Fall Recap

September and October shaped up to be a good racing season for me. Just a quick re-cap:

1. September started out with the Plaza 10k. This race wasn't as competitive as it has been in the past, but I managed to find myself in a pack with a great group of guys that I had met when I was living up in KC for school (Marshall was with us as well!). We all apparently had similar goals and I managed to dip under 35 minutes and run a new PR (road AND even beat my track time)!

Goal: Top 2 finish, and new road PR (sub 35:15)

Actual: First female, 34:50

Results

4 miles in, 2 to go - right before the pack broke up

Almost to the finish - knew it was going to be close to a sub 35

2. On 10/1 - headed to Columbia, MO for my second 10k. 

Goal: 1st place; 35:xx

Actual: 2nd place; 35:32

Results

As much as I would have loved to finally win this race. . . I can't be upset with another 10k sub 36. This is a fairly challenging course as it's on a local trail and park with really only enough room to run side by side or single file when passing on-coming runners. I was stoked to be so far under 36 because I think last time I ran this race I was over 36 minutes. It sucked to be out-kicked after leading 6 of the 6.2 mile race, but no shame in losing to Diane. She cooled down with Marshall and I and has an out-standing resume. 

3. On 10/9 - headed to Minneapolis to run the USATF 10 mile championships

Goal 1: Top 20 finish

Goal 2: sub 57

Goal 3: Sub 58

I think I'm just not a cold weather runner. This race did go significantly better for me than last year. I ran a 57:30, which is 30 seconds faster than last year. However, I'm pretty sure this is about what I come through 10 miles in for my half marathons, and that's still with a 5k to go. I did squeeze into the top 20, finished 19th :) I know I have it in me to run a sub 57 and break into the 56's. This distance is a hard race to come by in the mid-west though. So I'll get another crack at it in a couple years. 

The legs just never felt loose from the start. I was working way to hard to run some of those miles, at a pace that I should be able to run for almost a full marathon (even had one creep up over 6:00). Luckily, the men had caught me near mile 6, and I was slowly reeling in 2 other women, which lead me to a respectable finish with the last 3 miles or so near 5:40 and a super fast last mile since it was a down hill last half mile or so (5:25). 

Busting out some 800's. Sun's out guns out.

 This brings me to my last big race of the season. . . Bass Pro marathon. I'm usually a "one marathon per year" kind of girl, but decided that I've never run the local marathon and wanted to give it a-go. My last marathon was in February at the Olympic Trials, but it sort of left a bad taste in my mouth. I had one of my best winters of training and was totally ready to PR (my current PR is 2:38). However, with it being almost 80 degrees, I wasn't able to run according to plan and actually ended up running one of my slowest marathons ever (2:52, I think). I'm not in PR shape, but still feel very prepared to take on this distance and redeem myself. Now if the weather can finally cool down. I'm all for tank tops and sports bra weather, but it still got to 80 degrees several times this past week. I'm ready for lows in the 40's and highs in the 50's. 

Last hard workout done before the marathon - post run drills