Gate River

As you have read Gate River was very good to the BRC team. Congrats to the 2nd place men's team and the 3rd place women's team. Congrats to Ali for 8th place! Great job to Adrian, Wendy, and Stephanie for having a fantastic race. Everything was so wonderfully organized, thank you Richard Fannin and crew, and the race was a blast. This is definitely one of my favorite races now.

After DNFing at the Houston Half and having a tough few weeks of training that followed, I was very nervous going into this race and unsure of how it would go. I knew I was fit, I knew I had put in the work, but the DNF really threw me for a loop and I gained a (temporary) fear of (1) failure and (2) the pre-race meal. After hearing Gate River's special guest (Dick Beardsley) my first fear disintegrated. My second fear disappeared eventually too when I was hungry for dinner and had only one choice.

The morning before the race was so much fun. We rode a water taxi across the way as the sun rose and it was surprisingly very chilly (perfect for a long race). It was great to warm up with Ali, Adrian, Wendy, and Stephanie and catch up on life. As the race started I realized how great I felt and how focused I was. Together with Ali, Wendy, and Stephanie mile 1 came and went in 5:30. Next mile, 5:30, and the next, 5:30. I thought "well I'm a bit faster than anticipated, but I feel amazing." Unfortunately the race broke at 1.5 miles and there was a lead pack and then the rest of us strung out in a line (dumb to not run together but we all seem to do it at times), so after the 3rd mile I became focused on the competition instead of the pace. It seemed like every mile or so I caught someone and each time it made me push the pace even more. The race went by so fast, except the uphill on the bridge, and I can't believe I ran 52:13.

I was so happy with my time I didn't really think about what place I could be, so when Richard let me know I was 10th overall I didn't entirely believe him (partly because there were timing issues and also because I haven't been able to get into the top 10 in any of these races). I told the team I would believe when they announced it at the awards. Sure enough, 10th place!!

This weekend I'll be on the outdoor track in Pueblo racing the 1500 and 800...oh man, it's going to hurt. After a 9 mile race, these are going to feel crazy fast. Then in a few weeks Russ and I are travelling to Mt. SAC. I love spring time and the track!