Running instead of Turkey

I like to celebrate this holiday by doing something that doesn't involve stuffing my face all day- such as running a race! With an abundance of Turkey trots to choose from, it's really hard to resist the urge to race on this day. I picked the CU Turkey Trot in town today, as opposed to bigger "money races" like the Volvo Thanksgiving Day run in Ft. Collins, which would have been an hour away. To win money there, you better be flying, and I don't think I am quite there yet... So off I went to the CU Research Park to run a 5k this morning. Last year I won the race in 18.39, a then PR at altitude. I got to the race site this morning and knew I would have a hard go at defending my title. People like Melody Fairchild (I just realized that this is her, this was a favorite ad of mine in college) and other really fast looking humans showed up. I warmed up for about 25 mins until I could feel my toes (Why do I always get so cold racing on this day? It wasn't even that cold outside, maybe mid to upper 30s?) and then realized it was close to start. I headed for the bushes on the creek path as the toilets had their usual waiting line and then got in line for the gun to go off. Solepepper Sports, run by Alan Culpepper helped put on the race, which further gave me a good chuckle, as former and current Olympians (of different sports) and IM/ ITU champs were mingling among the masses, hardly being noticed. Only in Boulder! Brandon and family came out to cheer and I reminded myself I should probably try my best to give them a reason to cheer for me out there!

The gun went off and I never looked at my watch to see what I came thru the first mile in. I am guessing it was around 5.30 as I died a slow death in the second mile, when eventual first place winner passed me and never looked back. The lady at the marker yelled out 11.32. Whoops, 6 min second mile? (I should really try to take it out a bit more conservative, I tend to forget how much altitude racing hurts in a 5k...) Cramps started setting in and on top of it a 10 year old boy, barely up to my shoulder, and maybe 60 lbs tops, passed me (he went on to run an 18.06!!) and my ego was stripped of any pride it had going into the race. I wasn't feeling springy like I had hoped and felt more and more girls creeping up behind me. I finished just a second faster than at the Rez two weeks ago, although I thought this course would be much faster. My friend Morgan came in third and did so with having to stop for an untied shoelace mid-race! The winner was in a league of her own, putting a good 15 secs on me in the end, and doing so at almost twice my age! Very impressive!

Overall, 1000 or more ran/walked, pushing strollers and walking dogs (which I am not a big fan of in races, especially when you are doing two loops of the course, it can get congested at the least), starting their day of feasting off right. I am glad I didn't have to slave over a turkey. Instead I made a much more animal-friendly ginger bread house last night. It's only a matter of days until I can't restrain myself any longer and eat it all!
From now going forward, I am in marathon mode. No more lung-busting 5ks, tempo runs yes, but none of this 5.30 pace stuff. My goal per mile for January is a bit slower than that! I came across this ad, the latest creation by Nike for their Air Pegasus (the only Nike shoe I actually run in), and it hits home (as most of their ads do), especially for all the lonely run days still to come. The parentheses is my mind talking back:

You pretended the snooze button didn't exist.(true) You dragged your butt out of bed while others slept.(usually always) While others ate their pancakes. You had a feast of protein, glucose and electrolytes.(uh huh) You double-knotted.( the only way to race safe!) You left the porch light on and locked the door behind you. You ran. 5ks, 10ks, 26.2 miles.(amen) Some days more, some days less. You rewarded a long run with a short run. And a short run with a long run.(pretty much) Rain tried to slow you. Sun tried to microwave you.(hell yes) Snow made you feel like a warrior. You cramped.(yes) you bonked.(ditto) You paid no mind to comfort. On weekends. On holidays.(for sure) You made excuses to keep going. Questioned yourself.(some days more than others)Played mind games. Put your heart before your knees.(only on uphills?!) Listened to your breathing. Sweat sunscreen into your eyes. Worked on your farmer's tan.(more like swimsuit lines for life) You hit the wall. (perhaps) You went through it. (hello Kona) You decided to be a man about it. You decided to be a woman about it. (hehe) Finished what you started. Proved what you were made of. (tough cookie!) Just kept putting mile after mile on your internal odometer...(that's what it feels like, yes) For 25 years, you ran.(only 11 for me so far) And we ran with you.(a few times) How much farther will we go? As far as you will.

Here is the link if you want to check it out online: Nike 25 Ad

Give thanks to your health, happiness, family and friends today. I am.

Not a good weekend to ride for weak stomachs/ animal lovers

So, since the weather was so nice this weekend (it hasn't disappointed all fall actually) and my body refuses to stay inside on days like this, I opted to ride both days this weekend, each one memorable in its own right. Yesterday started off harmless, I decided it would be a nice day for some climbing so up towards Jamestown I headed. Right past the first turnoff at Old Stage Road, I noticed something in the road: A dog. Silly boy was zigzagging all over both lanes, in a winding canyon! Saying his last prayers for him in my head, I got off my bike and tried to lure him over to the shoulder of the road. It headed in my direction, but then decided otherwise and turned back around, crossing the road and weaving in and out of oncoming traffic. I also had noted THREE plastic collars around his neck, one with what resembled an antenna- wtf? The poor thing looked like it hadn't eaten in weeks and it was just so lost it seemed. I followed him on my side of the road for a good 1/4 mi until a car stopped and asked if he was my dog... We had a brief conversation about his freakishly looking collars and then the guy decided to sack puppy in his car, which I was glad about- out of harm's way, but then said that he would just drop him off at his buddy's backyard, who lived up in Jamestown. Um, what if the dog wasn't even from up there? I told him to call Animal Control, it would be the best thing, but I am not sure he ever did. He closed the hatch in the back, and off they were.

I have no idea whatever happened to that poor dog, I hope he got some help, and someone cut those things off his neck, I mean he looked like he was being remote- controlled. Ugh, weirdness...

Today, I get 5 mins into my ride before I slow down for police and ambulances right out on 36 past Broadway. Assuming a "typical" (sad but true) crash, I was amazed to see a huge dog (Think Harry Potter) wrapped in a blankie with one of his legs bandaged, surrounded by people and a small pool of blood, along with a trail of bloody paw prints. I tried to make sense of this and thought that the poor thing somehow escaped from somewhere and then got hit. Then I noticed that the bloody paw prints continued on for another 2 miles or so! That's where more police and ambulances and a firetruck were parked. It dawned on me that the car I see in the ditch there (completely totalled, on its head) probably had the pup inside and when it crashed, he somehow escaped, but shocked, ran into traffic, maybe got hurt that way, or was already wounded from the crash but escaped. Either way, it was so incredibly sad, I wanted to turn around and go back home right then and there.

Car crashes are the worst, and I hate riding past the carnage, it spooks me out and makes me incredibly sad. I don't know what the cause of the crash was, and I don't know for sure the dog was connected, but it's a pretty safe bet. We will probably get to read about it in tomorrow's Daily Camera. As for my ride, it turned sour rather quickly, once I turned onto 75th heading out towards Carter. The winds were incredible and I was barely moving forward. Not yet ready to tackle Kona-like conditions again, I made the choice to turn around and head back home, avoiding the crash sites and taking 75th back to the Diagonal. When I passed the crash sites, my worst fear was cyclists being involved, it probably would have scared me out of riding again the rest of the year. I wish we didn't have to fear for our lives each time we step out for a ride, but it is always at the forefront of my mind, and even when I ride all the way to the right of the shoulder, some idiot driver still manages to come too close and scare the hell out of me. Please, the road does not belong to just cars or bikes)- let's put road rage aside and share the lane, it is not worth it ending up in the ambulance or even worse.

Ride safe and please watch for stray pets- their owners are looking for them and want them back home, so please call your nearest Animal Control or Humane Society, or if you don't have the numbers, just dial 911. My heart just breaks when I see these things. I would expect the same from someone if they saw my pet lost outside.

Panicking Poultry

Ha, that name cracks me up. Gobble, gobble. This morning I participated in the 7th annual Panicking Poultry 5k at the Boulder Res. Conditions were near perfect with mild temps and NO winds! I jogged a nice 30min warm-up accompanied by all sorts of weird aches and pains that I'll attribute to me wearing lightweight trainers for the first time since summer (and boy did it feel weird) and laughed at the absurdity of running a 5k as a first race back after an IM, and how the start of this race (9.30 AM) seemed so late to all other events at the Res, and how I wouldn't have to crawl into a wetsuit for once before race start! But once I toed the line I knew I would just try to run the best race I could, as several huge talents (runners) were lined up next to me.

My first mile was crowded, people everywhere. It almost felt like a swim start! Once we passed the 1-mile marker (in under 5:40- whoops) things stringed out a bit and pain settled in. Mostly into my lungs. I think the last time I ran this hard was at last year's CU Turkey Trot. After the turnaround, I saw a few girls behind me, with the first place girl way up ahead. Since she was the 5th finisher at the Olympic Trials marathon last April, I realized it would be impossible to catch her unless I rode a bike. I tried to keep my form fluid as best as I could, although the lactic acid wanted me to seize up. With half a mile to go I heard people telling me that I had second place but the girl behind me was gaining... Well, I couldn't let myself get beat right before the finish so I gave it all I had, and nearly ( as I usually do after a 5k- it's embarrassing really) collapsed. It hurt sooo bad, but so good! I ended up second place, over 80 secs back of first, but with a new altitude 5k PR, and all that after a race that took me over 11 hours to finish just 5 weeks ago! This was such a nice change, can't wait to do it again! Congrats to everyone else who raced today, over 900 people total!