Golden Leaf Half Marathon 2011

This is the third time we have run the Golden Leaf Half Marathon in Aspen, Colorado.  Usually we have a bunch of people with us on Gary's side of the family and even a couple from my side of the family, but this year it was just us.  Even though, no one else could go, we just could not resist going up to Aspen and running this race again.

 This is Gary and I in the hotel right before our waves started.

 This is the hill we run up.  It's a killer.  Mostly you just walk up it.

 This was the last part of the first mile and a half.  It is really steep and the air is thin.

I tried to take some pictures.  Didn't do so well.  This is the last aid station at mile 9.  They only have three aid stations on the entire course.  It's brutal.

 After the race, they have a raffle.  We have won something in the raffle every year...except for this year.  That was sad.

 The next day we took the kids so see some of the race course.  This is the government trail.  This is the last part of the mountains.  This definitely is one of the most scenic races that we ever do.  It is beautiful.

After this trail, you run on the road for a little bit then you come...

...to this bridge.  You run across this bridge to this horrible field that goes on forever.  By the time you get here it is so hot.  As I was crossing the bridge this race, I was thinking that the kids needed to see this.  There is a stream below and the bridge is in the tops of the trees.  It is absolutely beautiful!!!

And to top it all off...I beat my time by 12 minutes.  I thought I beat it by like 40 minutes and I was so excited.  Turns out I did a lot better the last year I ran it than I thought, darn it!!