A Run Through Time

A Run Through Time might imply the race passes numerous sights from a variety of time periods. However, if you want to run this race in Salida, CO, be ready to run through time, literally. In fact, at some points, time might even stand still. This course ascends into the sky and rolls through the woods where no person would dare to go most parts of the year.

An 8-mile dirt road never relents as it climbs up and up. If there was any grace in the race director’s heart, it would turn there. Instead it turns to ice and a series of roller-coaster hill go to an out and back. It would be nice if the roads didn’t have 6-inches of mud on every long climb and blistering descent.

I started slow, hearing about the course from Leadville stud runner (19:33)Harry Harcrow. Not wanting to get out too fast, I held back and passed my man Brooks at about 3 miles. I continued up and eventually formed a group with JT, Harry, and Ross from Salida. We sloshed through the mud and water until the aid station around 13 miles. I was in about 13th place and we jostled places with a few guys on the way back to the turn off. A long downhill section cranked the legs a little bit but we hit 17.2 as a group of 4. JT and another guy pulled away on the long ice hills while Harry and I walked. When Harry fell back, I decided to go after JT.

Unfortunately, the last 9 miles of the course easily eclipsed the first 17 as the worst section. A snow cat had driven up the hill leaving rutted tire tracks in 2 feet of snow. Awkward footing made me keep kicking the inside of my leg so hard I ended up with cuts on my calf muscles. When there wasn’t snow, there was mud...inches of black, slippery mud. And often, the mud had rocks in it causing ankle rolls every few seconds. There was no rhythm in the run and it took me a long time to catch up to JT. We chatted for a few and I bounded down the hill.

The last 3 miles were pain. All of it was downhill on a dirt road. My legs screamed for the bottom with every switchback turn. I saw a guy ahead of me but I knew that with the time left there was no way of catching him. I crossed in just under 3:55, good for 11th place. I had run very conservative and probably could have gone 10 min faster and a few places better if I pushed the earlier miles, but I needed to be smart. The course was unknown to me (except that it was hard), and I had another marathon the following weekend. I had done 20+ mile long runs the preceding 3 weeks and I am training through. So all in all, a great day. Tim Parr, Andy Henshaw, Nick Clark, and Ryan Birch took the top 4 spots, and losing to those guys is more than acceptable!