Well folks, here goes.....I expect to be a bit "windy" so, grab a coffee & I hope to entertain ya'll jest a bit! ................I was still feeling a little apprehensive Sat am...should I really be 'resting' this much?...right medial quad still feeling a bit quirky from last Sunday's back to back 5K/5M! & thinking in the back of my mind that DD should be kicking the labor into full gear about line up time "what am I thinking to do this now!?!?" ....my "karma" is gonna kick in any minute now.... I didn't get nearly the training that I'd wanted done, yada, yada, yada....still!! I went to work for 3 1/2 hrs, then drove up to Ft Collins & got my race packet ~ including getting my name changed from "Unknown, Unknown" (thank you Active!) to Cindy... poked around the itty bitty expo, bought a coupla things including a "13.1" sticker & a blue & white "Gas Cap" ~ tech hat (Brooks) that has little slots for GU packets along the rim..visualizing what it might look like "loaded!".. ..'course I wore it for the race! Checking into my room, I noticed all the hotels along the corridor had folks out jogging around them.....Uh-oh! .. this is like maybe gonna be a real race!..website advertises that 17% BQ from the 26'ers!..I'm calculating that I'd be tickled pink to get around 2:30!.. ....popped on the TV to watch the ending of the Kentucky Derby (another discussion!!) grabbed my shoes & went out for a light shuffle...about 2 miles out, it finally let go a little bit.... so, I did 4 reeeal easy miles & stretches....My mindset has now become, "just finish it - & have a good time....@ what ever pace works... even if you have to walk a bit (maybe alot)...just see it as a long 'group run"... back to the room wait for DH to arrive so we could go for dinner & turn in early....HM buses load @ 5:00 am- 5:45 am for a 7am start....Well, I guess the bed was too hard, room too stuffy...whatever, DH flopped about all night like a toad in a toddler's pocket! (I had a brief visualization of holding the pillow down.. ..)..IOW - at best, I got maybe a couple of hrs sleep before I gave up, got up, & started getting ready....ooohhh, this is gonna be good! breakfast: grazing slowly...coffee & Luna bar. pocketed an apple for the bus ride out...picked up a bagel chunk @ the bus (I've got two hrs, right!) It's appoximately 32* F/12% H slightly breezy & semi dark in the canyon - forecast is for a perfect Colorado day! But right now, it's kinda cold!!! No shelters set up & the buses went back for the next group! People started huddling together - tightly!! Some were even hiding out inside the porta potties!! I was invited to join just such a group of ladies in that locale, & even took pics for them to share w/their friends back home! I didn't bother warming up (other than in the porta potty!), figured I'd use the first coupla miles for that.....right leg still a little tight ....so, I spent the wait time visiting w/various people...participating in the "Popsicle Huddle" & watching the sun creep down the canyon wall....a hawk & couple of ravens floating in the dawn air....It is sooo beautiful up here!! thinking that I'd love to run the whole thing sometime ....we didn't even get to the most scenic part of that particular canyon w/only doing the half.....6:55: "lined up" almost completely to the back of a pack of about 1100..ipod on low - just "background music".....first 4 miles, easy easy...slight downhill, canyon winding into the sunrise, watching the layers come off ~ the pants are the most entertaining!! thinking, thinkin', "I should have a backpack to pick up some of this stuff! some of these folks' throw-aways are much nicer stuff than MY training gear!!" ... Taking pictures, not paying attention to my watch....just being...breathing...listening...relaxing...aaahhh!!....right leg? all happy & loose now! chatting, heckling road workers bearing "slow" signs! mile 5: feeling freaking awesome! picked up the pace a little bit...passing a few people (not counting out loud....) mile 6: Bagel Hill? (our only hill) now I looked! 10:49 pc ! I'm nearly giddy! Somebody'd told me earlier that it was "quite a hill!" ~ NOT!!... crest of the hill, I was passed "handily" by a youngun in a pink/whi striped singlet....flat cruizin'!! & making it look easy! to run 26.2! DH later confirmed he was indead the leader @ 2:30x It felt like a full 5 mins before the next group came by...some of those didn't look quite as effortless...more pictures, more people passed....mile 9: looks like I've caught up to the back of the lead pack (not really - it's just a bigger group that used ta be waaaay ahead of me! the leaders are already finished!) electronic road sign says, "race ahead"...does that mean we're not there yet?!? mile 10: I think I'm slowing down a little...not quite as easy....mile 11: starting to be work...not passing anyone anymore...just holding my place in "line"....funny funny signs all along the course! "May the 4th be with you".... "There is no Tri!, Do or Do Not!"..... & then Princess Leia handing out water @ the next aid station! ...Mile 12: hearing Jim, "the Hay's in the barn..."... brief walk break...song on the ipod "...just breathe....it won't be long now... breathe..." mile 13....couple more really brief walk breaks...feels alot slower now....I KNOW I'm not ready for 26 yet!! more people along the route cheering/clapping....last corner...dammit! CANNOT WALK ACROSS THE FINISH LINE!! so, I didn't...surprisingly, even though it didn't feel easy or light, I felt 'fast(ish) that last quarter mile... (okay, okay! BLOCK!) & as I vaulted across the mat, I had this incredible feeling of....."Somebody catch me!!!!!" I think that's when I first noticed that my legs had gone missing!! ! Amazingly, I didn't fall over! but it took a bit of concentration to get to the folks handing out water bottles, & food(eeww!) I took it, but it didn't look the least bit interesting! should I sit down or should I walk?! Beer tent! Kewl! & alternating sitting & walking! Great idea! More chatting w/finishers...several BQ's happened Sunday! Lotsa kewl folks from all over....even ran into one of my Thurs Snug Runners people..he was only 10 mins ahead of me! ..says he won't ever do a full 'cause he's heard of guys having" inopportune bowel movements" during races....!? You're Kidding!!?? I did my best to look shocked over that statement! The Houston ladies were NOT having a great time! The elevation was kicking their butts pretty seriously! I believe that area is around 5400' .....other than that, I'm thinking this one could be a really cool one to consider for a "gathering" as well ~ other than amenities were mostly "on your own" ....however, being in "Olde Town Ft Collins" made up for that......All in all, I'm VERY PLEASED w/my day!! NO FN LN DIVISION OVERALL DIVPL SEXPL TIME PACE 2094 Cindy R Honebein F4549 871 41/62 532/706 2:24:18 11:01 Ahck! I forgot the fashion report! ....Not that I did anything terribly noteworthy (other than the afforementioned "Gas Cap" w/coupla gel packs..)....white (incredibly soft!) Colorado Half Marathon tech T, olive Nike Dri Fit sompin er other capris, Mango Peal Izumi Shines, blk/gry Nike gloves, blk micro-fiber pullover jacket/ski shirt for the 1st frosty coupla hrs....(NOT throwing that one away!!) then tied around my waist, REI Single Shot hydration pack (see water bottle) w/pocket for ipod, hard candies, chapstick, sunscreen packs, car remote, cell phone (off), & later - gloves in the bungee! I kin stuff alot in a pocket the size of my fist!! & sunglasses....modified my ipod playlist to include: Genesis, Brad Paisley, Jimmy Buffett, Sugarland, Collective Soul, U2, Santana, Eagles, Trace Adkins, Rascal Flatts..... And of course, DH is starting to think all of this is a good idea....so now we're both signed up for the Bolder Boulder 10K in 3 weeks! .......NEXT!! link to (I hope) my photobucket album: http://s232.photobucket.com/albums/ee119/mtnchk1/ mta: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-hCuYjvw2I

Good job Cindi, congrats on your first half. Excellent report. Good luck at Boulder Definately one of my fav towns. jjj

I enjoyed your report, complete with pictures, mtnchk. You did well, beating your "tickled pink" goal handily and enjoying yourself. Congratulations. TomS

Very funny you are! I enjoyed reading that. Sounded like you enjoyed every moment of that race. I don't know of anyone that sleeps well before a race. Party in the port-a-potty? Well it must have been pretty cold for that to happen! Good luck on Boulder!

Thanks guys!! I really did have a great time!! most probably in part because of all that I've learned from all of you this past year!! Thank you all soooo much for your wit, wisdom & grace! Cindy

What a super and funny report---full of the details of the day and the race. Great running too and right where you wanted to be. I am between flights now and this was the perfect way to spend the time---didn't quite finish off the coffee though. You'll have to do another soon so I can continue reading! Your great spirit comes through all that you go. Congrats and run strong. CNYrunner/Karin

Way to go Cindy! Congrats on your first half! It sounds like there will be many more in your future, and never say never to 26.2. You're halfway there! Thanks for the great report, reading it was a nice way to spend my morning sipping coffee. Any news on the baby?

Your first HM! Congratulations. Good luck to you and your DH in the Boulder 10K.