2 ski weekends, 2 race weekends – no couch potato-ing for me in 2013.  HA!

Dropped Ro off for another play-date with pal Molly, then hit the open road – destination: Winter Park, Colorado.

Had already banged out my January race 2 weeks earlier but this adventure race was calling my name.  Similar to a Tough Mudder, SnowDash Xtreme is an obstacle riddled 5K – but in knee-deep snow.  Not a lotta mud here in January.

The music & participants lining up at today’s Start were an estimated 10 years younger than me (& I’m not super old). Physically no worries, I’m strong…but felt like I was crashing a post-grad, twenty-something only event.

Just feet from the Start, we cleared our first obstacle – jumped a concrete barrier into a pit of fresh powder.  Next obstacle: the altitude.  Guess I haven’t hiked high in 2 months so found myself short of breath running at 10,000 ft.

Ladder obstacle, a hill climb, then…the log challenge.  Argh, this one was tough.  Selected a log and started up the hill, happy to return my oblong obstacle after completing the required loop.  Two more mini-mountain obstacles, another ladder, then belly crawled under a rope trap before running the final half mile.

The music was back & a guy asked if I was ready before giving my plastic sled runner a push down the icy snow bank – sliding across the FINISH line.  SUPER AWESOME FINISH!

Enjoyed a limeade sports drink (no beer for me) & warmed up by a fire pit with other Finishers.

3 weeks until my February challenge – the Snowman Stampede, a 10 miler in Littleton.  Consider today’s race cross-training 🙂

SnowDash Xtreme (bib pick-up clip)