Bolder Boulder

So, a few months ago someone came to me and asked me to train them for the Bolder Boulder. Of course I agreed because I'm a complete sucker for anyone new person that wants to start running. Life ended up getting in her way but I had already signed up for the race. I cursed ... probably cried ... hated / despised it ... and I actually probably didn't 'worry' about my training because I have always had a bad taste concerning this race. Perhaps that is a fabulous plan.

I totally despised this race purely because of logistics. Getting in and out of Boulder is tough on a good day, let alone a day when 60,000 other people are going there also. The park and ride idea is great except that I didn't want to spend the $8 round trip ticket. The start line and finish line are not in the same spot and that is kind of a killer also, especially when you don't know the town. I also really don't enjoy big races because there is this fine line between weaving in and out of people and lack of courtesy and such. Also, every other time I have run this race, the weather has been super crappy, cold and raining. Who even likes to run in that?

Well what ended up happening is that I didn't worry about the race, I just had a 'no big deal' attitude about the whole thing, go with the flow...whatever happens ... happens. A friend told me she would get me to the race. We would park and have real bathrooms and everything would be great. And  guess what? That is exactly what happened. She drove us into Boulder (and funny, we hit the city limits and I was immediately lost) we parked, walked to a real bathroom and then walked 1/2 block to the start line. The really nice thing about the Bolder Boulder is you can choose to get into a 'qualified' wave ... or you can start later in the day. For the first time in my life I was put into a wave that totally paced me exceptionally well. I didn't have to weave and crowd and have a hard time ... I just ran. And maybe to say I ran comfortable is a bit of a stretch, but I felt good the whole race. I never hated it, or wondered what the heck I was doing. I enjoyed all of the bands, dance teams, radio stations etc along the side of the road. I enjoyed the guy handing out Doritos and jello shots and the slip and slides. I guess, however, that I missed out on the cupcakes and bacon and cotton candy. I guess my wave was a little too early for the college kids. I enjoyed the hills (however demented that sounds) I enjoyed the downhills and I really enjoyed finishing on a track type environment (and I thank every single one of those track workouts that I did before the race) ...

The outcome of all of this, besides the fact that I enjoyed the race, myself and the friends I was with ... I had a Personal best time of 54:15 ... not exactly what I was aiming for in my 10K ... but almost 2 min better than my last 10K and on a difficult course. I'm at the point where I will take it and be happy. And I hate to say this but thinking I could possibly sign up again next year without cringing.