Rim Rock Marathon

Published November 4, 2017

5 days ago I was in Ireland. This Friday, travelling I-70 West ‘cross the Americas Continental Divide.

Half-day work day, destination: Fruita. 5-hour drive from Boulder, 17 miles from the Utah border. Arrived 20 minutes before bib pick-up/Expo shut down. I’ve cut it closer. My PW (personal worst)? Illinois Marathon, April 2016: 2 minutes. Yikes!

Tomorrow’s run, Colorado’s only November marathon. Chose Rim Rock to keep the streak alive (cost choice, Dublin was weighty on the pocketbook). Ironically, now visiting my Mom in 2 weeks (& of course marathon-registered nearby, addictive habit ❤). Sleeps at the Balanced Rock Inn, half-mile from Fruita’s Community Center – shuttle meet-up location AND (26 miles later) tomorrow’s marathon finish.

Pitch dark early a.m. start. Double-shirted but stuck with shorts. Hard to ‘best guess’ race attire in Fall. Inside the Park, sheltered 45 minutes behind a porta-potty [windbreak] ‘til the day’s 7am Start. 2^nd marathon experience inside a National Park 🙂

Colorado National Monument. Landscape more Utah than Colorado. Warned/awaited a gun start, small athletic field (mostly college runners: Colorado Mesa University & CU-Boulder). Gun jamm’d, CMU coach casually said ‘ok go’ – & we were on our way.

8 miles UP. First 4 miles: 2500ft UP. More hike than run. Even the parts that LOOKED flat, a steady clip UP.

Stopped, snapped pics, took in the panorama/Park’s amazing beauty.

Cold Shivers Point – cold winds blew. 3 miles of down, mile-half of rolling, series of incredible Park overlooks. Red Canyon, Ute Canyon, Fallen Rock, Artists Point, Monument Canyon & Grand View. National Park eye-candy, a scenic wonder.

Unfortunately, just not feelin’ it today. Those first 4 miles of UP sucked the life outta my legs. Dublin Sunday, Fruita 6 days later – head demons rattled loud/mentally spent. DNF, DNF. I’ve got nothing to prove, I’ve finished 100. Lick my wounds, run another day.

Except…

No vehicle available at the Half Marathon mark (Aid Station 6). Volunteers asked I go on to mile 17 (next Aid Station). Seriously? Begrudgingly, restarted my jog/slog pace. Sooner I get to [mile] 17, sooner I could warm up & go home.

Except…

Assigned Volunteer asked a bystander to watch Aid Station 7. Guy had a truck but no idea how to get to the Finish (Rim Rock Road was closed to the Public today). He tried to explain. Seriously? Wasn’t listening, wouldn’t even refill my hydration bottles. Head demons too strong this day – next 3 miles without water, not gonna help matters. Ugly unfriendly headspace.

Refueled at 20. No one quits a race at mile 20. Runner in orange, young gal in sweats. Back-n-forth, we 3 swapped places. Mile 23, I reached the Aid Station last. Worst-to-first by mile 25. Fruita City Limits. Colorado River.

Mile to go. UP the overpass, jogged its downside into town. Quarter-mile to FINISH & I did, I finished.

Today my 4-year RUNniversary, 48 consecutive months marathoning. Most unlikely of marathon finishes, angry HOURS spent planning my running retirement – literally tried to quit TWICE. Never ever again. Well….never ever for 2 weeks. LOL>