Masters Running

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Slacker Half Marathon Race Report - pictures added! (Read 431 times)

wildchild


Carolyn

    Slacker Half Marathon Race Report Saturday June 28, 2008 Sorry no race pictures available on line yet - I guess they're a bunch of slackers! Big grin I'll update later. The weather: IRC! Probably 50 degrees to start, low 60’s at end, Colorado blue sky, no humidity. A bit of a headwind but that kept things cool. The course: This race is billed as “the highest downhill half marathon in the country - beginning at 10,630 feet and traveling over a rolling hill descent to 8,400 feet!” The race begins at Loveland Ski Area – we actually ran right under one of the chairlifts - and travels the first five miles through a Forest Service area on a dirt road. The start was crowded - it took about a minute to cross the start line and about a mile before the crowd thinned out enough to run well. But that’s OK because it forced me to start slow. My first mile came in at 11:05 from the race start or about 10Tight lippedx from the line. The dirt road was shady and cool, but a bit rocky, and several people twisted ankles. It was hard when it was crowded because you couldn’t see the ground ahead to watch where you put your feet. There were some rolling hills but nothing steep or long, and the downhills were gentle too. My splits for miles 2-5 were 9:21, 9:36, 9:56, and 9:48. The second 4.4 miles travel along a paved frontage road, and the last part is on an asphalt bike trail, ending in downtown Georgetown. There’s a long uphill section in mile 6, and I kept running the whole thing, although slowly, with a split of 11:19. The next several miles were rolling and mostly downhill, and my splits for miles 7- 10 were 9:48, 10:20, 10:29, and 10:55. The frontage road runs along I-70 and follows Clear Creek, and the creek was mostly loud enough to drown out the traffic noise. Then the canyon gets steep and narrow, and the frontage road ends. We were on a narrow bike path that runs right next to I-70 (like right next to the shoulder of the highway!) for almost a mile. Real scenic interstate! The creek was way below us in a gorge. This part was steeply downhill and my splits for miles 11 and 12 were 9:44 and 9:33. Then the bike path ends in Georgetown and the last mile flattens out and zig-zags through town, with several small hills. You actually pass near the finish at mile 12 and can hear cheering and the announcer calling out names, but the course goes on another half mile then turns around and heads back. I had heard someone at the start describing this part so I was prepared. I slowed down but kept running, and the final mile was 11:08, the final tenth at 1:01. Final time 2:13:58. This was a 10:20 PR! What I did better than last time: My first half marathon was 3 weeks ago (Run the Rockies). It was a similar mostly downhill run, starting at a ski area (Copper Mountain) and ending at a small mountain town (Frisco). Both runs were at high altitude. At Run the Rockies they only served water at the aid stations, and I didn’t bring anything with me. I ran out of energy and walked quite a bit of the last 3-4 miles. I also felt carpy all afternoon after the race. Well, I chalked that up to a newbie mistake. This time I emailed the race director and asked if they had any sports drinks. She said they had Gatorade at miles 8 and 10. So I carried a 20 oz bottle of Gatorade with me, which I had finished by mile 8, and I got them to refill my bottle at the mile 8 aid station. I also had a gel packet of honey at mile 9. I never ran out of energy, although I was a bit tired at the end. And I felt fine after the race. Stats: Age group 18/44 (50-59 F), 284/492 women, 531/820 overall. Special treat: I got to meet my first imaginary on-line running friend in person – Mtnchk (Cindy)! She ran with her dog Mairead. We met at the bib pickup area in Georgetown and talked a bit. She had to catch a special bus up to the start that allowed dogs, and I didn’t see her again till the finish. We sat and talked for quite a while after the race, then walked back to the parking area together (it was over a mile from the finish line, and we didn’t want to wait for a bus.) She got a picture of us that hopefully she’ll post in her RR. (Hi Cindy! So nice to meet you!)

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

    huskydon


      Carolyn, Congratulations on a big PR! Sounds like you learned a lot from your last race, and made good adjustments this time, resulting in a big improvement in time. Do you normally run at these kinds of altitudes? Is it any different than running at good ol' sea level? Most importantly, congrats on meeting your very first virtual running friend! It was great that you could get together. Hopefully, there are more real virtual encounters in your future. huskydon
        nice job Carolyn -- sounds like you made the right adjustments and ran a great race!!

        denise

        DickyG


          That's incredible...a PR by 47 seconds/mile...way to go, girl! And what magnificent country...only know the area from ski trips, but it's beautiful. I couldn't run 3 feet at that altitude. Congrats... DickyG


          Top 'O the World!

            Hey! Again, It was Great to meet you! Hope we can hook up again sometime! Congrats on your new PR!! Yay! Cindy
            Remember that doing anything well is going to take longer than you think!! ~ Masters Group
            SteveP


              What a fine race Carolyn. As well as IRC, it sounds like a kewl course. Sweet.

              SteveP

                Way to go Carolyn, I love reading race reports and yours was a good one. Beautiful scenery and a huge PR. Whats up next? Larry

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

                  Nice racing, Wildchild! The scenery must have been beautiful. Glad you got to meet up with someone from the forum.
                  Quit being so damn serious! When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change. "Ya just gotta let it go." OM
                    Nice race, Wildchild. And it's great you got to meet a fellow RA runner and Mairead!

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

                    Trail Runner Nation

                    Sally McCrae-Choose Strong

                    Bare Performance

                     

                    evanflein


                      Always nice to meet another Master/Boomer! I like downhill races... this one sounds really good, except for the highway part... Hey, the Bellingham marathon does that finish bit too... you pass the finish and loop around a mile or more to get back to the finish. Would be bad enough at mile 12 of a HM... try it at mile 24.5 of a marathon! Glad you had a good time and a great PR! Congratulations!


                      I Can Go The Distance

                        Great race Carolyn! This was a much bigger race than your last one and I am sure there was more competition. Still, you were able to get a PR and did very well in both your AG and overall. Glad you could meet up with Cindy as well. RA Boomers rule! Big grin Bruce

                        "Don't give up, don't ever give up." Jim Valvano

                        Franc59


                        Half Fanatic #36

                          Carolyn, Congratulations on a huge PR and the meeting of another RA friend!! That stretch of running by I 70 couldn't have been much fun and also running close to the finish line with still a mile left to go...cruel course planning I would say... Great job!! Francesca


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

                            Nice PR Wildchild! Running at that altitude must be hard. So glad you got to meet mtnchk1 and Mairead. really beautiful scenery too! Congratulations! 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

                              Marvelous wildchild! Simply marvelous! Congratulations. Karin
                                Wildchild, congratulations on your fabulous PR and meeting Mtnchk! You did really well on a rocky course. It sounds tough if people were twisting ankles out there. Your stats are something to be proud of. I enjoyed your RR (and thank you to Cindy for the picture of both of you).
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