Bolder Boulder 2015 – Post Race Recap

May 25, 2015February 6, 2016 / racingthestates / 5 Comments

I am going to recap this race first since it is most fresh in my mind. I still have the Colfax Relay from last week and the Colorado Women’s Classic from the week before to recap!

The Bolder Boulder is one of those races that if you are a runner in Colorado, you have to go to this event. It’s the biggest running event in Colorado and voted America’s Favorite 10k! It’s, I want to say, the 3rd largest 10k in the country. Don’t quote me on that though.

It’s just a great event all around – and that’s saying a lot from me because with over 50,000 people, I don’t usually like being stuck in a crowd that large! But no matter if you’re a competitive runner, casual, social, or a walker, this race is perfect.

For that many people, you must have a wave system, and they do it perfectly. It’s always well-organized and tons of volunteers to help. They have a great transportation system in place (recruiting the local buses to help out), and a huge expo at the end.

The wave system

The course is kinda difficult; pretty hilly and lots of turns, but it’s manageable. There is entertainment the whole way with bands, belly dancers, gymnastics, houses with slip and slides, beer, jello shots, bacon, cupcakes, and Doritos.

But the best part is when you finish in the stadium. With a quarter-mile left, you run up a steep, short hill and end up in Folsom Field, where the CU Buffalos throw a football around. There’s a ton of people in there and you make a horseshoe finish, with the sounds of everyone cheering for you! It’s an amazing and empowering moment.

The Bolder Boulder is also all about Memorial Day. There is a big Memorial Day celebration after the race finishes and elites have gone with a fly over, para gliders dropping in to the stadium and more!

This is the 5th time I have run the Bolder Boulder, but not 5 years in a row, I skipped one somewhere in there…

In 2010, I ran it with my dear friend, Joanna. In 2011, I ran it with a guy I was dating at the time. 2012, I returned by myself after I started Racing the States and crushed all my previous times with a 53:03. I skipped the race in 2013 when finances were tight. I returned last year when I got a free race entry from 3W Races for running as an Ambassador and lolli-gagged around the course to finish in 55 min.

: Joanna and I

: 2011

: After starting Racing the States

: as a 3W Ambassador

This year, I returned. Another free entry from 3W Races, and I crushed my previous course record of 53:03 to kill it with a 51:53!

I debated between running it for fun and taking part of all the free jello shots and slip and slides, but decided to try for a PR. After all, I did PR on this course in reverse at the Heart and Sole 10k last year. Although, I was looking for a PR today, I told myself I would settle for a Course PR. And that’s just fine with me. This course is hard! This year, with a decently fast qualifying time, I got to register for wave EB, a 7:15am start. The first wave starts around 6:55am, I think, and EB is the EARLIEST I have every gotten to start, which means slightly fewer people on the course to dodge!

Getting ready! Rockin’ 3W gear and my skirt sports skirt!

I started off conservatively, with the idea of finishing strong. I felt really strong for the first half. I slowed a bit with the hill at the midway point, but with 2 miles remaining, I picked it back up and felt incredibly strong, flying by people. It was right within the last quarter-mile, that I described above, that I was struggling, and tried to give it all I had.

Finished!

I very happy with how it played out. After visiting with a ton of friends and some of the kids I coached at Green Mountain that also ran the race, I jumped over to the expo where the company I work for had a booth set up. Seeing how busy it was, I jumped in to help and hand out some prizes for the spinning wheel.

Exhausted after tearing down the booth once all the racers left, I was driven back to my car and straight home to my couch! I was super tired!

If you live in Colorado and haven’t done the Bolder Boulder, you should give it a whirl. If you are looking for a great destination race, it’s worth the trip, even though it’s only a 10k!

Fellow Coloradoan’s Race Report

Bolder Boulder Website

Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) Runs the Bolder Boulder!

Turkey Trek – Post Race Recap!

November 24, 2014February 6, 2016 / racingthestates / 2 Comments

Saturday was finally the day! The day for the Turkey Trek, duh! You all read my pre-race report and my story on the failed attempt to bike the course. If you didn’t, you can check that out here.

This race was by 3W, the company I am an ambassador for, but I had already well-fulfilled my volunteer requirements so I just decided to run this race for fun. However, like normal, once I got there, I saw that they needed a little help and jumped in at registration.

Lined up at the start. I’m in there, peeking around someone!

It was actually a perfect day for a race – weather wise! Especially in the middle of November. It was about 47 degrees, bright and sunny! Once the registration line was through and everyone was settling towards the start line, I joined the pack to get ready to run.

Ready to go in the Skirt Sports!!!

This race wasn’t chip timed, so to make timing easier, they staggered the men and the women start times. The men went first and the women followed three minutes behind. Some people in the crowd complained, but really it’s not that big of a deal. It was kinda fun for me to see how many guys I could catch, even if that sounds mean (reverse Skirt Chaser?).

The course started from the Long’s Peak Regional Park on the Ralston Creek Trail around the Blunn Reservoir in Arvada, CO. The first quarter mile was dirt and then you met a concrete path for the remainder of the race. The course was actually really hard! The first mile or so was a gradual up hill and then you got a few rolling hills. But at about mile two, you had a mile long hill up some steep switch backs! It was brutal! After the crazy hill, the rest was an overall decline, but there was a few small hills towards the end.

My Race:

I wasn’t sure how this run would go. I actually hadn’t run more than four miles in a row since September!!! Don’t judge! I’ve just been battling injury, motivation and a busy schedule. So going for a 6.2 mile race was a long shot. My only goal was to complete it (and maybe under 60 min).

Those first three miles killed me. The mile long hill was so rough! The only thing that kept me going is I knew there was the Egg Nog Chug Challenge was at the top!

Drinking my egg nog – It was pretty hard after you’ve been breathing hard up a huge hill!

When I stopped to chug, a bunch of people passed me, and the competitive person in me was screaming but I held her down and told her to shove it; I was just here to run for fun!

I finished my glass of egg nog, ran a few feet to the water station to wash it down. I DID NOT PUKE! Hooray!

But for the next half mile or so I was definitely burping up egg nog. Too much info??

The rest of the race was cake. It was over decline, and there an equally steep hill on the other side of the reservoir, but we got to go DOWN it this time. We encountered a few more tiny rolling hills but my legs were pretty dead after that ginormous hill so they felt like mountains.

That took a lot of energy!!

In the last mile you run by the Fill Your Pie Hole Challenge that the 2K people did. They had leftovers and I was so tempted to eat some pumpkin pie, but I was exhausted running wise and knew that if I stopped, I wouldn’t be able to get going again, so I ran to the finish.

For not running more than four miles in over two months, I finished in less than 60 min (54:59) – even with an egg nog chug stop! I actually prepared very well that morning: I foam rolled, ate a good breakfast (hard-boiled egg and muffin – one of my favorite pre race meals), and got plenty of sleep (I’ve been so tired lately, I fell asleep on the couch by like 9pm like a lame-o hahaha).

Overall:

Like always, 3W put on a great event. Well organized, fun, good after race food (Bobo’s Oat bars, burritos from Evol, apple cider), plenty of sponsors, and fun activities!

It was really cool to see the girl who one the free race entry from my blog and there was also three people who I had given away race entries to at local run clubs. I loved sharing the experience with them AND two of them placed 1st and 2nd overall in the 10k and the third run-club-giveaway-winner placed in his age group!

Turkey Trek 10k and Turkey Toddle 2K Pre-Race Review (AND RACE GIVEAWAY!)

November 11, 2014February 6, 2016 / racingthestates / 4 Comments

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!

As you know, or maybe you don’t, I have been an ambassador for an amazing company called 3W Races for all of 2014. I get to carry that on into 2015 as well! With that I have been promoting the company and all our events around the community and at local run clubs. For our next race, the director allowed me to give out a free race entry on my blog!

What I really, actually, truly wanted to do was a pre-race review: VLOG sytle. Ya know, a video-blog. (Are those still even popular…I haven’t been on YouTube for a while). I planned on running (or biking) the course awhile ago to do a TRUE pre-race review, but one thing led to another, work got in the way, sleep got in the way…and I haven’t done it yet. So, yesterday, I fully intended on borrowing my roommate’s bike and riding the 6.2 miles, videoing it for you and doing my pre-race review that way.

But this is what happened: I got up semi-early, but I just doddled too much in the morning to make it out before I had to work. When I got a text confirming that my afternoon movie plans were cancelled, I thought, “oh, I’ll just do it after work.” That was all before noon when it was a bright and sunny 57 degrees in Colorado. But, as they say in Colorado: “If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes.”

As soon as I was done coaching my bootcamp at the rec center, I walked outside to 30 degrees and a mild blizzard! But I was determined. I bundled up and told myself I was just going to do it and get it over with.

So, I drove to the course site, sat in my car for a bit to video myself (Vlogging is strange) and got the bike out of my car. I tried hopping on, but the seat was too high (my roommate must have looooonnnggg legs) and I looked like I never had ridden a bike before. I couldn’t reach the pedals properly, almost ran into a rock and pretty much fell off. If only someone had videoed that! Fully intending on still going with my “epic fail” vlog, I got home and realized I have no idea how to edit videos. Wah-Wah.

So, in a long story short: You just get my lovely writing styles like usual:

Coming up in less than two weeks is really fun race, and I, Racing the States, get to give away one free race entry!!!

WHAT: 10K Turkey Trek and 2K Turkey Toddle by 3W Races

WHEN: November 22nd (the Saturday before Thanksgiving). The 10K starts at 8:30am, the 2K at 8:45am

WHERE: It’s in Arvada at the Long Lake Regional Park

WHY: Alright, here’s where we get to have a little fun…. Let me list the reasons you should do this race:

1. First off, it’s a race, need I say more? And I know all you bloggers are addicted to racing. But seriously, 3W always puts on great races. They are fun, organized and the always run on by great, friendly directors and volunteers.

2. They have partnered with the Arvada Community Food Bank. Perfect for the holiday season. If you bring five items to donate to the ACFB, you will get entered into a raffle for some really sweet prizes! For more information on the ACFB or info on what to donate click here.

3. There will be awards for the top three overall male and females as well as age group awards for the 10k. The 2k is not timed, but the top three men and women receive a medal!

4. I saved the best for last…The main reason you should do this race is for the Egg Nog Chug Challenge!!! (Or the Fill Your Pie Hole Challenge for the 2kers). At mile 3 (after a huge hill, mind you), if you successfully chug a 5 oz glass of egg nog, you will be entered to win a free pair of shoes! In the 2k, with half the run left, you get entered into a raffle if you successfully eat a piece of pumpkin pie! Mmmmmmm…..

My only complaint is WHY CAN’T I DO BOTH!?! Luckily for me, I am one of those people with a stomach of steel and I can eat what ever I want while I run. And also lucky for me that since I’m a 3W ambassador, I bet I get a piece of pie if there’s any leftover at the end!

HOW: So now that you are dead set on running this race with me, (yes, I will be there, and yes, I will be doing the Egg Nog Chug challenge), here’s how you register: Click this link. (if you don’t win the free-race entry). With registration, in addition to the wonderful event, you do get a tech t-shirt. I think it’s pretty cute. More information, if I left anything out, is HERE.

Extra Info:

1. The Race will go on whether there’s snow or sunshine, so plan accordingly!

2. Water: 3W is a cup-free finish area, so bring your own water bottle to fill! It’s good for the environment! There’s two water stations along the 10k and one water station at the turn around of the 2k.

3. Dogs and strollers ARE allowed, so bring them if you need to. I guess you could even bring your child in the stroller if you want as well. To each their own.

Oh yeah..the GIVEAWAY!!! Obviously a lot of you are not Colorado Locals, however, if you know someone in this wonderful state and want to try and win the race entry for them, then go right ahead. Rules:

1. One entry if you comment on this post. Tell me your favorite Thanksgiving food. I love food.

2. One entry PER Facebook, twitter, or other social media share. (Limit to one per each – I mean share all you want, but the max entries into my giveaway is one for this). Please tell me you did so in the comments, because I’m not that computer savvy and wont be able to track it all. However, each post share MUST mention Racing the States, AND 3W races. It could be something like this: “I want to do the EGG NOG CHUG! I entered to win a free race entry from for @3wraces Turkey Trek 10K and 2k Turkey Toddle!” for twitter.

3. One entry if you follow me on TWITTER, FACEBOOK or INSTRAGRAM (please tell me you did so in the comments)

4. One entry if you follow 3w Races on Twitter or Facebook (likewise, please tell me you do so in the comments)

This will be good for the 10k or the 2k!! I will do the drawing SUNDAY morning, so you have until midnight this Saturday (11/15)

Heart and Sole 10K (June 29th) – Post Race Recap

September 4, 2014February 6, 2016 / racingthestates / 4 Comments

Yes, yes, the Heart and Sole Half and 10K was indeed in JUNE!!! O. M. G. That’s a long time ago! Were at the beginning of September and I haven’t written about a June race!?! Bad Blogger! BAD!

I’m actually going to keep this short since this was so long ago!

Pre-Race with some 3W Ambassadors

I hadn’t planned on running this race but it was a big deal in the Boulder area and a lot my friends were running it. I was debating between doing the 10k or the half. On one hand, I had to get in a long run that weekend and knew that registering for a race would force me to do it. But on the other hand, the half was kinda expensive come race day. I ended up doing the 10k with plans to either “bandit” the extra miles (the half was the 10K loop twice) or just run extra miles elsewhere on my own.

I didn’t end up bandit-ing the half, I just ran my 10K, ate and then ran (literally) into a friend that was running around the area for training, not for the race. I picked up my 5 extra miles with him running around the area. Not going to lie, that was a pretty good idea of his to just run where a race was because he didn’t need to bring water with him. He just “fueled up” at the race itself! If I recall, he was in for like 15 miles that day, and no, he didn’t “steal” anything, just had water.

As for the event itself:

Overall 4/5:

Definitely fun. I knew a lot of the people putting on the race. The Boulder Running Company put on the Heart and Sole and from repping 3W Races at the Boulder Running Company’s Wednesday fun run, I have gotten to know the workers. Why not a full 5/5? Just because it wasn’t anything spectacular. Just a regular ol’ road race.

Race Organization: 5/5

Nothing to complain about there! But then again, it was so long ago…. Just kidding! Everything was awesome. Plenty of course marshals, plenty of volunteers, plenty of everything.

Cost: 3/5

So, if you registered early, it was an average race cost. But race day, the prices were sky high. I can’t remember the actual price, but that’s what deterred me from running the half.

Post Run: 5/5

There was so many booths and so much food! You also got a free beer at a pub that was right on the corner of the finish line. There was PANCAKES… you all know how much I like pancakes from my Ragnar post! One of my favorite things from the post-race “party” was one of the booths was playing a really fun game. I believe it was by Smart Wool socks and they were handing out stickers to people, each with a number. Now, two stickers had the same number and were given, at random, to two different people. The idea is to walk around the expo area to find your matching number and you each get a free pair of socks. I was OBSESSED with finding my number….. and I never did! I did, however, help others find their numbers. While I was eating my pancakes, I was looking at people as they passed by looking for my number. I happened to catch people walking that were matching, but they had no idea. I yelled out their numbers and both people turned and looked. I pointed to each person and they were matched!

If only dating were that easy, huh??

Course: 3/5

It was a sort of difficult course. There was a bunch of up-hills, which would normally be fine, it really wasn’t too bad. However, this course was basically the Bolder Boulder backwards. All on streets and all streets that I had just run a month or so before.

My Race: 5/5

Now here’s where it gets exciting, Ladies and Gentlemen! For being a relatively up hill course and just randomly deciding to race that morning, I didn’t expect any superb performance. I didn’t look at the course profile ahead of time. I didn’t look at the map either. I just ran when I was told to run.

I felt like I was pushing it pretty hard, but not to the point of complete exhaustion. There was one point that I had just finished a down hill, knowing I had to be sorta near the end, and this steep hill just pops up from around the corner. I audibly cursed and said something like, “Are you kidding me!?” But I still charged up the hill.

I rounded another corner, back to the familiar street to where we started, but then the course turned left, and I wondered how much further did we really have!?

With a right turn, I saw the finish coral. Turning right (again) I was finally under the finish line. I looked at the clock: I was super close to my 10k PR! I grabbed some water and went to the results table. All they had posted was gun time, and I was about 2 seconds slower than my PR! (My previous PR was 51:00) Half proud but half sad I didn’t just beat it, I wandered around the expo area.

Later that evening, I checked the results on my phone. It turned out that my chip time was 50:27! That’s right, I beat my previous PR by 33 seconds! For being a two-year old PR and that the course was hot and hilly, I was so proud! I would love to see what I could on a flat course (and maybe at sea level!).