Your first Imogene Pass run? First off… congrats! You are now doomed to repeat this pilgrimage year after year. This race grows on you. You will swear never to do it again as you race and will be plotting your training strategy for the following year as you lie in the grass 10 minutes after you finish.
I have done this race 6 times, heading to my 7th this year and am pretty psyched. I have learned a few things and will pass them along.

• If you stay in Ouray, you get hot springs and beer at Ourayle House after the race to soothe the pain.
• Try to do negative splits. If you go out hard, you will go a lot slower than you would if you rally an hour in. Get slowly faster (effort-wise) and you will finish with a lot of power.
• There is a false summit. Don’t be crestfallen when you look up and see the race going on well above where you thought you though you were about to top out.
• Take the race requirements seriously. You may really need the hat, gloves and jacket.
• Be careful on the switchbacks off the summit. It is wicked sketchy. A lot of blood gets spilled here.
• Summit Gummi Worms. Mmmmmmmm.
• When you can see Telluride, you still have a long way to go.
• You will be in the pain cave for a long time on the way down. Prepare yourself mentally for the extended torture. It is downhill and will crush you mentally unless you can continue to push through the pain.
• Take a lot of fluids, more than usual. I have often wished that I wasn’t cramping on the last 5 miles and all because I failed to drink enough. Endurolytes are wonderful!
• Take time to look around. Not only are you in a beautiful place, but you are surrounded by a huge crowd of like minded athletes and amazing volunteers that are all loving everything that you are experiencing. Coloradans really know how to party. Altitude is also a state of mind.
• The soup at the end is the BEST soup you have ever had. Ever.

Enjoy and see all y’all at the finish line!

Two River StandUp Paddle events for the TEVA Mountain Games this summer in Vail

Teva Mountain Games Stand up Paddling
SUP Surf Sprint

Hop in the water and paddle like hell.
Date/Time: Saturday June 5th, 2010 @ 9:00 am
Cost: $35 Online/ $40 On-Site
Location: Vail on Gore Creek East Vail to Vail Village SUP
Difficulty: Class II – III with fairly heavy early season flows
Distance: 3 Miles

SUP Surf Cross

Mass start event with the same general rules as Boarder Cross or Skier Cross. As the rednecks say in NASCAR “rubbin’s racing”, there is sure to be a little rubbin’.
Date: Sunday June 6, 2010
Time: 11:00am Qualifier
2:30pm Finals
Cost: $30 Online/ $35 On-Site
Location: Covered Bridge – International Bridge, Gore Creek in Vail Village

Wanna learn?

Teva Mountain Games IFSC Bouldering World Cup in Vail, Colorado
June 3-6th, 2010
http://www.tevamountaingames.com/

Yup, it is true. We get the pleasure of once again of hosting the Bouldering World Cup event out here in Western Colorado!

The Teva Mountain Games will host the IFSC Bouldering World Cup Friday, June 4th for the qualifiers and Saturday June 5th for the semi-finals and finals. This event is invitation only.
http://www.tevamountaingames.com/ev_climb_pro.cfm
There will be a Citizen Bouldering Competion for the rest of us on Sunday June 6th from 11 AM to 4:30 PM. http://www.tevamountaingames.com/ev_climb_citizen.cfm
A Youth Competion will be held on Sunday June 6th from 8AM – 10:30 AM.
http://www.tevamountaingames.com/ev_climb_highschool.cfm

The adventure film festival runs from April 29th through May 2nd, with a free sneak peak on April 14th at Dos Gringos in Carbondale. Click on the following link 5 Points Film Festival and select the 2010 Festival Trailer button on the left, that should give enough of a taste to get you hungry for more. Mountaineering, big mountain skiing, B.A.S.E jumping, kayak, climbing…..