Summer Update: ran my focus race last Saturday - the Grand Traverse (41ish miles Crested Butte to Aspen over two 12k passes on a mixture of jeep roads/trails). Weather was fantastic other than a bit too hot for my taste on the final descent into Aspen.
Result: 8:12; 53rd/265 OA; 2nd AG. Pleased but still can do better.
As follows:
2016: 8:03; 1st AG; 7:20 Aspen Mt split***. Training: average quality/volume. Weather: rained significantly during the week prior, resulting in generally fast/firm trails with occasional muddy spots, generally cool temps, with a half-hour light-duty storm going over Star Pass. Strategy: conservative start as it was my first rodeo - saving energy for the final 5-6M descent, and smoked it passing 8-10 on the way down. Felt surprisingly fresh at finish.
2017: 8:06; 1st AG; 7:17 Aspen Mt split***. Training: average quality/above average volume. Weather: all clear, medium temps, drier trails. Strategy: energetic start with a sub-8 hr goal, went well through perhaps the marathon mark when stride mechanics began faltering due to a slight ankle tweak I had sustained skiing earlier in the year. Excited to hit the Aspen mt split 3 min up, which theoretically put me in the driver's seat for sub-8, but knew it wasn't going to happen on that descent with my mechanics out of whack. Wiped at finish.
2018: 8:27; 1st AG; 7:37ish Aspen Mt split***. Training: average quality/below average volume. Weather: all clear, medium temps, drier trails. Strategy: conservative start knowing training volume was sub-par due to work projects, final result unsurprising. Wiped at finish.
2019: 8:12; 2nd AG; 7:17 Aspen Mt split***. Training: average quality/above average volume. Weather: all clear, medium temps until the descent (when it seemed noticably hotter), drier trails. Strategy: energetic start with a sub-8 hr goal, went well until almost Aspen Mt when started losing steam, but still managed to match the PR split there. Knew the descent was going to be brutal and it was. Quads were already trashed and the descent trail condition was noticably worse this year than previous - clearly from excessive MTN bike use (deep ruts, washboard, downright dangerous at points). Didn't dare blitz for fear of broken ankles or similar, yet still managed to pass 2-3 others while only being passed but 1. Final result - at least matched the Aspen Mt PR split. Wiped at finish.
Other interesting notes:
✓The website lists it as 40.7M w 6,500' vert; however, at the finish this year the RD/announcer referred to "nearly 42M w 7800' vert". Hmmm ?.
✓At Aspen Mt aid station in '16 they said "only 3 miles to go", then the next 2 years the sign said "only 5 to go", and this year it said "only 6 to go". Hmmm ?.
✓ Cam Smith, a 23yo from Gunnison destroyed the CR by 20 min in his first go this year - notching an incredible 5:38. Wow, smoking!
✓ Max King - 2:14 marathoner, 8:30 steepler, one-time World Mountain Running Association Champion, and one-time World 100K (roads) Champion, only managed 3rd in 6:23 in his first go.
✓ Glenn the AG winner this year ripped a 7:45, quite impressive. He went by on the CB side (climb) and was gone. We shared a row on the shuttle bus ride back to CB (3+ hours) - cool guy from T-Ride trying to get in Hardrock and/or UTMB.
***Aspen Mt split - I don't Strava, GPS watch, or any of that tech stuff so the only split I know on this course is the final aid station, which is either 3, 5, or 6 miles from the finish (LOL).