My bestie Cara moved from Michigan to Colorado two years ago (sadness). While I need no excuse to visit her, the chance to run a half marathon together in Denver was just too good to pass up. Reunion + race = yes please.

My Colorado visits usually involve some combo of mountains, tacos, and beer — hiking Royal Arch or Rocky Mountain National Park, running or biking scenic trails, and, of course, brewery-hopping like it’s a sport. This trip? No different. The carbs were flowing, the hops were hopping, and tacos once again proved they require no justification. Tacos just are.

To start acclimating to the elevation (or so we told ourselves), we went for a “run” around Washington Park. Real talk, it was mostly an excuse to pet every single dog. I acclimate how I acclimate.

After reuniting with one of my favorite spots, Odell Brewing, we headed to the race expo at Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum — a massive hangar full of old planes and aviation ambiance. It was a refreshing change from the usual fluorescent-lit expo dungeon. We snagged our bibs, shirts, and beer wristbands (Michelob Ultra again, why must you haunt me?), and caught a peek at the medals — ooh, spinny medallion center? Fancy.

Race eve was a chill night in with pasta, veggies, and top-tier hospitality: Oreo bedsheets, a plushie pizza pillow, and cuddles from Stoutmaster Flex, Cara’s extremely floofy and vocal ginger cat. He woke me up at ungodly hours to tell me Very Important Cat News™, but I forgave him. That face.

Stout

Food bedding

Cara’s other cat, Rotini, has loathed me since approximately 2008 and kept a respectful 6-foot emotional distance. Boundaries respected.

Bibs, Blunders & Big Energy

Keith (aka Cara’s lover muffin) dropped us off at City Park well before the 6:45 a.m. start. Weather looked perfect: sunny and mid-50s. Things were going great… until they weren’t.

Cara reached into her bag, paused, and gave me a “you had ONE job” look. “I forgot my bib,” she said flatly. This, just 90 minutes after telling me, “Don’t let me forget my bib!” Guess who forgot to not let her forget?

Cue the mad dash to the info tent. Thankfully, the volunteers had extra bibs and hooked her up. The new bib wasn’t under her name — minor detail — but problem solved! And we still made it to the start before all the waves launched. Crisis averted.

We started our loop around City Park, which involved a lot of Hokey Pokey energy: in and out, left and right. Lakes! Zoo! Back to a lake! The real highlight was running a full mile through the Denver Zoo. I was ecstatic. We passed elephants, camels, flamingos, and a sleepy cheetah. Sadly, the red panda was a no-show, but I trust he was busy with Important Red Panda Business. Worth the price of entry for this mile alone.

From there, we said goodbye to the park (again) and headed out along Montview Blvd., a straight stretch with not much scenery but great local energy. People were tailgating and cheering us on — bless them. I needed the encouragement to keep climbing the seemingly-unending incline.

I don’t remember what I was trying to do here, but it was probably something amazing:

Besties run

At mile 7, we turned around and ran through Aurora Fire Station 1. That’s right — literal firefighters cheering us on, handing out high-fives under the Colorado state flag. Iconic.

Firehouse smiles

Then it was time for Colfax Avenue — the race’s namesake and the longest commercial street in the country (who knew?). We passed diners, dive bars, retro motels boasting “color TV,” and lots of fun signage. Finally, we hit 17th Ave, a shady, tree-lined stretch with charming homes, cheerful spectators, and block-party energy. We were cruising along and feeling great!

Around mile 11, Cara stopped to remove something from her shoe. I watched her pull out a cartoonishly large shard of glass (!!) while I became completely distracted by a tiny border collie puppy nearby. Cue extended belly rub session and zero regrets. Cara was miraculously uninjured, and the puppy was blessed with attention.

The final stretch brought us back into City Park, with mountain views and Denver’s skyline guiding us home. We looped around a lake, crossed the finish line to imaginary thunderous applause, and celebrated with a chest bump while wearing our spinny medals. Keith met us for “senior photo” fountain pics. We felt majestic.

Ladies and gentlemen, your class of 2015:

Senior photos

The Après-Run Report

For brunch, we went to Vine Street Pub — conveniently along the marathon course — so we could “spectate” while sipping beers and replenishing calories. But the sun was blazing and the patio was overrun by sugar-high children, so we retreated inside. Spectating through a window still counts, right?

Honorable mention to Grandma’s House, a cozy little bar decked out like, well, your grandma’s house. Think rocking chairs, knitted doilies, old TVs, board games, Smurfs glassware, and Werther’s Originals. It’s delightfully kitschy and weirdly comforting — would absolutely drink craft beer there again.

Oh, Colorado. You and your thin air, hot firefighters, and endless breweries. I’ll be back… I can always use more tacos and mountain views.

Mile-High Musings

  • Sexiest cheer station: Mile 11’s Colorado Firefighter Calendar crew. Highly motivational.
  • Best race eve activity: Building The Simpsons LEGO house and guarding it from cat destruction.
  • Best surprise: Cara’s replacement bib registered her as a 90-year-old man. Close enough.
  • Best runner perk: Free race photos! No more $29.95 downloads. Hallelujah.
  • Most disappointing free sample: The U.S. Mint tour. No coins or paper handed out.
  • Best post-race treat: Deliciously pillowy vegan donuts. I limited myself to two — a miracle.

Sweet nostalgia