SoftRock Mountain Simulation

Workout - SoftRock Mountain Simulation

• 15min @ 6'30''/km
• 75min @ 5'30''/km
• 45min @ 7'00''/km
• 12min @ 6'30''/km

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Intro: Vo2maxProductions released a breakdown of Running the Hardrock 100 mile course: “SoftRock” Day 2 - Ouray to Telluride. It’s worth watching in full, but here are the essentials so you can attempt something similar. The video covers route specifics, gear, and Colorado vistas.

Key points:

• Day 2 is the shorter of the two ultramarathon days at roughly 15 mi (~24 km) with about 5,300 ft (~1,615 m) of climbing, then a long drop into Telluride.
• Terrain alternates between exposed road climbs (Camp Bird Road, Virginia’s Pass, Kroger’s Canteen) and technical single-track.
• Route-finding takes attention. Sage navigates using a GPX track loaded on his Chorus watch and tracks aid-station markers (around mile 70 on the counter-clockwise loop).
• Logistics: Sage carries tents, provisions, and layers, and wears traction gear on snow and ice for the steep, slippery pitches.
• Core strategies: load your GPX in advance, learn aid-station locations beforehand, use traction on ice, and keep effort controlled on the climb to save energy for the descent.

Workout example:

• Total distance: 15 mi (~24 km)
• Elevation gain: 5,300 ft (~1,615 m)
• Structure:
  1. Leave Ouray: flat road warm-up for 0.5 mi.
  2. Climb Camp Bird Road: steady effort at ~70% max HR, or an easy-to-sustain pace (no fixed speed).
  3. Push toward Virginia’s Pass and Kroger’s Canteen: steady effort. If using the Pacing app, dial in a tempo you can sustain over 5,000 feet of ascent.
  4. Drop toward Telluride: ease off, watch for loose stone and lingering snow, use traction if needed.
  5. Enter town: finish strong, find the next aid station, refuel and rehydrate.

Closing note: grab a GPS watch, sync your route file, and give it a shot. The Pacing app lets you adjust efforts to your own level.

Watch the full Sage Canaday video on Vo2maxProductions for the route descriptions, gear breakdowns, and the landscape.

References

• Running the Hardrock 100 mile course: “SoftRock” Day 2: Ouray to Telluride, Colorado! Sage Canaday - YouTube (YouTube Video)