Thoughts on the Run

I have done the Boulder Half Marathon 4 times and the Boulder Marathon now once. This will be my last time paying for their event.

My goal for these 26.2 miles was simple: a long supported training run.

It turned into a very very long run and little support.

When I first did the Boulder Half Marathon in 2010, they ran out of water on the course. Not cool. Then traffic and parking was a nightmare. This is not a big event … less then 2,000 people.

This year, each aid station had only a couple volunteers. Towards the end, there were aid stations with 1 volunteer. It was more of having tables setup with some cups and whole oranges not cut. Due to dehydration, I was not in a place to wield a knife to cut oranges. For a $105 entry fee, I should not have to do that anyhow.

Right at the finish line, there were no volunteers handing out water or other normal essentials. It was a walk over to a tent for food. Minor inconvenience for someone that just ran over 5 hours in 70 degree heat.

What I do have issue with is sending several emails promising great food … only to find out they ran out of food 2 hours too early. That is not okay and poses safety issues. Yes, plenty of free beer where nobody is checking ID, that’s nice. But seeing kids and non-runners walking around with a handful of food, chocolate milk, and other snacks is not a way to support runners. There was no staff presence managing the event. Not impresses and unfortunately, not surprised.

On to the race …

I can’t recall a marathon that started with more perfect weather. It was 49 degrees with a very light breeze. The sunrise over the Boulder Reservoir is one that can be used on a postcard. It is a reminder of how incredible the world looks when you take a moment to stop and look. There was very little noise and only a few people wandering around waiting for the start of the race. The weather was to get up to 70 and knowing this course, there is no shade from that sun was meaning I was in for a sweat storm.

I ran into a few people I know from running Leadville and other races. It was great to chat, talk about how we haven’t really trained since running in Leadville, and that we were looking forward to a 26.2 mile training run.

My plan was to run the course with George as it was his first marathon. We gathered in the crowd as the sun started to wash over the starting line. Somewhere towards the front it sounded like there was a speaker with someone’s voice. Then an old recording of the music for the National Anthem played. A minute later we were off.

The first mile is mostly downhill along dirt roads. You get a few uphills, but it’s so early on that they don’t phase you all that much. People are still chuckling and joking that 1 mile down and only 25 to go. Such a happy point in any marathon.

As I usually don’t run with people, it was a new experience for me to have someone to chat with the whole time. George and I caught up on our kids, politics, running strategies, and answering the age old question: why the hell are you running a marathon? I snapped this photo of him with the sun rising on the mountain backdrop. These are views you can’t experience from a couch.

Mile 3 is when we hit the pavement for a bit on a slow uphill. Still early so not as big of a deal. There are some walking which is normal. They may have started out to fast or their strategy is to walk the uphills and run the rest. The chatter amongst the other runners has all but disappeared. I started finding that chatting on the run is a nice distraction and adds extra cardio training.

Rolling into the mile 4 aid station required a pit stop. George went on ahead for a bit as I took care of business. Next thing I knew we were back to running again. The first 6.5 miles are the same of the half marathon course which we’ve both run. There is something nice about knowing the course and what awaits around the turns.

There was still a little breeze, but the sun was starting to make itself known. It was going to be a few more hours before we would be done running for the day. Thoughts of beer and food were already filling my thoughts. Too bad for me I wouldn’t be finding food at the finish line.

The fun part of being out in the country is that you get to see the country. Cows and horses were the cheering section for many miles of the course. This is not a race I would suggest to a first time marathoner. If you don’t need any encouragement from spectators than you may be okay. There just isn’t easy access for people to come and cheer you on. If you like a challenge and are good with your own thoughts or music, than this would be a marathon to consider.

The one thing the course doesn’t lack is hills. With almost 2,000 feet of elevation gain, there are some inclines to work on. There were plenty of slow gradual climbs. Like at mile 14 where I could see the top of the hill off in the distance. People were starting to head back towards me, which is a good sign. That means I was getting closer to the turnaround … well, it meant that I had another 4 miles to get there, but it all depends on your perspective.

Another nice part of running with someone is that they don’t mind taking photos of you running. My second goal behind a long training run, was to take some nice scenic photos. What better place to have someone take your photo than running by some llamas:

The turnaround at mile 17 was greeted by one volunteer working as hard as she could. There was a box full of oranges uncut and I didn’t have the heart to ask her to cut them. She was doing a great job just keeping the cups of liquid flowing. I did stop to talk with a lady that was clearly powering through some ankle issues. We chatted for a bit and I offered my advice along with “you’re looking great and still doing it” speech.

At mile 21 was a hill that looked like a mirage. It could have been the blazing sun and the heat, but it was a steep one. A part of me said to save my energy so I can run down the backside, but the adventurous said run both sides. I met in the middle and ran most of it. At the top I saw the point of the course that reconnects to the half marathon course. Now I was back onto a familiar road that I had traveled 5 or 6 times.

At that point, I needed to take off the long sleeve shirt to survive the heat. Fortunately, I did apply sunscreen at 6am when it was 48 degrees outside. Believe it or not I do learn from most of my mistakes … kind of. I randomly wiped the side of my face to realize a great deal of salt. That and my pounding headache would point to dehydration. That I am good at doing.

The last few miles are not that intimidating on this course. More of it is mental as you can see the Boulder Reservoir off in the distance, but know you have 30 minutes until you get there. George’s knees had started bothering him around mile 19, so we were at a run/walk strategy yet still making good time.

Smiles were on many people’s faces knowing that there was light at the end of the tunnel (and it wasn’t a train coming at them). About a mile from the end a jeep slowly passed us. For fun, and a distraction, we decided to chase the jeep yelling for a ride. That took care of about .25 of a mile. Before getting back to the reservoir there was one small hill to climb. It’s probably not even really a hill, but after 25 miles it certainly feels like one.

Rolling down the grass for the last quarter mile and into the finish line felt good. Not a lot of people around, but the ground is soft on the body. There were still about 90 people behind us on the course and the temperature was only climbing. I wanted shade and a bottle of water. There was neither, so I grabbed a bagel and a beer because that was what was available.

Overall, I achieved what I wanted: 5 hours of running and taking some scenic photos. I had a good time with George and will be back to run the course in the future. It just won’t be on a day that a race is being hosted by the Boulder Marathon.