My Thanks.

It was great to see those of you last night who could make it! I know everyone was there in spirit. :)

There really isn't alot to say at this point, other than to thank each and every one of you for being so disciplined and committed to training for this race. For those of you in my group, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making this training cycle so much fun. You guys are just a blast, and you were the only reason I rolled out of bed some of those early mornings! I hope we can run together beyond Cowtown, no matter what our varying goals may be.

Don't freak out about the weather. The bottom line is that none of us are going to go, "Oh, I don't like the temp/wind/barometer/humidity/whatever, so I think I'll just skip it." We will all be there, and we will all do what we have to do. If conditions aren't perfect, so what? There were very few perfect training days, and quite frankly, a few of them just outright sucked. You all did great, and you will do even better with race suport and excitement. Time goals are great, but if we have weather that is very trying, please don't worry about your time. Trying to stick to an inflexible race strategy when everything about a race is constantly changing will result in dismal failure. I promise you if I get out there and 30mph winds are beating me up, I will just focus on finishing. I don't give a flip about the time it takes. Be proud of yourselves, and run your OWN race, not what expectations dictate. Relax, get into your zone, and enjoy the day. Races should not be episodes of pain that require you to gut them out. They are journeys and adventures, with some being harder than others, but in the end it is up to you to judge your own success.

In my mind, every person on this email is a success. While I'm running, I will think of you guys to pass the time. I will focus on Corina's stubborness and her willingness to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes. I'll think about Kendra and Tara, my close friends, and how much respect I have for their dedication and their continual support. Randall and his words of wisdom and quiet positive attitude will take my mind off any discomfort. Ashley's incredible progress and speed, along with her sweet nature and friendship will inspire me when I'm tempted to start whining. Nikki's fantastic training cycle, in addition to our history and closeness from years of running together, will keep me from giving up. Ben's humor and dedication in spite of knee trouble will remind me it can be done. Denise's battle with the injury demons and her constant upbeat approach will make it impossible for me to feel sorry for myself. Matt's vast knowledge and wisdom that he's shared with me in answer to my questions will help me stay calm if anything goes wrong. And who can forget JBone and ZMan? Those two turned in great performances, and kept me laughing on every training run. I'll be focusing on getting to them at the finish line, and grabbing a Guinness to make it all better. :)

The list goes on and on. For me, this Cowtown is already one of the best races I've ever had, because of you, the people I've trained with. You guys are just the best, and if you ever need anything, I am forever in your debt.
GIjan