Bill Mitchell 5K
Run 4 Women
I was pretty pumped to support my friend Rosetta in this race. This is a run to support breast cancer survivors and those currently battling. Local Olympian and breast cancer survivor Kikkan Randall was also out on the course. There is an overall feeling of Alaskan pride and support in this race. It seems that every female in the local running community who is home comes out to support this female only race. My run started out really slow, I couldn't keep up with my friend Emily. Once we crossed through downtown and hit the coastal trail I seemed to find my stride. A big boost of power when I saw Kikkan running back out on the trail as I rounded the corner for the track. This is just a really fun well supported 5 mile course. It was a gorgeous day with great running weather too. I am so proud of Rosetta for getting back out there so quickly. |
Why Not Tri
Triathlon number 2 of the year. On deck and still nervous about pulling myself out of the pool after the swim. The Wasilla pool has recently undergone a renovation though and we start/end in the shallow end so the take out from this pool is quite easy and smooth. A much smaller race so it wasn't quite as hard to find my bike in T1. I knew that my friend Kelly was out on the bike course ahead of me so I made it a goal to try to catch up with her. Unfortunately, I didn't have my bike in the right gear and threw my chain off as soon as I left T1. I didn't think I was going to get it back on. I attempted to flag the bike maintenance crew down but they didn't notice me. Finally I got it back on but I definitely lost some time. I tried not to be deterred that on the first hill there were runners going up the hill at the same speed that I was going up...on my bike. There are some good rolling hills but I managed to take them all on my bike and caught Kelly just before we made it back to school. T2 went smoothly and I chatted a bit with Kelly before heading out on the run. I definitely need to incorporate more BRICK work as that bike to run transition was ugly. Much to my delight though, about halfway through the run you reach the high point in the course and then go sailing down hill. It felt good to stretch the legs out and fall into stride. I finished feeling wiped out but confident. Lots to learn but I will be back to try again. I stuck around and watched/helped with some of the kids triathlon. I definitely felt better than at the Why Not Tri and enjoyed the course. Getting stronger all the time. I did this race the first year they had it but the course was completely different so I can't really compare. |
Solstice 4 Miler
Mayor's Half Marathon
I was pleasantly surprised by this race although I can say I am not a super big fan of the race course. If you are coming to Alaska, to get your 50th race there are other races that I prefer. This course starts out on the Delaney Park strip and then winds down to the Coastal Trail. The section along the coastal trail is my favorite and you can easily distract yourself looking out across the sound. The trail is narrow and crowded so it is difficult to find your stride for the first few miles. You leave the trail around the 4 mile mark after running up the hill and to the road that goes behind the airport. Here the course has some long rolling hills and is rather open as you approach the halfway point you descend a hill and then cut through the woods. Take advantage of the volunteers who will spray you down with bug spray as the mosquitoes abound in the woods. The trail through the woods is rutted and a little intimidating if you are a road runner. When you finally break out on the other side you are on the Coastal Trail again. There were several piles of bear feces in the middle of the trail in this shady section. In this section I ran into my friend Brandolyn who had twisted her ankle on the trail portion. You then follow the coastal trail back before exiting at the lagoon and heading up hill and across the grass back to Delaney Park. Uphill finishes seem to abound in Alaska. I would do this race again, so that I can reach my goal of 50 during my 50th year but it's not my favorite. My friend Shannon was surprised by the hills too but ran a great race. |