Fort Morgan

I like the Fort Morgan cross country course. The route crosses itself and makes for good pictures in a few places. The kids like it as well as the elevation is in the low 4000s and it's a flat course. Friday was Delaney's meet there and Tia had planned on going. We couldn't both go since someone needed to get Kendall, so that was my job. However Tia pinged me at 3:30 and said she couldn't make it. I packed up from the workshop I was in and raced up there.

It's 2 hours from the house, 90 minutes from where I was and I got there just as Delaney and his team were warming up.

I watched Delaney set his PR of 21:00 here last year and I was hoping he'd do well. He was sick last week, and missed Fri/Mon, as well as skipping the meet on Tues, so I wasn't sure how he'd do. I was gone Wed/Thur, so I didn't know how he was feeling. He looked OK, and waved before the meet.

He started out well, getting going, but I saw him running steady, not pressing as they went around the corner. He tends to start slow and I wasn't sure if there was anyone he'd be trying to pace here. As he came back along the edge of the park, he was looking OK, but using small steps.

A bit over the 2 mile mark they come by again, and I caught him coming around the corner. Back in the number of runners, but probably near the middle of the Open racers.

As they got near the finish, another parent was cheering for her kid, saying to catch Elizabeth. That was Delaney, and he got motivated, running hard and sprinting to the finish to stay ahead of the kid.

He ran a 23:44, which is his best this year, but perhaps slower than he should run. However he's been sick, so we can ignore that. He was beat afterwards and ready to go home, so we made the long trek back, getting home around 10.

I'm glad I went up there. It was a lot of car time, and no workout for me Fri, but I'm glad Delaney got to run and I saw it.