Run the Rocks 5K & new shoes

 The weekend after the Rock & Roll Denver half marathon I participated in the Run the Rocks 5K. My sister and I planned to do it together but she injured her ankle and has been recovering from that. So, I recruited my friend and neighbor Renea to run with me instead. This is a run I've been wanting to do since last year. It seems really scenic and also quite challenging. I can't remember why I didn't run it last year. Maybe I wasn't ready for the challenge at that point in my running "career". This year I wasn't ready either but it was because I'd just run a half marathon the weekend before. :-)

 The run didn't start until 9:30am! It felt so nice to sleep in to a regular hour and still have time to race. I think the hardest part about running for me is the early hour. Anyway, the sun was up as I drove to pick up Renea which did not make me grumpy. We arrived pretty early in order to pick up our bibs. I was glad we were so early because apparently the traffic became so backed up they had to delay the start. I don't know how many runners they had last year but this year there were almost 2,500! When we arrived it was pretty chilly. By the start we were quite overdressed.

We started towards the back of the pack which was difficult when we tried to get past the walkers, dog walkers, babies, etc. We both agreed not to wait for each other and had a predetermined meet up spot after the finish. The first half was all downhill. (And you know what that means.) I decided to take advantage of the downhill and took off pretty fast. I figured I'd use my half marathon mantra - the faster you move the sooner it'll be over. (There was chocolate fondue at the finish.) I was enjoying my ability to move fast downhill, all the while knowing I was going to suffer on the way back up. But, I didn't care. I wanted to fly however briefly.

I think it was almost half and half. At about the aid station we started going uphill. keep in mind, this is Red Rocks. The finish was up the stairs of the amphitheater. But, to get to the amphitheater, we had to run uphill, then run up a ramp, then run up some stairs, just to get to the amphitheater. At least it was a beautiful morning for it!

Ok. I was wrong. I just checked the course map and it was mostly uphill. Anyway... I walked most of the uphill parts. I wanted to try to run the stairs so I told myself I was conserving energy if I walked the uphill before I got to the amphitheater. And, I believed myself. My legs however were not fooled. Once I got to the amphitheater stairs, I started to run a little. Well, it was more like quickly climbing. I ran a set, walked the flat part, ran a level, walked a flat section, until my legs finally said no more. I walked. Barely. My legs were quite wobbly. As I approached the finish line I heard the announcer say to the group just ahead of me they had 20 seconds to finish in under 45 minutes. Oh no, I thought! I can make it too. As the words formed in my brain and moved to activate my legs, nothing happened. I could not move my legs any faster even if I'd tried. It was all I could do to keep moving up the last few flights. Ha! It was hard! It didn't dawn on me until I got home that the announcer was going by the gun start not my chip time. Yep, I was tired.

I ended up finishing in 42:10! I was very happy with that! And I can't wait to do it again! And, best of all, we got finishers medals!! Sweet! 2 medals in 2 weekends. That's some nice positive reinforcement! Woot!

I went with my new shoes for the run and they felt ok during the event. I think my left foot fell asleep but I wasn't sure if that was because it was the first time I'd worn them and just hadn't figured out the lacing yet. The next day, my ankles were really really sore. I attributed that to my hard downhill running, which is something I never do, especially on pavement. But now I'm wondering if it had to do with the shoes. I did a training run this weekend and had similar issues with my toes and foot falling asleep. It's only been my left foot. I think I'm going to return these shoes and try out another pair. I have 90 days to return the shoes to Road Runner Sports even after I run in them. That's a nice policy. I hope they don't mind a little dirt on them.