Kerrie Bruxvoort won the women’s race and finished fourth overall at the Run Rabbit Run 50 Mile just two weeks ago, but she’s still eager to toe the line for the Ultra Race of Champions (UROC) 100k this weekend. In the following interview, Kerrie talks about her race at Run Rabbit Run, whether she’s manage to recover since then, and how the UROC women’s field surprised her.
[Editor’s Note: Enjoy our full UROC women’s preview with links to interviews of other favorites before following our live coverage of the 2013 UROC 100k this weekend.]
Kerrie Bruxvoort Pre-2013 UROC 100k Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Bryon Powell of iRunFar on a chilly evening before the 2013 UROC. How are you doing, Kerrie?
Kerrie Bruxvoort: I’m doing great. How are you, Bryon?
iRF: You raced just two weeks ago. You had a great run at Run Rabbit Run winning the women’s 50-mile race in fourth overall. How did that go?
Bruxvoort: It was really good. It was a lot of fun. I was really relaxed and looking forward to it. A lot of the focus was on the 100, so I just kind of did my thing and enjoyed it. It turned out well, yeah.
iRF: So you got to run you got to run your race the whole way.
Bruxvoort: Totally. Absolutely. Yeah.
iRF: How is your body holding up after a summer of big runs?
Bruxvoort: You know, it’s doing really well. I actually, after Western States 100, had some issues. It was my first 100 and it was tough to kind of recover from that, but taking a little break and dropping from Speedgoat 50k actually helped. It gave me some time to recover, and I feel maybe a little better later in the season than I normally would just because of that. I guess it’s good, but yeah, I feel good.
iRF: So you’re pretty excited to race then?
Bruxvoort: I am. I’m always excited to race.
iRF: How has your recovery been since Run Rabbit Run?
Bruxvoort: Really good. I felt pretty good after that race and I felt like I had a lot left in the end. I think I should be alright, but you just never know until you’re on the start line and start running how you’re going to feel.
iRF: Have you ever run two longer ultras back-to-back?
Bruxvoort: I have. I ran Zane Grey 50 Mile in April and then two weeks later was Quadrock 50 Mile, and I did well in both of those.
iRF: Okay, so you feel confident that you have had some success doing that?
Bruxvoort: Yeah, I think ideally maybe three weeks would be good, but two is okay if you’re kind of used to that longer stuff.
iRF: What have you done in between the two races?
Bruxvoort: I did a couple two-hour runs and some stair machine and that’s it, pretty much.
iRF: How far away do you live from the course?
Bruxvoort: I live near Boulder, CO, which is about an hour and a half. I ran Breck Crest [Marathon] not too long ago, and it’s actually the first part of the course in reverse. Helen Cospolich and I were talking about that earlier. It’s beautiful. So I’ve been on that. But as far as the rest of the course, no, I haven’t been on it.
iRF: Are you excited to see some new scenery tomorrow?
Bruxvoort: Yeah, that’s why I signed up. I just signed up last week just to get out there and have fun and enjoy it and have a great day out there.
iRF: How about the competitive side—does that draw you in as well?
Bruxvoort: Honestly, last week when I signed up, there were so many women in it that I thought, Oh there are so many women in it that I’ll just slip right in and have a good time. There’s not quite as many as I thought there were going to be. But I think it’s going to be awesome to be out there with the ladies that are here. Emelie [Forsberg]—I’ve never raced Emelie before. Francesca [Canepa] and Stephanie [Howe]—hopefully her foot holds up. I just want to have fun, and that’s the main thing.
iRF: The weather could make this…
Bruxvoort: Hello?
iRF: …interesting. I’m not sure about fun. It should be a nice day tomorrow but snow up high. Do you end up training a lot on snow during the winter in Boulder?
Bruxvoort: Yeah. Obviously this is a little early in the year for snow training, but I like running in the snow. Actually, when it gets nastier, I do a little better for some reason. I think it will be fun.
iRF: How do you think you’ll fare on the bike-path section?
Bruxvoort: Ooooh, that’s where I’m a little worried. That’s actual running. And I’ll be wearing my spikey cleat shoes so we’ll see how that turns out. Yeah, that is not my forte for sure.
iRF: So what are you racing in—the Soft Ground (Salomon)?
Bruxvoort: I’m going to wear my Fellcross (Salomon).
iRF: Fellcross?
Bruxvoort: My go-to shoe—good grip, flexible.
iRF: So you like the flexible, sort of minimalist, underfoot feel?
Bruxvoort: I do. Yeah. For sure.
iRF: That will work out well in the snow.
Bruxvoort: I think so.
iRF: Best of luck out there this weekend.
Bruxvoort: For sure. Welcome to Colorado.
iRF: Welcome to Colorado.
