Montalto Challenge 2013: a new PR!

Saturday I ran my fourth Montalto Challenge. That's the all-uphill 5k that rises almost 900 feet in elevation and ends with the best views around.

Every time that I've run it I've had the same goal: finish in under 30 minutes and get up the mountain without any walking. The first year I made it in 32:02 and walked some (yet still managed to place second in my age group). The second year I got up in 31:04, but still had to walk some. The third year I was only recently back into running after my injury, so I knew I wouldn't make any goal. I made it up in 33:49 and did some walking.

But the fourth year? The fourth year I finally did it! I finished in just under 30 minutes and never had to walk. It felt great.

Proof of my sub-30 time!

The race started at 8am. I got to the Monticello visitor center to sign in and get my bib, and found my friend R who was running it for the first time. In the past we've always parked at the bottom of the Saunders-Monticello Trail, but this year they had us park at Monticello and take shuttles down to the start. But I wanted to get in a good warmup so I ran almost two miles down the trail to the start instead. Once I was down I still had about ten minutes to wait, and then we were off!

I was able to keep up a good pace (for me) and just kept pushing steadily up the trail. Shortly after the turn up Montalto (the really steep and hard part that starts around mile 1.75) I stopped at the water stop long enough to take two sips of water and a couple deep breaths, but then I started up the mountain. After my marathon I knew I would be able to get up without any walking (and in fact I had hopes of a Montalto Challenge PR in mind the entire time I trained for the mountainous marathon), but I wasn't confident at all that it would be fast enough to make my time goal. I know in the past when I've finally gotten to the top of the mountain but still had a little ways before the actual finish line I've felt so dead and out of breath that I haven't been able to pick it up very much. But this year I really pushed myself to keep up the pace and go faster when it leveled out some. I saw the big timer up ahead at the finish line and was actually a little surprised to see I could make it. (I had neglected to reset my watch after the warmup run down the trail so the time was off and I thought I was already over my goal). So I pushed it, and made it in 29:41!

At the top I had to catch my breath, but then I went back to watch R finish. Once we met up we grabbed a snack and drink, picked up our goody-bags, and then walked around to enjoy the view.

Documenting our happy selves and the awesome view. Monticello is peaking out behind R's head.

Fun music at the top.

The crowd at the finish.

It was actually pretty chilly at the top and the sun never bothered to come out, so once I'd cooled off I was grateful to have my jacket. We stuck around for the awards ceremony, but everyone was so cold that it wasn't all that fun and the crowd was thinning quickly. I'm glad we stuck around though, because it turns out I won third place in my age group! So exciting.

My 3rd place prize!

I really love the Montalto Challenge. It's definitely a challenge and can even feel a little miserable at times, but the sense of accomplishment at the end paired with the amazing views makes it all worth it.