Sunny day & 40 degrees in Littleton Colorado – sooooo much warmer than my first race in January.
Had been running 10 miles+ all week; took Friday off. When Saturday morning arrived, still found myself with stomach butterflies before the actual event. Training solo & running with a crowd – totally different energy.
Arrived almost an hour early, picked up my racing bib & snapped a shot by the giant Start Line snowman.
Today’s race was also the RRC’s 10 mile championship race (Road Runners Club of America). What that means was fewer of us weekend warriors and more lean athletes all jockeying for a place near the front.
After the initial shock of wow – we’re now running, it’s finally happening – I settled into my training pace, approx 8 minute miles. Not super fast but the plan was to finish strong – and stay consistent with pace.
Started targeting other runners ahead of me for motivation after 7.5 miles – but didn’t chump out until mile 9. Kept it at a run but my pace dropped off significantly. That said, looked strong crossing the Finish Line – and no paramedics were called 🙂
Overall finished top 30% and 12th in my age group.
At this rate if I can just stay alive, expect to win my age group by the time I turn 80. Moab in 30 days!
167 12/27 220 K R Haga 1:27:27
Snowman Stampede 10M race
2 ski weekends, 2 race weekends – no couch potato-ing for me in 2013. HA!
Dropped Ro off for another play-date with pal Molly, then hit the open road – destination: Winter Park, Colorado.
Had already banged out my January race 2 weeks earlier but this adventure race was calling my name. Similar to a Tough Mudder, SnowDash Xtreme is an obstacle riddled 5K – but in knee-deep snow. Not a lotta mud here in January.
The music & participants lining up at today’s Start were an estimated 10 years younger than me (& I’m not super old). Physically no worries, I’m strong…but felt like I was crashing a post-grad, twenty-something only event.
Just feet from the Start, we cleared our first obstacle – jumped a concrete barrier into a pit of fresh powder. Next obstacle: the altitude. Guess I haven’t hiked high in 2 months so found myself short of breath running at 10,000 ft.
Ladder obstacle, a hill climb, then…the log challenge. Argh, this one was tough. Selected a log and started up the hill, happy to return my oblong obstacle after completing the required loop. Two more mini-mountain obstacles, another ladder, then belly crawled under a rope trap before running the final half mile.
The music was back & a guy asked if I was ready before giving my plastic sled runner a push down the icy snow bank – sliding across the FINISH line. SUPER AWESOME FINISH!
Enjoyed a limeade sports drink (no beer for me) & warmed up by a fire pit with other Finishers.
3 weeks until my February challenge – the Snowman Stampede, a 10 miler in Littleton. Consider today’s race cross-training 🙂
SnowDash Xtreme (bib pick-up clip)
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- Welcome to Winter Park, Colorado!
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- race beanies ROCK (who needs another t-shirt?)
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- mishmash of layers – 3 shirts, jacket, pants, long johns, 2 pair of socks & boots
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- warming up before the Dash
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- ladder obstacle
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- log challenge
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- last half mile all flat (sorta kinda)
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- bloody knuckles – but a FINISHER!
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- warming up after the race
8 degrees and light snow – SUPER COLD start to my first race of the year. YIKES!
Bundled up and on a mission this day – gonna kick-off my 2013 New Year’s Resolution & of course, enjoy a huge bowl of Quaker oatmeal at Lafayette Colorado’s Oatmeal Festival.
Folks: Not gonna spin this happy, had not run since December 1st. Today’s time was 2 minutes faster than my Colder Boulder finish – which isn’t soooo bad considering the cold & my lack of any prep. I did finish. But yeah, I was sucking wind.
UPDATE: Fast forward 2 days, have logged in an additional 6 miles in single digit temps. Think it takes 3 weeks to start & successfully create lasting change. Day 3 – still hate running (just calling it out — in the event others are also struggling with 20-13 goals). For me it’s nothing physical, all completely mental. No run rhythm, pace akin to speed walking 🙁 & I’m clock-watching before I finish 2 miles. Ugh. Change is not easy.
Something positive…hmmm.
I have finally started this year’s Resolution. I’m gonna do this; this WILL happen – just gotta keep my eye on the prize. Expect to see pics from my 2013 target marathon in Anchorage Alaska on June 23rd.
How cool is that – ALASKA!
Results for K R Haga:
You placed 185th out of 654 finishers in a time of 27:37 for a pace of 8:54 per mile. Your chip time was 27:30.
2013 Quicker Quaker 5K
weathered COLD 8° temp w/ Brett & Austin
heaping bowl o’ oatmeal
