Update

Recently I have had too many inspirational topics to pick one...so while I'm letting them sit and grow a little, I thought I'd give a plain old update. I am not the type of person that can just race, race, race, and race some more. I get exhausted, worn down and sick. April is the first time I have ever successfully completed 3 races in a month.


The first was the ACSD, in Wenatchee. Beautiful! It was a great race and a perfect day. Other than my ridiculously long transitions, I was very happy with my race.

Second was Rage in the Sage. The first of a series of 6 local multi-sport events. This race was a perfect follow-up. The course was a little shorter, but off-road and a tiny bit hillier on the run. Because this race is so short, I usually don't even worry about it...and every time I think, geez that race HARD! My focus this year has been on running and swimming, so I was very pleased that my runs we're faster and felt better, the first one was actually just under 6min pace! I was still able to hold my own on the bike too, whew! When I say it was "off-road" that doesn't mean technical, it's on service roads thru the vineyards at Kiona Winery. Yes, you guessed it, that means they actually give away wine :) winning a bottle of wine makes all that pain bearable!! Thank you Kiona!

The following weekend was the first 1/2 marathon in 7 or 8 years. Since I hadn't done one in so long, I had nothing to gauge off of, but I was very pleased finishing second behind Marlene Ferrell, an Olympic trials qualifier for the marathon, and just off my goal time. My body and mind were basically finished at the 10k mark (which I ran at my 10-k PR pace), and it took me about 3 miles to talk myself back into the race. Other than losing a lot of time in those 3 miles, I thought the race was great, and it was yet another perfect day in the NW!

It's been 2 1/2 weeks since then, and I've spent most of that time mentally recovering and preparing for the real race season to begin. Because we are blessed with so much snow in the NW, our open-water races don't start until Memorial Day weekend...which is only a couple weeks away! YAY!!

I guess that means it's time to bust out my wet-suit and inspect for holes!

Only a couple weeks after that is my first "A" race of the season, which is so hard to believe! Really? I'm ready already? Really.

Well, there is just one more obstacle in the way...a 10k.  I have been stuck at a certain time for the past 2 years, and even though I've improved dramatically...both physically and mentally I have yet to prove it in an actual race.  This weekend I get another shot at it :) 

Here's to a great 2012...it is, after-all, the year of YES!