Happiness for me is being only 1.29 minutes slower than last
year in the iconic Bolder Boulder 10k run this morning, on Memorial Day. It is
also the privilege of running this race through the streets of Boulder and
finishing in the CU football stadium. And hanging out afterwards watching a
never-ending stream of runners circling the track around the football field to
the finish line. It’s a scene I love in the town where my kids were born, where
two of them went to college—a place that will always hold a soft spot in my
heart. This year I did it with my daughter Jeni who turned 52 on race day and
with Jeff White, a good friend who hitched a ride with us and wiggled his way
into an after race social event by making like he was related to us.
After a fall and winter of slow-to-no running, I feel so
grateful to be back in the game—at any pace. In this mammoth, superbly
organized event, I came in #6602nd out of 50,000 or so with a time of 55
minutes, six seconds. I remember a year long ago when I did it 43-something,
but it wasn’t any more fun than it was today.
The weather was picture perfect for the 38th
running of my favorite race of all time.
I missed a few of those earlier races and right now I’m not sure just
how many times I have done the race, but I know I’ve circled Boulder and ended
up in the stadium at least 28 times since 1983.
The race is a must-do for so many people. It gets into your
blood. It is so well orchestrated that you never feel as if you are running in an enormous crowd. There’s jazzy music almost every block along the way, and belly
dancers as well. You can slip and slide, get sprayed with cooling water, and
even grab a couple of slices of bacon if your timing is right.
Once the citizens’ race is over, it’s time for the elite
competition and a fly over that drops parachutists with American flags into the
stadium for a Memorial Day ceremony.
Whether you walk, run, or simply watch all the fun, in my
book there’s no better way to spend Memorial Day.
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