Bolder Boulder

Today was the 30th annual Bolder Boulder and my first. As you know from reading this blog, I'm not much of a runner, but I figured if I was going to be doing a 10k after swimming and biking as part of the Boulder Peak, I better have at least one 10k under my belt first. It was also the rare occasion that Kim and I both got to compete in the same race. We partnered with our friends Steven and Rebecca to get a baby sitter for the morning and tackle it together. Kim and Rebecca have also been training for the Steamboat Half Marathon.

My goals for the race included:
* Running the whole race
* Finishing in 1 hour or less
* Keeping up with Kim and Rebecca
* Have fun!

We left the house at 6:30 this morning and took the shuttle from Twin Peaks Mall. It was a short 25 minute ride or so, where we got dropped off right at the start line. Of course we were running late, but it was no big deal as your time starts when each individual crosses the start line. It was a nice day for running, overcast about 60 degrees, but a bit muggy. The course winds in and out of Boulder neighborhoods finishing at Folsom Field on the campus of the University of Colorado. We ran the first mile in 10 min and for the most part kept that pace the entire run. I stayed with Kim and Rebecca the first 5k or so, but started to fall off the pace shortly there after. While I was falling behind, I kept them in my sights and caught a second wind around mile 5 that allowed me to catch up and briefly pass. I was feeling good, but ultimately ran out of gas down the stretch. Kim and Rebecca came in at 1 hour 1 min, with me right behind at 1 hour 2 mins.

Overall it was a fun time, I met my goals (for the most part, I'm happy with 2 mins over my goal!) and I'll definitely be interested in doing it again next year. We didn't stick around for the pro race or memorial day activities due to the weather, but something to look forward to next year. It also reminded me that if I'm going to be happy with the Boulder Peak results, I'm going to need to run more. I've been doing a lot of Boot Camp, Kick Boxing and Biking, but not much running. Leading up to this race, I think I ran a total of 11 miles, not exactly a rigorous training regime. I need to start running!