Running in Boulder - The Beginning

One of the things I was looking forward to most about Boulder was the chance to run in this part of the country. Boulder residents are very serious about outdoor sports, particularly those that require endurance, and this area is filled with elite runners who train against a beautiful backdrop. There are trails galore, ranging in difficulty from fairly flat, paved cruisers to trails that require runners to scramble over the occasional boulder.

Based on how I've been feeling just climbing the stairs in our house, I know I'm not ready to tackle anything too vertical yet. But I've been on two mellow runs so far. Let me tell you, it's been awful.

I will not be moving to Peru any time soon. 

Runs like this help me understand why many people don't like running. Sure, there's tons of great stuff to look at. This morning I ran by the Boulder Community Garden, admired the Flatirons, and said hello to a woman all in purple strolling along with four goats on leashes. Even if the scenery wasn't pretty, which it is, it's a relief to be running somewhere other than the West Side Path or Central Park, my only legitimate New York options. And yes, the trails are wide well-kept, and lovely, and the ones that go through town even feature underpasses so cyclists and runners don't have to stop to cross streets. But none of this makes up for the fact that running at this altitude makes me feel like an overweight asthmatic kid in gym class.

Boulder sits at 5,400 feet. That's a very big jump from sea-level NYC, and boy am I feeling it. I arrived here exactly two weeks ago today, and while I was pretty sure I was starting to acclimate, today's run led me to a different conclusion. I, who this time last year was preparing to run the New York City marathon, barely made it four miles.

I'm not sure whether physical activity helps one acclimate faster, or if anything can be done to speed up the process. I suspect not, and I'm pretty sure there's nothing for it but to keep on plugging away with the understanding that it's going to be a very, very unpleasant entry. I hope my adjustment doesn't take too much longer. I'm very much looking forward to joining a running group to meet some people, but until I can make it more than a few feet without huffing and puffing there's really no point. I'm not going to be able to have a conversation with new friends until I'm used the scarcer oxygen around here.