Sunday, May 17, 2015

Springing toward summer

All through April I kept thinking I'd write about the signs of spring:
 
tulips
frozen tulips
prairie lilies along the trail

calves and moms along the trail
















gardening


and, in Boulder  -
runners of every size, shape and age 
out training for the Bolder Boulder, 
...and I am one of them.

Running buddies, Connie and Anita, and I have been training our buns off since mid-March.  This is not an entirely new thing as we three train every year for the Bolder Boulder.  But this year my cousin made a comment when she saw a picture of me pushing a 4-month-old Devon in a baby jogger in the 1985 Bolder Boulder - that comment being along the lines of "how about running it as fast this year as you did 30 years ago while pushing Devon." Thus the challenge was born.

me, sleeping Devon, and bro-in-law Andy 1985 Bolder Boulder

And just how fast would that be? 55:49 - 9 minute pace on the nose. It's been a few years since I've run a race that fast. But, what the heck, having a stretch goal is a Good Thing, yes?  So...lots of intervals, tempo runs, long runs and, disconcertingly, the feeling I often get when marathon training is drawing to a close: if the training doesn't kill me, I may actually be fit enough to have a good race.  One week from tomorrow, we'll find out!