Bolder Boulder 10K (Sea Level is for Sissies)

I had a busy weekend, but now that I have some time to sit and blog about it, I have a massive headache that just won't go away. The weekend was complete with amazing cupcakes from Gigi's...

...the wonderful and outstanding Billy Elliot the Musical...

... a relaxing trip into the mountains to the Indian Springs hot baths...

... and, of course, the Bolder Boulder 10K!

One of the first qualifying waves

 In my last entry, I lamented "that time of month" coming up soon. As luck would have it, an hour before my wave left, it started. I ducked into the Walgreens to buy the necessities, including a travel-size vial of painkillers. I downed about 1500 mg and hoped it would be enough.

It was. I was completely astonished. Sometime before I reached the halfway point, I forgot all about the abdominal cramps that always accompanies my period and destroys all hope and chance I have of doing anything more than curling up in a fetal position... and I just ran. It was amazing! I barely took any water breaks, but that was more for the congestion than anything else--not that I really needed the water, either. I took an obligatory one at the mile 4 marker just because I figured I ought to.

The finish line at the stadium of my alma mater; and there are still more than twenty waves left to go!

For the sake of my pacing, since there were kilometer markings, I paid attention to my kilometer splits. Also, the Bolder Boulder's timing chips tracks all the mile splits. Here is my official time and splits:

• Mile 1: 09:17
• Mile 2: 10:04
• Mile 3: 10:25
• Mile 4: 10:41
• Mile 5: 10:12
• Mile 6: 10:18
• Net Time: 01:03:03

It's not a PR, but considering that I haven't done much speed training at all, the fact that this is the first time I've run more than a mile on the first day of my period, and I wasn't in a qualifying wave, I think this is pretty darn good!

Ridiculously pleased with myself

I will say this though--I will never, ever run in a non-qualifying wave again. I expected to do a lot of weaving in an out of people, and I expected the congestion on the race course, but I did NOT expect and I did NOT like the crowds afterward! I barely spent any time at the Expo, I spent more time in the line for a free massage than I did for anything else, and I didn't get a bottle of water at the end of the race because the volunteers had to keep ushering us along. At least I got the free snack bag in my new lunch sack. But I think a lot of my negativity came from PMS more than anything else; I was pretty cranky despite feeling good about the race.

(A non-qualifying wave is great for people who don't take the race too seriously. Which I was trying not to do, especially given my circumstances, but what can I say: I'm a serious racer.)

I cheered up considerably once I got the free massage and met up with Laura and her boyfriend and father for the International Team Challenge! Man, those Kenyans and Ethiopians... they make running that fast look easy!

 

But Team USA gave them a run for their money, and we came in third place for the men's and second place for the women's!

The Memorial Day tribute was also really nice. It started with a speech, a flyover, a showcase of all the branches of the armed forces flags and anthems in the form of professional parachutists, and finally, honoring select World War II veterans from the Colorado area.

 

Overall, another great race, and I cannot wait to do it again next year! I met all my best-case scenario goals, and I have learned that yes, I can, in fact, run on the first day of my period! All it takes is massive amounts of painkillers.