Master Class!

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Some people make a big deal about all birthdays - celebrating the entire month. Not me. I’ve always been a quiet person when it comes to my birthday. Never seemed like something important as I got older - except for certain birthdays. Even 21 wasn’t as important as other birthdays - the ones where I entered new age groups. Only runners would consider 25 more important then 21...

2019 is a big year in regards to the new age groups. Not only do I enter a new age group - but a new class! Yup - into the Masters Class. It’s been a strange build and anticipation of the new age group. I still have my eyes on the overall, but I know there’s more now - a whole different playing field. And this one you can’t tell just by counting the women ahead of you! After all, I might be 40 now, but I don’t feel it. So how do you tell where are in the new class? You don’t. You just run - just like I did on July 18th. Run as hard as I can, with my eyes on the total number of women in front of me.

As I get ready for my first race in the new age group, I’m a little torn. This is a big race for a new age group - not one of the little local events for the Brewer’s Cup. The Barr Trail Mountain Race - up to Barr Camp and back down. This race attracts people from all over the country and is one of the major prep races for the Pikes Peak Marathon. Some of the strongest women in the state show up to test themselves against the mountain - and they have trained for it! Me? I’ve been training for ultras, for power hiking up hills and ultra-sauntering down them. BTMR is the exact opposite of that - dig deep and run up the hill, then blast down as fast as you can go. Add into that I haven’t been on the mountain in years. I was planning on some mountain running, but just ran out of time. Sure, I’ve done my share of hill running, but nothing like Barr Trail. I don’t know what to expect come 7:00 tomorrow. Will I be able to run all the way up or will the training I have done force me into a hike?

A few years ago, I wouldn’t be concerned about the possibility of having to hike. I was able to make up all the time and more on the downhills when I was younger. I had no fears at all when it came to blazing down the hills. Now? I might not feel older then the others on the line, but I don’t bounce like used to! I’m a little more cautious about running downhill - the cavalier attitude has been replaced with increased attentiveness and awareness. How will that affect me tomorrow? Will I be able to use my former speed and fly down Barr or will it be a struggle to catch up with the younger women? Time will tell.

Here’s to four decades on this planet! Now let’s go run up a mountain to celebrate!

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