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.

February Races that Weren't...Part 2

Adorable license plate shirt

My first race of 2014 didn't exactly work out. (See this post.)  I did get the shirt, so that's cool I guess. For my next race, my friend Allyson found this really cute 5k and 10k in Parker, which is about 25 minutes south of Denver, called the "Love 'em or Leave 'em Valentine's Day 5k/10k" in the city of Parker. Once again, I ventured to the "expo" the day before the race to pick up my shirt, number, and any goodies. The volunteers were very friendly; I was happy because I could scope out the path and parking before race day. I scored a 10 minute massage and LOT of mini Larabars and multigrain chips.  Yay for lunch-packing ease!

But oh my goodness, I sure can comically mess up a normal situation. It was rainy during the week, so there was mud and melting snow everywhere. Before I left, I walked Petey Bella in flip-flops because I didn't want to drive in muddy shoes. Once again, I was all prepared. I had my gear: my water bottle, my nuun tablets, my hat, ipod, sunglasses...ready to take on this beautiful day. Oh, did you notice anything missing from that list? Yes, you did. Shoes. One should be prepared for a race with shoes. SHOES!

Blissfully ready to run?

No, you are not ready to run.

I realized this error about 20 minutes before the race was to start. I'm not terribly familiar with any towns and stores around Denver, but especially not Parker. However, there was a silver lining-- Goodwill! I had been through Parker on my way to Castlewood Canyon-- and had to leave early due to torrential rains.  My phone GPS sent me on meandering roads to seemingly absent Target and Wal-mart stores, so I stopped at Goodwill. It was 50% off day, so the place was an absolute zoo. I sprinted to the back of the store, picked up a nice clean paid of Asics...that were a size 5. I hung my head, as only a sad Cinderella could, and picked up a pair of broken-in Swiss Gear trail shoes. They were WAY past their prime, but were my size 8. For 3.99, I was out the door and back on the way to the race. 

I made it to the race, found a parking spot, and saw that the race had already started. There were two different courses-- one for the 5k and one for the 10k. I tightened the laces on somebody else's stinky shoes, took a breath, and decided to go for it. The race had already started, but I was going to give it a shot anyway.  I rounded the first corner, stepped on a puddle of water that in fact turned out to be a sheet of ice, and slipped and crashed on my hand, cutting my palm open. Some nice joggers with a stroller asked if I needed help. 

I came around the next bend and realized that I was on the wrong course. The 10k one, not the 5k. I kept going, looking to see if they intersected and I could get back on the right path. That's when I realized that my hand was throbbing and probably needed to be cleaned, my feet were aching (already) from the ill-fitting shoes, and my bum was wet from slipping in the stupid ice. So I made a choice. The race was called "Love 'em or Leave 'em."

I left 'em.

P.S. What was running through my head as I drove around madly looking for replacement shoes? Katt Williams. Who doesn't bring shoes to a footrace? Me. I mean, Oscar Pistorious has to bring his FEET to a footrace. Glad I at least remembered those. It's NSFW, but it's hilarious...Poor Little Tink Tink. 

Mustache Dash 5K!

Wish the shirt had Denver or the date...

On November 2, 2013, on a whim, I decided to purchase a groupon for a 5k in Denver. My first race! It wasn’t supposed to have been my first race, because I had signed up for the Atlanta Monster Dash 10k back in July when I attended the Peachtree Road Race Runner’s Expo with my awesome BFF Allyson. A few things transpired between July 3 and November, when the Mustache Dash was scheduled. Namely, I moved from Atlanta to Denver! Then, the Ortho crew cancelled the Monster Dash—which I had planned on flying back from Denver to be able to run in, but I had to fly to Los Angeles for work. Later in the fall, while I was in Salt Lake City for work, I saw a groupon for this little 5k, the Mustache Dash, which was to benefit Movember-- the prostate and male cancer month. I texted a Denver buddy to see if he wanted to give it a shot. He’s a tennis player, so he’s in good shape. I’m a flatlander, and the altitude is BRUTAL here. Mustache-dache, you're on!

We are grumpy about the cold pre-race. 

Fast forward—it was only about 3 weeks from the sign up to the race! I'd been running on the treadmill and using the elliptical at the gym in my apartment complex. I'd done two short runs (about 40 minutes) in a park near my place, but I was not really feeling that great about running. During the summer, Allyson and I were pretty regular about working out at the gym together before the Atlanta heat hit too hard core, but I'd slacked off a lot here. Allyson totally inspired me on this-- her blog, her encouragement, and her living by her goals of running and racing-- it's been monumental to me not being just a couch potato out here!

Ick. Dead critters and guns.

Lots of layers in non-cotton fibers, Body Glide, and sparkly eye shadow.

  Denver also hit a cold snap and it snowed buckets and buckets of snow the Thursday before the Saturday, November 23rd race. We even received an email pushing the start back half an hour so that it would be a little sunnier and hopefully warmer at race time. On Friday night, my friend Michael and I set off to the “expo”—more just a packet pick up at the Bass Pro Shop. Okay. I’m not a “sportsman” type with hunting and fishing. This place had more taxidermied animals than some museums I’ve been to! All the dead critters hanging off the walls were pretty intense to me, but then I had a bunch of Cheddar Bay biscuits at the ultra-healthy Red Lobster around the corner. My stomach was definitely settled by the biscuits. 

I made it home on Friday night and got some of my clothes ready. I read on Jeff Galloway’s website about what to wear in a cold weather race. I got a little bit nervous about that part because it was going to be 18 degrees when the sun came up—possibly warming up to about 30. Between the altitude (meaning I’m much slower here and get side cramps fast!) and the temperature—I really felt like cancelling and going back to bed. But, I had a little cheering crew text stream going on from Atlanta and I was good to go. 

Oh, mountains. I really, really, really am glad I get to see you.

The race was at a place called Central Park in Denver-- it's actually part of Denver called Stapleton. I swear I'll understand all these neighborhoods eventually. It’s actually where the airport used to be located. It’s hard to imagine planes managing around buildings, but I think it’s awesome that some of the buildings from the terminals are still there along with the air traffic control tower. I still catch my breath to see the city skyscrapers juxtaposed against the silhouette of the Rocky Mountains. These mountains just make me really happy.

I started off the race with my buddy, but then I decided against keeping a fast race pace in favor of listening in to people’s conversations, saying hello to people, and enjoying the scenery. I do the “run-walk-run” interval running, so I don’t injure myself here in this altitude. I never thought Atlanta hills were terrible for running in, and comparatively speaking, the hills of Grant Park and Decatur are NOTHING compared to attempting speed here. (To date, I’ve tried running on a trail once. Once.) 

A long queue of folks up to the starting mark-- all mustach-io'ed.

There's snow on the ground! You want me to do anything but go back to bed?!

The air was pretty crisp from the starting line but the crowd thinned to the walkers, the families, the people with strollers, the people with a group who were doing this 5k fun run as a fund raiser for Prostate Cancer research. Did I mention the mustaches? There was a tent where you could put on a temporary tattoo mustache, or draw one on with marker. I’d already drawn my “pirate-stache” on in the car. I was pretty surprised there was anything left of my mustache after the race because I’d had to wipe my nose the whole time from it running. Silly nose thought this was a race it needed to RUN! 

The morning was warming up nicely.

I made sure I followed my friend Allyson's advice and was ready to RUN across the finish line. I walked some of it for sure, ran some of it, and listened to some Florence and the Machine. She’s good running music!

We got chocolate mustaches and protein bars after it was over—I checked in for my time based on the chip thingie in my bib number. It wasn’t fast, but it was my first race. If I got a do-over, I'd make sure my outside layers were easier to remove-- I had pinned my number over the zipper on my jacket. It got a little hot and sweaty. I would probably train more before hand (I did have a few things going on, like work and travel for work conferences!) that would help me to be more ready for the altitude. I was happy with the Body glide coating I had on my chilly toes, though, that's for sure. What can I say, I think I’m hooked!

Enjoy a few pics from the day—it was a good one!

No shave-November for Prostate health. Yikes!! This guy!

Selfie and still happy at mile 2.

Finish line and people waiting around chatting and cheering

The water here with the mountains-- the typical blue Colorado sky-- what a nice day for a race!

Got the medal! Sparkly eyes still sparkly and mustache still intact!