I ran the Crazylegs Classic 8k this morning, longest race I’ve ever run actually.
It was an awesome course that started at the Madison Capitol and wound it’s way though campus to end at Camp Randall Stadium. It was cool to run across the field and finish around the 50-yard line, especially with lots of people cheering you on.
That extra boost was definitely needed.
An 8k is just a nick under 5 miles, and it felt pretty long today. Started too fast and had to fight the last few miles.
I was thisclose to walking around the 30-minute mark but kept pushing myself an extra minute at a time and then by the time I hit 35-minutes, there was no point stopping.
41:01. Not too bad, just a bit past my goal time.
I’ve been sick and didn’t really get to train for this race, but it was great to be in that atmosphere again. Race days were some of my favorite back in my high school cross country days.
I’m glad that these events still go strong, undeterred by the recent Boston Marathon attacks.
In case you haven’t noticed, it’s been a really long winter here in Madison.
Compared to last winter, when it snowed two times, this winter has been a hundred times worse.
Lots of snow and freezing cold. Makes for some depressing times.
This bell curve weather is the polar opposite of the year-round moderate temps I’m used to.
It snowed last week… in mid-April… seriously.
You can imagine my reaction when I saw the weather report predicting mid-60s this weekend.
Finally, Spring.
After Cheyenne, decided to stay over the weekend to check out Denver, Colorado.
Took a day trip to Boulder and went on a brewery tour at Avery Brewing Company. Tried some really interesting beers like passionfruit beer, chai brown ale, and a sour beer for the first time. After the tour, made some new friends playing board games and darts.
First impression of Denver was that it’s a sleepy town… We walked downtown around noon and very little people were out and about. It wasn’t until about five or six that the downtown area started to stir and liven up a bit.
Awesome mountains surrounding everything. The 16th Street Mall area was pretty cool. There was free bus that ran all along it to make getting around easy, if strolling isn’t your thing.
The Larimer Square area made for a fun night, mostly at this one southern bar.
Quick run-through: good crowd, free shots, people watching, random cowboy bro who kept taking pictures, USC-shirted old guy, finding other Asians, tagging stuff with Avery stickers, running into the group of middle-aged women we met on the bus earlier, fun music, dancing with everyone…
Good times.
Ventured out to Cheyenne, Wyoming this past week to support a go-live.
Cruised in with my Mustang rental and I immediately got a small town America feel. Turns out the Mustang wasn’t the best idea, since I got stuck in some snow at a curb and had to finagle myself out of that one, but I couldn’t pass it up.
And, not sure who gave Chicago the title of Windy City, cause Cheyenne was pretty darn windy 24-7.
I got pretty sick and didn’t get to explore much, but I did get a chance to take in some local cuisine.
I tried some rocky mountain oysters (hint: they’re not actual oysters) and buffalo meat, which tastes a lot like steak but a bit tougher.
Also, found this colorful boot, equivalent to San Francisco’s artsy hearts?
Shortly after making the biggest move in my life, in more ways than one, I met a fellow that was doing the same.
We didn’t have much in common, but through experiences and laughs in those first few days and months, we connected in our own unique way.
Who would’ve thunk our paths would ever cross and we’d find an unlikely friendship? Certainly not I.
But you live, and with others, you learn.
Keep doing your thing, D.