Discussion: salida

I think i am going to start my season with salida too. really considering NOT doing a 100 this year. Maggie and I both have entries into LT100 but I am going to pass... she wants another crack.

racing north face and the whoo's in el morro 50k reminded what kind of racing i love. I still like to really feel like I'm racing and go for it. I think I am going to stick to competitive 50ks and 50 milers next year. Any recommendations for racing in CO?

I think San Juan Sostice, Quad Rock, and Run Rabbit are the most competitive 50 milers in our state. Collegiate Peaks has been a proving ground for a bunch of folks too, and it really would suit your running. Check out the top times all time and it is littered with dudes from Colorado who have been big timers. It's not typically as competitive year to year, but it is a great test of strength and speed. San Juan is very tough, it's a totally different beast than the others (more like a longer and harder version of Devil on the Divide).

A 50K to put on your radar would be the Cheyenne Mountain Trail Race. They tend to get a bunch of really fast dudes (and ladies) every year. Not a ton of climbing, but more than it seems on the map.

A race that is close(ish) but not in Colorado to check out would be Jemez Mountain Trail Runs. Both the 50K and the 50M are tough, and generally pretty fast.

thanks for the all info dude. I am definitely want to jump into some short hard stuff. in the last couple of years i haven't raced a ton, by my standards. This year i didn't do much short stuff and felt stale building up to RRR.
I thought about San Juan but not sure if that's the kind of race i want to target this year. maggie is going to run the colorado marathon the same day as collegiate peaks so that's out for me.

his is what I'm thinking so far

march - salida marathon
4/29 - Cheyenne Mtn 25 or 50k
5/13 - Quad Rock 25 miler
6/3 - Dirty 30 50k

not sure what over the summer.

then RRR 50 in steamboat

Yeah dude, that's solid. See you 100% on SJS, it is a different race, technical, and super high for a long time. Takes a lot of specific training that isn't easy to come by down here. Most folks who do really well there either live in advantageous locations to train, dedicate a bunch of time away up high, or are super human (Carpenter). I think you'll like RRR50, the 50 course is waaaaay better than the 100 course in my opinion.

Breck 100/68 MTB race on 7/29. You'd like it.