Sunday, July 18, 2010

Now, it's just a blur

I don't even know where to begin this race report.
Do I start with what I was thinking?
Do I start with what happened?



On Saturday, I did the Zooma Half Marathon Colorado. Many of you already know that I'd forgotten that I'd registered for this race. I didn't write on my calendar and wasn't aware that it was going on until I got the packet pick up email on Tuesday.


After some debate, I decided....ok, Mr. Tea decided, that I would run the race anyway.  I've done a bunch of half marathons, so I have the benefit of experience. Granted I've only run up to 7 miles recently, but it wasn't really a matter of finishing. I knew I would do that. It wasn't a matter of pr'ing. So, that pressure wasn't there. 


I was just going to do it as a training run. Besides THIS was the elevation profile posted on the website:








Easy rolling hills. Piece of cake.


The only negative that I could see was that temps were going to be 100. The race start time had already been moved up to 7am (instead of 8am), so take it easy! No big whoop.


The day before the race, I arrive at The Broadmoor. This place DESERVES a blog post all it's own. I cannot rave enough. Let me just this. If you have the time and the means, you MUST stay at this resort. 


I've been in Colorado almost my entire life and have never been to the Broadmoor. I decide to walk and walk and walk. I end up walking around for over 2 hours. 


Over two hours on my feet the day before the race, and I decide to call it a day, relax, get some dinner and go to bed. Once back in my room, I realize that I don't know where the start line is. I look at the map. The map is confusing, and I start walking again. An hour later, and I decide "Forget it, how difficult can it be to find a start line decorated with a white balloon arch on race morning?"


Lo and behold, the next morning I head down to the main lobby. I see a few women walking through the parking lot and to what do my wandering eyes appear? YES, the balloon arch, right at *my* hotel entrance. (There's like 6 entrances to the resort. Talk about lucky!)


There's not much of a crowd. It's a small race. When I turn to look back at the hotel, I see people starting to come out onto the balconies to watch the race start/finish! How cool!


It's totally casual. Race participants were so friendly. I knew Trish was there. I start scanning for her, but don't see her. There were about 900 participants. Most were doing the 10k (I think---based on the fact that there were 397 half marathon finishers). The RD is on the mic talking about racing at an elevation of 6500. I'm somewhat zoning him out when I hear "This is a somewhat difficult course ladies with a lot of hills."


That strikes me odd. I saw the elevation profile. It's rolling hills, easy. Oh well, he's probably trying to give advice for out of towners.


The start of the race: We start running and immediately within 20m, I start thinking "this isn't the map profile."  I notice that we are on a downhill. Women are flying past me like I'm standing still. I think to myself "This isn't good." In colorado, if you're going downhill that means there's an uphill right around the corner. 


I'm intentionally going slow because there is a corner coming up, and I have no idea what's around that corner. I make the turn, and like a traffic jam, people stop as we start climbing and climbing and climbing. It's almost a 1.5 mile climb. 


The 10k is two loops. The half marathon follows the same two loops. Then we split off, and the 10k runners go to the finish and half marathoners go on.


At the end of the 2nd loop, I think to myself "This must be the rolling hill portion". 


Oh how wrong I was. At this point, the hills become insanely steep. So steep that people are shuffling uphill and attempting to run downhill except that the downhill is more about making a soft landing so as to not blow out your quads. Baby steps. This is the first time that I've run a race where the downhills were significantly harder than the uphills.


Ok, so the course was hard. It was hot out. Mentally, I wasn't prepared to run such a hard course. But I WAS prepared to have fun.


At mile 8, I decided that I had to make this a walk/run. I'd only run 7 miles max over the past few months. I was planning on finishing this race. I knew the hills were going to really take a toll over the next 5 miles. My original plan called for running to mile 10. I thought it was in my best interest to adapt a more conservative approach. 


Throughout the entire race, I was taking pictures, talking to other runners, joking around with the volunteers. In fact, it was so much fun. 


I tested out a new nutrition plan that worked fabulously. I used a differently hydration plan. 
I really couldn't have had a more successful "race".


I've been thinking a lot lately about my upcoming Oct half marathon. My last couple of half marathons didn't go well for a variety of reasons. I've made change after change trying to figure out what was going....not necessarily *wrong* but what wasn't going right. 


On Saturday, everything came together. Things that used to work for me, don't work now. Slowly, I've learned what works for me now. By all means, Saturday could have been a disaster. I could have had body breakdown, hydration issues (2 stations ran out of water), nutrition issues. But everything that I've been working on, came together just in time for me to have an enjoyable race. When I crossed the finish line, I couldn't believe how long I'd been out there. I had so much fun that I'd lost track of time.


I know a lot of people who can't control their competitive juices. Whether it's an A, B, or C race, they go all out.


I also know a lot of people who are like me. Not every "race" is a "race", but they can all be fun.


****
During the race, it was hot. Starting at about mile 11, I kept thinking of jumping in the pool. After the race, I was hot and physically exhausted. Tired like I've never been before. The hills, the heat started to catch up to me. 


I went up to my room to change. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and realized that both, my top and my shorts were soaking wet. 


I showered and walked to the pool. On my way to the pool, I saw a sign peeking out from the trees. "That's not....can't be...let me go look."


Yes, there it is.


GELATO


My favorite. 


I sat by the pool, savoring every bite of my gelato....not even reading my book, but just enjoying the moment, swirling my legs around in the water an admiring how they were able to carry me during that tough course. 


When I finished, I tossed my dish aside and sunk deep into the cool water and stayed there for the next 3 hours. 

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

A funny thing happened on the way to the kitchen

Do you remember this?


Neither did I.


As I woke this morning, I stretched and yawned and looked out at the already piercing sun. It's going to be hot, I think as I roll out of bed and meandered downstairs.


The smell of brewing coffee wafts through the air, and I breathe it in deeply. As the coffee continues to brew, I decide to check in on my email.


The very first message catches my attention. 


PACKET INFORMATION


I twitch as some distant memory comes racing toward me and I quickly scan the email.


"oops we goofed! We mailed your half marathon race packet to your home address. It will be there tomorrow July 14th!"


JULY 14th! I think to myself. July 14th! When's the race?


I continue scrolling.


Start time 7:00am...


JULY 17th!?! I quickly pull up Outlook....JULY 17th? THAT'S SATURDAY!


My entire week comes smashing to a halt.


ShouldIdoit?No.Yourlongestrunhasbeen7miles.
But I'm supposed to run 8 this Saturday.
I get a silver necklace for finishing.
Oh geesh, let's look at the map.
It's hilly.
What else is new?
It's going to be 100 degrees.
They changed the start time to 7am instead of 8am.
I will have to leave at 4am to get to the race in time.
oh geesh
Do you want to do it?
Well I might as well.
This is quite the quandry.
Let's ask Mr. Tea.


Armed with information, I approach Mr. Tea. "So uh guess what?"
"What?"
"Suprise! I have a half marathon on Saturday!"
"WHAT?" Now I have his attention.
"Yea, well funny story. Apparently I registered for this race back in January and then promptly forgot about. ha.ha." I look at him nervously.


"Ok, where is it?" He asks.


"Well, that's the funny part. It's in the Springs. So, I'll have to leave the house really early. It starts at the Broadmoor.But I didn't even train for this. I could just as easily skip it. But I DO get a silver necklace for finishing."


I cringe and wait for his response.


"The Broadmoor? That's a resort. Why don't you just book a room and stay the weekend."


I stand there staring.at.him.blankly.


I shake some sense into my head and repeat, "I said. The race is at the BROADMOOR. THE FIVE DIAMOND RESORT."


"Yes, and I said WHY.DON'T.YOU.GET.A.ROOM.AND.STAY.THE.WEEKEND."


The weekend? This information is simply not computing.


"Go up early on Friday. Enjoy the expo. They have an olympic sized lap pool that you can swim in after the race. Have a nice dinner. Get a massage and sleep in on Sunday."


"Are you serious?"


"Give me the phone. I'll call them."


Mike disappears for about 20 minutes. He returns smiling and says "I just booked you a room for two nights. You can't cancel because you're within the 7 day cancellation period. Have fun."


So, on Friday I'm leaving for a weekend getaway that includes a half marathon that I didn't train for, go shopping at the expo, enjoy the beautiful scenery,  get a silver necklace for finishing the half marathon and then I get to relax in the pool and have man-servants wait on me for the rest of the weekend. (ok, so I made up the part about the man-servants).


Still....sounds like a pretty juicy weekend if you ask me.















Wednesday, July 7, 2010

It's all about having fun afterall....

That's what I keep telling myself.
It's all about having fun.
I surf through pages and pages of January half marathons.

Do I really want to go back to California again?

Wouldn't somewhere else be more fun? Some place you haven't done a race?

Well....actually, some place relatively flat....or maybe just above sea level would be nice. CA really fits the bill. Besides I can visit friends.

There's Arizona, Las Vegas, Austin, Miami, Jacksonville.

Then there's Big Sur, but that's May 1st. And that's a FULL marathon.

Well, maybe a full marathon isn't so bad.

Maybe I give the marathon a bad rap.

But really....can running 26.2 miles honestly be fun?

hmmmmm

Ok, I'm not making any promises, but let's just look at the profiles and elevations.

Now, close your eyes. Imagine getting to the 13.1 mile marker. You know you have to go another 13.1 miles.

It IS just another 13.1 miles.

What if you actually TRAINED for a marathon.

WOAH.....now you're talking crazy. You're saying I'm supposed to TRAIN to run 26.2 miles?

Well, I guess it would make the race a little more pleasurable. I mean, I really don't have any desire to hit any time goals....although, a faster finish is more desirable than say a later finish.

hmmm

And there is that $100 bet on the table.