Three years ago, Wendy Thomas placed 11th in the Bolder Boulder citizen race. Later that day, with the crowd at Folsom Field on its feet and cheering wildly, she watched as the elite women finish the race.
The moment struck something deep inside her. She vowed to be there someday, running among the world's best.
On Monday, Thomas (Boulder Running Company/Adidas) will make good on her word. She'll run as part of the three-member Team Colorado in the popular 10K.
Thomas, who grew up in Colorado Springs and attended St. Mary's High School (she was Wendy Moyle then) where she played on a state championship volleyball team. She started running four years ago after giving birth to her second child. The plan was to lose some weight. But she got faster with every race. After Bolder Boulder, she'll attempt to qualify for the Olympic Trials in the 10,000-meter run.