​The UW track meet was especially fun, and I am so grateful to have been able to go out and run at such a fast meet. This year I really enjoyed the trip. This is mostly due to the fact that the people I went with were absolutely amazing. It was mostly Coronado people, plus a few others and me. I roomed with Jade and Keegan which was just so fun! When we got to Washington we took the tram to the main part of the UW campus where we stopped by our hotel and eventually went on a run. That night we also got to go watch all the college athletes at the UW collegiate meet. This was cool because I got to see old teammates, and the BYU XC and track team. We then went to Chipotle and eventually back to the hotel. On the following night I ran the 3k which was more stressful than it was last year. I still think I did pretty good considering the competition. I really enjoyed running the 3k and couldn’t wait to race the 1600 the following day. Because my time was right on the cusp of the fastest group I was placed in the second to last group. This meant that I had to lead. Although I ended up getting passed within the last 300 meters, I learned a powerful lesson in strategy from leading. Overall, I am happy with my race considering I was going for time. 

This summer marked Emma’s third and final high altitude cross-country camp with Kokopelli. She was a little nervous about her fitness after taking 3 weeks off in June and then another 4 days after her car accident. However, she later told me that although this camp was the hardest in terms of mileage, it was also the most chill of all the times she had been at Kokopelli. Her weekly mileage reached 50 miles which was the most she had run in one week ever. She recounted one of the hardest runs where they warmed up the first few miles all uphill. She learned the importance of hard work, comradery, and fueling properly. The food was delicious, and the other athletes were fun to be around. One of her favorite night activities was when they choose to watch a horror film. For some reason it had become tradition after last year’s camp. What makes these camps spectacular is her coach, Lisa, and the other counselors that Lisa recruited to be at camp. We will forever be grateful to Lisa for the amazing things she has taught Emma about running and life.

​It’s officially still the off season for Emma with her running but that doesn’t mean that she isn’t working hard and pushing herself towards some amazing goals for her upcoming races. Her first indoor race of the season was at AFA where she ran the one-mile race. Her performance was phenomenal even though this race was only intended to be a kick start race to get her leg turnover figured out before the next race. She ended up placing 5th and got a PR of 5:31.77 (the top 5 were all within 3 sec of each other) even though she died a bit on the last lap and lost two places. Her upper body and arms were severely tired which meant that she will need to focus more on upper body strength throughout her upcoming HS track season. Still, she learned that she has to stay mentally strong even when her body isn’t feeling it. It was a great reminder for her as she focuses her mind on track running. At the end of the day, you only become a better runner by learning from each race. 

​Emma and I flew to Phoenix, AZ for a 2-day track meet with her running club. Emma and I flew in late on Thursday night. It seemed like everyone else in the world flew in that night too as the kine for the airport shuttle was at least a 45 min wait. Eventually we made it to the hotel. When we got there, we were kind of disgusted by our room since we were on the cheaper side of the hotel. So, I went down to the front desk to see if we could upgrade rooms. Luckily, they had a room on the nicer side of the hotel with one queen bed. We figured it was better to share a bed in a nicer room. While Emma slept in the next morning, I woke up early and went on a fun trail run with Connilee. Then it was back to the hotel to pamper Emma all day and make sure she stayed rested for her first night meet. Luckily, we met up with Tina Johnson and her daughter Ella. We ended up driving to the meet with them and while the girls warmed up together, Tina and I just chatted. It was super fun to have each other there. Our girls were running in both the 3200m and 1600m at this track meet. The 3200m was on Friday night and it was the most incredible race to watch. Emma was in the 2nd fastest heat. As the gun went off, there was a pack of 9 girls that stayed together for most of the race. Emma stayed in the 4-6 position for the duration of the race. I loved watching her run and I could see her strengthen as she hung close to the front of the pack. She ended up finishing her very first 3200m in 11:45, which was 10 seconds faster than my best time in high school. She was so proud of herself. The next day she ran in the 1600m and also got another PR running that race in 5:31 on tired legs.