This is going to be a double race recap because I just ran two marathons in the past two weeks! Or, at least, I ran 26.2 miles twice.
Two weeks ago I ran the Long View Marathon. It’s a local race that’s only been around for 2 years, but managed to still happen in Covid-y 2020. I was attracted to how close it was, how I would be able to sleep in my bed the night before, and drive straight home afterward. I slept until about 5 (honestly, that’s later than I wake up when I run before school during the week), and Mike drove me to the start line for a 6:45 start.
Just like the Nevada Marathon which I ran over the summer, wave sizes were small, runners were spread out, and I ran most of the race alone.
The race started at City Park in Fort Collins. I had to get a selfie in front of Club Tico for my daughter Sophia who has a much-beloved stuffed sloth named Tico (named for the people of Costa Rica which is where she got him).
I felt pretty good for this race and ran in the low to mid 8’s until the end when my pace slowed down a bit.
The race ended at the Loveland public library, where I spent hours as a child since Loveland is the town in which I grew up. I cruised into the finish line in 3:41.
I hung out for a short time and then drove myself home. We had dropped my car off nearby the day before because Mike was going to be busy with parent-duty that morning. Kenley was trying out for club volleyball and Sophia needed to be picked up from a sleepover.
I checked my results later and found out that I had gotten 2nd in my division. Technically, I got 3rd in my division, but the 1st place woman was the 1st female overall, so I guess that took her out of the running for an age group award also. They didn’t have an award ceremony at the race (no big crowds) so I picked up my age group award and Scheels gift card from my local running store later.
Two weeks after my Long View Marathon, Mike was supposed to run his first marathon, the Blue Sky Trail Marathon. This race runs on the Blue Sky trail between Horsetooth in Fort Collins and Devil’s Backbone in Loveland. Unfortunately, the devastating Cameron Peak Fire took a bad turn Wednesday due to high winds and grew massively. The Blue Sky trail is now in the evacuation zone.
After training for months, Mike’s race was suddenly cancelled. We know that in the grand scheme of fire-related destruction, the cancellation of Mike’s race is small potatoes. Still, it’s disappointing after training for so long.
I offered to run 26.2 miles with Mike so he could still run the marathon distance even though his race was cancelled. Then I questioned that decision literally right up until the moment we started running and even a little during our marathon-length run!
We planned a 13.1 mile out-and-back heading east on the Poudre River Trail near our house. We set out the day before to plant water bottles and energy gels at miles 3, 8, and 13 — parts of the trail that we could access by car.
Mike was running great and feeling strong in the cool, misty, and thankfully drizzly morning. We were running splits around 8:20. I knew this was a little fast for me since I had just run that pace in the marathon two weeks prior, but I didn’t want to hold Mike back.
I thought about turning around and heading home at mile 6 and again at mile 8. But by that point, it felt like if I was going to run 16 miles that morning, I might as well run 26. I can’t really explain it, but it reminded me of when my parents had 3 kids and then decided going from 3 to 4 wasn’t that big of a deal — they were already outnumbered. 16 miles was a very long 2-weeks-post-marathon run, and if I was going to do that, I might as well do the full marathon.
We made it to the 13.1 turnaround point, found our last stash of water and gels (although we’d be coming back to the first two stashes again at miles 18 and 23), and started for home. Around mile 15 I was not keeping up. My hips were cramping a bit and I knew I needed to slow down. I sent Mike on his way and finished the last 11 miles solo.
He finished in an impressive 3:40, and I dragged myself home behind him. My moving time says 3:47 but with stops at our planted aid stations, I was actually out for 3:50-something. Honestly, I just can’t believe I did it!
The girls were waiting for us with signs and a toilet paper finish line. I had called them when I was 4 miles from home and told them that Mike was ahead of me and would be finishing in 20-30 minutes. They were ready, and it brought a smile to both of our faces when we turned the corner into our cul-de-sac and saw them standing there cheering.
I’m so proud of Mike for completing his first marathon, and I hope he gets to enjoy the excitement of a “real” marathon sometime in the future.
As for me, I’m on track to run more miles this year than any other year. I’ve completed the 26.2 distance three times in 2020. Running has been an outlet for stress as well as something that has brought me joy over and over again.
Two Running Sisters 