IOWA!!! NUMBER 4

Iowa is beautiful! Yesterday, Brian and I drove the 5.5 hours to Grinnell, Iowa for a race and it was one farm after another for 4 hours. Jenn couldn't make it because she had to work, so it was time for the two of us and it was really nice. We found our hotel and 3 minutes away was the race start. I always like to do that...know where I'm going, navigate the area...We found a fantastic restaurant in this tiny little Iowa town called Relish, SOOOOO GOOOOD!!! I ate well, drank a ton of water and fell asleep at 10 and woke up at 1am and was pretty much awake. I was thinking about Indiana and hoping it wasn't another "ten levels of hell". I ate my oatmeal, banana, HEED and Larabar, loaded up with water and then went to pick up my packet and they couldn't find me, then they got it together and found me (they had Jenn, and she wasn't even there)! So, who ever coordinated this event, take note, 3 portapotties for 400 people is not enough!!! I ducked into a coffee shop and used there toilet and Brian bought coffee (it's a rule). I had looked at the map and knew that just north of town, right away the 5K people turn right and we go straight. Good thing I knew that because it was poorly marked and a bunch of people were confused. There were a couple of hills that were pretty long, but it was a largely flat course. It was a beautiful scenic old town center course that goes out into farm land pretty soon and then back into town. A double loop course and the first loop was tough because I was nervous and jiggy, but it got better on the second loop. There was this guy in black and I really just wanted to pass him, so at about 8 miles I pulled up along side him and he matched me and then he kept pushing and I just let him. What he didn't know is that I have a secret weapon...two actually...I always run the first half of the race slower than the second and I carry my own water so I don't have to stop at the water stations. He did, I passed him, he remained behind me through the finish. But, I will say that I was going along at the 12 mile

marker and this woman in purple passed me, she was the only one that passed me...and I knew as soon as she went by that she was in my AG and she was gonna take first. I tried to catch her but I didn't have anything in the tank. She is 53 and finished a little over a minute ahead of me. LOL! That's how that goes! My time was 1:54:49, my fastest so far. Brian was filming this race with the GoPro and it ran out of battery about 10 minutes before the finish! Who cares, I finished!!! One more done! Michigan in 3 weeks!!!

PS: Best spectator sign, "GO RANDOM STRANGER" LOL!!!