Fall Racing Recap - Back At It! - NEO Endurance Sports & Fitness

Fall in Colorado is a gorgeous time of year, so I wanted to make sure I spent some time outside while the colors are still vibrant. Saturday I drove up to Boulder to catch a little racing at the US Open of Cyclocross at Valmont Bike Park. It also was convenient for me to do a nice ride up there, so I got in about 40 miles on a windy and unseasonably hot day. The leaves were all sorts of bright colors, and it seemed the wind was blowing in every single direction!

I started and finished my ride at the Valmont Bike Park so I could see the racing action. It’s a fantastic venue and spectator friendly to watch what really is an exciting sport. There are quite a few skills involved, and even if you are fit, it would be a lot harder to fake your way through one of these races if you don’t have the skills.

Coach Nicole and professional cyclist Caitlyn Vestal before the 2016 US Open of Cyclocross elite race in Boulder, CO. — Coach Nicole and professional cyclist Caitlyn Vestal

A warm, windy, and dry October day at Valmont Bike Park for the US Open of Cyclocross in Boulder, CO. — A warm, windy, and dry October day at Valmont Bike Park

Sunday it was my turn to race on my feet. I’m registered for the final 3 races of the Fall Series, a local series put on by the Pikes Peak Road Runners. It’s where adults can have fun running on the local trails. The courses are similar but not quite the same every year. While I’m not in “race shape,” it’s a great way to keep me motivated with events on my calendar, but a lot less stressful than a bigger race, and to help me get some additional fitness for the half marathon in February.

Found some friends who run for Smiling Toad Brewery in the Brewer’s Cup

I ran to the park from my house as a nice warm-up, as it takes about 20 minutes. I got there and said hi to quite a few friends. (This is a popular series!) I had no expectations for this race, other than to enjoy the suffering of working hard. I haven’t done any speedwork in the last few months, so there was no need to try to go out crazy fast and blow up. But I didn’t want to run easy, either. I settled into a sort of hard pace, but the group was going pretty hard. I let my breathing be my guide. The race was somewhere around 4 miles, with a 0.75mi jaunt up the creek (no paddles!)

Where athletes enter the creek in the Pikes Peak Road Runners Fall Series #2 race in Colorado Springs. — Here’s where we entered the creek and the “fun” began

The creek would sort of be my recovery, although while not too deep, the current downstream was pretty strong. It turned into a jog walk, and I only slipped once! By the time I made it out of the creek, my legs up to my quads were pretty cold, my shorts and shirt soaked, and I had an extra pound of creek sand in my shoes. It was pushing 80 degrees outside, so being soaked did help keep me cool for the last mile back on the trails.

The last half mile had a couple super steep climbs up the park embankments. Down the last one, turn the corner onto the grass and push hard to the finish. While it certainly wasn’t my fastest attempt at this race, I was able to run hard and fairly consistently, not counting the creek!

You’re guaranteed to finish with a good amount of sand in your shoes at the Fall Series Race in Monument Valley Park. — You’re guaranteed to finish with a good amount of sand in your shoes

When I finished, I dumped a good chunk of sand out of my shoes, said hi to more friends, sat in the sunshine to dry out a bit, and then shuffled my way home. Eight miles total for the day…a nice way to kick start my work toward the Feb 5th Super Half Marathon!