Philippians 4:13

1st overall in 1:17:57 on a windy day...I forgot how hilly this course is!  More to come later after landscaping projects.  Landscaping done for today, now the report...

 Drove up to the start with Lynette and got my bib from the RD and got ready to race by fueling with a PowerBar Gel.  We warm up for about 0.5M The weather was better than projected but still challenging...50 degrees, most cloudy but a strong wind out of the north.  The first 4.5M go almost directly into the wind and a slight uphill, then it turns south, for an uphill portion that lasts until 10M!  Finally a turn back to north to for a 2 mile downhill gaining all the elevation back from the first 11 miles to the finish line. 

Started off ok at about a 5:55 pace but at about mile 2 my hips started getting tight fighting the win.  At mile 3, last years champ (John Taberna) takes the lead until about mile 7.  I was running much better once we hit the uphill with the wind at our backs and was just running easy at about a 6:18 pace on the uphill and trailing John by about 100 feet.  Suddenly, he just stops and says he can't keep up the pace, especially for the remaining 3 miles of uphill.  So I just keep cruising and start picking up the pace to about a 6:05 until mile 11, at which time the downhill starts and I finish off the race at about a 5:30 average pace to the finish. 

After the race, spend a bit of time talking with John (2nd) and the 3rd place finish (a young guy named Tyler from Rexburg...old guys ruled the day as I am 41 and John is 49!).  I ran a cooldown for 0.5M back up the course to see Lynette and run her home.  As I am waiting for her, I see the first place women go buy about 0.05M ahead of her but she is slowing down.  I see Lynette and tell her we can get her.  We run smoothly for a bit and are catching her quickly.  With about 0.25M to go, I tell her to go with authority and blow past her, which she does and goes to capture the win by 15 seconds...her first HM win!  Another champion from IF on the day!

 Overall a good day on a hard course, running at the end of a near 90 mile week (no taper) and still in recovery mode so I am happy with the time and the win!