BolderBoulder

Me before the race. Getting ready to check my purse into the FedEx Mobile Locker. :) I was super excited to be there!

We did it! Matt & I ran the BolderBoulder race yesterday! It was so much fun! We had a blast & already made training goals for the next two years. It was so fun to run surrounded by so many other people & to be cheered on the whole way by all the people watching on the streets. There is so much to look at & keep you entertained while you run...you almost forget that you are running 6.2 miles (almost).

I was so proud of Matt & I for doing this. I love the feeling of running at the end of a race. I actually got a little emotional about it at the end when I ran into the CU stadium. It was awesome to see all the people (although they weren't cheering for me in particular), it was just an incredible feeling of accomplishment. I can't wait to do it next year. I did it in 77 minutes this year. My goal for next year is 67 minutes.

Here are some random highlights & lessons learned:

• Lots of the runners dress up in these crazy costumes. I ran near a guy dressed in a huge banana costume for most of the race. My favorite ones were people dressed as Avatar characters & a guy dressed as Abraham Lincoln. Maybe Matt & I should dress up next year...any suggestions?
• It was cracking me up how there are people on the course trying to hand out food to the runners...I was offered a Pabst Blue Ribbon, marshmallows, a Cheeto, a Dorito, & a piece of bacon. So funny!
• I was so thankful for the Boulder locals who stood in their front yards & sprayed us with their sprinklers. It was fantastic!
• They gave me a free beer afterwards. A Michelob Ultra. I opened it & was excited to be having my first beer (I prefer fruity mixed drinks that taste more like Kool-Aid than alcohol). Even after running 6 miles it tasted horrible. Three sips & it went in the trash. Oh well! But it was my first beer that was mine. haha!
• I took one of the cups of water they were handing out & took a small sip. I almost immediately got a sideache, which I haven't had for over three months. I was so annoyed. I must have just messed up my breathing or something by slowing down to grab the cup. Won't do that again!
• So breathing in Boulder is so much easier because of the lower elevation. I wasn't winded at all for the whole race. Running at 7200 feet in Laramie definitely worked to my advantage. If I wouldn't have got a sideache I think I would have felt great for the whole race & probably got a better time.. Although my knees & legs were feelin' the burn...breathing definitely was easier!
• I was amazed at how many young kids were running with their parents. Super cool!
• I started feeling very patriotic as I was running & saw a woman who was probably in her 90's sitting in a wheelchair on the sidewalk waving her American flag & watching all the runners. Her husband stood behind her rubbing her shoulder & waving at us. Got a bit teary!
• I preregistered for a back-bib to run in honor of my Dad on Memorial Day. They ended up being out of them. I was bummed but enjoyed reading the other people's backs as we ran. I do honor you Dad & Dad-in-law & all others I know who have served our country. I will register prior to two weeks before the race next year so I can run in honor of my Dad.
• I also think that the BolderBoulder should raise their already expensive entry fee by $5 & donate that $5 of every entry to soldier's families or Vets or something related to Memorial Day. I understand it is a huge event & that they just break even because it takes so much to put it on...but with so many entries, even $5 more would add up to a lot of money to go to a good cause. I might just write them an email with my suggestion. :)
• Next year I am wearing shorts...not capris. Woo...I was so hot!
• Matt & I had been done running for about an hour & decided to go back into the stadium to get the view from the stands. We were amazed at how many people were still running in. It was still a steady stream with no signs of ending. It was so cool to see so many people!
• Out of fifty-some thousand people running, we actually ran into our friend Meaghan that we know from Laramie. It was cool to see her & her sister there amongst all the thousands of others. I think we knew about ten people that were there so it was fun to run into one.
• Matt finished 4 minutes ahead of me. There were close to three thousand people that finished between the two of us. Isn't that crazy! :)

Oh...I could go on & on with little tidbits about our trip yesterday! It was just so much fun to be somewhere & do something that a year ago we never thought we would do! The picture below is Matt & I after the race. We collapsed on the street to enjoy all our free snacks before going to the expo to see all the vendors. Look, we are still smiling! We felt great, although my legs were shaking. The race ends with this huge hill that just about killed me. Haha! Good times!

So...we want to take friends with us next year. Are you in?

Looking very RED in the post-race pictures. Took sunscreen & forgot to put it on. Dang! Plus I was really hot from running.