Mt. Baldy has long been one of my favorite races. The seven mile course starts at the parking lot for Mt. San Antonio Ski Lift, elevation about 6,000 feet, and finishes at the very top of the mountain, at 10,064 feet above sea level. The course plays right into my strengths. With the exception of the first half mile, it is all uphill, but the trial is not overly technical. If I ever have to pick a course for a match race, this will be the course I choose.
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| The drive out to Mt. Baldy is often beautiful |
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| The Start Line: Number 552 is Robert Leonardo, a highly accomplished local runner about my age who almost always finishes ahead of me. This is only the second time I bested him. |
I had a good race at Mt. Baldy this year. Usually, I start out rather slowly, and am in about 50th place or so at the first mile. This year, I ran harder at the start and was in perhaps 10th place at mile one. By mile 4, the Notch, I was in 5th, and by the end I was in 4th overall, third male. That's my highest finish in about ten attempts at this course, although my time of 1:16:16 was about four minutes slower than last year. It is also the first time I've been beaten by a woman on this course! The first woman, Annie O’Donnell, finished third overall, just ahead of me.
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| Mile 6 or so |
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