It was beyond wonderful to escape the heat and humidity and head for Colorado last week to run the Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon. The perfect antidote for this slumping, overheated runner.
After extensive research on portable oxygen tanks, I settled on this number…but reconsidered when I thought of the hassle I’d have getting through security at the airport.
Time to suck it up and hope for the best air-wise.
Time to suck it up and hope for the best air-wise.
I arrived Thursday afternoon and the ever-magnificent Jill picked me up from the airport. The festival of carbs began promptly on Friday. We picked up Tara and headed to Idaho Springs where we met up with Shana and her hubby and enjoyed the most luscious pizza for lunch.
Shana, me, Tara and Jill apres pizza
It was delicious but like an overly handsome guy, looks can be deceiving. That beautiful pie came back to haunt me on race day.
After lunch near the finish line, we drove another 2,000 ft. up to the starting line in Georgetown and surveyed the very unflat course. Mostly downhill, yes but plenty of uphill too + no air = please no myocardial infarction on race day. Because Jill is infinitely brilliant, she booked us a condo in the mountains so getting to the start line would be a cinch and we’d have some time to hopefully acclimate to the altitude.
Oxygen deprivation is taking its toll
We headed up the mountain still higher to Breckenridge where we shopped and continued our carbfest at Rasta Pasta. It wasn’t until I laid down to sleep that my stomach started churning. And churn it did, all night and right through starting time. Pizza I thought you were my friend.
Race Day
It was refreshingly cool at the start. The thin air has an uplifting lightness to it. I was hoping the rolling, mostly downhill course combined with low humidity would compensate for the altitude. Alas what felt like an 8:45 effort was indeed quite a bit slower.
Potty lines were ridiculous so we had to start without going.
I did finally go when the course circled past the start at mile 2 but my stomach continued to convulse. I entertained bagging the race at miles 3 and 5. If I would have seen Jill along the course, for sure I would have hopped in her car and called it a day.
By mile 6 though I started feeling a little better. I mean seriously do I come all the way to Colorado to bag a race? I’ve never bagged anywhere and I’m not going to start here.
I channeled my inner yogi, ignored my angry hammy/piriformis, focused on the breathtaking scenery, let my shoulder blades roll down my back and paced for a long time with an adorable and very spry woman who was probably 20 years my senior.
Much of the race ran along a sparkling, rushing stream that was a welcome distraction from my wheezing and gasping for air.
This is not the stream obviously (I didn’t run w/a camera) but a gorgeous waterfall streaming out of a mountain is not something I see everyday ever in Chicago.
Thin air is also dry air. I needed to drink so much more than usual. About mile 10 I noticed some dark, nasty chunks floating in my water bottle. WTH? So I pulled over at the water station, dumped what I had and refilled. When I started up again, I saw Shana just ahead so I caught her and we swore, gasped, belched, ran together for the rest of the race.
Finally we got to Idaho Springs and had one last, lingering incline at 12.5 or so before finishing.
No official results were in last I checked. Garmin says 2:06. Guess I got my money’s worth.
Once I caught my breath and regained lucidity, we met up with Beth and her husband in the finishing area.
Overall it was such a fun experience and a stunningly beautiful course. Many thanks to Jill for organizing this adventure and for being such a good sport about not running due to her injured heel. Jill I know you’ll be back better than ever soon!
My Colorado adventure did not end at the finish line. I’ll share more after-race festivities as well as
a Run Like A Mother Meetup soon!
