Amazing Day Racing in the Garden

A quick recap of the week before I get to the race! 

Tuesday- ran the same route and intervals as last week
1.5/1/1 = ran 3.5 miles walked .5 miles
I ran it about a minute slower than last week so I knew I was tired!

Wednesday- brought the bike to work and got to do a ride to Cherry Creek Park! This was the first time I rode from work and did the whole loop during work and it was great. I finished in just under an hour so it was good timing for lunchtime. A little windy, but some good climbs. Only 530 ft of elevation gain over almost 14 miles so I need to find some bigger hills!

Thursday- ran in Orchard Hills park - 3.2 mile route. I ran 1.5/1.5 with a .2 mile in between. I tied my fastest time from a month ago, so I was feeling better about the race on Saturday that my legs were feeling good! I am still a minute off my time from before my injury so still a little more to go! I am also walking .2 miles of it versus running the whole thing so that could be the difference.

Friday- REST!!!
 
Aaron made a great spaghetti dinner on Friday for a carbo load before the race. Then we had decided to head down to Colorado Springs the night before with the pups so it was a little less hectic before the race. Employee rate nights are great :-) We checked in, found some great ice cream, and called it a night!

Saturday- Beautiful day in Colorado. The race started at 8 AM in the Garden of the Gods. There were shuttle buses from the parking lot to the gates of the Park. The race was very organized and everything seemed smooth! We got great short sleeve tech tees, there was water, bagels and fruit after the race, along with 2 water stations during the course. It was chipped time and there were about 1000 runners between the 5k and 5 mile race. The picture below is a shot from the bus - we were so giddy that morning. I was excited to be running in such a beautiful place and excited to do another race and see how I did!

Garden of the Gods view

Aaron and I before the race!

The park was packed with excited runners. 505 runners ran the 5k and 487 ran the 5 mile course. It was probably already almost 65-70 degrees and the sun was shining beautifully! I love seeing one thousand other people out enjoying the outdoors and excited to run! Aaron and l lined up and my juices were flowing! As the race began there was a bit of a log jam but the first nine tenths of the race were uphill so it quickly thinned out. I felt strong and tried to maintain a steady pace up the steep hill. The first .9 miles of the race is 200 feet of elevation gain and starts at about 6,320 feet. I felt pretty strong on the first uphill and it is also encouraging when you see that others may need to walk :-) It is hard to say exactly what I was thinking during the whole race but I tried to enjoy my surroundings as well as the crowd. There is definitely something special about a race and you definitely get extra energy. As we crested and began the downhill, there were runners on each side of me and it felt neat to be running in a pack and enjoying the experience together even though they were complete strangers.

As we continued the downhill for another mile and a half, as we reached the turnaround for the 5 miler we were able to see the runners in front as they started back up the hill. Our section cheered on the lead runners and I again felt so happy to be running on such a beautiful day! I got to the inside of the road and had my eyes peeled for Aaron. The race shirt that about half the runners were wearing was red, and Aaron was also wearing a red shirt so it was hard to pick him out - but we saw each other and slapped hands and I got an extra push! Right after the turnaround at 2.25 miles there was a water stop. They were short on cups so I had to wait a few seconds which seemed forever. I took a quick gulp knowing the great downhill I just made time on I would soon have to run up. Although downhills are nice, I find myself trying to steady myself. I definitely get passed on the downhills and pass others on the uphills. I'll have to research which is better. The next mile was brutal and had 200 feet of elevation gain. I continued running while many had to stop but my steps were slow! The charts show how my pace increased dramatically. Luckily at the top of the hill there was a strategic water station which I desperately needed.  One of the race volunteers urged us on and promised that the toughest part of the race was done! The last 2 miles had some uphills but was mostly grading down which made it easier than the middle mile. The runners had thinned out but I was feeling strong and was able to pace myself well around my other runners. The end of the race was great as you turn the final corner and have a straight away that is downhill. As you run down you can see the crowd of finished racers and supporters and the finish line! A man approached me during the last few tenths. It was great motivation as we sprinted to the finish line! 

Aaron was waiting and cheering for me! I had a huge smile across my face and although I was very tired, I couldn't be more thrilled with my experience. I stopped my watch at 50:35 (which the chip time agreed with) and was excited with my quick math pace calculation. It turns out to be 10:08 min/miles. The 10k race back in November I ran a 10:04 so I was very consistent! I broke 10 min/miles for the 4 mile Turkey Trot so that is my goal for the Boulder Bolder. We enjoyed water, bagels, oranges, bananas and Gatorade and took it all in.  We ran through our course analysis with each other and were just very happy. The watch has the course elevation gain at 541 feet! It was a great trip, a great race, and a great experience. I am excited for the 10k in three weeks! Below are some more pics as well as the course map and profiles. 

Follow the route counter-clockwise...up to the right first!

Green = elevation, Blue = pace

Go!

Amazing place to run

Garden of the Gods entrance with Pikes Peak in background

Being from back east, it saddens Aaron and I that there are no Dunkin Donuts in Denver! Aaron remembered, however, there are some in Colorado Springs! After showering up and picking up the dogs, we located the closest DD and indulged in some iced coffees :-) Great way to end a great day

Oh how I missed you Dunkin Donuts

So although I was very scared to see how my first post-injury race went, I was super pleased with my results. I have slowly eased back in to running over the past 8 weeks. I am still icing my ankle and trying to remember to do the strengthening exercises! I have come so far and do not want to lose my strength! This week I hope to have more good runs, bikes, and swims :-) 

...12 days till my birthday :-)