Provo and Bozeman

Our 2nd race of the year was in Provo on September 6th. Our coach thought we'd try something new- everyone running together for the first 1.5 miles of the 5 mile race. Unfortunately, with so many teams crammed into the starting chute, we quickly all separated from one another.

I took the 1st mile out really slow so I wouldn't have a week 1 repeat of dying in the race. I sped up as I went, finishing strong, and felt good about the race (finished 10th on my team.) I was so happy to have my parents, Dani, and my high school coach there to cheer me on. I really loved their support!

Race #3 of the season was an 8K (5 miles) held in Bozeman, Montana. It was a fun road trip for our team- we stopped multiple times on our way to the race in Yellowstone Park to see wildlife and geysers...The race was Sat 9/20 at a golf course. I'm so proud of my team's performance! We finished 2nd overall of 15 teams, beating Wyoming and Montana State who were ranked ahead of us in the regional polls. Heavenly Father truly blessed me that race, as I was able to PR with a 25:59 and finish in the top 30 overall. I'm so thankful for His help in my life.

Next up we have the Notre Dame Invitational on Friday in South Bend! I'm so excited and know that our team will perform well!

Let the season begin!

We had our first race of the season on Saturday! We raced at home on our course at the American West Heritage Center. The race was 4 miles long. Unfortunately our team lost to Weber State and I was only 11th on my team and 22nd overall. Despite that and my time of 21:44 I was happy to have finished my first cross-country race since my freshman season in '04. I may not be in great shape with much of a base under me but at least I'm healthy right. Baby steps...

Next up is the race @ BYU on Saturday at 9am. We don't get to run on the golf course this year but actually we will be doing laps on the grass around the outdoor track. It will be a 5 mile race (8K) so just a bit longer. I love being "in season!" It makes running so much more worth it!