Sprint to the finish

I'll run in what will probably be my last race of 2009 on Saturday, the Silent Trails Run between Laramie and Cheyenne, Wyoming. It's a 10-mile race in the Medicine Bow National Forest. The course takes place between 8,000 and 9,000 feet above sea level, a nice challenge for this flatlander. But I think the excitement of my first trail race since leaving Juneau will more than compensate for any adverse effects caused by the altitude.

There's a sizable hill nicknamed "Death Crotch" between miles 4 and 6. Looking at the elevation map, I'll climb 600 feet in elevation over a distance of about 1.25 miles. If I remember correctly, Juneau's Mount Roberts run gained 1,800 feet in three miles, so I have an idea of what to expect.

I think I'd like to run this in about 1:30, which would be around my pace during the Coal Creek Canyon 12K back on July 4th. That was another race with a gigantic hill at high elevation.

I'm expecting the competition to be pretty fierce. I finished 30th out of 105 runners in Colorado, which I was thrilled about. I'm hoping for the same placement on Saturday. I typically care more about my time than where I place; however, this isn't your typical 10-miler. Taking a peak at previous years' results, many of the Silent Trails racers, not surprisingly, live in southeast Wyoming. Cheyenne is at 6,000 feet in elevation and Laramie is at 7,100. Mission, on the other hand, is at roughly 2,600. That's by far the highest elevation I've ever resided at, but I'm no mountain man, for sure.

I may be able to find a local race (as in, somewhere in South Dakota) for sometime in November, but I'm treating Saturday's run as my last gasp for 2009. I haven't had a bad racing year; however, I haven't finished all of my races with a warm, fuzzy feeling either. (I'm talking to you, Spearfish Canyon.) If today's kick-ass 10-miler is any indication though, I should be able to tackle the Death Crotch with ease next weekend.