Colorado Colfax Marathon 2007

I completed my first full marathon on Sunday, May 20, 2007.

It's hard to put into words just how much that means. If you've ever run a full marathon, you understand. They say you always remember what your first was like. I know there was a lot of blood, sweat, and tears involved in getting me ready to face this challenge. If you've ever been there, I'm sure you can relate.

I trained very hard to run this, and wouldn't have succeeded without the help and support of the coach and members of Runner's Edge of the Rockies, a Denver-based running group. The training, advice, positive feedback, and good feelings from everyone in the group really helped me keep up and serious with my training.

Some highlights of the run: The huge crowd at about mile 8, in Olde Town Aurora, with people cheering and playing music, and everyone screaming for me as I went past. Seeing my sisters and brother-in-law (and his parents) at about mile 11, holding up signs they had made the night before, encouraging me on. Running through City Park at the halfway point (which I'm convinced was mismarked and added a solid extra half mile to the marathon). Making the mistake at mile 16 of dumping water on my face, causing me to accidentally swallow a fair amount of sweat runoff which made the next two miles very difficult indeed. Being surprised by my siblings at Sloan's Lake, about mile 18, and hearing my baby sister playing "Fight On" on her trumpet (she's at the University of Southern California). Seeing them again at Rockley Music, about mile 22.5. The dunk station at mile 23, where ice-cold sponges were handed to runners by fellow members of Runner's Edge of the Rockies (and thanks to Michael for running alongside me for a couple hundred meters). Seeing (and hearing) my sibs again coming up on the last corner, 0.2 miles away from the finish. Pouring on the speed for the last 50 feet, hearing the announcer call my name and the crowd responding, and crossing the finish line.

I completed my first full marathon on Sunday, May 20, 2007, and I'm already planning my next one.

(post script: It turns out the marathon was actually longer than 26.2 miles. Although it had been mapped and measured correctly, when it came times to set up the cones to guide runners through City Park, someone screwed up the course, making runners veer right when they should have veered left and adding on a solid extra half-mile. If I weren't such a nice guy, and if I weren't sure that those responsible were volunteers, I'd say I hope somebody lost their job over that.)