In a surprising late entry into one of the most challenging 10K's in the nation, Michelle took SECOND place overall and first in her age group on June 9, 2019, in a race in the high mountains of Vail, Colorado, just one week after taking first place in the 50K Golden Gate Dirty 30.
The Casio Pro Trek Smart 10K Spring Runoff is considered exceptionally difficult because the runners start at an elevation of 8,200 feet. The uber runners cover the 6.3 miles of mountainous terrain with constant elevation changes for a total elevation gain of 1,457 feet. Let's put that into perspective: The tallest building in Denver, Colorado, is the 56-story Republic Plaza building which attains a height of 714 feet. The Casio Pro Trek Smart 10K Spring Runoff climbs more than TWICE that.
Michelle achieved a race time of 53 minutes and 54 seconds with a pace that floored us all: 8:41 minute miles!
Watch for Michelle's next big challenge on July 13th, which is the Triple Bypass Bike Ride. This tedious bike ride climbs three passes in 120 miles with 10,000 feet in elevation gain. Yes, you read it correctly -- she's biking as well as running.