Vail Pass Half Marathon and Vasque Spring Run Off 10k>>>>GOPRO GAMES

Golden Axe>Gold Medal
 

 

Last weekend was a busy one. I was able to make my return to the Vail, Colorado specialty in the "Mountain GoPro Games" after a few years drought. I promised to return after my last trip to the oxygen deprived city. It took some years but in 2014 it was all worthwhile. The last race at this event ended with me taking a wrong turn and dropping back to 3rd only to make up just enough time to get 2nd and miss out on the title. This year, thanks to the Vail Running Club I was able to pre run the course with some veterans of the trails in the area! Ellen Miller who is a mountaineering legend helped set up the meet up and it went great. I was able to meet some of the locals from the trail running community and witness the Vail Running Club's first team run. I was pumped to be back in Vail to compete. Things have changed, the course for the 10k was much harder I noticed, the sponsor titles have changed etc. New beginnings!

My footwear and apparel sponsor SCOTT Sports provided some discount cards for all attendees which I presented shortly before we set out on the muddy course that would host the Vasque Spring Run off 10k on Sunday.

Day 1: Vail Pass Half Marathon 13.7 mi
Gear: SCOTT Sports Race Rocker, MIO Alpha Strapless Heart Rate Monitor, Julbo Run Sunglasses

Whoooa, hold your horses. Before Sunday I had to worry about Saturday. The GoPro Games listed me as an "Athlete to watch" at the games for added pressure. As you know, I love pressure! I had a great few weeks of training leading up to the first event I planned to take part in, the Vail Pass Half Marathon! A 13.7 mile event climbing 3,000 feet starting at 8,200 feet of altitude. Not fun, especially after you start sucking wind because there will be no extra oxygen at any point after the start because you are going up...thinner and thinner the air gets. I was in a dual with my new training partner Zach M. whom has been a great addition to my group of partners here in Colorado.

The longer the event the better he gets so I knew that late in the race things could get interesting. I was able to pull away with 6k-7k to go and just maintained my effort as topped Vail Pass. I was surprised the race felt better than our last workout.

Articles on Day 1
Idaho Mountain Express News Article: http://mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2007152385#.U5s7ou9OUuQ

Colorado Runner Mag Article on the Vail Pass Half Marathon: http://www.coloradorunnermag.com/2014/06/08/womens-sprint-finish-highlights-vail-pass-half-marathon/

Day 2: Spring Run Off 10k (~6.85 mi)
Gear: SCOTT Sports Trail Rocket, MIO Alpha Indigo Strapless Heart Rate Monitor

I woke up with a sore ankle and immediately got nervous about my last minute decision to double back and take on the 10k. On top of that, there were some talented runners charted to show up who hadn't run the Half marathon the day before so, now I had tough competition with fresh legs to worry about along with a sore ankle. Thankfully, the ankle felt just fine after warming up a few minutes. As we approached the first kilometer, reaching the steepest section in my opinion, I had been reeled in a bit by the 2nd place finisher.

I looked back again about 2 mins later and he had fallen back and now the guy in 3rd looked to be on the hunt. This course had everything I love, muddy trails, technical bits, steep climbs and long downhill slopes across the ski areas below Vail peak. I was definitely more prepared for this race and had a ton of fun with the course. I ended up getting ahead by nearly 2 mins before really backing off the steady pace we had set early on. I ended up running 45:05, which is the fastest time on the current course so I guess its safe to say Course Record!? One thing athletes know about the GoPro Games is that you shouldn't get hung up on "times" too much. The course has never been the same consistently for more than say 2-3 years at a time (That includes even the half marathon course). Second place was Alex N. from my city who was also on the World Mountain Running Team with me in Poland last year!

After the event I checked out a few of the other events taking place at the GoPro Games like the Road Biking, slack lining, and the day before I made sure to check out the Mountain Biking to see how many SCOTT bikes I could point out (ALOT) as well as root on my friends who took on the challenge. All in all, the event was a lot of fun and I think, a great stepping stone towards the rest of the mountain season for me. Stay tuned, next I will return to Mt. Washington to fine tune my climbing before making a big push at the USA National Mountain Running Championships to vie for my 16th USA National Team spot as well as a chance to win my 9th USA National Championship!

Wanna watch the highlights of the Games on TV?

The 2014 GoPro Mountain Games is going to be blowing up on TV. Get excited for two unique shows to be aired on NBC Sports after the event. See below for 2014 TV and webcast schedules.

2014 GOPRO MOUNTAIN GAMES TV SCHEDULE
Sat. June 21st | 3pm EST/1pm MST | NBC Sports Network | 90 Minute Highlight Show
Details: The Best of the GoPro Mountain Games showcases the top outdoor adventure athletes competing in 25 sports including steep creek kaaking, slopestyle mountain biking, slackline and many more. It's the nation's largest celebration of mountain sports and lifestyle!
Tues. July 8th | 11pm EST/9pm MST | NBC Sports Network | 60 Minute Show TBD

A new partnership/endorsement for 2014-15 will be announced soon.... I wish I could give you a hint, buuuut you will just have to wait to see who it is!

#SCOTTSPORTS #MIOGLOBAL #JulboUSA #Gardenoflife...Who will be next???