Saturday AM Update
Just a short update withTime Station numbers.
Michele arrived in TS 14 Durango Colorado yesterday at 19:36 for a total of 814 miles. Michele's average for this section was 9.49 mph with an overall average of 10.74 for the 814 miles. This one of several difficult sections in the Rockies with 3 climbs, each with only a small descent as the reward. So each time a climb is completed you basically get to start another after only a small break. The final climb tops out at 8416'. Michele will be passing many ski resorts in this area. Hmmmm. Michele then got to make a descent into Durango, lossing 2000' of elevation in the process. It is a long, fast, and technical descent that can leave a racer just as tired as the climbs.
From Durango Michele then headed to the next Time Station of TS 15 Pagosa Springs, CO. Miles into the race of 884 and an elevation 7619. Don't be fooled the numbers, while it is a 1422' elevation gain in 70 miles there is more to the route than the numbers suggest. The first half of the route is very saw tooth with many climbs and descents, gradually descending until around the mid point of the section. At that point it is all up uphill until Pagosa Springs. There is very little opportunity on this section for the racer to rest and recover. Remember that all of this is being done in the hours of darkness, which seems to make every hill longer, every turn sharper, the cold colder (at 6000-8000' I think it really is). Then there is all the wildlife that decide that now is a great time to dash across the road, in front, behind, and sometimes in between a lone racer. This is usually awe inspiring when climbing at night, to have a huge multi point elk bound across the road in front of you while climbing, it can be very scary when it happens on descents. Michele reported in at Pagosa Springs at 05:48 with an average speed of 6.88 mph for the section and 10.28 mph average for the race.
Between Pagosa Springs and Taos, NM is 160 more miles, mostly mountains, including the Continental Divide in New Mexicao and two major passes over 10.000' in elevation, Cumbres Pass, and La Manga Pass, the highest elevation on the RAAM route at 10,250'.
David Bradley
Michele arrived in TS 14 Durango Colorado yesterday at 19:36 for a total of 814 miles. Michele's average for this section was 9.49 mph with an overall average of 10.74 for the 814 miles. This one of several difficult sections in the Rockies with 3 climbs, each with only a small descent as the reward. So each time a climb is completed you basically get to start another after only a small break. The final climb tops out at 8416'. Michele will be passing many ski resorts in this area. Hmmmm. Michele then got to make a descent into Durango, lossing 2000' of elevation in the process. It is a long, fast, and technical descent that can leave a racer just as tired as the climbs.
From Durango Michele then headed to the next Time Station of TS 15 Pagosa Springs, CO. Miles into the race of 884 and an elevation 7619. Don't be fooled the numbers, while it is a 1422' elevation gain in 70 miles there is more to the route than the numbers suggest. The first half of the route is very saw tooth with many climbs and descents, gradually descending until around the mid point of the section. At that point it is all up uphill until Pagosa Springs. There is very little opportunity on this section for the racer to rest and recover. Remember that all of this is being done in the hours of darkness, which seems to make every hill longer, every turn sharper, the cold colder (at 6000-8000' I think it really is). Then there is all the wildlife that decide that now is a great time to dash across the road, in front, behind, and sometimes in between a lone racer. This is usually awe inspiring when climbing at night, to have a huge multi point elk bound across the road in front of you while climbing, it can be very scary when it happens on descents. Michele reported in at Pagosa Springs at 05:48 with an average speed of 6.88 mph for the section and 10.28 mph average for the race.
Between Pagosa Springs and Taos, NM is 160 more miles, mostly mountains, including the Continental Divide in New Mexicao and two major passes over 10.000' in elevation, Cumbres Pass, and La Manga Pass, the highest elevation on the RAAM route at 10,250'.
David Bradley
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