Dam to Dam 20K

This weekend was the first anniversary of my (and Kori's) first race longer than a 10k. It is fun to think that this year this was a taper day and not the big event. I came in at 2:08, shaving 9 minutes off my time from last year. Kori, rockstar that she is, came in at 2:03 shaving 13 minutes off her time from last year - that is more than a minute/mile faster! I bow to her awesomeness.

It was a good race, although it was HOT. I really wished they had Gatorade on the course since I was lightheaded the last two miles. And the hill that totally killed me last year and ultimately led to the asthma attack? I bolted up that thing - I was actually passing people on the hill, which I never do. Take that, hill!

Oh and I wore my new shoes for the first time at the race, going contrary to every piece of advice ever. But they were lovely and awesome and have me convinced even more that there is no such thing as "breaking in" running shoes. Both pairs of my Asics Nimbuses (Nimbi?) have been heaven since the first time I wore them.

Anyways, I spent the rest of the day, mildly sunburned and dehydrated, at the Iowa Arts Festival. Nickel Creek covered "Toxic" by Britney Spears (~hanging head in embarassment for recognizing the song~), played all acoustically, with prominent fiddle and my boyfriend singing and playing his mandolin. Awesome.

Reason why Ames is better than Iowa City:
This conversation has never happened in Ames:
Danielle stoops down to pet a puppy.
19-year old hippie kid: "I'd rather you didn't." (Makes a hand motion referring to his little teenage hippie posse): "Only his pack."

Freakin. Weirdo. Hippies.

Oh yeah, to finish with some running content, one of the teams from last year put a slideshow up on the relay website of pictures from last year accompanied by mildly corny music.