It was five minutes until the trumpet sounded (First Call) for my wave and yet I was still dropping off my bag at the lockers. I had just got my Bolder Boulder race packet a few minutes before that but the bag line was way longer than I imagined (I figured packet pick up would have been)! With those five minutes I entered a last minute port-o-potty and then slowly jog-walked over to my wave weaving through the masses.

Bolder Boulder (BB) has an intense wave system…it spans 3 hours and has like a bazillion of them! I was in one of the first but not the very first wave thankfully because that set off at 6:55….I needed those extra 5 minutes!! Given the crazy wave system (some 89 waves, 31 are qualified time waves, the rest are walk/jog waves) when I got to the start area I was amazed at how easy it was to move up to my wave….simple yet organized, everyone gave space on the side to move ahead. You had to be in your correct wave too because as we got closer I found out they had security checking bibs as your wave moved up to the startline….I guess you can be in a slower wave but not ahead. I have never seen this tactic before! Waves were separated by a rope and clearly labeled. For such a huge race, it has impeccable organization….maybe 43 years is enough to give it that…well and a rockin´ founder (Steve Bosley) paired with a renowned runner (Frank Shorter).

I was excited I entered my wave corral before we got off running but I arrived with just a minute to spare. I was again, like the previous week´s race unsure how it would go….I pulled a muscle in my back and I was hesitant about even running this race. Thoughts of walking it crossed my mind before the race or run the first mile or even don´t go. Instead I found myself at the start, exhilarated by the fact of simply being there among the crowd on Memorial Day listening to the sounding trumpet almost silencing the voices of the waves behind me as everyone focused on what lay ahead. Off we went, I tapped my watch to go just in case I ran it, a bit ashamed I might walk it but certain I would jog at the start. Going breakneck speed (well whatever that is for me), was not an option, this I knew. My back was taped on each side of my spine, ibuprofen was blocking most pain and my non-racing shoes were on…all this to keep me from pushing too hard but still running.

I kept a steady, easy pace hoping nothing would hurt. I knew going faster would sting as the twisting motion to do so was too much for the back. Keeping everything as neutral as possible I made it to mile 1 and then mile 2. After mile 2 I must have picked up my pace a bit because my back was tempting me to walk. I listened to my body but decided to see if I slowed and kept going if I could at least make it to mile 3. I indeed made mile 3 and I waited for another sign from my body to tell me to walk but it didn´t instead it seemed to let me continue. I was grateful yet curious if it would allow me to do 6 miles with it. Knowing that racing now was not what my back needed even though I had been resting, stretching, icing, etc all week I wanted to make the finish.

Three miles in I could at least relax some because I knew if I walked I was half way done. Walking in this race was totally normal because the race is filled with people of all ages and abilities, costumes and just so much going on along the route. Probably the most fun 10k I´ve ever run. Boulder is a college town and a sporty high altitude training ground. Plenty of speedy runners do this somewhat flat course but also BolderBoulder has nothing, yet everything to do with running. The route has many turns and a hill at mile 4 that a friend warned me about but otherwise it is pretty flat. This race is actually more of a community affair. The 40,000 plus runners come out for a good time and boy does the race give that to everyone! There are bands along the route like in many races but because the route goes mainly through residential neighborhoods there are tons of garage band type music offered literally everywhere (plus piano, bagpipe, conch shell, etc). To top the music off there is a slip-n-slide, alcohol shots on tables, llamas and just way to many fun offerings you don´t want to pass by just running it. All these things along the course distract well because before you know it you are at the stadium and almost done!

By the way, the best costume theme I saw was the chefs chasing the lobsters….given many have group themes like the family of flamingos…soo cute….or the most popular…I´d say banana or tutu! I also enjoyed the whole Mario Brother´s Crew, complete with Toad and Joshi…awe!

Still running after 3 miles I prepared myself mentally for the hill at mile 4. My friend said if I decide to race for time to save myself for after that hill. Because I am gullible I chuckled when I saw said hill. I could literally see across it, it was merely a bump in the road (almost) with a summit of 5,391 feet. ha ha This was likely my favorite part because it made me laugh so hard and also realize how easy of a course this actually is…well except for the altitude.

Altitude was not affecting me as I had planned for this effectively. I arrived at midnight of race day, aka only 7 hours before the race start. If running in altitude but not training in it, the best advice is to arrive close to the race date, 1-3 days before or to go well before and acclimate, at least 2 weeks would be best! Minimizing my time at altitude was key to running a fast race. Had the back allowed I could easily have run close to my actual pace and goal time. A few months ago I was at altitude and ran on my 4th day, it did affect me that time, I ran what felt fast but in the end I was still a minute off my pace or a bit more and it actually hurt to run; my lungs were on fire. I also prepared beforehand for the dehydration that comes with racing at altitude…well for me it seems just racing anything these days causes dehydration…by drinking a bottle of electrolytes the hour before the race. Water simply wouldn´t be enough, I need more to keep the dehydration headache that generally plagues me afterwards from hitting.

Soon after the hill I found some runners to chat with and also quickly realized we were back in downtown Boulder. The race literally flew by! From mile 5 to 6 I read about a challenge and decided to go for it…this meant quickening my pace some because the challenge was to run the fastest mile here. My back held up and no worries as I didn´t have to quicken my pace too much but I did lose my chatty new friends…ha I went by more bands and plenty more runners and as I approached the stadium I saw another hill and thought, ¨oh my, now that one looks like a real hill¨. Luckily as I got closer I realized we turn right before the real incline, phew! A bit of an incline to get to the 6 mile mark and then we entered the stadium for a half loop inside to the finishline.

This was the second stadium finish for me in a week! The week before I raced at home in Seattle the classic Beat the Bridge 8k race with it´s finish in Husky Stadium (U of Washington). Now this week I found myself in Folsom Field at the U of Colorado! The same back problem plagued me last week too…as it has been a two week event now.

Once in the stadium you can see the finishline, there are a lot of runners (more females actually) and just a little bit left to completely finish. If you run into the stadium later in the day it will be full of people in the stands. Runners finish then get filtered through to receive some snacks and a beer and then they stick around for the party. The party being the celebration or remembrance for Memorial Day which is open to anyone who wants to attend. This is the first race I´ve managed to stay the whole event in a very long time thanks to all the entertainment going on for the race. Besides the snacks they give you, outside of the stadium they have an expo going on with tons of free stuff. I calculated somewhere around $50 of free stuff if you grabbed everything. There was more beer, energy bars, ice cream, 15 minute massages, free socks (like good socks), free light bulbs, bacon….there is some thing about bacon going on at this event, even along the race people had it available… and tons more.

Plus the elite race takes place around noon so that is fun to watch as well.

We (a friend´s friends and I) watched it in the stadium on the big screen but you could also watch it on the streets, it starts just outside the stadium. The elite field is international but small, Colombia has a team even, and you know once it get´s started it ends 30 min or so later….they are fast! It is nice that everyone has the chance to watch the elites, so many races have them lead so you never see them, plus at BB it is a team effort, top score by teams from all over the world….this year the US won…oh and prize money for them is almost as much as a big marathon pays. Of course it doesn´t end there, following the elite race, they have the Memorial Day tribute complete with an F-16 flyover and paratroopers dropping onto the field. Talk about entertainment and this year luckily some nice sunshine the whole time!

This was easily the best way to spend Memorial Day! I mean just the holiday not the whole weekend as I would definitely prefer camping. It was a blast and I would totally run again to celebrate Memorial Day with the other 40,000 or more runners and at least double that of spectators in the small college town of Boulder, Colorado!

I forgot to mention, runners in the earlier waves hold a tradition of running it twice, the first speedily and the second one more of a fun jog to enjoy the literal party on the streets. Well I am not sure how many actually do this….my friend did…. but I´d guess a good chunk also do…because you obviously don´t want to miss the slip n slide, free drinks or bacon…duh! Plus, if you are fast there are extra surprises for those who race in a time under 40 minutes….I might have to take up that challenge next year when my back is better!

Bolder Boulder really reminded me of Bay to Breakers which I did forever ago. Bay to Breakers is in San Francisco, CA and is a 12km/7.46 mile run from downtown to the Pacific Ocean and let me tell you it is one crazy party. Not a party at the end (well that too) but literally a party the whole way. I remember keg stands on route, open houses to enter for the party (get a drink and come back out), dancers on the rooftops, costumes galore, bison in the park next to the non stop flow of men pissing in the bushes…oh it was a sight and a race to remember! I attended in 2003 while I was living there for the summer since everyone I spoke with who knew I ran told me to go check it out. It sells out way in advance but many jump in and still join the fun. When I lived there my plan was to just go and watch at the start and that is quite literally what I did but it looked way too fun and I ended up in the crowd walking it which turned into me walking the entire route with everyone in my platform sandals and halter top….lol….a race not to be missed…maybe don´t race this one though! Both of these races are super fun with Bolder Boulder likely the most fun 10k I have ever run!

I should mention that this was a super flash trip, in total I was away from home 21 hours for this race. I didn´t want to miss anything at home but I decided a month prior… ¨why not run BolderBoulder this year¨, so of course I payed a higher price and had a ridiculous plan of arriving as close to the race time as I could. I decided this meant I would sleep in the airport and take the first bus (on holiday schedule) into Boulder from the airport. I brought my inflatable mattress and sleeping bag and did use it (my back was not happy about any airport sleeping situation). The Denver airport actually has some really nice couches in the C (50-60) gates for sleeping and they keep the place pretty quiet overnight. The first bus was at 5:20 am (50-60 min ride for $10 all day pass…(and if you´re lucky, like I was, someone left their pass in the machine for you) so I think I got 4 hours of sleep. I later passed out the whole flight home (not common for me) plus I was in lala land as soon as I hit my pillow the night after the race! In the end, it was all so worth the short trip to experience Bolder Boulder as it is quite unlike any other race and was definitely the best Memorial Day plan ever!

Background of the Race

Register for BB

Bus from DEN Airport to Boulder

Seattle´s Beat the Bridge Classic 8k

San Francisco´s Bay to Breakers 12k

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