Will update later to include distance.
I have mixed feelings about the race, it was soooo windy (Bill estimates 40+ MPH winds) so that really affected the race. Well I was just gonna stick behind someone and draft, thought maybe I could draft off of Julie Sumsion because she was seeded only a second faster than me. I knew the girl that won was gonna kill it, she was seeded with 10:30 and ran 10:59. I contemplated going out with her, but thought I better not basing it off of how I felt. I felt like I was working hard but I have a hard time feeling good about my time. I got out good right behind Julie, then she slowed obviously not wanting to take the lead and going with the pack, then the girl that won from Arizona jetted out after 100 meters and Julie surged to go with, and so did I and another girl from New Mexico. Then we settled and Arizona girl gapped us, I chilled behind Julie for a while then somehow passed her ? Not sure how that happened maybe I felt she was going too slow or something but somehow ended up in front of her and she drafted off of me for most of the race. The wind was absolutely brutal, on the backstretch we were running straight into it. I began to struggle with 3 laps left, I felt like I had pushed hard the first mile and wasn't too relaxed which worried me cause I knew after the announcer said that the Arizona girl ran 5:23 first mile we were going a lot slower than I had hoped. But it felt like I was running just as fast as I was at some of my better races. Anyway then Julie and New Mexico girl surged and I didn't stick with like I should have, it was right before the backstretch so perfect timing cause just as I tried to respond we were going into the wind and they were too far ahead for me to draft. I wish I would have stuck with. I began to fade a little, 500 left another pack had caught up to me and 400 left I tried to pick it up, 300 it was me and 5? other girls I think all right there and 200 left was really the first time all season I have actually kicked. I decided right then I didn't want to be beat. I got moving good, unfortunately the two I passed at 200 to go got me right at the end. Ehhh.
Time was 11:50 so way slow. Wind obviously was a factor and elevation maybe a little. I know this race really doesn't matter and I know State was the race I needed to have a great performance in, which I did, but I still wanted to get a decent time. It wasn't a bad race but it wasn't spectacular either. Julie ran 11:41 so if I had stuck with her I could've been 10 seconds faster... Just a thought. But really that's the only thing I could've changed cause that's just how the race played out.
Cool experience, okay race, good trip. I'm lucky to have been able to come and so for that I am grateful.
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