Two down, two to go in the Triple Crown. The Summer Roundup on Sunday morning kicked off the week with such a great start. After returning just two days before the race from Alaska and a whooping 22 feet for three weeks, the Roundup was at the back of my mind. Going to bed, I was stressing about getting into medical school (somehow not the race the next morning, for whatever reason).

Piling the family in the car to drive to Bear Creek Park, I was getting more excited (from lots of coffee :) ), while my family and I were all laughing about how much we were going to be sucking wind and wheezing whilst running today – this became even more of a reality when I was trotting to the bathrooms, trying to warm up, and breathing pretty heavily – heading downhill. All I could think was, “Yep, that was just a good confirmation that this’ll just be a fun training run, all I ever planned on it being.”

After laughing about taking turns giving and getting piggy backs during the race with teammates Ryan and Mel, we were off.  Within just a few tenths of a mile, I was praising and in awe of the flatlanders that come out for races here - and do so well! While my lungs were less than happy, my legs were loving the trail; a very grateful change from lots of recent pavement miles.

Come High Drive, I was thoroughly enjoying the race, without a concern of my time or mile averages. If you could have seen through my struggled breathing, you would have seen a giant smile gleaming through, soaking up every moment of the oxygen deprivation, gaining energy from cheering on fellow runners. And with that delight I finished the race, surprising myself by crossing the line 33 seconds slower compared to my acclimatized self last year, all the while ensuring my judgment that this race has got to be in my top three favorites. 

Photo by Anya Inman 

Awesome job to Team Pikes Peak Sports!

Here’s to more surprises and fun training – happy running!