert for motivating me to get out the door and run, Powerbar for keeping my energy stores stocked, Pearl Izumi for the cool AND functional footwear and gear, and Recovery Pump for keeping my legs fresh.

Next up: REV3 Knoxville next weekend! Can't wait to break out the new Fezzari speed machine!