2009 Blogs
A 4.5 mile running race. Stop rubbing your eyes, you read that correctly.
I woke early Saturday morning to a dark and dreary day, and the pitter-patter of rain drops on the bushes beside my patio. I was tempted to shut the alarm clock off and pull the covers back over my head. But I had less than an hour until Dan and Nicole came to pick me up, and I had some very important tasks to take care of, like making my coffee and drinking it too. At 7, we cruised outta town and up to Estes Park, about a 50-minute drive. We stepped out of the car into an even colder and rainier climate. The race is called Sombrero Trail run and it starts at Sombrero Ranch Stables. The name did not disappoint, as the parking officials were all on horseback and wearing sombreros and the damp air held the scent of the Wild West. Plus, the trails were made technical not only from rocks & roots, but from horse plops here and there.
The course was 4.5 miles of awesome singletrack, winding you up to an elevation of 8,000' with 900' of gain from start to finish. When you could get a second to look up from where you were placing your feet, the course offered top views of Estes Park and the Continental Divide. The first mile brought you to the finish area, where volunteers were already cheffing up the post-race breakfast of cowboy coffee, pancakes, eggs, and sausage. I heard some people cheering for me, "Wahoo, second woman!". I didn't know I was going to race this until the night prior. My training consisted of a run when I got off the plane from Australia, and another little jaunter on Thursday. I figured I probably had two paces: if-I-go-slower-I'll-collapse-from-lack-of-momentum or if-I-go-harder-I'll-collapse-because-I-can't-move-my-heavy-legs-that-quickly. But I heard second woman, and was like "Wha? There's only one set of breasts in front of me?!" So I did the unimaginable...I made my heavy-legs step forward faster. Soon enough I saw a blond ponytail up the trail. Up one of the steep climbs I made my bridge. Then my tactics came into play. I had no idea for how long I could keep the pace up, so I 'drafted' off of her, resting and not burning my matches. On the next climb I made my move and she said "nice job", and I said "you too". My goal of a training-for-'cross-run turned into eye of the tiger, and I was Rocky on a fun run.
So anyways, it was lots of steep climbs and descents with amazing views on ripping single track. It ended with a tasty breakfast, cool t-shirts, and a mountain goat bobble-head for the winners. I learned that no matter what the event, if there is a start and finish line, it is impossible for me to not go mental. A win is a win, no matter if it's a tractor-pull competition at the state fair, a National Championships, a darts or foosball playoff, or a carbomb gulping competition.
I woke early Saturday morning to a dark and dreary day, and the pitter-patter of rain drops on the bushes beside my patio. I was tempted to shut the alarm clock off and pull the covers back over my head. But I had less than an hour until Dan and Nicole came to pick me up, and I had some very important tasks to take care of, like making my coffee and drinking it too. At 7, we cruised outta town and up to Estes Park, about a 50-minute drive. We stepped out of the car into an even colder and rainier climate. The race is called Sombrero Trail run and it starts at Sombrero Ranch Stables. The name did not disappoint, as the parking officials were all on horseback and wearing sombreros and the damp air held the scent of the Wild West. Plus, the trails were made technical not only from rocks & roots, but from horse plops here and there.
The course was 4.5 miles of awesome singletrack, winding you up to an elevation of 8,000' with 900' of gain from start to finish. When you could get a second to look up from where you were placing your feet, the course offered top views of Estes Park and the Continental Divide. The first mile brought you to the finish area, where volunteers were already cheffing up the post-race breakfast of cowboy coffee, pancakes, eggs, and sausage. I heard some people cheering for me, "Wahoo, second woman!". I didn't know I was going to race this until the night prior. My training consisted of a run when I got off the plane from Australia, and another little jaunter on Thursday. I figured I probably had two paces: if-I-go-slower-I'll-collapse-from-lack-of-momentum or if-I-go-harder-I'll-collapse-because-I-can't-move-my-heavy-legs-that-quickly. But I heard second woman, and was like "Wha? There's only one set of breasts in front of me?!" So I did the unimaginable...I made my heavy-legs step forward faster. Soon enough I saw a blond ponytail up the trail. Up one of the steep climbs I made my bridge. Then my tactics came into play. I had no idea for how long I could keep the pace up, so I 'drafted' off of her, resting and not burning my matches. On the next climb I made my move and she said "nice job", and I said "you too". My goal of a training-for-'cross-run turned into eye of the tiger, and I was Rocky on a fun run.
So anyways, it was lots of steep climbs and descents with amazing views on ripping single track. It ended with a tasty breakfast, cool t-shirts, and a mountain goat bobble-head for the winners. I learned that no matter what the event, if there is a start and finish line, it is impossible for me to not go mental. A win is a win, no matter if it's a tractor-pull competition at the state fair, a National Championships, a darts or foosball playoff, or a carbomb gulping competition.