Miwok 100K (CA) -
And a top 10 finish while I'm at it. I don't ask for much. Kami Semick won this race the past 2 years. 2008 was the muddy year and I can't recall what her time was but last year she was just over 9 hours. Incredible. But then she is in a different class. Representing the US on the 100K team and running some amazing times at 42 years of age no less.
Well, I might, er, be revising that slightly... I'll be happy with 11:30 and really don't even want to suggest where I will place.
It's been a rough few weeks of travel, work, bad eating and little exercise. I was feeling pretty miserable with my (lack of) race prep and was on the fence about the race - not even booking hotel accomodation until yesterday. But then last Sunday I went for a run from my Mum's house up around Carrowkeel on some of the same trails I'd run when home in March. Man, it was beautiful. I took a different trail, following the hill walking signs, running along in the blissful silence, bog on either side, Lough Gara far off to the right and Lough Arrow to the left, beyond the Curlew Mountains (hills really...). Sheeps and baby lambs for company. I knew there and then I was absolutely getting on the plane to SF tomorrow morning. Assuming, that is, I get packed sometime in the next 6 hours...
Whatever the outcome, it promises to be a beautiful day out. I'm lucky to have gotten a lottery spot and am looking forward to running in the California spring weather, meeting new people, and discovering new trail... all the while being perfectly at home :)
