What a fun morning! It was great to get out and run. I had decided to take the 5K easy and use it as a warm-up. I didn't realize how fast I was running until about mile 1.5. I was just enjoying it and was at the front chasing a 3-pair of missionaries that were running. One of the missionaries stopped to catch his breath and the other 2 circled around to not leave him (GOOD guys!) so then I got the 1st place for just a moment until a FAST runner from my stake (he ran for the U and has done ultras) caught up to me "go ahead and kick my trash!" I told him and he was off. I started feeling actually really good just before mile 2 so I just kept up with pace and since it was downhill it was a lot easier :) Finished 1st place female (2nd overall) with a respective 23:38. The course was pretty accurate at 3.08 my splits were: 7:43, 7:53, 7:27, 7:23 (last .08). I felt good and didn't feel exhausted or tired at all...how fun is that?!? Then I raced over to the pumpkin run...it's only maybe a 1/2 mile away, but I drove to make sure I didn't have to run and stress out about time. I also needed to get home quickly so I could get my kids off to a dr's appt for a torture session (flu shots :) ) Saw all the fast ladies warming up...I was glad mine was done! Got my number, drove BACK to the stake center to get my nice running jacket I'd forgotten and left, then drove back and the race was just about ready to get going. I had enough time to visit a bit with the ladies and Eric and then walk on out to the start line (it was a lot further away than I had remembered). Cheris and Julie went to the front and I followed them despite feeling like I was now blocking everyone's view! We were off, shortly into the race I decided I was going to give the downhill all I could, because I knew the last 1/2 with the uphill would be my nemesis! Just over a mile I decided to overtake Cheris (only 15 feet or so ahead of me and in 1st place) I stayed there until mile 3 when we started the uphill climb. I held onto second until mile 4 when Julie finally overtook me. I knew I was fading and it was getting difficult to hold onto those hills, but I was just enjoying EVERY 10 ft downhill 'rolling' hill I got. About mile 4.5 just as we went off the trail to the road another lady passed me, but I knew we just had the hill from hades left and then the 'flat' to the finish. I kept 3rd and Julie within about 20 feet the whole time, the 3rd place lady passed Julie and was maybe 5 feet in front of her after we turned the corner and was in the last home stretch. When the slight hills after the turn leveled out and I could see the finish I decided to take back a little, I didn't think I could catch Cheris up about 75 feet, but I was confident I could catch Julie and the 'lady'. I pushed, and I caught up to Julie and then she took off too - DANG! I didn't have enough left to push when she was pushing too! We caught up to the 'lady' and then I fell back a little. I think I finished just 5 seconds or so behind Julie and she was probably just 1 or less behind 'lady'. Despite all of the craziness and pushing I was VERY proud of my finish time of 36:26. Fourth female and 1st in my AG. I wasn't going to complain - those ladies EARNED it!! In retrospect I honestly was kind of happy I took 4th, because the gave 1-3 overall the same medals, but 1-3 place. This way I got to sneak in a 1st place medal :) Isn't that ridiculous rationalization for my lack of effort to push the finish??? I had 2 great races and felt good with both of them. Afterward Cheris wanted to finish an extra mile cool-down so I tagged along and did a nice 10mm flat cool-down. Oh, how wonderful that pace felt after 8 miles of 7's!! I did clock the trail run short at 4.76, but some were saying that the Garmin's don't like the curving of the trails and they can get really off. So, I'm going with the 'official 5' from the race. Plus, the race director runs with the BBK's and I trust that she got it right! AP for the 5 miles 7:17 (if it was truly 5, Garmin put it at 7:39) my splits for the 5 were: 6:35, 6:55, 7:49, 8:39, 8:28 - over 500 ft elevation gain on the way back up to the finish (most of it mile 4&5 obviously)!
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