Minneapolis-Star-Tribune-runningkellometers

Alternative title: USA Track and Field Championships This Weekend! Where Have I Been?

I know not everyone that follows this blog is as big of a Track and Field nerd as me, but I just thought I would let you all know that the USA Track and Field Championships are in Des Moines, Iowa this weekend and I'm very sad I didn't properly plan for the weekend. Des Moines isn't too far away and I probably could have made a weekend out of it with fellow Oiselle teammates and other bloggers that are also going. (Instead, I'm on my way to Mall of America right now to get my shop on. So, it is still going to be a fun weekend either way.)

The list of the heats and runners in each event are out and I couldn't be more excited!! I mean, the 5k alone has me jumping out of my skin. (Women: Mary Cain, Shalane Flanagan, Molly Huddle, Julie Culley, Kim Conley, Amy Hastings, Abbey D'Agostino... Men: Galen Rupp, Dathan Ritzenhein, Evan Jager, Bernard Lagat, Ben True... YES PLEASE!!!!) I'm also very much looking forward to some Morgan Uceny redemption in the 1500m! Tons of Olympians will be there and I just am beyond giddy with excitement. Right now, I'm in desperate need of some info on how to watch these events. I want to see them as they take place instead of the summary live broadcast later. Looks like I'll be catching up on my laptop in the evenings after a long day of shopping! I'm sure I'll be stalking FloTrack's twitter feed for the latest updates and spoilers, catching up on the videos later.

(I've posted lots of info on the Olympics last year. Click here if you're interested to know more.)

Are you going to Iowa to watch the festivities this weekend? Will you be stalking the internet and social media like me for the most recent updates?

And in case you'd like to follow some of these athletes along on Twitter, Maggie sent me this list of the top 100 Track and Field twitter accounts. (Turns out, I already follow about half of these. #runnerd)

Since every post needs a photo, here is one of me and some of my pals that came over super early in the morning (4am to be exact) to watch the Women's Olympic Marathon.

Although I didn't run the Chicago Marathon this year, I headed to the expo anyways. Why? For the free stuff aaand.... The chance to meet Desi Davila!!! You may remember that I am a bit of an Olympics nerd. When Maggie mentioned that her contact at Brooks was able to set up a meet and greet for some of her Chicago Blogger friends, I cleared my schedule and made arrangements to be there.

When Desi first walked up to our group, all of our faces all lit up with excitement. I mean, we were meeting one of the most famous women in current American distance running! It was really hard not to geek out too much when talking to her.

L to R: Amanda, Sara, Jeni, DESI!!, Maggie, me

I read the Runners World article about her so I felt like I already knew her! I did get some one-on-one chat time where I asked her what kinds of things she has been doing since London (water running? elliptical? etc.) She said that she has been completely resting and not putting any pressure on her leg. Complete rest! Sometimes, that is what our bodies need despite what we want to do. She only just got cleared to ride a bike a few weeks ago and she explained how great it felt to just sweat. While we were chatting, lots of people were taking walk-by photos of her and it was a little strange (I am for sure in the background of a few). If she had the chance, she would ask them if they wanted to be in the photo too. You can just tell that she is a genuinely sweet and down to earth person who just happens to have this amazing athletic ability and complete focus and drive to get stuff done. And she is so tiny! It was really great meeting her so thanks to Maggie and Brooks for helping set this up!

After meeting Desi for a little bit, we got our gait analyzed to find out what pair of shoes would best fit our running style. Turns out the Brooks Adrenaline are a good fit for me. Next, we went for a fun run along the lake with some of the Brooks ambassadors. It was such a beautiful fall day and the view was wonderful!

When we were back at the expo, we ran into Nicole Fritz and snapped a quick pic!

All of the Brooks people were so surprised that we all knew each other and that we kept running into people that we knew. All I have to say is that the running community in Chicago is small and big all at the same time!

Have you ever met an Olympian? Was it hard to keep from geeking out? I know it was for me!!! :)

In case you haven't noticed, that I get a little into the Olympics. I love watching pretty much any Olympic event and I am thankful we have cable with several different viewing options. (Badminton? Equestrian? Sign me up.) There are so many powerful and amazing women that I've seen compete that give me goosebumps all over. I know the events aren't over yet and I'm sure there will be more motivation to come, but here are a few I wanted to highlight.

Kara and Shalane representing the U.S. in the women's marathon. I guess this one goes without saying. That marathon course was tough. Anyone that has ever run a marathon could tell you that. There were lots of turns, the humidity was high, and the terrain was a bit uneven. Kara and Shalane gave it everything they had, coming close to their PRs and really ran fantastic races. I don't care that they didn't medal or didn't come in the top 10. I just know they did all they could and gave their very best to represent the USA.

Kim Conley in the 5k semi finals. I don't know why but I really love her story. I was first inspired by Kim during the Olympic Trials in Eugene where she came from about 6th or 8th place in the final 200m to lean for the 3rd place spot. Not only did she run a PB that day, but she also beat the London Standard at the same time. She earned a spot to represent the US in London! When the day came to race in the semis (btw, I don't like how the 10k doesn't have a semi but the 5k does. What's up with that?), Kim gave it everything she had. She didn't make the finals, but she got a new PB by 5 seconds and ran a great race. (I can't find the video. NBCOlympics.com only has video of the men's 5k semis, not the women's.) I mean, not everyone can say they've gotten 2 PBs in 2 months, especially at the pro/elite level. I think Kim is just getting started and we'll be seeing more of her in the years to come. 2013 world championships? Rio perhaps? I'm hoping for Kim either way!

There was a TON of coverage on the swimming events this year. Missy Franklin, Michael Phelps, and Ryan Lochte were all over the TV on any given time of day. I love all those three, but I feel the need to mention Katie Ledecky in the swimming 800m freestyle (the highlights reel doesn't do it justice--you have to watch the full here, but the commentary is by Brits, not Americans 43:06-53:15). At 15 years old, she is the youngest Olympian on the entire US squad. She was up against the big favorite and current world record-holder of Great Britain, Rebecca Adlington. When the race started, Katie went out quick. The announcers continued to doubt her. They said that she was going to fast and didn't have enough experience. They'd go to commercial only to come back and see that Katie was still leading. She was keeping her pace. They'd continue to repeat the same thing and at every commercial break, yet, Katie was still leading. And she wasn't just leading by a little; she was leading by a full body length. Towards the end of the race, you could hear the US announcers not believing what they were seeing. When the announcers, crowd, and media doubted Katie, she didn't doubt herself. She kept on going and she got the gold medal (winning by that same body length that she maintained the whole race), and missed a world record by tenths of a second. (She did get the American Record which had been held by Janet Evans since 1988.) When she looked up after the race was done, you can see her say "Oh my gosh!" (time 52:53 on the full feed) and I could barely fight back the tears. I always love when someone does what isn't expected, and they win by overcoming so many other thoughts and believing in themselves. Congrats to Katie Ledecky who has been deemed part of the "future of US swimming."

On Sunday morning while my husband and most of my friends were still sleeping, I got up at 4am to finish prepping to host a brunch for the Women's Olympic Marathon. We knew Kara, Shalane, and Desi had worked their butts off and we wanted to see them represent the U.S.! Who was crazy enough to come to my house before the sun rise to drink some booze and cheer for the USA? These ladies!

Back: me, Kate S, Maggie, Amanda C, Amanda W, Susan Front: Sara, Nicole

Thanks to this article on Buzz Feed, I got some great ideas on some things to do for decorations and food.

star cookie cutter + watermelon

"Beers of the World" L to R: Japan, Mexico, Belgium, USA, Ireland

Then other folks brought casseroles, fruit, booze, and other stuff too.

Drinking a mimosa at 5:30am while watching Kara and Shalane lead the pack. #winning

In case you haven't seen the latest issue of Runners World that describes the course, it had tons of turns (110 to be exact) and did the same loop 3 times. Also, we kept checking the weather and temps were in the mid 60s with 85% humidity. That humidity looked like a killer and the athletes out there were soaked with rain and sweat. It looked positively miserable out there and I felt so bad for our ladies. The Internet was a-flutter the days before the race regarding Desi Davila and whether or not she would start.

Spoiler Alert! Desi started but she didn't finish. She is such a strong runner so I can only image her disappointment to not feel 100% on race day. Shalane and Kara gave it all they got and finished 10th and 11th, respectively. Neither athlete put up a PR but Shalane was pretty dang close. With those conditions including the course, that is quite impressive. Even though these women didn't win the gold, they didn't give up without a fight and proudly represented our country. There are tons of photos of Shalane and Kara after their finish, with their arms around each other for support. It is such a moving image and a great demonstration of these women. (I don't want to post and risk copyright infringement stuff. BORING...) These Olympics so far have been so inspiring in so many ways!!

Remember that today is the LAST DAY to enter my Pro Compression raffle! The winner will be chosen tomorrow morning!

Have you entered my Pro Compression raffle yet? You still have a few days and the minimum donation required to enter is only $2!

As many of you know, the track and field portion of the Olympics started today in London. There are some pretty awesome events that will be aired tonight and this weekend. Here is a quick schedule of some of the events I'll be watching out for. The times listed are the times when you can see them live, streaming on the web (nbcolympics.com). All times given in CST and provided by USATF.org.

Today (8/3)
Womens 10k Final 3:25pm

Saturday (8/4)
Mens 10k Final 3:15pm
Womens 100m dash Final 3:55pm

Sunday (8/5)
Womens marathon 5:00am
Mens 3000m steeplechase Final 3:25pm
Mens 100m dash Final 3:50pm

Tuesday (8/7)
Womens 100m hurdles Final 3:00pm

Thursday (8/9)
Mens 200m dash Final 2:55pm

Friday (8/10)
Womens 5k Final 2:05pm

Saturday (8/11)
Mens 5k Final 1:30pm

Sunday (8/12)
Mens marathon 5am

Some of these events will be played in the evening summaries (starting at either 6:30pm or 7:00pm CST, depending on the day) and some will be covered live (like the marathons). NBC's coverage isn't really clear as they lump all of the "track and field events" together on the website. Don't they know there are runnerds that need to know the exact coverage of all events at all times??

Also, I'm not sure if many of you have been following some of the athletes on Twitter, but there is a lot of controversy around the "blackout" and Rule 40. It dictates when athletes can talk about their sponsors and what sponsors they're allowed to wear at the Olympics, etc. Oiselle did a nice summary of things here as well as listing of athletes and their sponsors. I plan to tweet to some of my favorite athletes' sponsors in the days to come. I really like Oiselle's idea as it isn't aggressive and it still gets the message across. To follow along with my tweets, feel free to follow me!

Since saying goodbye to my Garmin for the time being, I've completed only a few runs. I like how I've been feeling and I'm going to keep this break going. Temperatures in Chicago have cooled off a smidge, lending to some comfortable runs (instead of "omg I want to die. This sucks" runs). On Saturday I got up early and got in an 8 miler before the sun was high in the sky.

So have you all been watching the Olympics and seeing all the drama unfold in swimming and gymnastics? Missy Franklin and that forever huge smile. Ryan Lochte and uh Ryan Lochte. The upsets in womens gymnastics. We are only on day 4 folks and the track and field events haven't even started yet!! I've been following along the coverage via twitter, Facebook, and NBCOlympics.com. You can even watch events live on the website! In preparation for yet another Olympic day, I has myself an American breakfast.

Team USA cereal (from Kellogg's of course) with blueberries on top. It was patriotic and it was delicious. I'll continue to wear my red, white, and blue outfits this week in honor of the Olympics. What are you doing to show your patriotism? Dressing like Will Ferrell ala SNL?

P.S. Have you entered my Pro Compression raffle yet? Only $2 per entry this time around!!

Some of you may have noticed a new badge on my blog a few weeks ago. I've recently joined the Oiselle Team of ambassadors! I already loved their brand and constantly talked about how awesome their stuff is so why not try to be part of the team? :) To find out more about Oiselle's history, click here.

During the track trials in Eugene, Oregon, the folks at Oiselle were promoting their brand and trying to get the word out. They even hosted a contest for 2 blogging friends to win a trip to the trials (being an ambassador, I wasn't eligible to enter--otherwise I would have). They had a few runners competing to be on the Olympic team (including Kate Grace on the far right who made it to the semis for the 1500m).

Source

Unfortunately no one made the Olympic team this year for Team Oiselle, but we have high hopes for the future. During the week long trials in Eugene, Oiselle also hosted a party complete with MC Hammer as the headliner (insert 1990s problems joke here). And of course, the event list wouldn't have been complete without a fashion show. Ummm I want pretty much everything! To see what I'm talking about check out the video below.



All the folks at Oiselle have Olympic fever too. And in honor of this Olympic fever, the folks at Oiselle are going to give one lucky reader a London Calling tee! I have one that I won from an Instagram contest and I absolutely love it. I've already worn it to work and I wore it during the entire 2nd half of the track trials.
The winner has their choice of color (orange, grey or white) and size (this tee fits pretty true to size).

How do you enter to win? Leave a comment telling me the event you're most excited to watch at the Olympics

For additional entries, feel free to do any of the following and summarize everything in a single comment.
1) Like Running Kellometers on Facebook
2) Facebook about the giveaway, mentioning Running Kellometers
3) Tweet about the giveaway, mentioning @kellywils0n
4) Follow my blog through Blogger (on the right-hand side of the home page)

Entries will be accepted until Monday, July 23 at 11:59 pm CST. The winner will be chosen on Tuesday, July 24 by 9:00am. This contest is open to any readers in the U.S.

Last week I talked about how I wasn't going to post my whiny entry. Instead, I'm posting this whiny entry today. I hate hot weather. No matter how much I put myself out there and how hard I try, my workouts still suck. I am trying to get acclimated to the heat but it just hasn't been working. I'm getting out there when it's hot out. I'm not running to the treadmill when temps are in the 90s. When it is in the high 70s, why do I still struggle!? Why did I think it was a good idea to plan a goal half marathon to work my butt off for during one of the hottest Chicago summers on record? My goal race is only 6 days away. That means the forecast is out and things are not looking good. Highs in the low 90s. Ugh. (Hopefully that means it will be in the 60s at the start of the race and when we finish, temps will still be in the low 70s. A girl can dream, right?) This is the time when I'm supposed to be focusing on what I've worked towards over the past 12 weeks. I'm supposed to be visualizing myself achieving my goal and where I'll be throughout the course. There isn't time to panic/obsess about the weather. I think I just need to make sure I have a plan B, which is something I didn't have for the Chicago Marathon. Thankfully this race is only a half marathon and not a full. BUT, I've put in the work, I've put in the sweat, and I've even put in the tears. I'm hoping that the sub 1:50 is within my grasp come 7/22. I know that no matter what happens, I'm putting it all out there and giving it all I have...

In other news, I'm back in town from Mall of America where I scored some sweet new running gear with no sales tax. Winning! :) Also, in honor of the Olympics, I'll have a giveaway on the blog tomorrow so stay tuned!

Womens 1500m Semi Final

Now that the dust has settled from the Olympic Track Trials, it is time for the recap, part 2!

My absolute favorite race of the whole trials was the Womens 5k. Having run this event on local roads several times, I can barely scrape by with a sub 23:xx pace, let alone the 15:xx that these ladies are posting. The Olympic standard required for anyone woman is 15:20. To start, Molly Huddle was favored to win and she stayed near the front for most of the race. The lead was exchanged several times until Julia Lucas decided to take control of this race and set a steaming pace with several laps to go. The rest of the racers let her lead the way as they kept steady a few paces behind. When the bell rang, Julie Culley and Molly Huddle really battled it out for first place as Julia Lucas began to run out of steam. That is until Kim Conley crept up from the middle of the pack, giving it everything she had. She leaned for the finish, beating out Julia Lucas, earning a time of 15:19:79 (the London standard by tenths of a second), and earning a spot on the Olympic team. I've watched the race highlights and it gives me goosebumps every time. I'm so beyond excited about the team of ladies we are sending to London in this event!

I guess I can't talk about the women's 5k without mentioning the mens 5k! After a riveting women's race, it was a hard event to follow. They didn't disappoint though. Only because of kind of a big deal, Prefontaine's meet record was broken! Galen Rupp (right) and Bernard Lagat (left--love that facial expression!) sped to the finish, placing 1st and 2nd in this event, respectively, securing their spot on the London team. Lopez Lomong earned the 3rd place spot.

The steeplechase is an event I didn't know much about prior to this year. Let me just say... before the Warrior Dash, there was the steeplechase. The Kenyan's are famous in this event and have won 9 of the last 11 gold medals (and the 2 they didn't win were in years when the Kenyan's boycotted the Olympics). The U.S. had a few favorites (Daniel Huling and Evan Jager), both from the Chicagoland area so I was instantly cheering for them. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the steeplechase it is an event where competitors must clear several barriers (aka hurdles that don't move) along the course, including one that has a water pit on the other end. This isn't an event for the everyday runner. These runners have to have grace and a certain level of athleticism. Evan Jager (green tank top) stayed near the middle/front of the pack for most of the race until he took a commanding lead towards the end of the race. He won by a large margin, despite the fact that this was only his 4th ever steeplechase race. I'm excited to see what he can do in London and maybe he can give the Kenyans a run for their money? One can hope, right?

Given the controversy in the womens 100m, I was really looking forward to seeing the 200m race. Given the millions of semi final and preliminary runs, by the time the final came around, I felt I had a close bond with all of the competitors. I was rooting for everyone to win, but only the top 3 would earn a spot to London! Allyson Felix blew the competition away finishing several steps in front of 2nd place. As soon as she finished, the announcers immediately stated that she is now the favorite in London. Go Allyson! Carmelita Jeter and Sonya Richards-Ross finished in 2nd and 3rd, respectively and will also represent the U.S. on the road to London. I couldn't find a photo of the finish, but I was able to find the video clip! Click here to watch this amazing event.

Having dismally dabbled in the high jump in high school, I have a significant amount of respect for this sport. It is hard and it requires a lot of grace and balance (a few things I lack). It appears the the women high jumpers gave the folks at Hayward Field a big sight to see. Chaunte Lowe (current American record holder), Brigetta Barrett, and Amy Acuff will be heading to London to represent Team USA. Watching these women fly over that bar is so inspiring.

What was your favorite part of the Olympic trials? Are you as pumped for London 2012 as I am???

To see my favorites in the first half, check out this post.
The source of all photos can be found here.

P.S. Have you entered my SpiBelt raffle? I've extended the deadline to Monday, July 16th!!

In case you have been living under a rock (or just aren't as nerdy as me), the Olympic Track & Field trials have been going on recently over in the faraway land of Eugene, Oregon (aka Tracktown USA). There have been some upsets, some sweet victories, and some close calls. Thankfully NBC has been playing the coverage live on one of their stations. There must be some track nerds at the station or there are enough of us out there! I thought I would post some of my favorite highlights from the first half of the events in light of Olympic Anticipation! For full results, click here.

1) After coming in 4th place and being an alternate in the Women's Marathon Olympic trials in January, Amy Hastings (in the neon yellow tank top) went on to win the 10,000m in the track trials and secured her own spot on the Olympic team! Shalane Flanagan is a familiar face in this shot below. She came in 3rd and was using this 10,000m run as a tune-up for her London Marathon race.

2) Shifting gears to the men, a similar story can be found. Dathan Ritzenhein is the alternate for the Men's Marathon Olympic team, after coming in 4th in the trial. He also secured his spot on the Olympic roster after coming in 3rd in the 10,000m. Galen Rupp (1st) and Matt Tegankamp (2nd) also made the team.


3) I talked a bit about Lolo Jones a few posts back and her disappointment in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She wasn't favored to qualify and the critics aren't sure if she's worth the hype, but she did qualify by coming in 3rd place after Dawn Harper (1st and Olympic gold medal winner from Beijing) and Kellie Wells (2nd)


4) The Decathalon is an event that intreagues me. Only the most well-rounded overall athletes are successful in this event. The 10 events that comprise this take course over 2 days. Day 1 consists of: 100m dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m dash. Day 2 consists of: 110m hurdles, discus throw, pole valut, javelin throw, 1500m run. Ashton Eaton broke the world record in this event including some rainy conditions as well! I think these track trials in Oregon is great precursor for these athletes because it rains a lot in London!


5) After an injury took her out of the running for the Olympics in Beijing, Alysia Montano (middle with the flower in her hair) came back with vengeance and dominated the 800m race finishing in 1st place. She is famous for wearing a flower in her hair to accentuate her femininity while training with men when she was younger. It was a trend that stuck and is now her signature. she will be representing the US in the Olympics along side Geena Gall (2nd in the green jersey) and Alice Schmidt (3rd in the grey jersey on the far right).


6) The favorite to win the men's 800m was Nick Symmonds but there were a few wild cards in the mix too. Starting off in the back of the pack, Nick Symmonds kept pace with the group and didn't make his move until there were about 200m left in the race where he kicked his way to a strong victory. He is headed to London with Khadevis Robinson and Duane Solomon Jr. Duane (red jersey) led the race until the final 100m where he was outkicked by Nick (green jersey) and Khadevis (black jersey), but he ran a strong race and was overcome with emotion at the finish line that he had made the team. He shed tears and showed that it is okay to show emotion and have pride in what you've accomplished.

Are you pumped up for the Olympics yet? The Track Trials are only half over! I'll be posting another update with my favorites from the 2nd half of the trials! If you're interested in more in-depth highlights on some of the other events, the RV Goddess has some great recaps and information. She follows track all year long so she can shed some more insights on these athletes than me.


The source of all photos can be found here.

The London games are less than a month away (27 days away to be exact). I CAN'T WAIT!! Ever since I was a little girl, I always loved the Olympics. Whatever event was on, I wanted to watch it. The winter Olympic games are fun, but the summer games are where its at. Ever since 2012 began, I knew it was coming. Each month, I continue to get more and more excited. In April, this commercial made its way around the internet and the TV. It still gives me goosebumps every time I watch it.

Then of course, there is the women's marathon. Perhaps the event I am looking forward to the most. The trials were in January. The final races before the big event have been completed by most of the US participants in recent months. During Desiree Davila's 2011 Boston marathon, you could literally hear the papers shuffling of the announcers, trying to look up information on who this amazing racer was. Now she is part of the 2012 Olympic team alongside my besties Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagan. Seeing these women race is so inspiring in so many ways (hello, Kara is a mom!)

And thanks to the folks at Oiselle, I won the Instagram t-shirt contest and specifically requested the London Calling tee. They obliged so I will be wearing that thing during all of these events. GO TEAM USA!!!

First and foremost, have you voted for Amanda yet? Voting ends today (all you have to do is "like" her photo)!! Please, please help us out!!!

To keep up with my 1 race per month goal, I decided (kind of last minute) that my January race would be the Midwinter Cruise 5k put on by the Park Forest Running Club Pancake Club. It is a local running club and I have heard rave reviews from the previous races. I love small local races with a chance of winning an age group award (winning!) so I had a feeling this would be a good race. I haven't been doing much speed work lately, but I was still aiming for that 22:xx goal!

First off, the SWAG. I showed up race day to register (still only $25-yowzas!) There were some shirts available but only L or XL. In the theme of a "cruise," they passed out leis upon entering the gym and some runners even had Hawaiian shirts over their fleeces. Parking was close to the gym so I was able to drop my stuff off.

I headed out for a pre-race warm up with Maggie, Amanda (TTF), and Aurelia. We ran 1 mile at 10 minute pace to get our bodies warmed up and ready to go. We went to the start line and felt the brisk wind at our backs. It was much colder than I originally thought but I felt I layered properly and would be fine once the race started. (I'm always amazed at the folks that start off a race in shorts even when it is freezing cold. I mean, I'm sure you're going to get warm, but THAT warm?) I started off with Maggie as that worked out well for us at the Dash Into the New Year 5k. We are about the same pace at this point and in the same age group (for the next 8 months anyways).

First mile: 7:26 I was feeling good and thought "If I keep this up, I can meet my goal!" At the first mile marker, someone was there yelling out times (there was no clock). What great race volunteers that will go out there in the freezing cold just to shout out times as runners go by?

Mile 2: 7:37. Well, my goal will not be met unless I totally knock it out of the park for the last mile. Based on how I was feeling, I knew that my 22:xx goal was slipping through my fingers. I hadn't done much speedwork lately, so I had no one to blame but myself. However, Maggie was still ahead/with me so I kept on pushing.

Mile 3: 7:37... It would have been worse had I not pushed super hard the last 1/4 mile. Coming around the last turn, I heard some huffing and puffing behind me and knew someone was approaching. She moved to the small gap between me and Maggie, and I started to panic. "This girl looks like she could be in my age group!" was my first thought. The competitor inside me had to push through and try to catch up to Maggie!

Photo credit: Maggie's husband

Finishing time was 23:33, officially. It was a close one but I ended up coming in 2nd after all, just a few seconds behind Maggie... and 1 or 2 seconds in front of the mystery runner (who ended up being in our age group after all)! It was a great race with some tough competition!


Maggie and I both placed for our age group, her 1st and me 2nd.

Is it too much to compare ourselves to Shalane and Kara?

Source

I mean the resemblances are uncanny. Same running group, friendly competitors, amazing abs... That last one may or may not be true...

Now it is time to focus on cross training, weights, core strengthening, and speed work! 400 repeats, I'm looking at you!

After a long day of travel and shopping we arrived at the Abbey Resort last night. The hotel restaurant is arguably the worst food you've ever eaten in your whole life. (I've been watching a lot of "Kitchen Nightmares" lately and am seriously considering nominating this place.) I was exhausted after dinner so we just hung out in the hot tub and went to bed early.

Since today is my birthday (I turn 28), I woke up to some Facebook notifications and a phone call from my brother. So far it has been a great day and most of my gifts have been running related! I got a new pair of Nike running tights that I'm really looking forward to testing out for the race tomorrow. Considering it is unseasonably warm, I'm glad I brought 5 different running outfits (which is more than regular outfits I packed). Everyone here thinks I'm crazy to run while on vacation, but I think of it as a new adventure. All of the trips I've taken in 2011 involved a run of some sort, whether on the treadmill or outside. Atlanta was way hillier than I expected, and the elevation in Denver didn't affect me as much as everyone made it out to be. And Santa Rosa, CA is beautiful any time of year, period.

What are your thoughts on running while on vacation? Or, what does your spouse/family think of your vacation workout habits?

I've been catching up on the latest issue of Runners World and am totally pumped up for the Olympic trials. The article on Des Davilla has me ready and raring to go. I've been reading up on all the different athletes and the female race sounds super competitive and exciting! Sorry Toph, I'm calling first dibs on the big TV on January 14! Are you all as excited as me? Who will you be cheering for?

For some reason I can't figure out how to upload images in blogger on my iPad so I apologize for the picture-less post :(