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| I can now add completing a snowshoe race to my list of life experiences. The event was a part of a festival of races held at Cumbres Pass in Southern Colorado just North of the NM line. The elevation is about 10,000 feet. I live at about 200 feet so you can see what a change this was for me. Also I've only been on snowshoes 3-4 times and only once for a distance of over 2 miles. There were 25 participants in the snowshoe event and about 75 in the cross country skiing. I am so glad I decided not to do that. I would probably still be out on the course. The course was very well designed, with the exception that it is probably a bit long. According to my Garmin, the distance was 3.35 miles, instead of the 3.1. Many of the experienced cross country people also said it was long. The people who put on the race did a lot of work to make it possible to hold an event in such a beautiful area. At one point we went through Aspens and I felt like I was in a dream. That feeling only lasted until we immediately faced a very steep grade. I have been running for over 40 years and have competed in hundreds of races. I think this was the first time that I finished last when I considered myself to be competing. My time for the 3.35 miles was 1:12:07. My excuses are that my running shoes did not work very well in the snowshoes, the snowshoes were too long and too heavy, and I was sucking air, trying to get enough oxygen, the entire way. This is something that I'm glad I did, but I'm not sure I will ever do again. My friend did quite well, winning the 60+ age group. She's planning to start getting serious about the sport. Me---I'll head back to MS and run on my low elevation flat courses. I'll think twice before I ever again complain about the hills of South Mississippi. © Becky Ryder See results |
