Colorado!

All-Out Beat the Heat Marathon

Published April 15, 2017

Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug… MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER

Tough day. Heat fail.

Training hard all month – Bighorn just over 60 days away. Completed another 10K Friday: 6 mile run, quarter-mile swim. Slept hard, probably some of my best [the] day before a marathon. Haven’t yet acclimated, deep sleep after every swim.

Today’s run only 20 minutes away in Westminster. Can’t beat that commute, huh?

Sunshiny skies, 8am Start, expecting a warm Finish. Commuted with my North End neighbor, Larry – he’d run the 10K today. Beautiful morning, well organized event. All-Out Beat the Heat Marathon. ‘Beat the Heat’ was exactly the plan.

Cool comfortable temp, Star-Spangled Banner blared proudly. Dropped my hat, hand over heart & sang along. Countdown from 10, our marathon journey began. Briefly started on asphalt (ran past an alpaca farm), then adjusted to packed trail (dirt). Climb, Climb, Climb – course incline the first 8 miles…that’s a lotta climb, luckily I’m a fan of hills 🙂

Marathon athletes will start out heading west on Big Dry Creek Trail toward Standley Lake Regional Park. At about 2.5 miles athletes will begin 4 miles of the gravel trail & road system within the park, including the spectacular views along a north / south dogleg near the dam, then exit the park to continue west toward the south trailhead and the west turnaround. As they return they way they came, athletes will skip the dogleg to return to Big Dry Creek Trail and follow it east for about 16 miles to the east turnaround.

Sun kicked in at 10 – rays were always there, but didn’t feel the heat ‘til 2^nd Half. 70, 75, 81° F. Perfect for a casual walk with the pup – but on a marathon run without any tree cover, our high-altitude sun baked. Number of participants dropped off significantly — folks opting to finish the Half, avoid the exposed bike path east to Denver. Today’s first Half highlighted shots of Standley Lake, backdropped by the Flatirons. 2^nd Half however was dry, flat, cracked earth, patches of dried salt littered the landscape.

Mentally broke at 21. My friend Larry doubled his 10K effort, met me just past mile 23. Walking now. Notta lotta chatter. Notta lotta options – small race, no golf-cart to the Finish should you call it quits. UGLY…nearly 2 hours to finish those last 5 miles. Dehydrated, sweat-caked salt ‘round my eyes, dried to the sides of my face.

A finish is a finish, collected my medal…but today’s fail stung.

2017 All-Out Beat the Heat – Full

April 15, 2017 in Westminster, CO

2587 K R Haga 5:11:18

Shoes off, home. 2 hours sleep, briefly woke to shower. 3pm: bowl of soup.

6:15pm: my quarterly Boulder Dinner Theatre date with Ash, Tom & Stephen. “Disenchanted!” – comedy depicting the now adult, middle-aged Disney princesses. Time to turn that frown upside down. Good laugh.

10 hours sleep, 2 easy miles on the treadmill, quarter-mile swim at CAC. Weekend over? Heck no, it’s Easter Sunday! Afternoon-celebrated at Casa Alegre — our Mexican Easter tradition — 4^th year with Ash & Tom. Mexican fiesta, olé!

: tough day but “a finish is a finish”

: baked in high-altitude sun

: middle-aged Disney princesses – what’s not to LOVE!

: our annual Mexican tradition

Posted in Denver Metro, Marathons/Ultras | Tagged holidays, theatre, urban-trail | Leave a comment

mountain pilgrimage & wedding details

Published March 25, 2017

my annual ‘thin air’ reset

Sleep struggle, labored morning runs, work deadlines & pre-wedding [family] squabbles — been a tough first week home from New Zealand. Wednesday, Ash asked if I could scope out potential wedding pic locations for her Silverthorne wedding in May. Full day in the mountains…absolutely, sign me up! Crisp thin air, snow surrounded – PERFECT!

Early a.m. start – 4 mile run (‘cause every day’s a run day), followed by a 2-hour drive in the Rockies. Half day scouted photo locations, half day hiked HIGH altitude.

Bridge near Ash’s Silverthorne venue – easy, done. 8 miles toward Breck on Swan Mountain Road checked-out Sapphire Point in Dillon. Ample parking, short packed-path, mountain overlook – wedding money shot. Exactly what the bride-to-be ordered: snow-capped Colorado peaks [without the pre-wedding hike]. No wildlife stains on Ash’s pricey East Coast wedding gown GUARANTEED.

Completed the loop in nearby Frisco. While ALL are counting on sunshine for Ash’s big day – just in case, scoped out an alternate venue (May in Colorado/could be snow). Covered pavilion (backed against mountains), historic rustic cabins & the town’s first jail (log cabin, circa 1881). Nabbed a large handful of county maps at the Frisco Hotel. Route-marked today’s 10-mile loop in bold Sharpie. Task complete 🙂

Silverthorne Pavilion (wedding venue)

Sapphire Point (Dillon CO)

: wedding WOW shot!

Frisco Museum, covered Pavilion & Historic Jail

Saturday Part II – retraced steps to Idaho Springs, I-70 exit 240. 30 minute drive, just past Echo Lake…my annual spring pilgrimage up Mount Evans. Off loaded Sno’ Ro – couldn’t have been more excited. Leashed for a mile while we passed lodgepole pine, packed with squirrel & chipmunk (makes my pup crazy uncontrollable). 2 miles UP, path now contained by 10-15ft snow drifts, I let Ro run & run & run. Up-n-back: exploring ahead, returning for hand treats.

3-mile marker, passed a stretch of wind-stunted pine. Visually stunning. Wind started to blow, cold stung my face 🙂

Matched my website photo inlay 4 ½ miles UP. 5 years ago, Ro tethered to my leg, snapped that shot & broke for lunch. Soaked in the moment today. Open armed, took in thin air. LOVE LOVE these mountains!

9 miles roundtrip. Sandwich shared with Ro on the hike return. Pup’s eyes rolled 10 minutes into our drive home. Good day. Mentally back, ready for Bighorn. Training hard April & May – 52 miles, bring it!

Mt Evans spring pilgrimage

: wind-stunted pine

: off-leash freedom

: just past tree-line, 12,000ft UP

: LOVE LOVE this place!

: tuckered pup, happy hike day

Posted in 14ers/13ers | Tagged hiking, museo, wedding-bells | 1 Comment

Pueblo Marathon

Published February 19, 2017

Rolled into Pueblo 10 minutes before bib pick-up ended. Landscape more reminiscent of New Mexico than the Rockies. Former steel town (one old smokestack remains)…Spanish just as prevalent as English. LOVE the diversity of our state – Eastern Plains to the Rockies, canyon walls of the Western Slope, red clay of Pueblo. Colorful Colorado.

Only 2 ½ hours from home but decided to hotel before tomorrow’s marathon…close 5 minute walk away. Still full from my Deli lunch, night-walked the City downtown before setting my morning wake-up buzz. Last shuttle bus depart: 7:30am, late 9am marathon Start.

Woke Sunday to sunshine, forecast low 60’s – ‘bout 15 degrees cooler than Friday’s unseasonal high. No specific time goal today, training focus [has] been on leg strength: Wyoming’s Bighorn 50 in June. PR speed will come later.

Hour+ wait before the day’s start. Met up with fellow 50-Stater Dave Bell, introduced myself to 3 other Maniacs. No matter how remote the run, our community’s well represented/we’re a tight knit group. Even in far-away Russia, I connected with 4 fellow Maniacs.

2:04 2nd Half – STRONG!

First race with a watch, have resisted for years. HUGE adventure planned in March, needing an easy way to log my daily mileage. (Thanks Bro, lovin’ my 2014 Christmas gift!)

Race Start. Easy 10+ minute pace, still chatting with my 50 State friend …decided to use today as a training run. Beautiful weather, why not? Trekked entirely on bike path. First few miles in Lake Pueblo State Park. (in my opinion) Left too early, nothing crazy scenic in Pueblo.

Never been one to run & talk, never felt it possible. STRONG today – consistent training paying off. Easy, comfortable 2:35 first Half (one of my slowest starts ever). Hung with Dave thru mile 14. Quickened my step, said our goodbyes & I took off. Checked the watch: 8:35 mile. Goal: every mile under 9 minutes. Electrolytes & water at each aid station. No walk at mile 18. No slog at 20.

2:35 first Half – dude, we were way way back. Didn’t catch another runner ‘til mile 19…but then I kept ticking them off. Guy in a red cap, girl in pink tights, 2 couples running together. But where’s the Newton kid? (First 5-6 miles Dave & I traded leads with the ‘Newton kid’. Guy shared my shoe love, Boulder’s local Newton Running Company. Been running in Newtons since early 2015.)

Series of loops, miles 18 to 23 – spotted ‘Newton kid’ on my left…at least a mile half lead. Older lean lady-Ironman tattoo, woman wearing a North Carolina cap, my first Maniac. Mile 24 – 9:03 mile. Dug deep to drop pace under 9 again. No pills, no puking – that was last year. Mental transformation.

Mile 25: Blue Newton shoes in sight. No walking, he’s not given in. If I want it, I’ve gotta catch him soon. Mile 26: I’m still a body length back. Breathing hard, been pushing for too long…too late in a race. Finish line ahead. Held my breath, swallowed hard. Sprinting, I didn’t look back.

Marathon #82 – my strongest 2^nd Half in years…a 2:04 – after running 13+ miles. Laid in the grass & panted. Stretched, up in 5. Shook hands with fellow runners, congratulated their achievement.

BIG day for me. Not my finish time…but HOW I finished – at least 5 more miles left in the tank. FAAANNNTASTIC!

On track for 100 – next weekend: Fort Worth’s Cowtown Marathon, everything’s bigger in Texas 🙂