If you'd like to skip the blog post and listen to the recap, you can check out Karel's post race report from stage 1 HERE.
Start time: 8:30am
36.4 miles
5700 feet elevation
3:44
10th 40-49
I woke up at 6am and Karel got up around 6:35am. A little after 7am, I walked up to the Beaver Run resort (~8 min walk) to drop off Karel's bag (bottle of sport nutrition) for transport to aid station 2. I then started my run. My plan was to run ~10 miles while spectating Karel but I ended up running a bit longer (and a lot more elevation than planned).
It was another cool morning in the upper 40's but as soon as the sun comes out, it warms up quickly. Karel did a 25 min warm-up around the ice skating rink/stage start and I ran to the point on the course where I would be seeing Karel for the first time. I continued to run on the trails and road for the next 40 minutes. I then ran to the start to see Karel. I then ran back up the hill to spectate. It was nice to see Karel in action.
Using my navigation on my phone and looking at Karel's stage 1 in training peaks from 2023, I found a spot on the course where I would be able to see Karel cross trails. I didn't realize it until I plugged in the navigation that in the 4 miles I would be running to see Karel, I would be running on trails and up a long climb. 1300 feet in 4 miles! The picture above is from the run down but it was a looooong gradual incline for many miles on the road. It reminded me of Zombie Hill at Norseman so I just focused on keeping myself moving forward. I was nearing 11,000 feet starting from Breckenridge (at 9,700 feet).
I made my way on to a gravel road and a mile later, I was finally at the point where I would be able to see Karel.
I wore my hydration belt (Naked Running) w/ two flasks and refilled the flasks before heading up the mountain. I loved being able to give Karel a cheer as he was riding. He looked good in a small group of other riders.
I then made my way down the mountain. The views were incredible.
2 hours and 5 minutes later, 13 miles, 1800 feet elevation gain and averaging 9:40 (with a lot of stops to catch my breath and to spectate), I made it back to our Airbnb. I did a quick shower and change, had a recovery drink and snack, prepared Karel's recovery tart cherry juice drink in a bottle and walked over to Carter Park to see Karel finish.
I was super proud of Karel and he looked happy at the finish line. He was a bit frustrated that his legs were cramping and he couldn't push harder (this is a chronic issue for him, 10+ years of inner thigh cramping coming from his back issues and tight hips), but he was happy to learn that he was 10th in his age group. We joked that he is first in the "sea level" category in this age group.
Karel spun out his legs for ~15 minutes and I walked to Clint's bakery to get some bagels and then checked out the local market in downtown. We really love Breckenridge (minus the altitude). The people are really nice and there is so much to do around here - especially for those who love to live an active lifestyle. And everyone at the Breck Epic staff and all of the riders are very friendly. It's a really cool atmosphere here.
Karel and I had lunch (bagels w/ eggs and fruit) back in our Airbnb and Karel relaxed the rest of the afternoon in the normatec boots. He wasn't too sore or depleted, just tired. Around 4pm I went to the rec center for a 4000 yard swim. I did most of it with the snorkel as I was struggling with my breathing in the water after my morning long run (and tired). But it felt good to loosen out in the water.
We had pasta and veggie burgers for dinner and around 8:00pm we were tired and ready for bed.