Twilighter Weekend Wrap Up

On a picture perfect evening on Saturday night at the Twilighter - I had a big agenda. You see, the Twilighter, has been home to two of my worst racing experiences ever a few years ago. I honestly had tried to stay positive and focus on how much fun this race would be. As I arrived in Rockville, everyone was out in full force. Kids, families, and I saw plenty of familiar faces and the buzz of the racing scene returned and adrenaline was definitely pumping.

It was a busy day at work and my legs felt it on the warm-up. I hadn't been this tight all summer. I'm not sure what it was, but as I warmed up with the GRC crew I tried to relax. In the invited runner's room - I took plenty of time to stretch, hydrate, and tried to loosen up. I was still tight and felt it throughout the whole race. I felt strong physically and was focused mentally. I just couldn't move up throughout the race and finished in 29:02. (it didn't take me 30 seconds to get to the starting line, so I'm not sure what's up with my time on the net)

While I didn't have a the performance I was looking for - my GRC teammates killed it on the course. Everyone was flying and I was really pleased with the efforts of my high school kids who ran in the 8k. Despite my disappointing run, I now love this race. A great high school coach in Southern Illinois once told me something that I'll never forget after a tough race I had - "Nathan, there will always be another race." So, on Sunday - I slept 10 hours and took my first day off in a while. I heard a great message at church that evening that I resonated well with and kept my focus on what really matters. This morning, I slept in once again and ran 14 + with Mark on the canal. My legs and back felt strong again. Amazing what a day off can do.

Looking forward to the my first experience at the Crystal City Twilighter 5K on Saturday night. I'll need some speed for this one for sure:)