This weekend I ran my first official half marathon race! Oh yeah! And yes, I am still sore…
This race was the 5th Annual DreamCatcher Half Marathon situated in Grand Junction, CO. This Western Slope town is where I went to college and the very place where I first discovered my love for running: therefore I had to run in this one! 🙂 The course is an out and back route on the Riverfront Trail, starting and finishing at the Western Colorado Botanic Gardens. Living up to its name, this paved trail system follows alongside the Colorado River for much of the length of the Grand Valley. It’s a stunning and much beloved recreation area for locals and tourists alike. With the desert cliffs of the Colorado National Monument, Grand Mesa and Bookcliffs as the backdrop, the scenery alone can provide distraction from the trials of a long run. Wildlife such as blue herons, pelicans and bald eagles can be observed soaring above the river.
Start times varied based on a runner’s expected finish time. My training runs on the Front Range are much more arduous with hill climbs and descents, and varying between trail and road; this race was all flat, and at a lower elevation. With my 13.1 training runs usually clocking in at 2:23, I knew I could shave a lot of time on this particular course. Being my first official half marathon, I wanted to shave off about 10 or so minutes, yet I didn’t want to fixate too much on time.
The fastest runners went first, then the next increment of runners a half hour later ( that’d be me, expected to finish in 2-3 hours). With Bowie and Crystal Castles on a favorite workout playlist, I paced myself for the first 3 miles or so, then started to ramp up my speed. I’d learned the hard way on a recent Thanksgiving 5K that going near all out at start: bad idea! This time, I conserved my energy wisely.
I remembered from my college tennis days that the wind in GJ often blows in the opposite direction, in contrast to the Front Range. Instead of coming in from the NW, GJ wind comes in from the SE, usually. Race day was no different. Generous gusts emitted from the direction of the Grand Mesa. With the wind at my back for the first half of the race, it seemed a helpful aid, pushing me just a bit faster. However, once turned around, the wind was relentless: resistance for nearly 6 straight miles. The great equalizer, the wind had sped me up (if just a little), and yet was now painfully slowing everyone’s progress to the finish line.
Every half hour or so I consumed a bit of flavored Gu (Strawberry Lime or Mint Chocolate) to keep up my energy. I also had the Jenny Women’s Handheld Water Bottle, filled with electrolyte powder. I ran with my Hipster elastic belt to store my Gu and assorted chews, and started the race with a light shell jacket. My Brooks Pure Cadence felt marvelous, with its lower heel to toe drop of 4mm. Wearing a hat and sunglasses, I didn’t waste any energy squinting (yes, you can lose some energy from squinting while running).
It wasn’t till mile 10 that I felt fatigue settling in. Consuming more Gu and electrolyte water, I did my best to ignore the whining in my body: feet that felt heavier, slower, hips that felt a little rusty. Thankfully, my left IT band never gave me grief, which it had on some previous training runs. The R8 Roll Recovery tool had made sure of that! It’s a contraption with two clamps with small, scooter-like wheels at each end; you roll the clamps along your leg muscles, and wow, best recovery I tool I have ever used. I even brought it on this trip, and used it pre- and post-race.
The last mile I ramped up speed, passing several runners. With the energy I had left, I went all out on the last half mile. Legs snapping underneath me, I zoomed toward the finish…to see a little kid literally sitting in front of the finish line! What the #$&%?! My mind roared in confusion. If there’s one single rule when running, don’t stand in the way!!! Especially during a race. People can and will be taken out be a runner going all out (i.e.,, me). Yet…not one single person attempted to remove the kid out the way. I literally had to dodge around the toddler so as not to trample him. Disclaimer: I don’t blame the kid, I blame the clueless parent! Watch your kids!
Aside from that weirdness, I crossed the finish line with a round of cheers and people noting my all out sprint. Each runner received a finisher’s medal, a beautiful bronze colored medallion resembling a dream catcher, with feathers at the bottom edge. There was no visible clock at the finish line, but knowing from the time on my phone, I had finished under 2:23. It wasn’t till later that night I knew that I finished at 2:09! Oh yeah! Higher altitude and hill climbs had greatly benefited my race time (granted too, I knew in a race I’d be going at a faster pace overall versus my training run pace).
My first half marathon race: a complete success! And yes, I’ll admit, races are fun in that you get cool stuff: t-shirt, stickers, promotional things like nutrition and recovery aids. I love dream catchers and knew the finisher’s medal would look like one, so that was another incentive to run, hehe. 🙂 Plus, Kannah Creek Brewery, a favorite local spot, provided a meal of your choice post-run. I’d selected a bbq burger at registration, so post-race I scarfed that meal in record time. Also, each runner over 21 was entitled to one free beer. I don’t drink, but it sure was a nice reward many runners enjoyed after the race.
If you’re considering running a half marathon, DreamCatcher Half is a fun choice! Gorgeous views, great course, with good food and beer as a reward: I recommend it!
~LMC
* Featured photo at top of page courtesy of Jeff Stoddart Photography