I am finally back in Canada after 2 weeks in Colorado. From August 21-26th I ran in the 5th annual TransRockies Run, a 120 mile run from Buena Vista to Beaver Creek. My running partner and I went down early to acclimatize to the altitude and heat before the race. What an amazing event and week! There is so much to tell about the race, here are the highlights, the race would not have gone as well as it did if I had not worn my Back on Track gear, particularly the tights each night to help my body recover.
August 21- Stage 1- TransRockies race starts! This day we ran from Buena Vista to Railroad Bridge, a total distance of 20.9 miles and elevation gain of 2500 ft ft and max elevation of 9339 ft. It was a super hot day out, very dry and much of the course was covered with sand. The end of the race was tough as it was 4 miles with an uphill grade and out in the sun with no shade to be found.
August 22 - Stage 2 - Vicksburg to Twin Lakes a total distance of 13.3 miles and elevation gain of 3250ft ft and max elevation of 12 536 ft. This was my favorite stage of the whole run. We climbed over Hope Pass, now if you have ever read Born to Run, they talk about this pass in the Leadville 100. It is quite the climb with an amazing view and the best downhill run I have ever come across! (I love technical downhill runs!).
August 23 - Stage 3 - Leadville to Nova Guides at Camp Hale a total distance of 24.2 miles and elevation gain of 2800 ft ft and max elevation of 10 918 ft. I woke up with my legs being a bit tired and sore but nothing close to what I imagined they would feel like. This stage had a steep jeep road climb followed by a great traverse over a mountain meadow with the most amazing flowers!
August 24 - Stage 4 - Nova Guides at Camp Hale to Red Cliff a total distance of 14.1 miles and elevation gain of 2900 ft ft and max elevation of 11 678 ft. Still no crazy leg soreness or stiffness! It was this day I really became confident in my training and how I prepped my body for the race. This had one the coolest section of the entire race, literally! Near the end of the run we had a mile long section where we were running through the creek. The water was comfortably numb and I was loving it. From day one of the race I was know as the girl who would drop into any pool of water post run to cool off, so naturally I found a nice section in the creek to sit down in!
August 25 - Stage 5 - Red Cliff to Vail a total distance of 23 miles and elevation gain of 4200 ft and max elevation of 11 700 ft. This day is when general fatigue started to set in. A mixture of running, not being able to nap post race followed by poor quality sleeping in a tent had started to drain people by this point. Legs were still good woohoo! The best part about this day was calling my mom 5 minutes before the race started and she surprised me by telling me that my dad had rode his motor bike down from BC and would be surprising me in Vail! I was so happy I cried as I headed to the start line, nothing was going to slow me down with this news! It was great seeing my dad that night and knowing that he would be there at the finish line the next day.
August 26 - Stage 6 - Vail to Beaver Creek a total distance of 23.6 miles and elevation gain of 5100 ft and max elevation of 9525 ft. LAST DAY! It was very bitter sweet as I had made many friends during the week and each day the trails became more spectacular. This day was the most challenging day, not just because it was the last day but also it was the longest with the most elevation gain, with a good chunk of the climb being in the last 7 miles! The last 1.5 miles was all down hill through the Beaver Creek Ski Resort and we could see the finish a mile out. I don’t think we could run down those trails fast enough to the finish! We finish with a nice strong pace with smiles on our faces, eager to get our medals and finishers shirts.
This race has been one of the best experiences I have had to date, by for the most challenging both mentally and physically. The whole week we had to stay on top of our sleeping and eating as much as we could so that we could be ready to go the next day. But no matter how you rest or eat if your legs are feeling heavy the day can seem very long and my Back on Track tights played a major role in keeping my legs feeling light, plus they kept me warm on those cold mountain nights!
