Colorado Marathon Race Report

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Sometime last year I lost all of my good senses and decided I was going to run a marathon.  The decision was not exactly out of the blue. I had been running regularly for several years, and had completed two half marathons last year.  Being that I am a fanboy of the state of Colorado it was only fitting that I choose the Colorado Marathon to give my virginity to.  This marathon is known for its natural beauty and smallish field, not its fanfare and crowds. This race seamed right up my alley.  The Colorado Marathon is a one way race which follows the Poudre river as it runs into the heart of Fort Collins.  With the race date set, I made a training plan based off of one of Hal Higdon’s popular plans.  Then I set out to convince some friends to run the race with me.  I was only able to convince one other person (Melissa) to do the full marathon, but managed to talk a couple friends into running a half marathon.

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26.2 Here I Come

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be-the-best-version-of-youFor me one of the keys to maintaining a fit and healthy lifestyle is picking big goals to motivate me.  If the goal is big enough to scare me a little even better.  Well the thought of running a marathon scares me more than a little.  So I have decided to take the plunge and commit to running my first marathon.   After doing research and reading reviews I choose the Colorado Marathon.  I like the time of year, as it will allow me to train over the winter / spring when it isn’t too hot outside. It is also supposed to be a beautiful course that runs along the poudre river.  When it comes to motivation I will take a beautiful course over screaming fans any day.  My only concern about the date is that I will be peaking for the Marathon during couloir climbing season.  I really hope I can find a way to fit in at least a couple of climbs.

After a summer focused on mountaineering I am back to running 4 days a week.  I am working on getting back to being “run fit” for the Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon on Oct 20th.  I feel like I came off the summer quite fit, while still being rested and healthy.

In addition to completing the marathon I have some other goals I want to stay focused on during training.

  • Be healthy!  Running a Marathon is very stressful on the human body.  I want to be careful to do things in a smart way that allows me to complete this big goal injury free, and more healthy than I started.
  • Stay balanced: Obviously training for this is going to consume a lot of time and energy.  I want to devote the attention that a race like this deserves, while still maintaining other areas of my life that are important to me.
  • Eat Well!  In order to be successful, and be healthy I need to focus on great nutrition.
  • Find great gear:  If you no me you know I am a gear head.  I am motivated by quality gear, and have a lot of fun trying out new stuff.
  • Be minimal:  Last year I began transitioning to minimalist foot wear.  While it has been a long and hard process, I love running in less shoe.  I have also never felt healthier as a runner.  I know that putting on this many miles in a truly minimal shoe will be difficult and may not be realistic for me.   I intend to incorporate them as much as possible into my training, and run the marathon in the least shoe my body can handle.

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