Megan Meets All of Her Competition

Yesterday we were in Palmer to watch Megan race in the Palmer Invitational.  The Palmer Invitational is a really large race with the majority of the schools in the State participating.  So it's a really good race to see where and how your competition is doing.  Though Megan had raced against several of the top contenders earlier in the season at the Bartlett race, she hadn't kept up with the top two girls nor was the Kenai team there where an outstanding freshman has been making headlines.

Megan during the 1st Lap -- in 4th place.

Midway through the 2nd Lap -- this is the lead pack of girls; however, the Kenai freshman girl dropped the pack early on and has developed quite a gap in front of this pack.

Starting the 3rd Lap --up the biggest/longest hill of the course.  (Where's Kristin & Jill?)

Up, up, up........2nd through 4th position.

Mid-way 3rd Lap....Megan has broken away from the lead pack.

This is how I look after running my PR and coming in 2nd place!

(....Heather, I am really hurting -- really I am..)

Megan -- 2nd Place -- time of 18:34! 

(Tying the record for 2nd Fastest Girl in Lathrop History)

Both Girls Awesome this Fall Running Season!

It's cross country running season again and the girls are doing great.  Last weekend both Heather and Megan had races.  Heather had two races -- the first on Thursday and then both of girls raced on Saturday.

Thursday's race was exciting with Heather coming in third overall and 1st for the Nanooks.  Article in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:

http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/15303003/article-Nanooks-women-win-hometown-cross-country-invitational?instance=uaf_nanooks

On Saturday, Heather pulled off another 3rd place finish and 1st for her team.  The pack headed out.

Coming up one of the hills on the 1st lap.

At the end of Saturday's races -- awards (T-shirts) were given.  Here I go to take a picture of Heather up front and what does she do?  :)

Saturday's Top 3 Finishers

for more on Heather's Saturday Race see

http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/15323033/article-Shorter-course--same-results-for-Nanooks?

Megan has been have a great season and making headlines of her own.  (You would think with it being Megan's senior year, I would be on top of it --documenting her many endeavors but I am really letting this lack of figuring out how to make my pictures smaller size get in the way......sorry Megan!!)

Anyway Megan has been absolutely great and getting some 1st places in both the Delta race (last Saturday) and in the Interior Invitational (the previous weekend.)

Refer to these Headlines for more on Megan!

http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/15323030/article-Ionashku--Edic-cruise-to-cross-country-wins?

http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/15246781/article-Edic--Hanson-rule-trails-at-Brich-Hill-during-Interior-Invitational?

Megan raced this weekend in Palmer and wait !!!

2011 Junior National Olympics - Minneapolis (and One Mom Marathoner....)

This past weekend I ran the Napa Valley Marathon with my friend Karoline.  The weather was very nice until the night before the marathon.  We woke up extremely early morning Sunday, March 6, to pouring down rain.  The good news? -- well, it was in the upper 40's, so not too cold.  We caught the bus from the finish area to the starting area at 5:00AM!  Our bus got lost right away and missed the turn onto CA29, apparently due to the windows being all fogged up.

Race started promptly at 7:00AM.  About six miles into the race, Karoline and I were already commenting that it was a good thing we drove the course the day before because it was a lot more hilly than we had expected (and by the way, according to most of the reviews on-line where we read things like PR course -- flat -- overall downhill.)  If we hadn't driven it the day before -- it would have felt even harder!  We were trying to do the marathon in four hours, which meant we had to keep a 9:09 minute/mile pace.  At the half-marathon point, we were on target but then things started to happen as they often do when one runs a marathon.  The pavement felt extremely pounding on our legs, the camber in the road was significant on every turn whether flat or hilly, and the rain continued on now with a twist of wind....okay enough on the excuses.  Anyway, we finished!!! 4:07:22 -- I can still run what I was running before H&M came along 20 years ago!!! YEAH!!!!

I am not sure if this link will work -- but it's a link I can access and purchase marathon photo's of me along the way.  I don't know which ones I want yet -- so if you can see the link, you will have to wait.

http://www.marathonfoto.com/order_my_photos.cfm?RaceOID=32502011W1&LastName=EDIC&BibNumber=657&Language=en&spMAILINGID=36359423&spUserID=NzUyMTg0ODA1OAS2&spJOBID=96181911&spREPORTID=OTYxODE5MTES1&BFI=k56fbtar83&Frames=true&Flash=true&FlashVersion=8&Height=768&Width=1024&Index2Home=true

On Monday, I flew to Minneapolis to catch up with the Michael's and Megan at the 2011 Junior National Olympics.  I arrived too late to see Michael and Megan race but thanks to Bert Boyer we have these photos below.......

Team Alaska coming down the escalator to the opening ceremonies Sunday.

Michael during his qualifier............

Megan on her qualifying race.



Megan had an excellent qualifying race -- she came in 14th and apparently looked really strong (I heard this from her coaches and from many of the Alaska parents.)  She made it to the quarterfinals but not on to semi's -- overall for the day, she came in 26th.  Congratulations Megan!

Concordia and Wise Acres

In late October, Megan went to Portland for the Concordia Puma Cross Country Classic race.   With Poppop and Jean driving over to watch, Aunt Kristin and I decided to fly down to watch the race and spend some time at Wise Acres.

Not many pictures were taken of Megan running, as this Mom was too engaged watching the race.  It was so fast with lots of competitors and spectators all along the way.  Megan ran in the Elite Varsity race -- (there were three other races for girls; non scored JV, JV, Invitational Varsity and then Elite Varsity.)

Here's the start after they rounded the first corner.

And here's getting close to the end.

Megan finished 12th overall (out of 121) in a time of 18:35.7 !!!

A new PR......

Then it was off to Pendleton for Kristin and I to meet the donkeys...

and Lucy, the neighbor's hen who struts around Wise Acres like she is the Queen...

The wine sisters enjoying the evening out by the fire on a cool, clear night.

2010 State Cross Country Running Championships

Oh my goodness, when Poppop and Uncle Michael were here last week, I was reminded that my blog is so out-of-date.  So today after the Regional Skiing Championships, I thought okay....I have to get through running season as skiing season is almost over!  Now I remember why I am so far behind.  I cannot figure out how to save my pictures that they are NOT so large-sized and take so long to upload to the blog.  I think I even repeating myself now -- and using the same excuse as I had previously.  Obviously, I am not up on how to go to "the cloud" and easily do what I want to do.

So back to October 2010 before there was snow......

State Championships held at Barlett High School, Anchorage.  The first hill - two girls break away.

Coach Liz cheering them on....Megan right with the leaders of the pack.

Coming through in 5th place with the leaders.......only one girl at this point has broken away.

Megan in 4th place at this point, getting close to the end.

Coming in around the field for the finish.

The finish with all top 4 in the picture.

A happy Megan, Mom, and Aunt Kristin.

Lathrop team walking in to award ceremony.

Megan ended up 3rd place! (a controversial disqualification was involved.)

and now it's on to Oregon.......

(hope it's doesn't take another 3 months!)