New World Record!!

Yesterday, Sunday August 10th, I (along with 233 others) made history. Together, we broke the Guinness Book of World Records record for the greatest number of swimmers in a one hour relay. The previous record set in England was 204 swimmers. We needed at least 205 people to swim 25 yards in 17.5 seconds or faster to break the record. Needless to say, we slaughtered it! 234 swimmers finished in under 60 minutes to set the new record. We averaged faster than 15 seconds per person. We're going to go after the record for the 24 hour relay in May!

Prior to the excitement at the pool, I ran a 5k race. My first 5k in about 2 years. It was good and really really tough. Training for distance, I have forgotten how to pace myself in a short race. I went out too fast in the first mile, clocking about 6:56. My second mile was a bit slower (about 7:30) and by the time I turned around at half way, I was just hanging on for dear life. My 3rd mile was also sub-seven so I finished with an overall time of 22:45, a 7:20 pace. Only 45 seconds off from a new PR. I was shocked to have run so fast, and very pleased with my overall performance. I think I'll try to be a little more consistent in my next attempt. I will also brag that I had several compliments on my Pink Paradise Skirt and Bra! The volunteer who handed out the bib numbers told me that I was the 'Best Dressed'! Of course!

Today, I ran 6 miles at an easy 9:07 pace. I am so happy to finally be in a groove with my running. I no longer dread having to run like I sometimes did in triathlon training. I look forward to getting out on the trail in the morning. I look forward to having some alone time. Time to think about life and racing. Today I thought about IMW coming up in a couple of weeks. I am going to be volunteering at the finish line and I so look forward to seeing all the athletes accomplish their goal. I have a couple of friends competing and I hope to be there when they cross the finish line! It's the most inspiring thing!

Speaking of inspiring... did you watch the men's 4 x 100 swim relay? OMG! The most amazing thing I've ever seen. They came from behind to beat France for the gold medal in the last 25 meters. The joy and excitement on their faces when they realized they had won was truly priceless. Literally hundredths of a second apart from their opponents! And they beat the world record by 5 seconds!