Race #10 - The race that wasn't meant to be

Yesterday was the third and final Chilly Cheeks race. While I had signed up for the entire series, I wussed out yesterday due to the weather. Even though it wasn't too snowy in the morning, it seemed like it might be a little icy so I decided to skip it.

While I'm sure I would have been fine, the thought of crashing my bike and breaking some part of my body made me feel like it wasn't worth it.

Not long ago, I probably would have chosen to drive down to South Denver and do the race, despite the miserable conditions. Or, if I had skipped the race, I would have felt guilty about it all day. But back then I think I had something to prove, even though I wouldn't have been able to admit it. These days, I really just don't so instead I went for a long run and never gave my decision a second thought. I did the first half or my run with Elmer and then went out for round two on my own. Did I make the right call? I think I did and I know Elmer agrees.

Race #8 - Loveland Sweetheart Classic

Race Shwag

• Date: February 14th
• Type: Run
• Distance: 4 miles 
• Shwag: The most hideous race shirt ever, a pedometer, a piece of bubble gum

Okay, so let’s start with the race shirt. I’m not generally one to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially since horses scare me a little. However, this shirt is just terrible. While I appreciate the hearts with their sneakers and determined faces, the pink color is just abysmal. (It’s also very pepto bismol). I know they’re going for a Valentine’s Day theme and all but aren’t the hearts enough? Yes, the hearts are enough. 

Despite the shirts, the Sweetheart Classic was a nice little community race and I’m glad that I did it. I had lots of company on this one: Steph and Jenny joined me again, as did Dan (a Loveland resident), his training partner, Michele, and fellow Monkey, Amy. Plus, the IPA endurance crew was out in full force. It was great to see so many familiar faces on the course and at the finish line.  

Since I had just finished a 30-day “clean challenge” at my CrossFit gym, I had mostly been doing CrossFit, and not much else. While I like CrossFit and think that it definitely gets you fit, it doesn't take the place of god old-fashioned running. That became pretty apparent to me around mile #1. But, CrossFit makes you really good at suffering, and that came in handy for miles 2 – 4.

Around mile two I started wishing I were running a 5k. It would have been nice to be almost done, as opposed to only halfway done. And, since it was a loop, I was two miles away from my car and had to finish no matter what. I guess the good news is that the three mile mark was when I finally started to feel warm. The bad news is the 3.5 mile mark was where I started to feel pukey. I could see the finish line but it seemed so far away. How long is half a mile anyway? Longer than you might think.

After what seemed like an excessively long time, I crossed the finish line (without puking) and reunited with my peeps. Once we were all back together, we made plans for breakfast. Since Dan is training for the Phoenix marathon, he wanted to get in a few extra miles before we chowed down. While he took off for a cool-down run, Jenny, Stephanie, and I ran amok in Loveland. There are a lot of really interesting sculptures in Loveland, which kept us entertained for a while, as did the Valentine’s Day festival  and the signs posted all over town.  

There are signs all around town, from people
declaring their love for one another 

But if it doesn't work out, you can get a DIY divorce

After our fun was over, we reunited with Dan for an awesome breakfast at Doug's Day Diner. While Dan can’t necessarily be counted on to accurately assess the difficulty, distance, or duration of a run (who remembers Hall Ranch last year?), he never disappoints with his assessment of food. Sometime after noon, we finally  made our way back to Boulder, full, happy, and ready for a nap. Not at all a bad way to spend Valentine’s Day. 

Races #6 and #7 and #9

I know it might seem like I'm a slacker but let me say this: doing 40 races in 52 weeks is not nothing. It's a goal that takes dedication and time, time that might otherwise be spent blogging. If I weren't doing all of these races, I would certainly have more time to blog. But then what would I have to blog about?

So let's get down to business. For three out of the last four weeks, I've done the Wednesday night snowshoes races at Eldora. For those of you who don't live in Colorado, Eldora is a small ski "resort" about 30 minutes outside of Boulder. (Note that resort is in scare quotes. Interpret that as you will.) Every year for six weeks, Eldora runs it's Nighthawks program, which includes Alpine and Nordic ski races, as well as snowshoe races.

If you've done a snowshoe race before, you know how ridiculous these things are. If you haven't, picture yourself running up a mountain, in a sand-like substance, at 9,000 feet above sea level, with giant planks strapped to your feet. And then picture yourself doing that in the dark and in the cold. Basically, you're suffering from the get-go and you just try to hang on. And you also try not to get lost in the woods.

The races have a very small, supportive, community vibe and while there are definitely people duking out for first place, most people are there to challenge themselves and have some mid-week fun. Race courses and distances vary each week, just to keep things interesting. While you don't get any automatic shwag, each race only costs $15 and there's a raffle at the end of each race, along with some day-old bagel pieces.

Here's a brief summary of the snowshoe races I've done so far:

Nighthawsk Race #1 (January 28) 

I snuck out of work early and met my fellow racers (Jen, Scott G. and Liz) to carpool up the canyon. I really didn't know what I was getting myself into but I knew enough to be scared. Normal running at 9,000 feet is a bit of a struggle. Running in snowshoes? I could only image.

The Crew

When the gun went off (i.e. when the race organizer said "Ready... go!") the pack took off and I immediately fell to the back. I tried my best to run but gave up about 25 yards up the hill and just started walking. That was pretty much how it went for the rest of the race. Any time I saw anything resembling a hill I would throw in the towel and walk.

Luckily, Liz forgot her headlamp and was running with me so I had a captive audience for my non-stop complaining. ("Are you kidding me?" "We have to do this for how long?" "We paid money for this?" "Are we really doing this to ourselves?" You realize we could be home watching TV," You get the idea.)

It was tough going but the important thing is that we kept going. At the end of our first loop, we were lapped by a guy wearing shorty shorts. Keep in mind this was January in mountains. At night. After winning the race, shorty shorts ran back up to the course for a cool down loop. That's when he once again caught me and Liz who had just started our third and final lap of the course. Shorty Shorts asked if he could run with us and how could we say no? He was entertaining company and helped take our minds off our misery. Actually, with the exception of not being able to breathe, it really wasn't that miserable. In fact, it was an amazing experience to "run" through the snowy woods on a star-filled winter's night.

Over 30 minutes after we started, Liz and I crossed the finish line with big smiles on our faces and a sense of satisfaction neither of us had felt in a while.

Nighthawks Race #3 (February 11)

Sweet Raffle Prices. Seriously, those sunglasses!

Sometimes, the stars align and you have one of those races where everything clicks together. I expected to fall to the back at the start but I felt pretty good and even passed a few people going up the first hill. That put me solidly in the middle of the pack, where I stayed for the rest of the race. I even managed to pass a few people halfway through the second loop.

This race was a long one - almost 3.5 miles (it's a lot on snowshoes, people!). I was close to the red line for the entire race - My lungs were burning. My legs were burning. But I didn't let up. I crossed the finish line knowing I gave it my all out there and that, for me, is the definition of a good race.

AND I won some sweet prizes in the post-race raffle. Good day all around.

Nighthawks Race #4 (February 18)

So you know how I had an amazing race last week? Yeah, well, that was last week. What can I say? Nighthawks #4 was a rough one. Whatever "it" is, I just didn't have it. The course was shorter, and had less climbing than the previous week. But, even still, I walked a lot more. How bad was it? I'm pretty sure I was out of breath while walking downhill. And no prizes in the raffle. Oh well. You can't win them all!

Races #2 and #3 and #4 and #5

Ideally, I want to recap each race individually but, things have just sort of gotten away from me and here I am, writing about FOUR races at once. This is a lot to sum up so I’ll keep it short.

Race #2: Quicker Quaker 5K (part of the Lafayette Oatmeal Festival)

• Date: January 10th
• Type: Run
• Distance: 5K (but it was shortened to about 2.7 miles due to icy conditions)
• Shwag: Entry to the most amazing oatmeal breakfast ever + a tub of Quaker Oats + a pencil (anyone have a sharpener I can borrow?)

Shwag

Embrace the oatmeal!

Guest Stars - Jenny and Steph

What can I say? This was a fantastic community event and I’ll definitely do it again. An easy-going and laid back 5K through Lafayette, Colorado. $20 gets you entry to the race and the Oatmeal Festival Breakfast, which costs $8 on its own. The breakfast includes an amazing oatmeal bar with hundreds of toppings + pancakes + muffins + good coffee + milk and cream from the Longmont Dairy. . 

Due to some icy conditions, the race was cut short so after a 2.7 mile jog, Jenny, Steph and I were ready for breakfast. There are literally hundreds of topics to choose from at the oatmeal bar so my advice is to go in with a plan. I opted for oatmeal with nutella, banana, bacon, and pecans. Not too bad, if I say so myself. 

Oatmeal Bar. Awesome but a little overwhelming. 

Race #3: Chilly Cheeks Duathlon #2

• Date: January 18th
• Type: Duathon
• Distance: 15ish (1.5 run, 3.6 bike, 2.5 run, 7.2 bike, then a really awkward run to the finish line in bike shoes) 
• Shwag: Sweatpants (not new sweatpants, the same ones as before) 

Not too much to report from the Chilly Cheeks race. It was a sunny but windy day and I wasn’t too thrilled about riding in the wind. Since I already have the sweatpants, there wasn’t a huge obligation for me to show up. But I did. I felt pretty crummy for the first 15 - 20 minutes of the race but then settled in and finished feeling pretty good. Overall, I had a decent race, especially considering I hadn’t ridden my bike since the last Chilly Cheeks race.Did I learn my lesson? Will I ride my bike between Chilly Cheeks #2 and #3? Probably not.  

Race #4: Estes Park Frost Giant 5K

• Date: January 25th
• Type: Run
• Distance: 5K (at altitude and uphill, with some "off road" fun)
• Shwag: Long-sleeve tech shirt

The Frost Giant races were recommended by my friend Dan. Billed as a great event and a way to knock out two races in one day, I decided to sign up. Dan and Josh were both signed up for the 10K but, against his better judgement, Josh decided to sign up for the 5K too. Even though he regretted the extra mileage, he won a $20 gift certificate to the Estes Park liquor store in the post-race raffle so I’d say it was worth it. 

Liz also decided to join the fun at the last minute and was rewarded for her efforts with a six pack of beer AND 3rd place in her age group. Not bad for her first race in over two years! 

Knowing that I had another 10K to go, I took the race easy and paced myself, which isn’t easy to do when you’re running at that altitude. This was one of the toughest 5K’s I’ve done; it started up hill, then went through through a field (not a trail - a field with grass and snow and holes and all sorts of challenges. The race ended with a mile of downhill pavement, directly into a headwind. Tough conditions but a great race overall. After a quick change of shoes and some hydration, I was onto the 10K!.

Frost Giant Shwag

Race #5: Estes Park Frost Giant 10K

• Date: January 25th
• Type: Run
• Distance: 10K (at altitude, uphill, and “off road”)
• Shwag: Long-sleeve tech shirt + 3rd place ribbon for my age group (and there were more than three of us!)

I guess the race organizers didn’t think the 5K had enough uphill because the 10K has even more. Instead of the more gradual hill up to the field that we took in the 5K, the 10K route starts up an even steeper hill. You know it’s bad when you’re walking within the first 200 yards of the race. But, it was all part of my strategy. Why run up hill when you can waste less energy walking and go pretty much just as fast?   

I figured there would be plenty of time to use up my energy on the rest of the run and I was right. The 10K had more than twice as much off-road fun as the 5K. It was a challenging course, especially for my ankles, but there were plenty of rewards. For example, after a small uphill patch in the woods, I came upon two large, majestic looking Elk standing quietly between the trees, so close that I could see the steam coming out of their nostrils. Amazing. I stopped for a bit to take it all in before hurling myself down a snowy hill.     

After lots of traversing of hills and fields, the 10K ended with the same stretch of downhill as the 5K, which is good for someone who likes to run downhill. I ran the last mile as fast as my legs would go but since I still had a decent amount left in the tank at the end, I probably should have pushed it a little more during the race. Good to know. It was also good to know that I was able to cover that distance, at altitude, and that I felt strong and consistent for the entire distance. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I ran more than four miles so this was a good test for me. AND I came in third in my age group. True, there were only eight people in my age group but whatever. I’ll take it!

10K Course Map

Me, Liz, and Josh

Winners!

Race #1: Chilly Cheeks Duathlon (#1)

Race Details:

• Date: December 20th
• Type: Duathon
• Distance: 15ish (4 run, 11ish bike)
• Shwag: Sweatpants 

The Saturday before Christmas, I officially kicked off my 40 for 40 race adventure with the first race of the Chilly Cheeks Duathlon series. I’m not sure why I thought it was a good idea to sign up for a race two days after returning from a trip to Russia, let alone a duathon, but I did.

Special Guest Stars - Becky and Ron

Wait, I remember. It was because when you sign up for all three Chilly Cheeks races, you get a pair of sweatpants. And I wanted the sweatpants. (Note: You can also buy the sweatpants but, and maybe this is just me, I feel like sweatpants are something you need to earn.) 

Race day found me jet-lagged and completely out of shape. The only form of exercise I got in the motherland was lifting meat pies and other assorted pastries to my mouth, and then repeating again and again. Never the less, I met up with my friends Becky and Ron, who were signed up for the run, and made my way down to the Cherry Creek Reservoir in Denver.

I wasted no time getting
into the sweatpants. 

I was greeted by the friendly face of Jen Szabo at the registration tent where I snagged my sweatpants. With the sweatpants in hand, I thought about heading home without even doing the race. It was a chilly, cloudy morning and I thought, “there’s no way I’d go for a bike ride today if I didn’t have to” but it’s funny how you’ll do so many things you otherwise wouldn’t, just because you’ve already paid for them and/or people are watching.

I grabbed a spot next to an older gentleman who was doing his first ever multi-sport event. He had lots of questions about how everything worked and I helped him with the usual setup stuff and gave him as much advice as I could. Despite the frosty temps, the guy was wearing shorts, which made me feel even wussier when I put my new sweatpants on over the seven layers I was already wearing. 

Pile-o-crap. I maybe haven't
done this in a while

Then it was time to set up my stuff. I hadn’t done one of these things in a while, and definitely hadn’t done one in the winter so I had no clue what to bring. Instead of thinking through things the night before, I just brought pretty much everything. Becky and Ron helped talk me through it and, slowly but surely, I got my giant pile of stuff organized into a semi-orderly transition area, full of piecemeal clothing. 

Chilly Cheeks is a “duathlon” series, not a duathlon series. That means that instead of being run-bike-run, the events are totally random. Race #1 consisted of a four mile run, followed by an 11ish mile bike. Aside from just surviving the race, my biggest concern was getting too warm on the run and then getting chilled on the bike. That meant some creative attire, including some random jacket I found in the back of my closet. (Where did that even come from?)

Tired but happy.
Race #1 is in the books!

I won’t bore you with the details of the race itself, since I'm probably boring you enough already. I'll  just sum it up like this: The run was fine, a little enjoyable even. The bike was… well, it could have been worse. I survived and that’s all that matters. No, wait -I survived and I had fun, which is what really matters. And, while I got passed by a fair number of people, thanks to the fat tire division of the race, I was able to pass a decent number of people as well which, in some weird way, made me feel better.  

There were plenty of goodies and snacks at the finish line, including hot soup and chocolate chip banana bread. And the sun even came out, which was lovely.

Overall, it was a good day and a great race to get things started. Oh, and did I mention the sweat pants? When I got home from the race, I immediately changed into them and spent the rest of the day on the couch, in the sweatpants, watching Christmas movies. I earned it.