Stage 1: Road Rules

Salomon Headquarters at Arrowhead Point Campground – The boys at Salomon had a great setup with drinks, snacks and loads of swag to give-away!

I wish I was a road runner…ok, not really. It didn’t take long for the nerves to get swallowed up by lactic acid as the sound of the starter pistol let over 140 runners loose for the 2nd annual Gore-Tex TransRockies Run.

Despite discussing various strategies during our warm-up, everything was changed on the fly once the race started (as is usually the case). Dennis and I really didn’t know what to expect during today’s 12 miles (22km) flat stage from Buena Vista to Numbers, CO – All we knew was that it was going to hurt! Our main goal was to stay in contact with the lead teams, and prep ourselves for a very hard 5 days of running – I think we did a pretty good job at achieving our objective, finishing 6th overall, about 6:30+ behind the leaders (total running time was 1:30:30).

Although the course was actually quite scenic, the 300m of elevation change and mixed gravel/pavement surface gave a clear advantage to the road runners. On the start line, it was evident that most of the teams were using today to ‘feel out’ the competition day and (hopefully) control their pace in this first stage to save energy for the rest of the week. After talking to a few of the lead teams throughout the day, it was evident that there was no holding back – funny how that competition ‘thing’ makes it hard to hold back…

As for us, we started off conservatively, letting the lead bunch of 4 teams (Team Salomon US, Nike/Rogue Valley Runners, Saab/Salomon UK and Heathens) slowly ease away – all of which include some very heavy hitters in the running World! We settled into a nice pace nestled in a big pack, all eyeing the group ahead. At the 5km mark, I upped the pace and starting chipping away at the teams in front of us, moving into 5th overall just ahead of the Fluffy Bunnies at the midway point (Control Station 1). The LA duo caught back up to us shortly after CS1 and so we used them to set the pace for the remainder of the race. With a few miles to go, we popped out on Hwy 24 and my legs went to mush. The constant repetition of flat terrain had taken its toll and I started to fade. Dennis did his best to pace me in, but instead of forcing a Top 5, we chose to cruise to the finish in Numbers and wait for tomorrow…

Overall, a good first day – I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s grunt, a short but steep hike up to 12,500ft, then a fast, technical descent into Twin Lakes.

A few Canuck notes of interest...

Fellow Albertans Mark Fewster and Kevin Masters dig into dinner last night at the BV Community Centre – These boys posted a strong showing in Stage 1, placing right behind us in 7th – Should make things interesting tomorrow eh boys...

Tannis Forest and her teammate Jess Donoghue (Team Jeta) placed 3rd overall in the Open Women's category - Tannis is no stranger to TR Run as she placed 3rd overall in last year's event.

Scott Manktelow and Greg Jackson (Track West) faired well in their first crack at TR. Scott's partner suffered an Achilles injury a few weeks ago, so today was a test to see how the ankle would hold up for the rest of the week.

Salomon Canada second Flight Crew Team of Munro Duncan and Courtney Harcott worked out the kinks on Stage 1, placing 8th overall in a tough Open Mixed category - tomorrow's hilly stage should be a better fit for the duo.

Canmore's Bruce Romanek and Andrew Young (Beaver Hunters) had a strong first day as well, finishing in 1:39. Both are eager to test their skills on tomorrow's Stage 2!

Full results at: http://www.transrockies.com/ when available...

Stage 2 Preview
Vicksburg to Twin Lakes: 10 miles/5045 feet climbing
At only 10 miles, this run from Vicksburg to Twin Lakes looks quick and easy, but the 3,098 foot climb to reach an elevation of 12,538 followed by an equally daunting 3,570 foot descent make this one of the toughest days of the Run.