My Thoughts on the Steamboat Springs 10k Race

Today, Jeff and I drove 2 and half hours from Lakewood to Steamboat to run a 10k race.  It didn’t hit me until the week before the race that it is super far and Jeff didn’t realize that we were going to be running at 10,000 feet above sea level.  We got lost on the way there and had to backtrack another 20 miles until we reached our doom.

Got out of the car, stretched, drank water, got pumped, etc… Jeff kept saying he’s done for while I kept thinking that this was a walk in the park.  The race director gave us a 15 minute warning until the starting time.  I was ready.  Got my sad sappy love song playlist on my phone and my noise cancelling earphones.

The gunshot was fired so everyone started running.  I had a good start as I passed people up left and right.  I kept thinking to myself, wow, this isn’t too bad.  All of a sudden, the nice little walk in the park turned into the path to hell.  I looked up and it was one of the steepest incline I have ever seen.

As I tried my best to keep my pace while running up this treacherous rocky path, the runners (this included old ladies and men) behind me were passing me up.  I wanted to surrender.  My thighs and calves were done for.  The elevation sucked the life out of me.  I wanted to cry and do the walk of shame back down the mountain.

It took me nearly forty minutes to get to the summit of the trail which was the half way point of the 10K (~3.4 miles).  There was an aiding station at the top.  They were passing out Gatorade, water, and energy gels.  As I was drinking Gatorade, it hit me that I was up 11,200ft. above sea level.  The guy handing out the drinks told me it’s all downhill from here.  He said it was “easy, breezy” from here on.  What a sign of relief.  NOT.

As I kept running, the trail sloped down with a vast amount of rocks ready to take out of my ankles.  I had basically control my run so I don’t mess up my knees or ankles.  “Easy, breezy” my ass or maybe I’m just super noob at running.

Finally made it down to the finish line with a time of an hour and nineteen minutes.  Probably the worst time I’ve ever gotten in a 10k race ever.  This is by far the hardest 10k I’ve ever done.  I’m glad I did it.  Jeff and I will handle any 10k races from now on.  I’m proud of him, he made it down.  He didn’t let me down.

What I can do to improve my time:

1) Start doing stairmasters at the gym.  This is for the incline.

2) Start running at higher elevations.  I felt like I needed an inhaler the whole time.

3) Eat pasta 2-3 days ahead of time.

4) Bring a Camelbak and those disgusting gels.  Those things would have been clutch.

5) Sunscreen.  Enough said.

6) Bring beef jerky.  If I don’t eat it then I’m sure a bear would likely sniff it out and start chasing me.  My time would have improved dramatically.