RACE REVIEW:HALF BY-THE-SEA

Last Sunday I went up to Manchester-by-the-Sea with Jeff and my good friend and coaching partner at LHS, Steve McKenna.  Both Jeff and Steve have been ramping up their miles over the past few months and were ready and psyched to race.  And Steve, who used to run competitively in college, has joined me for quite a bit of my Chicago marathon training so he was curious to see what he could do for 13.1, a distance he'd never raced before.  I was really fired up to have a couple wingmen for a change.  Before I start my breakdown, I have to throw in a humble brag for my Lex ladies who absolutely crushed it at the Highland Park Invitational the day before the race.

We ran three different teams (Freshman, Varsity A and Varsity B) and all three of them took the win.  It was totally unexpected and such a thrill for us.  It also happened to be about 85 degrees out and I ran around like a banshee from 9am until we left around two in the afternoon.  Both of these factors would have a significant impact on my race the next day, not that I cared or event thought about it at the time.  This group of ladies is so tight and works together so beautifully.  They are such a joy to coach.  Okay, sorry, just had to throw that in there.  Not really sorry, though.  By the time I got back to the house I was toast.  I did nothing but chill for the rest of the afternoon as I wanted to try and recover as much as possible before the next day.  As usual, I woke up stupidly early on Sunday.  I made coffee and went outside for a porch session with Clover.  Our new dog, Enzo, prefers to stay in bed a little longer than his sister.  

It was a gorgeous, crisp, cool morning.  I cried a little inside knowing that the temperature, which was in the fifties at the time, was going to get up to the eighties as it had the day before and that our race wasn't starting until 10:00am so we'd be finishing in that sweet heat.  Whatever.  My Chicago training has gone really, really well.  I've logged more miles than ever this time around.  I've hit most of my workouts.  I've stayed relatively injury-free aside from a pesky plantar fascia.  I've been super lucky.  I also feel stronger than I have at the end of past buildups, so I was expecting to run well on race day, and to possibly cross the line with a new PR.  My coach agreed that both a strong race and a PR were in the cards if things went well.  Once I learned how hot it was going to be, I knew the PR goal would be more challenging to achieve, though I still thought I had it in me and wasn't throwing it out the window quite yet.  I did come up with a B and C goal just so I didn't totally set up myself up for disappointment.  Steve came over around 8am and all three of us headed up to Manchester together.  It was a smooth and mellow trek and we parked easily and grabbed our numbers without any issues.  Jeff doesn't warmup and Steve was only doing a short one, so I took off on my own for a couple miles.  I was feeling heavy and tired and, naturally, this made me nervous but I tried ignore it and remind myself that I often feel this way and still manage to power through a hard workout.  

When I got back, I found Jeff stretching in the shade.  The heat was now in full force.  We knew it would be, but it was still a bummer to know we'd be battling it.  We made our way over to the line, Steve and I jumping in the front and Jeff settling in a little further back, wished each other good luck, and got ready to go.

THE RACE:

My race plan was to run right around 6:30/mile pace for the majority of it and then to pick it up at the end with whatever I had left in the tank.  I'd done a couple workouts in this pace range in the weeks leading up to it, so I felt confident that this was manageable.  Steve was along for the ride, hoping to work with me and follow the same strategy so he didn't go out too fast and bonk at the end.  He's more of a mid-distance kid and he's wicked fast on the track so starting out guns blazing was both likely to happen and not going to end well for him.  We hit our first mile right on pace in 6:32.  At mile 2, though, we'd slid back to 6:40.  My GPS was off so my pace was now inaccurate and Steve, having a good old fashioned timer going, called out our split.  I told myself not to panic, just to pick it up and find my groove again.  Steve, however, went right ahead and panicked and threw down a 5:55 for his 3rd mile.  Obviously, I did not go with him.  And that was it for our team strategy.  I was now on my own and he was flying solo ahead of me.  After his third mile, he reigned it back in, so I was able to keep him in sight for the next few miles, which was really helpful.  My watch was all over the place and I had no one with me, so I felt that if I could just hold on and keep him in sight I'd be okay.  I was taking water at every stop, sipping and then pouring the rest over my head.  The course was beautiful, some of it on a dirt path along the water with gorgeous views.  Once I'd settled in to what I thought was a decent pace, I was able to look around and enjoy myself.  There were long stretches with no one in sight, so when I did see people, particularly the young girls who were watching, I made an effort to wave or high-five to get an extra jolt of energy.  The course looped around and we ran back along the same stretch with the runners who were behind us now coming towards us on their way to the turn.  I saw Jeff and gave him a high five which I really needed because I could feel myself fading a little about 8 miles in.  I truly had no idea what pace I was running because my distance was off by 3/4 of a mile and my average pace was off because of that.  Around mile 10, Steve was no longer in site and I got passed by a couple guys who were smooth sailing to the finish.  One of them tried to get me to stay with him, pointing to the ground next to him and waving me along.  Yes, I thought, I do want to follow you.  But my legs are having their own party and neither of us are invited. It was good that he was there as I was now trying to keep the gap between the two of us as small as possible until the finish.  Finally, I made it to mile 11 and I was able to pick it up knowing that I was almost done.  I came around the bend and up the hill to finish in 1:27 and change.  

I did not hit my A (PR), B (1:25/26) or C (run hard and have fun) goal.  I mean, yes, I'd run hard and parts of it were fun, but the for majority of it, I'd felt sluggish and off and I did not have the drive that I had expected, so I was really bummed.  I found Steve, who'd crushed it with a 1:23, and sat down.  Nothing hurt.  I was just so, so tired.  Really psyched for him, though.  He was already talking marathon.  That was fast.  But I wasn't surprised at all.

Steve and I got a quick...or, not so quick actually, cool down mile in and then found Jeff who'd also done really well despite the heat.  Something must have clicked for Jeff, too because he was already talking about signing up for his next one before we got in the car to head home.  I love that. We stuck around for the awards because Steve and I had both taken second overall for men and women and they were giving out some sweet swag including Bombas socks and COFFEE FLAVORED energy squares.  What??!!  Sadly, the socks were too big for me, so Steve and I swapped my socks for his coffee squares as he doesn't do coffee.  All good.  More coffee for me.  

As we were waiting for the awards I texted my coach and we hashed it out.

Me:1:27. Not what I wanted.

Lowell: Too hot.

Me: Think that was it?

Lowell: Timing a race right now in Concord and it is toasty.

Me: Ok, I'll go with that. But I really thought I had more in my legs.

.... then a few hours later, after I'd had time to process the race a little more I texted again....

Me: Thinking more. Ran around in the heat yesterday for hours. Probably impacted me more than I realized.  Also logged 90 miles last week. So, between that and the the temp today, a PR was probably not realistic.  All that said, do you think my marathon goal is still within reach.  Yes, I'm overanalyzing. Can't help it.

Lowell: That is a bunch of things working against you today.  Your marathon goal is absolutely still within reach.

Me: Okay, I'm done. Thanks.

Lowell: If you were content easily you wouldn't be successful and you wouldn't be doing what you're doing.

Me: That's true.  Thanks again.

I can't lie. Even after this conversation and some words of encouragement from Steve and Jeff I was still disappointed.  I'm always telling my high school athletes that every race has a purpose.  That every race makes them stronger regardless of the outcome.  And if it doesn't happen to go the way they wanted, that they have to accept it and move on.  Because dwelling on it doesn't do anyone any good.  So, I'm working hard to practice what I preach and tell myself the same thing.  I put in a good effort with this half.  It was solid work.  Miles in the bank.  It's over.  Time to reset and focus on the big kahuna.  Chicago or bust.  

Listen to this:

It's Gettin' Hectic - Brand New Heavies

WEIRD & COOL

So, I ended up running a total of 1,037.5 miles between June and August.  I ran from home, from my parents' rental on Martha's Vineyard, from my in-laws house on the Cape (where I spent the majority of my summer), from a couple different spots in NH and probably a few other places that I can't remember at the moment.  Basically, I was on the road a lot.  I listened to audio books, podcasts and, of course, to music.  I did all types of workouts....tempo, track, long runs, recovery and doubles every week.  The majority of my miles, however, were just easy cruisers that I was adding to the bank in preparation for Chicago which is next month.  On the slower runs, particularly my second run of the day when I was often shuffling and perhaps a bit less enthusiastic about being out there, I wasn't afraid to stop and smell the proverbial roses if I wanted or needed a break and if something strange or cool caught my eye mid-route.  I won't lie.  I was easily distracted during many of those runs.  And my level of distraction had a direct correlation to my level of exhaustion.  Think of the tired, young toddler that sees a butterfly and wants to follow it.  That was me.  And yet, when I look back on all these funky things, I'm able to string together the narrative of my summer training, which in and of itself is pretty cool.  It's kind of an odd post, I'll admit.  But, I did have fun putting it together and thinking back on the moments when I happened to stumble on these items or, as in the last case, people.  You never know what will stop you in you tracks, right?  Here's a few that did.

WEIRD AND/OR COOL THINGS I SAW WHILE RUNNING OVER THE SUMMER

This peacock was the first odd thing I saw while I was running.  I assumed it was a kids' toy and that it had fallen out of a stroller or bag.  But, when I picked it up, it was pretty heavy and clearly very ornate.  I put it up on a rock wall in hopes that it would be easily found by it's owner, who, I'm guessing was missing it very much. 

I have no idea what this red, sparkly ball is.  I just remember that I spotted it as I was running on July 4th.  I also remember being very tired and thinking, hmmm, maybe I could put this in my hair and wear it for the fireworks.  Again, very tired.  As I got closer, I realized it was bigger and heavier than I'd expected so it probably wouldn't work as a hair accessory.  Which was a total bummer as it would have looked awesome.

Okay, so in addition to the legit TURTLE XING sign, someone took it up on themselves to add their own version right next to it.  At first I thought this was strange.  But as I got closer and saw the many flattened shells near the signs, I understood that one likely wasn't enough and whoever added the other sign wanted drivers to give these little creatures more time to get across the road.  That made me smile.

This was on the rail trail in Harwich, MA.  I thought it was such a cool chalk drawing.  There were tons of them including the one at the top that says NEVER GIVE UP which I took to heart many, many times as I slogged along this path over the summer.

Honestly, this kind of looks like a medieval toilet.  PEPPERMINT SPRING is carved along the top, so I'm guessing it does not, in fact, have anything to do with the bathroom.  But still, you see what I mean, right?  

Okay, this has to be one of the weirdest for a couple reasons.  First, why does someone have this stencil of Inigo Montoya and what made them want to paint it on a Yield sign along a bike path?  Second, on the same day that I saw this my friend, Beth Baker, tweeted this:

Now, I don't know if the stamp on the sign is actually Inigo Montoya but it was the first person that came to mind when I ran by it.  So, it was super weird to then get back and see Beth's Tweet because both the actor and the movie, The Princess Bride, were fresh on my mind.  Such a good flick.

This is just a super cool, funky rainbow colored house that I ran by in Lincoln, NH.  In addition to the house beeping painted in all the colors, there were things like life-sized fake pigs and birds in the yard, also multi-colored.  I wish I could have gotten a better shot but I didn't want them to think I was a total creep taking photos of their house.

Last and definitely the best of all summer was bumping into my friend Rebecca T-W on the Rail Trail in July.  That alone doesn't seem that weird.  But it was weird.  Because one year ago to the day I'd been doing a workout at Harwich High School and was cooling down on the bike path.  Rebecca lives on the Cape and I rarely see her so, naturally I was thrilled when I saw her biking towards me.  We stopped and chatted for a while and then said our goodbyes.  Remember, that was July of 2018.  This shot above was on the same exact day, one year later.  I had just finished my workout and - BOOM - there she was.  What?!?!  We were kind of speechless and giggly for minute before we got ourselves together.  We talked again and then agreed to meet up in 2020 at the same spot on the same day.  Kidding.  We didn't.  But, something tells me we will.

Listen to this:

Hallelujah - Oh Wonder

OISELLE BIGBIRD CAMP 2019

“Think about it, there must be higher love

Down in the heart or hidden in the stars above

Without it, life is wasted time

Look inside your heart, I'll look inside mine”

~ Steve Winwood, Higher Love

I used to feel a little weird telling people I was going to an all women's running camp.  Because maybe it seems a little odd to pay a lot of money and travel really far to, well, to run and do all things running related.  But, if you've been to camp before, any camp, you know there is so much more to it than that.  In general, camp is a place where people - kids, athletes, and yes, even adults - go to surround themselves with other people who share a similar passion with the main goal being to have fun doing it for a short and intense period of time.  Maybe it's soccer.  Maybe it's music.  Maybe it's robotics.  Who knows.  There seems to be a camp for everyone these days.  Which is awesome.  When you go to camp, and I'll speak for myself here, but I'd imagine it's pretty similar for everyone, you have drop your ego at the door.  Maybe your inhibitions, too.  If not right away, most likely pretty soon afterwards.  If you want to do it right, which in my case I do because of all the time and effort I've spent to make it work with my own and my kids' schedules, then you dive in wholeheartedly.  The way I see it, you really have to get as much out of it as you can.  You learn, you grow, you think, you don't think, you laugh, you cry, you check in, you check out, you let go and, assuming you've signed up for the right camp, you do what you love every day with the people who love doing it, too.  In this case, running.  I've been on the Oiselle team since 2012.  This was my 6th time going to Birdcamp.  They've all been amazing experiences for me.  And they truly have gotten better each year, but not only because of the camps themselves but because of the relationships I have formed with my teammates over the years; bonds that are strengthened every time I reconnect with these women and which, if I'm being honest, are really like nothing else I've had before in my life.  So, yes, over 300 women gathered together to run, talk about running and all things running related, eat, play, sleep and then do it all over again for four days straight may sound crazy to some.  To me?  It's total bliss.  A gift to myself.  Something I look forward to year after year because when it's over I am a changed and better person for having gone.  Still not sure?  I'm going to do my best to tell you how things played out with the photos below.  There were a lot of "you had to be there" moments in here.  But I think you'll get the gist.  And who knows, perhaps it will make you want to find your own camp or, at the very least, make sure your kids are having this much fun at the camps they are attending in the summer.  Because, if they're not, something might be wrong as this is undoubtedly how it should be for all of us.

BIGBIRDCAMP 2019

Day one with my wingladies, Ashley, Erin (aka Chicken) and Jackie.  I've known these gals the longest, so I'm super close to them.  They're a big reason I keep making an effort to fly to far away places and run crazy long mileage "for the fun of it".  You'll see them a lot in my photos.  Can't help it.  I'm obsessed. 

This was the typical coffee lineup before our morning run.  Ok, truth. Three of these cups are mine.  Jackie doesn't drink coffee.  Courtney drinks tea.  And Chicken lives on Redbull.  Whatever gets you going, right?

First run of the weekend with Megan, Chicken & Jackie.  Easy 8.  So we weren't really complaining about the hills, which were huge and NEVER ENDING.  That happened the next day

Chilling on the green.  We did this a lot over the weekend.  It was a place to meet between activities, meet new people and reset in prep for whatever was next.  Our command central, if you will.  

Post run with the ladies.  Steph, wearing the glasses, was the ringleader of this circus.  She wins the "trooper of the year" award for dealing with us.  We owe her.  Big time.  

The MASS/RI Oiselle team lineup.  It was a small group of us this year.  We did our best to represent.     We crushed it.  

End of the day, hanging with Lesko and Sally, our lead birds.  The dream team.  Like, none of it would be possible without them.  Especially Sally, because she started the company.

Sunday morning, pre-long run with Collier Lawrence.  This is not us dreading the long run.  Nope.  I was super fired up for 23 miles.  We were sad because her sister, Mel, wasn't with us and we missed her.  But, she was off being a pro-runner, so, I guess she had a valid excuse.

This was Courtney warming up for the long run.  She likes to throw some dance moves down before she gets started.  Meg, behind her, looks like she's doing a slow dance with herself for a warmup.  I never got a chance to ask her about that method.

Here we were about 10 miles into the 23 miles that Jackie and I would finish.  Sally was "supposed" to do 13 and ended up doing 17.  So, we must have been fun company.  Or she just lost track of time.  I don't know, Jackie and I are pretty fun to hang out with, so I'd like to think it was the former.

From about mile 18 on, Jackie and I couldn't stop talking, thinking or dreaming about chocolate milk.  Jackie was only supposed to run 20 but she did all 23 with my so I wasn't alone.  She rocks.  And, she was REALLY thirsty when we finished.  So she just took it upon herself to walk right into the kitchen and ask for chocolate milk.  Later we learned that it was the camp director himself who made it for us.  Bless him.

Hanging out at the beach after our long run.  This picture says it all.  It was completely normal to see mermaids, flamingos and bananas throughout the weekend.  I'll leave it at that.

Later that day we went up the track to do a team relay.  Yes, we're holding drinks.  Because it was very hot.  Kendra, too my left, happens to be a pro-athlete for Oiselle.  She beat me but it was really close.  I mean, I could feel her tailwind.  So, you know, we basically were neck and neck.

Not for nothing, but this was our team, all of us over 40.  And we won.  Like, handily.  Just saying.

Chicken, Ashley and I in our Birdbeats tanks at the late night dance party.  That's right.  We cut a rug into the wee hours of the night.  It. Was. Awesome.  Oh, and the Birdbeats playlist is here.  Lots of gems on this one.

And finally, Chicken, Jackie and I on our way back to the cabin.  This was our last day.  The weekend went WAY too fast.  Happens every time.  It's so hard to digest it all and not feel like you're missing something or wanting more.  But, I've learned you just have to soak it up in the moment and let it spill over you all weekend.  Just feel all the feels.  It was super intense in all the right ways. Every year, I find that when I head back home, I'm sad but totally rejuvenated and changed for the better because of the time I've spent with these amazing women.  Until next time, my friends.  See you in the sky.  #headupwingsout

Listen to this

Higher Love - Kygo & Whitney Houston

RACE REVIEW:YANKEE HOMECOMING 10 MILER

It has taken me a while to get to this post.  For one thing, I've been marathon training like a mad woman; 360 miles in July alone.  So, that's part of it.  On top of that, I've been doing some contract work for my friend Kristina, who owns a killer small business (Koala Clip) and doing some coaching for another 2L athlete.  So, that's also part of it.  I've also been driving my 14 year old from the camp where she works to town to her various friends' houses to gymnastics; in no particular order and at a moment's notice.  Because that's how she's rolling this summer.  Whatever.  And then, if I'm being totally honest, I just haven't been motivated to write lately.  Which is probably the biggest reason.  I don't know if it's because I'm physically tired, mentally fried or just not into it, but the desire to sit down and and focus on a story has not been hitting these days as it usually does.  I tend to have stretches when I'm overflowing with information that I want to share.  Lately, however, my focus has shifted and even though, like today, I do have small windows of time where I can take a moment and put a hypothetical pen to paper, more often than not, I find myself choosing to do other things during these windows.  Like taking a walk.  Or a nap.  Or sitting down and eating a whole meal rather than eating a PB & J and drinking a juice box in my car.  I guess what I'm saying is that my urge to blog has receded a bit and because I'm happily into all the other stuff I have going on, I'm okay with it.  Which was a very longwinded way of telling you that I'm not shutting RWM down, but perhaps just slowing things down here and picking up momentum in other areas of my life; at least for now.  Okay, but still, I did race the Yankee Homecoming 10 miler on July 30th with my Whirlaway teammates.  And it was one of the crazier races I've done this year, primarily due to the fact that it was on one of the hottest days of the summer.  No joke.  It really was a great race, for reasons that had nothing to do with performance, and, in my humble opinion, it's a pretty good story.  So, here we go.

Current obsession:Landgrove Coffee

I woke up on race morning at my usual 5:45am and did what I always do - made coffee, walked the dogs, ate breakfast, etc.  It was no surprise when I checked my weather app and saw that the temp was already in the 80s and the humidity was stupidly high.  Think swimming.  I'd already known this heatwave was coming.  The kicker here, though, was that the race, which was still on despite these insane conditions which came with a very intense warning from the race director the night before about adjusting pace and expectations, was not starting until 6:00PM, so I had all day to stress and sweat about it.  Literally.  SO.  MUCH.  TIME.  I made more coffee, walked the dogs again, did some work, did some laundry, stretched, rolled, read; you name it, I did it.  After the second walk, I got the sense that my dogs didn't want walk anymore.  Just a hunch.

Enzo: Please, Mom, no more walks.

Around 2:00, I got in the car and left for Newburyport, which was 120 miles from my in-laws house on the Cape where I've been living for the month of July.  Yes, it still sounds as crazy now as it did when I was starting my trip.  But, I'm a team player and I'd already committed to this one for the Whirlaway women, so I wasn't going to be the one to bow out.  Three hours later, (that's right 3 hours), I was parking in a residential area of Newburyport.

It was a balmy 97 degrees outside.  I mean, I could only laugh.  I walked to the high school, got my bib, picked up a t-shirt and stood in shock for a moment, not really knowing what else to do with myself.  I'd seen my dear friend, Liz, on my way to get my number so I texted her and asked her where she'd gone, letting her know that I wanted to say 'hi'.  I found her as she was throwing her stuff into her car and she jokingly asked me if I was headed out for a warm-up.  The joke was funny because all you needed to do was stand outside.  Bam.  All warmed up.

Pre-race with Liz

We caught up a little, wished each other good luck and said goodbye.  Then I headed back to my own car to ditch my stuff and grab my headphones.  After that,  I figured I'd just walk back to the registration area and try and look for my Whirlaway teammates.  Honestly, if I hadn't had any luck tracking them down, I was ready to just shuffle jog the race to get a run in.  But, there they were.  It was wishful thinking, I know.  We all nervous laughed as we said our hellos and then Amy, Lauren and I headed off for a legitimate warmup.  As we cruised along, I asked Amy, who'd done this race before, if it was usually this hot.  She told me it was often sticky, but that it had never been like this in years past.   Awesome.  When we got back, I took a minute to stand in the area where fans were shooting cold water out, soaking myself from head to toe and hoping to cool off before the start.  Whoever set those up is brilliant.  Finally, we all walked over to the street and lined up, waiting for the death march...I mean the race to begin.

Post-warmup

THE RACE:

I had talked to my coach earlier in the day and told him about the weather.  He lives in PA and was dealing with the same crap, so he got it.  I asked him how I should approach this thing.  His response? "Forget any time goal and focus on effort and making sure you don't get heat stroke."  Well, all righty then.  Before I set off, I decided that anything under 7 minute pace would be a minor miracle and set that as my goal.  I also told myself to run smart, that there would be no PRs and that place was what mattered.  That and that I needed to put in some solid work for the marathon training that I've been doing anyway, so this was just part of the bigger package.  Truthfully, I really had absolutely no idea what to expect or what my body was capable in these conditions.  So, off we went.  I hit my first mile in 6:42.  I felt okay but was breathing heavier than usual.  Next mile, same pace.  At the third mile, I saw my friend, Kal ahead of me and picked it up to catch him.  He was pushing his daughter in a jog stroller.  Pause to give him a shout out for his badassery.

Post-race with Kalliman

Kal and I met back in March at the Cheap half and we've kept in touch and raced together a few times since then.  I figured I'd try and run with him for a while and see how I felt.  Turns out, he was cruising a little faster than I could handle and after a mile or so at his pace I knew I needed to pull it back or that shit would be hitting the fan sooner rather than later.  Did I mention he was pushing a jog stroller?  So, I dropped off and ran solo for a few miles at a much more manageable pace.  The fans on the course were beyond incredible.  Not the race volunteers, mind you.  They were awesome, too.  But, I'm talking about the people who lived along the course and were out watching and cheering.  There was someone outside with a hose at some point during every single mile.  That was a complete game changer.  Just when you thought you were overheating to a point where you might have to walk or stop, you'd get drenched by a cheering fan.  People offered oranges, water, popsicles, cold sponges, all of it.  It was like we were running the freaking Boston Marathon.  Seriously.  Once I got to the 7th mile, I knew I could likely grunt it out to the finish.  By this point my shoes were wet, my socks were sloshing, blisters were forming; it was really kind of touch and go.  But we were all in it together and I felt that sense of camaraderie among the runners more than I ever have in another race.  Finally, I was making the turn, uphill no less, to the finish.   PRAISE BE!!!

Finish time 1:08:50 (6:53 avg)

9th woman, 2nd Master (behind my teammate, Amy!)

Holy shite.  I stopped, put my hands on my knees and gasped for air.  I might have cried tears of joy.  Too hard to know with all the sweat.  My teammate, Amy, had finished before me and we gave each other a sweaty hug, because, well, why not.  I couldn't say anything for a while, just walked around and caught my breath.  Shortly afterwards, our team congregated in a corner and discussed the madness that had just unfolded.   The race volunteers were handing out ice pops and I grabbed a bunch and passed them out, all of us sucking up the sweet, icy deliciousness.

Post race w/ Amy, Lauren & Kassandra

I'll never forget those popsicles.  I have to say, that even though this event crew was thrown such a shit sandwich with the weather, they handled it beautifully and the race itself, though brutal for the runners, went off without a hitch.  I was really impressed.  Later I found out that all three of our womens teams (Open, Masters & Seniors) had come in first.  And that, my friends, is what this race and the day itself, was all about.  As I said earlier, this one was for the team.  The goal was to run hard and place high.  I found it incredibly refreshing to have a goal that didn't center around time for a change.  The weather, as bad as it was, gave me the freedom to just go out and do what I love.  There was so much joy in the whole experience which was not what I expected at all.  And as tough as it was, I left feeling elated and completely fulfilled.  Also unexpected.  Some of the goals I set for myself are lofty and just out of reach.  Who knows, maybe I'll never get there.  And that's okay.  I love aiming high.  But, I truly believe you have to have some goals that are realistic and can be achieved.  That it's essential to have both types of goals.  And that all of them, the big and the small, will help us get to where we want to be.  

Listen to this:

Yellowjackets - Fitness