The title of this post pretty much says it all, so I'll get right into things...
--25 laps
The week and a half since the Payton Jordan 10K has been super busy, so I've neglected to write a post-race recap until now. Long story short, I didn't run the time I was hoping for, but I did run a season best of 34:11, just 10 seconds off my PR. While I'm disappointed to not hit a USA Nationals qualifying standard, I'm really pleased with the mental outlook I maintained throughout the race. I went through 5K in 16:45, on pace for a big PR but hanging onto the pack for dear life. Unfortunately the going got a little rough in the 2nd half and after hitting a few 85-second laps, the qualifying time slipped away. Still, I stayed mentally strong even when I knew 33:50 was no longer in reach - there were no pity parties, no negative thoughts, no giving up. I ran a 78-second last lap, going for broke and finishing with pride. What got me across the finish line? All the friends, family, and teammates who hung around the Stanford track til 11:45 pm to cheer me on. If you watch the Flotrack video of the race (http://bit.ly/m5t9QK), you can hear lots of "Go Kaitlin!" cheers - I'm proud to say I had the biggest cheering section :) Not a lap went by without encouraging words and cheers of support. MANY, MANY THANKS to everyone who was there to root for me, it meant the world to me.
Moving on from the 10K, I spent last week recovering and getting back in the groove. If you've ever raced a 10K on the track, you know it leaves you feeling like you've been hit by a bus/feeling hungover/wishing you could sleep for days. Thankfully, my wonderful boss let me take Monday off to rest up, so I spent most of the day in bed (minus a trip out to the local coffee shop to treat myself to a much-deserved, delicious, buttery, scrumptious scone!). After some easy runs and cross-training, I'm back to normal training. I've put in 2 solid workouts since the race and am looking forward to running in the elite field at the 100th Bay to Breakers race here in SF on Sunday!
--An inspiring coach
I'm so proud and excited to share that my coach/dad, Bill Gregg, has been selected as one of 10 finalists from across the country for the Brooks Most Inspiring Coaches Award (http://bit.ly/ik6NXD). The award recognizes high school xc/track coaches who are truly inspirational to the athletes they coach. My dad got the news today and was so shocked when he got the phone call - he had no clue that numerous former Davis High School athletes and I had nominated him! He was incredibly moved by everyone's gesture.
I'm so proud of him - he has taught me to run joyfully (hence the name of my blog, "Running Joyfully"); with constant love and support, he has inspired me to pursue my running dreams. Many thanks to all who took the time to nominate him (nominations included two 500-word essays!).
As one of the 10 finalists, Bill and Davis High XC will receive:
--$5,000 in Brooks running shoes, apparel, and accessories for the team
--$500 cash for team expenses
--Membership in the Brooks Inspire Daily (I.D.) program for 2011
Also, he will go on an all-expenses paid 4-day trip to Seattle (the Brooks headquarters) at the end of June to meet the 9 other finalists. An official announcement about the 10 finalists will be released from Brooks in the coming weeks, and he'll find out in late June/early July if he is the overall winner! I'm so proud of my coach/dad :)
--25 laps
The week and a half since the Payton Jordan 10K has been super busy, so I've neglected to write a post-race recap until now. Long story short, I didn't run the time I was hoping for, but I did run a season best of 34:11, just 10 seconds off my PR. While I'm disappointed to not hit a USA Nationals qualifying standard, I'm really pleased with the mental outlook I maintained throughout the race. I went through 5K in 16:45, on pace for a big PR but hanging onto the pack for dear life. Unfortunately the going got a little rough in the 2nd half and after hitting a few 85-second laps, the qualifying time slipped away. Still, I stayed mentally strong even when I knew 33:50 was no longer in reach - there were no pity parties, no negative thoughts, no giving up. I ran a 78-second last lap, going for broke and finishing with pride. What got me across the finish line? All the friends, family, and teammates who hung around the Stanford track til 11:45 pm to cheer me on. If you watch the Flotrack video of the race (http://bit.ly/m5t9QK), you can hear lots of "Go Kaitlin!" cheers - I'm proud to say I had the biggest cheering section :) Not a lap went by without encouraging words and cheers of support. MANY, MANY THANKS to everyone who was there to root for me, it meant the world to me.
Moving on from the 10K, I spent last week recovering and getting back in the groove. If you've ever raced a 10K on the track, you know it leaves you feeling like you've been hit by a bus/feeling hungover/wishing you could sleep for days. Thankfully, my wonderful boss let me take Monday off to rest up, so I spent most of the day in bed (minus a trip out to the local coffee shop to treat myself to a much-deserved, delicious, buttery, scrumptious scone!). After some easy runs and cross-training, I'm back to normal training. I've put in 2 solid workouts since the race and am looking forward to running in the elite field at the 100th Bay to Breakers race here in SF on Sunday!
--An inspiring coach
I'm so proud and excited to share that my coach/dad, Bill Gregg, has been selected as one of 10 finalists from across the country for the Brooks Most Inspiring Coaches Award (http://bit.ly/ik6NXD). The award recognizes high school xc/track coaches who are truly inspirational to the athletes they coach. My dad got the news today and was so shocked when he got the phone call - he had no clue that numerous former Davis High School athletes and I had nominated him! He was incredibly moved by everyone's gesture.
I'm so proud of him - he has taught me to run joyfully (hence the name of my blog, "Running Joyfully"); with constant love and support, he has inspired me to pursue my running dreams. Many thanks to all who took the time to nominate him (nominations included two 500-word essays!).
As one of the 10 finalists, Bill and Davis High XC will receive:
--$5,000 in Brooks running shoes, apparel, and accessories for the team
--$500 cash for team expenses
--Membership in the Brooks Inspire Daily (I.D.) program for 2011
Also, he will go on an all-expenses paid 4-day trip to Seattle (the Brooks headquarters) at the end of June to meet the 9 other finalists. An official announcement about the 10 finalists will be released from Brooks in the coming weeks, and he'll find out in late June/early July if he is the overall winner! I'm so proud of my coach/dad :)
--A good laugh
A former UCD track teammates shared this link with me, and I got such a kick out of it I had to share it on my blog. It's a compilation of ads from an Adidas ad campaign titled, "Runners - Yeah, we're different." Check out the link for some good laughs! Thanks for sharing, Chelsea! http://chayden.net/Runs/Adidas/index.htm
A former UCD track teammates shared this link with me, and I got such a kick out of it I had to share it on my blog. It's a compilation of ads from an Adidas ad campaign titled, "Runners - Yeah, we're different." Check out the link for some good laughs! Thanks for sharing, Chelsea! http://chayden.net/Runs/Adidas/index.htm
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| Yes, I've done this, haha |
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| Shout-out to San Francisco hills, baby! |
Until next time, run joyfully!
-Kaitlin