Race Day!!

I drove up to Denver a day before the event to pick up my race number and walk through the Convention Center. There were all sorts of vendors and free goodies. Got myself a couple pairs of Experia running socks.





That night I carb loaded at Carrabba's



Driving to Denver. Still dark out.



The crowd



It was extremely cold out. It was snowing the day I drove up from Colorado Springs and I had to get some cold weather running gear at the outlets on the way up.





I was in wave 13 and there was about a min in between the start of each. This video is the start of wave 12.



My dad and sister met up with me at around mile 9.
















Approaching the finish line.











13.1 miles done!









They were passing out warming sheets and all kinds of snacks at the end.




What an absolutely amazing experience! 15,000 runners, music, cheerleaders on the sidelines, beautiful tour of Denver... all the makings of a fantastic run.

Run: Treadmill

3 mile run on the treadmill.

Run Update

Yes, I have been running. Not all that regularly, however :(
Tried out my new pair of shoes on the treadmill last Sunday. Only did a couple miles simply because it was so stinkin hot in our basement.

Did a short run around the neighborhood before dinner on Wednesday. Had to cut it short though since the kiddos we're getting hungry.



Got back on track and did my scheduled 3 mile run on Friday.



And finally, I did my last long run before the race.



I still got a couple of small blisters, but the new shoes really prevented my toes from getting bruised or smashed. I'll probably have to do a better job applying mole skin and Vaseline before the 1/2 to stop the blisters from forming. Race day less than a week away!!

Take Two

I didn't realize how badly my toes/feet were injured until a day after my long run. I had blisters on both feet and bruised toes. I wanted to let my feet fully recover before I went running again to prevent any further injuries. In the meantime, I took my running shoes back to Boulder Running CO to try and problem solve. They were the ones that did my gait analysis and suggested my Brooks. I was hoping it was a sock and friction issue, but upon further examination it turns out my shoes were too small. I typically wear a 7 1/2, but should have gone up to a full size bigger for running shoes. Feet tend to swell, especially after longer runs, and it's important to have the extra space. I'm trying to return the shoes I have and trying to find a replacement. Come to find out, red Brooks Adrenalins in an 8 are hard to fine. I went to Cherry Creek Mall yesterday and found a store called Mind, Body and Sole. They reanalyzed my run and suggested the Saucony Progrid Mirage. They have the medial support I need for my slight over pronation, lightweight, and pretty colors :) Decided to give them a try and their 30 day return policy even if used can't be beat. We'll see how they hold up for my 9mi run today.

Run

First time in over 2 weeks that I've been able to run outdoors and it was a good one. 12 miles of just me and the road. I prefer not to run with music, guess that's the mom in me. I'll take some peace and quite anytime. I ran along the Cottonwood Trail again, but ran portions multiple times to make 12 miles. I had to slow down a couple times, but overall, maintained a decent pace. Pretty proud of myself. This is the longest run of my training schedule for the 1/2 and from this point on it's all about maintaining and recovering.






I tried a few new things this time. I carried a couple Power Aid gels with me and took one at about the half way point. Not sure if I really needed it, but figured it couldn't hurt. I also drank a protein shake immediately following my run to help repair my muscles.



I also had a refreshing ice bath for my legs. It was agony for the first few minuets, but after all feeling left my nerves, it wasn't so bad. I actually think it worked. I feel great today, sans the lovely blisters I have on my pinky toes :( I think I've got myself a little routine for my long runs.

Run: Treadmill

Have I mentioned that I hate running on the treadmill?! My 10 mile run last weekend was more tolerable than the 4 miles I did tonight. Probably doesn't help that I haven't ran since Wednesday. Tsk tsk. I'm back on the ball and even officially registered for the Denver Rock and Roll 1/2 marathon. Now I'm committed! 26 days till the big race. On your mark, get set, go!

Run: Treadmill

The weather has been amazing lately and I'm bummed that I have to do my runs indoors on the treadmill.

Run: Treadmill

Did a 4 mile run on the treadmill tonight. Nothing spectacular, but I got it done. After running outside for the past couple months, I really hate having to run indoors.

Run

Completed my longest run to date...10 miles! The weather was just perfect and I had my little sister there to keep me company. We ran along the Cottonwood Creek trail. Absolutely beautiful and a nice change from the neighborhood. When looking at the the trail map, we thought it went further than Academy, but the last mile is a future expansion project. The trial was about 8 miles round trip and since we didn't start until about 6:30PM it got pretty dark towards the end of our run. We finished off the last couple miles around the well lit dealership lots where we parked at the beginning of the trail. What an amazing feeling to have that run under my belt and now I feel confident enough to sign up for the half in October.

Rock Bottom Run Club : 2

I finally made it back to the Rock Bottom run club tonight. I usually have to pass since the start time is when we usually have our family dinner plus the temperatures have just been way to hot to run this early in the evening. I was supposed to do 5 miles according to my marathon schedule, but a combination of the blazing sun and the fact that I would have to add 2 more miles to the regular 5K everyone was doing, I punked out at 3.

Run

Run: Treadmill

I slacked off on Friday and didn't do my 3 mile run. I did, however manage to complete my longest run to date tonight...8 miles!!! Unfortunately I had to do it on the treadmill since I wasn't free to start my run until later in the evening and running in the dark is not exactly safe for a chic-a-dee like me.



BTW, it took me 94 minutes.


PS. I used my mew shoes tonight. Really love them so far. Guess we'll see how they hold up on the pavement later this week.

New Running Gear

Today's supposed to be a rest day for me, but my new Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11's and Belkin arm band were just delivered and I'm dying to give them a test run.

Run

Another run around the neighborhood. After my body punished me for running too fast yesterday, I really took it easy to make it through my 5 mile run today.

Run

Wasn't able to go run with the Jack Quinn Club today since the hubby had to stay late at work, but I still managed to do my 3 miles around the neighborhood. I was hauling ass for the first mile and even started off at a <10 min/mi pace, but I got a wicked cramp in my side and had to take time to walk it off. This was the first time during a run that I've had a pain that bad. Must have been from the large dinner I had just an hour before.

Warrior Dash 2011

Went up to Cooper Mountain to participate in the Warrior Dash.

ABOUT:
Warrior Dash (Rockies) is 3.15 miles of mud-crawling, fire-leaping, extreme run from hell. This fierce running series is held on the most challenging and rugged terrain across the globe. Warriors conquer extreme obstacles, push their limits and celebrate with kick-ass music, beer and warrior helmets.







Had a kick ass time!! Definitely want to do this again next year.

More pictures to come...