Reflection

I was sitting there towards the end of the night Saturday night, about 2 rows from the top of Sports Authority Field at Mile High, reflecting on not only the day, but the past four years.  

The day was full of friendship and fun. It started with a 10k, where we got to hang out with a lot of our running community, talking about highs and lows and encouraging each other. Personally, the race was about what I expected, a little worse than I had hoped for, but definitely an effort I can live with. 

Right after I finished the race, I spoke to a runner who crossed the line right behind me, someone I had never met. She said she tried to follow my pace to keep going, which I thought was hilarious because my pace was all over the place! She told me that it helped since that was the first time she had ran that many miles. It was so cool to know that I indirectly helped someone get across the finish line. 

The day continued with a trip to the Platte River Bar and Grille with best friends, enjoying something I'd been craving lately - a cold draft beer and an All-American cheeseburger. With tots. Then we headed a couple blocks to Hudson Gardens to work and enjoy the REO Speedwagon show. At some point during the show we found out one of the kids wasn't going to be able to use the tickets we had got them to Kenny Chesney, so we decided to get dropped off after the REO show. 

Which brings me to the moment of reflection I spoke about earlier. In the midst of thousands of people, being out in the open air looking at the sky, I was reminded how blessed I am and how so right it was for us to be here. I've had a few moments like this lately, where I'm able to stop and think about how I've let go of a lot of the things that used to worry me, anger me or stress me out. That's not to say I no longer worry, stress or get angry. It's just that I can let those things arise, but also let them go much easier than in the past. 

As many of you know, it was four years ago Saturday that we arrived in Colorado to begin a new chapter. Life hasn't been peachy every day or every step of the way, but it's always been very clear that this is where we are supposed to be. I can't really explain it, it's just this feeling I have. Maybe you can relate. 

I just finished re-reading a book for at least the third time. It's so easy to do with a good book. I often do the same thing as it relates to life. I sometimes "re-read" the chapters of my life. There's nothing wrong with revisiting those chapters. Revisiting the streets we've lived on, the majesty of Mt. Rainier or Lake Erie and the great times we had with family and friends is something I do on a regular basis. This has very often helped me through the day. But it is important to put down those chapters that have already been written to be able to focus on filling the blank pages of our continuing story. 

No one really knows what the future holds, and nothing is promised to us, but there is nothing that can stop us from grabbing the pen for ourselves and writing our own story.

Race Report - Colfax Half Marathon

I've lived in Colorado for nearly four years, and I've looked at Colfax as something that I should run at least one time just because I live here. So, at some point last year I signed up and was really looking forward to tackling this one.

It's no secret that I haven't been training much in the past few months, but I was still surprised when I looked back at dailymile and found that I had only logged 47 running miles since the Yukon Do It Half Marathon on December 28. Forty-seven. Thank goodness I didn't look at that BEFORE yesterday.

Despite everything, I decided to go for it and try to run Colfax. After what I felt was a decent crash-training plan, I was confident that I could at least complete it. I knew it would be far from a PR, but I was hoping to beat my slowest Half, which was 2:20 and some change. That was my first 13.1, five years ago to the day. Based on that, I can run 10:40 pace and beat or tie that time.

Between excitement and nervousness, I didn't sleep well and I got out of bed at 3:53 a.m., seven minutes before I planned to wake up. I had everything set out from the night before, so I got dressed, grabbed my usual race day breakfast (a banana and a plain bagel) and headed downtown. I was worried about parking based on everything I'd read, so I left about 4:30 and found a great spot on 22nd and Ash, 2 blocks from the entrance to City Park.

My race didn't start until 6:45, but I had a few friends running the marathon at 6:00 so I headed over to see them off if I could find them. I grabbed some free Boyer's coffee and I was lucky to see quite a few friends who were running that day. After the marathon went off, I went to line up in Corral F, which was based on the time I thought I would finish way back when I signed up. On the way to the corral, I grabbed one of my gels and as I was squeezing it, it popped and dripped all over my fingers and all down the front of my shirt. My white 3W Races Ambassador shirt. Nice. So, I'm in the corral squirting my shirt down with my race bottle and got most of it out. Way to start things off.

The corrals start going off and eventually I realized that I was in G, not F, but no big deal since I'm slower now than I was. Anyway, we take off and I'm feeling pretty good, trying to stay relaxed and get my breathing into a rhythm. Things go pretty well for a while, and the first mile goes by at 9:38 so I know I can back off for a bit and still be okay. I make it two miles and grab some Gatorade at the water station. Miles 2 and 3 were both 10:19 and Mile 4 was 10:41, so still close to being on track, no need to panic yet. After that, the only other mile under 11:00 would be Mile 7.

It was fun running through the zoo, seeing a few animals (cheetah, big horn sheep, flamingoes, elephants) and a few monkeys who were screaming at the runners, so that was cool, but there is a hell of a lot more uphill than I was expecting. I walked a few times through there, and the rest of the race would be a walk/run endeavor. 

A few other notables that stuck with me were the choir members singing "This little light of mine"; a couple of Jesus signs in the yard of a house that didn't really look occupied; the flag at Mile 10 hanging from the fire truck ladders; and all of the police officers and firefighters cheering us on and keeping us safe. I tried to thank them at every intersection, and it was pretty neat running through the firehouse. I was also inspired by the two wheelchair athletes I saw during the race. They weren't in any fancy racing wheelchairs, these guys were in regular ones working hard to get through it just like everyone else.

Right around Mile 10 I tripped on a piece of uneven pavement and pitched forward, flailing my arms before I was able to right myself and keep running. As luck would have it, there was a good size group on the corner that saw the whole thing and I received quite the round of applause. I raised my arms in victory for not having to use my tuck and roll skills and ran for a few more yards before walking because of the pain in my toe. I was certain there would be blood when I took off my shoe, but as of last night, I merely have a nice black and blue color under the entire big toe nail.

My friend Joy found me at Mile 11 and we ran together for a mile. I was grateful for that company and it kept me from walking for awhile. After Mile 12, I was just looking forward to the finish line. I ran and walked and was able to run the last bit from the pavilion to the finish line. I crossed the line at 2:30:18, making this my slowest 13.1, but I got my medal and thanked one last fireman as he put it around my neck.

There was a lot of self doubt regarding this race, and I was inside my own head from the beginning. That definitely didn't help things along. All things considered, I feel pretty good the day after and I'm glad that I went out and tried it.

Overall, I thought Colfax was a great race. I'm not sure the course was as challenging as it felt because of my lack of preparation, but I don't by any means think it was easy. Plenty of course support and volunteers, lots of bathrooms, even along the course. The post-race food (Jim and Nick's and Taziki's) was pretty impressive, and it's always good to have a free beer, even if it was a Mich Ultra.

Added bonus: There were so many running friends at this one that it almost felt like a 3W Races event! I definitely plan on putting this on my 2016 race calendar and will definitely tackle it with better pre-race preparation.

Cleveland to Colfax

Five years ago I ran my first Half Marathon. Five years ago this Sunday. The Rite Aid Cleveland Half Marathon. Besides a 10k in 2009, 2010 was when I really kicked off running as a lifestyle and the road to health. Back in 2010 I had a plan: St. Malachi 5-miler, then the Cleveland 10-miler, then the Cleveland Half. That road has led to many miles and many races, some alone, most with friends and family and though some have been tough, I've enjoyed them all. Since Cleveland, I have run nine more Half Marathons, in Ohio, Colorado and the 10th one, this past December in Washington. 

In each race I run I think of all the other runners, especially those of you I call friends, and how inspiring they all are to me. For one race, I even wrote down the names of a couple of my running partners and put the list in my pocket so that they were with me for those miles. Whatever it takes to get across that finish line.   

Five years later, between injury, illness and poor eating habits, I've put back on a few of the pounds I had lost and have not logged as many miles as I would have liked. Probably because of that I've recently spent a long time reflecting on what a great year 2010 was for me as a runner. I had a focus. I had a reason. I had motivation. The years since then have been awesome, the people I've met, the things I've accomplished, but as far as running goes, 2014 ended and 2015 began neither in the way that I wanted nor in a way I liked. I have a ways to go to get back to where I want to be, but I've taken steps and made some progress recently and what I hope is that the Colfax Half, on the 5th Anniversary of my first, will be the start of a new chapter.  

So many of you will be with me this Sunday, either in my head telling me to "Get after it!" or running in the same race. I will also be relying on three of my favorite mantras: 

It is within you.  

Race well and have fun. 

Our sports drink is beer. 

I won't be physically in Cleveland to run the Half this year. I will be home in Colorado running Colfax, but believe me, my heart will be as much in Cleveland as it will be in Denver on Sunday morning.