Running in thin air (Copper Mountain Half Marathon race report)

Two weekends ago, I ran the Copper Mountain Half Marathon (at Copper Mountain Resort near Frisco, CO), at the end of a week-long conference at the same place. This was my second trail race and first one at high elevation (9,600 ft). Given

the uncertainty of the effect of the elevation, I was fairly satisfied with my time of 2:27:50. It was more than 40 minutes slower than my PR for half marathons but still good enough for third place in my age group. The course was a tough one (tougher than the Dances with Dirt at Devil's Lake Half), mostly up and down and across the ski slopes of Copper Mountain. A good part of the course was on the Colorado Trail, from which the following photo was taken, just above Center Village, where the race start-finish line was located (next to the partially hidden circle at the center of the photo).

Here's a view of the circle from the opposite direction, taken from my hotel room, conveniently located near both the conference building and the race start-finish line.

The course was basically a 5K loop to the west (right), a segment of which was on the Colorado Trail, and a 5K out-and-back to the east (left), completely on the Colorado Trail, both run twice. The 5K loop included an additional (uphill!) segment for the second time around, to get the total distance to 13.1. The 5K out-and-back was mostly single track, so, in addition to looking downward for obstacles, one had to look upward for oncoming runners. Running the course twice had its pros and cons. On the one hand, I knew what was coming up next; on the other hand, I knew what was coming up next (especially those steep segments!). It was definitely helpful, though, to be able to anticipate some of the footing (rocks, roots, and other obstacles) the second time. Even so, the only time the soles of my shoes sufficiently brushed a protruding rock to cause a near face-plant was during the second running of the 5K loop. "Good catch!" the guy behind me encouragingly called out. I credit my ability to have made that recovery to all those core exercises over the past couple years.

This year's course had to be partly changed by the race organizers (Endurance Race Series), because of a previously scheduled bike race on the same day that included the Ten Mile Canyon National Recreation Trail (west of Copper Mountain, towards the Vail Pass) that previously was part of the Copper Half.

I think, in previous years, an out-and-back segment along this trail accounted for about half of the race, which would mean that the 5K loop and 5K out-and-back from the Center Village circle were run only once. When I first heard about this year's course change, I was kind of disappointed, because I was looking forward to the gorgeous scenery along the trail. Here are some views from a morning run a few days before the race. (So envious of the local runners!)

This year's modified, more forested course, over more difficult terrain, however, was also quite scenic, in a more subdued way. So, I'm not complaining much.

The Copper Half was one of five different races over both days of the weekend. There were less than 100 runners for the half and a few hundreds total for all the races combined. So, for me, it was quite different from the usual large urban races--and, quite a nice change! Race logistics were all done well, by the entire staff of friendly people. The course was well described in detail by the race organizers before the start of the race, which was quite helpful (e.g., for the 5K out-and-back, go slow on the wet rocks when crossing the creek!). There were two water stations along the 5K loop and one at the start-finish line by the Center Village circle. There were no stations along the 5K out-and-back, because of the lack of car access to the Colorado Trail; but, that was not a big problem, given the short distance. There was a post-race pasta lunch for all the runners. 

The turnaround point of the 5K out-and-back was marked by three small orange traffic cones. There were two other runners near me, when I got to the turnaround the first time. The three of us briefly stood there and discussed whether these cones indeed marked the turnaround, before concluding they did and heading back. The cones were not monitored. But, it's hard to imagine any runner, by him/herself, would take advantage of the situation and prematurely turn around. No runner would want a race result with an asterisk, even if no one else knew.

Some suggestions for the race organizers:

1. Arrange with the Copper Mountain Resort management for late checkouts for all runners. Regular checkout time was 10 am (early!), and I'd to try really hard to get the front desk person to extend the time to even 11 am. The race began at 8 am, which meant, by the time I finished, I had about 30 minutes to get back to my room, shower, and check out. That front desk person was definitely, to put it charitably, not customer-focused!

2. Have a vegetarian option for the post-race pasta lunch.

3. Try not to schedule the race on the same weekend that a dance festival was also taking place. The latter was located right next to the Center Village circle, near my room, and had music (noise) blasting away from mid-morning Saturday until past midnight. Not the best situation to try and rest before the race!

I was very glad I had a few days during the conference week prior to the race to somewhat acclimate to running at 9,600 ft; still, the elevation probably was more a factor than the lack of trail training. Different people respond to high elevation differently. Some of the conference attendees had trouble breathing, difficulty in sleeping, headaches, etc. For me, although I definitely felt the effect in my breathing, it was not that noticeable. Running, especially uphill, however, was a different story. I felt the thinner air not just in the lungs but also in the legs. One interesting observation I made was that, below a certain percent grade, it was actually easier to slowly run up the slope than to walk it. I’m not sure if that’s because different muscles are involved, or the same muscles but used differently. The aftereffects of this race lingered longer than those of marathons. The fact that, right after the race, I'd to quickly get on the road to get to Denver and catch a flight was probably also contributory. The Copper Half was at the end of Week 7 in my current 16-week training cycle for a September marathon. That Sunday's long run should have been 16 miles, but the race more than made up for the shorter distance with intensity!

Trail races are definitely more fun to run, compared with urban road races. If another Endurance Race Series opportunity comes up the next time I'm in Colorado, I'd definitely run it. Trail or not, I now know I can race at 9,600 ft!

Running on the run

The main downside of those introductory tour packages (e.g., see Europe in 10 days) is the lack of time for morning runs. Recently, my family did a Trafalgar London to Rome Highlights “cost-saver” tour (6 cities in 9 days!) that was very efficiently organized, with an excellent tour guide—a great way to see a lot within a limited time period. But, it was really hard to get in the morning runs. In contrast, in the 2012 trip to Paris, we're travelling by ourselves and setting our own schedule, and I was able to do several really nice, crowd-less, early morning runs, especially that memorable 8-mile sightseer!

On this trip, I'd to skip running in London, because of a weather-related delayed arrival, and didn't get in a run until the second day in Paris. It was still dark (~5 am), when I stepped out from the hotel (Mercure Paris La Défense 5), but I soon regretted not bringing a camera. By the time I got to the Place de la Défense, in front of La Grande Arche, the early morning light was enough to get a really nice view down the Av. de la Grande Armée of the Arc de Triomphe in night lights. Here's approximately the same view from Google Maps, except in daylight. The Arc de Triomphe is the very small feature just to the left of center. Later that day, we were up on the first level of the Tour

Eiffel and can easily see our hotel in La Défense to the northwest (to the right of the distant skyscrapers in the photo, with the Jardins du Trocadéro in the foreground). The Arc de Triomphe was not quite three miles from the hotel and a round-trip would have made for a nice, easy run. But, no time!

So, where would I have gone for my morning runs, had I had more time? The following are my "virtual runs."

In London (~8-mile run): From our hotel west of the city, go east through Kensington Gardens towards Westminster Abbey, then along the north bank of the River Thames to the Tower of London, cross the

Tower Bridge, come back along the south bank of the river, passing Shakespeare's Globe and the London Eye, cross the river back to Westminster Abbey and then to the hotel.

In Paris (~10-mile run): From our hotel, east southeast along the Av. de la Grande Armée, pass the Arc de Triomphe, continue along the Av. des Champs-Élysées, pass the Jardin des Tuileries, cross La Seine to the Cathédrale Notre-Dame and on to the Quartier Latin, through this very narrow Rue du Château Qui Pêche, just off the 

Quai Saint-Michel, through Le Jardin du Luxembourg, to Rue du Montparnasse, where one could not go hungry (at least from lack of crêpes; Crêperie Le Petit Josselin, on the left, is where we had a delicious dinner; order cider!), and back to the hotel, by way of the Tour Eiffel.

In Lucerne (~5-mile run): From hotel, a few short blocks to the edge of Lake Lucerne, out and back to the east along the shore, back to city center, across the Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), through the city streets to the 

Löwendenkmal (Lion Monument), just north of city center (dedicated to the Swiss mercenaries who died during the French Revolution), and back to the hotel.

In Venice: Our hotel was too far from the city for a run. (This was a cost-saver trip!) But, had we stayed in Venice, I would have had great fun running the many side streets and bridges, here with the Bridge of Sighs 

in the background. Or, pass through this narrow street and commune with the master. Or, for a really 

colorful run, take a boat ride across the Laguna Veneta to the island of Burano, known for its lacework and colorful houses, some seen here along the Fondamenta della Pescheria. (Best lunch of the trip on Burano!)

In Florence: Along the Fiume Arno, here just to the east of the Ponte Vecchio (which, btw, was not that high above the river, so Lauretta throwing herself in the Arno wouldn't have seemed to be that big a deal--unless she couldn't swim!), and through some of the

narrow streets of the city, such as Via dei Bentaccordi, where Michelangelo had lived. (See plaque on right.)

In Rome: An early morning stop at the Fontana di Trevi, perhaps with a coin toss--without the crowd--would have been really nice! But, near our hotel, in the outskirts of the city, there were also some interesting sights, 

including this one of a roadside fountain, taken on my only run (~3 miles) with a camera, on the last full day of the trip.