Meet the Minotaur post-mortem

I felt so-so going into the Minotaur.

I had this nagging feeling in the back of my mind for weeks that I needed to tweak my training. While I was getting tons of vert all week, I was tired during the week after long day adventures that I often skipped my all important runs.

My number one goal has always been to finish. I have never done sky race before so it was all new to me, and a finish is always a win. It’s also been a heavy few months and my mind hasn’t always been on training.

Over the last few months, I often traded finish-time scenarios back and forth with Monica. Some days we were overly optimistic and confident in our estimated finish times while other days our individual insecurities won the day.

I was pretty nervous the morning of the race. I knew I would eventually get over my nerves and focus on the day. I kept telling to myself – it’s only 12 hours of my life, and I can do anything in 12 hours.

I was a little overwhelmed by the closeness of all the people around me during the first climb. I could hear people breathing on top of my breathing. Talk about weird. Anyway that’s a side comment.

Long story, short. It just wasn’t my day. I finished the race (yay!) but it took me hours more than I had planned, and I know I am capable of doing. I was a little disappointed in myself for a few days but I quickly got over it after a little perspective.

THE COURSE

The race started in downtown Blairmore where we ran to the base of Bluff Mountain where we quickly conga lined up a rugged switch backed trail to the summit of Bluff Mountain.

We continued along a forested ridge before descending in a dark forest on a fun and fast trail before we eventually reached the first aid station at around 12 kilometres.

From the first aid station, we began climbing again up a rocky section to a false summit. Then it was a slight descent past the razorback ridge before more climbing and more false summits. A steep climb over loose rocks and shale brought us to the Livingstone Range and Minotaur Peak, the highest point on the course.

Someone even called, “welcome to Minotaur Peak.” Along the Livingston Range, we eventually reached the famous shoe shredder (a scree descent) where I took advantage of the fun scree in my relatively quick-for-me descent. There was some nice running where through the valley to the second aid station (18 kilometres). I was happy to see Erin’s friendly face once again.

The volunteers at the aid stations were incredibly helpful and friendly.

Leaving the aid station, we headed on another climb to a technical rock ridge which parallels the Livingstone Range. From here, we traversed along a narrow, serrated rocky ridge toward South Peak, the second highest point on the course. From South Peak, we followed the Livingstone Range ridge south along some runnable terrain and alpine meadows leading to a descent into Minotaur Valley. Then a trail took us through Holey Pass to the final aid station where they told us we had between four and five kilometres before the finish line.

I knew it was pretty much all done hill from here. Out of the final aid station, we ran along Gold Creek before joining a paved trail that took us back to Blairmore to the finish line.

At first I was completely embarrassed because everyone had finished hours ahead of me and were waiting at the finish line. They checked in with the race timers a few times to see if I was still alive or whatever. Once I turned my phone on, I read a few messages from friends who were worried too.

All I can say again .. it just wasn’t my day. I mean I accomplished my goal of finishing but I just didn’t think it would take so darn long.

I know I have lots of work to do before Minotaur 2024. For this type of race – you really have to dial in your training if you want to go beyond “just finishing.” I am really excited about doing this race again. It had everything I loved – high peaks, technical bits, narrow ridges, lots of climbing and the obvious death factor of potentially falling off a ridge.