Monthly Archives: May 2013

5 months of running has led me back home for my last 2 races before Alaska.

The Bolder Boulder is an annual 10-kilometer road race in Boulder, Colorado. The most recent race featured over 54,000 runners, walkers, and wheelchair racers, making it the largest race in the US in which all participants are timed and the fifth largest road race in the world. It has one of the largest non-marathon prize purses in road racing.

 

The race culminates at the University of Colorado’s Folsom Field with a Memorial Day Tribute with one of the largest Memorial Day gatherings in the United States.

Just one year ago, I didn’t think I was fit enough to complete a 1oK at 5500 ft.  WOW – look at me now!  Today’s run was my 7th race of 2013 – including 3 half-marathons in Moab, Fort Collins & Denver.  FAAANNTASTIC!

Woke early, headed to South Boulder to catch a bus to the starting line.  My qualifying wave (heat) was scheduled to start at 7:11am – just 11 minutes after the elite runners.  How cool is that!

Have never run in such a large event before.  As we ran through Boulder, I was super impressed by all the crowd support – live bands, crazy costumes & even belly dancers – and all at 7 in the morning.  AMAZING!

Ran strong all race – only running ahead of marathon pace for the first mile.  Unlike last weekend’s race in Denver, I maintained my pace & did not get caught up in running too fast.  I’ve got enough gas in the tank to sprint 3 miles – but the ultimate goal is 26.2 miles on June 22nd.  Gotta keep my eye on the prize!

Nothing like finishing at Folsum Field (CU Stadium) – crowd cheering, seeing yourself on the Jumbotron.  51:24 – my 2nd best 10K finish (fastest time since 2001).

Feeling strong, ready for next weekend’s half in Louisville.

 

CHECK OUT my video ‘BolderBoulder 2013’

BolderBoulder 2013

BolderBoulder 2013

 

under 48 minutes - fastest 10K ever

under 48 minutes – fastest 10K ever

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wouldn’t be a Colorado vacation without lotta hiking & guilt-free dining.

Kicked off the long weekend at my favourite Louisville restaurant, Zucca’s.  Italian food, outdoor seating – what’s not to love?  I’m a fish lover so enjoyed fresh trout but rest assured our table devoured their share of pasta.  Super excited to have Ash, Tom & Stephen here thru Monday. Good reason to drop off my fairly restrictive marathoner diet!

Up & out early on Friday – whitewater rafting day plus a quick mile-half trek up to St. Mary’s Glacier in Alice/Idaho Springs.  Thought it’d help acclimate my East Coast visitors to our higher elevation.  Tough 1st day hike at 10,300 ft & snow but still captured lotta Flatlander smiles in my pics.  Morning highlights: drinking glacial water & running downhill thru knee-deep snow Killian Jornet style’.  Awesome start to any Colorado day!

Kicked back & finished Friday with Mexican food on the outdoor patio at Louisville’s Casa Alegre.

Saturday was official ‘hike day’.  Had targeted Lake Isabelle but was Mother Nature-limited to Long Lake.  Just past Brainard, we hit knee-to-waist high snow.  Generally the snow pack supported our weight but found ourselves post-holing more than a few times (which made portions of today’s hike akin to an elliptical workout).  Hiking in snow & t-shirts – true Colorado experience!

Enjoyed BBQ in Nederland (remembered this tasty place from Frozen Dead Guy Days in March).

Awoke Sunday to ‘man-catching’  beignets at Lucile’s (Ashton’s fave), then walked 2 miles at nearby Wonderland Lake in North Boulder (no food guilt here – bring it :)).  I chose this nearby trek to show off the newborn prairie dogs (a local landscaping nuisance but cool zoo-like experience for visiting Jerseyites).  Strolled Pearl Street (a tourist must-do) & took in lunch at Boulder’s West End with Tom’s aunt/cousin Robin.  ROCKSTAR life – outdoor seating 4 nights in a row!

Food, fun & hiking – super sad to see my guests go home!

LOVE showing off my adopted home state.  Ashton & Tom flew in from Jersey, Stephen from New Hampshire.  What better way to kick off Memorial Day weekend than whitewater rafting in Colorado?  Yahoo!

Woke early on Friday to drop Ro at Camp Bow Wow and squeeze in a mile-half glacier hike at St. Mary’s near Idaho Springs.  Talk about troopers, my East Coast bunch faced snow & 10,300 ft elevation less than 24 hours after leaving their (almost) sea level homes.  Up, down in an hour-half…then back on the road – destination: rafting company, Liquid Descent on Clear Creek.

Signed us up for an advanced ½ day rafting trip (Class 4 rapids) so asked my visitors not to share actual skill levels until we got on the boat.  No regrets.  Go big or go home, right? 🙂

Forward, backward – no worries.  It was the multiple commands where we struggled – left back, right forward.  Think I’m reaching an age where I need 5-10 seconds reaction processing time.

No more than 15 minutes into the trip, Alan (our guide) shouted ‘High side left’.  Ash went left (correct), I went right (wrong) & suddenly 3 of us were out of the raft floating in the rapids reaching for hands.  Ash got trapped under the boat but came up quickly & subsequently pulled in by Alan.  All back in the boat & catching our breath, Alan asks Ash to let him up so he can steer our raft — yeah, we’re still floating down Clear Creek.

Gotta say the 4 of us now actively listened to Alan’s commands much more closely.

For the record, (1) the water was crazy cold (created by snow melt) & (2) Stephen was today’s only non-‘swimmer’ (often razzed for swimming during a raft trip a few years ago on Lake George, NY – guess that will have to stop :)).

On the bus ride back to Idaho Springs (shared ride with 2 other raft groups), Ash was crowned ‘swimmer’.  Why Ash?  Near the end of our day, Ash took a 2nd dip & this time not successfully pulled back into the boat.  She did all the right things, laid on her back with feet pointing downstream, kicking boulders to protect her head as she personally rode the rapids.  Another boat guide ahead of us rescued Ash, and kept her shoreside ‘til we caught up.  Bruised tail bone & some arm bruises (from being pulled out of the water) but no cuts or broken bones.  Yeah she’s tough as nails.  Super impressed.

Awesome way to kick off a 4-day holiday weekend.  Sign me up again!