July 11, 2011

Cheyenne Sprint: Saluting a Major (well, Captain) Comeback

When the surgeon told Air Force Captain Elizabeth West that her recovery would be longer than typical, she figured she'd be out, say, eight weeks instead of six. Wrong. Try two years. Six months in a cast.  We'd explain the injury to you if we could spell

or pronounce it. Suffice it to say that it involved the big toe, the entire first metatarsal, reconstruction of the arch, opening up the leg and re-attaching the Achilles. "I was learning to run," says Elizabeth. "I thought it was supposed to hurt to run hard." [Recommended reading: Christopher McDougall's Born To Run––Ed.] So she was thrilled to win Sunday, given that she'd only been back to "fat man shuffle" training as of April. 

Behind Elizabeth was Chris Hall, who qualified last year also but had a pretty good excuse for not making the Championship: she and her husband received the call they'd been waiting for, to adopt a baby boy (Nathan, who isn't quite walking yet). So they went to Florida instead to give son Zach a brother. Third female qualifier was University of Wyoming grad student and tri club member Christine Sendek. We think that's her in the photo above. Probably.

With all the Wyoming women  new to the Championship, it's cool that there is history on the men's side. Winner Galen Gough qualified last year but couldn't make it. But second place Jason Bird raced for Wyoming at the inaugural BOUS Championship back in 2005. And third place, 52-year-old Michael Walker raced the tough Orange County Championship course in 2009. It's always good to have veterans on hand for team support.

MEN
1. Galen Gough, 32, Cheyenne
2. Jason Bird, 46, Cheyenne
3. Michael Walker, 52, Cheyenne 

WOMEN

1. Elizabeth West, 27, Cheyenne
2. Chris Hall, 49, Cheyenne
3. Christine Sednek, 24, Laramie 

Complete Results