Bolder Boulder 2011 Race Report

I wasn't planning on doing a race report for Bolder Boulder but I was motivated after reading a friend and co-worker's report. Reading Melissa's report reminded me that it was more than just a 10k race, but a unique experience I was fortunate to participate in with around 55,000 other runners.

Before the experience I was very skeptical of how the organizers were going to get that many people through a 6 mile course without it feeling too crowded and like I couldn't set my own pace (not that I was setting any records after an unplanned two week break from training). Well, apparently after putting this race on for 32 years they learned a few things and for the most part everything about the race was a smooth experience.

Registration

The organization and logistics started with the registration process. Like many large races the start is separated into waves based on expected pace.  The first smart thing the race organizers did was require proof of pace - not something I had seen before in a 10k race.  The qualifying race to prove your pace had to be within a year, or, you could qualify for a wave by running on a treadmill at the Bolder Boulder store, a retail storefront that served as a pick up point for race packets and merchandise.

The second cool thing about registration was the option to donate your race t-shirt to charity.  As my wife will attest, I have more race shirts than I can use, so I thought this was a great idea to help benefit charity.

Pre-Race

Boulder is a good size city but there is no way for 55,000 runners and their spectators to park within walking distance to the start or finish. There looked to be a thorough shuttle system going and I saw many people biking to the start (hey this is Boulder after all!). However, I was fortunate to have a friend who live a few miles from race start so I made the not so brilliant decision to park there and run to the start.  The problem was it wasn't the couple of miles I expected, it was 4 miles.

In between the four mile run to the start and the start of the 6 mile race I still had to pick up my race packet (note to self - sign up for pre-race day packet pickup for future races).  It took about 40 minutes in line to get my race packet, leaving me about six minutes to put on my number and timing chip, run to the start before my wave started.  Standing in line for 40 minutes after a four mile warm up made for a rough first mile.

Race Time

The actual race experience was fantastic. It had everything from live music, to belly dancers, to neighborhood residents cranking tunes, to Colorado University students drinking beer (and offering it to any runner who would partake) and the slip 'n slide that seemed to be the hit of the runners! The finish was a CU's Folsom Field, a 53,000 seat stadium for the football team, which was already packed with people when I finished, and only got fuller as more racers finished and made their way to the stands to meet family and friends.

Post Race

After the race I met up with co-workers from TrainingPeaks who had also done the race and took in the spectacle of the experience.  One of most memorable moments was watching a group of Marines come running in formation with the front two holding a US and Marine Corps flag (remember the race was on Memorial Day).

As more and more people saw the tight formation dresssed in green running through the chaos the cheers started building until just before the finish when the Marines stopped and did several pushups, still in formation. At that point the crowd eruped and it gave me the chills.

Thankfully I didn't have to run back to my friends house as they were kind enough to come pick me up and I enjoyed a beer and veggie burger at the afternoon barbcue.  One thing I'll change about next year is to stay to watch the men's and women's pro race (four of the top five men finished in under 30 minutes!), see the military jets fly over at Noon and see the parachutist drop into the stadium.

Oh, and find a way to pick up my race packet before race day.

Letter to my Son

Almost six months ago our family decided to take advantage of an incredible work opportunity at TrainingPeaks. With the whole family being life long New Englanders, moving 2,000 miles to Colorado was a tough decision. The tougher decision was to live apart for several months (with lots of short and long visits) to accommodate work and school situations.

The following is a letter I wrote to my almost teenage Son to give him some perspective on what he as an individual could choose to take away from the situation. It is a letter I revisit myself frequently because it contains many foundational beliefs I hope to have for the rest of my life.

One of the ways I hope to stay connected with you in the coming year besides phone and video is by email.  I'll have more time to write while I'm in Colorado and want to continue passing along what lessons I can even though we may be physically separated.

The first thing I want to do is give you some perspective on why we decided to make this move. I consider my two most important jobs to be 1. the best husband and 2. the best father I can which has made deciding on this move one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to consider. I sometimes still question whether being away from you and Mom is the best move for our family but we believe with all the information we have it's the right thing to do.

You may be tired of hearing me say this but I'll tell you again that we all have a choice as to how we react to this (and any) situation. I want to share my perspective on the lessons I'm choosing to learn from this in hopes it helps you choose how to react to it.

Made a decision and go full out - While talking to my Dad about this move, one of the things he said to me that helped clarify things is that we'll never have all the information we need to make the decision. But, once a decision is made, go for it. Now that we've made this decision, let's take full advantage of it. Make new friends, explore new places, try new things.

Step outside of your comfort zone - Your Mom and I have lived in the same area (NH or Massachusetts) for our entire lives. Moving outside of this area is going to make all of us uncomfortable at times. To some that may be a bad thing but trust us when we tell you that in the long run it will be a great thing. Remember the voicemail that Grandpa left you from the top of the mountain in Colorado? What I remember from it is he told you to persevere through the apprehension and anxiety because on the other side are incredible opportunities. I say the bigger the anxiety the bigger the opportunities!

Pursue your passions - One of the biggest things I hope as a Dad you learn from all this is what I'm trying to do by leading by example - pursuing a passion. If you can find something that you are passionate about doing every day, it won't seem like work. I see this kind of passion in you with basketball (and even video games!). I feel so strongly about this opportunity at Peaksware that it has led to lots of difficult decisions being made about our move. But in the end, the goal is that both Mom and I can be doing something we love and believe in, while also doing the best thing for the one thing that we both love more than anything else, you.

Don't settle - I can guarantee you that if you can learn how to expect more of yourself than anyone else, you'll have an incredibly happy and fulfilling life. I know it is a hard thing to get in the habit of doing, especially at 12 (almost 13!) but I promise you the rewards are well worth the effort. Mom and I are so persistent in communicating this to you because of how much we love you and want you to have a happy and fulfilling life.

It doesn't matter where we are as long as we do it together - Even though we'll be separated for chunks of time over the next year, and then in a new place for all of us, we are doing it as a family.  Thankfully, technology makes the world a smaller place and I know we'll find a way to stay connected despite the distance. Being part of the family means communicating and helping each other when there are tough times. There will be tough times over the next year as well as incredibly happy times. Make sure you are communicating to us about all of them and I promise to do the same with you and Mom.

I love you kiddo.

Dad

How We Stay Connected

After two weeks living apart from my family we've had the chance to test out different ways of staying connected before they make the move out to Colorado.

Skype

This is the obvious one but we actually haven't used Skype since the westward move. We did use it during a trip to Germany last fall when I went to Eurobike and it did the job, though my internet connection in Germany made the video quality poor at times. We haven't used it recently only because video chat is available in platforms that we are already in - primarily Gmail and XBox.

Google Video Chat

We are definitely a Google household and regularly use Docs, Calendar, Reader, Photos, Videos, Maps, Gmail and Chat (it's actually a little scary to think about how much information we have on Google servers!). Since we have video capability in both Colorado and New Hampshire, and we are in Gmail so much, its just easier to request a video chat right from Gmail rather than open up Skype.

XBox Kinect Video Chat

Not only is XBox Kinect a blast to play games on, it also has the ability to do video chat. There is a cool feature that automatically follows you around the room. However, we've found that the auto feature is tough to manage when there are two or more people in the room.  Still, the video and audio quality are great and the larger coverage area (vs a web cam) has allowed me to do some great things like see my son's school projects when he holds them up to the Kinect unit.

XBox Live Gaming

I've been able to play NBA Live 2010 against my Son from 2,000 miles away and talk over our headsets at the same time. Of course he kicks my butt every time but I'm slowly getting better. Next on the game list is Call of Duty so I can be further humiliated by him!

Smart Phone

Colorado is an incredibly beautiful place and as I explore new places we are able to easily share pictures and video in real-time.

Social Networks

My friends and family are able to see what I'm doing on a regular basis through the sharing I do on Facebook and Twitter.  Whether it is my Foursquare check-ins or cool stuff going on at Peaksware, the information i share frequently becomes the topic of conversation on phone and video calls.

Being apart from my family is no fun - but the technology we are leveraging is making 2,000 miles seem a little bit closer.

Any other ideas for tools to use?

One Week Down, A Lifetime To Go

It's been a little more than a week since I moved to Colorado and I've thoroughly wiped myself out.  After not having the time to get regular workouts because of work and commuting I've been making up for lost time. In the past week I've done 3 runs, 2 bike rides and 1 swim. I even shot some hoops (which I also haven't done in a long time!) I'm now thoroughly wiped out and it feels great! Unfortunately I had forgotten the fulfillment I get from regular training and ending the weekend completely spent.

The first week of work was spectacular! Peaksware is filled with an incredibly passionate and authentic group of people who all seem to thrive as much as I do on either swimming, biking, running or all three! It's no wonder TrainingPeaks is so successful - I guess that is what happens when you put a bunch of passionate and driven athletes together and get them working on products that help other athletes be their best!

Colorado is everything I thought it might be. It is a beautiful part of the country filled with people who love the outdoors. During a two hour ride on Saturday I must have seen 150 other cyclists, and even more throughout the rest of the day while I was getting errands done throughout the day.

As week 2 starts the lesson I've learned is that I don't need to catch up on my training all in one week! Besides, going from living at sea level to living at 5,400 ft above sea level necessitates that I take several weeks to acclimate!

Stay tuned!