Imogene Pass Run & Listening to your body!

I ran Imogene Pass Run this last weekend. I won the race for my 5^th time and yet on Monday I was unsure I’d be able to race. Imogene has been a focus race all year. Over the last month I’ve tailored my training specifically for Imogene. 2 weeks ago I ran an 18-mile tempo run at sub 7 minute pace with 2,000 feet of elevation gain and loss to sort of mimic a fast Imogene. After the workout training run I knew I was ready to race. My workouts were in; the proverbial hay was in the barn. I was ready and then Monday prior to the race I woke up sore and tight.

The day before I had unknowingly and accidentally stressed my hamstrings at home on a house project. My training plan of easy runs for the remainder of the week went out the window. I now had to adjust the plan and most importantly not stress out. I took 2 extra days off to recuperate the hamstring and made sure to get lots of warm recuperating showers for the muscles. Hot showers work wonders for me and are just what the doctor ordered. By race morning the tight hamstring was only a memory, the light jogging, rest, and hot showers had worked and I was ready to race!

10 minutes prior to the start the sky looked dark, deep, and foreboding as it spit out a spray of high mountain rain and mist. Runners scrambled for extra clothing and shade from the onslaught prior to the race. I changed from a singlet to a short sleeve shirt. The rain slowed and morphed into a light mist before dissipating entirely. Over 1,250 people toed the line ready for the excitement.

The gun blew and we were off. I took control of the pace and lead and by mile 2 knew I had built up a strong 30+ second lead. The goal of the race was to maintain the pace and hopefully run sub 2:20 pace. The early rain kept the dust down while providing fantastic traction. At miles 4 and 6 I managed to check my lead. All I knew was that I had at least a 30 second lead maybe more, but I could not tell as I could not see 2^nd place. The course followed the nearly unrelenting jeep road. It constantly gained altitude and increased the difficulty as the racers ascended.

Deep down I knew I was racing the clock; that I was racing myself; that I was racing for the joy of pushing myself and seeing what I could do on that given day. My goal time for Upper Camp Bird was 1:04:30. I came through at 1:05:14. The pace was great. A few seconds off goal pace but I knew I was pushing it and giving an honest effort.

At last I made it to the hardest miles: 8, 9, and 10. In these 3 miles you gain 2,000 feet: from 11,000 feet up to 13,114 feet. Here is the crux of the race, the time when racing you have to dig deep and push. I used a combination of power hiking and jogging and although I felt ok, I still felt a little sluggish. Most people do at 13,000 feet. Finally, at 1:40:21 I made it to Imogene Pass: 10 miles done, over 5,000 feet gained and 7 miles to go. This time was about 1 minute back or 1% off from my goal pace. My lead was just under 4 minutes. The mountain and valley vistas were grand, yet off I raced scanning the terrain ahead preparing my feet and staying upright.

Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks

Down the jeep trail I ran at a near blistering pace of about 5:30 per mile. I tried to roll through the rocks bee lining it down the jeep trail. This takes a lot of practice but runners do get better. It helps to roll through your stride and not break with your quads so much. Just the same the quads do take a beating. It also helps to have a shoe you can trust like the Altra Olympus pair I was wearing. It handled the rough terrain, large boulders, and short creek crossing keeping my feet dry and happy. 

Overall, I knew my pace was solid and that my lead was safe yet I still pushed myself trying to give an honest effort. The aid station workers cheered me on as I ran through. Indeed, I utilized 2 aid stations during the race for water and electrolytes. Thank you all you amazing volunteers!

At last after over 4,000 feet of descent I arrived and finished in Telluride winning in 2:18:04. The race marked my 5^th win at the Imogene Pass Run. I’m blessed to have run the Imogene Pass Run 9 times now. In preparation for a goal race it is imperative that you train properly and listen to your body. I train a little less now than a decade ago running 40- 60 miles per week instead of 60-80. I also get injured less and feel stronger. I listen when my body says to take an extra day off, or modify and change that long run or workout. If you listen properly then your body will respond and run more consistently giving you great results.