A is for A new PR... B is for Olympic Trials B Standard!

Last week in Palo Alto I raced the 10k at the Stanford Invitation. Like I'd said in my prerace blog on Flotrack, I was chasing a new number - a number that would define me as a runner, a time hopefully fast enough to earn my way to Eugene in June.

 

I'm thrilled to report that after over a year of hard work and countless miles, my new number is 33:16 -- a 45 second PR, 44 seconds under the Olympic Trials B Standard, and currently 15th in the country for 2012! Happy does not even BEGIN to describe my emotions in the week since the race :-)

I'm obviously over the moon about this big PR - the look on my race after the race captures my emotions perfectly (thanks photographer Mom!).

And while the days since the race and all the congratulatory messages have been wonderful, what's really important is not what's happened since I crossed the finish line, but days, weeks, and months leading up to the race.  What's important are the people who helped me get to the starting line - so I dedicate this blog post to all of YOU! THANK YOU for being such an integral part of my running success!

First, thank you to my coach, who is none other than my good old dad! Dad, you've taken a 34:00 minute 10k runner and turned her into an Olympic Trials qualifier - you continue to work your coaching magic, like you have for so many years with so many athletes. Not only do you write masterful workouts, but more importantly you listen - you allow me the space to speak freely and communicate openly about my training. You've brought the joy back to my running, and for that I'm eternally grateful!

 

Thanks to my family, for believing in me and supporting me in this nontraditional career path. Not all families are supportive of dreams like mine - I know I'm lucky to have such encouraging family members who understand my crazy running addiction! Mom, Brendan, Kallie, Bryce, Grannie & Granddad, Aunt Sue, Uncle Rich - thanks for making the trip to Stanford to cheer me on for all 25 laps! Family, you're the BEST!

Grannie and Granddad, braving the chilly night to watch the races at Stanford!

Aunt Sue, who made the trip all the way from Fresno to cheer me and Brendan on!

The BEST siblings in the world!

Thanks to Avi (who I just might love even more than running!), for being by my side through the good times and especially the bad. When I've wanted to give up on this dream and throw in the towel, you encourage me and help me find my confidence again. From the meals you have ready to eat after a long run, to the calf massages after a track workout, to patiently listening to me tell you each and every split from my workout, you are the best boyfriend a running gal could ask for - I <3 you!

Thanks to my team, New Balance Silicon Valley, and Dena Evans, our coach/manager/agent/friend/team mom! The support of NBSV, the Apercen Olympic Development Program, and our community partners allow me to travel to competitions, stay injury-free, and receive the training support I need. Dena, you're the one who makes this all possible - what an incredible elite training group you've built! Thank you for your contagious passion and enthusiasm for the sport, and for reminding me to dream bigger than I thought possible.

Thanks to my teammates - you're SO much more than training partners - you're my best friends! Tuesday night practices with you all are the highlight of my week. You're all awesome people doing awesome things both on and off the track, and you inspire me each day with your running and non-running endeavors :) Go NBSV!

Finally, a HUGE thank you and a million appreciations to my friends, former teammates, relatives, coworkers, Twitter followers, and YOU, my blog readers! All your messages of support, good luck wishes, and post-race congratulations mean the world to me! When the going got tough in the middle of the 10k (and believe me, it did!), I thought of all the people believing in me, and your faith in me helped me regain confidence in myself. With such a big cheering section, how could I NOT run well? Thank you everyone, so much!

Instead of giving you a play by play of the race, I'll direct you to the race video, courtesy of Flotrack. You can watch the race here and check out my post-race interview below:

Watch more video of 2012 Stanford Invitational on flotrack.org

Thanks again for everyone's wonderful support! While my 33:16 is a provisional qualifying time for the Olympic Trials (and in years past would have been fast enough to go to the Trials), only 24 women get to toe the line in Eugene. I think it will take a faster time to secure a spot at the Trials in June, so next up for me is another crack at the 10k at Payton Jordan at the end of the month! Sub 33, here I come!

March Madness - Gate River Run Recap and Johnny Mathis 1500

I've been struggling all month to find inspiration to update this blog... I thought my writer's block was just because I've been busy with work, training, and racing... but if I'm being honest with myself, I think the reason I've been avoiding writing is that I'm nervous.

I'm 1 week out from the Stanford Invitational, the most important race I've run in many months. Next Friday, April 6th, I'll be chasing a fast time in the 10k in the hopes of running myself to a top 24 time on the national descending order list - which will hopefully earn me an Olympic Trials qualifying spot come June. Yep, I'm a little nervous!

At any rate, inspiration to write finally struck last night while running through Golden Gate Park, headphones blasting and feet carrying me swiftly through the wooded trails. My pre-race blog will be up on the running website Flotrack next week, so check it out there sometime before the race! In the meantime, here's a recap (finally!) of what I've been up to the past month:

Gate River Run

Earlier in March I raced my first 15k at the US 15k Road Championships at the Gate River Run in Jacksonville, Florida. While the race was a great experience, my time and place -- 16th place in 54:11 -- left something to be desired. I ran most of the race alone, traversing the neighborhoods of Jacksonville by myself as the women's field strung out. As part of the race equalizer, the elite women had a 7 minute head start over the men's field; the men then chased us over the 9.3 mile course, competing for the honor of 1st across the finish line as they tried to run down the top woman (*the women triumphed - Janet Cheroban-Bawcom won!). While this race set-up makes for great competition among the genders and added fanfare for spectators, it also means that instead of duking it out with mid-pack men, the elite women often run alone.

Running alone, I struggled against strong headwinds, occasionally lapsing out of race pace and into tempo pace. I wish I'd been more aggressive in the early miles and had tried to run with the pack of Team USA Minnesota women instead of running in no man's land, where it was hard to push myself. Of course, hindsight is 20-20, but I still have a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth, wondering what could have been... Despite my regrets, I'm learning from this race. I know what I'll do differently next year and I look forward to racing there in 2013!

Final meters, trying to hold off some men (I did!) :-)

The monstrous bridge we had to cross at the end of the race. As you can see by my time, it thoroughly kicked my butt!

Although all three NBSV runners who competed at Gate River - Kate, Catha, and myself - wished we'd had better races, New Balance Silicon Valley still finished a respectable 3rd place in the team competition, taking home some prize money. More importantly, we had a great trip together! I feel so lucky to get to train, travel, and compete with such inspirational, talented women :-)

New Balance Silicon Valley - 3rd place women's team

LOVE my teammates!

San Francisco State - Johnny Mathis Invitational

Back home in SF, I had a much better race last weekend at the Johnny Mathis Invite at San Francisco State. In drenching rain and in spite of meet delays, I ran a PR in the 1500, finishing 4:27.62. The race played out perfectly, with two of the USF athletes I help coach assisting with pacing duties. Sophie and Maor brought the group through 800 meters spot on at 2:22 (thanks ladies!!).

USF senior Nicole Bowler and my teammate Catha battled it out for the top two spots while I held on for 3rd. I'm really happy with my run - it was a 5 second PR and a great way to begin the outdoor track season!

It's crazy that the outdoor season is already upon us - this next month is sure to fly by! April is make-it-or-break-it month, where athletes will try to post fast times at Stanford Invite, Mt. SAC, and Payton Jordan as we all vie for a spot on the line at the Olympic Trials in June.

As I take my first shot at the 10k next week, look for my pre-race blog on Flotrack! Until then, run joyfully!