Being our best: Rim Rock Half and Mike the Headless Chicken

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Rim Rock Half and Mike the Headless Chicken

I was in Fruita, CO for a couple of days...the home of the "Mike the Headless Chicken" Festival.
Here is Mike's story http://www.miketheheadlesschicken.org/mike/page/history

Me and Mike

When I first saw this statue, I thought it must had been vandalized. Then I remembered the story of Mike the headless chicken and the festival in his honor. I realized that Fruita, CO must have been his home.

Dinosaurs are big in this part of the state (Pun intended...lol)

The Rim Rock marathon and half marathon take place in the Colorado National Monument in western Colorado. I didn't take pictures of the gorgeous scenery as the day was overcast and misty. Here are pictures from their website to give you an idea of the beauty. I'll have to go back for some hiking sometime.
https://www.google.com/search?q=colorado+monument&espv=2&biw=1024&bih=490&tbm=isch&imgil=ShCeOL9-P3lVLM%253BAAAAAAAAAAABAM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fen.wikipedia.org%25252Fwiki%25252FColorado_National_Monument&source=iu&pf=m&fir=ShCeOL9-P3lVLM%252CAAAAAAAAAAABAM%252C_&usg=__Dhk8nu0w96tp5hvtzV8YfxfokdI%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjX7M_Rl5TQAhVD2oMKHTvkDX4QuqIBCHIwEA&imgrc=OpAtCuHUae-eoM#imgrc=OpAtCuHUae-eoM%3A

This photo is from waiting at the Start. The times listed above are Sabrina's since I got the picture from her. I finished in 2:33:33, and it was only 12.9 miles long, not actually a full half. I came in 4th in my age group. In retrospect, I wish I would have pushed it instead of running for enjoyment, and walking/talking with people I met along the way.

After the finish

It was a really fun small race. The half was mostly downhill down the monument, then a couple of miles of relative flat, up over I70, and into downtown Fruita. Because it was overcast and misty/rainy, it was nice and cool....perfect for running. It was probably the nicest half I've done.

The marathon, on the other hand, looked brutal. It starts in Grand Junction at the east entrance to the national monument, then they have to run UP hill for maybe 8 miles, then rolling hills for several miles, then the downhill to Fruita. The finishing marathoners looked absolutely trashed....and it was full on raining by the time some of them finished. I was in awe of their tenacity.

Kate picked up Charleigh from the kennel for me on Saturday morning since I wasn't able to get home until late that night. Fruita is 4 1/2 hours west of Denver. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to pick Charleigh up until Monday, and she hates it at the kennel.

Kate texted me this picture....such joy...to be home, to have had a car ride, and to have her best buddy Kate to play with!