There's something exciting about the first race of any season. After seven weeks of hard training it was finally time for the team to mix things up, get into a competitive mindset, toe the starting line, and run their hardest. But it's also important to remember that the first race of the year isn't about running your fastest time ever, it's about setting a baseline. It's lets you know where your fitness is currently, and what areas of training need to be worked on more in order to reach the goals that have been set for the end of the season.

Our first race at the President's Day Weekend 5k, 10k & 15k tested the team's physical fitness but also their mental toughness. The team braved crazy wind and pouring rain as they took to the trails at Magnuson Park. Even though our race day conditions were far from ideal, everyone pushed themselves hard and made the best of it. While the weather didn't lend itself to PRs or fast times, it was great to get some experience racing in tough conditions because you never know what the weather will be like on race day for our goal races either. 

Up next we have the Lake Sammamish Half Marathon followed shortly by one of our favorite fun runs of the year, the St. Patrick's Day Dash 5k. Looking forward to seeing you all out on a run or at a race soon!