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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!
July 27, 2010 at 12:36 pm
how does one prepare mentally for extended torture? this is my first run.
July 27, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Good question. I don’t really have an answer aside from gaining familiarity. Get out and run a similar course so that when the real thing is staring you in the face it is not your first time. Also, I like to run the race in modified negative splits, with my perceived effort getting greater as the race goes on. I might not be going faster each mile due to the altitude, but I feel like I am. This helps me not bury myself in pain early on and prepare for the last 6 or so miles. They might be downhill, but they are consistently harder than you think they will be.
Hope this helps.
-Dave