The Surge at 4K

03 Saturday Jun 2017

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Bolder Boulder Race Results, race photos

surge at 4K a

This photo captures my surge at the 4 kilometer mark in the Bolder Boulder. Twelve year old Jordan Leblow catches me here, after starting in the wave 60 seconds behind me. We run nearly together the rest of the race, both running 7:26 for our final mile. Pretty fast for a little kid as he finishes 6th in his age group. I do beat 29 year old David Shoening, running on the other side of me in this pic, by a solid 15 seconds. The difference in our times was from this surge through to the fifth mile.

Folsom 5th mile a

38 year old Terra Beaton might be passing me here on Folsom at the 5.5 mile mark as she beat me by over 10 seconds. She ran nearly identical to me except both her first and final miles were 5 seconds faster. Like me, she finished 8th for her age.

Folsom Stadium b

I didn’t put on much of a kick but I did pass 19 year old Callie Trautner here inside Folsom Stadium, beating her by over 3 minutes. Callie finished 13th in a competitive women’s age group.

celebration beer

This is how a 55 year old man celebrates after racing against a multitude of generations over six hard miles, by drinking a Dale’s Pinner Throwback IPA before 8am. The weather channel said the race started out at 51°. I would guess closer to 60°, I was sweating hard from the first mile. My next planned event isn’t until October and I’m not sure how I’ll train until then. Might turn my focus back to writing my next novel. It’s a sequel to Cyber War I. I think that’s the plan for the rest of the weekend – writing.

Bolder Boulder 2017

29 Monday May 2017

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Bolder Boulder Race Results

BA Wave Start

I prepped for this morning’s 10K with coffee, leaving my stomach mostly empty of foodstuff for the six mile race. I would passionately breakfast on the java bean like this every morning if my knowledge of nutrition didn’t suggest otherwise. Unlike running a marathon, my muscles won’t be at risk of depleting their glycogen stores before crossing the finish line. Ideally, I’ll avoid debilitating oxygen debt as well. A conservative start the first half mile should position me for a strong surge after two miles. That’s my plan.

Karen dropped me off at 30th and Valmont and I looked over at my racing flats sitting in the seat next to me. If I wore them instead of my training flats, I’d be committing to run hard. Mental toughness is less than abundant at 6am. With caffeine for courage, I put ’em on. I laced them up and jogged down the street to the race start on 30th and Walnut, where I queued up in my BA wave corral after a little warmup. Checkout the little green Martian photo-bomb.

I blogged the other day I was confident I could run a 7:20 pace, but was hoping for a 7 minute pace. I ran exactly a 7:20 pace. I felt comfortable with my first mile in 7:13, although it felt faster than that. Mile two was typical for me in 7:17. I already knew by this point that I would likely average a 7:20 pace, but I surged per plan after 4 kilometers. Still, mile 3 came out as my slowest, at 7:26, just like always. That mile is tough after completing the climb up Folsom.

The fourth mile wasn’t much faster in 7:23, but again, just like every year, I ran my fifth mile the fastest, in 7:05, amazingly the same exact time as last year. I struggled to maintain my pace after that and slowed back down after I reached Folsom again. I ran the 6th mile in 7:22 for a 45:29 finish. 8th place in my age group. A little slower than last year. I’m fine with that since I’ve only been running on weekends for the last five weeks. And I maintained a pace that challenged my lactate threshold from start to finish. That Bolder Boulder is always a tough race.

BB Finish

Bolder Boulder 2016

30 Monday May 2016

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Anya Chavez, Bella Musser, Bolder Boulder, Bolder Boulder Race Results, False Summit

starting wave AB

6 a.m. and I hand a volunteer my $20 parking permit to scan for entry into a CU parking lot on Regent Ave. This positions me 1.5 miles from the 6:57 a.m. wave AB start of the 2016 Bolder Boulder, and very close to the Folsom Field finish line to facilitate a quick exit. Always have an exit strategy. I generally stick around to join my neighbors in the stands and watch the complete race and Memorial Day events, but I want to return home to catch Brittany perform with her band, False Summit, at a concert in the park at noon. I jog to the start for an initial warmup and join the dawn of what will soon be a moving street party.

race start

My wave feels a bit intimidating, chock full of high school cross country teams. This photo is from my starting wave. We launch at 6:57 am and I feel like my pace is good. Faster than what I’m used to but doable. I surge per plan as I round the corner from Valmont to 28th Street. Visually, the street looks flat, but it drops 5 feet or so over a quarter mile. That counts at altitude. I don’t hold my surge as long as I hoped to, not quite to the corner of Pine. It helps me though to record a 6:54 first mile. Climbing Folsom on the second mile is brutal. I use the small dip part way up to recover my breathing, about where the Elvis impersonator is singing. I run mile two in 7:13, 19 seconds slower. A handful of the speedier runners from the wave after mine pass by me here, apparently running a half minute faster per mile.

Because of how the waves consolidate along the course, their starts separated by one minute, the crowd never thins out running through the neighborhoods west of Folsom. I do my best to hold my pace, waiting for my next planned surge after cresting Vista Hill. The down slope is noticeable after turning onto 19th Street and I’m able to gain some momentum. I start passing other runners, good feedback that I’m running faster myself. Hard to tell sometimes when I’m so out of breath. Like my first surge though in mile one, I can’t hold it as long as I’d like. Man this is a tough course. I’m not used to running beyond my lactate threshold. I run the third mile in 7:22. Not surprising for the third mile to be my slowest, but a bit disappointing that I’ve added another 9 seconds onto my pace.

The next mile is a rollercoaster with two 25 foot hills, the first up Cedar Avenue, the second up 13th Street. I do my best to surge on the short downhills to improve my pace, and I tap it back down to a 7:15 for mile four. I know I need to push myself for this fifth mile, it’s either time to race or time to coast. I actually start to feel stronger running through the s-curve around Pearl Street through downtown Boulder. The positive effects of some downhill running, no doubt. The clock supports my senses wth a 7:05 for mile five. I endeavor to hold my stride to Folsom, then to Canyon, then Arapaho. I’m trying to run mile six strong, but I can only take it one block at a time. I run out of gas on the hill leading into Folsom Field. Did they make it longer somehow with the recent construction?

post race

I complete mile six in 7:17, I think I was running much better than that but the last quarter mile uphill stopped me in my tracks. I’m able to unwind my legs a bit inside the stadium but don’t kick very hard. I’ve had enough racing for one day. I finish in 44:44 for a 7:12 pace and 4th in my age division. This is funny considering I finished 6th last year after running 90 seconds faster. I look at last year’s results and consider correlating them with the obituaries to see how many of the men who beat me last year have since passed. I didn’t do that but do note that only one guy (Thomas Lund) who beat me last year, did again with a very similar time. And the two men who took 7th (Jim Moy) and 8th (Chris Muzny) last year, behind my 6th place, took 3rd and 2nd respectively this year. I’ll have to watch for them next year. Today’s race was hard but I’m happy with that finish time. I sip my post race beer sitting next to Ralphie.

False Summit

I rush home afterward because today isn’t really about me and my little morning runs. Brit performs at noon with her band False Summit in the park at our neighborhood Memorial Day party. I’m committed to grill burgers for the band before they play. They end up sounding great. Brit’s voice student, Anya Chavez sings a couple of songs too. You would never guess Anya is only 12 years old after watching this music video of her singing Riptide. Our neighbor Bella sings later in the day, around 4 pm. She sings mostly original songs and performs great as well. Many of our friends come out to watch the local girls sing, which is super nice. Long day of racing, music and IPAs. Next weekend I’ll be running a trail relay with friends in Snowmass.

Bolder Boulder with the Girls

27 Monday May 2013

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Bolder Boulder Race Results, Boulder Brew Pub

The girls decided to run the Bolder Boulder this year. They signed up for a run/walk wave and drove down with Wendy and Chase. I not only finished before the start of their 9:30 wave, I changed into dry gear and quaffed a couple of beers. Waiting for them in Folsom Stadium with my running buddies was as fun a part of the day as anything else. It’s been a great Memorial Day weekend overall.

At 5:45am I drive down to Boulder alone and park in the CU Engineering Center parking lot for $20. This parking location makes for a quick escape after the run, and will allow me to change into a dry shirt while waiting for the girls. I jog the mile to the race start which serves as a good warmup. I get in at least another mile of jogging and plenty of stretching before my wave starts at 7:03am. Probably the most effective warmup I’ve done in decades. I’m still not confident that I can run within my wave time of 44:30, but jogging and stretching leaves me feeling ready.

We start running north up 30th St. This slope isn’t difficult but still, any grade at altitude is noticeable. Per plan, I start in the back of my wave, but these early waves aren’t very deep so I don’t know that it matters much. I feel like I’m hanging in there but slow down after my arms begin to feel heavy. That’s a sure sign of oxygen debt. I maintain a strong pace though as we turn west on Valmont for a couple of blocks. We then turn south on 28th St. which takes us back down the same slope we just ran up. Maybe I started out too fast because this doesn’t feel downhill. It’s like some Micheal C. Escher wood carved print. My Garmin would later reveal that we started at 5278 feet and only returned to 5279. I must be the Princess and the Pea when it comes to elevation. My Garmin buzzes the completion of the first mile a bit before I reach the actual mile marker.

This is typical in road races. I’ll end up running at least 6.3 miles and the distance will increase between my Garmin and each mile marker as I near the finish. This is partly why it was important to me to qualify for as fast a wave as I could. I want to run a good time this year and the less people I have to run around – the less distance and time. My Garmin displays 6:59 at mile one. I should maybe be worried that this is too fast but at the same time it’s a confidence builder. This pace is hard but I’m not tired and believe I can hold it. Per plan, I wanted to run closer to 7:30, but 7:00 to 8:00 is an acceptable range for the first mile.

How I feel on mile two will tell me if 7:00 was too fast. The second mile starts out easy enough with a right hand turn onto Pine, but after three blocks we turn right again to head up Folsom. I don’t feel obligated to match my first mile pace considering my 7 minute start. This hill generally separates the pack but the runners around me aren’t slowing down like I’m used to seeing. Must be more experienced athletes in these faster waves. There’s quite a bit of gratuitous entertainment on Folsom. Still, it feels like the longest mile. I feel like I might be slowing down a bit but I’m not getting passed much. My Garmin beeps and I see I’ve run a 7:09 pace. I’ve only slowed down by 10 seconds.

Shortly after the two mile marker I pass a young runner vomiting loads of dark brown fluid in the gutter. Boulder offers a plethora of quality brew pubs as this guy no doubt knows. Other than him, my wave is hanging strong. I’m impressed by their experienced running and happy to be among them. I suspect their smart running is helping me to maintain a consistent pace. Nice. My Garmin gives me a 7:02 for my 3rd mile and I’m surprised. Per plan and per experience I expect mile 2 to be the slowest of the course but I didn’t feel that I sped up any on this mile. I guess 7 seconds is not a huge difference. I’m elated to be running under a 7:10 pace. The official race clock will be slower than my Garmin but not by much.

I don’t feel pressured now to push myself too hard through mile 4. I initially expected my first two miles to be slower, but they weren’t so shoot – I just need to maintain. And I sort of think I can. I’m not winded. My legs don’t burn on the small hills. Well, not until I reach Casey Hill near the end of the 4th mile. I slow down for this one. I’m not overly fatigued which is good but the force of gravity feels to have doubled. I focus on form and my Garmin tells me it’s been 4 full miles about ten seconds before I reach the mile marker. That’s okay. This mile is in 6:58. I rub the sweat from my eyes to reread that and it’s correct. I know official clock time will be slower but still – I’m stoked.

Not stoked enough though to charge down the hill into mile 5 per my race strategy. Instead, I use the top of the hill to recover. Once my thighs stop burning, I open up my stride somewhat. It feels good to change up my form. I want to run this 5th mile strong but there’s less need now that I’ve been maintaining such a good pace. Besides, being the only downhill mile of the course, it’ll take care of itself. At least that’s the rationale I feed myself to avoid running any faster. I change up my plans to begin my kick in mile 6. My Garmin gives me a 6:48 at mile 5 which I then use to justify planning a cool down for mile 6.

I do the math though and remember that the official race time will be slower than my Garmin. I’m so close to breaking 45 minutes, I need to push it in. Or at least hold on to this pace. I’m not hurting at all. I can’t see myself running any faster, but I can hold this pace. Until I get to Folsom that is. Uphill again. I feel my heart rate rising with this climb. This is going to be work. I let myself slow down but focus on good running form. When you can’t speed up, focus on form.

The final half mile in this race is just brutal. Someone should talk to the race director. I’m fearful of last year’s finish when I had to stop at the top of the hill for dry heaves. I want to climb the hill slow to maintain composure but at the same time I’m racing the clock to beat 45 minutes. I run the final hill hard. I run past the point I heaved last year but it hits me after I enter the stadium. It’s not as debilitating as last year and I run through it. I know I can afford to slow down but not to stop. Thankfully the finish line is closer this year for some reason and I cross it before getting sick. Garmin says 44:23. Nice. My Garmin gives me a 7:01 pace while the official clock gives me a 7:09. I met the expected time of my wave which qualifies me to repeat wave B next year.

I wait in section 120 while my running buddies pile in. I see Brittany and Ellie enter the stadium and sprint to the finish. They look like they enjoyed themselves. The race pictures above are from Brit. They started with Ellie’s buddy Chase and some other friends – all in this festive pic. This is Ellie’s very first 10K. Hopefully the first of many.