WY

Saturday May 30 2021

I had booked the Wyoming Half Marathon in 2020, but it was cancelled then rescheduled as a response to the country’s corona virus reaction. Becca had been unable to make the reschedule date so I deferred until 2021 and here we are, it finally rolled around. 

In theory, I was already in my training plan for the Chicago marathon (October 2021). In reality, I took a little break from running after 2020 miles in 2020, and had been struggling to get back into it as before. I’d altered my training to running a maximum of every other day, and with a new job requiring earlier starts, my time available to slog out mid distance runs had quickly disappeared. I like the challenge brought on by running in the Carolina summer, but I developed shin splints in May – so this, along side my usual neck issues, had thrown another spanner in the works. So, not great prep for this race, but having been following a recent plan of run one day, small garage weights session the next, I felt as ready as I could for what was likely to prove a pretty tough race.  Starting at 9000’, run all on rock/dirt/gravel trail, with 1200’ of gain almost all in the second half of the course… it was going to be a fun one. 

Becca’s parents had come to visit the week prior, and the three of them had spent time visiting the Outer Banks, before joining on this getaway out west. We flew United into Denver early Saturday morning, picking up a rental car there, and heading two hours North to Cheyenne, Wyoming’s capital, for race packet pick up at Foot of The Rockies, and a big lunch at this diner –

From there we headed west to Laramie – the closest habitation to Sunday morning’s race location – and checked in with Sue, our Air BnB host.

I had started reading about the effects of elevation on running, especially because just sitting down, I was noticing that my breathing was slightly laboured! – https://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=408985 – Apparently anything above 7500′ is pretty serious altitude, and really hinders physical activity!

I found this info interesting, too – about highest altitudes by state – https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_elevation#Elevation_table

We went out for drinks at the Front Street Tavern that afternoon/evening, then Pizza at The Crow Bar & Grill. Laramie is a sleepy western town, eclectically mixing traditional modern frontiersmen of the west, with “alternative” student types from Wyo U.  The former driving trucks, wearing work clothes, and being tough, traditional, local men of purpose and tradition. The latter wearing masks on their unnecessary trip to the bar, to show their superior understanding of science.

We bedded down for the night in our little apartment and Sunday morning soon rolled around. 

It was 46 degrees and cloudy, but not raining. The race started at 0700 so we left Laramie at 0615, to head the Abraham Lincoln Monument at the entrance to the Medicine Bow National Forest. I’d managed to lose the soft flex flask I’d bought at packet pick up to mitigate the cupless aid stations but not to worry. 

It was misty at 9000’ where we started, and the course proved long at about 13.5 miles. There were about 100 runners, but some were doing the 50k or the full. The half was an out and back, with over 1100’ of climb, most of which came in the last 4 miles. The high elevation made breathing tough and pace slow, especially going uphill, where it felt like my lungs and heart were about to explode. 

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I’d worn a pair of Zoom Fly 3s, and that was probably about right for the surface. It was all trail, some soft dirt/gravel (which was particularly troublesome as the light rain started about half way through the race), a few rockier sections, and plenty of washboard style ruts running across the trail.  There were also plenty of pretty extreme cattle grids to traverse!  All in all, not crazy, but not straightforward either. 

The course through the forest was, however, beautiful. With mist in the higher parts, snow in some of the shaded parts, lots of flowing streams beside the track, lovely outcrops of trees and rocks elevated around. 

I set out with a group of three to four other guys, all in bobble hats, long sleeves, the works, but the field stretched as it wore us down. I finished second overall, with the winner clearly a very strong runner who started fast, looked strong at the turn, and wasn’t in sight when I crossed the line!

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All in all, a tough one but that’s 42 down now.  It’s another six weeks until the WA however, but then a few come thick and fast.

After the race, we headed back to the apartment. I warmed up, showered and packed, then we headed out on the six hour drive to Jackson Hole. Via a stop at the truly fascinating, Wyoming Territorial Prison (State Historic Site) in Laramie.

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We arrived at Spring Creek Ranch, just outside Jackson, and had a quick turn around, before heading out on foot for dinner at The Amangani hotel, just down the road. We had a very nice tea – including Wagyu beef – and got to bed early. We were staying in two apartments – one upstairs, one down, adjoined as a house. 

TETONS

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View of The Tetons –

I ran early the next morning – such a beautiful setting – a warm up 1 mile, then a downhill 5K, from the top of the resort road, all the way down to the main road. I broke 18 minutes with this, running a 17.57, a new PR. Even downhill, I felt it was pretty good going considering the altitude, sore legs from the big race yesterday, shin splints, no Vapor Flys, and even an annoying stone in my shoe – which gave me a bad heel blister. I did a quick gym session before a nice breakfast, and all heading out to the Teton National Park. 

Tetons 5K PR –

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This also started me thinking about times, and running, and led me to read more about how weight can affect such times –

We visited various parts of the park, saw a wolf, elk, deer, bison, a grazing female moose and some fantastic beaver activity, before heading back to the ranch for bed.

Moose –

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Bear –

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Beaver in the trees by the waterfall –

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Beaver on a rock –

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Beavers in the water –

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Tetons Flora and Fauna –

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Tuesday, we checked out of the resort, visited some shops and bars in Jackson centre, had a quick look at Jackson Hole ski resort, and made our way to Yellowstone National Park via a few more scenic stops in the Tetons.

Jackson Million Dollar Cowboy Bar –

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We ate and stayed in the Lake Yellowstone Lodge that night and rose early the next morning to see some more of the park. 

YELLOWSTONE

The sulfur cauldron and mud volcanoes –

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The Lodge –

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Bison in the dust –

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We continued our scenic wildlife explorations the next day, and stayed at the Roosevelt Inn in Gardiner the next two nights, eating at the Iron Horse Grill and Wonderland Cafe. I also got in a morning six mile run, out and back along the Old Yellowstone Trail, checking out the Roosevelt Entrance Gateway and the Gardiner historic cemetery in the process. 

Pools –

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Old Faithful –

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Grand Prysmatic Spring –

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Bull Moose –

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Bison in water near wolves –

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Various other pics from the park –

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Artists’ Point –

Having seen more of Yellowstone and what it has on offer, we headed on our way – visiting Cooke, then going on a terrifying hike through real grizzly bear country – Tom Minor Basin in the Gellatin National Forest.

We grabbed BBQ for lunch in Emigrant and drove on to Livingston, where we stayed at the Murray hotel and head a great dinner in the French style Second Street Bistro next door. I also got in evening then morning runs along the bike path following the railway line. The town held a classic car show the next morning, and we headed on our way to Bozeman airport via the University of Montana Museum of the Rockies.

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We flew down to Denver on United and stayed at the Sheraton that night before dining locally in Union Station then exploring downtown Sunday morning. I got a run in down the river and we ate at Linger. Denver seems a strange city – quite Mad Max, with people washing in the river. The city’s character comes from its people, but it’s a little bit ‘inmates taking over the asylum’ for my tastes. 

We flew back to Charlotte Sunday afternoon, landing late. Just under seven weeks until the next race, all the way over in Washington state.