Memorial Day weekend: unofficial kick-off to summer, HONORING our armed services & sometimes weddings – but always lots of running.  So many competing races over the long 3-day weekend, haven’t run in Boulder since 2014.

My local 10K, the Bolder Boulder (50k+ runners, 3^rd largest in America) occurs Holiday Monday (40^th anniversary this year).  HUGE competing celebration last year: Ash & Tom’s wedding.  No such conflicts in 2018 – but first…one more East Coast run.

Buffalo Marathon, Sunday.  Bolder Boulder, Monday.  Totally doable 🙂

Landed aside Lake Erie, 2 time-zone hours lost, still plenty of time for bib pick-up.  No car this trip ✔  Room splurged at the Hilton (marathon host hotel), Lyft app to/from the airport.  Easy, no drama weekend.  Grey skies, gusty winds – but don’t be fooled, all changes before daybreak.  Forecast: 80’s, sunshine, high humidity.  Marathon moved up to 6:30am.  FAAAANNNTASTIC!  Ya’ll know: got NO PEACE with the HEAT.  Early Start all but guarantees a quick COOL first Half, no Elphaba/slow melt tomorrow.

Downtown, Ghost town.  Binged on carry-out pizza & sappy black movies in my high $$ digs.  Goodnite moon.

5:30 alarm.  Woke, talking/mumbling outside.  Lotta runners walking.  Panic minute – had I overslept?  Time zone goofed?  Doubled checked.  Nope.  Just a lotta eager beavers I guess.  It DID motivate me to leave 30 minutes early.  No harm.

Lotta humidity, no sun (yet), comfortable cool Start.  No arguments.

One of the BEST singings of our National Anthem.  US Flags EVERYWHERE.  Understand it’s Memorial Day weekend, wouldn’t mind seeing much more of that – EVERY race, ANY time of year.  AMAZING place we live, UNPARALLELED opportunities.

FIREWORKS Start.  Unexpected, LOVE LOVED!

Pushed hard from the first surge, HUGE combined FULL/Half crowd.  Hung with the 3:45 pace group – far FASTER than my Bighorn training pace, TOO QUICK to sustain for 26 miles.  Day’s strategy: log 15 miles before the self-melt begins.

Dropped pace alongside Lake Erie (mile 9).  Face salt already burning my eyes.  I don’t retain liquid, my curse.

2 loop course: said it probably 20x, not a FAN.  Halfers on the left, FULL runners to the right – out for a second loop.  Honestly, not dogging my Half buddies.  Just break us at mile 6/7 or 8.  Running past the Finish TWICE is tough mentally.  You go from being a pack runner, so many people, everyone’s excited, energy UP – to just you & 6 others doing a bonus lap.  That’s the feel.

4 hour pacers caught me at 14; 4:30 pack at mile 21.  Puked early.  Walk/jogged last 5 miles.  Dehydrated, summer heat.  No time for drama, it is what it is – focused on a hotel shower before Cinderella’s key demagnetizes at noon.  Wink.

3 hour+ second Half, ugh.  FINISH #120 (New York x2), AWESOME medal (Buffalo herd/USA flag), posh post-race shower (rainfall shower head).  Should I stay, should I go-go?  Anchor Bar.  Can’t leave Buffalo before trying the wings, right? ❤

Buffalo Marathon
Buffalo, NY  05/27/2018

Haga K R   579  Louisville CO   5:00:38

The first plate of wings was served in 1964 at a family-owned establishment in Buffalo called the Anchor Bar. The wings were the brainchild of Teressa Bellissimo, who covered them in her own special sauce and served them with a side of blue cheese and celery because that’s what she had available.