A Run Through Time - RACE REPORT

Saturday, March 15, 2008 in beautiful Salida, Colorado. I love this place and not just cause of its beauty and serene nature. This particular race holds strong sentimental value for me - it was my first half-marathon ever, and I've gotten to participate in it each of the first 3 years this race has been in existence.

REWIND: Two years ago in 2006 was the inaugural "Run Through Time." I had been training with one of the local half-marathon training groups from Fast Forward Sports as they prepared for the Canyonlands Half Marathon. It was my attempt at understanding myself as a runner and determining my capabilities. After a month or so, I realized I could do this distance. So I went to sign up. Too late, all sold out. DOH!!! So, my quest to find an alternate half marathon led me to Salida, CO that March for the inaugural Run Through Time. I finished that year in 2:08:38, 26th overall out of 88 starters.

Last year, I was coming off 2 straight weeks of field work in Utah and felt pretty tired on my drive down the day before. The morning of was not too much different than normal. The start at 9am was prompt, and by about 9:05 up and over the first small hill, I knew I was in trouble; I was miserable. The stomach cramps started around mile 4 but subsided by the turnaround at mile 6.5. They returned with a vengeance around mile 11. As I came down the final homestretch, I was doubling over and Kirk thankfully brought me in the last 1/10 of a mile or so. I crossed in excess of 2 1/2 hours. Uggghhhhh..... so this year, I had some time to make up and some demons to ditch.

Kirk was doing the full marathon this year and I figured we'd be good pace partners to start. We stayed together for the first 3 miles or so and then he inevitably took off. His stride was comfortable and easy and I figured he'd have a very good shot at cracking the top 10 (I think he ended around 12th overall). I wondered if I'd have as good a day trying to bury the fatigued ghost from last year. We had driven the course the night before which helped immensely. I'm not a watch-wearing guy or a techno-looney (like most runners I know), so knowing landmarks (the pavement to dirt transition, the forest road cattle guard, etc.) was invaluable. The ascent up was comfortable; I stayed in a comfortable Zone 2-3 and hit the turnaround at roughly 1:11-1:12 (if I heard the guy in front of me correctly). I thought that a 48-49-minute descent over the last 6.6 miles would be possible to crack 2 hours, but this being a tune-up to gauge fitness and progress for my 2 ultimate goals (the SDU in Fruita in April and the 50K Sage Burner in Gunnison in June), I did not feel this was the time to fly. I was happy. It was a great day and I was thinking more about how fortunate I am to be out here at 9,400' in March, in shorts, with my lungs and heart working slightly overtime, but all told in sync and in rhythm.

I descended relatively easily, though pushing myself somewhat to make sure my effort was sustained and even. And I did NOT want to get passed at all on the down. I turned that into my goal and to pick off the 5 runners that had passed me at my uphill pee break. I passed one of them around mile 10 with the other four in my sights, but to no avail. We all seemed to be pushing the 7:30-ish pace. But noone passed me from mile 5 through the end. Truly, the minor victories of a race are internal. At least in my eyes.

As I crossed the line at the 2:01:10 mark (a PR by over 7 minutes!!!) in Riverside Park, local Jon McManus handed me a very tastefully done Finisher's notecard with some local history and anther gracious volunteer grabbed my tag as my hands decided to not grip that little piece of paper required to rip. Wow. I was woozy. I then saw Kirk's wife Aspen and their sweet little boy Nick walking towards me. I was so delirious, I exclaimed, "Hey Luke!!!" Luke is my dear nephew who was 1,900 miles away in New York. I guess I was slightly hallucinating. I realized my silly error and apologized, assuring Aspen that it was the highest of compliments to think I was looking at my dear nephew. That strange wooziness turned into an afternoon-long runner's high. Sweet.

Saturday, March 15, 2008 proved to be a great day. For me, hopefully for all who were out and about. And next year, 2009, I have my sights firmly set on doing the full marathon up to Turret.

Thanks to Chaffee County Runner's Club for once again putting on a spectacular event.

High, and fun, running,
Dave