Bolder Boulder Briefing

Although my race experience wasn't this bad, it was not my best day. I ran my slowest race to date, had some weird stomach issues every other mile, and just couldn't get myself to run any faster. A minor consolation was that Stan opted out altogether, giving me the fastest time in the office! But after the race, while I was baking in Folsom field, enjoying a hot dog and some Michelob Ultra, I had a realization. Is Michelob Ultra really considered beer? (Okay, not the revelation, but a question.)

While rather depressing in nature, it shed a lot of light on the race for me.

Here's the thing.....I don't know if I can run any faster. I know that it's physically possible, but to do so would mean giving up eating whatever I want, cutting down drastically on my consumption of beer and doing lots of speed work. These are all things that I don't really want to do. So, over the course of Memorial day, I accepted the fact that I'm slow and sure. Instead of beating myself up over my time, I realized that finishing the race in under an hour with no injuries is accomplishment enough. Besides, the Bolder Boulder is really just a short training run when compared with the Denver marathon, where being slow will surely save my knees.

At least I represented my company well during the race...

and was able to pay tribute to my dad...

all the while, embracing this thought...

And for those curious, my tally for hot dogs over the three-day holiday weekend: 3.4

Comments

[DaveG]

Marathons and Mountaineering - you are a busy lass! Last ran an ultra over 10 years ago and my rock gear glares accusingly at me each time I go into the garage.

Nothing is worse than getting the "stomach trots" during a marathon. I found popping a few activated charcoal tabs before a big race nailed any stomach issues "trots" or otherwise and did not drain me of energy. Just don't resort to anything that paralyses your gut muscles (immodium et al) - you may end up in the medic tent.

Good luck.
Dave

[Tara Anderson]

Dave, it's difficult not to remain busy outdoors in Colorado. I appreciate your tip concerning my "stomach trots" and am now on the hunt for some charcoal tabs. If I can't find any, do you suppose the charcoal brickettes that I use for grilling would be a good alternative?
Thanks for the help...obviously I need all that I can get when it comes to running.