So it was the 4th of July and time to celebrate indipendance from George W. Well, I celebrate Christmas and I don't believe a guy with a grey beard made the earth in 7 days, so why not? We headed out of Laramie and managed to avoid any overt patriotism- just a few stars and stripes bandannas (on bikers riding machines that aren't road legal- Wyo has a state law that says bike handle bars must be lower than the riders shoulders. I wonder what the police do if the pull any of the offending chopper riders' over- attempt to surgically raise there shoulders?). We did hear one 'God bless America', but I'll come back to that.
We went up to the expensive stepford wives-ville of Highlands Ranch, CO. This is still under construction, we particularly liked the gate posts labelled 'town center' that made up an impressive enterance to a completely empty field. We were there to attempt another 10k. It was called the 'sunset 10k', so I foolishly believed it would occur during a cool part of the day. Unfortunately they moved the start time to 5.30 and I was soon wilting in the 29 degree heat. The chaffage from my horrible new running shorts was really painful too, I did breifly consider running half the race naked from the waist down. I'm still walking like John Wayne. I also naively believed the race would be 10k, but it was actually 10.5. I put in a very poor performace, and actually thought I was heading for my first DNF. Andy had other ideas, and bullied me around in a Personal Worst of an hour and 16 minutes, including lots of walking/ staggering. I finally cheered up in the last 800m, and raced Andy for the finish, causing the commentator to talk about 'the spirit of healthy competition'. Andy let me win because he is nice. I'm way more competative than him when it comes down to it. Maybe I'm just more insecure.
Despite an appaling time and being overtaken by all the ususal race rear enders (people with assorted pets, children and strange limps), Andy won 3rd place for our age group. Oh how we laughed (ok I admit I'm jelous of his medal). It was funny, we'd overtake the same collection of stragglers (man about to have a coranory, woman with sweaty bum, 80's cool dude and his woman), then I'd have to walk and they'd over take us. I'd then start up again and we'd whizz past them again. It was like being in a cheap Hanna Barbera cartoon.
I think we might be on some photos, if I can work out which company took them I'll try and get copies and post them here.
During the post-race awards, there was a fly-past of some military jets. The commentator said 'I'm glad they're on our side; God bless America!'... you try keeping a straight face when confronted with this!! Andy thinks he was being sarcastic but I'm not so sure. Not only was it a horribly, gushingly patriotic thing to say, since when did being on the same side as the American air force stop them shooting at you?
When we finished we went onto the village green to watch a crazy but cool mowtown showband in very dazzling red sparkly jackets. Cool, but probably too expensive to hire for the wedding :(. I never thought I'd see people line dancing to 'Soul Man', but now I have. It was like gatecrashing a family wedding. We relaxed and shivered as a front came over and the sky got darker and darker. The rain came, so we didn't get to see any fireworks, but we did see a lot on the way back.
Despite my PW, it was a good day, and it hasn't TOTALLY put me off trying to do a marathon. Andy got a medal for his trouble, I think he deserves one for putting up with me- he is being my third parent now, I never have to go too long without a hot meal, cup of tea or clean pair of pants. How do people write theses without someone like him to look after them? I'd have given up by now I think.
Oh and work still sucks. But they are paying me and I'm skiving off lots (i.e. writing my thesis, which is going suprisingly well)
Happy indipendance/ freedom from tyranny and opression day :-p
xxC
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