This Thing Called Life: Run the Rocks

This morning, I ran the Run the Rocks 5K at the world famous Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO.

Or, as is shall be called from now on: The Ouch Run, or the more daring Coloradans are Crazy Dash.

For the first two miles, I was thinking this was going to be my favorite race. It looped around the parking lot, and shot down the road. Nothing but winding mountain road straight downhill. As I was running down the hill at a ridiculous pace, all I could think about is how I wanted to be on a bike so I could be flying down the hill. One of those hills.

Train of thought: I am dominating this race! I am going to dominate my PR. This. Is. Awesome!

Down. Down. Down. Down.

As I kept going downhill, passing the amphitheater, dropping far below the elevation of the finish line, I had this epiphany of impending doom. I have to go up. Shit.

The last mile & a quarter was brutal. BRUTAL. 98% of the people around me had to stop and walk up this beast for a good portion of time. The other 2% wanted to. I was one of them. That amazing downhill turned into this wretched, soul crushing uphill.

Up. Up. Up.

To top it off, Red Rocks has what I have deemed "The Staircase of Death." So after killing yourself on the back half of the 5K, the finish line was at the top of the S.O.D. Ugghhh...