Bolder Boulder

Got an e-mail from the Bolder Boulder this evening, telling me not only that my official time was finally ready 2 days after the race, but that (how exciting!) I could go here to see myself (and 50,000 other runners) come down the final stretch of the race into Folsom Stadium.

This web video might come in handy next time I have trouble falling asleep. :)

The newspapers confirmed what I suspected as my daughter and I went by the paramedics doing CPR on an elderly guy in the middle of yesterday's Bolder Boulder 10K: The race had its first runner death in the 29 years of the race.

According to news reports, bike-riding medical personnel were at the guy's aid quickly, doctors running in the race stopped to help, and a paramedic crew was on the scene in minutes. But he still didn't make it.

I wonder if he was part of the Bravehearts running group of heart problem survivors that Simon mentioned last week.

I did the Bolder Boulder 10K this morning, alongside my youngest daughter (age 9, hence my time of just under 2 hours) and with apparently around 50,000 other runners and walkers. We all had these little chips from Ipico tied to our shoelaces -- the first time that the venerable race has gone digital. (Hurray! It's about time.)

In theory, the system is great: It tracks your overall time and mile splits, and at the end you can send in a text message via your cell phone and (supposedly) within 20 minutes get a message back with your results. Nice.

Day 1 Restart Phase: easy 10 miles on trails out past Wonderland Lake and onto the Eagle Trail Loop. Basically one mile trending uphill to start with, then four miles downhill to the turn at 45 minutes, four miles back up and then the downhill finish.

Praise be that although there was a stiff wind, it was nowhere near as strong as when I did this same run last week. So although there was less help going out, there was nothing much to battle against on the way back.

Already there is progress; last time out I ran at 8:55 pace for 84 minutes covering 9.5 miles at an average heart rate of 130. Today it was 8:42 pace for 87 minutes covering 10 miles with an average of 129. It felt pretty easy, apart from a slight cramp in that bu-ttock when I restarted after a pause for a glug of Cytomax.

It seems like every runner I know round here was out yesterday running the Bolder Boulder course.

The race itself -- billed as America's biggest 10k -- is happening next Monday, Memorial Day. I decided not to run, then thought I might, if only to keep a friend company and on pace. So I had my pick of start times yesterday, ranging from 6am to do the course in a series of 1k repeats; to 8am with a some fast guys; to 10am with a more "recreational" group.

But...for the past couple of days I've been on UK time doing some magazine deadline work and when I finally got to bed on Friday night I really needed some uninterrupted sleep. Well, I got it: 11 hours straight. (Yes I know, I am a world champion sleeper!). However, I don't know what I did in my sleep, but when I eventually got up I found that my buttock muscles on the right side were completely seized up. OK, normal morning getting-older syndrome, I thought. But no. They wouldn't loosen up. We toddled round to the cafe for breakfast; well Abby toddled; I limped. It just wouldn't let go -- I poked and pummelled, foam rollered and stretched, finally stuck acupuncture needles in myself.. there was no point running.