Staying Positive!! :)

The past couple weeks I have had some major ups and downs, yet the only thing I can do is keep working hard and moving forward. One great day was last Saturday when I won the Tempe Skirt Chaser 5k for the third year in a row. I ran a pretty good time (17:05) while not racing completely all out. I felt strong and really liked the course this year, going over the Mill Ave Bridge, down Curry, and back to finish in the Tempe Beach Park. Red Rock Co. puts on some great events and the Skirt Chaser race is one that I plan to do every year if possible! It’s super fun to have a different type of race as well, where the women get a 3 minute head start on the men and whoever crosses the line first wins the cash and some other great goodies J

A difficult, yet smart decision that I had to make this week was to not race the marathon I had planned to do this coming weekend. My bone spur in my foot has flared up pretty bad again so I have opted to continue training and be ready for all the other important things I have coming up in March and beyond. I raced the Twin Cities Marathon last October with my injury and not being at full strength going into a marathon is never a very good idea, especially with this one because it wasn’t going to be an “A” race by any means. Mentally it’s very draining to try and prepare and get excited about 26.2 miles when you know that you are only going to do more damage to an existing injury. My long-term career is extremely important to me, so I have to continue to make smart decisions regarding racing. Although difficult, it makes me proud of myself that I can hold back and not put so much pressure on myself to race, simply because I had it on my schedule.

I have four important races coming up in March and all of them will challenge me in different ways. A great local race, the Run For Ryan House (http://www.ryanhouse.org/node/131) I am racing the half marathon on March 6^th up in DC Ranch in North Scottsdale. The race is for charity, the Ryan House, newly built up in DC Ranch. The house will be for children with illnesses and provide assistance and housing to the children and their families, in various ways. Read more about the house here: http://www.ryanhouse.org/about

I am very excited to be the “headline” athlete and race really hard for such a great local charity. I have personally met Ryan, his parents and his adorable dog, so I will be thinking about them while I am racing J

The next day, March 7^th, I am racing at the Firebird Triathlon here in Arizona. It’s a sprint distance, held out at Firebird raceway and I have never raced a sprint distance tri. I am excited to finally do a “rust-burner” triathlon after not racing in one for about 2.5 years. (WOW time flies!) I will feel so much better racing a tri before I go race my heart out at Oceanside 2 weeks later, especially because I can practice swimming in a wetsuit for the first time! I am so happy Oceanside won’t be my first time racing in a wetsuit. I look forward to getting my wetsuit from Triple Sports and have them help me pick out a great one with their incredible expertise!

March 21^st I have the great privilege of racing in the New York City Half Marathon. I am extremely excited to go to New York again. I have not visited in a long time and one of my great friends lives in the area as well. I raced the NYC marathon in 2008, and they put on a great event, and therefore I look forward to another wonderful experience and hopefully a new personal best in the half marathon. It used to be in the heat of August, and now in March I am sure it will provide a prime setting for a new PR. It will be fantastic to have my mom on the sidelines yelling for me and then afterward we can enjoy the city, delicious food and amaaaazing shopping! J

Last, but not least, I will race Oceanside on March 27^th. It’s an official Ironman 70.3 series event (70.3 is the total number of miles you swim, bike and run). I hope I race incredibly well and very strong. The time I am putting in on my new bike (see picture) J and the triathlon camp I am doing in Tucson from Feb 27^th-March 4^th will likely get my booty in awesome shape! I am working harder and harder in the pool as well, so I think all my swim, bike, run will come together well in Oceanside.