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Collegiate Peaks 50M/25M 2001 Report(CO): Dale Perry

Collegiate Peaks is normally a 25 mile loop that snakes behind
Buena Vista with great views of the Collegiate Peaks (Mts Yale,
Harvard, et al).  That's in a normal year.  Fifty milers do a
repeat loop, but in reverse.

If the run had been held the previous weekend, we would have
been enjoying the wonders of trail running with mountain vistas.
Instead, a 3 foot dump of wet snow occurred in the Buena Vista
area late Wednesday through Friday.  Two years ago, a two foot
dump caused a modification of the existing course to a 12 mile
loop on the most uninteresting part of the course.  This year
it became even more uninteresting.

That storm prompted the race officials to move the event date
to the first weekend in May from the last weekend of April.
Last year's running was nice, hot and uneventful (at least for
most runners.  I had some excitement before the run which caused
one less deer to be alive today and a totaled car).  This year's
event caused yet another change to the course:  a 10 mile and
back along the Arkansas River on paved/dirt roads.  It's ironic
that if the race was held on the original date a few years ago,
it would have been great.  But one can't count on Mother Nature
to adhere to the wishes of the ultra crowd.  So instead of
50 miles, it would be 40.  For those who had better sense,
they could do the 20.

That being said, I learned my lesson from last year and went
down to BV Friday evening and stayed with some friends.  Picked
up the race packet, looked at the "new" course layout, talked
with the usual Colorado ultra crowd, and left to check in.  One
of the race officials asked me "Are you the one who hit the deer
last year?"  My claim to fame in the Buena Vista area I guess.
The neat thing about this run is that it is the first major ultra
of any significance in the Colorado area, and a lot of Colorado
and neighboring state runners show up for this annual "Rite of
Spring" for ultrarunners.

Woke up Saturday morning at 5 AM, looked outside, and saw ANOTHER
8 inches of snow on the top of my car.  Was this crap ever going
to end?  It snowed at the start, and off and on during the day.
And wind.  Lots of wind.  And sleet.  And a bit of sun.  Mother
Nature was laughing at us idiots out there slogging thru the
snow and mud.

The race started at 6:30, and were immediately slogging thru mud
and slush.  After a bit of that, we were transitioned to a bit of
trail, which had about 2 feet of snow for all to trample.  Then
we were put on the paved road for about a mile and a half.  This was
the normal course.  The paved soon turned to dirt (mud, water, and
snow) and normally we would make a right turn and ascend "wake up
hill".  But we continued on straight down the road.  At this time
of the morning, it wasn't that warm yet, so the road (being plowed)
was in decent shape.  I was trying to take it easy here and just
enjoy the run.  I had a brutal run the previous weekend in Arizona,
and just wanted to finish the now 40 mile course.

I hit the mideay aid station (mile 6.6), chatted with the aid
personnel, thanked them for being out in the muck, and made my
way up the road to the turnaround point.  About a mile past the
aid station, I saw the front runner (not sure if he was a 20 or
a 40 miler).  Really booking.  The road actually became rather
nice at this point, and was pretty runnable.  I got to the 10 mile
turnaround in 1:43.  Right on time.

On the way back, the road got really nasty:  snow was now slush,
lots of water puddles, and mud galore.  I commented to another
runner that as a kid, I enjoyed playing in mud.  But I don't like
it anymore.  The footing was really difficult.  Hard to see where
the dry areas were.  I'd spy what looked dry, only to find that
mud was building up on the shoes.  So I would run thru the mud
and water to get rid of it, and decided to just stick with staying
in the midst of the muck.  It was going to be a long time before
I would see dry feet.

The sun actually came out, and for a while, I thought of dumping
my jacket at the 20 mile turnaround at my car.  I got to the 20
mile point, loudly proclaimed "I'm having so much fun, I'm going
out for more!!".  I saw the race official who asked me about the
deer, and told her as I was heading out "I didn't hit anything
on the first loop, but who knows about the second."  Refueled,
re-filled my water bottles, and quickly decided to hang on to
the jacket, as the clouds came back in.

The second outing the wind really kicked up.  Glad I kept my
jacket.  I would have strong headwinds of 35 mph for much of
the 10 miles out to 30.  I didn't think it was possible, but
the roads were much worse going out than coming back, and add to
that the wind and now sleet in the face, I was hoping and praying
the wind wouldn't change direction on me as I headed back to the
finish.  Got to the midway aid station in about 2 hours, joked around
with the personnel there, ate, drank, and bid all adieu.  Then the
trail/road became relatively dry!  I actually picked up the pace a
bit, as we were shielded from most of the wind at this point, and
got the 30 mile point in 5:35.  Not wasting any time, I headed out
as I wanted to  get back and be done with this little monster.

Got to the midway aid station in 45 minutes, and faced the worse
conditions of the day:  road mire.  At this point, I probably walked
most of the next 4 miles to the pavement, as I just couldn't get any
decent footing.  I found myself running a few minutes and walking
more and more.

I was never so glad to see pavement in all my life.  I started to run
again, and by the time I got to the last 1/2 mile, the trail that
started out with 2 feet of snow, now had about 6 inches and was
very slushy.

I looked at my watch and saw I had a good change of breaking 7:45.  I
picked it up and climbed a short hill and jogged my way to the finish
line.  My friend Bob and his friends Eve and Terq were there (they
ended up doing 20 miles) cheering me in (actually, they were yelling
at me to hurry my ass up as they wanted some beer).

Crossed the finish line in 7:45.  Sat my sorry ass down on the
back of Bob's vehicle, opened a beer, and felt great that I hung in
there thru thick and thick, feeling a bit sore and tired.

I had reservations of doing two 50 milers in two weeks, but circum-
stances made the seond one a bit shorter.  Too bad, as I feel I
could have done the actual course.  But still feeling great that
I did what I did.

Talk about extremes:  one weekend, 50 miles in 85 degree heat and
sun.  The other weekend, 40 miles of 45 degree coolness and snow.

Ultrarunning in the West, at it's best.

Dale