After a disappointing day at Kendall Mountain I decided to race La Maratona. I was home for 4 days before I headed back to Colorado. Enzo and I decided to go through Moab to see some new places. Thursday morning we packed up the Prius and headed for Denver. My friend Liz (I hadn’t seen her in 11 years or so) agreed to put us up for a couple nights. We stayed in Denver Thursday night, Frisco Friday night and back to Denver on Saturday after the race. We had a blast seeing my friends and even came home with a new dog, Otto.
Our new dog Otto.
Dinner at the hotel. I remembered plasticware, but not plates.
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Getting ready for my early morning wake up
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La Maratona
We stayed in Frisco, but it was an easy drive to Copper Mountain for the race. I got my bib number and signed my waiver. Good to go. It was a little chilly out, but we could wait inside the café or the locker area of the ski resort. This also meant we had access to a very large, very nice bathroom. (No waiting to use the bathroom – a runner’s dream come true!) I was surprised how small the race was – I just thought there would be a lot more people. So Enzo and I hung out with everyone else in the locker area. I got the chance to meet and chat with Sara Wagner. I have been wanting to connect with her because I am hoping at some point she will let me pick her brain. The race start was delayed because the medic was late arriving. I’m not completely sure because I had already turned on my Garmin, but I am guessing we were 20 to 30 minutes late to start. Finally, we line up at the start line, get a few instructions and start running.
We stayed in Frisco, but it was an easy drive to Copper Mountain for the race. I got my bib number and signed my waiver. Good to go. It was a little chilly out, but we could wait inside the café or the locker area of the ski resort. This also meant we had access to a very large, very nice bathroom. (No waiting to use the bathroom – a runner’s dream come true!) I was surprised how small the race was – I just thought there would be a lot more people. So Enzo and I hung out with everyone else in the locker area. I got the chance to meet and chat with Sara Wagner. I have been wanting to connect with her because I am hoping at some point she will let me pick her brain. The race start was delayed because the medic was late arriving. I’m not completely sure because I had already turned on my Garmin, but I am guessing we were 20 to 30 minutes late to start. Finally, we line up at the start line, get a few instructions and start running.
Getting ready in the locker room. Nicest pre race area ever!
Before I tell you about my day I want to tell you how awesome this course is to run. Let me be clear – it’s really hard and it’s up a mountain, but that said, it is a really runnable course. The course was really well marked – I was never worried about being lost or off course. The aid stations were well stocked with an assortment of food and quite possibly the nicest race workers ever! They made the experience awesome. And the support from the other runners was amazing. You need to put this race on your to do list.
Typically, I really like a looped course. I like knowing to take it easy the first time because I am going to be doing it all again. That was my plan this time, but it might have been a mistake. Anyways, so I took it easy. I tried to keep running as much as possible. I kept thinking about Catlow Shipek’s blog about Speedgoat and when I wanted to walk I would repeat the words “Catlow shuffle” in my head. Once we started heading to the summit – walking was the only option for me. Up, up, up. I got to run across snow, which I totally loved! I was running in Salomon Speedcross for the first time and they were amazing! Mark Cosmas recommended them to me when I told him I needed something to keep me from slipping all over the place. He was dead on with these shoes. (If you need trail shoes iRun is the place to go – they have never given me bad advice or bad shoes). I get to the top and I really have to pee, but I’m on the top of a mountain and there are not a lot of options for modesty. There was a small rock formation so I tell the guy at the top “Hey, I’m going to pee behind your rocks over there.” “Yeah – go for it”, he says. I felt I needed to let him know so he didn’t think I just walked right over the top. The down was amazing. I was running and feeling good. Off the road and on to the trail was fun. I was feeling really happy.
Then we had to go up again. Before long it became clear that it didn’t matter how easy I took it the first time. As I passed an aid station I commented on how much harder it felt this time. The guy behind me must have said the same thing because I heard the aid station worker say “Yeah – that’s what the girl in front of you just said.” By the time I was above tree line and trying to reach the summit I am pretty sure I looked like a drunk zombie. I was bonking hard and I knew it. I wasn’t sure if it was the altitude or my lack of nutrition.
I have been really struggling with nutrition. I have tried every gel out there and I literally struggle to swallow them. I typically end up spitting most of it. I decided to go with Cliff shot bloks this time. Unfortunately, they aren’t easy to chew up when you are breathing heavy. I was drinking Skratch in my water bottle, but that isn’t enough to support me through an entire race of this nature. I should have made a better effort to stay on top of my nutrition.
So I’m bonking going up the mountain and I took a GU out and thought maybe I could just “sip” it going up the mountain. But that didn’t work. Even though I was taking in very small amounts, I was struggling to swallow the gel and not vomit. I decided to give up but now have a full packet of GU. I decided to empty the packet on the ground and shove the empty wrapper in my water bottle. Was that the wrong decision? Did I poison some little animal? Is some bear discovering a love for peanut butter GU? I don’t know but I was in no position to make decisions so I apologize if that was a bad one. (I did later pick up trash off the ground so maybe they even out?) I get to the top of the mountain and tell the aid worker, “I’m bonking hard. Maybe it’s the altitude?” “Yeah,” he says, “I had a hard time up here for a while this morning.” I have learned that I struggle above 12,000 feet. I just start to feel shitty. I made it to the top, I touched the flag and headed back down. I was not feeling great so I walked down because I wasn’t convinced I wouldn’t eat it. When I got to the road I was so happy! Time to run!
What the bleep? I was not running. Well, not fast. My knee was hurting and I knew exactly what it was – IT band problems. The whole time we were camping I did no strength and no yoga. That equals disaster for me and I know better. So here I am at mile 14 and I should be flying downhill but I am running with a limp until I no longer can and have to resort to walking - but let’s call it hiking because it sounds better. The guys that had been around me were all sympathetic to my troubles. I was pretty happy to start the final uphill climb because I knew I wouldn’t look like a loser hiking and not running. A couple of us did some chatting as we climbed to the final turn around. A lot of that chatting involved wondering where the hell the turn around was exactly? I was charging up the climb until about the last mile. I was starting to feel very ambivalent about getting to the turn around. We finally see an orange cone, but weren’t sure the meaning… But from behind a voice calls, “the orange cone is the turn around.” I should have been happy, but I knew the hardest part was in front of me. 4 miles or so to the finish. All downhill. Miles I should be flying down. I start my slow run alternating walk. Depressing. My goal had been to finish in 5 hours, maybe 5 and a half. I was now aiming to finish under 6 hours and 45 minutes. Little did I know the most humiliating part of the run was still ahead of me. People in chair lifts are overhead watching me walk to the finish line. I want to yell up “I’m injured and this was really hard!” Of course they probably weren’t judging, but I was so busy judging myself that it didn’t matter. Finally the finish line! I manage to run it in and Enzo was right at my side to help me out.
At mile 14 I knew this race was no longer a race for me, but I knew I could still hike and finish. There was no reason to quit. I came all this way and I would totally make the cut off. And I would still get points for the Sky Running series so I stuck it out. (The series updated the points today and despite my less than amazing performances I am now in 2nd place because I did both races) But points or no points – I am happy I finished. It was an amazing day and the hardest thing I have ever done. Congrats to all the finishers!
I’m already planning to be there next year. I hope to see you there!
Typically, I really like a looped course. I like knowing to take it easy the first time because I am going to be doing it all again. That was my plan this time, but it might have been a mistake. Anyways, so I took it easy. I tried to keep running as much as possible. I kept thinking about Catlow Shipek’s blog about Speedgoat and when I wanted to walk I would repeat the words “Catlow shuffle” in my head. Once we started heading to the summit – walking was the only option for me. Up, up, up. I got to run across snow, which I totally loved! I was running in Salomon Speedcross for the first time and they were amazing! Mark Cosmas recommended them to me when I told him I needed something to keep me from slipping all over the place. He was dead on with these shoes. (If you need trail shoes iRun is the place to go – they have never given me bad advice or bad shoes). I get to the top and I really have to pee, but I’m on the top of a mountain and there are not a lot of options for modesty. There was a small rock formation so I tell the guy at the top “Hey, I’m going to pee behind your rocks over there.” “Yeah – go for it”, he says. I felt I needed to let him know so he didn’t think I just walked right over the top. The down was amazing. I was running and feeling good. Off the road and on to the trail was fun. I was feeling really happy.
Then we had to go up again. Before long it became clear that it didn’t matter how easy I took it the first time. As I passed an aid station I commented on how much harder it felt this time. The guy behind me must have said the same thing because I heard the aid station worker say “Yeah – that’s what the girl in front of you just said.” By the time I was above tree line and trying to reach the summit I am pretty sure I looked like a drunk zombie. I was bonking hard and I knew it. I wasn’t sure if it was the altitude or my lack of nutrition.
I have been really struggling with nutrition. I have tried every gel out there and I literally struggle to swallow them. I typically end up spitting most of it. I decided to go with Cliff shot bloks this time. Unfortunately, they aren’t easy to chew up when you are breathing heavy. I was drinking Skratch in my water bottle, but that isn’t enough to support me through an entire race of this nature. I should have made a better effort to stay on top of my nutrition.
So I’m bonking going up the mountain and I took a GU out and thought maybe I could just “sip” it going up the mountain. But that didn’t work. Even though I was taking in very small amounts, I was struggling to swallow the gel and not vomit. I decided to give up but now have a full packet of GU. I decided to empty the packet on the ground and shove the empty wrapper in my water bottle. Was that the wrong decision? Did I poison some little animal? Is some bear discovering a love for peanut butter GU? I don’t know but I was in no position to make decisions so I apologize if that was a bad one. (I did later pick up trash off the ground so maybe they even out?) I get to the top of the mountain and tell the aid worker, “I’m bonking hard. Maybe it’s the altitude?” “Yeah,” he says, “I had a hard time up here for a while this morning.” I have learned that I struggle above 12,000 feet. I just start to feel shitty. I made it to the top, I touched the flag and headed back down. I was not feeling great so I walked down because I wasn’t convinced I wouldn’t eat it. When I got to the road I was so happy! Time to run!
What the bleep? I was not running. Well, not fast. My knee was hurting and I knew exactly what it was – IT band problems. The whole time we were camping I did no strength and no yoga. That equals disaster for me and I know better. So here I am at mile 14 and I should be flying downhill but I am running with a limp until I no longer can and have to resort to walking - but let’s call it hiking because it sounds better. The guys that had been around me were all sympathetic to my troubles. I was pretty happy to start the final uphill climb because I knew I wouldn’t look like a loser hiking and not running. A couple of us did some chatting as we climbed to the final turn around. A lot of that chatting involved wondering where the hell the turn around was exactly? I was charging up the climb until about the last mile. I was starting to feel very ambivalent about getting to the turn around. We finally see an orange cone, but weren’t sure the meaning… But from behind a voice calls, “the orange cone is the turn around.” I should have been happy, but I knew the hardest part was in front of me. 4 miles or so to the finish. All downhill. Miles I should be flying down. I start my slow run alternating walk. Depressing. My goal had been to finish in 5 hours, maybe 5 and a half. I was now aiming to finish under 6 hours and 45 minutes. Little did I know the most humiliating part of the run was still ahead of me. People in chair lifts are overhead watching me walk to the finish line. I want to yell up “I’m injured and this was really hard!” Of course they probably weren’t judging, but I was so busy judging myself that it didn’t matter. Finally the finish line! I manage to run it in and Enzo was right at my side to help me out.
At mile 14 I knew this race was no longer a race for me, but I knew I could still hike and finish. There was no reason to quit. I came all this way and I would totally make the cut off. And I would still get points for the Sky Running series so I stuck it out. (The series updated the points today and despite my less than amazing performances I am now in 2nd place because I did both races) But points or no points – I am happy I finished. It was an amazing day and the hardest thing I have ever done. Congrats to all the finishers!
I’m already planning to be there next year. I hope to see you there!
FINISHED!!!
