half marathon...check

this past weekend synthia and i ran a half marthon...and we finished. ok, i knew we'd finish, i was just worried about how much it would hurt considering we did not really train for this. to tell you truth i was not all that pumped about running it, but synth wanted to really bad and i figured it would be somewhat fun...and then, a little over half way through the race i was cursing her under my breath, wondering why she was dragging me through this. my lungs were good, it was my legs that were extremely tight and aching. synthia pushed me through it being very encouraging, she ran wonderfully and was very supportive (i'm proud of you babe). all the pains went away as soon as we crossed the finish line, the feeling i had when i crossed that line is unexplainable. to go from aching and having this dreadful feeling to pure excitement and a feeling of such accomplishment. just one more thing that we've accomplished. it was worth it!

General course description:
Because of its location, this Half Marathon is one of the most pleasurable races in the western US. The point-to-point course is run along Clear Creek and is a scenic and gently rolling mountain course that winds down the Clear Creek Valley. The course runs along the frontage road that runs parallel to, but well away from I-70. Vehicular traffic on the course is normally minimal, however be aware that the road is not closed to traffic. Runners must stay to the right of the yellow lane line.
There is .5 mile of gravel road in the 2nd mile, and 1.5 mile of dirt road from mile 6.5 to mile 8. Also be aware of a steep grade with a 90° turn at the bottom of Clear Creek Drive in the 1st mile of the course.
The elevation at the start is 8500 feet, and gradually arrives at 7500 feet at the finish. Temperatures in the early morning at this elevation can be 50°, and can reach 85° by the finish. While conditions are usually optimal at this time of year, athletes should always be prepared for adverse weather while being in a mountainous location.
Aid Stations will be at the 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 mile marks.
Portable restrooms will be located at both the start and finish lines. On the course they will be approximately at mile 3.5, mile 6 near the water station, and mile 9 at the Clear Creek Fair Grounds.
Race support services (split timing, water stations, course traffic marshals) will not be available on the race course prior to 8 am, please do not start the race prior to 8 am. These services will begin to come off the course beginning at 11 am.
First Aid emergency services will be provided along the race course and at the finish line by Clear Creek EMS.

map

Synthia's Results

my results