Team Santa Fe Adventure Racing

Team Santa Fe at the Races

The Colorado Outward Bound Relay, Sept. 14-15, 2001
170 miles in 26:40
Third place "ultra" division
By Barb Dutrow

Getting to the starting line is always the most difficult part!

TSF members Barb Dutrow and Carl Gable teamed up again, coerced three other runners and a support person to join them, for the forth running of the Colorado Outward Bound (COB) Colorado Relay. We raced as Team High Five/Santa Fe as an "Ultra Team". Five people run legs from 30-37 miles. Most teams were 10 person teams where each person runs 3 times, 4-6 miles after rotating through the entire team. The relay was to provide funds for the COB. In light of the Sept. 11 events, COB elected to contribute this year's donations to the victims in NYC.

Second, you might be wondering if I even made it... It was a stressful few days prior to the race not knowing if I would (Race Fri/Sat; Sept. 14-15). Here is the long story! (Skim to the end for results!)

After 3 canceled flights, I made it on the only flight out of Baton Rouge on Thursday, Sept. 13, at 6:25 p.m., the plane was empty as was DFW so an on time arrival! My flight from DFW to Denver was to arrive at 10:12 p.m., then the hour drive to the starting line in Idaho Springs. (Race begins 5 am Friday morning). In Dallas, the Denver flight kept getting postponed, departure 11:30 pm, then 1:30am, then 2:30am. Delta agents urged me to take a room at the Marriott (on Delta and fly out in the morning - NOT). So, I transferred to a flight leaving for Colorado Springs at 11:30pm (Delta even provided a voucher for a cab fare to Idaho Springs!). Just as we were boarding, at 11:15 pm, that flight was canceled.

Back to the Denver flight... still projected to leave at 2:30 am. Will I make it? (My team offered to replace me, but I couldn't give in, I was the captain!) Delta agents brought out hot/cold drinks, pillows, blankets... and I waited.... slept? on the floor....At 2 am, we actually boarded the plane and off we went, arriving Denver at 3:20am Friday morning!! Clearly I'm not going to make it to the race start to do support for the first leg! Carl, already in Idaho Springs sleeping, drove to Denver to retrieve me (after 10 cell phone calls for updates), got lost (sleep depravation already starting), and arrived about 4:45 am for the drive back to Idaho Springs. By 6am, I'm at the race start and ready for a bit of sleep; the first runner on our team has long gone!

At 7:15 am other teammates knocked on the door, but I returned to sleep for an hour while Carl went to breakfast. Then we were off to Vail, the half waypoint in the race, for the next series of runners. I did support for Leg 3, which Carl ran, from about 3 pm - 9 pm. We returned for a couple hours of sleep, and was up at 1:15am to prepare for running my leg!

This year's team was ahead of our projected times!! Dave Dixson had the first leg; a tough climb up Guenella Pass, over 11,000', completing the 37 miles in 6:10, 10 minutes faster than last year. Tom Garrison had the high altitude 33-mile leg, climbing Kenosha and Georgia Pass (above 10,000); and finished in 6:08, 45 minutes ahead of last year's time! Carl had the climb over Vail Pass (10,000+') and the long downhill leg of 32 miles, which he finished in 5:12, about the same as last year. Joel Krypel had the low elevation, pavement pounding downhill leg of 31 miles which he finished in 4:32, about 30 minutes ahead of last year.

Everyone was running well..I was concerned about the lack of sleep... My leg was the last leg in the race and began at Eagle, CO for the 33 mile run downhill pavement pounding run to Glenwood Springs. At 3:06 am, I was off and running. Dark; it was very dark with only a sliver of a moon. The first six miles were on Hwy 6, an asphalt road, black, but lacking potholes. Holding a bobbing flashlight partly lit the way. The next six miles were the worst of my leg; frontage road to I-70! Potholes, cracks in the road, and grass, all made for very poor footing, coupled with the odd sensation of lights from I-70 blinding you, and the moving hand held light.. made me woosey. Sensory depravation - how do 100 milers do it? After another 3 miles, I arrived at the most scenic part of the run, the Glenwood Canyon cut by the Colorado River. But of course I can’t see a thing because it is 4:30 am!

Through the canyon is a cement bike path, which follows the CO River and is under/beside I-70. Caution is ever present because if you step off the bike path, you'll go into the river! Fear. Soon, a train came clambering through the canyon across the river. Train lights provided some visibility, but the high-pitched screeching brakes made for an eerie run! For the 18 miles of the bike path, Carl provided support via a bike. This was the easy, nice part of the run. And at night, it is so hard to judge pace...you know that you are going slower than you think. and I'm scared of falling (since I do it a lot). One could only guess pace.

I've never been so glad to see daybreak! About 6:30 am it was sufficiently light to stop holding the flashlight (my shoulder was very tired). I finished my leg at 7:45 am, after running the 33 miles in 4:39, 11 minutes faster than last year!

Our team finished the 170 miles in 26:40, 1:48 ahead of last year's record setting time. However we only placed third because of a couple of pro teams.

We had a great time, despite my stressful arrival. Photos and results can be found at: www.coloradorelay.com.

1 | 2