Bolder Boulder -23rd Time in a Row!

Just before running the Bolder Boulder for the 23rd time in a row (13 for the boys)

This is a long-standing family tradition for us. Sheri and I first ran the Bolder Boulder in 1993 when we were living in California. We were out looking for houses, planning to move here, and ran our first one then. That was the only Bolder Boulder we didn't run as husband and wife.

Throughout the years we've had some close battles, but Sheri was usually fitter and dominated the early going. Our head-to-head record improved when Sheri got pregnant a couple of times. She used the weak of excuse of either being pregnant at the time or recently recovering from child birth as an explanation for why I took the family title in those years.

Nowadays my rival is Derek. Last year Derek ran track and we had an epic battle that he won by 0.3 seconds. This year, despite starting in the same wave again, Derek had not been running (he had been concentrating on taking countless college aptitude and advanced placement tests) and would not be challenging me - family victory once again! 

Or not... My extended family includes my sister Brook's family and her husband Kraig Koski, who would always win the extended family title. This year was no different with regards to me - he beat me, as usual, but he experienced what I did last year: getting beat by his child! This year his college-bound daughter Samantha took the extended family title with a massive PR - running 44:08. Yes, it is getting easier and easier to take this title as the big guns get older and slower.

I finished in 44:44 and just made my goal of breaking 45 minutes. Sheri ran well and broke 49 minutes. Derek fell just short of breaking 50 minutes and Danny cruised it with Brook in around 58 minutes. Danny has run this race every year since he was 8 years old and Derek since he was 5 years old. I wonder when the streak will be broken... We've had injuries throughout the years, some pretty severe for me, but never around BB time. 

I have another streak going - running the Bolder Boulder under my age since I turned 40 (and still the only time I've ever broken 40 minutes in a 10K). I wonder when that will be broken as well. I figure I'M good 'til at least 70, right?