Pocatello 50 Trail Race

Me and a buddy have been trying to get a third person to run the Pocatello 50 Trail Run with us for a three-man team. The search is over! So, as soon as we get a cool name for our team, we'll be signed up. Race site is at http://pocatello50.com/

The race is here in Pocatello, and I think the course is awesome. I wish I could run the whole thing, but I really don't want to kill myself with that long of a run so early in the season. The course is through the local mountains south of Pocatello and has 13,500 feet of elevation gain. That will be a butt-kicker for anyone doing it solo, but so far there are 51 solo runners signed up!

The relay legs are about 17 miles long, and I honestly don't know which one I want to do. We're going to draw straws for the legs. Each of the legs is partly on trails I've been wondering about but never got to on my MTB last year. I've been on about 50% of the course, so there are parts of each leg that I would love to see.

We're entering the race simply to do it. It's the first one, and the race directors are so far doing a great job, I think. They have great sponsors lined up and a great website that actually tells you what to expect. Most websites are pretty dismal in the mapping category, but they've done a great job; maybe it's just because I know the area a bit.

In any case, I'm going to rely on my tri training to get me through the mileage. I don't want to short-change my tri season for one race that I'm doing just to do it. How hard can 17 miles be? Probably harder than I think!

Check it out at http://pocatello50.com/