Great video recap of the Ultimate Mountain Challenge at the Teva Mountain Games.
Teva Mountain Games
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I have a love-hate relationship with the Teva Mountain Games (TMG). As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’ve competed in just about every version of TMG going back over 10 years. It’s been amazing to watch the event grow and evolve. I look forward to the TMG weekend every summer – hanging out in my former hometown, catching up with old friends, watching all the amazing athletes competing, and of course, punishing myself in the Ultimate Mountain Challenge.
I also stress out more over the Teva Mountain Games than just about any other event I race in all year. The Ultimate Mountain Challenge in the summer, which includes four races over two days, is exhausting. I also feel like there is more pressure on me competing in Vail, and the expectations are high racing in front of so many of my friends. Furthermore, Ian works on the PR for TMG, so he’s talking about the event constantly. It gets to the point where I dread it.
So, now the new, WINTER Teva Mountain Games is just a few days away and I’m getting more and more anxious. The winter version of the Ultimate Mountain Challenge includes a 10k Nordic race, a skimo race with 6,500 feet of vert and the two-mile, Vail Uphill race with 2,200 feet of vert.
I feel fit for the race, but not totally prepared. I skate skied for the first time all winter on Saturday. It hurt. I haven’t been running much, and definitely not uphill. There are some strong women signed up for the UMC, including my friends Stevie Kremer and Lyndsay Meyer as well as US Mountain Running team member Megan Kimmel and National Nordic Champion Morgan Smyth. It’s going to be a really competitive race.
This weekend I’m going to try adopt Axel’s mantra…just have fun in the snow! Hope to see many of you in Vail. Thanks, as always, for reading.
Ahh, the Teva Mountain Games – a very special event for me and Ian because it’s where we met in 2002. We haven’t missed a single TMG since, whether I raced, Ian worked, or both.
After taking last year off from racing the Ultimate Mountain Challenge when Axel was just two months old, I was excited to compete in four events again this year. However, what I didn’t realize six months ago when I registered for the Sage Burner 50K, that it takes place the weekend before the Mountain Games. I decided to go for it, but in hindsight, that was maybe a little ambitious…
Ian’s parents arrived before the event to help with the kids while I raced and Ian worked throughout the long weekend. I was able to paddle the down river race course a few times before the event helping me have a little confidence on the water (I’ve only kayaked once since this race two years ago). Ian and I were also able to get one quick lap in on the mountain bike course and then it was time for me to hang with the family and try to relax.
Down River Kayak Sprint – Saturday morning: We all convened in East Vail, listened to a brief racer meeting and joked around to hide our pre-race 
jitters. Gretchen Reeves, Kelley Cullen and I all raced back-to-back at one minute intervals allowing us to judge time lost or made. I went first and within the first few minutes I caught an eddy line with the bow of my boat and spun backwards. Getting moving forward again very quickly, I finished the rest of my run with better lines. Shortly after, Gretchen and Kelley came in together. After the first race I was up 20 seconds on Gretchen, and 1 minute 20 seconds on Kelley.
X-Country Mountain Bike – Saturday midday: I took Juniper into town for a ride on the zipline and enjoyed a few minutes of the event. With a quick hand-off of the kids, I warmed up for race #2. An additional Ultimate Mountain Challenge competitor, Sara Tarkington, joined us at this point. Sara had never kayaked 
before so opted out of the paddle and took the 30 minute penalty instead. As we started up the first climb with the other women racing in the pro division, I instantly worried that my legs were destroyed from the 50K as I fell off the pack. After just a few minutes I started to come around and catch some the women. By midway through the first of four laps, I had managed to catch and pass my three competitors in the Ultimate Mountain Challenge. Both Gretchen and Kelley stayed close behind for the remainder of the race, pushing me and the pace the entire way. Despite having some chain issues, I managed to stay in front and gain a little more time thanking my new awesome race bike – the Trek Superfly Elite.
10K Spring Runoff – Sunday morning: I did some rough math in my head before the run began and figured I had about 1 minute 20 seconds on Gretchen and about 2 minutes 30 seconds on Kelley. My goal for the 10K was to run as well as I could and try not to let either Gretchen or Kelley get ahead of me. That goal ended very early in the race when Kelley passed me on the first climb and proceeded to drop me. I stayed as close as I could but my running legs just weren’t 
there. My goal became to stay ahead of Gretchen and minimize my loss to Kelley. In the end, Kelley ran a great race and finished 5 minutes ahead of me putting her two and a half minutes in the lead. I was relieved that I was able to stay in front of Gretchen and was hoping I could pull something amazing off in the time trial up Vail Pass.
Road Bike Time Trial – Sunday morning: With only an hour between finishing the 10K and starting the time trial, I hoped for a miracle on my road bike. Kelley was starting 30 seconds behind me and 
Gretchen 1 minute back which meant if one of them caught me, I wouldn’t be able to pull off the overall win. I knew the chance of me making up two and a half minutes on Kelley was slim but I gave it everything I had. Which, as it turns out, was just about nothing. Gretchen passed both Kelley and I very early on and then Kelley passed me about a mile before the beginning of the bike path. I struggled to maintain any speed and felt like I was never going to reach the finish. Gretchen and Kelley were not in sight and I just hoped I hadn’t lost second place.
In the end, I maintained my silver medal as Kelley Cullen took a brilliant win in her first attempt at the Ultimate Mountain Challenge and Gretchen Reeves finished third very close behind me. Results here. It was an exhausting but great weekend of racing and now I am thoroughly excited to take a few weeks off. Ian and I are headed to France for a Polartec Athlete Advisory Board meeting, as well as some road riding and hopefully a little bit of relaxing.
After a crazy-busy winter and especially the month of April, when I raced every weekend, I took most of this month off. It was a much needed break, especially as I look forward to a summer busy with travel and racing. This weekend we got back into race mode and loaded the whole family up for a long weekend in Gunnison for the Sage Burner 50K and the Growler.
Juniper happy to see me at the windy finish line.
With the Sage Burner on Saturday and the Growler on Sunday, it was the perfect race weekend for both Ian and I to compete. I had never done a 50K before and was definitely nervous. I wanted to race smart, have fun and still be able to walk so I can compete in the Teva Mountain Games Ultimate Mountain Challenge next weekend.
Despite not feeling particularly fresh or fast, early in the race I found myself running as the first woman and in about sixth place overall. I had a low point from about miles 17 through 22, and a few men passed me as my pace slowed significantly. Knowing that a woman must be close behind and most likely running faster than I was at that point, I ate another pack of Honey Stinger Chews and drank some Nuun. I got myself moving faster, running up the longer climbs and catching a few of the men that had passed me earlier.
I finished as the first woman in the 50K thinking I had a decent lead as I had never caught a glimpse of a woman behind me. However, after being done for just two minutes, Tressa Breindel of Boulder came across the line looking super strong. Good thing for me that the race wasn’t a mile or two longer! Check out the full Sage Burner results here.
On the podium with Tressa and my old friend Dave Wiens
Ian, Juniper and Axel were cheering at the line as usual making the finish that much better. I was pleasantly surprised how good my legs and body felt after the race but I’m unsure why I felt so sluggish the entire five hours of racing. Sunday brought another day of Anderson racing at Hartman Rocks, with Ian competing in the Original Growler – two laps of the same 50K course I ran the day before. Ian had a solid race and finished in six and a half hours, right about where he wanted to be. Growler results here. Overall, an awesome weekend of racing! Next up, Vail and the Teva Games.
Ian on lap 1 of the Growler
In anticipation of actually getting internet at the house this evening after the lightening strike last Monday, I figured I’d get started updating what’s been happening for awhile.
The first week of June, I went up to Aspen to participate in the second meeting of the Polartec Athlete Advisory Board. We enjoyed great food and discussed product we have been testing (including Power Shield Pro and others I cannot discuss) as well as new ideas and future product. JustAZipper.com has a nice recap of the week if you’re interested otherwise all I can say is that I’m very excited about what’s to come from Polartec!
Axel and I left directly from Aspen and headed to Vail (I was a bit spoiled that week) for the Teva Mountain Games. Ian and Juniper had been there for a few days, Ian working and Juniper playing with some friends. The last two summers I have competed in the Ultimate Mountain Challenge consisting of four events in two days and the two years before that in the adventure race. With Ian working and Axel only eight weeks old, I had to skip the UMC and just race in the 10K trail run on Sunday morning. This 10K is unlike any other I have raced including trail races – it is brutal. Most of the climbing is so steep that even the leaders are relegated to fast hiking so I was happy to finish just a minute or so slower than my time from last year (even with a stop to dump the rocks from my shoes). I missed competing in it all but it just wasn’t possible this year.
Dropping some ounces before the mountain bike race.
Lindsay at Carmichael Training Systems has been working hard to get me faster after the pregnancy and had me doing hill repeats and intervals throughout the week with a mountain bike race mixed in. My legs were sufficiently tired after Saturday’s running repeats and then we headed to Boulder for the Newton Running Form Symposium and Clinic. Danny Abshire (Newton founder) and Ian Adamson (my old adventure race teammate) gave a great talk on the importance of proper running form to help prevent injuries and increase speed and efficiency. After an hour and a half run through Boulder and up Mt. Sanitas in the pouring rain on Sunday morning, I joined the Newton crew again for the form clinic. About thirty runners showed up to have their form critiqued and to practice what we had learned the night before. If you are able to get to one of these clinics, I highly suggest it! If you can’t make one, check out this video for some great tips.
Despite having missed two training sessions early in the week, I had an awesome twelve mile run with both kids in the Chariot this morning. With the temperature perfect, the wind still somewhat calm and not many people on the path, I was able to push my sixty pounds at an average 7 min. 50 sec. per mile pace. With all the foundation CTS has been having me build, I’m excited to get to the next phase of my training when I start to really prepare for racing again. I think I may be able to set some PRs and push the pace in some mountain bike races.
Start of the Vail Pass Hill Climb Time Trial. The last of four events.
I’m really looking forward to the next four days but they’re also going to be super busy. Tomorrow Ian and Juniper leave for Vail for the Teva Mountain Games and Axel and I head to Aspen to meet with the Polartec Athlete Advisory Board.
Sometime in the midst of packing for Juniper, driving to Aspen to pick up truck parts, going to the grocery store, nursing, parenting, etc. today, I’m hoping to get out for an hour ride and some hill intervals. It’s at these times that I’m thankful for the 1,490 feet of climbing in three miles up to our house – perfect for hill repeats.
Tomorrow I’m looking forward to a day with Axel and then dinner in Aspen with the Polartec group. Friday we’ll be brainstorming new product before I head to Vail as well. For the past few years I have competed in the Ultimate Mountain Challenge, racing four events in two days. As amazing and fun as that is, this year I’m looking forward to enjoying the other aspects of the mountain games including the kids areas and cheering my friends on. I hope to run the 10k trail race Sunday morning to see just how slow I am in comparison to last year.
I better get on with my large list of to dos so I can enjoy the hill repeats this evening.
It was a terrific, long, painful and exhilarating weekend of racing at the Teva Mountain Games. Ian and I both competed in the Ultimate Mountain Challenge, a combination of four races over two days. It was a marathon weekend, which we couldn’t have gotten through without the help of my mother who flew in from RI to support us and watch Juniper.
Without further ado, let’s get to the racing:
Race 1 – Downriver Kayak Sprint
Sari: 18:07
Ian: 17:51
Race 2 – Mountain Bike XC (Ian had to race 4 laps and I did 3 so we’ll do a little math here)
Sari: 1:44:07
Ian: total time: 2:18:56 ÷4 laps = 34:45:44 avg. lap time x 3 = 1:44:11
Race 3: 10K Trail Run
Sari: 1:01:58
Ian: 1:03:02
Race 4: Vail Pass Time Trial
Sari: 36:26
Ian: 36:21
Final Cumulative Times
Sari: 3:40:49
Ian: 3:41:25
A difference of 47 seconds. So, I can claim bragging right this year, but clearly you can’t find a much more evenly matched couple. Oh, and I won the real Ultimate Mountain Challenge, beating my good friend and super-tough competitor Gretchen Reeves. Surprisingly, no other women signed up for the race (leaving a $500 prize unclaimed). Ian got 5th overall in the men’s pro division. Read more here.
We’re off to Richmond, VA this weekend to visit Ian’s family and race the Xterra Atlantic Cup on Sunday. Hope I’ve recovered by then….
The family, including my mom, is headed over to Vail this weekend for the Teva Mountain Games Ultimate Mountain Challenge. Last year I raced well for the four events – downriver kayak, mountain bike, trail 10k and Vail Pass time trial – to place second among the women behind Gretchen Reeves and just ahead of Keri Nelson. I know Gretchen is back to defend her title and I believe Keri will be back trying to better her performance from last year. I’m not sure how fit I’m feeling this year, but the challenge will be a good one.
After running around with Juniper in tow last year, Ian decided he was up for the challenge this year. It was a difficult decision whether to race pro or amateur but after some coaxing from me he decided to go for the pro race. The only difference is the mountain bike race – 4 laps versus 2. The pro women do three laps of the mountain bike course so unfortunately Ian and I aren’t quite racing head to head. Bummer, because that would have been the best race out there.
Ian and I will still be battling it out in the kayak race, 10k and hill climb. It should be some fun, family competition. May the best spouse win!
