Chasing My Joy

My journey to becoming an Ultra Runner and Ironman

Colorado Marathon Race Report – 2017

Back in May, Cory, Cannon and I packed up and headed North to Fort Collins. I signed up for the Colorado Marathon as a catered training day in preparation for Leadville Silver Rush. I have completed this marathon twice before in 2011 (my first marathon!) and 2013 and love it. It was a little sad heading out to the buses without Cory as we ran this race together in 2011 and 2013. But I was excited to get to see him and Cannon around mile 20.

For the Colorado Marathon you are required to pick up your race packet on Friday or Saturday before the race on Sunday. Fort Collins is about an hour north of where we live so it wouldn’t be too terrible to dive up and back twice but my brother lives in Fort Collins so it was fun to just crash with him overnight. Packet pick up was smooth and easy this year. There is a very small expo where you could pick up anything you might need for race day. Easy in and out without much excitement.

Marathon, Colorado, Colorado Marathon

The Colorado Marathon in a point to point race so they load all the runners up on nice tour buses and drive you up the Poudre Canyon. I was lucky enough to sit by a really fun family of a father and his daughters who were running the race together. It was nice to chat with them and tell them a bit about the race. This year the weather was much warmer than it has been in past years so I was way overdressed for the morning wait for the race start. The race organizers provide a bag drop so you can send all your morning things down to the finish. I got to the start area about an hour before the start time so I took my time milling around and waiting in line for the bathrooms.

Colorado Marathon Start

Sunrise in the canyon

Soon enough we lined up for the start, ready to get the party started.

The first 10 miles are my favorite part of the race, you run down the canyon, right next to the river through the pine trees, it feels amazing.

In years past the early miles have just clicked by without any effort. This year after just a couple miles I already felt a little tired. I could really feel the lack of taper but I was having fun regardless, I just kept reminding myself that it was a training run and just to take it easy. Since I wasn’t racing I decided to wear my hydration pack as that is what I will be using for my summer races.

We passed the half-way mark and made our way out of the canyon and started making our way towards town.  My brother and parents were waiting for me at about mile 18, it was such a great lift to see them. Cory and Cannon were waiting for me a little further along, it was the best thing to see my little guy.

The last few miles meander into town on a bike path, it’s still nice but as usual the last 6 miles of a marathon feel long. The last mile seemed to go on FOREVER, and according to my watch the course was half a mile long, guess I need to work on running the tangents LOL.

I was happy to cross the finish line and make some deposits in the training bank for the Leadville Silver Rush 50. After finishing we all headed to The Rio for Mexican food and margaritas. Last year we all came out to cheer my mom on when she ran the Colorado Marathon, it’s become a tradition that we head to The Rio, I was almost 9 months pregnant last year so there was no margarita for me. This year I so enjoyed having my margarita and celebrating with my family. Cannon was a champ, but really tied after his morning of cheering, he cuddled with his Grandpa during lunch.

Cannon LOVES his Grandpa!!!

And with that, marathon #6 in the books, I love this race, I hope to run it many more times in the future. Maybe even with my kids one day just like the Dad I met on the bus on the way to the start….life goals.

Three years of the Colorado Marathon

Desert Rats Trail Marathon – Trail Running Festival Race Report

In April I ran my first marathon since having Cannon. I worked hard and got on as many trails as possible during the winter months in Boulder. When searching for an early season trail race Desert Rats Trail Marathon seemed like a good fit. I came in feeling ready for the distance but I was a little fearful of the hills and the heat.

We packed up the car, with what seemed like everything we own (9 months old need a lot when traveling!)  on Friday morning and started heading west to Fruita, Colorado.

Fruita is a really cute small town with a big focus on mountain biking, it reminded me a lot of Moab. We rolled into Fruita in the late afternoon and checked into our hotel. We stayed at the Fruita Comfort Inn which was everything we needed for a place to crash before a race and was really affordable. I particularly liked that the room had a microwave and a refrigerator, this was great for traveling with a baby.  Cannon was stoked on the king sized bed.

After checking in we headed to packet pick-up at the Fruita Community Center. In true trail race form packet pick-up was low-key and easy to get in and out of. After we had my shirt and bib we went to The Hot Tomato for pre-race pizza. The Hot Tomato was really cute but it was standing room only on a Friday evening so we put in our order and took Cannon back to the hotel so we could relax and get his dinner. We ate in our hotel room, got Cannon ready for bed and all turned in early.

Race morning was really easy, the trail head was just 15 minutes outside of town with plenty of parking. We got to the start line before the sun was up.

The start was nice and low key with plenty of bathrooms which is key to a successful race start! The race director reminded us to carry  water as the aid stations were 5-7 miles apart. The marathon and 50k started together, there was only about 70 runners in each race so the start was easy to navigate and find your pace group. You also run the first 2 miles on a jeep road before turning onto single track so there was no worry of getting caught in the wrong place in a conga line. The first climb was pretty long but afforded us a great view at the top.

The course was beautiful and kept us entertained with views and varying terrain.

Lots of smooth single track and rocky technical sections.

[Source] – Race photos were free with entry!

There is over 3000 feet of climbing and basically no flat sections to this course so if you are looking for a fast time, this race is not for you.

My favorite part of the course was where you run along the edge of a cliff above the river.

Then you get to run along the ridge above and see where you just were.

I took my time on the course, for me this was not about setting a PR, the course was difficult and it was hot!!! I just wanted to have fun so I did just that and took lots of pictures along the way.

My least favorite part of the race came right at the end, there is a really steep long climb along the highway on a jeep road, it’s not as pretty as the rest of the course. I was also cooked and ready to be done. Running in 70-80 degree heat after training all winter is a shock to the system.

The finish was fun, with lots of good food, Gemini Events knows we want more than a stale bagel and half a banana. They had the grills going and everyone was having a party.

I was tired and SO SO SO happy to be reunited with my boys.

Finisher medals were dog tags, nice little reminder of the race. I would definitely recommend this race to anyone looking for an early season trail race. They have the marathon and 50k on Saturday and a 10k or half marathon on Sunday.

Boston Marathon // Tourist Report

I want to preface this post with the recognition that Boston is a huge city and we were only there for a few days. But if you do travel out to Boston for the marathon here is what we found out from our trip:

Stay// Anywhere you can! Not surprisingly hotels fill up fast for marathon weekend. Also be prepared to pay a pretty penny to stay near the finish. Cory and I stayed in a condo that we found on airbnb in back bay. It was a little disheartening to see that the rental prices about tripled for race weekend, but supply and demand. The place was small but clean. Third story walk up was difficult for Cory after the marathon but he managed. It was fun to stay in a residential area and see what it felt like to live in Boston for a couple days

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My parents stayed at the Omni Parker House Hotel

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It was very nice, opulent hotel and the longest continuously running hotel in the US. A little longer walk to race events than our place in Back Bay but still close to Boston Common. Their room was a little smaller than expected but very nice.

Do// There are so many things we did not get to do while in Boston but here are a few worth your time:

Old Town Trolley Tours this tour was one of the best uses of money and time. When you purchase a ticket it’s good for two days (which we used). The tour is a narrated drive of historic and important places in Boston. The best part is that you can  hop on/off whenever you like so it’s also great transportation around the city. They also offer ghost/haunted tours that sounded really fun.

Boston Harbor Cruise – We got cruise tickets included in out trolley tour ticket, it was a narrated tour and really fun to see the city from the water and hear more about the history of Boston. There are also dinner cruises and whale watching available

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Cheers Pub – The Bull and Finch pug was fun to visit. We ended up eating lunch there, the food was just meh, so I would suggest just getting a beer and seeing the inspiration for Cheers and eating somewhere else.Cheers!!! #BostonMarathon

Another must do is walking the Freedom Trail. We bought a small guidebook and really enjoyed seeing the city by foot, following the red brick path.

Welcome to the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile, red-lined route that leads you to 16 historically significant sites — each one an authentic treasure. Explore museums and meetinghouses, churches, and burying grounds. Learn about the brave people who shaped our nation. Discover the rich history of the American Revolution, as it began in Boston, where every step tells a story.

Starting the Freedom Trail in #Boston

Starting the Freedom Trail in Boston

New England Aquarium- Very famous aquarium that is worth a visit

Eat// There are many great places to eat in Boston but a couple places not to miss are Mikes’s Pastry just a short detour off the Freedom Trail tour.

Because when your name is Mike you go to Mike's Pastry. Thanks dad and mom for coming all the way to Boston to support my speedy hubby #BostonMarathon #BostonMarathon #runningoncannolis

Mast One the best meals I have had in my life, the pizza is amazing and the lobster ravioli was unreal. Great place for carb loading!!

We’re Going to Boston!

The title of this post might be slightly misleading, it’s true that WE are going to Boston for the marathon in 2015, only one of us will be running.

[Source]

 

A few weeks ago Cory ran a marathon in 3:08:XX, this is under the qualifying time for his age group. He applied for the 2015 Boston Marathon and we crossed our fingers hoping for the best. Earlier this week we hear he was IN! So exciting, he will be running and I will be cheering. Both of us were a little curious about what the actual cut off was to get in but went on with life until I saw this gem of a blog. In the article you will read that you needed to run at least 62 seconds under the qualifying time. Last year may have been even harder to get into but man, it still isn’t easy. Congrats to all that made it.

Let me know if you are going, I’ll make you a sign.

Rocky Mountain High-est Leadville Marathon Race Report

I haven’t been able to get in any races longer than a half marathon on trails so I caved and signed up for a road marathon. Leadville’s marathon seemed like a good idea since it was at high elevation and I {heart} Leadville

IMG_2175The race claims to be the highest road marathon in the world, so I figured I might be good training for possible ultra marathons in Leadville next summer.

This was the first year for the race, it was small and low key much like the trail races I have been racing lately. If you get energy from crowds and lots of aid stations this race isn’t for you.

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It does offer friendly volunteers and incredible views.
Since the course had only a handful of aid stations I decided to run with my hydration pack and carry everything I might need. I was completely fine with this since I will be rocking my pack for my 50k so I might as well get used to it.
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I had a great day and enjoyed my time in Leadville. My only real complaint about the race was the lack of amenities. There were no restrooms along the course. For a full marathon I was disappointed. And frankly uncomfortable for quite a long time. Luckily there was a golf course pro-shop along the way that let me use their restrooms, a little more support would be great.
Not the races fault by any means but I did learn that when you train on nothing but trails, 26.2 miles of pavement hurts.
The best part was the the race support the nonprofit GECKO
Giving Every Child Knowledge of the Outdoors (GECKO). The premise sounds simple enough. Yet study after study shows that our children aren’t getting enough outdoor play. And this trend isn’t improving. The latest information shows that less than 25% of children are active outdoors more than twice per week. Does this statistic worry you? Because it definitely worries us.
The finishers medals were made by local school kids with the elevation stamped on it.

IMG_2180   Overall it was a good race and I would run it again for sure.