Well, it happened. My first BolderBoulder experience was yesterday and it was awesome, but to be honest, it also bummed me out.
I was planning to volunteer - as a course marshall for the professional runners. Getting there wasn't the problem - I actually allocated enough time and parked without issue.
I couldn't find my people and somehow walked 20K steps around the course:
Didn't mean to "bandit" the course at the 5 mile mark (notice the banana costume in the middle)
The first person I asked sent me to the start line...for the non-professionals. I DID find Waldo, but the volunteer booth was empty
Had to head back across town, and I found a few more noteables:
T-Rex Posse
I felt like the person in the back - didn't know where I was going and like an ass :)
I ran into Frank Shorter!
When I finally found the "Pro Start" (after another wrong turn) I asked another group of volunteers if they knew my team leader. "Um, we are just here to get credit for our cross-country team." At least she was honest! I asked another guy, who pointed me to a woman near the course. Once I asked her, she brought me back to the first guy...
Perhaps I should have asked the guy wearing lederhosen?
At this point, I had a fair amount of steps in, and I was over an hour past my time to check in with my group. My feet and spirit felt like this guys boots:
Yep, that's a guy wearing ski boots for a 10k
I was hoping to be able to meet some new people by volunteering, but it just didn't work out. I've met lots of great folks already, but I had my heart set on connecting with more. It's hard to be patient when you move someplace new, but I know that it's similar to having a bad run/race - you have to keep trying!
Now I know for next year, and in hindsight, I really DID meet a lot of new folks because of this race. I also know how lucky I am to live in a town that hosts one of the biggest races in America (>50k runners).
I stuck around to enjoy and was treated to the professional men/women's starts: (PS - YOU MUST GOOGLE "Conner Mantz finish 2025 Boulder" and you will be awestruck!)
The MOST important thing from yesterday was recalling the purpose - to honor/remember those who died while serving.
Perspective is everything.
Keep moving forward my friends, one step at a time.
Coach Nicole
"Hey Nicole, Your S%#* Works!"
Last December, I was fortunate to connect with a local PT by a friend of mine in AZ. He works for a company that caters to runners and triathletes: https://www.buildyou.co/
Long story short - I'm doing freelance work for them two mornings a week, and it's been really fun. These are some amazing athletes and I love learning from all of them!
Here's a great story from one of my clients who just completed the BolderBoulder yesterday:
Scott is a competitive triathlete who came to BUILD after consulting with an orthopedic physician who talked to him about a knee replacement. One of his goals (besides NOT having to consider a knee replacement) was to obtain the "Ageless Wonder" shirt from the BolderBoulder 10k - an award for those who obtain a finish time under their age. "Hey Nicole, your sh$@ really works!!" - Scott S the day after he improved his BolderBoulder time by 3 minutes at 61 years old. "I didn't have any neck pain or any back pain during the race - it was actually fun." Scott has not had any knee pain for a few months - we are so proud of him for going 2/2 goals so far, & we are thrilled to work with him for his next triathlon in June! Congrats Scott!!
TREADMILL TUESDAY
This video was from a week ago, and I talked about one of my clients and some Runners Roost swag.
The good news? My client DID sign up/complete the race.
"I kept the pace the entire run - knees are a little bit sore but that's it. I'm going to keep training as now I'm more motivated to do a 1/2 Ironman...so I may need further coaching!"
Questions? Hit reply and let me know how I can help!
PS - What a great father's day gift for someone (yes, we can make it happen!)
If you (or someone you know) are interested in learning more about JSR Coaching/Injury or Performance Consult - hit reply, and we'll have a chat!
Let me know if you have any questions or requests for topics in these emails. Thank you so much for reading, and forward to your running friends as well!
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