It's been a week and a half since the 10k at Stanford Invite, which unfortunately didn't result in the A standard that I'd hoped for. My time of 34:22 wasn't the fast time I wanted and I'd be lying to say I wasn't a little bummed about the outcome. But the race wasn't a total loss - it was definitely a learning experience and some good things came out of it. Can I do some things better next time? Absolutely. Do I wish things had played out differently? For sure. But you can't win them all, and when things don't go your way, you've got to be able to find the silver lining despite all the negative.

The positive I'm taking away from this race is Mile 4. When the pack I was leading came through 5k too slow (16:55), instead of mentally throwing in the towel, I attacked the back half of the race, running some 79s and 80s in the hope of negative-splitting and still having a shot at the A standard. Eventually, pulling the chase pack started to catch up with me and I faded in the last two miles; but I feel like I gave 33:40 a worthwhile attempt. Looking back, I'm able to find a couple takeaways from the race that will benefit me down the road, when I give the A standard another shot in a few weeks at Payton Jordan.

What a 10k in spikes will do to your foot -- OW!

After the race, I hung out in Palo Alto for Day 2 of the Stanford Invite, doing my recovery run with Stanford friends, rooting for the USF mid-distance gals racing the 800, and cheering for my dad's DHS athletes in the high school meet. Although the meet was rainy and wet, it was great to catch up with running friends from across the country!

I'd be remiss if I didn't give a shout-out to all the friends, family, and teammates (old and new!) who came to watch the 10k, cheered me on for 25 laps, and sent messages of encouragement before and after the race. You are an AMAZING support system and I couldn't pursue this running dream without you! Thank you!

Since the 10k, it's been back to basics for me -- focusing on getting in solid training, sleeping enough, eating well, and building strength. And somewhere in between my 75 mile week, work, and coaching, I've been having some fun too!