Time for a 2009 Run the Rocks 5K Update!

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted anything on here! It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time passes. Here is update on the 2009 Run the Rocks 5K.

What a fantastic race! Even though the sun once again decided not to make an appearance (3rd year in a row), the event was well attended. It was extremely well organized with plenty of goodies and activities at the end of the race.

We ended up with 13 members on our team, "It's Gotta be the Shoes." Our team placed 3rd overall in fundraising; raising $1790.00, and placed 6th overall in the running race. We were very happy with the end results. Jim was especially thrilled with his finish. He shaved 3 minutes off of last year's time and once again placed 1st in his age group. Better with age (LOL).

We love running in this event and plan to participate in the 2010 Run the Rocks 5K. Hope
to see you all out there next year pounding the pavement with us!

Run The Rocks 5K is next Sunday!

The RUN THE ROCKS 5K is rapidly approaching!

On Sunday, October 11, Jim and I will be taking part in this event, which is held at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, in memory of my father, Rev. Edwin R. Lincoln, who passed away from Pulmonary Fibrosis on July 26, 2008, and Jim’s mother, Winifred Merrill, who passed away from Pulmonary Fibrosis on March, 4, 2009.

This event raises funds for the American Lung Association of Colorado (ALAC). These funds help support ALAC Mission:

Asthma: Educating children and families about how to manage asthma so they can live active, healthy lives.
Tobacco: Ninety percent of all people who smoke got addicted before the age of 21. The ALAC program, “Not-On-Tobacco,” helps hundreds of high school students quit smoking.
Clean Air: ALAC works to promote mass transit, alternative fuels, and other measures to keep our air clean.
Lung Disease: ALAC provides workshops to help people with lung disease live healthier, more active lives.
Research: The American Lung Association, both locally and nationally, has provided $6 million to lung health research initiatives in Colorado over the last eight years.

Please consider making a pledge today. To make a pledge, click on the Red Rocks Website link above or on the right side of our blog. Once you are in the website, click on “Event Info.” On the Event Info page, click on “Make a Pledge” under the Visitor Section, then type Merrill in the “Last name” search box.

Thanks so much for you support!

2009 Red Rock Scramble 5K/5M

Jim and I ran in the Red Rock Scramble 5 Miler this morning. We love this race! The weather was perfect! Colorado blue skies, sunshine, and cool temperatures. Ideal running conditions!

This race takes place in Lyons, CO. The course is out and back, very scenic, and fairly flat. There is about a 200-foot elevation gain the first half of the race, which means there is a nice, gentle downhill the last half of the race, making it a pretty fast course.

The race felt really good today. This was not a chipped raced, so according to our Garmin Forerunner 405s, I finished the race in 45:57 minutes and Jim finished in 44:52. Once again Jim beat me! Arggh!

After the race we were treated to Einstein Bagels and homemade beef stew. The stew was fabulous!

If you are looking for a laidback race that’s not crowded, a fast course, and great post-race food, I would highly recommend this race.

2009 Boulder Half Marathon

Jim and I ran in the Boulder Marathon-Half Marathon-Relay yesterday. We participated in the half marathon. I wish I could say it was a great run. But it really wasn't. The half-marathon didn't start until 9 a.m. At the start of the half marathon, the temperatures were in the low 70s and the winds pretty strong. When Jim and I finished the half marathon, the temperatures were in the low 80s and the winds even stronger. Unfortunately, due to the weather conditions, water ran out quickly along the course, so many runners ended up on the side of the road suffering from heat stroke and dehydration. There were medics and ambulances everywhere! When the supply of ambulances ran out, the fire trucks rolled in. We counted the arrival of three fire trucks.

Jim and I didn’t break any records. Because of the heat, my goal of running the course in 2 hours quickly shifted to avoiding heat stroke and finishing the race, which I did by drinking plenty of water, squirting water on my head and back, and slowing down my pace. The results have not yet been posted online, but according to our Garmin 405 watches, Jim completed the race in approximately 2 hours 10 minutes and I completed the race in approximately 2 hours 13 minutes. Aside from not-so-good final race times, there were some high points to the day.

High Point One: Our friends Bret and Carol joined us in running the race. There is something to be said about the saying, “misery loves company.” Like us, they didn’t appreciate the warm temperatures and wind, so it was nice to be able share our feelings, frustrations and experiences at the end of the race. I have to say, Bret was the smart one at the end of the race. He signed up for a massage, while Carol, Jim, and I headed to the beer tent for a cold one!

High Point Two: We finally got to meet Bret and Carol’s oldest daughter, Sierra. She is so busy on the weekends with her track and cross-county meets which make it difficult for her to find the time to make it to her parent’s races! I am so glad we finally met and to know that she really does exist. Thanks for watching our camera Sierra!

High Point Three: Our friend John ran and completed the marathon. This was his first marathon and we were so glad to be there to witness his fantastic accomplishment under such rough conditions. Congratulations John!

High Point Four: John's wife, Stephanie was able to break away from her Sunday responsiblities and be there for John at the end of the rest. We haven't seen John and Stephanie in such a long time. It was great to be able to reconnect.

Even though this was a tough race for us, we are already looking forward to running in the Denver Half Marathon in October!

Saturday Training Run - Sept. 12th

Jim and I had another stellar training day! We drove downtown, parked in front of The Market at Larimer Square and ran 10 miles on the running/bike trail. We started from The Market and ran about a mile past the Cherry Creek Shopping Mall. The temperature was cool and the skies were overcast. It was perfect running weather. We weren’t the only individuals that thought so. The trail was full of runners, bikers, and walkers.

Jim being the outgoing person that he is greeted every runner along the way. Soon, I found myself also smiling and waving at every runner! I thought Jim would get tired of it, but he persisted and we probably greeted, smiled and waved at over a hundred runners!

After the run, we ended up at The Market for breakfast. Jim had a Breakfast Pocket which was filled with eggs, Canadian bacon, onions, cheese and served with a side of salsa. I had the Spinach Pocket, which was filled with spinach, onions, cheese and served with a side of marinara. Of course, we had to have our weekly non-fat vanilla lattes!

One thing Jim and I both observed during this run and last week while running in the Park to Park 10 Miler, was that our lower backs started to cramp at around 8.5 miles. We both decided we needed to work on strengthening our core muscles. When we got home we logged onto the Runner's World Website and looked up core strengthening exercises. We found an article about World Champion Hurdler Lolo Jones’ Core Workout and decided to try out the exercises shown in the article. Let me tell you, those exercises were a lot tougher than they looked! We are going to start doing these core exercises at least 3 times a week.