My first run after last Saturday’s marathon was today, a full week later. That’s been how the last month of running has been for me, lucky to squeeze in some weekenders. Still, I can wake up any given Saturday and churn out a full marathon. I’m happy with that. These pics are from last week’s marathon and a few from today.

Nice view of the Flatirons as I ran across the dam. The first aid station was near this point. Two miles in or so.

The water is on the right side of this photo, to my left as I was running. The Rez was full of small sailboats. With the Front Range as a backdrop, it was pretty scenery.

There was still a decent core of runners to follow along my second time crossing the earthen dam, but not enough for a solid line. There were smalls groups of runners separated by the occasional solitary runner, like me.

The dirt was patted down by the previous night’s rains. Ideal. The mile or so of pavement per loop never got hot.

The photo above is the same view of the Boulder Flatirons from the earlier race photos, but from a few miles further east, along the East Boulder Trail.

Also on today’s 8 miler, the sliver of water you can see over the top of this cairn is the Boulder Reservoir – the site of last Saturday’s marathon. Each of the four loops around the Rez was a little over a 10K.

I felt strong though to the finish last week. I felt my hamstring tighten a little before 20 miles and slowed down for it but I’d taken a couple of SCAPs about two miles earlier and those salts kicked in. I was having to drink the aid station Gatorade the final 10K because I drank up my 500ml bottle of LMNT a lot quicker on this loop.

I ran the slowest miles of the day for the first 3 miles of the final 10K, but got a second wind and finished the final 3 miles strong. Overall, it was a very comfortable run. The right pace and good weather.