2h,43m,25s

race report from july 12, 2009: this was the first time i've done a trail race of this magnitude and ranks as the second most challenging race i've ever done (the boulder backroads marathon maintaining a first place position because it was after all a marathon and this was only 12.6 miles). in terms of technical difficulty, it easily ranks first. i was pleased with my time since i didn't know what to expect and i figured that anything 3 hours or less would be respectable. still, as i finished the race, i knew in my heart that i could improve. not that i'm so concerned about the time. i would however, like to feel a little more comfortable during the run and not need to do quite as much "walking" on the way up. i must say that i'm truly in awe of those folks that do the pikes peak ascent & marathon (here's a link to a great article in runner's world). the turn around in the barr trail is only the halfway point for them. they are, simply put "bad asses" to be able to complete that race. ah, someday . . . maybe. next year i'd like to set my sights on the mount evans ascent in june. that could serve as a good warmup for the barr trail race.
at any rate the 2009 barr trail mountain race was an experience of great contrasts. the first three miles are pure climbing, traversing several switchbacks that overlook some very scenic views of colorado springs and the plains beyond. i will try to snap a photo when i'm up there next week (yes i still plan on running there once a week until the end of the summer at least) to add to this post. after an all too short portion of the course that flattens out, it's back to ascending. although the climb is only about a 1/2 mile or so, it covers some relatively steep terrain. then the next mile or so is somewhat flat and there are actually a couple of short downhill sections. the last mile (approximately) was basically uphill and completely exhausting and then suddenly you are at the turnaround, and it is (almost literally) all downhill from there. a whole new set of muscle groups is put into play and the pace of the race changes completely. consider this, my uphill time was approximately 1hr, 45 min, while my downhill time was just under an hour! the hard part in the downhill really came towards the very end (results page). with about a mile to go, my legs were just completely spent, and it was all i could do to keep them from collapsing under me. the other challenge in the downhill portion was the increasing temperature that began to strengthen in the midmorning sun. this was especially notable when passing some of the giant boulders on the side of the trail. their giant faces radiated a tremendous amount of heat.
at the finish line, i found myself in that precarious state that precedes any post race euphoria. i felt like a vehicle that is both low on gas and about to overheat. i managed to stuff a few grapes in my mouth and greedily grabbed two cups of water. as soon as these were finished, i grabbed a finisher's shirt and began the march back to the car. unfortunately, parking restrictions meant that i had a nearly 20 minute downhill walk to the car which didn't feel too good on my aching muscles. i arrived at soda springs park, grabbed a slice of watermelon, and then quickly left when i noticed the parking meter attendant writing tickets in the lot just a few cars down from mine.
trail running has opened a new dimension to my running. although there are admittedly points where it is "harder" on the knees and bones, and the potential for broken bones and scrapes is higher, it has also taught me to slow down and enjoy my surroundings more.