Approaching my 29th birthday I spontaneously decided to do something “big” that year to celebrate. I signed up for a random trail race in Estes Park and invited my folks and partner to enjoy a cabin for the weekend of the event. The race was on a Monday so we had ample time to act like tourists in Estes. 

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I was a former sprinter in high school, but never ran long distance events. I hadn’t even done a trail run before signing up for the Estes Trail Ascent in 2015. Not to mention I spent no time training in preparation for the event. I still showed up and finished the race, though. As a result, I came in 15th place in the women’s division and 6th overall in my age group! 

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It may have been my first race and totally kicked my butt, but I learned a ton and enjoyed the challenge. I have since included trail running in my cross training and hope to sign up for another trail race in the future!