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Total time was 6:23:56 to and from the Boulder city limit sign. I didn't take any other interval time checks, so the following times are plus or minus a handful of seconds each.

Bike up—2:11 and change
Transition #1—2 minutes
Run up—1:48:11
Run down—1:01:45
Transition#2—2 minutes
Bike back—1:18 ish

I might write up a real race report in my blog, but for now this drivel is good enough:

Started out with tired legs, and worries about the Cables route being iced over again. This was the third attempt I've done going up Cables. I didn't make it up the other two times due to pretty thick ice.

By the Peak to Peak intersection, I was super upset with my time (1:25 or so). I'd averaged 275 by that point, and was dying because I'm currently really unfit, at least on the bike. Anyways, I was hoping to hit that mark at like 1:15 or so, but the headwind was bad. It grew worse as I crested the big bump that takes you to the base of Allenspark. By Allenspark, it was gusting at 30+ miles an hour, and I actually had to pedal down that big hill. I was really considering pulling the plug on the entire thing at this point because I knew I needed to make up an hour or so on Anton's bike splits to be in contention for the FKT, and the wind seemed to have other plans.

I got to the trailhead tired and defeated, but had a good transition time so decided to see if I could at least make it to the top for the first time (though I've made it to the top on the Keyhole route twice). 

I finally figured out where the climbing goat trail is, and took that up. Two climbers said that the Cables was pretty clear of ice, but to be careful with the wind. I wasn't sure what that meant, and continued trudging up the goat trail and hoping that I was going the right way. During my week of training for this, I got seriously lost twice taking short cuts while trying to figure out how Kyle Richardson and Anton get up the mountain. My brother Galen, who's a climber, put together an excellent Power Point presentation that gave step by step directions on the fastest route up for me the other week, but I still managed to get lost. 

I made it to the base of the Cables in around 90 minutes, and was happy to see two climbers rappelling down, thinking I could grab onto their rope if I slipped. Just kidding. They said the same thing as the other climbers near the trailhead—minimal ice. I slowed down and took a few deep breaths because I was pretty dizzy and breathing like a 90-year-old caged lion with asthma. 

No ice! Or, barely any. It was a breeze getting up, and I realized that the last time I tried, I had essentially made it to the top but was sketched out about having to do another pitch (and downclimb) similar to what I'd just done. I got a bit mixed up route finding to the top, but figured it out without too big of an issue. I texted Adelaide at the top to let her know I was okay, and turned around without taking in the beautiful brown view that pretty much stopped at Mt. Lady Washington. The smoke was getting bad at that point. 

The descent was easy because there weren’t three inches of ice covering the entire thing, and I made it to the Boulder field pretty fast (for me). I’d never tried running down the mountain before because I have a bum knee, but I managed to keep my feet under me, and the massive headwind that I’d been battling once I got out of the trees basically pushed me to the bottom.

I did get a bit turned around going through the Battle Mountain area, but ended up popping out unscathed, and I still hadn’t fallen (came close a few times). I flew down the normal trail and briefly got lost trying to find the turn after Goblin. Not to worry though, I found it, then chugged water at the creek. I rolled both ankles in the next five minutes, made it to the big drain pipes at the bottom (chugged more water and filled my hand held up again) and was on the bike in no time.

I gave a few hoots of joy flying down the access road, knowing that barring a flat tire, I was going to take the FKT. Then I felt that I had a flat tire. Fuck. 

It ended up just being in my head, though I kept bouncing my front and rear wheels for the next half hour, paranoid that I had a slow leak. 

The descent was fast and the wind was swirling like crazy. A few cars held me up briefly, but luckily they were speeding (the only time I ever condone a car speeding is when it’s slowing me down on a descent) and I made it to 36 with plenty of time to spare. 

The last 25 minutes were brutal. I was out of water and the heat finally hit me. I felt like shit, and even coasted a number of times, but forced myself to put in a good effort the whole way, shaming myself for being weak and fragile and afraid of pain.

It took about 2 hours at home before I felt good enough to eat solid food (soup does have solids in it), and now I’m off to play Trains with Adelaide (a board game) in celebration.


PS this file is from my bike computer, which got turned off for 2 minutes in my pocket when I started out on the trail. I also wore a run watch the entire time, but it's not connected to my power meter. Strava won't let me upload the run file because it thinks it's the same workout, which it is. Anyways, I guess I could delete this bike file and upload the run file if anyone has an issue with this file being used as an FKT (due to the 2 minute drop at the start of the run/hike...though the elapsed time does include the 2 minute drop). 



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Kennett Peterson

Longs Peak Duathlon FKT

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