After the triathlon season is over I try to do some different events to still keep my competitive fix intact. The Luna Chase Snowshoe Race, held on Dec. 9th, is one of those events that is unlike any other race out there and is an adventurous race to participate in.

It’s a 5K run that starts at the top of Keystone Mountain and it begins at 6:30PM. So you must wear a headlamp as it’s pretty dark (other than the full moon). You take a gondola to the check in and another gondola to the race start. The race starts at 11,000 ft and run point to point staying just above tree line!

I had raced this race two times before, but had never won. This year I felt ready to go and really thought I could pull off a win. The gun went off and we were on our way! The race started going up a hill which seemed endless, and it was so taxing especially at the start.

I broke away with two other guys, then mid way up the hill, I put in a little surge of power to take the lead. After getting up the first hill I looked up and all I could see were the stars which seemed endless, and looking behind me I saw a trail of headlamps slowly progressing up the mountain. It was an amazing sight!

As I headed down the back side of the hill, I noticed I was slowly getting caught, but I knew that I had to push harder in order to keep my lead (running fast down hill is not my strongest skill). Before we knew it, the course served up a series of rolling hills which made me happy because I am stronger at climbing, and I was gaining more time.

I then glanced down at my Timex Bodylink to check my heart rate and I saw it was a whopping 215! I have seen this before in a race at altitude with lots of hills so it didn’t surprise me too much. I then saw the final warming hut and pushed on to the finish and won by one minute!

I then went back and caught up to my wife Nikki and her brother Sean who also did the race. We all had a blast! We were all looking forward to the Hawaiian Luau awards party they have after the race, where I won a new pair or racing snowshoes!

It was a great time and I was excited to get home and see my profile on the computer as I brought my data recorder along to track my workout. Once again, thanks Timex for the great equipment. Hopefully it’ll be a fun winter!!