Today was a race for Sierrah Joughin. This race hit home on too many levels. I had to support it & be part of it. She was a local, young woman riding her bike on a country road... almost home... when she was purposely hit by a man on a motorcycle & knocked off of her bicycle. She was murdered & buried in a shallow grave in a cornfield. Her bike & other items were found where she was hit. There were signs of a struggle. I can't play the last few moments of her life in my mind without getting very upset. I imagine her fear & asking for help or mercy-- & I get emotional.  I wish I could have helped...

As a woman who runs solo, as a person who grew up in the country, as a neighbor, as a parent, as a fellow UT student... I HAD to be part of this. Jim came with me & we brought Lucy. The course was flat but extremely congested. I felt surprisingly good & ran by comfort level. I had a personally good race; but, as any runner knows, your best becomes a reason to work harder. I wasn't first, by any means; but my pace was an 8:06 average. A few years ago, I would have been super happy with this. Now, I'm looking to break 8 minute miles for a 5K. It's not out of reach. Am I happy with my performance, today? Yes and no... Without confirming all the official records, I believe this race may be equivalent to other current PR's. But records are meant to be broken... I'm ready to focus on speed now that cool weather is here.