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CollaBEERation

05 Saturday Nov 2016

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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5K, Left Hand Brewery, Shoes and Brews, Sole Mates 5K

ellie-n-ed

This morning’s 5K race was a collaBEERation between two Longmont Brew Pubs, Left Hand and Shoes & Brews.  I planned to run with Ellie, but she paired up with Susan instead.  I have some closer up photos of them finishing together, but this one captures Susan with both her feet airborne, and the two peaks of the Twin Sisters in the upper right.

 

picture removed

I don’t have any pics of Keith running, because he finished 15 seconds ahead of me.  We had a good race, with Keith leading the first mile, I took over for the second, and then Keith stormed back into the lead for the third mile.  I was just behind him until the final half where he put on a strong kick.  This photo of Jill and Rychie shows them finishing strong too.

jill-n-rychie

Quite a few of my friends came out to run this morning.  I didn’t get pics of them all.  Awesome fall day with 50° temps and full sunshine, no wind.  And of course, a dozen of Longmont’s brew pubs set up booths afterward to dish out free beer.  I quaffed a Rabbit Mountain Red Ale from 300 Suns.  Jen, Steve and Jill enjoyed some tasty brews as well.

jen-n-steve-n-jill

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Brewfest

03 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Tags

Left Hand Brewery, race results, Shoes and Brews, Sole Mates 5K

sole mates 5KThe French have their wine.  Russians have their vodka, the Brits their gin.  Runners have beer.  We think of it more as a food source than hydration, but like the libational cultures listed above, we drink it mostly for its communal properties. Say what you will of Colorado’s highly cultivated strains of indica and sativa, before the Internet and Facebook, beer invented social.  So it should come as no surprise that this morning’s Sole Mates 5K and Brewfest actually began last night during the race packet pickup at Shoes & Brews.

If you don’t already know this, life is better with beer.  Beer is better with friends.  And beer with running is a dream team. That Ashlee and Colin decided to open up a specialty running shoe store with a taproom surprised no one in Longmont. They think they were so clever. I think they were idiots for not doing it sooner.  Imagine walking into a pub where absolutely everyone is dressed like a runner, sports an unusually small ass, and even smells like a runner. No pretentious bullshit in this taproom, unless maybe you start discussing patrons’ times on the 800 meter beer board.

salmon_wine_dark

Ask yourself, how many packet pickups have you attended in a taproom?  Oftentimes they are arranged along with a vendor expo, sort of like walking through the gift shop at the end of a Disney ride.  But a taproom loaded with runners?  And the next day’s race isn’t scheduled until late morning at 10am?  This is the genius of Ashlee and Colin.  Karen joined me in the taproom since we picked up my race packet on our way to dinner.  She was happy to discover they also serve a Chardonnay.  I drank the one beer they brew onsite – a Lumbersexual Flann-Ale.  Think an Urban Woodsman meets Northern Brewer.  Tastes and smells like a musky hipster sleeping in your malt room on a cold winter’s day.  I stole that description from their menu.  Karen and I continued on to dinner, meeting up with Brit and Ellie at Tortugas.  Then Chris and Renee showed up and joined us.  After dinner, we gathered with more friends at 2020 in our neighborhood.  At some point I switched from beer to wine, but I don’t think that challenges my metaphor for this weekend’s race.

Ed

This 5K runs from the Left Hand Brewery on Boston Ave., to the Shoes & Brews Taproom.  And they are pitching it as a brewfest.  Despite the cool 40° weather, well over 300 runners line up.  Good call as there is little wind and full sun.  If I were running farther than 3 miles, I wouldn’t bother with tights.  But I do wear running tights, a long-sleeved Under Armor jersey and running hat.  Feels perfect.  Chris and his daughter Julia took these pictures as they volunteered as road marshals around the 2 mile point.

Keith

Either they didn’t do the math or they didn’t care about squeezing 300 plus runners onto a hike & bike trail, but Keith and I weren’t able to start anywhere close to the line.  This forces us to run slow the first half mile and I can’t complain.  I end up running a PR 19:54 – a 6:25 pace – and took first for my age group.  The slow start no doubt contributed.  I wasn’t even tired at the end, even though I finished strong.  Warming up with a slow start and gradually increasing your speed results in the best running experience.  I’m surprised I was able to do so well with such an exceptionally slow start.  I didn’t wear my Garmin and wish I knew my mile splits.  Doesn’t matter, felt great.

keith kick

Not sure if Keith ran a PR but he ran well too.  That’s Longs Peak in the background above as Keith kicks it in.  That’s assuming you’re even looking at Keith and not that girl’s glutes.  I consider well-formed runners more art than sport.  Susan seemed to enjoy her run along with Abbie and Heather.  Those are all the friends and neighbors I saw.  It doesn’t take long to finish 3.1 miles and by 10:30am, we’re all gathered in the Shoes & Brews parking lot listening to live music and drinking tap beer.  I begin with a couple of Introvert Session IPAs 4.8% ABV from Left Hand Brewery.  Before long, I’m drinking their Milk Stout Nitro 6% ABV.  It’s not nearly noon and I’m lit up like a firefly.  Fortunately I’m not driving as we leave for lunch.

abbie and susan

Abbie is on the left and Susan the right in the above photo.  Abbie ran with her sister-in-law Erin.  We lunch at yet another brewpub – Longs Peak Pub & Taphouse, where I quaff a couple of F.Y.I.P.As.  Yes, that stands for Fuck Your IPAs.  It’s an adult menu.  I miss the initial joke but somehow I get served water in a kids cup and so they think it’s funny to continue serving me in kids cups.  I seem okay with it.

IMG_2624

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A Good Sign

19 Sunday May 2013

Posted by Ed Mahoney in Running

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Left Hand Brewery, White Rock Trail

Jabe kissThe best thing I can say about my runs this weekend is that I got a haircut.  After letting my hair grow long over the winter, I’m back to short.  Not quite my typical buzz cut, but feels good running in the hot air.  I believe my running hat fits better too.

My pace hasn’t improved though.  I don’t know what happened but I slowed down a week and a half ago and can’t seem to get my speed back.  I can’t say for sure if it’s this little abdominal injury.  The pain from that recedes within the first mile to where I don’t notice it.  Being my core though it might be stealing my strength.  I don’t generally consider any issues above the knee to even be a running injury.  I have my PT visit scheduled for Monday.  It’ll be interesting to find out some details.  He’ll likely tell me it’s from turning 51.

I squeezed 3 quarter mile fartleks into my 7 miler Saturday.  Ran them in under a 6:30 mile pace.  I felt like I was nearly sprinting.  Hoping that will help my legs break out of this slow funk.  I have some tightness in my right hamstring now.  That’s something I’ve had before in some marathons so I need to stretch that puppy out.  A few other areas hurt too after those fartleks.  Interesting how running fast can highlight problem areas.

I ran the White Rock Trail this morning.  I literally ran into Keith on the trail, after having told him to run without me when he pinged me around 8am.  Pretty funny since we don’t normally run that trail.  Not sure why I wanted to run by myself today.  Maybe because I knew I’d be running so slow.  I maintained a decent pace though – 9:18 per mile for 12 miles.  What really felt good though was how strong I felt running up the hills.  My heart was never pounding like a drum and I was quick to recover after reaching the top of each hill.  This is a really good sign that I’m in good shape.  That’s what I like about this course.  After running this trail for 24 years, it serves as an indicator of my conditioning.  I have to be in half way decent shape just to complete the course without walking.

I’m kissing Jabe in this pic at the Left Hand Brewery to celebrate the completion of her USATF running coach certification.  And because I’d quaffed a few beers by that point.  This is my last weekend of prep for the Bolder Boulder 10K on Memorial Day.  I suspect I’ll start to taper next weekend.  I don’t know that I’m ready for the Steamboat Marathon the following weekend.  I’ll just run it slow.  I’m good at that.  My buddy Chris Price ran his first ever marathon today – the Colfax Marathon.  He ran it in 3:46 – an 8:40 pace.  Pretty impressive.

40.137598 -105.107652

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