I ran the High Mountain Trail 50 K race in Leadville, Colorado
on July 19, 2003. The High Mountain Institute (www.hminet.org)
sponsors the race as a fund raising activity.
The course is a 15 mile loop around Turquoise Lake, up the
Colorado Trail and down the Sugarloaf Mountain power line. The
Leadville Trail 100 race also follows the Turquoise Lake and
power line sections. Starting from the HMI at 8 AM we ran
through a beautiful meadow, up a gravel road and up a short
power line hill to the Turquoise Lake dam. Then we followed the
rolling trail around Turquoise Lake to an aid station at the May
Queen campground. Both the meadow and lake trail were sunny and
hot. Then we took the Colorado Trail to the summit of Sugarloaf
Mountain. This trail is quite beautiful and shaded but has
plenty of rocks and roots and climbs constantly to the summit.
So the sweat still poured! The power line road toward the Fish
Hatchery has three vertical bumps and a steep descent and was
HOT. There were some rock sections but no roots! Leaving the
power line we ran about a mile on the level but HOT paved road
away from the Fish Hatchery to the HMI entrance road and on to
the HMI to complete the first loop. The second loop was just a
reverse of the first loop.
The first loop has a 4 hour time limit. My time for the first
loop was 3 1/2 hours (OK for a 63+ year old geezer) but the
reverse loop took 4 1/2 hours.
Aside from basic skill and ability; the 10,000+ ft altitude,
dehydration and inadequate fueling led to my demise late in the
run. The course is challenging but not severe if you are used
to the altitude, don't need to share your water with another dry
and hapless runner, and use an energy powder in some of your
water. The people who performed well (under 7 hours) drank up
to 15 pints of water as compared to the six pints I consumed.
NEXT TIME I'll drink 3 pints of liquid each 71/2 mile section!
Electrolyte pills every 2 hours or so are also critical for me.
I ran quite comfortably and safely (thanks to the cleats on the
soles) in Brooks Trespass II shoes from Boulder Running Company,
used Body Glide to control chaffing and slathered on plenty of
sun screen for UV protection. Sun glasses and a hat (if your
head is hair-challenged) also help.
As a final note, if the HMI 25K & 50K races are also the
Colorado USATF 25K and 50K championships in future races, sign
up for USATF membership ($15) on race day. You might win an age
group medal because most runners DON'T belong to the USATF. For
example, surprisingly, the third place Masters (40+ yrs. old)
USATF finisher in the 50K race finished after I, a non-USATF
member, finished.
Comments
Dave said ...
I ran the High Mountain Trail 50 K race in Leadville, Colorado on July 19, 2003. The High Mountain Institute (www.hminet.org) sponsors the race as a fund raising activity.
The course is a 15 mile loop around Turquoise Lake, up the Colorado Trail and down the Sugarloaf Mountain power line. The Leadville Trail 100 race also follows the Turquoise Lake and power line sections. Starting from the HMI at 8 AM we ran through a beautiful meadow, up a gravel road and up a short power line hill to the Turquoise Lake dam. Then we followed the rolling trail around Turquoise Lake to an aid station at the May Queen campground. Both the meadow and lake trail were sunny and hot. Then we took the Colorado Trail to the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain. This trail is quite beautiful and shaded but has plenty of rocks and roots and climbs constantly to the summit. So the sweat still poured! The power line road toward the Fish Hatchery has three vertical bumps and a steep descent and was HOT. There were some rock sections but no roots! Leaving the power line we ran about a mile on the level but HOT paved road away from the Fish Hatchery to the HMI entrance road and on to the HMI to complete the first loop. The second loop was just a reverse of the first loop.
The first loop has a 4 hour time limit. My time for the first loop was 3 1/2 hours (OK for a 63+ year old geezer) but the reverse loop took 4 1/2 hours.
Aside from basic skill and ability; the 10,000+ ft altitude, dehydration and inadequate fueling led to my demise late in the run. The course is challenging but not severe if you are used to the altitude, don't need to share your water with another dry and hapless runner, and use an energy powder in some of your water. The people who performed well (under 7 hours) drank up to 15 pints of water as compared to the six pints I consumed. NEXT TIME I'll drink 3 pints of liquid each 71/2 mile section! Electrolyte pills every 2 hours or so are also critical for me. I ran quite comfortably and safely (thanks to the cleats on the soles) in Brooks Trespass II shoes from Boulder Running Company, used Body Glide to control chaffing and slathered on plenty of sun screen for UV protection. Sun glasses and a hat (if your head is hair-challenged) also help.
As a final note, if the HMI 25K & 50K races are also the Colorado USATF 25K and 50K championships in future races, sign up for USATF membership ($15) on race day. You might win an age group medal because most runners DON'T belong to the USATF. For example, surprisingly, the third place Masters (40+ yrs. old) USATF finisher in the 50K race finished after I, a non-USATF member, finished.
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