Continental Divide Trail Run

Sunday morning, it was clear and 40 degrees as I prepared to drive up the valley to Steamboat and partake in the annual running of Ski Haus' Continental Divide Trail Run, a trail race from the bottom of Fish Creek Falls to Long Lake and then up the backside of Mount Werner via the Mountain View trail and finishing at the top of the Gondola.  Roughly 100 people lined up at the start and, as the final race directions were given, the mood was fun yet focused.  My goals for the race were to run under 2 hours 20 minutes and/or be first Masters.  I wanted to run hard to gauge where my overall fitness was going into Run Rabbit Run in three weeks.  That said, I went out with the lead pack of runners and decided to try and run my race "from the front" instead of starting slower and gradually trying to build speed as the race went on.  Of course, that only lasted about 5 minutes into the race as the trail started climbing up the canyon for about 1000' in the first mile.  I managed to keep the speedy Harry Niedl in sight all the way to the top of the first climb but there was no way I was going to hang with the rabbits longer than that.  I felt good though and continued running all but the steepest uphill sections. 

The morning air was nice and cool and it felt really good to be running hard up the rocky canyon trail.  Flecks of gold leaves decorated the otherwise green canopy.  I reached the Second Falls in 30 minutes and felt like I was right on pace to make 2:20 but it wouldn't be easy to hold on.  Mercifully, the trail begins to even out and there aren't any steep climbs after the Second Falls.  A few, short tough ones but after conquering those, the trail opens up and a beautiful alpine meadow is revealed.  Even in a dry year like this one, there was still a little water to cross.  After that meadow, there was another short section in the trees before we crossed another meadow and began the gradual ascent to Long Lake and the junction with the next section of trail, Mountain View.   During this time, I talked a little with the runner behind me, Stephen Castle from Ft. Collins.  Stephen had been chasing me up the canyon and breathing HARD the whole climb.  I thought he was pushing too hard and was going to fade but he just kept crushing it.  He actually apologized for breathing so hard but it didn't bother me a bit.  I just told him he was killing it and doing a great job.  I gave him a brief synopsis of the rest of the course and he was really cool and gracious.  Just before the first aid station, I was able to pull away from him just a bit and I made the turn onto Mountain View ready for the next 6 mile grind.

At the aid station, I was down to half a bottle of water and had fallen 5 minutes behind where I thought I should've been.  I filled the rest of the bottle with Gatorade ate a little gummy, chewy looking thing and took off on Mountain View determined to run as much of it as I could.  I've run this trail many times now and it is almost never very forgiving.  In this direction, it is a gradual, 6-mile climb up to the back of Mt. Werner.  The trail is mostly smooth single track but there are just enough rocks to trip you up if aren't paying attention.  Not long after getting on the trail, I got passed by one runner (Paul Datsko) who seemed totally relaxed and in control of his effort.  He was just steady plugging and I gave him an 'attaboy' as he passed.  He commented that he had to take advantage of the ups because he wasn't a great downhiller.  I just called after him, "Maybe I'll catch you on the downhill.  Probably not."  (I didn't.  But I might have if the race had been another half mile or so.)  About a minute behind him, I heard Stephen closing on me and I could tell he was going to pass, too.  He was still breathing pretty hard but I could tell that he was getting used to this extra gear and was going to fly up Mountain View.  He passed, gracious as ever, and soon caught and passed Paul, too.  Killing it!  I hung behind for another mile or so but soon found myself running up the trail by myself.  I was moving pretty good through the pine forest, thanks to a couple of downhill and rolling sections that were smooth enough trail to get a good leg turnover going.   The trail just continued on and on through the forest.  Another runner, kindly passed me with a couple more miles left to go to the summit and I tried to hang onto him as we power hiked some of the last steep climbs.   The guy kind of looked like Leor Pantilat, so I imagined for a moment that I was racing one of the fastest ultrarunners in the country, and had a little laugh to myself about that.  Then, reminscent of Leor, he left me in the dust.   About 3 minutes after losing sight of "Leor", I made the last bit of ascent to the top of Mt. Werner.  My watch read about 2:10 and I didn't think I had two 5-minute miles in me but I was still super stoked and ready to slay some downhill.   In hindsight, my 1:05 split for Mountain View is the fastest I have ever run that trail in the uphill direction.

Next year, the race organizers are going to reroute the race so that runners descend to the Gondola via single track trails.  So on this running and, I guess for the last time, the course finished with a 2 mile run down Storm Peak Challenge, a dirt road with tons of "baby head" sized rocks.  My first few steps down the road were a little unsteady but I soon found a rhythm and started working gravity for all it was worth, running about as hard as I thought I could for two miles and 1000+ feet.  I checked the switchbacks ahead of me for someone to chase but didn't see anyone until the final 3/4 mile.  I tried hard to close the gap but couldn't reel him in more than a couple hundred yards before the last quarter mile climb up to the Gondy.  I pushed the last uphill and sprinted for the finish line under a bluebird, cloudless sky.   As it turned out, I did have two 6 minute miles left in my legs and I ran strong all the way to the finish and completed the course in 2:22:51. Not quite hitting my time goal but good enough for 9th place overall and 1st Masters.  I finished feeling good despite pushing hard the whole race and my legs felt surprisingly unaffected once I was done.  I jogged a cool down for a few minutes after I finished and I even considered running down to the base area. 

Fortunately, I wised up and decided it would be more fun to kick it at the finish and spent the rest of the morning talking it up with other runners and locals who had come up to cheer on their friends.  The post race food, drink and company was great and I got to meet a few other Steamboat runners that I didn't previously know.   Probably the most fun I had though was chatting it up with Stephen Castle after the race.  The hard-breathing, hard-charger from the Front Range delivered a 2:20:48 run despite being, by his own admission, woefully unprepared for the gnarly course.  (Stud.)  Unfortunately, we were both losers when it came to the post race raffle.  I may never win a race but by golly, I'm going to win a raffle prize one these days!

I'm very happy about how my race went and I think I proved to myself that I am fit enough to give the 100 a good effort.  I have no idea what kind of finishing time I could expect to run and coming up with a pace schedule feels a bit daunting.  Still, I'm ready to get it done.  Mostly because I am tired of waiting and, in many ways, tired of training.   Not that I really did a stellar job in my training.  I could've logged more miles.  Or maybe SHOULD have but I still feel good about the running I did do this year and how my prep races went.  I just started losing motivation to train as Katy's pregnancy progressed and I wanted to spend more time with her.  I kind of feel like I ended up doing kind of a half-assed job of both...well, I hope not but it's  hard to split what little time you have between all the things you want to do and the things you need to do. 

Weekly Summary: August 6 - August 12

8/6 - Rest.  Wanted to run but got shot down by the wife!  Ha!

8/7 - 6.0 miles.  1:00:xx.  1300'v.  Stagecoach Mountain - Stagecoach.  Hard effort climbing up to The Beach with trekking poles and back to the house.  Then, dropped them off at the house and ran another 3 miles down to the fire station and back on dirt trail.  Pushed the effort the whole way.

8/8 - 7.3 miles.  1:12:xx.  500'v.  Stagecoach.  Easy paced evening run from dusk til dark on the road down to the lake and a couple miles of trail. 

8/9 -  6.76 miles.  :52:45.  500'v.  Stagecoach.  Quick run down to Elk Run Trail and a few 7 minute miles on dirt before climbing back to the house. 

8/10 - Rest.

8/11 - 13.55 miles.  3:34:08.  2910'v.  Black Mountain Trail to East Fork Trail just nouth of Round Lake.  Woke up at 4 a.m. and got to the trail head at Sheriff Reservoir just before 6 a.m.  Looked like it might rain so I waited a few minutes in my truck before deciding to just go for it.  The run started out great and I felt great climbing up into the mountains at dawn.  It was a little bit cloudy but I really didn't think the rain would come.  I ran a couple hours up trail and found a nice spot next to a creek to eat some food (a clementine, some bread with Pocket Fuel peanut butter on it and a Salt Stick tablet).  I sat on a rock, admiring my surroundings and suddenly realized that I should just turn around and spend a little time at home with Katy.  I missed her very much.  I packed up and started back when I felt a drop or two of rain.  I looked northwest and saw rain and suddenly felt a little panicked to get back since I was now climbing back up to some exposed areas.  It eventually began raining steadily on me as I hiked up the rocky trail but it wasn't a complete deluge.  I got pretty wet but after a half hour or so it let up and I started back down towards Sheriff under clearing skies.  I had fun and made it back home by 11 a.m.  I walked around the neighborhood with Katy for about 45 minutes then spent a little while clearing some branches from a couple of trees we had cut down earlier in the week.  That afternoon, I drove up to Clark to meet up with Jonny B, Christian, Paul and Brady and a couple of other people, at a favorite camping spot out on Greenville Mine Road to watch a meteor shower that evening.  I ended up deciding to treat it all as a training day and stayed on my feet (and even did some late night hiking with the dogs) most of the night.   The sky was clear and we saw some really amazing meteors!  I fell asleep in my sleeping bag staring at the stars after a great 20-hour day.

8/12 - Rest.?

Uh-oh.  DNF'ed another training run!  I haven't quite mastered the long, wilderness training run but I'm still happy with the time I've been getting on my feet and the quality of my shorter runs.   It's just logistically difficult to run in the mountains for several hours and I just don't like spending that much time away from my wife during her pregnancy.   Anyway, it's almost taper time so my plan from here until September 14th is to run hard this week, finishing with the Continental Divide Trail Run next Sunday, August 19th (my sister Sommai's birthday!), where I'd like to got under 2 hours and 20 minutes.  After that, I will just put in 3 weeks of easy running and get plenty of rest leading up to race day.  Simple. 

Fortnight Summary: July 8 - July 22

7/8 -  10.6 miles.  3:07:25.  2650'v.  Lower Bear Creek Trail.  Easy with Richard.

7/9 -  Rest.

7/10 -  4.3 miles. :49:33.   Stagecoach.

7/11-  3.59 miles.  :36:17.  Stagecoach.

7/12 -  2.30 miles.  :26:42.  Stagecoach.

7/13 -  Rest.

7/14 -  Rest.  Travel to Leadville.  Set up camp, eat and relax.

7/15 - Leadville Silver Rush 50 Mile. 47.5 miles.   9:49:56.  7,382'v.  

7/16 -  Rest.  Despite feeling completely thrashed after the race yesterday, I felt pretty good when I woke up the next morning.  My legs didn't start feeling sore until around noon the next day and then pretty rough in the afternoon.  Slept OK that night but could feel my legs.  Took an extra round of Juice Plus and drank alot of juice and berries for anti-oxidants.

7/17 -  Rest.  Pretty sore, primarily in the quadraceps but not so much anywhere else.  A little soreness on top of my left foot.  Slept like a champ.

7/18 -  3.42 miles. :39:08.  Stagecoach.  Easy road run felt awesome.  Legs really weren't sore today at all.  Just fatigued a bit but the run seemed to help shake out the cobwebs.

7/19 -  4.39 miles.  :45:05.  Stagecoach.  Ran a few easy miles after starting out a little quick.  Legs feel pretty good at the beginning of the run but after a while they felt a little dead.  Walked a little, too.

7/20 -  Rest.

7/21 - Spring Creek Memorial Trail Run.  9 miles.  1:17:24.   My third year running this race and I just love it.  This year, the field was much smaller and alot of fast people didn't show up so it was anybody's race up front.  Local Austrian-stud-speedster, Harald Niedl, who always seems to finish in the top five of whatever race he's in, finally scored a win in 1:11.  Followed by high school stand-out runner, Chris Zirkle.  I was feeling good and went out fast at the start, running in 4th, but knew the pace was too hot for me and even asked if anyone wanted to pass as we rolled down the first hill, across the first bridge and onto the gradually uphill rocky trail.  Several people passed me before we made the climb up to the actual Spring Creek trailhead.  I eased into a strong powerhike once we turned off the single track and started up Elevator Shaft, a steep drainage that course follows for a few hundred vertical feet.   I opted not to pass immediately and stayed behind a few people to keep my breathing and heart rate down and felt really good the entire climb through the ferns and aspens.  There were several trees downed along the course but even the tallest ones didn't really impede my ascent as I began to alternate running into my climb.  I passed about 4 runners on the climb and soon caught site of Walter McGill as we made a gradual descent through the trees on a somewhat rocky trail.  I could see Kelly Heany about 15 yards in front of Walter.  About a mile later, we all emerged from the forest together and turned on a dirt road to leave the Tatanka Ridge property.  We lamented running the dirt road up to Dry Lake as our least favorite part of the race.  Having done this race a couple of times now, I know that the 3/4 mile dirt road climb can be really tough.  It's a grind and there is one spot where you can't see around the corner but it looks like you are at the top and then you go a little farther and see the road just keeps going up.  By this time another runner had caught us, so the four of us relaxed a bit and we talked a little bit as we ran.  A few minutes later, we finally reached the Dry Lake parking lot and I sped up to be the first one on Spring Creek Trail.  I was feeling really good as we started the 4.5 mile descent to the finish and I love to run this trail downhill.  It's just a blast.  There are 13 bridges that you cross as the dirt trail snakes it's way through aspen and pine trees, rocks, logs, ferns and water.  There are a few small ascents along the way but overall the trail drops a couple thousand feet over those 4.5 miles.  It's sublime.  The rest of the way down the trail, I just tried to maintain a fast but in control cadence.  In last year's race, I ran the down hill too hard and the last mile or so really hurt.  I wanted to avoid that this year and be able to run strong at the end and enjoy the experience. Cruising over the final miles of the course, I just felt rock solid and kept wondering if I should push harder or maintain.  I found myself wishing someone was close enough behind me to scare me into running faster.  In the end, I'm amazed at how my legs have recovered from Silver Rush because I felt I could have run faster.   My legs just felt that solid.  In hindsight, I wish I had worn a watch for this race.  I ran by feel today and even when I was going hard I was pretty much in control.  If I had worn a watch, I would've set split-time goals for the ascent and descent and pushed harder to make those goals.   If I had pushed a little harder at any time during the race I'd be able to claim a PR for the course instead of finishing five seconds slower than last year!  Oh well, I finished sixth.  Top ten three years in a row!  Woo-hoo!      


7/22 - Rest.  Ahh.  Feels good to stay home and relax.


The last couple weeks have been pretty solid.  I had a nice taper going into Silver Rush and the legs felt good and delivered on race day.  I knew I was capable of posting a sub-10 finish and I ran a smart enough race to make it happen, even if I had a rough spot at the end.  I think my troubles really stemmed more from the nutrition end and not fitness because I still had leg strength but was just feeling lousy in my stomach and head.  Between the altitude and heat, I was lacking adequate electrolyte intake because I kept watering down my Gatorade over the last 2.5 hours.  The nausea was a real eye-opener though.  In a way, I'm glad I experienced that so that I know what will happen if I fall behind on fueling.   Lesson learned there.

Recovery after the 50 was also the best it's ever been.  I was feeling it Monday and Tuesday, after the race, but ran easy on Wednesday and Thursday, without any discomfort.  Friday off seemed like enough rest to run hard at Spring Creek and I'm just a little sore (mostly hamstrings) and fatigued today (Sunday).   With less than two months until Run Rabbit Run, I will keep up with my 3 scheduled maintenance runs during the week and long runs on the weekend.  I'm hoping to work out a 40-mile wilderness run with Richard Williams in mid-August, that will be my last long run before RRR.  The only race I might do in August is Continental Divide but as much as I like that race, I'm not 100% sure that will register. 

Weekly Summary: Feb 13 - Feb 19

2/13 - Rest.

2/14 - 5.03 miles.  :54:05.  360'v.  Stagecoach.  PM.  Katy and I both got off work early enough to run an out and back on the road from the house down to CR 14. 

2/15 - 5.20 miles.  :54:38. 360'v.  Stagecoach.  PM.  Another roadie with the lovely Kate.  Felt tired.

2/16 - 3.88 miles.  1:15:04.  1220'v.  Stagecoach.  PM.  I opted to hike/run/trudge up Stagecoach Mtn. to "The Beach" in knee deep snow with Benihana rather than dodge headlights on the county road.  Solid effort and very slow going ascent from the top of Second Pitch to The Beach as we broke trail.  It's been snowing again and I'm not snowboarding!  WTF?!!

2/17 - Rest.

2/18 - 17.98 miles.  3:29:18.  1650'v.  Steamboat.  AM.  Started my long run with an easy 2.30 mile, :29:20,  warm up before doing a Running Series race, Love the Run Your With, a 6.85 mile, 1:17:21 snow run on Emerald Mountain.  The entire course was super tough with loosely packed and punchy snow that made it very appropriate to wear snow shoes, which I didn't.  The ascent was grueling at some points and I redlined my effort the entire time.  Tough, tough, tough.  I was relieved for the downhill but the footing remained difficult as I seemed to punch through the snow every 50 steps or so.  Really hard to establish any kind of rhythm.  I ran the majority of the downhill with a guy named Tom and we finished the race together, just happy to be done.  At least, he was.  I still had 9 more miles to do, so I ate another Honey Stinger and ran to the Core Trail from Howelsen Hill to Rotary Park.  On my return to town, I crossed over to River Road and made my way back to Howelsen to refill my water bottle at Olympian Hall.  I still had a couple more miles to go so I jumped back on the Core Trail and ran towards the library where I saw Mina, my friend Jonny's mother-in-law, jogging down the trail.  We jogged and chatted our way down to Stockbridge and back to Howelsen.  I felt good for the most part during my run(s) but my legs are definitely feeling it this evening.  Whooped.

2/19 - 10.01 miles.  1:38:59.  980'v.  Stagecoach.  AM.  I didn't think it was particularly cold when I left on my run but the wind chilled me right to the bone every time I was running into it.  I stayed warm enough but really should have worn a windbreaker instead of fleece.  I stayed on the roads for this effort since I was sufficiently over running in the snow after yesterday's race.  Still had some slight lingering soreness in my left quadracep from yesterday but, otherwise, I felt good on this outing. 

Week Totals:  42.10 miles.  8:12:04.  4570'v.

A good week.  Still coming up a little short on mileage but getting more than adequate time on my feet.  Such is running in the mountains in the mid-winter, when even an easy 4 mile "run" can take well over an hour.  I was a little worried about going long this weekend and actually getting the mileage required by my training schedule but I think it helped to include a fun (but challenging) race into the mix.   One of the participants in the race was Allen Belshaw, an accomplished local ultrarunner who has twice won the Squaw Peak 50 and Desert RATS 50 and has victories at the Plain 100 (self supported 100 miler) and Laramie 100.  I introduced myself after the race and while we talked he told me that it was a good training idea for me to race before finishing my long run.  "Put down some calories and keep running,"  he said.  "If you go sit down now, you'll never want to get back up."  I guess I felt a little inspired by his advice and it really motivated me to go out and get the remainder of my distance for the day. 

I feel like my diet is staying on track although I probably ate way too much Valentine's chocolate this week.

Next week will be another reduced mileage and recovery week which is good since I'm finding it harder to get miles in accumulating snow.  Hopefully, when March arrives, the weather will be more agreeable for running.  Of course, as I type this, I see that it is starting to snow.  Oh, boy.  Maybe I'll just have to go snowboarding!

Emerald Mountain Trail Run Race Report

Well, quite frankly, I got to "live the dream" again today.  I woke up early (as usual) and walked the dogs as the sun began to rise over the Continental Divide.  In the dawn's early light, the sky was clear,  the air was cool and crisp and the leaves on the aspens, while still mostly green, were beginning to show signs of the approaching autumn.  The morning temperatures in the high 30s would eventually give way to a gorgeous day in the 70s. The thought of getting to run a mountain trail race in this weather was all I needed to feel good about the life I have.

I arrived at the base of Howelsen Hill early enough to do a little warm up running on the final part of the course and then, a little more on the bike path with Derek McClung before the race start.  This was the final race in the Steamboat Springs Running Series and it was really nice that it was actually a smaller field of runners than at the other races in the series.  It gave the race a really "local" feel.  Katy showed up to see me off, which always makes me feel lucky and very happy and I was ready to run.  My goals for the race were to finish in 1:03 and as the first Masters (age groups 40+, since I just entered a new age group last Tuesday) and, above all, to have fun.  Runners assembled behind the yurt next to the Sombrero Ranch's stables at the Rodeo Grounds and, at "Go!", we took off on our 12-kilometer, 1,130 vertical foot mountain tour.

Everyone seemed to be in great spirits and as we made the first hill going past Olympian Hall and there was alot of chatter and laughing.  I watched and laughed out loud at the ridiculously fast pace that Nick Sunseri was already on as he barralled up the trail next to the ski jumps.  It was obvious he was on to another win as he ran away from the rest of the field.  Two other runners chased him with myself, Harry Niedl, Walter Magill and Tammy Jacques already 30 seconds back, and we all began climbing.  Before we hit Blackmere Drive and started up towards Emerald Mountain, Harry moved up into 4th position.  Then, Walter and Tammy moved up about 10 seconds ahead of me.  We stayed like this for a few minutes and then turned on to the winding, uphill single track of Larry's.  Here, I started to feel really good and moved past Walter and, then Tammy, a couple minutes later.  We jumped back on Blackmere for the climb up to the top of the quarry and I could hear Tammy's footsteps hot on my tail as we neared the race's apex.  (In hindsight, it would have been great if the race continued up Lane of Pain to the summit of Emerald Mountain.  This would add an absurdly steep climb up another 400(ish)' in less than half a mile and, I think, really legitimize this as a "mountain race.")   I managed to hold her off until the top of Little Moab and then bombed down the gnarly, rocky trail to open a gap.  At the bottom of Little Moab (just a short 100+ yard, 100' descent), the course jumped back on the winding single track of Lupine.  I absolutely love running the smooth single track with it's tight corners in the scrub oak and occasional rocky steps.  I kicked it down a gear and did most of the mile or so downhill through the woods at just over a 6 minute/mile pace. 

I kept listening for footsteps behind me but they never materialized.  After a couple minutes, I saw a white t-shirt in front of me and ran a little harder to catch it.  Here, I passed Eddie Rogers, who runs in either Vibram Five Fingers (a "foot glove") or sandals.  Today, he was wearing what looked like a home-made, Tarahumara Indian-style sole tied to his feet and ankles with rope or line.  While I like his barefoot approach to trail running (I race "minimal"-style trail flats, Inov-8 Talon 240's), I just don't think you can run as fast in sandals or barefooted as you can in shoes.   Once I got in front of Eddie, I hammered the pace to put on a good gap on him and  to take advantage of the long, gradual downhill of the next few miles.  There were a few, small uphill sections but the rest of Lupine was a fun, fast, meandering run through the trees before the course finally broke into a meadow and the made the turn out to the Bluffs Loop. 

I ended up running the Bluffs Loop by myself and could feel myself starting to fade on the occasional uphill.  Fortunately, there weren't many ups and I was able to keep my tempo quick all the way back to the Rodeo Grounds and the race finish.  As I reached the portion of the course I had pre-run earlier in the morning, I opened up to the fastest I could run and sprinted the last few hundred yards to the finish.  I managed a 4th place overall and first place Masters finish in a very satisfying 1:01:46.   Nick Sunseri killed another course for the win in :50:11 with Adam Loomis of Eau Claire, Wisconsin in second (:56:04) and Harry Niedl in third (:57:37).  Local mountain biker extraordinare, Tammy Jacques went on to win the women's race in a quick 1:03:07, followed by Steamboat's Kristin Stemp (1:12:47) and Veronica Ventuno (1:13:30) of Denver.   Derek McClung ran the race of the day in my book, finishing 14th in 1:10:28, nearly 5 minutes faster than he expected.

Just as much fun as the race was hanging out with all the other runners afterwards.  Steamboat has a small but great community of runners, both road and trail alike.   With food catered from some of the town's fantastic little restarants and free water, gatorade and beer(!) to drink, runner's milled about, telling stories from their personal races and talking about all things running.  The atmosphere was festive and light.  Clearly, the race series regulars have become pretty familiar with one another and are supportive and friendly.  Furthermore, the running series consistently raffles off the coolest gear at the end of every race.  Tech t-shirts, Big Agnes sleeping bags, backpacks, magazine subscriptions and free nights at the Sheraton make it better to be lucky than fast at a Running Series race.

In all, another fantastic race put on by the race directors and volunteers make me glad to live and play in such a wonderful little town in the Rocky Mountains.  The consistently good participant turnout is testament to the quality and enjoyability of the races that are put on by the SSRS. Thanks for the memories and see you next summer, Running Series!

Continental Divide Trail Run Race Report

Holy shit.  That is a tough race.  Especially when it starts the morning after one of your best friends gets married and you clipped your quadracep on a rock while tubing down the Yampa River that afternoon and you've been at sea level for most of the week before and...OK, that's enough excuses.  Here's how the race went down:

The 2011 Ski Haus Continental Divide Trail Run, which is a Trail Runner Magazine Trophy Series race, sold out with 125 runners, again proving that the Steamboat Springs Running Series is really getting the attention it deserves.   It was another gorgeous morning, the weather clear and cool and perfect for racing.  After meeting at the Knoll parking lot at the Steamboat Ski Area, runners are loaded onto shuttles which take them to the race start at the Fish Creek Falls trail head.  At the race start, runners practically sprinted to the trail to avoid bottle necking and continued down the trail and crossed the footbridge at the bottom of Fish Creek Falls.  Immediately afterwards, runners begin the first of many, many climbing sections.  Gaining 500' in the first mile and 1500' in the first 3.5 miles, I found myself hiking much of the first part of the race.  The trail is not only steep but also very, very rocky for the first few miles, making it very difficult to do any running at all (unless you are one of the rabbits at the very front of the race) since the footing is so sketchy.  I managed to reach the 2nd waterfall in 33 minutes and took a few seconds to go down to a small pool and dunk my hat in an effort to cool off.  After the second falls, the trail begins to climb more gradually and I was able to start running a little more, albeit conservatively, knowing that there was still much more uphill to deal with later in the race.  About 4 miles in, the trail crosses a beautiful meadow that was pretty muddy.  I tried to avoid getting my feet wet at first, but there was an unavoidable section of soupy mud and all bets were off.  I laughed and said out loud, "Yep.  It's a mountain race."  I saw the runner in front of me turn his head a bit and smile in agreement.  At the 5.5 mile mark, the course turns onto the Mountain View Trail, a 6 mile grind up the backside of Mt. Werner.  I paused at the aid station, drank two cups of Cytomax, ate a Honey Stinger gel and pet a race volunteer's dog before I proceeded on. 

I have a real love/hate relationship with Mountain View Trail.  Running in this direction, it's a long, forested uphill run to get to the top of the ski area.  It's a beautiful trail (that's the love), especially in the last 2 miles when the views out to the Continental Divide become really impressive.  But it's tough (the hate).  I always have a hard time on this trail.  I ended up doing most of the trail alone, alternately running the flats, downhills and moderate uphills and hiking on the steeper climbs.  My right quadracep was feeling pretty sore from hitting the rock in the river while tubing the day before but I just tried to keep moving and keep my heart rate from going too high.  I stopped a couple of times to get some debris out of my shoes.  Finally, in the last 1.5 miles, I caught a glimpse of two runners about a hundred yards in front of me and I felt like I would be able to catch them, if not before the summit, then, hopefully on the 2.5 mile descent to the Gondola.  I managed to reel in the first guy and kept steady after the next, catching him in last .5 mile before the summit.   At the summit, I was so relieved to finally be done with (almost) all that heinous uphill.  By now, we had climbed well over 3000'.  On the descent, I saw two more runners in front of me and I ran my fastest to catch them both.  I was able to catch the first runner on Storm Peak Challenge and gave him an "attaboy" as I passed.  There was a short, bushwacking detour to the course due to logging operations on the mountain, which was actually really fun.  There was a ton of flagging to let you know where to run but NO trail. Just low brush, grass and rocks.  I managed to pass the second runner here and then did all I could to stay fast on the remainder of the downhill as we hit dirt road again.  Like the Mt. Werner race I did a couple weeks ago, this course finishes with a very cruel 400+ yard uphill run to the gondola.  I felt like I was moving in slow motion but happily crossed the finish line in 2:30:41 (19th), nearly 6 minutes off my goal time of 2:25 but proud, none the less, to finish this grueling race.  

Nick Sunseri won the race, destroying yet another course record, in a blistering 1:47:50!   We talked before the race and were both a little dubious about the advertised race distance of 15 (or 16) miles.  Both of our GPS watches calculated the course at 14.3 miles.  Nobody disputed the 3400' of vertical gain.  Other locals also recording fast times were Josh Smullin (3rd, 2:05.30),Harry Niedl (4th, 2:07.10),  Bill Goldsmith (5th, 2:08.13) Glen Light (8th, 2:15.34) and Gregg Joyce (14th, 2:25.36).

Mount Werner Classic Race Recap

It was another stellar summer morning with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-60s (after a little rain in the days before) and a near-full corral of runners began the 12-mile,  3,400 vertical foot trek to the top of Mt. Werner.  The race website: (http://runningseries.com/races/mt_werner_classic.php)  claims the course actually climbs 4,775' because of the multiple uphill and downhill sections along your way to the summit.  I read once that a 1,000' climb is like running an extra mile.  To call this race a challenge is no understatement. 

I arrived early enough to see neighbor and friendly runner Bronwyn Rittner in the parking lot and walked down to the registration tent.  Because I registered early enough, my race number was pre-printed with my name on it.  I thought that was a cool, classy touch for the Race Director to think of.  I did a little warm up running with local speedster, Harry Niedl (ended up finishing 3rd, 1:49:45) and let him know my plan was to start really slow and save as much as I could for later.  My only goal was to beat last year's time of 2:06:04.

At the start, I stayed true to myself and started slowly,  settling in with a pack of runners as we headed up Right of Way towards the bottom of Thunderhead lift.  From there, we got on the dirt road up to snowmaking, instead of taking the single track.  This was a detour from last year's course due to a mudslide that happened in the spring.  As we approached the first view of the valley from the top of Bashor Bowl, I ran with Roy Cardwell from Vail, who I met at last year's race and we talked for a bit.  Roy's running the Leadville Trail 100 in a couple of weeks.  We got to talk for a while after the race, too, which was really nice.  He says he'll be back next year.  I hope so.  We passed the first aid station at the Snowmaking Building and hopped on the Valley View trail to do the first section of serious climbing (of course, I say this after we have already grunted our way up a solid 7-800').  The weather was so nice and cool in the shady aspens.  I ran with the two women's leaders (Nancy Citriglia and Kelly Bedell) for a little while, then pushed ahead once we got near some of the downhill sections.  I caught Duke Barlow from Breckenridge just before the climb up Moonlight but he passed me as I hiked up a steep section and then got away from me.  I was relieved once the course got to Duster because I knew that we had a relatively tame climb to Rendezvous on a mile plus dirt road.  Nancy Citriglia of Winter Park was now the women's leader (went on to finish first in 2:03:46) came on strong here and passed me on Duster.  At Rendezvous, the course runs down a dirt road to the bottom of Sunshine Lift and then, begins the gnarly 2ish mile climb to the summit on Pete's Wicked Trail.   I was able to see the two runners in front of me on the occasional switchback, so even though I really started to feel beat, I had a goal in mind of staying somewhat close to them.  I couldn't quite find a rhythm on the climb.  Pete's is a pretty technical trail with water, rocks, logs, a bit of everything.  And it's relentlessly steep.  I checked my watch at one point and I had been running for 1 hour and 38 minutes, so I ate a Honey Stinger gel to give me a boost.  It helped a little but, if not for the amazing wildflowers and the jaw-dropping view at the top of Sunshine Liftline,  it would have felt like a bit of a death march to the summit.  Once within sight of the top of Storm Lift, I was able to get my second wind, ready for a 2.5 mile downhill run to the gondola.  Local runner, Mike Hlavacek, was at the summit aid station with some encouragement and a pitcher of water or margarita.  Your choice.  I thought he was joking at the time but found later that Nick Sunseri (local running stud and winner of this year's race in 1:41:19) and Roy had both taken Mike up on his offer.   (Not for me, thanks.)  On the descent, I just went for broke and clipped off my fastest downhill effort my legs could take.  First, I passed a Chevy Suburban and, eventually, caught Nancy as I cruised down Storm Peak Challenge but she still managed to stay close behind me.  Less than a mile from the finish, I see Eddie Rogers (Steamboat)  running in Vibram Five Fingers and I really want to catch him at the end.  I definitely had pace on him and I was feeling good.   That is, until he saw me chasing him and kicked it down another gear.  The final 400 yards or so of the race is another unforgiving dirt road climb up to the gondola and I was completely gassed.  His strong stride indicated that he had more left than I did.  He finally disappeard around a bend just before the finish and I did all I could to end with a smile.

Yes!  Another wonderful time running a great race and I even PR'd the course with a time of 2:03:34   (Shooting to go under 2 hrs. next year and I managed to keep my top 10 streak intact by finishing 8th because a couple of real fast guys didn't run today.)  I stuck around for a while, ate a little food and talked about trail running with a few of the other runners.  It was a super beautiful day and I was glad to hang out at the top of the gondola with a bunch of people who had just run the same, awesome course.  Everyone was just really in sync and friendly, so the event had a really positive vibe.  Great time.   The Race Directors, Emily Conjura and Cara Marrs, did an incredible job of putting on a Zero Waste Event.  The course was well-marked and well-managed.  I'm already looking forward to next year.  This race is definitely a Classic.

Weekly Summary: July 19 - 25

7/19 - Off.  Blah.  Should've run.

7/20 - :36.xx. ~200'v.  Stagecoach.  Ran the trail down towards the lake and back.  Worked hard on all the uphills and recovered on the downs.  Good, short effort.

7/21 - Off.  Second day this week that I didn't run simply because my attitude sucked after work.  Like most people, I hate my job most days.  Unfortunately, it affects my running way too often.  Not winning!

7/22 - 2.0++ miles.  19:00.  ~150'v.  Stagecoach.

7/23 - 9 miles.  1:17.24.  2500'v.  Spring Creek Memorial Trail Run.  My second time running the Spring Creek race was just as fun as I remember it being the first time.  The newspaper reported that 180 runners showed up to run to run either the 9 miler or the 5K race.  It was another gorgeous, sunny morning and I was definitely eager to run this race again.  I had a bone to pick with the course after getting lost last year and  I was also excited to see if I could better my previous time.  The race had the same fun, trail run vibe and I was really glad to see my friends Bronwyn and Derek running this year.  There were all sorts of runners on hand.  A couple of fast guys from Ft. Collins and one from Denver (the eventual winner), joined a few of Steamboat's speedsters at the front of the pack and visitors and locals alike all lined up for this annual romp through the woods.   At the start, I went out a little hotter than I usually go and settled in behind the lead pack before watching the fast guys get smaller and then, disappear altogether.  The first mile is relatively flat (slightly uphill) but miles 2 - 4 feature two very steep, unimproved single track climbs through the aspens with several downed trees to climb over.   I kept the tempo quick, hiked the severely steep sections and was only held up by having to re-tie my shoes a couple times.  Once on the dirt road up to Buffalo Pass,  I still ran a steady pace and made it to the Dry Lake parking lot in just over 45 minutes.   I felt like I had pushed it a little hard on the ascent but I was stoked to be starting the 5 mile downhill part of the race.  I picked a fast pace and tried to just let gravity do the work as I ran my way down the course.   The trail was in great condition, tacky and fast.   Thus far, I had pretty much run the entire race by myself.  With a couple miles to go, I was caught from behind by Greg Joyce (whom I beat by 30 seconds last year!) and I could tell that he was running stronger than I.  Once we hit the wider part of the trail, I moved to the side so he could pass and I tried to hang with him to the finish.  He just had too much left and I slowly drifted further behind.  I dug down deep to finish strong and still managed a big smile on my way to the finish line.  I was the 10th runner across the line (6th, 30-39 year old) and kept my Running Series streak of top 10 finishes alive. I bettered my time on the course by 1 minute and 49 seconds but still felt like I faded too much in the end.  I'm sure that my endurance was much better last year because I had so many long runs under my belt.  This year my short distance running and focus on speed helped me keep my legs turning over fast even though I didn't have the "deep miles" lungs and legs.   Big up to Derek McClung who ran a respectable 1:28.14, getting in under his 1:30 goal just a week after riding 114 miles in the Tour de Steamboat.  Awesome job, buddy!  Bronwyn's 1:44 on this gnarly course is nothing to sneeze at either.  Next race:  Aug 6 -  Mt. Werner Classic (12 miles, 4775'v.).

7/24 - 1:10.xx.  ~400' v. Stagecoach.   Fantastic sunny run around the south shore with Katy.   The wildflowers are off the hook right now!  Katy's longest run in a while and it was just wonderful being out with her for more than a couple miles.

7/25 - 10+miles.  1:35.xx.  ~500'v.  Stagecoach.  Out and back run from the house down to the dam and then about another mile or so.  Wanted to get in a longer run in preparation for Mt. Werner in a couple weeks. 

Weekly Totals:  ~30 miles.  ~2950' vertical.

Randall's Run Rabbit Run Race Report

Perfect weather and beautiful fall foliage were hallmarks of this year's 4th edition of Run Rabbit Run, our local trail ultramarathon here in Steamboat. More than 150 runners (they say it sold out at 190 runners, but a few didn't make it to the start), including myself and a determined Katy Taylor, who had decided to do the race TWO days before, toed the starting line at the base of the Steamboat Ski Area at 6 a.m. This being only my second attempt at 50 miles, there was just enough doubt in my mind about finishing to keep me a little anxious. I felt healthy and well trained enough though and was hoping to finish in a decent race time, while still enjoying the scenery and having fun out in the woods.

The first 6 miles of the race is a 3400' climb to the top of Mt. Werner (a.k.a. Storm) which I did, mostly, with Katy. As we started off in the pre-dawn darkness, the temperatures were cool, in the 40s (F), and we alternated between running the flatter sections of Why Not Road and hiking most of the way up the mountain. We reached the top in about 1:30 and while Katy stopped at the aid station, I pushed on to the next 6 mile section, Mountain View Trail. On the outbound, this trail of technical single track, gradually decends several hundred feet over a couple small hills as it works it's way down to Long Lake. I decided to stretch my legs a little and ran the downhill sections with a guy named Mike from Ft. Collins. Uncharacteristically, I kept hitting rocks with my rearward foot causing me to trip (and fall and roll once!) many times. It continued throughout the day. I noticed I was not the only one, however, and even Mike tripped at one point. Still, we kept the pace quick. It felt good at the time but, in hindsight, I should've eaten at the aid station and run slower in this section and saved more for later in the race. We arrived at the aid station at Long Lake (I think it was in less than 3 hours) and I had my water bottle refilled as I grabbed a little to eat (some fruit) and pushed on.

From the lake, on Fish Creek Falls Trail, the next section started with about an .8 mile of meandering and up and down single track, first across a meadow and then back into the forest. The trail then crosses paths with the Wyoming Trail (heading North/South) which runners proceed south on, as they pass Lake Elmo, then Fishook Lake, on the way to the Base Camp aid station. During this part, I found myself starting to struggle a bit. Looking back, I was behind on calories even though I was staying well hydrated and taking a gel every hour. I should have been starting slower and eating earlier in the race.

As I passed Base Camp, I knew it was going to be a trudge out to Dumont Lake. My hamstrings were getting tight from the climbing and I couldn't find a rhythm in my running because I was constantly getting tripped up. At least, I had run this section of trail many times in the past and knew all it's twists and turns (and there are many) very well. I found comfort in my familiarity with the trail even though I was starting to feel pretty bad. As we came out of the woods and started along the shoreline of Dumont Lake, I passed Goeff Roes as he was heading back from Rabbit Ears. I looked at my watch and I think it was 4:40. It was about a mile more before I reached Dumont Lake aid station.

I was super stoked to see my friends, JD, Derek and Ross, who had brought me a cooler with some food (hamburgers I made the night before), ice, water and some chocolate milk. (I ended up not drinking any of the chocolate milk, even though I love it after a run.) I changed into a short sleeved shirt and grabbed a couple gels, refilled my water and took off again. I'm not sure why I was ignoring all the signs that I really needed to eat more but I just kept pressing toward the turnaround at Rabbit Ears Peak. About a mile up the road, Katy caught me, looking fresh as ever. I forgot how steep the hills are up to the Ears but I was really slowing fast and we only hung together for about a half mile before she took off ahead of me. I was super proud to see her looking so good and doing well. She was running a really smart race and her IT band didn't seem to be bothering her. After I (finally) hit the turnaround and started back downhill I caught my last glimpse of Katy about a half mile ahead of me on the dirt road. She was flying.

I was so hungry as I hiked back into Dumont Lake. When I got there, I announced to my crew that "my girlfriend was kicking my ass!" They laughed and acknowledged its truth. I ate half of an avacado and tomato burger and drank a bottle of water, while I sat down for a minute. It was great to clown around with the guys for a few minutes and they were having a great time hanging out at their first ultra. It was a cool scene. I wanted to press on so I hastily took the second half of the burger with me and started on the trail. Just a couple hundred yards down the trail, I saw my friend Bronwyn (Katy's crew leader from Leadville) who offered me some watermelon (technically, cheating) and encouragement. She's awesome. I told her I was fading but hanging in there and she let me know she would be volunteering at the Base Camp aid station so I would see her there. (Cool, nothing like seeing some familiar faces along the way.) I pressed on again, knowing I was in for some decent hills and descents before I would see Base Camp. I just kept my head down and kept doing my best to run the downhills and any flats that I could. I found myself hiking much more than I had anticipated. I was having to dig deep to stay in the game mentally. As I ran the half mile of dirt road to Base Camp under the noonish sun, I could hear a volunteer from the aid station rather annoyingly cheering runners on. (Really, I'm all for the encouragement but this bitch was annoying.) I was glad to see Bronwyn again and chatted for a little while, finally realizing that I needed to take a little more time at the aid stations than I had been. I did some light stretching of my hamstrings and made sure that I drank and ate sufficiently before leaving. I thanked all the volunteers and started down the next downhill section. "Just make it to Long Lake." was my mantra and I just kept on striving.

I started to come back from the dead in this section. I'm sure it was because I had finally eaten something and I made the most of it by running as much as I could. My feet were getting pretty sore but if I put that out of my mind, I was able to keep my pace up. I hiked into the aid station at Long Lake feeling much better mentally even though I was pretty run down physically. I saw a guy (Greg) that I ran with at Spring Creek earlier in the year volunteering at the aid station and we talked briefly. I stretched again and took the time I needed before heading onto what I knew would be the hardest part of the race, the uphill return on Mountain View Trail.

Initially, I was feeling quite good. I managed to run the first couple miles back up Mountain View. Then, in waves, I went through periods of feeling really drained and beat to feeling better (although still in considerable pain) and managing some running. As I hit the last mile and half of the trail, I started seeing a few more runners and by the time I got to the top of Mt. Werner, I was in a train of seven runners. It was cool to press up that final section of trail with a other miserable companions. Finally at the summit, I knew it was a final 6 mile downhill to the finish. I knew I was going to finish and I knew it was going to hurt getting there, so I filled up my water bottle grabbed a handful of fruit and started off. I looked at my watch and it was just about the 10 hour mark. I decided that I could muster a 6 mile run in under an hour to finish under 11 and I proceed to give my quadraceps a nice, long thrashing as I snaked my way to the base of the ski area. Hurt as it did, I was able run almost the entire way down and crossed the finish line in 10:53:14.

At the finish, I was stoked to see Katy (who had blazed a 10:06, one minute faster than last year and 5th Female) as well as a bunch of good friends (JD, Derek, Jason, Becca and Kiarra) who had come down to check out the masochism first hand. All in all, it was another humbling day in the mountains. I didn't run nearly as fast as I'd hoped but the effort was there and lessons were learned. Start slow. Eat early and often. Good times!

Mount Werner Classic Race Recap

This past Saturday, I ran in the 16th Mount Werner Classic trail run. There are 5 and 12 mile versions of the race and I participated in the 12'er, which starts at the base of the ski area and climbs 3,400+' to the summit of Mt. Werner before a two mile run descent to the finish at the top of the Gondola. A few weeks ago, I thought this might be my best race of the season but injuries to my feet in the past two races had me thinking otherwise. In the week preceding the race, I should've returned my normal training runs but, instead, I had taken a week off from running and went on two very light, short trail runs during the week. The Achilles tendon on my right foot remained slightly sore to the touch and my plantar faciitis in my left foot seemed to be neither better nor worse. Neither ailment really affects me while I am running but I certainly feel it post run and first thing in the morning. Waking up Saturday morning, I was unsure if I would run the whole race or if I might even hurt myself further if I even ran. I decided to run very slowly to the start (only a mile or so from the house) and see how I felt when I got there to decide whether or not I would race.

I got my race number and lingered at the start at the base of the Gondola, watching other runners file into the area. I was struck at how fit everyone looked and it occured to me that this being such a tough race, it was bringing out the more serious crowd of athletes. On top of that, the race had sold out it's 125 entries for the first time in the history of the race. There were some good runners in this crowd. It may have just been the fun, pre-race atmosphere, but I immediately felt well enough to run. Saying "hello" to the other runners, watching people stretch and warm up, it really got me into the mood to get out there with like-minded people on what was already a beautiful, sunny but cool Steamboat morning.

I decided to go out very easy and only run uphills if I really felt good. My goal if I had been completely healthy was to finish in 2 hours, so I decided that 2:15 was a reasonable goal considering my foot issues. If I really felt good, I thought I might run back down the mountain and back home. I wanted to run slow and easy enough to do this.

After a quick run down of the course by the race director, we were off at 8:00 a.m. This race is essentially a 10 mile climb to the top of the mountain with a 2 mile descent. The climbing starts from the very beginning, although gently, and we all started snaking our way up the ski area. I fell into a relaxed pace, making sure to breathe through my nose only, ensuring I kept it nice and easy. (I did not want to blow up! I kept on thinking about pacing Katy at Leadville in two weeks.) By the time we had completed the first .75 miles up to the bottom Thunderhead I had found a comfortable groove and started to really enjoy myself.

The next couple miles up to the Gondola, first on dirt road and then on the Valley View trail, I felt energized and happy. It was a beautiful day and I was feeling good. Much like the Spring Creek race, I was running on trails I was very familiar with and knew what to expect as we climbed higher. I had plenty of water in my handheld so I passed the first water stop at Snowmaking.

At one point, we passed the game trail that I run up from Whistler Park and I couldn't help but feel like I was right in my backyard. I spent a little bit of the climb talking with a cool local guy named Ryan. I was in such a great mood thinking about all the previous times I'd been on this trail as we cruised up the aspen strewn mountain side. After about 4 miles of steady climbing, I hit the Duster cat track and ran with Brian, a dude from Orange County, for the relatively flat 2 miles out to Rendezvous. He was fun to run and talk with and made the race alot more fun. He was primarily a mountain biker but had done some cool adventure runs like the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim. He and his girlfriend were on vacation by travelling and mountain biking or trail running at various places. We filled our water bottles at the Rendezvous water stop and I left first but felt nature's call and pulled over on the side of the trail to relieve myself. Here, Brian passed me and so did one other runner (Roy Cardwell of Vail). I knew the next section was a 2+ mile long climb to the summit so I just hung back and did a fair share of hiking to take it easier on my feet. I passed Brian after a while and then checked the GPS. Once I knew I had 3 miles remaining in the race, I began to run again and decided to run the rest of the way to the summit and cruise the downhill to the finish. Roy and I pushed each other to the top and started downhill. His shoe came untied and I ran past him as he cheered me on. (Nice guy!) I opened up my stride and cruised the switchbacks on Storm Peak Challenge, passed the Four Points Hut and finished up strong on a short climb back to the Gondola. I ran in easy to the finish and the timer said I looked like I didn't even break a sweat. I ended up being the 8th finisher in 2:06. I hung out at the finish to see a couple of the other guys I had run with finish. I ate a little at the finish tent and socialized for a couple minutes but I felt so good I decided to do the run home. I ran another 5 miles down the mountain and back to the house to finish with about 18 miles and 3 hours of running for the day. My feet were definitely sore afterwards and I've decided to only run in the pool for the next two weeks until Leadville. Speaking of ...

Katy and I went down to Leadville this weekend so that she could show me some of the important points in the race. We walked a couple of the trails and drove over the road sections and looked at the places where some of the aid stations will be located. It made the upcoming race all the more real and looking up to Hope Pass (12,600') from Twin Lakes (9,200'), all the more epic.

Spring Creek Memorial Trail Run Race Report

I can't believe I've been neglecting the Steamboat Springs Running Series for so long. If the other races they put on are as well organized and fun to be at as this one was, then I'm going to be a regular (at least, for trail races)!

I parked my truck at Steamboat Springs High School and ran a little more than a half mile to the start/finish to pick up my race number. It was cool and sunny at 7:30 a.m., perfect weather for a run. I saw Katy, who was volunteering as a 5K timer, picked up my race number and walked around to stay loose. There was a great turnout. Katy told me that the race had sold out: 100 runners. A few minutes before the start, I made my way to starting line and chatted for a minute with a guy visiting from San Francisco (yeah! Big up, S.F.) Last minute instructions about course markings (which I should've listened to better!) and we were off.

I was really pumped to be running my shortest race of the year. Knowing that I would be done in a little over an hour (I was shooting for 75 minutes), instead of 6 or 10 or 12 hours, made the run seem all the more casual. I felt healthy enough to run a fast time but didn't want to go so hard that I might hurt myself.

The run starts off with a very short climb and descent and then runs ever so slightly uphill along the creek for about a mile. Here, I settled into the second pack of runners and watched the fast guys go blazing ahead of every one else. I felt really comfortable and smooth. We made the short but steep climb up to Spring Creek Trail (proper) and started off into the woods. About 100 yards later, we cut hard up the hillside in a drainage that went up, up, up. I didn't even bother trying to run it. I noticed the woman in front me trying for a while but she just got tired. My hike was plenty fast enough and I stayed behind her for a few more minutes before making a move past her and the next two runners. I picked up the pace and felt good as we neared the 2.5-3 mile mark. It was very thick forest with lots of chest high grasses, branches, roots, mud and downed trees everywhere. Super fun ascent! Ahead, I could see the last two runners of the chase pack about 100 yards ahead of me. I was certain I'd be able to catch them at my current pace.

About a minute after thinking this, I missed a race trail marker and made a wrong turn up a game trail and into the woods. About 20 or 30 seconds later, when I didn't see any more markers, I knew I had made a mistake but had no idea where the trail was. (Oh shit!) Then, I see two guys following me...uh oh. I yell back, "I'm not on the trail!" About that time, I hear, "The trail's over here!" coming from another runner. (Ahhh!) I started laughing and bushwacked my way back across to the proper trail. (Rats!) I wasn't upset, though. On the contrary, I thought that little miscue made the race that much more fun and adventurous. I had to be the only person who was laughing as they climbed up that steep, forest trail.

Still, I lost a few minutes and had to pass a few runners on the tight, uphill trail to regain some running room. Once I settled into this position, I didn't see any other runners for a couple miles. I finished this first big climb and opened up my stride on the next downhill. This was a fast mile-plus on a primitive wide trail. Mostly forested but punctuated with one nice meadow. As I ran down to a dirt road, I saw a water stop and passed it, making a left turn. I asked and the girls at the stop told me the last runner came through about 20 seconds ahead. The course came off of the Tatanka Ridge property and turned onto Buffalo Pass Road right after here and I began the uphill, mile or so run up to Dry Lake on the road. At this point, a runner comes up behind me and we talk a little. (Well, I talk alot but he seems pretty winded. Can't blame him, though. That climb was intense.) I run ahead of him at Dry Lake and begin the sweet 4 mile descent down Spring Creek Trail. I passed the aid station saying, "Thanks for volunteering!" to the person manning the table and they shout back an encouraging, "Have fun!" I do.

Once on the downhill, I just let gravity do it's thing. I let the trail pull me down it's meandering course. I cruise through the woods, over the rocks and across 13 man made bridges that span Spring Creek. You should have seen the frickin' smile I had on my face. I was so aware of it! It's a sublime feeling to just let your mind and legs go and spin downhill. At times, it's like I'm not even there. Only the trail exists.

I passed one runner around the 5.5 or 6 mile mark who reeled me in again with about two miles to go. I started talking to him to see how winded he was and he was happy but didn't want to talk too much. I took this as a sign of fatigue and pushed the pace to see if he wanted to run with me. He didn't take and over the last couple miles I pulled away from him. I looked at my watch earlier and saw I wouldn't make my 75 minute goal and just tried to run hard at the end. As I neared the finish line, I heard her voice and looked over and saw Katy at the finish line with a big smile on her face. I crossed the finish and gave her a big hug. I didn't bother listening for my time or placing because I didn't care at the moment. I had just had so much fun, I just wanted to tell Katy all about the race and talk with some of the other runners. (For the record, I think I finished in 79:13 (9th place!) so 75 wasn't a bad guess. Maybe if I hadn't made that wrong turn...)

It was so much fun to run a race on a trail that I get to do all the time. I saw a few familiar faces and made a couple new acquaintances. The race seemed to have a real hometown vibe to it. Katy said a family finished 1 through 5 in the 5K. How cool is that? I'm going to volunteer to work at some the races I don't run in order to get more involved in the local running community. There are some great people involved in it and they definitely showed up today at Spring Creek!

Earlier in the week, to tune up for this race and recover from the last, I did a VFF run on Spring Creek on Tuesday (6.3 miles, 1:02), then a fast 8.2 miles, 1:12 on Wednesday. I did have some new pain on the top of my right big toe at the end of TRT, now it's worse. So the recovery part didn't go so well. I'll have to take a couple days off from running to avoid a more serious overuse injury. Need to go swimmin'!