Hey there!  So.. the Big Mountain Trail Race was last Sunday and I'm finally getting around to a race report!

This was the 2nd year for this race, which I ran last year as well.  It was my first race since my marathon at the end of January, so it felt really great to get back out there.

First of all, it was a spectacular day for a trail run!  The temps were in the low 50's, the sun was out, and the trail was dry but not too dusty.  I was really looking forward to this race because the trail is beautiful, and the downhills are a lot of fun (notice I did not mention any joy about the uphills..lol).


I was also really looking forward to running this race with my friend Matt.  Over the past year or so I've managed to peer pressure him into not only taking up running, but minimalist running of course!  Matt, being an engineer, has no problem seeing the logic in barefoot/minimalist running. He's been logging miles in Xeroshoes 4mm Contacts, andVivobarefoot Breatho Trails.  Now he's talking me into running the Big Sur Marathon with him next year...  I love it!

Photo courtesy of Pikes Peak Sports!

So, last year I ran this 10K at 1:12:03 and I was really hoping to improve upon that.  I kind of question the distance on the race, as leading up to this, its been my fastest 10K, even with the rugged switch back climb for the first 2.5-3 miles of the course.  But regardless, I wanted to improve over last year.

So, I'm happy to report that I finished in 1:10:01.   Not huge, but it's a PR and I'll take it! I ended up running in the VFF Spyridons.

This event is pretty well run, considering it is only their second year for this particular race.  There were a number vendors there with some cool stuff to see while waiting for the race start.  There was also a 5K and half marathon option available.  I think Matt and I agreed to do the 1/2 next year as a last longer run before Big Sur... guess we'll see!

Also, last year they only had cotton t-shirts in the swag bag, but this year was a very cool tech shirt made from recycled plastics..  it's the bright yellow/green one pictured at the start of this post.  I'm happy because it is a shirt I will actually wear and use going forward!






Another cool thing was that after completing my run, I was asked if I was willing to answer a few questions about the race etc...    being in an oxygen deprived state I nodded numbly, had a mic attached and proceeded to try and not make a fool of myself.  Fortunately, only a few snippets of my rambling were caught, but you can see them here:

http://www.krdo.com/news/Colorado-runners-hit-the-trail-with-no-fea...




Finally, I wanted to give a shout out to INKnBURN, the company that makes some amazingly cool tech shirts and accessories.  I was wearing the "Wave" tech shirt, and I got a lot of great comments about it while on the trail and afterward. More so than I did in the Carlsbad Marathon, but I'm guessing INKnBURN is pretty popular in California since that's where they are based.  Anyway, the shirt is super comfortable, and of course the styles are amazing.  If you get a chance, check out their site here, and if you decide to pick up a cool shirt, use the code JeffToldMe to get 10% off! (set up an account to use the code).




So what's next?  The Garden of the Gods 10 Mile...  coming up on June 9th.  I ran this one last year, and really enjoyed it, even though it was a road race.  The stunning beauty of the Garden of the Gods area makes this run so cool.  I snapped the picture above when running it last year..  yes, I can sightsee and run at the same time!  Hopefully a better time for me in this one as well..

Anyway, happy Friday!  Thanks for tuning in... have a great weekend!

Jeff
http://barefootinclined.com