by Kerry Kuck.
Rain drops keep falling on my head.
But that doesn’t mean my eyes will soon be turning red.
Crying’s not for me, ’cause
I’m never gonna stop running when it’s raining.
I have Audi.
Nothing’s worrying me.
This was my third year in a row, running the Bolder Boulder with Audi as my primary guide. Although this year was our slowest time at 1 hour 10 minutes 57 seconds, it was the most rewarding for me because this time, Audi was my only guide. I may be a total with type 1 diabetes, but with the greatest, fastest and most experienced racing guide dog in the world, how hard could it be?
As usual in any race, the hardest part was getting to the starting line ready to run. Thanks to friends Jules and Tim for letting us use their Boulder house as a home base AND giving us a ride to and from the race. Thanks to Matt Guidry and his wife Jenna Maynes for helping us get to the starting line and especially Matt for running in the same wave as Audi and me to help at the start and finish lines. Thanks also to Janet for acting as my manager, support crew, and publicist. I did not need Matt at the finish line because the new Ipico timing chip system does not use a finish chute. I love the Ipico system because they use a timing mat that I can feel every mile. I hate the Ipico System because every mile I could tell that our time (Audi and myself) was not too good.
After a crowded start with plenty of jostling, brushing and stumbling, the first timing mat was nowhere to be found. Finally we crossed it and the woman behind me said 10:48. I wondered if the crowd would thin out enough to go faster, but I realize that one does not run the Bolder Boulder for time.
There was plenty of encouragement from people passing me but in Boulder, Colorado the most popular word was not “inspirational” but rather “awesome” as in “You’re awesome, dude”, or “Sir, that’s awesome”. One person said “Rock and Roll” as he passed. A woman asked me if I was at the OKC Marathon and the Colfax Half. This is not as unusual as it sounds because the marathon running community in Denver is fairly small. One runner was leap frogging with me and introduced himself as Todd and told me that he was using me for a mark.
I was a little worried about an older Audi racing on a hot day, but the 50 degree temperature was perfect and the raindrops were only occasional until the last mile. The density of the field seemed to fluctuate, thinner in spots but never for long enough to get a good pace going. Audi did great. He is smart enough to know that it’s a race. He is adventurous enough to enjoy racing, even in the rain. He maneuvered me through the turns and crowds like a champion. His strategy was as good as any jockey running in the Kentucky Derby or the Belmont. You don’t train a dog to run like that, you can only teach them and hope. The one down note to the day was a loose dog out on the course. The stray dog started to chase Audi, so he stopped and turned around to face it. (I let Audi do this because dogs are less likely to attack when they are faced and addressed.) After a second or two, the off-leash dog’s owner called it and we were able to continue the race.
The Bolder Boulder is the best race in the world, not because of their precise logistics, or the weather, or the course, or the field, or the music, or the belly dancers or the Braille timing mats every mile.
It is the best race because they allow guide dogs to run in it. It’s as simple as that.
As usual, I can’t wait to do it again next year.
Cheers,
Kerry