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Team Santa Fe Newsletter
July 2003
Read AR Listserv thread regarding Eco-Challenge North American Championships, Sault Ste. Marie. Ontario CANADA
July 4, 2003
Jan and Kim Bear
www.leadvilletrail100.com
Leadville, CO
This is the fourth year for the Leadville Marathon, it's somewhat similar to the
old Mosquito Pass Marathon, reaching 13,000 plus feet at Mosquito Pass. For
some reason this year Kim and I planned to do all 5 Leadville events, the
marathon, the Silver Rush 50 mile mountain bike race, the 100 mile mountain bike
race, the 100 mile ultramarathon and the 10K, for good measure Kim also attended
the training weekend for the run. I think we got a 50 dollar discount by
signing up for all races. The marathon was the first of the 5 official events;
it was a great course with lots of climbing and some steep descents as well.
Kim and I arrived late the night before the race; it was an 8AM start so we
could sleep in. The first section was a steep climb out of town, a short decent
then a loop around Round Mountain down to the road that climbs to Mosquito Pass.
The Mosquito Pass climb is about 2500 feet over 5 miles without any breaks then
a quick turn-around and back to the bottom, back around Round Mountain and into
town. It was hard work but I was done in 5 hours and 12 minutes in 41st place.
Kim finished in 7 hours and 5 minutes in 177th place out of 257 starters. The
weather was warm/hot and never cooled off.
Our great sponsors made the event
doable, thank you, Montrail, ThorLo, Hydropel, CW-X, GoLite, Polar, SixSixOne,
Platypus, Bolle and WPC Brands.
Hardrock 100 Ultramarathon
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July 11-12. 2003
Jan Bear with Kim Bear and Todd Holmes as Pacers
www.run100s.com/HR/
Silverton, CO
This is the race I had been apprehensive about for more than a year; I was
entered in last year's race which had been canceled due to forest fires. It
seemed like the dates just came around too fast, I was not sure I was ready.
Over the years I had heard about Hardrock, how hard it was, the beautiful views,
but it was more the epic nature of the race that had me scared. One of my
pacers Todd had done the race in 1996, that was comforting plus he had gone
counterclockwise also but he also said it was the hardest race he had ever done,
ouch. Well the event started as a quick drive to Silverton trying to get there
before they gave my spot away by 12 AM on the 10th for the medical check in.
Kim and I had a leisurely rest of the day and a up and down night of sleep, I
was nervous. This is what the Durango Herald had to say prior to the race.
Dale Strode, Durango Herald Sports Editor
The numbers alone are staggering. Together, they test the limits of the
imagination, let alone the ranges of reality. "What these people do is beyond
most people's comprehension," said Dale Garland, the run director for the
Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Race. "It is spectacular." Even for Garland, a
15-year veteran of endurance trail runs, the famed Hardrock Hundred still
generates a special excitement. "I still get excited about it. It's a
phenomenal event to be a part of," Garland said Tuesday as he completed prerace
preparations for the 2003 Hardrock. A year ago, the 100-mile trail run that
features more than 33,000 feet of elevation gain and elevation loss was scrapped
because of the extreme drought conditions in Southwest Colorado. This year the
endurance trail run is back, returning with its oxygen-thin average elevation of
12,000 feet. The trail run, which links the historic towns of Silverton, Lake
City, Ouray and Telluride, will be held July 11-13. As always, the numbers tell
the story. "Basically, it's like running from sea level to the top of Mt.
Everest and back," Garland said. The route goes above 12,000 feet 13 times and
above 13,000 feet six of those times. One trip up, the runners will reach the
summit of Handies Peak at 14,048 feet. Garland said a full field of 115
runners, allowed by the BLM permit, is registered and ready to run. And, he
said, the volunteer corps also is ready to go. "Having a year off really worked
to our advantage," Garland said. "We're waiting and ready to go." He said the
field is deep and fast.
Race start was 6 AM with check in beginning at 5 AM; we arrived for check in at
5:45 AM. Kim took some pictures but I was still nervous, I was concerned about
getting lost, not going fast enough, you name it and I was concerned. The race
started and I was off on the first climb with 115 other runners. The first
climb was over Little Giant Pass and a very steep drop into the first aid
station in Cunningham Gulch and 8.7 miles into the race. Kim met me here for a
quick sock and shoe change I was off to the second climb over Buffalo Boy Ridge
at 13,174 feet then another drop to the Maggie Gulch aid station now at mile
15.4. Now it's time for the third pass of the day, Pole Creek Pass and on to
the Pole Creek aid station at mile 19.8. From here a short period of level
travel then on to Pole Pass a little above 12000 feet and then dropping down
into the old mining town of Sherman and another aid station now at mile 29.2.
What follows is a boring section of jeep road travel for 7 miles to Burrows
Park. Here I met Kim again had some great food and took care of my feet with
another shoe and sock change. Now it was time for the big climb over Handies
Peak at 14,048 feet then down into Grouse Gulch at mile 44.1 to meet Kim and
Todd. I was very happy to have the high point of the race completed and now a
pacer (Todd) would join me on the next section over Engineer Pass and down Bear
Creek into Ouray. Over Engineer and into Ouray was a 13.6 mile distance, we
arrived in Ouray about midnight and I took a brief rest and then headed out with
Kim pacing towards Virginius Pass and into Telluride. The length of this
section was 15.8 miles, we arrived about 6AM. It was time for another short
break. This time Todd and I were off for Ophir Pass to Chapman where we would
see Kim again and then begin the push to the finish line. There was still one
major obstacle that was Grant Swamp Pass, what a name and boy was there lots of
scree to climb, from here into the beautiful Putman Basin and now 'Downhill' to
Silverton. On the way out of Putman Basin about 5 miles from the finish Kim met
Todd and I so we could all make an entry into Silverton together. About 8
minutes after 7PM the three of us crossed the finish line together and I was
forced to kiss the "Hardrock". My total time was 37 hours and 8 minutes for the
33 thousand feet of climbing and 33 thousand feet of descending and a total of
100.3 miles. I couldn't have done it with out the help of Kim and Todd. The
weather during the race was warm and dry making for a high finish rate and some
very fast times. My finish was 21st overall. The winner an ultra marathoner
from Utah had a time of 28 hours and 1 minute a new course record.
Our
great sponsors made the event doable, thank you, Montrail, ThorLo, Hydropel,
CW-X, GoLite, Polar, SixSixOne, Platypus, Bolle and WPC Brands.
Silver Rush 50-Mile Mountain Bike Race
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July 19, 2003
George Broome, Kim Bear, Jan Bear and Lisa Broome
www.leadvilletrail100.com
Leadville, CO
Team Santa Fe member, George and his wife Lisa Broome, along with Kim and Jan
Bear headed up to Leadville, CO to do one more training race before the
Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race. The Silver Rush mountain bike race is
described by the race director, Ken Chlouber, as having all the climbing of the
100-mile race in a 50-mile format. The race began at 9 am at the Mineral Belt
Monument, which is located just below Colorado Mountain College. It was a mass
start of 212 riders pushing their bikes straight up a ski hill named the Dutch
Henri. The race director had placed 2 silver coins from 'Leadville' valued at
$50; one for the first woman and one for the first man at the top of the hill.
Kim got lucky and got the woman's silver coin. The course took riders under
power lines up to the base of the 14,036 foot Mt. Sherman, around Ball Mountain
to Mosquito Pass. The pass is name appropriately as riders tried to out run all
the mosquitoes as they pushed bikes up big hills. It was an out and back
course, so everyone could see who was leading. Jan had three flats, which was
very frustrating as in the previous year he came in 16th overall. He had just
finished the Hardrock 100-mile race the previous weekend, but still felt strong.
He ended up coming in 22nd with a time of 5:11. He had been up with the
leaders, so was a little disappointed with his mechanical problems. Lisa was
next at the finish line with a time of 6:00 and placing first in her age group.
Kim came in at 6:25, which gave her a third place in age group. George came in
with a rainstorm, which is very typical of the 100-mile race. Everyone received
silver bracelets and medals for finishing.
Thanks to our great sponsors,
Litespeed, BTI, ThorLo, Hydropel, CW-X, GoLite, Polar, SixSixOne, Platypus,
Bolle and WPC Brands.
The next day, we all went and hiked Mt. Elbert the highest peak in Colorado.
It was memorable in that it was the first 14er for the Bear teenagers, Samantha
and JJ. The route was difficult with 3 false summits and steep climbing.
Everyone was successful on the climb.
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