Today was a GREAT day for female distance running... across the country and the world, female American distance runners kicked butt! I'm sure many of you have already seen the results, but for those who haven't...
--The US women took the team bronze medal at the World XC Championships in Punta Umbria, Spain today, with Shalane Flanagan leading the way with an individual bronze medal.
--In New York, at the NYC Half Marathon, Kara Goucher ran 1:09:03 for 3rd place (top American finisher) after giving birth to her son only 6 months ago!
--In her debut marathon, Amy Hastings ran 2:27:03 at the LA Marathon, showing herself to be a real contender at this distance for the 2012 Olympic Trials.
--Closer to home, the New Balance Silicon Valley women won the team competition for the Emerald Across the Bay 12K, and other NBSV teammates PRed at various distances this weekend! Yay team!
All in all, this weekend proved to be a great one for distance running fans :) I sure enjoyed reading race results and Twitter updates throughout the day.
As for this distance runner, today consisted of warm cups of coffee, a good book, and cuddling with my kitty while waiting for a break in the rain. Thankfully, my patience paid off and my afternoon 13-miler was done completely rain-free! I was lucky enough to have my mom accompany me on her bike, providing gossip and conversation to keep me going throughout the long run :) Thanks Mom!
Tomorrow is the start of a busy week -- at 7 am I begin my new position as a volunteer assistant coach with the University of San Francisco track team! I'm soooo excited :) Last weekend I got to catch up with Helen Lehman-Winters, the head coach at USF; she had recruited me back in high school, and although I ultimately ended up staying close to home and attending UCD, we've maintained a good relationship. We got to talking, and now that I've settled into my life in San Francisco, it seemed like a great time for me to start volunteering at USF. I'm really looking forward to being part of a college team and hopefully providing some guidance to the women's program. I'll be out at practice 2 mornings a week -- can't wait to join this talented program! Go Dons!
