I can’t believe my first race, as Mighty Marmot is complete. The Garden of the Gods 10-Mile Run was hard, hot, and beautiful all at the same time. The hills and pavement left me sore for a few days, but I wore my somewhat limp as a badge of honor because it gave me a reason to mention why I had a limp. Which of course was because I completed the Garden of the Gods run under my estimated time of 1:45. I ran a 1:38!

One of things I thought was really special about this race was the comradery.  Not only did I have my fellow Mighty Marmot teammates cheering me on, but even the previous Mighty Marmot teammates running the course were cheering for me too! Also, fans and complete strangers along the course were cheering on the Mighty Marmots, which made the race even more special. For the first time since I moved out here, it was nice to have people there cheering me on helping to push me through the painful hills, because my family is all on the East Coast.

I will start more trail running ASAP for the Summer Round Up Trail Run on July 12^th. But first I am going home for a few days to visit family and to go the beach. I can’t wait to get my running shoes sandy again, and to run at sea level! I am curious to see how fast and far I will run on the beach without any hills or altitude to get in the way.

Thanks again for all your support, and for following me through this awesome journey.