High Altitude Challenge
On August 12 Kyle Reno and I drove to Alamosa for the High Altitude Challenge 5K. I hadn’t particularly wanted to go but when I read that Joe Vigil was leaving the Valley, I felt I had to go pay tribute to Colorado’s most famous coach. Although I didn’t particularly run well, the trip turned out to be quite valuable.
Over two hundred ran the four races, many of them Joe Vigil alumni, some famous, some not, all there to pay tribute to the coach who guided them through college racing. And I discovered that the Alamosa running community is alive and fast. The only SCR people I recognized were the Berndts, and what a day they had.
Eight year old Cassie took third in the 12 & under mile, in an unpressed 8:01. Crystal ran an easy 24:48, but that was a bit faster than she might have had eleven year old brother Aaron not caught her at the 4K mark. Aaron scooted it in 25:05. Mom Pat, in the first race,”I ran all the way” broke 36. Kyle, in his first race back from injury ran 20:08 and didn’t hurt afterwards. I ran about as fast as I could, 25:09, and beat all the folks on crutches.
Watching the elite race was a treat. They roared by us so fast we could feel their wind. The field included near miss Olympians Mark Davis and Peter Delacerda, but my favorite was 48 year old Pablo Vigil who finished about 17:30.