WOW!  Whatta couple hours of sleep can make!

Arrived home late-afternoon after a trail 50K, walked the Pup, showered, forced in quick calories, 7:30pm bedtime.  Phone alarm buzz, Sunday 2am & it all starts again.  Poor pup — no idea why we’re up middle-of-the-night.  Luckily, that doesn’t inhibit breakfast feeding. Ro’s never been one to skip a meal.  LOL>  Race attire, electrolytes, vest packed, a cup of instant coffee.  Dog walk & on the road before 3.  Hour-15 to Old Square, Fort Collins — place where it all begins, Day 2 Marathon Weekend.  Finished my 50 State challenge here. Fast forward 8 years, amazingly that journey’s happening a fourth time this July.  4 times around the USA!  Never ever a goal… just a lotta running & life opportunities 🙂

4:15am.  Dropped a pin to locate truck post-race then boarded a fancy liner hired to bus us to the Start.  Upper 30’s, clear, no wind, not crazy cold.  Nabbed $4 of thrift store clothes I’d leave behind (race folks donate clothing to local shelters).  2x sweater (long long sleeves to cover my hands) & stripped long johns.  Kinda an elf-on-the-shelf look.  LOL>

Spirits high.  Body bit banged up after yesterday’s trail.  Feet biggest complaint.  Was running well/didn’t want to stop, ran with a rock in my shoe last 5 miles.  Result?  Two blisters.  Decided not to lance until after today’s run.  Road marathons much more forgiving,  Plan — would follow a pacer today & feed off her energy, knowledge of the course.  Just another long run — five miles shorter than my #50K every day mantra.

Daybreak on the rock walls of Poudre Canyon.  Elf pants shed, ready ready to run.  Downhill grade for miles.  Adrenaline pumping.  Chose the 5hr pack.  Awesome pacer/lotta energy.  Goal to hang first Half, see how the body feels, walk where necessary.

13 miles.  15 miles.  17 miles.  Still strong.  19 miles in — said goodbye to my pace group, not to walk but to RUN.  Cool temps, nutrition/hydration on-point, why not?  No race for next 5 days — plenty of time to recover.  So… I ran.

NEGATIVE SPLIT marathon (2nd Half faster than 1st Half), first time in my life.

Well under 5 hours — video disclaimer…. I got super emotional.  It was a GREAT race… but not my fastest in years (claim in video).  Ran Chicago last Fall with Sis 20 minutes quicker.  Still way beyond expectation… AND a quick ride HOME, my Colorado home ❤️

Colorado Marathon