Masters Running

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Slacker HM, Georgetown CO (Read 332 times)


Top 'O the World!

    The view from the other shoe..... Tongue well, I "re-learned" some things! Roll eyes 1st off, sorry for the delayed report...contrary to popular opinion, I wasn't "slacking" I was @#!*.....oh, never-mind! ...but the shed is finished & moved into & the visiting relatives are sent back home & I'll finish finding my house back later.....!.... Surprised as all heck that while I coulda napped like a much "younger" Wink person this afternoon (didn't get to!), I find myself wide awake & restless @ midnight! So, here I be.... I have so many things on my plate right now....I signed up for this race back when I was looking for ones I could bring my dog, Mairead to.....now, I'm 7 wks into a full marathon training program & got to thinking that this should be approached as a "sensible" training run......= no attempts @ PR's, just 'run' the thing...have a sensible prep, have a good time, take some pictures, enjoy the mountains, spend time w/Mairead, meet new people, try to keep an even, steady pace, etc, etc...... Well, some of that worked out better than others! 1st mistake: Didn't get to spend the night up @ the mtn house (insert normal life here), so didn't get re-acclimated to the elevation (been months since I've spent any real time "upstairs") but thought, "Hey! I'm up here often enough, & I normally run @ 6,000'...I should be fine!" Rriiiiiiggght!.... 2nd mistake: brought a coolie vest for Mairead (see big black dog!), but it was light jacket weather @ the start, so I left that in the car thinking it should be fine for a coupla hrs yet.....3rd mistake: couldn't get a solid bead on availability of water for said dog, so opted to carry plain water & soft bowl for dog rather than my Luna mix..... Roll eyes Other than that, it was an Excellent day!! Smile Approximately 1,100 folks gathered for the 7th running of the Slacker Races on a brilliantly clear Colorado morning! Most of those bused up the hill for the HM relay & race. I was one of about 20 dog runners. I lined up w/most of the rest of those - towards the back of the pack, where it's safer to get the dogs going after most of the people.... We crossed the start line 2-3 minutes after the 1st folks....I think Wildchild gave an excellent description of the race course so, I won't be redundant....(of course, I am attaching a slideshow Wink )....but, it did take closer to 4 miles for the pack to thin out starting that far back! I'd met another dog runner on the "special bus" that was provided for us, who was up from Chugwater, WY & running w/one of her ranch dogs - a petite 2 yr old blue heeler. Frances & I found each other back somewhere in the 2nd mile & then stayed together for almost the entire course - of course breaking up for folks to pass us, single filing it to pass others (a bit more often), slowing up while the other took mandatory doggie pit stops (great opportunity for some light stretching!), shared Luna Moons & Sport Beans....She definitely had the ability to finish well ahead of me, but opted to stay with me through the finish line & beyond! The first six miles felt great! 11:20, 10:38, 10:38, 10:36, 10:04, 10:38, *slight headache* drink some water..not too much...relace "too loose" shoes! Roll eyes *pets pit stops*12:35, 11:56, 9:28, *a little nauseous*11:52, 13:39! Mairead is feeling the direct sunlight ~ pulling towards shade....finally! a doggie water stop! Crap, I let her drink a bit too much!...many walk breaks on the way in now...letting her direct our pace.... last mile mostly 15 min pc + light jogging final few feet (baby pool just inside finish line for doggies) I'm feeling fairly nauseous now, don't even really want water, but I take it, Mairead headed for the 1st spot of shade she could find & dropped into it (was up being obnoxious 15 mins later)....clock time 2:30:12 (garmin said: 2:15:21 + 15 mins of "paused" time) however, it did read the cars on I-70 for just a moment in mile 11! Somebody was doing 101.8 on the highway- right beside us! Shocked kinda scarey when you're running on the shoulder of the road!! Carolyn found us easily (Hi back!) & we adjorned to a shadey spot on the sidewalk for a nice bit of chit-chat.... we decided that it would probably be "good for us" to walk to the cars.....many folks walked to the cars....too many people, too few buses. Then I had a nice drive home via Guanella Pass...definitely not the short way! Wink but the most scenic Enjoy! http://s232.photobucket.com/albums/ee119/mtnchk1/?action=view¤t=387ef581.pbw Cindy
    Remember that doing anything well is going to take longer than you think!! ~ Masters Group
      What a fun race for you and your dog. I sometimes wish I had a dog to run with but if I wait a day or two it passes. I am way to busy to take on a new kid right now but at some point in the future I will have another running buddy. You got to meet Carolyn also so a day well spent. Larry

      Chumbawamba: I get knocked down But I get up again You're never going to keep me down

      wildchild


      Carolyn

        Great photos! Like a dummy, I forgot my camera. Glad you remembered yours! So nice to meet a virtual boomer friend for real, and your furry running buddy. I'm glad I left my furry running buddies home, though. They're fun on a training run but would be a handful at a race, not to mention slowing me down with all the stops they'd want to make. I'd never get them out of the creek!

        I hammered down the trail, passing rocks and trees like they were standing still.

          Great report, Cindy, and gorgeous pics. Mairead - she sure has turned into a beautiful, fantastic dog! I love that they had a kiddie pool at the end of the pups. Smile

          Leslie
          Living and Running Behind the Redwood Curtain
          -------------

          Trail Runner Nation

          Sally McCrae-Choose Strong

          Bare Performance

           

            Wow......what great pictures. Thanks for sharing them. That is a lovely looking dog. That would certainly be a challenging terrain to run over, with the beauty to distract and the elevation to challenge. Thanks for a great race report.
            Vista
            evanflein


              Beautiful pictures of that high country. Your dog is a sweetie... do you always run with her? What sort of distance can she do? Good job on this race as a training run, that's a good thing to do in marathon training. Did you really take all those pictures during the race? I think I'd have more than 15 minutes of "pause" time if I did that...
              wildchild


              Carolyn

                Hey Cindy, I just noticed that in the race results you're listed in the F30-39 group, age 38! Did you lie about your age? Big grin Or did active.com just screw things up as usual? The results aren't up on the race homepage but they're at racing underground: http://www.myentryfee.com/results/Search.aspx

                I hammered down the trail, passing rocks and trees like they were standing still.

                Franc59


                Half Fanatic #36

                  Thanks for the RR and the very nice pictures! Congratulations to both you and Mairead, keeping pace and hydrated for a long race with a 4 legged companion can't be easy! ( of course I'm petless, I have no clue in the matter,I just love dogs !) Francesca


                  i'm lovin' it... MM#1949

                    Tory is jealous! Beautiful HM route! Thanks for sharing the pictures. Steve

                    Perch's Profile "I don't know if running adds years to your life, but it definitely adds life to your years." - Jim Fixx "The secret is to make in your mind possible what was not possible before. The secret is to make easy what was difficult, instead to make difficult what really is easy." - Coach Renato Canova

                      Way to go Cindy......love the report and pics! Really beautiful area! Jewels
                      But in the end, I'm more afraid of not trying, than failing. JJJessee
                        Way to go is right and I just loved all the photos. They are just spectacular. Good running I say for you and your sweet pooch. Karin


                        Top 'O the World!

                          Thanks for the comments everyone! Overall, I really did have a great time! Smile & I thought it was appropriate to take a camera to a "Slacker" race Big grin......we have so many camera worthy races here in CO! Carolyn, Yep, Active!.... I thought we had gotten my profile straightened out. But I guess not! Angry....I discovered a semi-deleted profile by the mess I had to sort out w/Cherry Creek Sneak....after they explained to the CCS folks that it was my fault (?) that I'd been deleted, they said they'd "fixed it." I still had to sort out two other events that I'd signed up for @ the same time, because they couldn't go back into their computer & straighten THAT out.....if I log in right now, it shows my profile mostly corrected (yob is correct)...but it doesn't arrive @ the event RD that way.....hence, I avoid it when I can Wink...... I guess I could try to create a new profile....?
                          Remember that doing anything well is going to take longer than you think!! ~ Masters Group
                            In spite of a few glitches, it sounds like you had a good time, Mtnchk. Running with your dog and meeting friends sounds great. Congratulations. TomS


                            The Jogger

                              What a fab race and report Cindy, the slideshow was amazing, what a great place to run, Woody is jealous of Ma'ire'ad ;-) Roy m


                              King of PhotoShop

                                Sorry for being late. The pics are great. And you have a wonderful sense of humor and style. Great job. Spareribs
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