Bolder Boulder 10k, or, a Session in the Pain Cave

Every Memorial Day Boulder has a tradition of putting on one of the biggest 10k races in the country (if not world?)- The Bolder Boulder. Around 55,000 people celebrate this day with a 10k run or walk and the race is divided into around 60+ waves, going off every minute, starting at 7 a.m. It still amazes me how the race organizers are able to start this massive human train on time every year, it is just SO huge! I can't imagine the logistics that go into such an event! I know it wouldn't happen without the thousands of volunteers who line the course handing out drinks and picking up after us messy runners!

The race loops around North Boulder and ends at Folsom Field, the football stadium of CU. To say that this race is deceivingly painful is an understatement. I have done this race 2 or three times before and remember it as one of the most painful running events ever. I can't quite put my finger on it but I think it's the combination of running mostly all out for 10k at altitude due to a crazy fast start that I seem to get sucked into every year, and several false flats and slight uphills along the course.

I "qualified" to get in the first wave with my winter marathon time and B got into the second wave with just 6 months running under his belt. I joked that he would probably pass me about 2 mi in since his wave took off only 1 minute after mine and he is by now wayyyy faster than me. (no fair! jk) After a warmup, which revealed to me that either a) my body wasn't yet recovered from last weekend (I was sore until Thursday!) or b) it was still adjusting to my new TT position on the bike and feeling the workout I did on it Saturday, my legs felt pretty unresponsive and dead. At this point I thought that this could be a good test of pushing thru pain when fatigued, and boy would it hurt.

After several trips to the various Johns set up around the starting area, we went to drop off my bag which had dry clothes in it for after the race (which as it turns out, was a highly intelligent thing to do) but the line for the Fed Ex trucks that would bring our clothes to the finish were taking just a tad long so that when I finally dropped the bag off, I had less than 10 mins to spare before race start. Ofcourse I had to fit another potty stop in there, which included another wait in another line of anxious runners. (By the way, man, did those johns smell bad today!!!)

As I exited the porta potty I could hear the announcer say '1 minute to start'. Um what? We still had like 8! I had a slight panic attack as I tried to maneuver through the now huge crowds of people already lined up for their waves. I had to get all the way to the front, which was nearly impossible with everyone's back facing me and people wearing headphones. After a million "excuse me's" I finally arrived at my wave, only way near the back. Ok, good enough I thought. I checked out the people around me, and sure enough, I saw Jax (total surprise, but good to see her after almost 5 months?!?) and who else but our current IM world champ, Chrissie. Next thing I knew the announcer said 'ready go', but the go was for the wheel chair racers, as we still had 4 minutes to wait. Now if you are like me, I do not like waiting in tight spaces before a race. I like to kick my legs out a few times and do a few strides to get the HR up as I have a hard time going from 0-100 in a matter of seconds at the start of a race. Well, I guess this wasn't going to happen today. Finally the gun went off and the massive 'A' wave took off in the most bizarre kind of way. It was almost like one of those slow moving Chinese dragon things. Some people flew off at 5 min pace while others started jogging in their costumes. Um, being near the back of my wave, this meant alot of maneuvering around people, dodging elbows and pretty much steering clear of clusters. Sure enough, more than a few people went down hard right in the first 10 meters. Um people, this isn't football where we tackle each other!

It wasn't until the end of the first mile that things finally started to string out and I found somewhat of a rhythm. Not sure what it was but I have never experienced such a crowded start anywhere. I never looked at my watch because I thought for sure I started out slow. Only I couldn't breathe. Already. At 1 mile in. Um... Turns out my first mile was a 5.36, my fastest first mile ever at BB, double oops. At this point I knew Chrissie was behind me still. But for how long? I mean come on. I wouldn't feel like the hunted for long, as she passed me soon after the second mile. And she never looked back and after another half mile she was out of my sight. Good for her. She looked like a springy runner out for a little tempo run on a Sunday morning, and I could see that smile on her face as she passed me. Mile 2-3 is mentally always hard because this is where the pain takes over for the first time and it takes alot of energy to take the focus off of it. I came through 5k about 18 seconds faster than last year which was a positive surprise given the start of my race and the fact that I was getting passed more than I was passing. Onto the next slight uphill and I almost lost my breakfast. I don't know what it is about the Casey Middle School hill (it really is just that, a small hill) but every time I run this race, that hill kills me. It's also the spot where I get my trusty side stitch and today was no exception.

Already beyond winded once reaching the 'summit'of the hill, I could barely catch my breath and the pounding of the downhill was almost unbearable on my side stitch. Luckily I only had 2 miles to go and after some reinforced positive self talk I summoned the energy to breathe again and push on. And luckily the side stitch subsided to the point where I could take my hand off my rib cage and get my stride back. Somewhere between all this B passed me ever so swiftly, encouraging me and looking strong and happy. I never once saw the face of people that were cheering for me, complete tunnel vision! Talk about focus I guess.

Coming down the homestretch provides another little test for the lungs and lactic acid pain threshold as runners have to go up yet another hill into the stadium and then another slight incline to the field. This is where I nearly want to walk usually. But being thisclose to the finish I always muster the energy not to embarrass myself on the jumbo-tron that is set up for us to watch ourselves finish (I have yet to see myself running on that) in the stadium. I attempted my best impression of Usain Bolt darting down the last 300m into the stadium but pretty much locked up and had two girls pass me at the line with just 20m to go. One of them happened to be an old team mate from NJ who just recently moved here, how cool is that.

I ended up with a 34 second PR on a day where I did not feel 100% and another Bolder Boulder AG win (I guess this means another AG winner shirt for next year- yes I wore mine today, but where were all the other AG winners??? No one else seemed to wear theirs) as well as a top 20 finish, at least preliminary. I'll take that, considering over 750 girls alone raced in my age group, and that is just for my age- 28! My feet felt light and airy the entire race thanks to those super lightweight Kona's and the anguish of pain in my eyes was thankfully covered by these cool shades. B had another great race, and beat me by nearly a minute and a half. You tri boys all better watch out because this biker boy can run too! hehe. After giving Chrissie a 'job well done' pat on the back (she left me in the dust by nearly 80 or more seconds) and letting her tend to her 'fan club' that quickly assembled around her, and catching up with Jax for a bit, B and I were off to get on some dry clothes (It was super humid and we were soaked, odd for Boulder, I know) and rush home to only leave again shortly to go watch the pros race. The way those people run is just so inspiring to watch. They don't run, they float! So effortlessly and elegant, with legs attached to tiny bodies. The winner of the men's ran 28:17 on this course, which is 4:34 pace, which if I think about it for too long, blows my mind... the women's winner, equally impressive, did a 32:48, almost 5 1/2 mins faster than me. Puts everything in perspective :-)

We got home just in time for our what seems to be a daily occurrence as of late- mid-day thunderstorms, which haven't stopped as it is still raining. I don't think I have ever seen this much rain in Boulder, nor have I seen this much GREEN. The green is very pretty, so I can't complain. But I cannot do another trainer workout! It's almost June after all!


Enjoying a sucker last week at the Green Boulder Creek :-)

If you got this far, congratulations, you have just finished reading my longest post ever- sorry.

Accidents and Good Things Happening

I had my first "official" bike-related accident today, only it was my own clumsy fault. I took my new bike out for a spin yesterday and got a flat seemingly out of nowhere, with no apparent knicks in the tire but one in the tube, hmmm. After being a bit sour and ruining our speed session Brandon had planned for us, I decided it would be best to head home since I was riding on only about 80 psi. (all the tire would take from my trusty hand pump, which is a freakin'workout in itself) This morning I went to pump the tire up to full pressure, and would you believe it, 20 mins later it was completely flat like a pancake.. Um, ok... I usually get annoyed with flats but remained calm since I was at home and could take my time figuring out what was wrong, instead of being stranded on the side of the road with cars zooming by an inch away from me... Turns out the culprit was what I expected- bad rim tape. No problem, B is on it already, and will help me fix the wheel with better tape tomorrow. While that is great, it left me with the choice of either not riding or riding my roadbike, which after getting on the new steed, weighs about 1/3 more... I decided to ride, but needed to switch pedals over since I only own one pair.

I hate taking off pedals, they are such a pain and are always the hardest part of taking my bike apart. Well, today I was determined to get them off myself. I had the tool and the patience in case it would take a while. First pedal came off no problem, and whilst giving myself an imaginary pat on the back for job well done, I moved on to the other side of the crankset, which would prove to be a tad more difficult as I didn't have the same leverage. I don't really know what I did, but next thing I know I slipped with the wrench I was using and full-on jammed my poor, poor right pinky into one of the teeth of my chainring. It didn't hurt all that bad, but as I went to take a look I could see blood GUSHING from my finger onto the floor.

Now, there are a few things that I don't like, such as flying, heights, and open wounds bleeding. I took a few steps over to the kitchen sink and saw the blood running out of my hand like a bad nose bleed. Not knowing quite what to do, I just yelled OMG over and over again, and thoughts of bleeding to death rushed through my head. (lol, not really, but it crossed my mind) Finally common sense set in and I managed to grab some paper towels and squeezed it around my finger, all the while trying to reach Brandon, who was already at work. I had to ring him 4x before he picked up (:-)) but being the good bf that he is, he left work and rushed to Safeway to pick up some first aid things for me to fix my finger up. He came home to me sitting on the couch slightly nauseous. My cut was quite deep ( I think it hit the bone, ewww) and was now becoming painful. We cleaned it out with soap and then applied some special bandaids to keep the gash somewhat closed. At that point, the bleeding had finally subsided and besides being nauseated and thankful I wouldn't need stitches, I was thinking about when I would ride... B took my other pedal off, which I apparently had loosened up enough with my pinky to come off easy, and put them on the roadbike. So much for me ever trying to take my own pedals off again.. or become a bike mechanic for that matter, jeeze... I now have a slightly swollen and stiff finger that is still oozing a bit. It also has a nice black color to it, courtesy of the chain grease I couldn't get out with the soap. Swimming tomorrow should do a good job of disinfecting it though. I am hoping I got my "bad luck" with the new ride out of the way now.

I would also like to announce that I am now a K-Swiss athlete, which is very exciting on many levels. One- I am no longer running on worn -out soles, that are basically the cushioning part of the shoe, two- I think K-Swiss is onto something with their new running footwear and my feet are super happy in their kicks, and three- They are up and coming in the triathlon world and I couldn't be more excited to be a part of it. And four- running happens to be my favorite sport out of the three and so it's a given my shoes and I will always have a special bond!:-) So, if you haven't already, check out K-Swiss.com, and go to running to see all the tri-specific footwear and apparel.

Finally, here are some pics of last weekend's race. Notice the bare feet in the one bike pic, that was the FIRST time ever I did it in a race! And the water exit photo is interesting to say the least, no clue what the hands are doing...

Columbia Triathlon Race Report

It’s Sunday night after the race and I’m trying to remember the day, it seems like a blur right now. I am however, no longer a Pro triathlon rookie as I have my first pro race out of the way!

Got into Baltimore late Friday night on a direct flight that didn’t lose any of my bags! (yay!) Met my home stay Mike at the airport and was off to bed. Most of Saturday was spent taking care of everything logistics related, and let’s just say it was SOME logistics. Not sure why, but it took all day to get everything squared away and I was completely exhausted at the end. I also sat through the pro meeting where I would hear the words that would leave me sleepless all night- NO wetsuit because the water temperature apparently had warmed up 6 degrees over the past 6 days, jumping from 66 to 72. I was however put a little at ease when I saw that Chrissie W. also didn’t like the idea of no wetsuits, at least I wouldn’t feel so alone in my self-pity! To add a little more excitement, the forecast also promised rain and possible thunder-storms in the morning.

I tried to get to bed early but the 2 hr time difference plus the nerves of what would await me race morning pretty much kept me up all night. When my alarm went off at 4.45 I was already up waiting for it to go off. Strange how I never feel tired after being up almost all night before a race… After reluctantly forcing down a poptart (my pre- anything meal of choice) Mike and I loaded up the car to head over to the race. It had poured all night and the roads and grass in the transition were wet. No worries, I had plenty of plastic bags to keep shoes and bags dry. After a warm-up run by several porta-johns (an attempt to get some movements going that were still seemingly asleep at this hour) I was dripping sweat like Rocky in my double-lined raincoat. But that’s the way I like it, a good sweat before a race means I am warmed up and ready to go.

I do have to say that putting on my swim skin was such a relief opposed to stuffing myself into a wetsuit. The ease with which I did it didn’t even break a sweat and leave me out of breath. I did however dread entering the cold morning water at the lake, which I hadn’t even practiced in. (This would be my first open water swim since Kona and my first ever non-wetsuit swim – besides Kona but it’s saltwater so it doesn’t count) About 20 of us lined up in the water similar to the start in Hawaii and before I could adjust my goggles one last time and chatter my teeth again, we were off. I was immediately thrown off the back, in less than one second. ‘Great, I am going to finish last out of the water’ went through my head. Luckily a few more women appeared around me (long distance girls, we gotta stick together! ☺) and we got a nice line going that I was able to hold onto the remainder of the swim. I never felt overly winded like I do up in Boulder, but strangely my quads were cramping and so I couldn’t kick as much as I needed to. (not that I kick much to begin with…) I came out of the water right behind Amanda L. and Jacqui G. and we all made our way up to transition together where I would naturally be the last one out. Today took extra long because I was dripping all over the place, into my sunglasses (like I needed them…). I finally made it up the long grass straightaway and up the hill to mount my bike, at which point the race actually felt more like cyclo cross and I was completely out of breath.
I know that a race isn’t over till it’s over and for me at least isn’t decided until the run, so I tried to keep positive although I didn’t like being so far back in the pack. The bike leg was very intense with lots of up and downs, and although they were never super steep, they definitely worked my quads to a burn. Rain started to come down pretty hard at the halfway mark and all I could think about was trying to stay on my bike while descending into unknown territory that would wind through the countryside. I am certain that this ride is beautiful when the weather is nice, but unfortunately today it was rainy and gray and I had a hard time seeing the ground below me due to my glasses fogging up and getting wet. I made it back to transition with no idea where I was among the women, and I knew that if I wanted to make up any ground, I would get my chance now on the run.

My legs felt surprisingly good after coming off the bike soaking wet and stiff from the rain. I got into a groove right away and starting clicking off the miles. The run on this course might actually be more challenging than the bike in that it has several small hills and a few big climbs in it. I started seeing some women up ahead of me and played my game of catch-up. This always helps boost my spirits a bit, and although it hurts I try to usually squeeze out a ‘good job’ whisper as I pass them. Not sure if they can always hear me. I wound up passing 2 women and came up on a third who would hold me off into the finish chute. Turns out it was Chrissie, so I guess it’s O.K. ☺ I finished 7th among the pros in a pretty top notch field, on a tough course with tough weather. I am impressed with my fellow athletes’ performances as usual, some of the times swum, biked, and run today are almost unreal! Boulder represented well with 3 top 7 finishers on the women’s side and 2 on the men’s. Great job to all who raced; many thanks to all the Volunteers, the Race Director and the local tri club, as well as my homestay for helping with putting me up for the weekend. And as always, thanks to my mom and family for actually getting me to the race! I wouldn't be able to do this without your support!

Last but not least, I am surprised to find that the humidity here feels worse than in Alabama or even Hawaii! I’m probably just spoiled from our dry climate… And to think I spent 7 years in NJ once…

Now it’s back to long distance racing, with Boise 70.3 on the horizon in just a few weeks. It’s going to be so much fun, I can hardly wait!

My Lucky Day!

Today was one of those days, everything just came together! Even if I only slept 4 hours to be up at 4 a.m. for a trip down to Denver to race Barkin Dog. I went early to help out with registration and needed to be there by 5.30, hence the early rise. I now know that it gets light out by 5.30 already! Good to know. Today would mark Brandon's first multi-sport race as well, and since he was super excited, he could barely sleep last night. We downed a cup-o-joe each and had a lil breakie and headed out the door. Once at the race site, people were already arriving- at 5:30 a.m.- for a duathlon! Granted it was an early start with the first wave going off at 7.15, but come on! Anyways, after throwing on my ski jacket because it was rather chilly out, I helped out handing out t-shirts to participants for about an hour and then headed on a short warm-up, interrupted with about 5 potty breaks in various public spots around the start area...and oh yeah, I was awarded start number 1!

Elite men and women were to go off first, followed by men 34 and under 2 mins later. (Brandon's wave, I held him off until the bike...whew) The gun went off and people started running like they were doing a mile on the track. I started laughing inside at the insane pace that was being set, but then realized that if I didn't want to get thrown off the back, I'd better hang on for dear life. As is always the case with the pro start consisting of men and women, we all went out at the men's pace, which happened to be 4.30 pace. After about 1/2 mile things were finally stringing out and the women had formed their own pace line with a newcomer gazelle-like runner up front, Jocelyn a few seconds behind, then me another couple seconds back and then the rest of the women. I went through the first mile in 5.30, the two girls ahead of me, in who knows what. I'm not going to lie, that first run hurt like a mother, I had stars flashing in front of my eyes a few times,and my mind starting to separate from my body in order to ignore the pain. We finally reached transition, I was about 30 secs faster than last year at this point.

Heading out in third position,I was looking forward to the bike today especially because I was using race wheels for the first time ever! I definitely have changed my mind about racing technology and will never write it off again! I could tell those wheels made a difference, and I can't believe I have been racing on my heavy training wheels this WHOLE time! I ended up only a minute faster than last year on the bike leg but like to think the winds were a little tougher this time around, as I still somehow managed the fastest overall bike split. I passed the run leader just a few miles in and then worked up towards the leader and we played cat and mouse for a bit before I pulled ahead into T2 first.

I wasn't sure my legs still wanted to go, but once I put my running shoes back on, they felt completely fine and I was off for the second 5k. Fighting the ol' pain threshold one more time I crossed the line first and immediately began to dry heave, something that has not happened to me before. I was greeted at the finish by Brandon , who in his first multisport race ever, had already been waiting there for me for about 6 minutes... I am very proud of him, he had the third fastest overall bike split incl. pros, and was the fastest amateur of the day! I would say someone has a bright racing future ahead! Congrats to everyone who raced today and major props as well to Brandon's fellow Fleet Feet team members (and neighbor/blogworld buddy) KK and (lane mates) Kevin and Oier, who did amazing! Both had podium finishes and flew along the course! I went 2 mins faster than last year, and could possibly have set a course record but will need to check on that with the RD to confirm. I'm pretty sure the men's winner set one, he completed the 5k/18mi/5k in one hour and eleven minutes! At altitude! CRAZY!

After the race we stopped at Littleton Cyclery to pick up a few things for my bike, including a super-sweet new Tri saddle, some nutrition from Hammer, and a special gift- a Giro aero helmet! As if this wasn't overwhelming enough, I came home to two more packages waiting at my door from K-Swiss. Yay for presents! I felt like a kid on xmas morning! If you are ever in the area, please check out the bike shop in Littleton. They have an amazing display of products and a super nice staff! I can't wait to try out the new kicks. Hopefully I'll be racing in them next weekend at Columbia, along with the new helmet if I figure out how to put it on without cutting my ears off, haha!

Now off to rest my throbbing legs. 7 days to go until I race again!

You Know It's Almost Summer When:

you get a nice sunburn on your ride despite putting sunscreen on, the bees and bugs are out in full force, the annual long ride craving of Mtn Dew has hit, salt deposits on your skin after runs and rides, and feeling downright HOT (as in temperature) when riding and running. Yep, we hit 80+ degrees today and it prompted me to hit up the creek to soak my legs for the first time this year. And surprisingly, the water wasn't all that bad! I lasted 10 mins and could have stayed longer. After the beatings my legs have taken over the past several days, this was much more welcomed than a dip in the pool (which btw, is also becoming warmer, and that's a good thing for those night swims) And surprisingly when the weather gets nicer (as in warmer and sunny) I can somehow handle and deal with the wind that still seems to be blowing. I have made a deal with myself to not let it win the battle, and I am taking successful small steps in conquering those fears of flying into the road with an unexpected gust.

For example, yesterday B and his friend Allen (who was visiting from sea level) and I went for (my longest so far this year!) a ride up to Raymond/Ward, which is nestled up at around 9000ft. Going up the canyon in Lyons was Sufferfest 101 with headwinds blowing right at me, and me huffing and puffing uphill like I hadn't exercised in years.Making faces in the wind

After we made the turnoff to Raymond, things calmed down a bit and we took a break at a lovely (but creepy at the same time) little rest stop (where a cash register doesn't exist and you are rung up by items written on a piece of paper and added up, hey good way to keep those math skills sharp) where I indulged in one of my favorite long ride pick-me-ups- Mtn Dew. Per my own concoction, I watered it down in my bottle so it wouldn't explode and dutifully sipped as we kept climbing. Low and behold I actually started to kick ass on the second long climb over to Ward. So while soda may not be the healthiest energy replacement choice, it sure does the trick for me; I'll be sure to include a can in my next special needs bag!
Cruising Up

Anyways, back to the winds. Once we hit the descent in Ward, crosswinds sent my bike into a shimmy frenzy on the steepest part right after the old convenience store. I grabbed my brakes so tight that my wrists and lower forearms are sore today, and came to a dead stop to compose myself. Then after some positive self-talk I clipped back in and held on for dear life. Luckily I made it all the way down without a scratch, but my arms got a nice workout. On Top of Peak to Peak Hwy with a mountain of snow behind us

On the racing front I have a busy 3 weeks coming up as I am warming up with the annual Barking Dog Duathlon this weekend and then try my luck at my first official pro triathlon in Columbia, MD next weekend. Check out the starting list here!
I hope to somehow be able to calm my nerves enough to do OK... Then on Memorial Day I'll run the Annual Bolder Boulder with B, who will probably kick my butt, as he has in the past 10K, but at least I get to represent with an "AG Champion" Tech Shirt! Not sure if I'll actually wear it, it would kinda be like a target on my back, no? And then June will bring about Boise 70.3, a race I cannot wait for because it will be my mom's and Mark's first triathlon, as well as B's first half.

In other news, exciting things are finally happening with a lighter than 25lb bike! I can't wait for the new arrival! Hopefully I'll learn how to ride it quickly! Some new running shoes should be on the way as well, my feet and legs are sure screaming for them! Hope spring has sprung where you are, because it's just so nice not to freeze! :-)

Gloomy, Perfect XC Running Weather

Only in Boulder can you go from summery 70s and sun to misty, grey and cold 30s, in a day. It was nice pretending it was summer for the past two days, riding in nothing but spandex and jersey and running in shorts. Well, this morning it was back to tights, jacket, hat and gloves. It feels like the clouds are resting on the grass at the foot of the mountains, it's so foggy that when you get up just a little bit, all visibility is lost. Since riding in this would truly be a test of ultimate HTFU, and I don't believe I could comfortably make it over 2 hours before becoming hypothermic (maybe I should invest in a rainproof jacket after all) I pushed my long run forward to today, since I'd much rather endure cold wetness while moving around on two legs, rather than two wheels.

As soon as I opened the front door I was greeted by a lovely light rain. My first thought was "$h!t, this will suck, I hate being wet and cold", but since I really had no other choice and would never ever, unless it was thunderstorming or blizzarding out, run on the treadmill at free will, bundled up once more for the first day of May. After about 10 mins my thighs turned cold and somewhat numb from being soaked in my tights. Soon thereafter my ears got cold (should have worn a headband instead of just a cap) and the gloves on my hands turned damp as well. Thoughts began to cross my mind how I could justify cutting my run short. I made a deal with myself to try and get to 90min and then reevaluate. The misting eventually diminished and although I was soaked through three layers, I kept my body heat up at a comfortable level and finished the run at 2 hrs.

It certainly wasn't a PR day, as the mud around the trails by the rez turns to clay on your shoes on days like this and makes for some interesting added weights. Towards the end of my run I remembered how this type of weather used to be my favorite kind of weather to run and race in. Have I become so soft that I now dread days like this? I used to run in pouring rain, ran my still standing 10k PR in drenching downpour, and ventured out in east coast snowstorms, that had me falling flat on my back a few times, gasping for air (granted, that wasn't so smart, prompting me to look into snow cleats for my shoes in slippery conditions). If I lived in Seattle, I'd have to deal with this on an almost daily basis. Plus, all this moisture we are finally getting, is turning Boulder's landscape into something resembling Ireland!

I wrote a poem for English class my senior year of high school, which was published in the school literary magazine I think. I just found a copy of it in my scrapbook. It was inspired by wet and cold fall afternoons, spent running 5k races in high school. :-) The pictures are from my collegiate running days. Running will always stay my favorite sport, no matter what!
I'm in the middle, Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx, NY

Why Do I Run? (Age 16, circa 1997)

You get up early in the morning
To get on the overcrowded, with odor possessed bus,
Just to get to your place of destination,
To run.

You get there and it's cold.
It's cold and it pours and it thunders.
You would much rather stay on the bus now, where it's cuddly and warm,
But you have no choice but to get out in the rain
And run.

As you get ready,
You strip down of all your clothes, against your will,
Losing your warmth,
It's horribly cold,
Your limbs go numb, and yet there is a warm feeling of confidence inside,
To run.

You hear the pistol sound, one, two, three
You start to run in muddy grass, wet puddles,
Mud splashing everywhere,
Mud on your skin, on your clothes,
Your shoes are soaked in water and covered in dirt, yet
You run.

You try to catch up to the front,
only to splash yourself in puddles two feet deep,
and splashing everyone behind you too,
Nevertheless, you keep your form steady,
Long stride, strong arms, moving
Keeping on running.

Halfway through, you think, What for?
Why am I doing this?
This is torture, this is soaking wet shoes, wet clothes and numb skin
All covered in mud
But you can't feel sorry for yourself now,
You got to run.

When you see the finish line, you begin to reach deep within your soul,
To pull out the strength you know is there,
You hear people cheering,
Can't see their faces though, too exhausted to look,
All you have left to do, is to
Run to the end.

You cross the finish line,
In joy of completing the task,
Thinking of nothing else that happened in between,
Only the glory of winning your race,
But then again you ask yourself,
Why do I run?
:-)
Cold and wet at Lehigh (I think)
The look of agony in a XC race
The finish of an apparent painful 1500m.