from sea level to 10,400k - Breck Crest 10k race report

Thoughts at the start

As I toed the line this past Sunday morning in Breckenridge, CO - I wondered to myself "Now *whose* great idea was this?  And WHY did I get up early when I could have slept in??"   

I was definitely thinking it was a bad idea - especially since I had spent the last week at sea level - eating and drinking my way through NYC. I had flown in from NYC Saturday afternoon - zipped home and unpacked/packed and booked it to Breck.  I had a wedding to go to in Keystone on Sunday and had agreed to run a race with my friend, Lynnette (wife to my Firecraker 50 pal) . We both signed up for the Breck Crest 10k.   

me and Lynnette - yes, I'm standing on my tip-toes so I won't look so short!

Plus, I really wanted to get a *real* trail running race under my belt before the Golden Leaf Half Marathon.  AND anything you do in Breckenridge - its the *real* deal.  Breck is known for their hardcore races and locals.  I have been doing a fair bit of trail running, but have not run an actual trail race.  Ok...so maybe it was a good idea.

The race was very small.  I think there were 60 people doing 10k, ~150 the half and ~60 the full marathon.  The race start/finish is at Riverwalk park so there's about 1/4 of a mile on pavement, but the rest is on dirt.

The race promised to be a "typical" Breck race course...a gut busting climb the first half and a balls-to-wall descent the 2nd half.

Miles 1 - 3

Lynnette and I have very comparable times on the half marathon distance - so I figured we'd be very close to each other during the race.  She had sprained her ankle a week prior and it was feeling a lot better, but she was going to be cautious on the downhills.

Off we went and immediately I was out of breath and my legs felt like LEAD.   I shook my head and thought "oh my...this is going to be ROUGH".   Lynnette took off and I watched her go - my PE was high and I didn't think it would be a good idea to try to keep up.   Then I noticed her shoe lace was untied.   I was going to shout out a warning, but I was so out of breath I couldn't talk.   Luckily, she noticed and while she stopped and tied her shoe I passed her...a minute later she passed me back. 

Most of the climbing is in the first 2 miles.  As we made our way onto the singletrack (which was very beautiful) and my legs were complaining!  I was forced to walk the steeper sections - it was discouraging as I felt I was going backwards.  

Then some lady was wheezing in my ear.  I was hoping she'd pass me because it was super annoying.  I kept my slow pace and she stayed right on my left shoulder.   I seriously thought this lady was going to keel over, she sounded like she was in so much pain.  Eventually she made her way past me and I was relieved to not have to listen to her any more - I didn't care that she was ahead.  whew!  But then she was replaced with a "moaning" man on my left shoulder.  Seriously, he sounded like he should be carted off in a ambulance.  I thought to myself "well - obviously I'm not running hard enough because I don't sound like that...at least that guy is giving it his all."

Around mile 2 was a short rocky downhill, I immediately passed "moaning man" and he shouted encouragement to me "make up your time!"  Then I saw "wheezing lady" just ahead.  She was gingerly making her way down a short, steep, rocky downhill -  I stayed loose and relaxed, opened up my stride and blasted down the hill and passed her.  Then I caught sight of Lynnette.  I thought she was LONG GONE.  I cruised past her on some doubletrack and shouted to her "free speed - free speed".   I found out later she thought I said "race me!  race me!"  (I was horrified when she told me that!)

Sadly, the trail pointed up again and she easily cruised past me again. and I was able to keep slight of her.   As long as I was in sight distance of Lynnette I was happy.  We reached some flat singletrack and she navigated it well.  I was not able to make up anytime on her as she was cranking right along.  I was happy her ankle seemed to be holding up...

Miles 3 - 5.8 

There was an aid station on course as Lynnette stopped to get a bit of water - I cruised on past.   The downhill was now starting in earnest.   I passed a girl in a blue shirt and running skirt.  Then I passed 2 guys running together.  I was feeling GOOD!  The downhill was a mix of double track with some gravel, singletrack with fist sized embedded rocks, roots and some steeps with loose rocks.   

I really felt like I was able to adjust my stride quickly on the fly.  I tried to keep it opened up, but when it got really tricky then I would take very quick, teeny-tiny steps and then open up my stride again.  I saw a couple ahead of me and I was quickly gaining ground.  The guy heard me coming and nicely moved over and he told his friend that I was coming.   As I blazed past him - he shouted to me "don't worry!  We come pick you up after you fall".    I was feeling very confident in my skill at this point and I just laughed to myself "well buddy - there won't be any falling going on...at least not by ME!"

I really believe my mtn biking experience came into play here.   I know to go fast downhill on a mountain bike you have to look ahead and stay loose and relaxed.  I believe it's the same with running downhill.  A few times my ankle would roll on uneven terrain or a rock would slip out from under my foot and I just would relax into it and not fight it and all was well.

I felt really good cardio wise on the downhill too - I tried to make up some time.  We finally rolled back into town and it leveled out - immediately my legs felt like LEAD again.  They were feeling heavy and sluggish.  I noticed my right shoelace had come untied so I stopped and tied it - didn't want to trip and fall so close to the finish.

Ted caught me near the finish line

Aftermath

I stopped my Garmin and it read 1:07:41 - official results 1:07:40.  1st in AG (out of 5) and 6th overall in gender (out of 30)  

They gave out these cool medals to the 1st place AG finishers.

front

back

 The race promoter, Jeff Westcott (aka Westy - also promoter of my beloved Firecracker 50) gave me a really nice and sweet intro when he announced my AG win.  He said "Cynthia is a long time mountain bike racer that has supported the local races.   She's mixing things up this year and is giving running a try".   I was proud and embarrassed at the same time.  Westy is a great race promoter - he has always made me feel very special.   Everyone should experience at least one of his races to see what I mean.

the award presenter was sweet - she said "first shake hands and then I'll put the medal on you"

my fellow competitors

 My competitors were really sweet too.  The #2 & #3 ladies came up to me afterward.   They were impressed that I'm a mountain biker.  They told me their mis-adventures with mtn biking and all the falling that happens.  I showed them my scarred up knees and agreed.   They gave me come really nice compliments "you run downhill so fast!"  "you are so strong"  "you look so good".    I was a little uncomfortable with the attention, but they were so nice and sincere.   I'd make a lousy celebrity.

Lynnette did awesome too - she's in the 30-39 AG and came in 4th.  That is a very competitive AG too.   She told me she had a run in with "wheezing lady".  Not only was all the wheezing annoying - the lady pushed her aggressively while on the singletrack.  That made Lynnette determined to beat "wheezing lady" and she did.   Mission accomplished!

Post race analysis

First of all - I'm happy with my race.   I was HURTING on the uphills.  I'm not a good climber and maybe my recent visit with sea level made my climbing even worse.   Or it could have been running at over 9,600k elevation...that can put the hurt on anyone.  Regardless, I was able to hang tough.   

I'm SUPER pleased with my descending. The only person I run with on trails is Dave and Dave is a phenomenal descender, both in trail running and mtn biking.   He always leaves me in the dust - so I just assumed I was a terrible descender.  This race helped my confidence, maybe I don't suck on the downhills.

I never want to overstate anything I do - so I have to re-iterate that this was a VERY, VERY small race.  It was also not a *true* 10k.  The official race distance is 5.8 mile not 6.2.  My Garmin showed 5.88.  The last year's overall winner's time was 53:xx and this year's winner was 50:xx...so a 1:07:xx is not fast...just faster than the others in my AG.

The wedding!

My friend, Cat Morrison, is the true badass.  She won the CTR (Colorado Trail Race) this year and holds the Women's Singlespeed CTR record.   In a ceremony in true honest and open Cat-style - she married her longtime boyfriend.

Cat and Matt

got to love a wedding where most girls wear flip-flops...no Jimmy Choo's in this crowd!

the beautiful bride, Cat and me.

It was so great to see my awesome mtn biking friends, Jeny and Ez.  And I was happy to see my mtn bike coach/friend, Lynda Wallenfels.   Dave and I had a great time - it was a nice way to spend the day.