State #25! Plus the Olympic Trials

Or... Life Before the World Shut Down.

Atlanta was our 10-year Friendiversary trip. Britt has been around for 10 years! How crazy is that? We were so excited because not only were we going for the Atlanta Marathon, but we were going for THE OLYMPIC TRIALS!!!! I went to the Olympic Trials in 2016 with Drew and it was so incredible. I was so excited to share the experience with Britt.

And Claire. Because Claire is always down for fun.

What's even more fun is that Oiselle was doing a huge meet-up that weekend. I took over as the Kansas Volee leader this year so it was exciting to get to meet so many other team members in person!

We arrived Thursday evening and were up bright and early on Friday morning for coffee and a team run with the Volee! The whole thing was like one big fashion show. It was so much fun to get to see the clothes on actual people!

Oiselle Volee Run!

 Claire even came along for the run!

Now we just gotta get her into some Oiselle gear.

 After coffee & donuts (from 5 Daughters!) we headed downtown for packet pickup. The entire day had a whole lineup of speakers and because it was the Trials, the speakers were all good. The city was literally taken over by runners. As we walked downtown we talked about how crazy it would be to bump into someone famous. And then...

O.M.G.

You have never met two more starstruck girls than when we saw Shalane Flannegan at a crosswalk. Britt timidly asked, "C-can we say hi?" And of course she said yes and Claire jumped in to take pics without letting us get too stupid.

We picked up our packets and settled in to watch our other idol, Kara Goucher, speak about women in sports. As soon as she was done we rushed the stage for a photo shoot bc we have no shame.

She's volee too so we technically run for the same team.

The rest of the day was spent watching speakers (Meb & Deena!) and I snuck away for a Oiselle leader meeting. I'm not great in a group of stangers and this was no exception... it was really cool to be around a group of women who are so confident. I'm more of a quiet leader. :)

Saturday! The day of the trials! The day started with a shake-out run with our bestie, Kara Goucher! Kara says she's only treated like a celebrity in instances like this and that usually she goes about her business and no one cares. We all cared. She was mobbed by people asking for photos (some people have no shame!). Since we had already gotten a pic the day before we decided to let her be and just try to run as close to her as possible to maybe get in some conversation.

By the end, everyone had gotten their pics and bolted. It was just me and Britt and Kara for almost a mile! She asked about our training. We asked about hers. We asked what she thought the athletes were going through as they prepped for the biggest race of their life later that day. It was super cool.

Okay, I snuck in a selfie... you know I have no shame.

After the shakeout run it was time for the TRIALS!!!!! Oh wow. We have been obsessing over this. Obsessing. We know the athletes. We know their training. We'd placed our bets. THIS. WAS IT.

The lead pack!

The race was a loop, so the athletes ran by us going in both directions a total of 8 times. IT. WAS. AWESOME. The lead pack was so tight the whole time, we just didn't know what was going to happen! After they passed us for the last time we headed into the running store down the street to watch the finish on TV. Aliphine took first... she wasn't on anyone's radar, followed by Molly who literally no one had heard of. It was in fact her first marathon! Sally rounded out the top 3 who will be heading to the Olympics (if those ever happen). Sally was one of my picks, but my top pick Des Lindon heart-breakingly took 4th. It was so much fun and so emotional. We weren't super into the men's race but it was super cool to see Abdi snag one of the top 3 spots because he is over 40! Wow! To be competing like that as a master is insane. What a day!

Off to bed early because Sunday was our race day! Neither of us had any goals for this race other than to have fun, check off a state, and have an excuse to wear matching outfits.

We took beers at mile 24 because... why not?

Finishing together!

Happy Friendiversary!

Getting up on this thing was tough after running 26.2

The day was followed by drinking too much beer along the Beltline in Atlanta. It ended with Britt puking in an Uber. I prob won't let her live that one down.

Pre-Uber Incident.

The next day we took an early flight home... I remember a guy wearing a mask on the plane and asking if I should be concerned about this Corona Virus thing... we all agreed it wasn't something to worry about.

Two weeks later and school was canceled. Races were canceled. Life was canceled.

I'm so grateful for this weekend of fun with two of my favorite people. I think we crammed enough fun into those few days to last us through the next however long until we get to do it again.

The Frye Island Marathon - State 21 {Maine}

I had a panic attack in Maine while Drew & I sat on the deck of the chicken coop we were supposed to sleep in, wrapped in towels to keep the monster mosquitos from devouring us, drinking wine and recounting marathons. I got to Maine, which was supposed to be number 21 and I only had 20. I freaked out thinking I'd miscounted and was only on 20 and what the heck I am so dumb... then I realized I'd forgotten to count Iowa. Which really, who's surprised that silly race slipped my mind? Iowa... or as Drew likes to say, "Idiots out walking around". He really lacks respect for the state as a whole.

Anyways, back to the count. We're on 21. And if you're wondering (is anyone reading this?), yes I did start putting the numbers in the blog title so I wouldn't have to keep counting. Because states always go missing and remembering things is hard when you are 35. 

I was looking for an East Coast marathon in July and found the Frye Island Marathon! Perfect! The only problem was that there was no online registration, only an email address for the race director. So I emailed him and told him I was interested. He said the race was definitely still on and registration would go live soon enough. So we started planning our trip to Maine!

Fast forward several months and several more emails to the race director... I was panicking that this race was not real. I found results from past years and the number of participants ranged from 0 to 9 each year. And still no online registration. But our flights were booked and our chicken coops were confirmed. So we were going to Maine. 

Registration opened at the end of May. The race cost $10. Ten Dollars! I knew this was going to be a race to remember. 

On race day, Drew dropped me off at the ferry at 5:30 AM where the Mayor took 4 of us across the lake to Frye Island. The race director's brother picked us up and drove us to the start where we met up with the 5th participant and the race director gave us directions on the loop course. Then he set his watch and said go. And we were off!

I hadn't run much since Seattle and was battling injuries to my left hip flexor, my right hammy, and both calves. Originally I thought I'd shoot for a 9-minute pace and keep things nice and slow. But as we started I found myself with a gal named Julie who was training for a 100-miler and using this as a training run. We chatted and ran together and she told me she would be running very slow and walking the hills. I assumed I would pick up the pace and leave her after a few miles but quickly questioned WHY. Why do I need to run a 9-minute mile? Who am I doing this for? I was enjoying myself and her company so I stuck with her. I walked the hills, accepted cheers from the locals sitting in lawn chairs drinking beers, and enjoyed the day.

The course was a 1-mile loop followed by a 5-mile loop. Do the math and you'll realize that meant 5 5-mile loops. This seemed daunting, but even with how slow I was running, the miles flew by. I felt great.

At mile 11, we passed through the starting area and Drew was there! The race director's brother offered to let him use his bike. Drew hopped on and for the first time ever joined me on the course! I cannot even explain how much I loved this. He peddled by my side, filled my water bottle, and acted as my own personal photographer. For 15 miles!

The best part of my day. :)

I loved hearing this woman tell me her running stories!

All smiles!

My first self-supported course. That's the only aid station!

Coming into the finish!

Somewhere along the course my watch died. I'm so glad it did because I would probably have been freaking out about the end-time. Even though I said my only goal was to finish, I was still shocked when I came through the finish at 4:54. That's my slowest marathon time ever. And I know it doesn't matter. And I know I had so much fun during the entire race. But it was still a shock. I just keep reminding myself that it's not about the time. It's about the experience. I have nothing to prove.

I ended up as the 2nd place female... and also the 2nd to last female. During the 4th loop I left Julie at the aid station and picked up the pace a bit because I was feeling good. She came in about 15 minutes after me, still smiling. It was a race to remember.

However, we did not get medals! And I needed a medal! So Drew and I stopped by the Frye Island General Store (the only store/restaurant on the island) before heading back to the mainland. I found a nice Frye Island keychain and fashioned my own medal to add to the collection. Because I have to have 50 at the end of this right? Imagine if I didn't... I would be so confused with the count.

Maisy showing off the medal!

Y'all, have we even talked about Maisy? She's been around for 2 years now, but I'm not sure I have even introduced her to the blog! Because who reads blogs anymore???  Maisy is the pet-cemetery version of Mya. She looks extremely similar but is evil to her core. And now she's our only dog.

And with that, I'm taking a break... I've sworn off running for at least a month. I don't think I'll train for another marathon until at least after Christmas. I'm looking forward to slow Saturday mornings, time spent with Drew, and not being tired all the time. I'm ready for a change. I don't know what that looks like, but now I have extra time to think about it. See you next marathon!

The Kensington Marathon

Michigan! State 18! It was one of the slowest marathons I've run in a really long time. But it still counts. And I don't have to go back to Michigan ever again if I don't want to... and after this weekend, I'm not sure I do. Kidding... kind of.

From the get-go this race was kind of a mess. We knew it was a small one, but we repeatedly tried to contact the race director to get info about the race and where to stay and they never got back to us. Heading there, we just really hoped the race was still going to happen.

We left KC early Friday morning to get to Chicago, where we would stay Friday night. Our roadtrips typically include a few stops to see local attractions. When we found out there was an Abe Lincoln totem pole in Springfield Illinois, we naturally made a stop. 

He's so cute!

We timed our arrival perfectly to sit in Chicago rush hour for at least an hour... ouch! Not gonna lie, when we agreed to stay in Chi-town, I didn't realize I'd be the one getting us there. But we made it to our downtown hotel in one piece. Now on to more important things...

All the deep dish!

 And even more important things... we were finishing our last slice at Lou Malnati's while anticipating the delicious ice cream joint we'd already chosen. It was about 9:55 when we looked up directions and realized it closed at 10:00. You've never seen endurance runners pay a check so quickly! We booked it to Gordo's for ice cream bars!

Pick a bar, a chocolate dip, toppings, and a finishing drizzle. OMG!

The next morning we relived all of our Chicago running glory as we hit the streets for a shake-out run. I'll tell you, sightseeing in Chicago is amazing when everyone is still in bed!

Running under the bean!

Running along the riverfront.

Can't imagine what it's like to wake up and run this every day!

We were on a mission to recreate a pic we had taken after the Chicago Marathon in 2013 at the Buckingham Fountain. We were so sad when we arrived and it wasn't on. While we were pouting I checked my phone and had received some urgent-sounding messages from our Air B&B host for that night. We paused our run to respond to her and while I was messaging her the fountain came on! It was fate! That crazy lady did one good thing for us that weekend...

Always reppin' KC!

We had a lovely breakfast at Wildberries, and then went in search of this adorable coffee shop we'd seen all over Insta.

How cute is this?!?

Back on the road toward Michigan! It was a 4 hour drive to Ann Arbor, where we would be staying that night. Race tomorrow!

We arrived at our Air B&B apartment, knowing the host would not be there. She left us a key to let ourselves in. We chose this place because it was a 2-bedroom, listed as having 3 beds. And let me tell you, sharing a bed with your running partner is not fun the night after running 26 miles. It's just not.

The apartment was small and cluttered, but fine upon first inspection. When we tried to open the dooor to the second bedroom, we were met with some resistance. That's because our host is a hoader. A mother-fucking hoarder.

Bedroom Number 2.

She acted surprised when I texted her about the hoarding situation and said she didn't realize we wanted to use the second bedroom and if we had simply told her, she would have made it up for us. I guess by "made it up" she meant she would have rented a storage unit, sought counseling for her problem, and called Hoarders to clean that shit up.

We contacted Air B&B who happily cancelled our reservation and then disappeared off the face of the Earth while we tried to find a new place to stay. Stressed does not begin to describe my feelings. We finally just vacated the apartment in search of food because we had a race to run the next day and despite not know where we would be sleeping or having picked up our race packets, we still had to eat dinner.

Pizza and beer to calm my nerves.

In the end we gave up on Air B&B and found a room at the America Extended Suites. Still no race packets, but at least we ate and aren't sleeping in the car!

Race Day. So I had never intended to race this marathon. I just wanted to check off a state and enjoy a road trip with my friend. On my second-to-last 20 mile training run, my body decided it had other plans. I had been recovering from a calf-strain in my right calf which happened in March while I was training to run Brew-to-Brew. I felt like my calf was pretty much all better and I was on track to being a normal runner again! However, 17 miles into my 20-miler, my left calf snapped. I hobbled the 2 miles home and cried like a baby.

I took the next couple of weeks off from running (mostly) and worked tirelessly to rehab my old-lady legs. I wasn't able to do my final long runs so I knew I wasn't trained for this race. But my calf was feeling better so I knew I could at least attempt the race.

With a plan to go as slow as I needed and a goal of just finishing the damn thing, I headed to the start line. Britt was kind enough to run the first couple of miles with me before running her own race.

I planned to walk at all of the aid stations, despite how my calf was feeling. This was tough at first! I was feeling good and my ego did not want to let others pass me. But I knew that going easy from the start would make the final miles easier and give my calf a better chance of making it all 26.2 miles.

The course was a double loop around Kensington Lake Park. It was a beautiful trail with lots of other runners, walkers, bikers, and lake-goers. At one point I passed signs that said "Ospreys Nesting!" I had absolutely no idea what this meant, but looking out on the lake you could see huge nests built above the water, resting on a tripod of sticks. I stopped to ask an older woman who was taking photos with a fancy camera and she confirmed that those were the Osprey babies. She asked if I had time to hear the whole history, but that sounded like a huge-undertaking and not something I should do mid-race. So I thanked her and went on my way.

My body felt good most of the way, but around mile 17 I became insanely thirsty. I stopped at an aid station and stood there while I drank 2 full cups of water and another of gateraid. After that my walk breaks became much longer.

At mile 20 I was passed by 2 older gentlemen. As they passed, they shouted that I couldn't let two old guys pass me and I needed to join them. So I did. They were Paul and Mel and for several miles they entertained me with stories of running and racing. I was so grateful for their company!

Finally, the race ended. I was so insanely tired and my body was spent. But I finished with a smile on my face. It was a beautiful day, along a beautiful course, and my body didn't let me down. I have honestly never felt so much gratitude for such a slow race!

Finished!

Slow and steady finishes the race.

We've gained some experience over the years and knew that it was important to come to this race prepared... so we packed a cooler of beer. We prob should have packed food, since the only thing available post-race were Cheetos and Rice Crispy Treats. But beer works too. We hung out at the beach, sipped some brews, and let our legs recover in the lake water. It was actually a really fantastic way to celebrate!

That post-marathon glow... or that post-beer glow... one of the two.

Back at the Extended Stay, we showered and continued drinking. Then we called an Uber to take us to The Big House. Ya'll know we like to break into stadiums on our road trips, and this was by far our biggest challenge. Thankfully we were emboldened by a few brewskis.

Everyone told us that it was impossible to break into the Michigan stadium, that it was on "Lock Down" and we'd never get in. They were wrong.

We circled the stadium, trying all the doors and assessing which trees were climbable. And then we stumbled onto an unlocked door with direct access to the guest locker room. There's always an unlocked door.

We did it!!!

Post-race nap on the field.

Oops!

Now you're just showing off.

Ta-Da!

We tried to get out the way we came in but realized we forgot to prop the door to the locker room open and it had locked behind us! Never fear, we found our way out through some revolving doors and headed to downtown Ann Arbor for a big night of eating and drinking.

South American food, French Fries, Batidos, and beers... we finished the night with ice cream, the ultimate recovery food.

Double scoops!

So, even though the weekend had some stressful moments, it was still an amazing experience and a special piece to this 50 state puzzle. Glad it's over, ready to get my old-lady-legs back in working order.

Rock & Roll Arizona Marathon

State 17 was possibly my most proud marathon. I ran the Rock & Roll Arizona Marathon as a St. Jude Hero and raised close to $2000 for St. Jude Research Hospital. Running for kids with cancer made running feel even more important.

This race fell on MLK weekend so it worked out perfectly for a quick weekend trip. We escaped the "Icepocaplypse" happening (or not happening) in KC and spent the weekend in sunny (or not so sunny) Scottsdale.

We arrived on Friday and spent the day familiarizing ourselves with Old Town Scottsdale... which means we ate. all. the. things. We decided we really like Scottsdale. That evening we drove out to Carefree to have dinner with my aunt and uncle. 

Saturday morning had us out in search of carbs. We received so many recommendations for where to eat in Scottsdale, but my favorite by far was the Daily Dose Diner. The breakfast was amazing and I had what was seriously the best pancake of my life. Every pancake I have will try to live up to that pancake and probably fail. Sorry pancakes.

Off to the expo:

Let's rock this!

This was my first R&R marathon. I've heard mixed reviews but they are supposed to be well-planned and very efficient when it comes to the expo, start, finish... yada yada. It was fine. I didn't have any complaints, but it wasn't as flashy as I thought it would be. It was pretty similar to other bigger races I've done. 

After the expo we headed to Tempe to check out the ASU campus and find a spot to watch the KSU basketball game. ASU has a fun bar-district right off campus where we made ourselves at home. The best part was climbing "A" Mountain! It's a tiny little hike but such a cool thing to find right in the middle of civilization. My favorite part of visiting different states is seeing all of the unique parts of each city/town/state. An on-campus mountain seems pretty crazy when you come from Kansas.

Everyday an adventure.

Race Day: Let's do this.

Racing was not actually in the plan for this race. Checking off a state and getting in a good long training run was. I'm training for my first ultra-marathon and this race fit perfectly into my training schedule. 

Drew dropped me off at the start an hour early so I could warm up and get in a few extra miles before the actual race started. It sounds a little crazy, but doing a 30 mile training run is so much easier if you have a crowd and aid stations for 26 of it!

The race started in downtown Pheonix and ran through Scottsdale and then ended in Tempe. The weather could not have been more perfect. It was cool and overcast and excellent for running. 

Run Run Run.

The views made this race. Everywhere we ran, we were running toward mountains. Even though we never left the city, we were surrounded by the beauty of nature. I felt such a sense of calm just gazing at those mountains as I ran. 

My goal was to stick with the 3:45 pace group, but I started to feel a bit claustrophobic in the crowd. I pulled ahead and seriously enjoyed running my own race. I was in the zone.

The only mishap came around mile 8 when I started to feel some serious chaffing in my left underarm. I've never experienced this but I guess it came from wearing a tank top in the middle of January. My armpits were not ready for it! I pulled into an aid station where they saved me with copious amounts of vaseline and I was off on my merry way.

Around mile 16 I stopped for a potty break. When I returned to running I could feel my pace slow. I wasn't upset about it though. I just kept moving forward, enjoying every moment of the run. We hit an out-and-back portion and it was fun to pass others in their St. Jude shirts. We shared cheers and high-fives.

Feeling amazing!

The final miles flew by, even at my slower pace. Around mile 24 I realized the race was almost over and I literally became sad about it. I have never in all of my marathons felt like I didn't want the race to end! I was having such a great time and even though my body was ridiculously tired, I wanted it to keep going! 

I finished strong and happy. I felt accomplished, and most importantly I felt like my body was capable of more! 

I collected my medal and my banana and then picked up my sweet finishers jacket! It was by far the best perk of the race. Drew waited paitiently while I had my legs massaged and then found me an almond-milk latte to warm me up. Have I mentioned what a great support he is???

30 miles total! Earned that medal!!!

After a quick shower and re-fueling, Drew and I set off to experience more of the famous in-town hiking. Driving 10 minutes to a mountain seems like a dream. We Kansans are easily impressed!  We arrived at Piestewa Peak late in the afternoon. We chose a relatively easy hike that didn't seem too populated. The climbing felt so good as it stretched my legs!

Feeling on top of the world.

Monday morning had us up early to make the most of our last morning in Arizona. We had one goal: Camelback Mountain. After pulling into the parking lot on one side of the mountain and reading multiple signs warning us of the difficulty of this climb and the need for mountain-climbing experience, we made the decision to drive to the other side of the mountain. Good idea.

We beat the crowds and had a really great time climbing up the mountain. The hike was a great workout, but we felt safe and only slightly out of our element. The views were spectacular and the weather was perfect.

This guy...

My motto for the year has been "Be Brave". I've been trying to override my initial "no" response to things that are out of my comfort zone. As we ascended the mountain I realized it was much higher than I first thought. We kept getting higher and higher and I kept trying to turn off my fear of heights. Once we came to a spot where the trail stopped and rock climbing began we took a time-out to evaluate. We had to catch our plane and continuing the rest of the way up the mountain would put us in a realy time-crunch. Plus I was really f-ing scared of going and further.

I'd like to think if we'd had more time I would have made it to the top, but who can say? We took some pics and then headed back down the mountain. I hope that someday I can make it back to Camelback and get all the way to the top. For now, these views were the best part of this trip for me.

Always reppin' KC.

Trips like these are the reason I set a goal of running a marathon in every state. Exploring this country and experiencing all that each state has to offer (especially with Drew!) is the best part of this journey. 

Now we just have to figure out where to go for state 18...

Marshall University Marathon

West Virginia was State #16 in my 50 states marathon quest. Slowly but surely, we're checking them off!

#16 was a good one. Not only did I set a new PR, but I took second place in the whole dang thing. This will probably never happen again in the next 34 states, so I'm going to take a moment and let it soak in. 

We road tripped to West Virginia, which turned out to be a much longer drive than we anticipated. But never fear, we made it fun. After school on Friday we drove to St. Louis and stayed in an Air B&B... which happened to be double-booked. We enjoyed a tiny bit of time in St. Louis and then headed out the next morning for Huntington WV. 

Our travels took us through Louisville Kentucky where we stopped for lunch. While eating at the bar, we learned from a fellow one seat over that we were on the "meth trail" and it probably wasn't a good idea to stop at any rest areas. Good information. #dangerahead

We barely made it to Huntington before the expo & packet pick-up was over. Thank goodness we did! The Marshall University Marathon gives the best SWAG! Seriously, I have never received so many useful goodies from a race.

I look like I actually went to Marshall!

Race morning was cold, but the day promised perfect racing conditions. I'd worked my ass off during training and I was ready to run. The course was a loop, so the half marathoners ran the loop once, and the full marathoners ran it twice. My goal was a 3:20, so I found the 1:40 half-marathon pacer and stuck with him for the first loop. He was an awesome pacer. I felt comfortable and strong throughout the first half of the race. I was so sad to say goodbye and worried about holding the pace on my own.

Once I was on to the second loop, I was pretty alone for a bit. It was a mental struggle trying to keep up the pace without anyone around. However, once I reached more populated areas where there were spectators, I heard people start yelling to me, "Your the second female!" Holy cow, I cannot tell you how energizing that was! My pace and motivation were instantly back on track!

I kept hoping/wishing/praying that I could catch the girl in front of me... thinking I could win this thing! However... I also needed a porta-potty. I didn't want to stop, fearing I'd lose my chance to win, or be passed by the girl in third. Finally, around mile 18 when a lady shouted that I was the second female, I shouted back, "How far ahead is she?!?!" When the response was, "about 10 minutes", I decided it was okay to take a bathroom break.

Once I was back on the road, I again wavered with my motivation. I was tired. But I think this is the most mentally strong I've ever been in a race. I kept telling myself that it was okay to be tired, but that didn't mean I had to slow down. Around mile 22 I was passed by two guys who made a comment about how they'd been chasing me for miles. I decided to latch on to them and try to keep up with the quicker pace. I followed them and stayed right behind for another 3 miles. I was tired and hurting and couldn't keep up the pace. Again, I wasn't feeling defeated. I just kept up the positive self-talk and pushed the pace as hard as I could.

The final mile of the race runs through Marshall University. Students lined the course and handed out green and white carnations to runners to drop on the memorial of the plane crash that killed their entire football team. It was an extremely emotional and unique aspect of the race. This is why I love small races, they always have a way of putting a stamp on the course.

As I neared the football stadium, I looked down at my watch and realized I was so close to my goal. I hit the accelerator and gave everything I had in those last yards. We entered the stadium and I was handed a football to carry across the finish line. Again, such a unique experience.

I heard my name called, and looked down at my watch. 3:20:35. I damn near cried.

I accepted my medal, grabbed a water, and made my way for the finish line shoot to wait for Britt to come in. It isn't very often that I get to be the one cheering her on at the finish. All it took was two bowel obstruction surgeries in the last 6 months to slow her down enough so I could come in ahead. Have I mentioned how tough Britt is? :)

Watching her finish that marathon was one of the greatest moments! Her smile and joy as she ran toward the finish-line was amazing. The girl's love for running is infectious!

When I told Britt that I took second place, she immediately suggested we go find my prize. I hadn't even thought about a prize! We found the race director who gave me this vase! I was so excited. Then he suggested I go to the beer tent and have them fill it with beer. OMG. That would be amazing. It never actually happened, but I like the thought of it still.

Holy crap I won a vase!

Since I've never won anything at a race before, I was pretty jazzed about this vase that I assumed came from the dollar store. It turns out though, the vases are hand-blown glass made in West Virginia. Even cooler, I guess.

Race bling.

Can you tell I'm excited???

I just love this lady.:)

The rest of the day was spent doing what we do... eating, drinking, and making friends. The following day we drove all the way back to Kansas City. I am insanely grateful for this sport, for my friend, and for the many memories we make along the way.

In thinking about my race preparation, I credit the mental prep just as much as I do the physical part. I continuously coached myself on the fact that to reach my goal, I was going to have to suffer a bit. At some point I found this quote from the ever-inspiring Kara Goucher. Every time I look at this picture, I get goosebumps. 

I actually made it the wallpaper on my phone. In the weeks leading up to the race, every time I would turn on my phone, I'd give myself a tiny pep talk. I printed the photo, not intending to do anything with it. But I ended up carrying it with me throughout the entire race. The words "you will not fail" rang so strong in my head. I am so grateful for the spirit of Kara Goucher guiding me through what was my greatest race.