AM - 6 miles. PM - 5 miles + strides. In Kansas City... I've heard mixed reviews of KC, but the area I've seen is super nice. Enjoyed running along the river, through some of the parks / sculpture gardens, and around the plaza. Spent some time this afternoon talking with Troy Fitzgerald, who owns the KC Running Company and directs tomorrow's race. I really enjoyed our conversation and his thoughts on balancing higher-level racing with mass participation and providing the "event experience". Obviously a relevant topic after CGI dropped elite running a few weeks ago. Troy feels like a good race can have it all, and he's willing to sacrifice some of the bottom line to put up prize money and incentives to create competitive races at the front end... while not taking anything away from the middle/back of the pack, and providing them with a first-class experience all the way. I came away impressed by Troy and his company. This is why it doesn't really matter what Competitor does - there are lots of great, local / regional races out there who are directed by people who understand all aspects of the sport. They "get it" - while participation is what drives the market, competition is also important... It's a SPORT, after all. We're lucky to have a lot of these types of races in Utah. Sounds like the race tomorrow will be stacked. I hope that holds true! | 
