I run therefore, I am!

Started with the pack. I really wanted to push myself as hard as I could on the down parts. I stayed with the pack the first two miles. 5:05 was my first mile. 5:03 was my second. As soon as we hit the trail I slowed down. Justin park passed me and I managed to just keep him in sight in front of me the whole race except the last two miles I couldn't manage to go faster than 5:50 pace. Probably from post marathon legs or a tough trail run I did Wednesday. Pretty good course. Not as fast as I thought it'd be. Fun day!  I did a presentation to Rees Elementary on running back in January. I challenged them to all run 25 miles before this race and Run13 agreed to give them a marathon medal after they ran 1.2 miles to make 26.2! It was fun running with them. At the start line I asked some 5th graders if they were planning on beating me and they confidently said not a problem!! Some of them stopped and were walking the last 200 yards I I said you can't let me best you! They got up and sprinted in! A couple kids stopped at an intersection when the light went red and I said you all get to break the rules today and run the red light! This is the only chance in your life to get away with this! How does it feel to be a rule breaker?!! They were so fun. One cool sight I saw was a 5th grader who won his age group in the half marathon. Said he was motivated by my talking to them. Amazing kids!!  

Also, I am super proud of Brett Peterson, Mandi Mcbride and Bethany Erickson.  We have a little group that is trying to break 3 hours this year starting with Ogden. All three of them were shooting for a 1:25 half and Bethany just missed it but is only 12 days from a tough course marathon in Boston. She is in taper now for Ogden and I'm certain the rest will help her break 3. Brett hit a 1:23 with fresh legs coming off some tough workouts. Very good to see that! Mandi stole the show! I have been working with her on a speed, tempo and long run regime starting 3 weeks ago after she won the Buffalo 25k. She didn't warm up on the race and used the first few miles and then stayed with Brett. She's not used to racing so she was afraid to go. At mile 12 Brett told her to take off and she made up 22 seconds and finished barely behind Rachelle Wardle and the 5th place girl. A total of 7 seconds seperated her from the two in front of her. Her chip time was a second off of Rachelle in fact! So awesome of her to come out and run without a watch or knowing how to race it and be that close to the front.  I know she has potential to break 1:20 and easily a 3 marathon. I have been running trails with her and she pills away from me every incline.