Well, I've got much happier news to report after this past weekend of racing.
I took a nice little road trip down to Ames, Iowa with my former Gopher/current Team USA Minnesota teammate, Gabriele Anderson. Regardless of the outcome of our races, I already deemed it a worthwhile trip just to get to spend a few hours of uninterrupted catch-up time with a person that I have so much love and respect for, and have so much fun with every time we're together.
Adding to the fun was the fact that the Gopher women's track team also made the trip down to compete at the Iowa State Classic. And of course, where there are Gophers, there must be Gopher fans and family! Before the race even started, I could deem the trip worthwhile, just to hang out "like old times" with my former coaches, teammates, and the best support system in the world.
And THEN, I could barely contain my excitement to warm up for the mile not only with Gabe, but with 3 close friends- Nikki Swenson, Elizabeth Yetzer, and Steph Price (the first two of which stood as bridesmaids at my wedding, I feel like I can't emphasize how much I love these ladies and their families!).
So, needless to say when that gun went off, I was already floating on air. I got out to a quick early lead, maybe a tad bit too excited in hindsight, but I really wanted to put it out there and see what I was made of, and I'll never apologize for that. Just over halfway through the race, Gabe took over the lead and gave me someone to chase, and I could feel the pressure from my Gopher girls close behind. In the end, we ALL ran down indoor mile PR's, and it was like the cherry on top of several other cherries atop a giant ice cream sundae.
Oh, and one last thing to be thankful for: Cooling down outside with all the milers after the race, I managed to trip on some shoddy sidewalk work and fell...no, it's isn't just you...falling down seems to be a theme for me, I tend to do it once per year...so the good news is, I got that one out of the way!! I'd much rather scrape some skin off my elbow than trip up in a race again;)
A lot of athletes from other training centers have asked me why in the world I would ever stay in Minnesota to train, and a weekend like this fully confirmed my feelings that you can find a great coach anywhere, you can find a way to run in good weather (even if that just means on a treadmill or an indoor track sometimes), but you cannot go just anywhere to be surrounded by people you love that support you no matter what. In honor of the "holiday of love" yesterday, I just have to say to all the people that make this tough job seem a little but easier, and a lot more fun for me- I love you, and thank you!
Some Flotrack Links from the weekend:
Flotrack Coverage of Iowa State Women's Mile
Post-Race Interview
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