Rocky Mountain HIGH

N and I are running jogging walking trying not to die in the Vail Half-Marathon this weekend.  You know just a little challenge incorporated in a visit to see family.  The race starts at 11,650 ft above sea level, climbing 4000 feet during the race.  Hopefully oxygen will be provided along with water at the stops. This is the pep talk via email from Race Director Josh

"It should be a beautiful morning for a challenging and scenic run. There will be snow on course between mile markers 8-10.  From mile marker 8 there are small piles of snow that can easily be run over or around.  

Once you hit the 9 mile marker expect to have large piles of snow to navigate around or over.  

The course will be well marked in this area to help guide you through.  You will end up with wet

feet after this section but it will be a fun challenge."

Excuse me did I read SNOW, the rest of the country is under extreme heat warnings and we are choosing to run in the snow.  Can we say Crazytown.  

If you are curious the race map is below.  Before we endure the altitude we are going to Coors and Red Rocks. YAY! I have not been to either since the summer of 2001 when I was a tour guide at Coors Brewery.  This will be N's first visit.  I guess I should brush up on my script.

Wishing everyone a Happy Weekend! Please keep us in mind Sunday a.m., say a little prayer for a safe race while you are at church! 

Nacho Cheeeese

Yesterday, in the car on the way to the Decker Challenge, Neal asked me what my mantra was going to be on the hills of the course and guess what came out....Nacho Cheeeese.  The conversation was sort of like this:

Neal: what is going to be your mantra for the hills
me: ignoring the question thinking in my head, I will just run them no big deal.  At this point I was also feeling uneasy towards the race.
Neal: you need a mantra to get you up the hills
me: ignore
Neal: Shit we didn't get your bib out of the other car
20 minutes later after back tracking to get bib and Neal is not fuming anymore

Neal: so have you come up with a mantra
me: NACHO CHEEEESEE (at this point, I am feeling more at ease and getting PUMPED UP)
Neal: is that really your mantra?
me: NACHO CHEEESEE

My reasoning for choosing nacho cheese is not real clear even to me but it worked.   I said it over and over and over and am thankful for Neal's persistence.   If I had taken the time to look at the elevation map before the gun went off I might have talked myself out of this challenge, there were rolling hills, long steady inclining hills and short steep hills.  Nacho cheese was repeated, repeated, and repeated.

When I saw Neal close to the end of mile 11, I yelled out Nacho Cheese!  I was so happy to see him and receive encouragement.  It was a tough run and my quads are screaming today but I was pleased with my time and will leave you with our pump up song that is played in the car on the way to all races!

Training for it AGAIN

For the past couple of months I have been wavering on whether or not to go long. Run the distance. Chariots of fire. 26 miles and 385 yards (42.195 kilometers those of you on the metric system). I'm talking about THE FULL MARATHON.

My relationship with marathons in the past has been a bit abusive. 'Twas I, the abused. Full of fun times in the beginning; we were sooooo in LOVE! I just wanted to run, man! A few months into the relationship things began to change, I started feeling some pain. The first time, just in my left knee, the second time a little worse in my left and right knees. Before I know it I am laid up on the coach with two broken bones in my foot and hurt knees. BUT I am back for more. Oprah ran a marathon. P Diddy ran a marathon. Why can't I?

I've signed up for a marathon. Trained for 2 marathons. Finished 7 half-marathons. This time it's different. It's going to take discipline and focus. Early mornings and early bed times. Ice, ibuprofen and lots foam rollering (ouch). I'm determined. The marathon shall be mine.

Now I need to figure out what race to do.