Kudos All Around!

A couple of nice year end recognitions came out recently. First, USA's 100km World Championship team's were given the number eight spot on the list of 10 Best Moments for U.S. Distance Running in 2011. Sure they lumped all the great performances from Worlds together, but still, a shout out to ultrarunning! Trail running got a little love, too, with Max King and Kasie Enman's performances at the World Mountain Running Championships tying for tenth.

Ultrarunner of the Year results are old news by now. Congrats to Dave Mackey and Ellie Greenwood for their incredible seasons. I am totally psyched to be #8 on the list. My motivation for running certainly isn't prizes or external validation, but it is nice to be recognized for a good year and a lot of hard work. And it is an honor to be included with so many amazing women. Many of the other women on the list are my heroes. And I love that my #8 match up on the men's list was Hal Koerner, my inspiration at Bandera. 

The Cascade Half Marathon in nearby Turner, OR was featured on USAToday in Sports. Nice PR for a small town country bumpkin kind of race. Mac braved the snow and wind to set a new PR of 1:42! Nice work, sweetie!

On your mark, get set...SNOW!

Next, a big shout out to my friend and pacer from Western States, Denise Bourassa, who is a total bad ass! This weekend she finished the grueling HURT 100 despite course vandalism that cost her 40 minutes and some serious foot/blister issues. Despite all that she perservered and came in 3rd female. Forget Hal... that's inspiration!

Done HURTing!

And last, but certainly not least...My daughter Megan got her shirt for the 100 Mile Club today. Mac started a chapter of the 100 Mile Club at Rosedale Elementary this year and has 23 kids signed up. Six of them are over 25 miles for the year and got their shirt today. Megan is actually at 37 miles so she should be checking off the 50 mile box soon. She is more stubborn and determined than me, so I have a lot of faith in her than she will make it to 100 miles and get her gold medal. Then we'll have two hundred milers in the family! ;)

Proud 100-miler-to-be!

Mac checks off the 25 mile box!