February Races that Weren't...Part 4...Happy Ending

Look at all those little bicyclers!

Run! Run! Run! February has been my month of well-intentioned races that have gotten eschewed. Read about my SNAFUs here. However, there's a happy ending to this second month of the year and my running plans. My first official race of 2014? The Chilly Cheeks Duathlon. 

Once again, my friend Allyson put her race-searching skills to the test and found me a great race-- and it wasn't far from my house. In fact, this race was at Cherry Creek State Park, a large park on a reservoir with a dam, and therefore fishing, boating, running, hiking, and biking pretty much year-round. I've been here several times because it's not a long drive from work or home, and one of my friends lives near by, so he and I have walked around the lake here. To be clear, I didn't bike the Duathlon-- bike for however-many-meters, then park your bike, change shoes, and run 4 miles. I have issues remembering to bring SHOES to a footrace, so I think I'll just stick to running-- not biking or swimming too. That's a lot of gear for me to leave at home accidentally! I just ran the 4-Miler.

There was no early packet pick-up, so I arrived early for the race. Those of you who know me realize that I am not very punctual. I was early! I parked, picked up my number, and finished getting my clothes, number, Body glide, ipod, and jacket situated. I wanted to make sure I could take off my jacket-- I got very hot when I was running during the Mustache Dash in November-- so I made sure my number was on my shirt, but not my jacket. Keys were tucked away, chapstick nearby, and playlist ready to go.

I love seeing the melting snow dusting the paths

I enjoyed watching the bikers getting prepared. Many came with families-- so there were little kids cheering their parents on or asking things like, "Daddy, why do you need a water bottle on your bike? Where are you going to put your bike when you're running? I can watch it for you!" The "Racing Underground" group seemed very organized and the volunteers were very helpful. They set the bikes off in waves so they wouldn't be too crowded. I've always enjoyed bicycling, but these people were serious! Serious outfits and shoes, contraptions strapped to their wrists or ankles, and intense-looking helmets...I tried not to gape.

I chatted with a couple of runners-- there weren't too many for this race. One was actually an Atlanta transplant too-- he'd done a Polar Bear plunge-- and had the shirt to show for it. Another lady, who took 1st place, was a marathoner and a hugger. People were friendly and supportive. It felt great to talk with people. We started at about 10:20 and had paths that were paved, parts of roads, gravel, mud, and a little bridge/boardwalk. I used the run-walk-run method, so I was happy with my pace. It was a VERY windy day, but warmed from the high 40's to the 50's during the race. I ended up first tucking my gloves in my waistband and then taking off my jacket and tying it around my waist. I was glad for the layers-- and glad I hadn't worn a hat.

You can definitely tell you're east of the Rockies here-- the fields and natural areas look just like prairies of Kansas. There were geese in some of the ponds that pepper the scene. I felt like I was looking at Laura Ingalls Wilder's By the Shores of Silver Lake as I listened to the geese honk. There's a field for model airplane flying-- saw some of those. You can tell the sky was gorgeous. It was a great day for a run.
I've gone several times for a walk around the Cherry Creek reservoir-- once when it was frozen through. Our path didn't take us too close-- but you can see the dam in these pictures too. I ran-walked-ran the whole way and dug in on some of the slopes and hills to face the wind. I paced myself with a mother-daughter team who were employing a similar method. I came up the final hill with kids (some with cowbells!), other runners, friends, and dogs cheering and clapping. My ipod had made it to Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now," which was a pretty fitting final song, if I do say so myself.

Another dam picture

Did I mention I'm overwhelmed by the bikers' sheer amount of gear? Just to run, you still need a lot of stuff. Here's my front seat after the race (and even though my time isn't as fast as a lot of other runners, it's still cool to see my name in the results!) ...water bottles, snack bars, ipod and case, sunscreen, sweaty layers of clothes, changes of socks, and even SHOES! I was VERY happy my February race month ended well...the runner's high-- it can't be beat!

Only stopped for this one!

So. Much. Stuff.