Denver Half Marathon Recap

This weekend was the Denver Half Marathon. As you guys know, I was kind of worried about this race because it was my first trail race and it was small. I was worried my time would be super slow because of the trails or that I would get lost because there was not that many runners to follow. So heres how it went down:

• 6:30AM: Alarm goes off. Roll out of bed, throw on my running clothes and gear, brush the teeth.
• 6:55 AM: Punch the still asleep boyfriend in the face and tell him he has five minutes to get ready because that is when I'm leaving. (Ok, you guys know I'm kidding, I was actually really sweet and nice about it) Plus we made a deal that he would get up and go with me if I got up and made him coffee. I make the best coffee. It gets me things.
• 7:10 AM: We leave the apartment 10 minutes late. What the hell? Why am I always freakin late?!
• 7:40 AM: We get to the park where the race is being held. 20 minutes from the start time. We kind of speed walk to the start line, while the boyfriend makes jokes about how dorky runners are. Thats right fellow runners, this guy thinks your a dork:

lk

• 8 AM: Line up at the start line. The race announcer talks for a little about the course. I don't really listen. Figure I'll just wing it. Why was I afraid of getting lost on the course?
• 8:10AM: These things never start on time.
• 8:11AM: WERE OFF!!
• Miles 1-3: Feeling pretty good. The trails haven't really started yet, but they said that they wouldn't until about mile 4 or 5. Mile splits are 8:15, 8:03, 8:02. I'm on pace so far to beat my 2 hour goal.
• Miles 4-6: Hit the trails. they are single track, so if you get stuck behind a slow poke your doing some bush waking to get around them. Luckily I got just the right distance behind a girl that was right on pace with me. It kept my pace up and kept me confident that I following the right course. Mile splits are 8:12, 7:54, 7:58.
• Miles 7-9: HIt the half way point still feeling pretty good, it starts to warm up a little but right about then we go through a wooded area. I keep thinking "THIS IS SO COOL!!" we ran across streams, rocks, and the whole time it was shaded by trees and prefect weather. Mile splits are 8:16, 7:59, 8:05.
• Miles 9-11: I knew that this was an out and back course and on the way into the wooded area I saw the sign for the 11 mile mark. I just kept waiting to come back through those woods, because I'm tellin ya it was awesomeness! About this time I catch up with the guy that has been slightly ahead of me the whole race. We stop at the water station and he asks me what mile we are on. I tell him and for the rest of the race we are BFFs. Mile splits are 8:19, 8:13, 7:53.
• Miles 12 and 13: Last leg of the race. I keep counting down the mileage to my new BFF who is pacing off of me now. I also tell him not to use me for an unfair advantage. (Totally kidding). Finish strong! Mile splits are 8:19 and 7:40.
• The last leg: My watch says 13.1 but the finish line is no where in site! "Oh yeah, I think I remember them saying it was a little more than 13.1, Ok now I see it...wayyyy up there....at the top of that HILL!" What kind of cruel joke is this?! I have a little "Kara Goucher-esk" race with a girl right at the finish line. Smoke her. See the boyfriend and the dog, high five em'. FINISH!!
• My watch ends up saying 13.6 miles. Geez can we adjust my time for that?!
• I FINISH 13.6 IN 1:50:02!!!!! WOO NEW PR!!

I was so proud of myself for reaching my stretch goal. I had a blast and spent the rest of the day looking up what trail race to do next. Its love.
Oh yeah, and if you want to see some awesome (in a totally "I'm running 13 miles, don't even THINK about taking my picture" way) you can go to this link: PBC Sports Photography. This guy did a great job with the pictures. Im thinking about buying one in poster size for the living room. The boyfriend and the roommate would LOVE that huh?!