I
used to have a mental block when it came to running. I convinced myself I could
only run around Wash Park once (2.6 miles). I have many friends who are runners
who would encourage me to do races with them, which I'd always laugh off
thinking "I can't run more than 3 miles!" But for some reason one day
about a year ago, I decided to see what would happen if I tried to run Wash
Park twice (5.6 miles)... and after I did it, I realized a) it wasn't that bad
and b) I could probably run further if I just trained. So I began training for
a half marathon taking place last October. I decided to train in my barefoot
shoes (Vibrams) aka "monkey shoes" and loved it! As the race got
closer though, I felt a shooting pain in my foot. I tried to ignore it but one
week before the race I finally admitted to myself that I must have a stress
fracture and opted out of running the race.
Once I saw that the Colfax Half Marathon took place the week before I leave to Italy, I knew I had to do it. I began training in February/March with the help of my "coach" Bri who has a few FULL marathons under her belt. She's been amazing with giving me suggestions and encouraging me along the way. This one was very different from the last. I trained with new shoes (although I'm still a fan of the Vibrams), planned my runs out more realistically and made sure not to overdo it. I started to really enjoy running – it became therapeutic for me. There’s nothing that can compare to the views of the pink sky over the lake or the crystal clear views of the mountains on my early morning runs.
When
race day got here I felt great. Whitney drove me to City Park at 5 a.m. and
while it poured rain the day before, the morning of was beautiful! Having never
run a race I had no idea where to go or what to do or even where to pin my bib.
When the race finally started I felt completely energized. I loved
running along historic Colfax and soaking up Denver before I leave. The entire
race felt awesome and I'm sure the adrenaline helped me from getting tired. I kept waiting for it to come, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I had some of my best times in the final 3 miles and wanted to finish strong. I
ended up finishing with a time far better
than I had hoped for! It was such a rush and a wonderful feeling of
accomplishment - I can see how people get addicted to these.
It was such a special feeling to have my family and friend's encouragement throughout and my cheer team there at the end. I now think back to that 2.6 miles that I thought I couldn't top. For me, this experience reinforced the fact that if you can define your goal, put your mind to it, and work hard to achieve it, you can make it happen! I can't wait to see what amazing views and beautiful paths I discover on my morning runs in Italy...
Once I saw that the Colfax Half Marathon took place the week before I leave to Italy, I knew I had to do it. I began training in February/March with the help of my "coach" Bri who has a few FULL marathons under her belt. She's been amazing with giving me suggestions and encouraging me along the way. This one was very different from the last. I trained with new shoes (although I'm still a fan of the Vibrams), planned my runs out more realistically and made sure not to overdo it. I started to really enjoy running – it became therapeutic for me. There’s nothing that can compare to the views of the pink sky over the lake or the crystal clear views of the mountains on my early morning runs.
 |
| Sunrise over Smith Lake, Washington Park |
 |
| City Park on race morning |
It was such a special feeling to have my family and friend's encouragement throughout and my cheer team there at the end. I now think back to that 2.6 miles that I thought I couldn't top. For me, this experience reinforced the fact that if you can define your goal, put your mind to it, and work hard to achieve it, you can make it happen! I can't wait to see what amazing views and beautiful paths I discover on my morning runs in Italy...
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