Touchdown in Denver.  Home, well…almost.  Broncos Stadium for bib pickup, 2-marathon weekend.  Friday in CT, Sunday morning in Colorado’s capital city.  Colfax, Denver’s only FULL marathon.  HUGE Expo, but I’ve done this before.  Finished the Colfax Half – in 2013.  Was my last ‘big’ run before Marathon UNO, in Alaska.  Lifetime ago.

Early to bed, early to rise.  6am start in City Park.  Off-street parking before 5.  Shower, walk the pup, hour drive to Denver – math check, that’s ‘middle-of-the-night’ early.

PERFECT run weather.  Rain afternoon-delayed, no SNOW ’til morning.  Week out from Memorial Day holiday, chilly 39 degrees Start.  Nice!  Glad I wore sleeves.  LOL>

BIG city race.  Feelin’ good.  Aside from the long stretch down Colfax, FULL marathoners run a lap inside Mile High Stadium.  Now that’s cool, huh.  Go Broncos!

Stepped BACK a corral (G on my bib), lined with the 4:45 pace party.  Elevation, body recovery (CT, 2 short days ago).  Hoped to hang thru mile 15.  Finish with a smile 😊

Slow & steady.  Tight first mile.  Pic snapped the Capitol Dome.  Pacer stick on my left, 4 of us from the Start.  Pacer Greg (last month, Big Sur & Boston), Brian from Hartford CT (what are the chances?) & Maredith (2018 100-MILE finisher).  My Colfax family, next handful of hours.  Easy comfortable pace.  Talked briefly/intermittently, mostly listening.

12 miles.  Greg (with the stick) says he’s supposed to hand off the baton.  He’d catch up with us.  Whaaaat?  HE’S the pace bunny, we’re the flock.  Never ever.  Picked up another marathoner, run introductions – and we’re 4 again, crossing the Half.  No pacer, no bunny.

PACE GROUP finish

14 miles.  Porta-potty stop.  Afraid to slow, lose my group.  Efficient in-n-out (like Shalane Flanagan at Boston, just like that)  Warned them I’d go dark by 18, abandon all mile 20.  Appreciated their company.  Only Sis’ been able to master the voices.

18 miles.  Upbeat positive.  Legs good, breathing easy.  Didn’t go quiet for two miles.  Tried to say goodbye at 22.  Aid station stopped.  Pollyann’ers kept cheer-leading.

ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!  But I’m NOT talking, can’t make me talk.

LAST mile.  Really really really wanted to walk.  Pace-group peer pressure.  Happy endorphin over-achievers.  Bridge.  Late hill.  Kinda all a blur.  Happy talk in the ears, evil Mordor in my head.  AND…we’ve sped up AGAIN, sub-9 minute now.

4 STRONG FINISH!  Crossed together.  4:45 pace group, start-to-finish.  Complete strangers ‘til today.  Group SMILE.  Crossed EIGHT minutes early.

Colfax FAMILY photo.  LOVE LOVE my run community.  Super supportive folks.

DIG being Colorado local.  Pasta, hot shower & Pup – just an hour away.

Wyoming next Sunday, 50 State FINISH week after.  Happy LIFE ❤️

Congratulations #12420 K R HAGA!

Here are your results for the Kaiser Permanente Colfax Marathon:

 

Your final time is 04:37:55 at a 00:10:36 pace.