In the spotlight: WDM dietitian Ellen Ries
Hy-Vee dietitian Ellen Ries of West Des Moines No. 1 (Valley West Drive) is on a roll — er, make that a run. The former Big 12 track competitor, now a member of the Runablaze Iowa elite distance running team, has made quite a name for herself with wins in several high-profile road races this spring.
On Tuesday of last week, Ries broke the tape to capture the Women’s Competitive Division title in the annual Grand Blue Mile street run, a mile-long race through downtown Des Moines to kick off the Drake Relays. Ries broke the five-minute mark with a 4:58, edging out Stephanie Jenks, last year’s IronKids youth triathlon champion. On Saturday, Ries added to her 2012 string of victories with a first-place finish in the Relays On the Road 8k, finishing in 28:35. Last month, Ries captured the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick 10k in West Des Moines with a time of 37:37, a 6:03 pace over the 6-plus miles.
Keep up the great work, Ellen!
Pretty good post. I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts.