09/12/08 Sanitas

~ 4 miles

~1,700 vertical

For years I have been trying to break 17 on Sanitas and I came close to letting it go and just accepting that it is never going to happen. I often times gaze up toward Sanitas from Boulder and think to myself, "it looks so short, why can't I break 17?". The first time I ran it, I think I was 20 minutes, and I quickly slimmed that down by a minute here, 30 seconds there, quickly I got it down to the low 17's, 17:09, 17:05, 17:03, but felt like I was really busting a gut to go that fast and my best time here stayed stagnant for years.

Today, at the last minute, I decided to join Allison and Sierra for a trip into Boulder to run some errands and take a trip up Sanitas. On the way there, I was sleeping in the car and was totally out of it. The crappy weather kind of had me in a funk, along with not sleeping too well last night. As the weather improved, I slowly snapped out of it, and figured I would run hard and see how it went.

Conditions were perfect today, high 50's and the sun was just starting to make an appearance after long steady rains for the last day and a half which made the dirt on the trail nice and tacky. I had a few minute warmup and then hit it as hard as I could, keeping my steps short and fast, trying not to take long stides and blow it too soon. I was completely redlined, but at the same time staying within myself, quickstepping the steep and flying on the lower angle sections. I got to the "puddle" downhill and knew I was slightly ahead of PR, but could I keep it up? It got steep again, and I felt better than I ever have on this stretch and knew I was pacing myself perfectly. I really leaned into it on the final stretch and hit my elbow on the pole at 16:23:09!

I was totally stoked. Sounds piddly, but I have been wanting this for years and finally got it by 40 seconds, way more than I anticipated, yet in the range I knew I could do on a good day. Now, maybe break 16? Food for thought.