Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half-Marathon

The Race -
It was early. I still woke up before the alarm was supposed to go off at 5:00 AM. I did not get as much sleep as I would have wanted, but I think I got enough.

I had prepared my running bag the night before. I got the coffee ready to turn on. There was instant oatmeal in a bowl and a measuring cup next to it.

I got up. I dressed in my running togs. I was out the door in 45 minutes. My friend, Tom, went along as my support team.

The one hour drive to Georgetown was easy. Traffic was minimal when we got there. The line for the registration packets was long but moved quickly. My number was 2855. I had everything I needed by a little after 7:00 AM. The start was scheduled for 8:00 AM.

I put on the shoe chip, set up the Garmin 205 and I thought I got the iPod Nike+ set up. I sucked down a Carb Boom gel and headed toward the start line.



I set up at the 11/12 minute pace line. Couldn't hear much way back there. Did hear some of the music for the Star Spangled Banner, but I did sing along. In a few minutes after, the announcer said a few things then a ripple of movement moved the the crowd. It was the start! We were on the road for this race!


It began with a walk. People began moving slowly then faster and faster. We were at a decent pace by the time we passed the actual start line.

This race runs West into the town of Georgetown. We run into town and around the Georgetown lake. After that 2 mile leg is completed, we start to run from 8500' to 7500'.


I concentrated on maintaining an 11 minute pace. Throughout the first half it worked well. I knew I was on “track.”


I consumed some additional Carb Boom packs at 3 miles, 6 miles, 9 miles and 11.5 miles. At the water stations (every 2 miles), I alternated water and PowerAde. It worked for nutrition. I did experience a different problem and one unique for me.

Just after mile 12, I began to feel a tightness in my left calf first and then my right. I knew that I was developing a 'Charlie Horse.' I've never experienced anything like it during a run. I was not prepared for it. What should you do?

I stopped and massaged the left calf quickly. It felt better. I knew that I shouldn't curl my toes so I lifted them instead. The pain abated a bit. I seemed to be holding it at bay. I ran on.

A 'bump' on this race is a slight uphill section. It has two sides, of course. The up and the down. The up side did not cause any discomfort, but the down sides caused the feeling of a developing 'Charlie Horse' again. There was a lot of downhill as we made the final run into Idaho Springs, but after entering it was an uphill run for several blocks. I was feeling better and better. With about a quarter of a mile left to go, the course headed slightly downhill. I ran the final few block to the final turn. I felt the muscles start to spasm again. Still feeling OK, I planned to kick it for the run to the Finish Line. It was very downhill. Instead of kicking it to the finish, I ended up running through it stiff legged and starting to hurt.


I did remember to raise my arms and tried to smile. I limped to the chip removal and left the chute. I quickly massaged the calves and found a place to sit. Tom handed me a bottle of Gatorade. The bottle was welcome and I thanked Tom for it! It was delicious and was gone quickly. I stretched a bit while sitting and lifted my toes. Slowly the pain abated. I got up in a few minutes and headed into the arena for my finishing swag.

The swag for this event was pretty cool. Instead of a plastic bag, the hand out bag is a 'Green' grocery bag with the logo on it. The shirt was a special edition and design for this 30th Anniversary of the event. The food tent was busy but I took advantage of it. Bananas, watermelon, bagel pieces and yogurt. It was great.

There were 2039 finishers; 1118 female and 921 men. I placed 1674th with a time of 2:26:00. It is not an overall PR for me. It is a course PR for me, though. Last year, I ran this race in 2:28:01, so I decreased my time by 2 minutes and 1 second.

It was a good race and a great way to start the day.


Race Relationships -
I ran/paced with three people during this race (at different times).

At about 3 miles in, I saw two younger boys running it. I commented, "Wow! How Cool is that! You kids are doing great!" They smiled, thanked me and ran ahead a bit. I looked at the man with them and said, "So is their old man!" We ran together for a while. I learned that for his family it was a 3 generation run. He said that he was hoping to beat his Father in the same race.

I saw another man slow down on an uphill run and then walk. As I ran up to him I said, "I know that feeling!" He smiled, thanked me and ran to catch up to me. We exchanged some pleasantries. We exchanged some goals and saw each other through out the race.

I also paced with a young lady. We ran for several miles together. Such a delight! It was her second race. I could tell that she enjoyed life and running. At one point, there was a water sprinkler set up near the course for runners to run through and cool of. We ran through the sprinkler together. What fun! I caught a small stone in my shoe and had to stop to remove it. I couldn't catch up to her after that.


The Rest of the Day -
Now, I don't know how much the cost of gasoline is in your part of the world, but I paid $3.75 a gallon to fill the Jeep. The trip to Georgetown was a trip to the Mountains. We decided to run the Red Elephant Trail solo. There was a quick stop in town to get more food for both of us, then we headed up to the trail.

Colorado is in the monsoon season. The foothills have been getting rain. It was evident on this trail. A lot of the trail had large washes and ruts from recent rains. It made a challenging trail even more challenging. What fun after a morning run!

After Red Elephant, we headed even further up toward Bill Moore lake (elevation 11,383'). On the way, we met Vance and Al in their rigs. We all stopped and had a mini-party right there on the trail. Pretty cool.

Tom and I headed up to the lake. We spent some time walking about the lake in the wilderness area. The wildflowers have reached timberline now.

Here are some pictures -






What an Ending!
We have a participant in some of these mountain competitions that is an inspiration. He runs the competitions with emphysema. He is serious about competing to the point that he has his oxygen tanks mounted on a cart. He runs with it.

Next time you can't find any reason to run, think of what he does to run!