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Ok, moving on! Remember last week when I asked for your help deciding on my half marathon? Y’all did a great job and picked the Colorado Marathon. I listened to you (or just liked your decision!) and registered for the race the next day. Sooooooooooo…..help a sister out again!
I’ve mentioned over and over again how I’d really like the summer of 2012 to be my first half ironman. The thought of such a long distance really makes me nervous, so I’d like just REGISTER fairly soon so I’ve committed myself. Done deal. Spent the money so there is no backing out. You know?
Problem is that I can’t decide. There are 2 different HIMs in Colorado that I’m looking at, and they each have their pros and cons. So I’m throwing it out to you guys!
Option #1: The Boulder 70.3 This one is in nearby Boulder, so it would only be a 10 minute jaunt down the road. Bonus! Another bonus is that I could sign up for the Boulder Peak tri, the Olympic distance, that takes place the month before. They have a deal where you can sign up for all 3 (sprint, Oly, HIM) and get a discounted rate. The course doesn’t look too brutal, and I know all the roads, etc. I’ve done sprint distances in the Boulder Res before, so I know the swim area. The downside? Boulder athletes are intimidating!! Sure, laugh all you want, but it’s true! There are so many hardcore, elite athletes in that city that it is literally terrifying. Every time I do an event there I feel like I’m surrounded by spandex-clad Adonis (Adonii? No idea how to make Adonis plural so I’m not even going to try!) Even worse is that these lean and mean racers mean business! My first ever tri was in Boulder and I got clobbered in the face by a guy during the swim. I got a bruised head and he kept going without even looking back. Sad face for me!
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My other concern with the Boulder 70.3 is exactly what I mentioned in the benefits: I know the course very well. Sure, that may mean I have an advantage in terms of overall time, etc., but let’s face it: I am no speed machine! I want to do the HIM for the challenge and to see if I can finish; the time is not going to be a huge factor for me. A part of me wonders whether I’d prefer have a new course, a new road or swim, that is unique for me. It might give me something to focus on during the interminable run at the end…
Option #2: The new HITS triathlon series in Fort Collins. Just coming to Colorado this year, it looks like the HITS series is going to have multi-day tri event featuring an open, sprint, oly, half, and full ironman distance. Sounds kinda like a triathlon carnival, if you ask me! Obviously, the distances are the same (duh!) but the course looks significantly harder than the Boulder 70.3. I mean, take a look at this bike course:
Uh huh. Do you see that number 3,386? As in that many feet of gain on the ride? BRUTAL!! So yeah, the bike course is definitely tougher and the run is a smidge harder too. But the upside is that the entire course would be new and fresh for me. Save for the first 10 miles of the bike (which were included on the Lake to Lake Oly tri), I won’t have experienced any of the rest. And it’s not a loop course that I have to repeat which is definitely a bonus.
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That could be me after riding uphill for all those thouuuuuuuuuuusands of feet.
I am, however, unsure of what to expect because the race is in its inaugural year. Sometimes that means really awesome things, but sometimes it equals the exact opposite. Unfortunately, I don’t know what schwag either race includes so I can’t even use that as a decision maker! (Sorry BDD!)
So….which race should I do???
What’s your favorite smell??
I LOVE lavender the most! Rain comes in a close second 🙂