The second leg of the Triple Crown of Running was the inaugural running of the Summer  Roundup Half Marathon in Cheyenne State Park.

In the past, the second leg has always been the shortest race of the three, and the only one that varies, but lengthening this race to a half marathon on rugged terrain , despite my inner whining , made sense on many levels. Many runners where in pursuit of the 3:30:00 cutoff to prove their readiness for the Pikes Peak Ascent and stay “in the running” to gain bragging rights for completing the Triple Crown of Running. Others , outside of this Triple Crown thing, where drawn into the half marathon distance , and for only 35 bucks, you can suffer more at a lower price(yeah?)

 I know we all agreed on one thing once this race got underway! This was not for the weak at heart! The course was hilly and technical, take your eyes off the trail much, and you find yourself tripping....I had forgotten my watch and decided that was a blessing because my eyes would have strayed off the trail.

I’d hoped to rely on mike markers to keep my focus... but there weren’t any! I cursed father marmot Tim(only a little), under my breath, but reminded myself we where being tested and I wanted to “pass”. The sweltering heat also added to the test as I tried to adjust my marmot uniform to be cooler rather than fashionable...

I was pretty happy to see the finish line, only slowing dramatically at the very end of the ordeal.

I didn’t have my usual enthusiasm for sticking around for the post race massage or much of anything for that matter, but I felt accomplished and grateful for this opportunity as I gathered my hard earned finishers pint glass and filled it with water and gatorade.

Now, we all realise how much work we need to do for the 3rd and final leg of the Triple Crown in 6 weeks.

The good news is, it’s not so hot above tree line!

Happy Training!