Ah… May and June in Colorado have to be two of the most beautiful months along the front range. The late-season snows and rains in March and April have created lush, green growth along the foothills. If you’ve never experienced this, I encourage you to get out and go for a hike. The trails are soft, fragrant and stunningly beautiful.

A few months ago I was volunteering at a fundraising event for The Women’s Wilderness Institute (TWWI) and heard about a new trail race that was being held as a benefit to send Gilpin County high school girls on a leadership course with TWWI.

Be still my beating heart! A trail run for my favorite non-profit? Sold! I went home and put The Golden Gate Dirty Thirty on my calendar.

The race featured three distances: 7 miles, 12 miles and a 50K (31 miles), and wound through the trails of Golden Gate Canyon State Park. I thought briefly of signing on for the 50K. But in respect of my goal to relax and not train through the month of May (post-50-miler), I decided to sign up for the 12 mile course, intending it to serve as a jump-start into renewed training for the Pikes Peak Marathon.

Bracken and our good friend Andrew Hyde headed out early Saturday morning. The weather was calling for cool temps and potential for rain. Nothing could’ve been further from that forecast. It was chilly in the shade, but certainly not for long.

The 12-mile course was predominantly on single track trails (a HUGE plus for me as I much prefer technical trail to the 4×4 dirt roads a lot of trail races include) and featured about a 5,000 foot vertical gain. It’s a tough course. And I loved it.

It’s been a while since I’ve run a full race course smiling most of the way. And not smiling at others (although everyone running was in great spirits, friendly and helpful), but smiling just because.   

Because this course was beautiful. Because it was technical and fun. It crossed the creek 11 times over wooden bridges, log bridges (some a bit precarious and wobbly), single logs and rocks. We jumped over fallen trees and crawled under them. It reminded me of the Muir Woods marathon I did in 2006… very much like an obstacle course. Just good ‘ol fun times.

Along the way, instead of the easy training run I’d planned, my goal morphed into, “can I run the entire distance—steep vertical climbs and all?” I wasn’t planning on pushing myself. It’d been a month since I’d run longer than 5 miles. A month since I’d pushed my body to do anything it didn’t really want to. But it just seemed right to push during the race.

I wanted to see if I could do it. I knew I’d finish faster if I walked a lot of the vertical. I can power hike quickly and efficiently, giving my body and muscles needed recovery during the run to go faster. But I ran it. All of it. From the girl who couldn’t hike uphill for longer than 5 minutes just a short decade ago, my pride in myself was bursting.

I almost caved in the last 2 miles. There was a final, very steep incline and I wanted so much to stop and walk, but had come too far with this surprise goal to back down. I grunted. I pushed. And I made it, running into the finish strong and smiling.

Both Bracken and Andrew had amazing races as well. Andrew was so inspiring to watch. He’d signed up for the seven mile course and at the last minute, switched to the 12 (having never run more than about 7 in his life). His determination, joy and fortitude was so fun to witness.

Since Bracken ran as well (finishing 2nd overall, I should add), there are no pictures. But rest assured, it was green, green, green and lush and soft and fragrant with the smell of spring. 

results
They did something a little different with the categories for this race. Instead of placing in your age group, you signed up based on what you thought you could run. So the categories were as follows: Mountain Goat (you should win overall); Snowshoe Hare (you’d win if the elites weren’t running); Homosapien (you’re average); Burro (you’re slower than average, but not last); and Tortoise (you may indeed be last). 

Overall, I think it was a fun idea. However, looking at the results, it’s interesting to see some of the discrepancies in expectations vs. reality (i.e., the overall male winner for the 12-mile had signed up as a homosapien). That could be a subject for a whole other blog post.

My results were very respectable. My total time was 2:42:01. Overall, I came in 15th out of 37. I was 7th out of 22 women. Looking at the last time I ran a 12-mile trail run at Golden Gate Canyon (my second ever back in 2004 where I’d placed 56/62 overall), my progress over the years is amazing to me. 

strong women
Running for charities always makes me feel good, but this one in particular was an awesome feeling. Having been on a course with The Women’s Wilderness Institute, volunteering for them over the last year, and knowing everyone in the office, it is with pride and appreciation that I was able to run for this cause. The race raised over $9,000—enough to send six Gilpin County girls on the 12-day leadership course. A huge thank you to those who ran, donated time, money and energy.