Run the Rockies 10K

  Two weeks ago, Nick and I drove up to Blue River for the weekend. We stayed with his friend from college, Lindsey, who lives at 11,200ft. I was hoping spending the night at this altitude Friday night would help me acclimate because her and I were signed up for Run the Rockies the next morning.
   Run the Rockies is a 10K/Half-marathon sponsored by Salomon. Lindsey and I ran the 10K (6.2 miles). Before the race, a bus dropped us off in Copper. The race route was a paved trail next to I-70 all the way to Frisco. Luckily, this route was slightly downhill the entire way.
   The race started at 8:30a. It was a little brisk but perfect running weather. I got a bit of a slow start. I tend to always struggle for the first mile or so on my runs until I get warmed up. Once I find my stride, it becomes a bit easier. After a couple of miles, I was feeling pretty good and was able to pick up my pace a bit. The scenery surrounding me was very beautiful. We ran next to a creek, small ponds, and through giant mountains, but truthfully, I was not paying that much attention. However, this run was definitely much nicer than the Cherry Creek Sneak, where we were running through the city.
    I had the same goal as last time, I just wanted to run the whole time, no matter how slow. Also, I had another secret goal, which I would not even admit to anyone else because I thought it was unattainable, which was to run the race in under 70 minutes.
   At around mile four, I started to feel a little tired. We were running strictly on asphalt, which I am not used to. I usually run on a dirt trail, which is much easier on your joints. I started to feel a little achy in my ankles, knees, and hips. However, I did not feel like I was injured, just achy. This is where the bargaining process began. I'm not sure if people realize that running is a real mental game. Some say, that if you can run 2 miles, you can run any distance because at that point it's all mental. I began fighting with myself internally on whether to stop or not, but I just kept trying to push the thoughts of wanting to stop out of my brain. Once I got into the actual town of Frisco, it seemed easy. My body was absolutely ready to quit, but mentally I was locked into finishing the race.
   I finished the race in 66 minutes and 55 seconds. My average pace was 10:45/mile, which is a huge improvement in speed from the Cherry Creek Sneak. In my age and gender group, I placed 44 out of 61 runners. For all women, I placed 168 out of 278. Overall I placed 303 out of 445 total runners. Also, I achieved both of my goals, even my secret seemingly unattainable one.
   After the race, they served us free fruit, beer, and pizza. Lindsey and I hung out in the park for a bit and relaxed. I was very glad I decided to push myself and take on this challenge. However, I'd be lying if I said I was eager to do another one. I may take on another 10K in the Fall, but until then I'm going to stick to shorter runs and running for fun.