Snowshoe racing has always been a key component of my wintertime fitness, and it's also a great way to experience a bit of adventure with my dad and friends from around the state. My favorite races are the Pedal Power Snowshoe Adventure Series (www.pedalpowerbike.com), which generally feature a good deal of powder, singletrack, bush-whacking, and strong competition. Bruce and Stacey Kelly, the organizers, donate all proceeds to important causes, which is great.
Two weeks ago, the series kicked off with the Tennessee Pass Kick-Off Classic, a "four-mile" (one never really knows the actual distance) ramble on the grounds of the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center outside of Leadville. Josiah Middaugh and I took off together and soon found ourselves alone. We traded leads throughout the race, and the heat was on going into the homestretch. I survived a few surges from Josiah before he broke free with about 200 meters to go. It was a good race, and Josiah and I were happy to get in a good, high-altitude lung-burner!
Two weeks later, I traveled to Eagle-Vail for the Pazzo's 10k Holiday Classic. In addition to my usual companions, my dad and Dean Frease, also commuting from Evergreen were EHS runners Sam Skould and Jackson Sayler. They bother did very well and had fun in their first snowshoe race! My cousin, 7th-grader Ethan Pence, smoked the course as well, finishing on the podium in the 5k. Not bad! Ethan will go for 100 miles in two weeks at the 72-hour Across the Years track run.
Josiah and I had another close race. He took the win again, and I was about 20 seconds back in 1:02 for 10k.
Amy and I now prepare for our biggest adventure yet, the birth of our son, who is due January 11th.
If you have moment, check out Breathe Magazine's Holiday Gift Guide: http://www.breathemag.ca/the-magazine/2010-holiday-gift-guide.
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