Sand Creek Half Marathon (Race Recap)

Denver, CO
Saturday, July 13
Half Marathon #89
Colorado Half #29
Weather - Warm, Overcast

If you read my recap of the Sand Creek half marathon from last year, you are probably wondering why on earth I signed up for it again. Well, they ran a lot of specials for this race, and L talked me into registering when it was about $35.

I was DREADING this race. If you've been following my races, I have not been enjoying myself, and the only thing that makes running even LESS fun is running alone on a terrible course in the blazing hot. We had been checking the forecast, hoping for a miracle that it would NOT be sunny and in the 90's. All week long, temperatures were already in the 70's by 7:00 am, so we weren't too optimistic.

L had to head to the race straight from work, so I was on my own to get to the start. Reading my recap from last year, I remembered that there wasn't a ton of parking, so even though I wasn't expecting a super crowded event, I didn't want to have to park too far away. I left the house at 5:40, getting there just after 6 to find the lot was already full, however, there was some street parking really close.

Pickup was a breeze, all I had to do was grab the shirt, timing chip and bib. Well I was getting everything ready at the car, L texted to let me know that she was there. The first time we went through the bathroom lines we used the port-o-potties in the parking lot. There were only 3 of them and the line was not moving very fast. After we dropped off L's stuff in my car, we still had almost 20 minutes so we waited in the line for the "real" bathroom. We finished just as the gun was going off, so I started in the very back.

I remember the beginning of the course being a slight uphill and very crowded. I usually need a reminder to start out super slow so that my legs don't cramp up, so that was fine with me. I could only remember where the first few aid stations were, and my goal (as usual) was to try to not walk anything but the aid stations.

I felt pretty decent, and got to the first aid station just before mile 2 without walking. I had taped my IT band, but the tape was already sweating off, so I ripped it off there so it wouldn't annoy me for the rest of the race. It was getting pretty warm already and I kept looking at the sky, hoping the cloud cover would stay.

Between miles 2-3

Made it to the second aid station at mile 3.25 without walking. HURRAY!! I saw L just after the turnaround, which meant she was already pretty far ahead of me. The course was already marked WAY better than last year, so I was happy to see that they had listened and put out really good markers. Thanks!

Around mile 5

Made it through the next couple aid stations without walking, I was feeling decent and it still wasn't super hot. When we headed out around the halfway point, it seemed like the course was different, like we were going backwards from the year before. I had been expecting to head into the shaded area, where the aid station was last year, yet we went to the left instead. Had I looked at the course information, I would have known that we would only be doing one loop around the lake this year and that it would be the opposite direction. I was getting tired and hot and my legs felt heavy. I took my first unplanned walk break of the day, but was pleased I had made it to about mile 7.5 before doing so. Then of course, I saw that the aid station was right at the other side of the lake. Womp. I walked a bit through the aid station, then we ran up on the plateau.

Between miles 7-8

We headed into what was my favorite section of the course last year, the only shaded section of the course!

The only shaded section of the course - around mile 8.5

Photo courtesy of Jason K. Powers Photography

 We left the "lake/tree" area and then headed back out along the street, where I assumed we would be doing another loop. The course changed to have an aid station just past mile 9 (?) and then an out and back section on the sidewalk instead of going back in the reserve. I got to the turnaround point and had been chasing this group of women for miles... someone they had been running with earlier was coming up the hill right as we were coming up on the aid station again. Instead of continuing on, she turned around and ran with them.

WHAT.

I caught up to her and said "You know the turnaround is about a half mile the other way." She smirked and said "oh, really" and just kept running with her friends. Now I know it doesn't "really matter" but I got to the aid station and mentioned to the volunteer that she had cut the course and his comment was "she is only hurting herself." Nice. I made sure to note her bib number.

The rest of the course was heading back through the area we had already run. It was starting to heat up a bit, but it was still gloriously overcast. I made it to just past mile 11 before I took another walk break. My legs were definitely getting tired and I was ready to be done. I took another (lame) walk break less than a half mile before the finish... I did pass a few people in the chute and I was really happy to be done.

Crossed the line and the first thing I did was tell the woman doing the timing about the girl (bib #9515) that cut the course. She said she would let the RD know. If nothing else, she should be disqualified. Apparently, they do not care about cheating as she is still listed in the official results.

I didn't see the medals and had to ask at the finish line where they were. Smallest medal I have ever gotten EVER.

About the size of a quarter! lol

Official Time - 2:35:38
Overall Place - 381/453
Gender Place - 218/276
Division Place - 80/102
MMR Time - 2:35:38
MMR Distance - 13.35 miles
MMR Pace - 11:39
Mile 1 - 11:05
Mile 2 - 11:09
Mile 3 - 11:07
Mile 4 - 11:30
Mile 5 - 10:57
Mile 6 - 11:23
Mile 7 - 11:25
Mile 8 - 12:51
Mile 9 - 11:09
Mile 10 - 12:34
Mile 11 - 11:42
Mile 12 - 12:26
Mile 13 - 11:27
Mile 13.35  - 11:47

There was nothing of interest at the finish area, so we found someone to get our picture (sorry, L, I didn't realize your eyes were closed until after I already cropped/posted).

Thoughts:

• So happy I went into this race with ZERO expectations. The second half didn't go as well as I hoped, but overall it was a fairly solid race for me. 
• The signage was INFINITELY better than last year. Every turn was well-marked and in many cases, there were even signs letting us know which way we would be going ahead. Thumbs up on the change!
• The course change was pretty good too. It was WAY less confusing.
• The shirt is still a cheap unisex shirt. I will not wear it again. 57% of the half marathon finishers were female, which I think justifies gender specific shirts.
• Teeny tiny medal...
• TOO LATE OF A START. 7:00 is way too late. This race should start no later than 6:00. Also, the 10k should not start at the same time, it was way too crowded in the beginning miles. They should start 15-30 minutes later to ease congestion on the course.
• Not enough bathrooms at the start - should have had at least another 2-3 port-o-potties. There were almost 500 half marathoners, plus there were a ton of 10k and 5k participants as well.
• It really is a shame that this event is in the sweltering month of July... if they were able to run it in the fall I think it would be a much better event.

Sand Creek Half Marathon (Race Recap)

Saturday, July 14
Denver, CO
Half Marathon #65
Colorado Half #12
Weather - HOT

Thanks to all the random mailing lists I am on, sometime in late spring I got an email with a discounted, inaugural half marathon. Total cost after fees was barely $40. So... not learning my lesson from last year, I registered for the Sand Creek half marathon.

There was a brief glimmer of hope that we wouldn't die of heat stroke since the race started at 7:00. However, we left the house at 5:30 to head to the race and it was already 70 degrees. It was going to be a long, hot day. We got to the start in less than 20 minutes. The sun was already coming up.

Packet pick up took about 3 minutes. We saw our friend Ruth a few minutes later. She was not racing, but was timing the race. We were parked literally about a hundred feet from the start, so we sat in the car for pretty much the next hour. About a half hour before we started, we spotted my stalker! I actually hadn't seen him since last July's horrible race. More on this later.

The race started on time, in the middle of a park. Meaning, on a sidewalk. So it was pretty narrow and congested on our way out. Again, I had not bothered to look at the map. Not sure if studying it would have mattered. Check out this ridiculously complicated course:

So the first mile was already feeling pretty hard. It felt like a long and gradual uphill. My legs were tight, I felt tired already. This was going to be a long day. The first aid station was just before mile 2. Mile 2 is where the course got really weird. Luckily there were volunteers at most of the intersections because otherwise, I'm pretty sure I would have gotten lost. On the out part to mile 4, we saw the leaders coming towards us. The leader was substantially farther ahead than the rest of the leaders. I had given a friend from Twitter an entry to the race, and even though I had never met him in person, I was pretty sure I saw him within the first 10 people. I think at the aid station around mile 3.8 was where the race really "fell apart" for me.

Barren, ugly course

I was so tired. My legs felt tired. L and I actually had a guy "drafting" off us, and the dude actually stepped on my heels a few times. TOO FREAKING CLOSE. I finally just jumped onto the side because it was SO ANNOYING. The course was boring to look at and there was no shade. The longer we were out there, the hotter it got. Mile 4-5 was actually slightly downhill and it wasn't as terrible as some of the other sections. A Facebook friend recognized me on the course (Hi Jill!). Even though we have done probably a dozen of the same races, we never manage to meet up. She assumed it was me when she saw L and I wearing the matchy, matchy outfits. Heading toward mile 6 (?) and we finally were running on trail.

Ha. Sweaty L.

We ran along this section of dirt/gravel before entering a confusing loop around some "lake." I say "lake," because it's on the map, yet I don't remember seeing any water. Also, it's at this point we catch up to my stalker. In real life!! I am actually running "fast" enough to keep up with him. Who cares that he is 75. He is a badass. He is also fairly grumpy and was muttering about the course and the mile markers. He didn't seem to know me. Which is weird...

The signs were confusing. Loop 1 -> Loop 2 bypass and teenage girls sort of dancing around. We decided to just follow the people in front of us. We were getting passed by the 10k people who had started after us. After we ran around the "lake," we came upon a fork in the road where there was just an arrow pointing one way. Apparently that meant 10k or loop 2 people but loop one went straight? Ouch. I am feeling too dumb for this race.

The only shaded part of the course was probably a quarter mile long. There was a photographer and an aid station. After we looped around, we headed up a big hill, ran along a plateau. Then we arrived back at the loop 1 and 2 signs with the teenage girls. We had to head to the right to run back around the road and do a reverse loop of where the 10k and 2nd loop halfers would exit. (Confused yet?) - headed back towards the shade and the aid station, up the big hill and plateau again. We are somewhere between mile 9 and 10 now, and I am EXHAUSTED. It feels like we have been out there FOREVER.

Only shaded part of the course

We meet up to the loop 1 and 2 signs and this time head to the left and do the loop around the lake again. I stop at the bathroom. No toilet paper (ew) and then to the right instead of straight to the shade/aid station. So keep in mind we are heading toward mile 11 and have had no water since about mile 8.5. We exit the weird loopty loops, and then head back toward the long stretch of desert dirt to finish up. The last aid station was probably about mile 11.5. Way too long since the last one. And, it was out of gatorade. Which was annoying.

The last mile? LASTED FOREVER. We ended up back on the sidewalk, and I just couldn't keep running. I took probably 3 walk breaks in the last 3/4 of a mile. I only wanted to get done soon enough that I would beat my stalker. L finished a bit in front of me, and I really REALLY put everything I had into NOT walking the last .25. Supposedly I "sprinted" at the finish, but I just felt like crap and wanted to die. And my free race pictures:

And who should be the one to cut off my tag at the end? My friend Ruth! First thing she says, "so, did you get lost?" Ha. L grabbed me a bottle of water, and Joe (the friend from Twitter) found us at the finish. We chatted for a few minutes and then we realized it was already getting late and we needed to get the kids. We were heading toward the car but figured we should check out the free stuff being given away. I got enough free hummus to last me a few weeks. (Seriously, between the two of us we were given over 20 2oz packages of HUMMUS).

Me and Joe

Me and L

Bib #842
Official Time - 2:26:25 (Ouch)
Official Pace - 11:14
Overall Place - 258/303
Gender Place - 158/193
Division Place - 67/80
Garmin Time - 2:26:25
Garmin Distance - 13.04 miles
Garmin Pace - 11:14
Mile 1 - 10:03
Mile 2 - 10:29
Mile 3 - 10:48
Mile 4 - 11:13
Mile 5 - 10:39
Mile 6 - 11:30
Mile 7 - 10:53
Mile 8 - 11:31
Mile 9 - 12:08 (bathroom)
Mile 10 - 11:48
Mile 11 - 11:55
Mile 12 - 11:55
Mile 13 - 11:08
Mile 13.1ish -  10:44

Anyway, thoughts on the race.

• Races in July CANNOT START SO LATE. It was almost 90 by the time we eventually finished. That's crazy. (And probably dangerous).
• They didn't even advertise a medal, so I was surprised to get one. It was actually pretty cute.
• The shirt... not crazy about it. Look at the logo at the top, that's what was on the shirt.
• Pre race - VERY organized. Everything was fast, easy and efficient. Plus, they had pastries, water and coffee at the start.
• Finish line was pretty awesome, lots of vendors with Vitamin Water, Snapple, sabra hummus, pita chips, Udi's bagels and bottled water. Seriously, awesome.
• FREE digital race pictures. FREE. That's also awesome.
• THE MOST RIDICULOUS AND CONFUSING COURSE EVER EVER EVER EVER. I talked with more than one person that missed at least part of the course since it was poorly marked. You should not need a college degree to run a race.

So overall, it was good. Improvements on course markings and a start at 6:00 would help a ton.