The Epic Queen

    Last weekend was the 2nd Annual Homer Epic, a 100 km race over the remote backcountry of the Caribou hills around Homer, Alaska.  Participants could choose to fat bike, ski, or run this course which has 6470 feet of elevation gain.  This was a challenge Aubrey Smith, last year's assistant coach, could not pass up.  

   Aubs was one of 69 participants who started this race last Saturday at 8 a.m.   She crossed the finish line 7 hours and 9+ minutes later, finishing 4th overall for the skiers.   The winning fat bike time was 5:33:24 and   the fastest runner finished the course in 10:48:10.   

   Aubrey managed all of this even with a frozen water pack that she had to take time to thaw out about 10 km into the race.    It was a beautiful day and she has the sunburn to prove it (her sunscreen was also frozen when she went to put it on).   She sent us a few pictures that I'm posting below.   Aubrey's been skiing well;   on March 2nd, she was the 50K female winner of the Tour of Anchorage.    Congratulations, Aubrey!

 

Photo taken about 30-35 km into the race

 

Aubrey at the last checkpoint

                                                       An epic, spectacular view