Air! I Need Air!

Okay. Here you go, fellow Imogene runners. See on the left side of the horizon where the two mountains make a "V"? See the light gray and bald mountain behind it? Well, that's her -the summit you will be running over.

First, the bad news: Cutoff times have been slimmed down again this year. That means if I don't want to get disqualified, I have to be 7 minutes faster to Upper Camp Bird than in 2005! What? I think I can. I think I can.

Next, the good news: My driving buddy (the person I followed to help me set a good pace) was a middle-aged man remarkably resembling Magnum P.I. who was wearing sweat pants with the elastic on the ankles and a pair of gym socks on his hands. (bring gloves, it's cold!) My point? Not everyone running this race is straight from the Patagonia catalog. There are plenty of Moms like me, younger kids, old guys, you name it.

It is totally within range for all of us if we train hard this summer! SO- good luck to you all. I can't wait to get on the bus with you guys at 4a.m. and ride to Ouray. It will be such a great adventure. Let the fun begin!

More bad news: There's no air up there. When you summit you will feel like you are trying to breathe through a narrow coffee straw!

More good news: The run downhill is the biggest blast I've ever had! The air gets thicker, runner high kicks in, you know the worst is over. It was like a roller coaster and worth all the hard work!