I raced again this weekend, this time at the ks state cross champs. it was definitely warmer, with the temps getting up to 45 or so. with some ice still in the shady spots, it made for some muddy corners that would eventually cause me to go down, but whats new. I prerode the course a couple hours before the race, and of course it changed since there were 2 races before me. my start was bad, and ended up chasing for the first part of the first lap- i managed to get into 2nd and pretty much held that spot for the rest of the race. i felt really tired, probably since i have been working a lot and not sleeping more than 5 hours a night. those holiday parties can add up. so, for the 3rd year in a row, i am 2nd. i am definitely feeling the lack of strength in my upper body since i haven't been in the gym and i am favoring my left side more than i realize. its becoming pretty sore today as i sit here at my desk, but hopefully the ibuprofen will kick in soon. the course was pretty challenging with quite a bit of climbing and some good running sections. i had a hard time pulling up on the bars for the steep sections and it cost me about 30 seconds by the end of the race. it was good practice to get another race in before nats next weekend- it should be fun to race with my teammates that i have been watching for the entire season. i am still not 100% sure i am racing though, if my shoulder doesn't get better there might be a change in plans. but after the expensive entry fee i feel a bit obligated to race or at least start. we'll see.