By Maria Dalzot
I’m lying on my La Quinta bed the morning after Don’t Fence Me In and I can’t move. My calves are sore. My hips are sore. My butt is sore. The beautiful trails of Helena put the hurt on me. This year was the Prickly Pear Land Trust’s 15th running of the race and the 5th race in this year’s La Sportiva Mountain Cup. After the positive experience we had last year, we were excited to return.
Race Start.
Photo Credit: Gary Marshall Photos, Blackfoot Media Group
I’m in better shape this year so I was hoping to take 3 minutes off of my time from last year. I started out pretty aggressive from the gun and around the 5 mile mark I was 1:20 under last year’s time. There was a course change that eliminated a one mile stretch of road and replaced it with an undulating single track that added some distance. Still, at 11 miles I was 2 minutes under my time. I started to feel the pace at the bottom of the climb up to Helena Ridge Trail, about 12.5 miles. I started to trip over rocks and swerve off the trail. I squeezed my GU too hard and it drooped all over my gloves and got all over my shorts when I went hands to knees to climb up the mountain. At 16.5 miles I was less than a minute under my time, but I was catching and passing many of the men. I didn’t realize I was settling in and not pushing as much as before…To read more on Maria’s experience at Don’t Fence Me In in Helena, see her blog at The Journey of a Thousand Miles.
