for a few months. Erika math said that my endurance would carry me through the giant 10-mile climb, in exchange for the shorter mileage- 17.1. Spoiler- humbled is not the word! My training consisted of the following- spend July and August getting used to running and hiking at altitude. This was a little more challenging that anticipated. My friend and fellow transplant, Matt, told me it took him 2 years to get back where he was when he left the midwest. 2 years, 2 months... kind of the same, no? Lesson learned! I went into this with the attitude and knowledge that I would need to take my time and would likely be chasing cutoffs. Perhaps I should back up and explain a little about this race. It's a mountain run up and over Imogene Pass, which goes from Ouray to Telluride, and peaks at about 13,100 feet. The first 10 miles, from Ouray to the summit, are entirely uphill. It gains about 5000 feet elevation in that 10 miles, and then loses 4,000 back into Telluride. The cutoffs overall were not concerning, but the first one made me nervous. Runners had to be to Upper Camp Bird, 7.6 miles, in 2:30. For me, this translated into a pace that I knew would be challenging. My weakness is climbing, and when you combine that with being generally unprepared for the altitude, I was concerned. But like I said- no pressure for this one! I met a nice guy on the bus to the start line. We compared stories from different races, him being a triathlete and me an ultrarunner. We actually grew up not far from each other on the other side of the country- small world! At the start line, I was pleased to see cloudless blue skies. The weather channels were forecasting storms for the early afternoon, and the RD had already issued a statement saying that he would run and alternative course if that came to fruition. Lightning up above treeline makes me EXTREMELY nervous. I figured if it looked really questionable I could always turn around and head back into Ouray. The previous evening at the race meeting, the director referred to the first 5 miles as the "warm-up" because the elevation gain isn't quite to the point of making you want to cry. I planned to run as much of this section as I could in an effort to make that first cutoff. At about the 5 mile mark, I looked at my watch and realized that I was REALLY close to that first cutoff. I texted Jen and let her know that since running wasn't really an option from this point further, I was pretty sure I'd be turned back to Ouray, and I'd call her when I got on the bus back to Telluride. No problem, it was no pressure right? I figured I might as well enjoy myself the rest of the way to the aid station, so I took my sweet time looking around and taking pictures. Just past 7 miles, I realized that I hadn't seen any runners coming back down yet. Maybe I was closer to the cutoff than I thought I was? They let us know that it would be a hard cutoff to make sure everyone was over the top by noon, which was essential for safety. A few minutes later, I saw the aid station in all its glory. The volunteers were cheering loudly for runners as the cutoff approached, and the next thing I knew, the timer pointed at me and declared "last runner before the cutoff!" I wasn't sure whether or not I should laugh or cry. I took my time at the aid station, texted Jen and told her what happened, and then continued on. I was 100% convinced that my race was to over at that aid station. I was even planning on which hot spring we could visit in Ouray since I'd be back there anyway! I took a few minutes to look up, and pretty quickly realized that the RD was not joking when he called the beginning the "warm up." The rest of the way up was amazingly beautiful, just look at the pictures! The San Juan Mountains have a very different feel than the front range. It was also exceedingly hard. The last 2 miles rose almost 2500 feet, and I spent a lot of time deciding that any running training I did for this race was pointless, and I should have just hiked 14ers every weekend instead. While useful for the future, that epiphany did little for me at that point. I was also nervous because a storm cloud was forming over the pass. Oh well, not a lot I could do about any of this right now. I kept on marching and eventually, after a lot of moaning and groaning, I made it to the top! The view from the top was exquisite. I've been to the summits of quite a few mountains, but this was hard earned, and I feel like that made this all the better. I was really looking forward to this downhill, since descending is a favorite of mine. I was contemplating my strategy when all of the sudden, the sky opened up. HAIL! Ouch. We had been warned that most injuries on this course happen during the first downhill mile, because it was loose pebble-type rocks on top of bedrock- not very stable, especially on a significant grade. I went as fast as I could in an effort to avoid the dime-sized ice balls falling on my head. The way down was spectacular. It was not an easy run, there was a lot of that softball-sized rock coverage to contend with. But man, was it something to look at. The mountains all around, the aspen trees starting to change color, an old abandoned mining town, and eventually, Telluride opening up below. Once done, I decided I was quite proud of myself. I was underprepared and had to gut out quite a few tough sections. I think I can say that this was honestly one of the hardest races I've completed!
Side note: the town of Telluride is adorable. I could have spent a week here! Small town shops, great food places, a stage downtown with local performances, and a free gondola to the top of the mountain. Complete with bear. Of course.
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