Was that really only 10 miles?

 Want to be really humbled?   Do an event which is double the distance you've done for many, many months.  Good call, Sharpie!

A few days ago I coerced my Denver-based buddies, Rev3 teammate Anthony Beeson  ("AB")  and my world traveling hero, Kyle Bauman  ("KB"), to do a 10-mile trail run race with me.  (Readers may remember my previous blog post about Kyle who traveled the globe last year. Check it out here! )

AB is a former collegiate runner, so KB and I knew he'd be done long before us, probably having had a shower with a loofah.   Nonetheless, we wanted to have a fun run together in what turned out to be a near record breaking 75 degree day in Denver at the end of October.   Love it.

The morning of the race:

I've been looking for a new passion.  I'll probably never get on my bike again - I haven't given up but I really think my demons are beyond what even I can tackle.   If I never ride again, the world won't end - and it will probably be an even better world.  I certainly have had enough of hospitals and broken bones to last me a lifetime.  Recently I've tried taking up knitting.  The fuzzy yarn is nice but it lacks a bit of the adrenaline rush.  So I'm trying to get into trail running.

 As we expected, AB dusted us.

My sense of humor remained in tact throughout the day.  In typical Carole fashion, I talked to everyone with an encouraging, "GOOD JOB!" whenever someone went by.  (I rarely went by anyone, let's get real...)  One of the highlights was this view I got for more than half the race.  The 3 guys in Scottish kilts cracked me up, and kept me laughing....

I was definitely in the back of the packs, but I was keeping the fun in mind.........

The terrain was surprisingly challenging........or maybe I am just out of shape. ??   Naaaaaaaaa, it was the terrain!!!  Here is Kyle bolting down one of the descents:

In the end, we all had a great time and enjoyed the beautiful Colorado sunshine.   The beautiful Fall golden and vibrant yellow leaves is a sight to behold.  Truly, I've not seen a more beautiful place than Colorado this time of year. It even rivals the Northeast, which I thought was impossible.

At the end of the run, I did what I truly do best:

AB and KB "weren't hungry" right after the run. ??   pppffft.   I dove right into that pizza, uninhibited.
Thankfully I at least have SOME skill in this world!!

:)