"Winter" Prairie Dog Half Marathon (Race Recap)

Sunday, January 17
Louisville, CO
Half Marathon #142
Weather - Foggy, overcast and COLD

I registered for the Winter Prairie Dog half marathon about a week after I ran it last year. They were offering some ridiculously cheap registration price, $35?

A week before the race I got an email that the race would be starting at the Coal Creek golf course this year. Never occurred to me that that meant the course would not really be the same either. I convinced Heather to join me, and we had plans on it being a nice, slow, training run.

Race weekend had finally brought "winter" temperatures in the teens and when I left the house it was so foggy I could only see about 20 feet in front of me. I had opted to skip leggings and was only wearing a sparkle skirt and compression socks. For a top, I had on my long sleeve INKnBURN wildflower tee under my singlet. I had on a hoodie, but I planned on taking it off for the run.

Arrived just before 7:00 - and I'm glad that I got there early. The new starting area had a much smaller lot and there were only maybe 20 spots left after I parked. I picked up my bib and timing chip and then sat in the car with the heater blaring. IT WAS SO COLD.

Heather arrived a few minutes later and we sat in her car (conveniently parked about ten feet from the start line) until 7:58. No sense in standing outside longer than necessary. At the last minute, I decided to keep my hoodie on.

Pre-race - in denial about how cold it is

Nice and colorful

The first few miles ticked by nicely, until about mile 3, after we ran through downtown Louisville. I had a bit of weird numbness in my left foot again (but at least I didn't have the fire calves).

Near the 10k turnaround

The roads were surprisingly icy, so we had to use a lot of caution - not such a big deal on the climbs, but I made up for a lot of my weakness on the uphills bombing the downhills. That would not be possible this year due to course conditions.

Mile 4 or so

There were plenty of aid stations, I would say they were roughly every 1 - 1.5 miles. I love not having to carry anything on me.

Miles slowly ticked by and I was frustrated at how hard this still seemed. Am I never going to get any better at this whole running thing??? The uphills killed me. The downhills were terrifying with all the ice. The flats were ok as long as it was dry.

Hilarious sign after getting to the (false) summit of another hilly section

There was a new section where we ran around a lake on some dirt. Normally that would have been my favorite part of the course, but the dirt was so rutted it was uncomfortable to run on and about half the loop was an icy skating rink. The only good part about this section (mile 8 or so), was the sun FINALLY came out.

So we ran, we finished, and the course was just about 13 miles according to my Garmin. I had one tiny slice of pizza and a cup of chocolate milk at the finish. We took some quick pictures and then I headed home. Way too cold to be hanging around outside (23 degrees at the finish).

Official Time - 2:23:46
Official Pace - 10:58
Garmin Time - 2:24:15
Garmin Distance - 13.00
Mile 1 - 10:25
Mile 2 - 10:04
Mile 3 - 10:25
Mile 4 - 11:48
Mile 5 - 12:17
Mile 6 - 11:08
Mile 7 - 11:28
Mile 8 - 11:16
Mile 9 - 11:32
Mile 10 - 10:02
Mile 11 - 10:56
Mile 12 - 11:16
Mile 13 - 11:36

When I got home, I still had snow/frost on my hat. Brr.

Thoughts:

• Very well organized race. Lots of communication prior to the event. There were signs directing participants to the parking area, which helped, especially since my directions to the start included an exit that no longer existed.
• Plenty of aid stations on the course with water and electrolytes. There were also gels on the course.
• Good finish area - a handful of vendors, chocolate milk from Longmont Dairy, pizza.
• Free race pictures!
• Have no idea what the shirt looked like because I saved $5 by not wanting one (I would not have taken it anyway though). I didn't see anyone wearing it during the race either... too cold?
• Last year the weather was in the 40's-50's and the course was dry. This year about 25 degrees colder and an incredibly dicey and icy course (even though it hasn't snowed in weeks and we've had some warm temps. Totally unpredictable in terms of weather.
• The course CAN be pretty (views of the mountains) - if it's not foggy and overcast. 
• Would I run again? Meh. Maybe.

Week in Review (January 13 - January 19)

Tuesday - HILLS. I think I was a stronger runner when I ran the hill programs on the treadmill. I wasn't very fast, but I knocked out a 5K on a program that maxed out at something ridiculous like 7.5%.

Wednesday - I go to 24 Hour Fitness. They recently absorbed the Bally's Fitness Centers in my area. I decided to check out the one sort of near me that has an indoor track. Apparently, our current membership will not allow us to use that location without paying substantially more a month. However, I know the manager there and he let me try it out for the night. Did you know that you have to do 13 LAPS FOR A MILE?

Thursday - Just about an hour on the treadmill. I don't remember much about it so it must have been fine. Me and A are back to "cooking" and finding new recipes. We found a super simple recipe for mini meatloaves. Unfortunately, by the time we got everything made we ended up not eating dinner until almost 9:00. They were DELICIOUS (and we had leftovers for two more meals).

Friday - SUPER busy day at work. Finished packing for the big office move. I spent a bulk of the afternoon helping to pack up the supply/copy room. #pizzafriday and a quick run around the neighborhood. It was WARM out.
Saturday - Frosty's Frozen Five mile race with A! Afternoon was spent watching TV.

Sunday - In the morning, L and I ran the "Arctic" Prairie Dog Half Marathon.

In the afternoon, I made more bark. (Photo in the food montage). This time, it was milk and white chocolate swirled with Heath toffee bits and topped with caramel filled morsels. And surprise - #pizzasaturday !!!
Monday - I was supposed to have the day off for "Civil Rights Day" (did you know this is what MLK day is called now?) Unfortunately, because of the office move, I had to work and unpack. Good news is that since it was a holiday for everyone else, I got a lot done. 5K on the treadmill after work.

Miles Run - 34.6

Minutes of Cross Training - ZERO

Minutes of Strength/Stretching - ZILCH

Weekly Gain/Loss - 0 pounds (121.8) 

• So not having a gain was a big surprise. I really didn't eat that great this week. As you can see in the above picture... there was carrot cake, Yogurtland, bark, German chocolate cake. Plus, the new job has snacks - hence the chips...
• I do, however, think the lack of stress has contributed to less stress gain (and less drinking, so...)

Everything Else

• What else is there to say about the new job? It is a substantially busier (in a good way) desk than my last job - with a TON more variety. We moved this week and I'm pretty happy to be located right near the break room. Maybe people won't notice how many times I get up for water and snacks.
• Um.

Arctic (Winter) Prairie Dog Half Marathon (Race Recap)

Sunday, January 18
Louisville, CO
Half Marathon #125
Colorado Half #58
Weather - Windy and Sunny

The "Arctic" (Winter) Prairie Dog half marathon is one of the "four seasons" half marathons in the series put on by 3W. As only one of two half marathons offered in Colorado in January, we signed up like 11 months in advance - I think for $35 or something??) L had run it last year and warned me that it was "a confusing and hilly course." Well, that sounds awesome.

We dropped off the kids with my parents at 6:30 and drove up to Louisville. We parked, as instructed, in the parking lot of the now closed Sam's Club. Only to later have to move the car because apparently the Sam's Club is now an unmarked church?

Anyway, we picked up our bags and used the bathroom in Albertson's before the start. Yes, I enjoy looking at kitten calendars when I am in line for the bathroom.

So it is in the mid to upper 40's ALREADY. We are, again, some of the only people in tanks and skirts. A woman behind us in the bathroom line commented that we were going to freeze. DID YOU KNOW THAT IT IS THE SUNNIEST EVER AND I AM GOING TO SLOWLY BOIL WHILE RUNNING?

We headed out to the corral(?) start area, a few minutes before 8. The race started just a minute or so late, and I started probably middle of the pack (honestly, I probably should have started a bit further back).

Immediately, I could see what L was talking about. We did a loop through a neighborhood, then it was one turn after another. Thankfully, the course was very well marked and there were lots of volunteers. The first 3 miles felt EASY. I was running pretty easy and I was wondering where the hills were.

I found out when we got to downtown Louisville (basically where the Turkey Trot A and I ran was). The hills started, fairly gradually. I finally caught up to Ross around mile 4. Then the first big climb of the course. I was super impressed with myself for running up the whole thing.

AND THEN MY LEGS DIED. I walked through the aid station at the top, but my legs were TRASHED. My legs below the knee (through my feet) had gone completely numb. (Does this ever happen to anyone else??) I ended up walking a lot longer than I wanted. We crossed a street, and then ANOTHER CLIMB:

We turned and then ran on dirt up yet another hill for I don't know, FOREVER.

Finally got some relief when we finally got done with the steep climbs around mile 6. I have been trying not to look at my watch, and when my legs were finally ready to go again, I was pleasantly surprised when the mile markers beeped and my pace was substantially faster than I expected.

We were rewarded with some nice downhills, and then we were finally back near the start. Around mile 10-11 we had a gradual downhill for a mile, then crossed under the street to run back miles 11-12 with the gradual uphill.

The last aid station at roughly mile 12 was when my iPod died. That was sad. The last mile was a little rough, but since it was a reverse loop through the first neighborhood we ran through, I knew what to expect. I actually had some kick for the finish. I was really surprised at my "fast" finish (although, my watch measured about .3 short - let's just assume the course was accurate and the GPS just got confused with all the turns).

Bib #1401
Official Time - 2:16:27
Official Pace - 10:25 (FOR THE HILLIEST COURSE EVER?!)
Overall Place - 270/423
Gender Place - 140/256
Division Place - 54/88
Garmin Time - 2:16:29
Garmin Distance - 12.82 miles
Garmin Pace - 10:39
Mile 1 - 10:30
Mile 2 - 10:18
Mile 3 - 10:10
Mile 4 - 10:57
Mile 5 - 12:44 (when I wanted TO DIE)
Mile 6 - 11:18
Mile 7 - 10:32
Mile 8 - 10:43
Mile 9 - 10:08
Mile 10 - 9:23
Mile 11 - 10:26
Mile 12 - 11:16
Mile 13 - 9:50

Thoughts:

• Early registration made this race very affordable. I don't even think late registration was horribly expensive. There is a 10K option in addition to the half marathon (which starts separately).
• The bibs are cute and SMALL. I hate the trend of the big giant bibs. I do not, however, like shoe tags. For real, I can't believe races are still using these.
• The shirt is gender specific, but sort of "cheap" - the shirt I got at the last race was better (I think).
• The medals and ribbons are nice. However, Peedy (the prairie dog mascot) was given a makeover since last year and I don't like his new, slim appearance. Doesn't he look like a chipmunk?
• Also, a customized pint glass for all finishers.
• AWESOME post race food. They had Domino's pizza, Evol burritos, and then regular post race stuff. No beer though :(
• Aid stations EVERY MILE. This is the best. I liked that they used small cups (like they 4 oz size). I think most of the aid stations also had electrolyte drink (can't remember what it was) and a few also had gels. There were also port-o-potties on course, which is always nice.
• Overall a nice race. It sold out this year, so not sure you can wait until the last minute to see if the weather will cooperate. I probably would run this race again.

Unrelated to the race. HOLY CRAP WITH THE WEATHER. It had been so warm all week that most of the snow we have gotten had melted. There were a few shaded areas that were icy, but overall, the course was clear. It was sunny, it was warm - NO REALLY, it was near 60 when I finished?? Is this winter? Is this January?? I think "Arctic" was a poor descriptor this year (not that I am complaining).

Week in Review (July 22 - July 28)

Tuesday - Now that A is back and I'm back on the treadmill, speed work had to commence (womp womp womp). Goal was 4 x 800 @ 8:52. (LOLOLOLOL). I did a mile warm up, then 3 x 800 (8:54, 8:46, 8:46). I didn't have it in me to do another 800, my legs were DEAD. Instead I did 4 x 400 (8:48, 8:28, 8:04, 7:28). You know what's baffling? Running fast. Ouchie.
Wednesday - BodyPump. I've determined my shoulders are the weakest part of my body.
Thursday - I decided to use a bit of PTO and run the trails before work instead of an afternoon tempo run (honestly, still boycotting that). I ran the counterclockwise loop of Table Mesa / Mesa Top trail in Golden. It has become one of my favorite close trail runs in the last month. The bad part about running in the morning is the crazy number of tumbleweeds that block the single track. I ran the loop quite a bit faster than last time. Yahoo!

Friday - Pizza.
Saturday - Up at 4:30 in the morning to volunteer at All-Out-Multisport's "Dog Days" 5k, 10k and half marathon. We first checked in runners and handed out packets. Then, we moved to the finish area where we handed out cold, wet towels. Even though it wasn't nearly as hot as forecasted, I think we were the most popular volunteers. We stuck around to the end and helped load all the stuff into trucks. I gotta say, All-Out is a well-oiled machine. Nothing was torn down until the last runners crossed the line, and it was only about 30 minutes later that everything was loaded up. Efficiency at its finest!

Sure is dark at 5 am

So I posted this on Instagram shortly after this was taken. Turns out, the volunteer I was working with follows me on Instagram. Small world.

A and I went to lunch at Sweet Tomatoes, and then we went to Angels With Paws Cat Shelter and adopted a kitty!! The shelter named him Blackie (even though he isn't) and A didn't want to change his name. As of adoption, he is 11 weeks old, Russian Blue Mix. WE LOVE HIM SO MUCH.

Sunday - Up not as early to run the Prairie Dog half marathon in Castle Rock.

After showering, I took H and A with me to the park to meet up with work friends for a BBQ/picnic. The weather was fantastic, not nearly as hot as the last few times we have met up. In bed SO EARLY, exhausted.

Attempting badminton

Monday - CHAOS. A very arm heavy workout again. And a weird conversation in the locker room with a woman who asked me if this was my "first time working out." Like ever? Was it my outfit? So weird.

Weekly Miles Run - 25.1 (13.1 race, 7 trail, 5 treadmill)
Minutes of Cross Training - 60
Minutes of Strength/Stretching - 60

Weekly Loss - 0.8 (120.6)

• Still lots of pizza. It's so delicious, I can't help myself!
• A bit more beer than in the past few weeks.
• Noosa has new flavors!!!! If you like coconut, THIS IS THE MOST DELICIOUS THING EVER EVER EVER.

Everything Else

• I actually got a cash bonus at work. That was exciting.
• Uh. That's it.

Prairie Dog "Summer" Half Marathon (Race Recap)

Sunday, July 27
Castle Rock, CO
Half Marathon #111
Colorado Half #47
Weather - Sunny, warm, humid

I ran the "fall" Prairie Dog race last year. Back then, it was a one-time race. They have since made the Prairie Dog a series, one race for each season. The Summer Prairie Dog half marathon was originally scheduled for Denver, but moved at some point a few months ago to Castle Rock.

I registered only looking at the date. I did NOT notice at the time that it had an 8:00 start time. If I have learned nothing else from racing, starting even at 7 during the summer is too late. Too bad, so sad.

Thanks to the late start time, we didn't need to get up until just before 6. My dad came over to pick up the kids at 6:20, and we left shortly after that, thinking we would need about 45 minutes to get there. There was no traffic on the way down. The address that the race gave us placed us in the middle of an empty field. We drove around for a few minutes, thinking we must have missed something. I saw a few vehicles pulled over on the side of the road and one guy was wearing a race shirt so I had L stop. Turns out, one of the cars belonged to our buddy, Ross. They were having the same problem that we were... finally, we just put in the name of where the race was starting (not the street address), and we found it.

Packet pick-up was fast and easy. There were only 4 port-o-potties (not enough), and we made it through the line only once before heading to the start. I started mid-pack with L and got passed a ton right off the bat.

Start Line

To be clear, I had NO expectations about this race. I knew it was going to be hot and sunny. I have been training solely on trails for pretty much the last month, which is clearly not prepping for a road race. My last half marathon was COMPLETELY miserable. Heading onto the path, and my friend Jill said hi to me. That would be my last interaction with anyone the rest of the race, as I somehow manage to run a pace no one else does. I felt ok at the beginning and was surprised to see the first aid station so early (turns out, it was .54 miles out... what). I was trying not to look at my watch, and was surprised to see that the first mile was sub 10. Somewhere closer to the mile 2 marker was when I started walking. My legs just do not warm up until I have been out a few miles, and this was no exception.

We had been told that there would be 12 aid stations on the course, so I was not carrying my own water. I was almost dead from heat and dehydration by the second stop, which was at mile 2. So hot! So thirsty! I started to worry that this was where my race was going to fall apart. If I just walked the rest, how long would it take me?

It was pretty along most of the path

After that stop I felt a bit better, but another 2 miles until the next aid station seemed like FOREVER. I recognized a lot of the path from the Castle Rock half I ran last June, and the Alien half last September - kind of a combination of the two courses.

After the turnaround I felt really rejuvenated. (I later would realize this was because the whole second half was downhill. Made me feel better about my struggles on the way out). I was worried I was going to burn out, and while I took some walk breaks, I felt substantially better on the way back. I probably passed at least two dozen people in the second half and that is always nice.

Hot, sunny, exposed, hilly

Goes to show that anything can happen in a race, and it ended up being one of my strongest races of the season.

Official Time - 2:16:33
Official Pace - 10:25
Overall Place - 76/131
Gender Place - 37/77
Division Place - 18/28
Mile 1 - 9:48
Mile 2 - 10:59
Mile 3 - 10:48
Mile 4 - 11:35
Mile 5 - 10:14
Mile 6 - 11:17
Mile 7 - 10:44
Mile 8 - 9:45
Mile 9 - 9:41
Mile 10 - 10:32
Mile 11 - 10:05
Mile 12 - 10:26
Mile 13 - 10:31
Mile 13.1 - 6:37 (lol)

Thoughts:

• The 8:00 start is insane. Ridiculous. 7 am or earlier.
• It was really annoying that the address didn't work for so many of us. It was not that hard to get to, turn by turn instructions in addition to the address would have been helpful.
• We were told there would be 12 aid stations, and there only 9. With the first/last one being only a 1/2 mile from the start/finish. So really, more like 7... Had I known this was going to be the case, I would have brought my own water.
• Related: Aid stations were well stocked, plenty of volunteers. Water and Gatorade at all, and gels at 2 of them. The cups were the teeny tiny ones though, so I didn't get much to drink at any of them.
• The course is pretty exposed, especially the 1.5-2 miles closest to the start/finish area. We really lucked out and had a slight breeze on the way back.
• Course was very well marked, even though I was alone much of the time, I never thought I would/could get lost.
• Nice race shirt and medal.
• Post race food was good, but I was disappointed that the Noosa yoghurt samples were already expired!!!??? Wah.
• Overall, I really was intent on hating this race due to the late start and exposed course, but it really wasn't as horrible as it could have been. Assuming the change the start time for next year, this could be a good one, although I likely won't run it again.

Normal (Week 4)

Tuesday - 2ish mile bike ride with A, and the three videos (core, legs, abs).

Russian Twists!

Wednesday - 7.15 mile run on the treadmill.
Thursday - 3+ miles of "speed work" - which was basically really slow 400's, 8 sets. Man. I just don't think I can run ALL THE MILES annnnd try to incorporate speed. This killed me dead. Also did the three videos (arms, core, legs).
Friday - Nothing!!!!
Saturday - Prairie Dog half marathon
Sunday - Spent the day helping a friend decorate their house for Halloween. WOW is all I can say. I usually feel pretty festive if A hangs a few colored pumpkins on the door. We had to make two trips to her storage unit to get all the stuff. Nixed a run and did the three videos (arms, core, legs)
Monday - Pretty decent 7+ mile run on the treadmill.

Gain - 1.0 pounds

• Well, I really don't watch what I eat anymore, so this all makes sense. As long as I don't gain every week and it just fluctuates, I feel like that's pretty normal.
• Food splurges this week - Yogurtland, pizza (twice), pretzel burger
• Beer - same
• Candy/chocolate cravings ALL WEEKEND.
• So... I downloaded the ios7 for my phone. I love the fact that I can now block numbers and messages with ease. I am NOT loving that I apparently can no longer sync with iTunes? I have a 3-4 year old mac and apparently I can't install the newest version of iTunes as my OS on the computer is too old. I tried updating the software and keep getting a fatal error. WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT. So annoyed :(
• Work is going... ok I guess. The paralegal that just had the baby in July apparently got another job and is not returning from maternity leave. Especially annoying since no one was even hired as a temp to replace her. D'oh.
• And as promised.... the finished remodel of J's old "man cave" - ignore A's weird expression.

Online Dating Updates

• I am down to talking to one person. He asked if he could friend me on Facebook. All his pictures on match are from 2010 or 2011, nothing recent. He uses fairly regularly but doesn't post any pictures. I think I offended him by not being a big enough fan of Breaking Bad. I mean, I enjoy the show, but life is NOT going to be over when the show ends on Sunday.
• I don't really get on match anymore. It seems like way too much work and it seems like no one is what they seem and/or they are unwilling to work around me and A. Which, obviously, is a deal breaker anyway.
• I'm not going to settle just to not be alone, soooooooooooooo... I'm giving up on the online crap and will just see where life takes me.

Prairie Dog Half Marathon (Race Recap)

Westminster, CO
Saturday, September 21
Half Marathon #94
Colorado Half #33
Weather - Sunny and mild

I had zero plans to run the inaugural Prairie Dog half marathon. Then, the day before, Hope decided to join L in racing. Hope very generously race day registered me so I could join in the fun. And fun it sure was...

L got home from work at 7 and we drove up to the race start, conveniently located only about ten minutes from the house. The course is pretty much the same as the Redline Westminster I ran in April and the Mother's Day race in May. We met up with my mom, who was going to watch the kids for us. First thing was meeting up with Hope to get my bib, and then, the kid's race!

A and I before the start of the kid's race

The kid's race is not very long, maybe 100 yards, but A smoked ALL THE OTHER KIDS. She looked so great out there, I wish I had some better pictures of it.

Apparently, this is what WINNING looks like :D

By the time the kid's race got done and we got in the bathroom line, there were only a few minutes until the start of the race. Knowing I'd rather start late than have to find a bathroom on course, we all cycled through the line, which meant that we started the race about 5 minutes late.

L was planning on running with Terry, Hope's husband, and of course Hope and I were running together. Even with our late start, we started passing people at the first mile. My calves were a bit tight in the beginning, but I loosened up within a few miles. The goal for the day was to just get some miles in and take it easy. Hope has been battling a hip injury, so our pace was extra slow and we walked a bit more often. But we had a great time. Apparently, even when I'm not in a Disney race I do weird things when I see a camera:

Courtesy of 3W's Facebook page - at the turnaround

I have run on this trail a billion times, so the scenery is nothing new, but I figured I would throw a shot in anyway... this is somewhere around mile 7 or 8?

Love that I can now take panorama pictures with ios7!!

L got this pic of us about .1 from the finish line. I look so HAPPY!!

There was a jaunt up a decent sized hill, and then we were done. There were tons of pastries at the finish, I had the equivalent of probably two muffins. Delicious.

Bib #1805

Official Time - 2:45:29

Overall Place - 217/245

Gender Place - 126/149

Division Place - 59/67

Garmin Time - 2:45:30

Garmin Distance - 13.21 miles

Mile 1 - 11:09

Mile 2 - 11:50

Mile 3 - 11:55

Mile 4 - 11:54

Mile 5 - 12:20

Mile 6 - 11:41

Mile 7 - 12:39

Mile 8 - 13:37

Mile 9 - 12:56

Mile 10 - 13:05

Mile 11 - 13:07

Mile 12 - 12:29

Mile 13 - 14:18

Mile 13.21 - 11:52 

Look how cute the medal is!

No, I did not win, unless you count winning at looking awesome!

 Thoughts

• Even though this race was an inaugural, the group puts on a ton of other events. Everything went very smoothly.
• HOWEVER, there were NO WHERE NEAR enough bathrooms!! In addition to the half, there were the kid's events and shorter distances. And only 5 port-o-potties... should have had at least 2-3 more.
• TONS of aid stations. They were all themed, all very well stocked with FRS and water. I don't care for the Powerbar gels, but they were at at least 2 of the aid stations (which we hit twice).
• Unisex long sleeve shirt. However, the small size actually fits me. I may or may not wear it, it is kind of cute.
• LOVE the medal!!
• May or may not run this again. I have a hard time paying for a race that is on a trail I run all the time.