Race The Planes 5k 27 Aug-The "bonus" race

 

Well, this race got moved to two weeks later this year, so I would miss it by a day because I had to fly back to work the day before....or so I thought. The jet could not land in Bethel because the fog was too thick! I was grateful that we turned back to Anchorage because getting stuck in Bethel (no planes were flying to villages because of the weather) is an expensive nightmare. I got to go home another three days since the flights back to Bethel were all booked! So, exhausted from the early getting up and chasing to and from Bethel the day before, I managed a slow win! Here is the interview on TV. Many of my students and parents saw it :D You know what they say-it's not over til the fat lady sings! So, I got one more in before the official end to the summer racing season.

https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2023/08/28/race-planes-5k-draws-over-100-runners/

This race also has the best bbq after!

Run Fest 49K 20 August

 I have been too busy too keep up posting :) This one goes in as one of the top highlights of the season. Official win number 8 for this event with my first one being back in 97! I have only ever missed this event that has been renamed over the years(Humpy's Marathon, Big Wildlife, and now Anchorage Run Fest) if I was either in Russia or in Tuluksak because school had already started. With the new calendar and being completely off from the beginning of May until roughly Labor Day weekend, I can now do this race again.

As for top accomplishments this year,  I would have to say the win in the 49 K, the win at Russian masters NCs, and Arctic Valley are up there. It's been a heck of a season. I had the win by nearly an hour this time, but was about a minute off my 2015 course record. I ran solo pretty much the whole way with nobody to push me. There was a guy who ran with me a little as we headed out the first 20km to Kincaid, ut he decided to pass after 8k. He was already a few minutes up at the Kincaid Hill turnaround. At  25 K I ended up passing him and continued alone the rest of the day. Leonid caught me at 30k/Westchester Lagoon on the bike after finishing 6th in the 5k. He grabbed the bike and crewed for me the rest of the way. I am not getting any younger, and do not take any of these wins for granted. It has been TWENTY SIX years since my first win! That's A LOT of history! 

heading back just after 40k

                                                        

Almost 20 years to the day-I spent the summer in Russia then came back for the win. It was one of my slowest because I arrived about 12 hours before the start because of delays from the NYC power outage. History repeated itself 20 years later but minus the last minute arrival ;)

                                                And that original article I found in my Moscow flat this summer!

                                                                And the link to this year's!

                                            https://www.adn.com/sports/2023/08/22/anchorage-runfest-draws-more-than-1000-runners-to-two-day-event/

Chris Walden Hilltop 5k Mountain Run

 This was a really fun course! It looks so different in the summer. This is my winter playground where I like to snowboard! This was a HILLY 5k with about 400m of cumulative gain. The course was tough but for me it was easier than Arctic Valley. The soft surface keeps your legs from getting beat up too. The first 1500 runs on the trails at the bottom and I just sandbagged this part intentionally and ran in 4th place knowing I'd go to work on the climbs. That's just what I did, halfway into the first climb, I had worked my way up and just had to not get caught on the downhills. I'm a better climber than descender believe it or not. Climbing is fun :) At the top heading into the final descent, I had a decent lead but just had to haul ass to the bottom and not get caught. I managed to pull that off for the win and I would definitely do this one again next year. It's a super fun course. Up and down up and down repeat.... It's for a good cause too- treatment for substance abuse.

Alaska Distance Classic 5 and 10k 6August

Well- this was a surprise. I got back from Moscow a couple weeks earlier and continued training as planned. I like to do this one as a good tempo workout should I decide to do longer races later in the year. It's also fun :) Run the 5k, then come back and about 20 minutes later do the 10. If you double, your time gets added up and the winner is determined by best time. I also like that it's clearly stated that top 3 are determined by ORDER OF FINISH. So, should you end up having to kick with someone at the end, first across the line gets the better finish spot. Isn't that what a RACE is? That's generally how it works in international competition and it's never questioned. Age groups sometimes get determined by chip time, but not the top overall. There are a few races that do this, but it then completely defeats the idea of good competitive racing if you are one of those top runners. If you are a top runner, you start up front with other top runners and you then typically run with that pack and sort yourselves out. This is one of the things I like about races in Russia- this is clearly stated in the rules. So, the person who breaks the tape at the finish never has to worry about someone they never even saw or ran with during the race who started say 30 seconds back on chip time "beating "them. I even remember when I had a top 100 elite start at the Chicago Marathon having to sign a form agreeing to this very rule. Chip times are usually used for people who are qualifying for something else (Boston, or some other standard).

This brings us to the 5k-no rest for the wicked. I had moved up to 3rd within the first 1500 and had to hold on which I managed to do. By the time the 10 came around, I was hoping I could hold on for a hafway decent race after a fast 5. I ended up 2nd overall in the 10. I had about a 25 second lead on the third woman after 4 k so decided to pick it up as much as I could in the second half. I was lucky to have a pack of guys to pull me along :) After I finished, I didn't see the next woman for a while so I thought hmmmm...I may have won the double since the winner of th 10 didn't do the 5. She's the HS state champion in the 1600 and 3200 and that would have been a close race with her had I not run the 5. Our times are close in the 5 mile and 10k. I like watching her run at the HS meets. She's got a lot of talent. 

So, after it sorted out, I did end up winning the double up by nearly three minutes! I think I'm the oldest fart to ever pull that off. I won it in 2019, but today was nearly four minutes faster overall! 

Totals-

3rd in the 5

2nd in the 10

masters winner in both

age group winner in both

and got a really nice new pair of NB comp trainers as part of the prize package!