Pikes Peak Sports2024-03-29T06:04:37ZJill Suarezhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/JillSuarezhttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2797446799?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://pikespeaksports.us/group/theincline/forum/topic/listForContributor?user=230lb94enhhry&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThe satellite doesn't lie, Joe Gray clocks 17:45 on Inclinetag:pikespeaksports.us,2015-09-25:5021591:Topic:6762972015-09-25T18:29:04.181ZJill Suarezhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/JillSuarez
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656425699?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656425699?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350"></img></a> When he crawled out of bed on Friday morning with a pumpkin pie hangover, Joe Gray didn’t expect to run the fastest time ever recorded by GPS on the Manitou Incline.</p>
<p>“I told my wife (Christy), I don’t know how I’m going to run after all of that pie,” Gray said. “My stomach wasn’t doing so good last night. But I said I’m going to the Incline and I’m going to run faster…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656425699?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656425699?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-right"/></a>When he crawled out of bed on Friday morning with a pumpkin pie hangover, Joe Gray didn’t expect to run the fastest time ever recorded by GPS on the Manitou Incline.</p>
<p>“I told my wife (Christy), I don’t know how I’m going to run after all of that pie,” Gray said. “My stomach wasn’t doing so good last night. But I said I’m going to the Incline and I’m going to run faster than the last time. I got half way up and thought, I might as well see what I can do.”</p>
<p>When Gray, 31, stopped his watch (he has the data recorded on Strava), it read 17:45.</p>
<p>There are no official Incline records, but most of the area’s elite athletes have recognized 12-time Pikes Peak Marathon winner Matt Carpenter’s hand-timed Incline FKT of 18:31 as the time to beat. </p>
<p>Gray has finished the Incline in under 20 minutes several times and was confident.</p>
<p>“I knew I could climb with Carpenter,” Gray said. “I know what he did and what I can do, but I’ve never really climbed the Incline when I’m fresh. This week I’ve been resting a little.”</p>
<p>He said he came close to Carpenter’s mark a couple of times, but would run out of gas on the last stretch.</p>
<p>“I did an 18:43 the last time, so I knew with some rest I could go faster,” he said.</p>
<p>He started at about 9 a.m. on a day when there were few other climbers there. He ran through the tough middle section, but backed off when his heart rate thumped to 90 percent maximum. He saved enough energy to run about half of the distance on the top section, where the grade flattens a bit before kicking up at the end.</p>
<p>“There is a lot of time to be gained there,” he said.</p>
<p>Gray knows about running up mountains. He is one of the world’s best mountain runners – he finished fifth at the World Mountain Running Championships on Saturday - and has represented the U.S. 19 times in international competitions.</p>
<p>Still, the Incline, which ascends about 2,000 feet over a 1-mile distance, delivered some punishment. Not even Joe Gray is immune to that.</p>
<p>“I reached the top and it was kind of embarrassing, I was wheezing and breathing so hard,” he said. “There were some other people there. I’m sure they wondered what in the hell was wrong with me.”</p>
<p></p> New and improved Incline set to open on Fridaytag:pikespeaksports.us,2014-12-01:5021591:Topic:6221962014-12-01T22:26:47.480ZJill Suarezhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/JillSuarez
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656427338?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656427338?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="375"></img></a> From the City of Colorado Springs</p>
<p>Join us for a reopening celebration of the Manitou Incline <b>on Friday, December 5 at 10 a.m.</b> at the base of the Incline. Please park in the<b>COG parking lot, 515 Ruxton Av, 80829.</b> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Manitou Incline will be reopened to the public after being closed for repairs for the past three months. Phase 1 construction…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656427338?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="375" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656427338?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="375" class="align-right"/></a>From the City of Colorado Springs</p>
<p>Join us for a reopening celebration of the Manitou Incline <b>on Friday, December 5 at 10 a.m.</b> at the base of the Incline. Please park in the<b>COG parking lot, 515 Ruxton Av, 80829.</b> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Manitou Incline will be reopened to the public after being closed for repairs for the past three months. Phase 1 construction has been completed to repair the steepest sections of the Incline and protect it from further erosion and damage due to future storm events and public use.</p>
<p><strong>Help support Incline Friends!</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.indygive.com/great-outdoors/incline-friends/" target="_blank">Make a donation today through the Indy GIVE! Campaign.</a></strong></p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b>Goals of the Manitou Incline Trail Enhancement Project</b></p>
<p>The Incline project’s four major goals are improved safety, enhanced user experience, long-term sustainability of the trail and increased accessibility. Work on the Incline included repair and replacement of damaged retaining walls, cleanup of rebar and loose debris, construction of additional drainage structures, stabilization of existing ties and stabilization of surrounding slopes. The new drainage structures will significantly reduce the velocity of water, a critical factor in reducing erosion and ensuring the Incline’s long-term sustainability.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>History of the Mt. Manitou Incline</b></p>
<p><i>Under the ownership of Dr. Newton Brumback, the Manitou Incline was originally constructed as a one-mile cable tram for the purpose of providing access to water tanks at the top of the mountain that would provide gravity-fed water pressure to the cities of Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs. Shortly after its completion in 1907, the tram was opened as a tourist attraction. The Incline boasted a 16-minute ride to “scenic splendors” and ten miles of hiking trails in Mt. Manitou Park, and claimed to be the “longest and highest incline on the globe.”</i></p>
<p><i> </i></p>
<p><i>The Incline’s 2,741 steps make up one of the most challenging and popular recreation sites in the nation. The trail is a one-mile ascent with an elevation gain of 2,000 feet, and the average grade is 43%, reaching 68% at the steepest point. Nearly 20 years of unmanaged trespass and use of the Incline have resulted in significant erosion on the mountainside and dangerous trail conditions.</i></p>
<p><i> </i><i style="font-size: 13px;">In 2010, the three property owners - Colorado Springs Utilities, the COG Railway, and the US Forest Service – together with the cities of Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs, agreed that serious safety and liability concerns, including the trail’s condition and impact on nearby neighborhoods, called for development of a Site Development and Management Plan to address these issues, allow the Incline to open for legal use and to capitalize on the Incline’s benefits. The Incline is now officially open and legal for recreational use.</i></p> The end of a long Incline journeytag:pikespeaksports.us,2014-08-28:5021591:Topic:5905472014-08-28T18:14:26.100ZJill Suarezhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/JillSuarez
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432503?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432503?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350"></img></a></span> <strong><span style="font-size: 13px;">By Greg Cummings</span></strong></p>
<p><span>With only two ascents remaining to reach 1,400, I started up the Incline yesterday (Aug. 17) morning just after 4 a.m.</span></p>
<p><span>In an effort to benefit Change4Diabetes.org, I began this journey on the first day of fall 2013, so this was the 330th day in a row in which…</span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432503?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432503?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-right"/></a></span><strong><span style="font-size: 13px;">By Greg Cummings</span></strong></p>
<p><span>With only two ascents remaining to reach 1,400, I started up the Incline yesterday (Aug. 17) morning just after 4 a.m.</span></p>
<p><span>In an effort to benefit Change4Diabetes.org, I began this journey on the first day of fall 2013, so this was the 330th day in a row in which I hiked the Incline a minimum of two times per day, averaging 4.25 times per day.</span></p>
<p><span>I made ascent 1,399 alone, in the dark, and did not feel well. At the top, I checked my blood glucose (as always) and it was 42, which is about half of low-normal, and that’s enough to make you feel ill, especially when ascending the Incline. I ate some sugary carbs, took some pics, enjoyed my final view of the city lights for a while. I began the descent, and eventually began feeling better as the blood glucose began to rise. Ideally, a person with diabetes would eat the carbs, give themselves about 15 minutes for their glucose to return to near normal, then continue…but “ideal” isn't always realistic.</span></p>
<p><span>While nearing the base of the Incline, I passed my lovely wife, Alison Cummings, who was on her way to the top. She wanted to be there when we arrived for number 1,400. At the bottom, three of my buddies were waiting, Gary Olson, Ed Baxter, and Steve Stermer. As I was wearing a GoPro, we waited for the sun to brighten the sky before beginning ascent number 1,400. </span><span style="font-size: 13px;">It’s always nice to hike with friends and ascent number two felt so much better than the previous one, as my glucose remained near normal. I would guess that about 80 percent of the ascents during this event were made alone, so this was a treat!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">We reached the top in 36 minutes, which is blazing speed for me right now. During the first five or six months of the event my times were consistently in the low to mid 30s with occasional dips into the high 20s. But in the last few months, I was consistently in the high 30s, low 40s, and sometimes higher. A few days ago, one ascent took over an hour…l was EXTREMELY exhausted!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">We talked a lot and the time slipped by. Suddenly we were standing on top...and number 1,400 was in the bag!! The long journey was over and the relief was palpable! For 330 days, I avoided significant injury, illness, and had made multiple ascents every day.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">My event was intended to last for one year, but the rebuilding project cut it short by exactly five weeks. However, there are no hard feelings as I know the need that exists, as the Incline is in significant disrepair and the project has my full support!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">It was awesome to hang out at the top for a while with Alison, Ed, Steve, Gary, and, wouldn't you know it, we found Clovis picking-up trash at the top, too!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">A BIG thank you to all the people that donated to Change4Diabetes.org as this effort is all about funding a Practical Cure for Type 1 Diabetes. I am sad to say that if not for my friends on the Incline, the giving for this cause would be almost non-existent. I am as disappointed as can be in people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes (about 28 million in America alone) that have given almost nothing to our cause, one that is dedicated to improving their quality of life!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">My frustration is GREAT and there will be more said about this another time! FYI, almost anything that helps a person with Type 1 diabetes will find its way to help someone with Type 2 diabetes, but the reverse is not true. So being that this effort is about helping Type 1s (those with juvenile diabetes, an auto-immune disease) the results are likely to help Type 2s (an illness that is generally preventable and caused by poor lifestyle choices). I’ll stop for now.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">So the effort to hike the Incline 1,000 times in one year turned into 1,400 ascents in 330 days. For verification, pictures were always taken at the top (of me holding a sign with the ascent number on it) that are date, time and GPS stamped. I also took pics at the bottom to verify that I made the descent and didn't sit at the top all day just taking pictures. Unfortunately (for many reasons), there are probably at least 20 times that I forgot to take pics at the bottom ... as there were so many distractions and things to remember with managing the diabetes, etc.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">I say all that because the effort bypassed the previously “accepted” world record for number of vertical feet climbed in a year, by roughly two and a half to three times. And I still have five weeks to add elevation climbed (anywhere, not on the Incline anymore) to the current record before the year comes to a close on the final day of summer, Sept. 21. So we will see how things progress… </span><span style="font-size: 13px;"> I know this is long, but so was the journey! There are lots more stats I can throw your way, but we’ll save that for another time.</span></p> Fretta insists he is Incline's fastest, but admits 'record' debate is part of the funtag:pikespeaksports.us,2014-08-08:5021591:Topic:5834062014-08-08T16:19:28.178ZJill Suarezhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/JillSuarez
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656429443?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656429443?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300"></img></a> On a cloudy day in 2006, professional triathlete Mark Fretta and Olympic speed skaters Apolo Ohno and Ryan Bradford charged up the Manitou Incline. Hungry for a tough workout, they all agreed to push hard on the steep, mile-long railway bed that ascends for 2,000 feet above Manitou Springs.</p>
<p>“It was a perfect day, it was overcast, you couldn't see the sun,” Fretta said.…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656429443?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656429443?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a>On a cloudy day in 2006, professional triathlete Mark Fretta and Olympic speed skaters Apolo Ohno and Ryan Bradford charged up the Manitou Incline. Hungry for a tough workout, they all agreed to push hard on the steep, mile-long railway bed that ascends for 2,000 feet above Manitou Springs.</p>
<p>“It was a perfect day, it was overcast, you couldn't see the sun,” Fretta said. “There was maybe a little drizzle, so not a lot of people were there. I was trying to see how long I could run (up the Incline) and I remember running until there was 7:42 on my watch.”</p>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff;"><em>(Editor's note: The Incline will be closed for repairs beginning Aug. 18, 2014. Incline users are encourage to get their last climb in by Friday Aug. 15. The Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon are slated for Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 16-17, Barr Trail will have heavy foot traffic and runners will have the right of way.)</em></span></p>
<p>From there he began a quick power hike, consuming the railroad ties and gaining altitude as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>“I remember that I started to skip steps where I could, where they’re not too high, then getting over the false summit and just booking … then blowing up, and then recovering and sprinting for the top,” he said. “It’s a pretty standard strategy. To be totally honest, to begin with I may have run a little up the side, rather than stepping on each stair.”</p>
<p>He stopped his watch when he hit the summit. It read 16:42. To this day it is the fastest known time on the Incline, though some question whether his time should be recognized.</p>
<p>More than five years after Fretta had established his fast Incline time, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) found “variations” in his blood profile, which had been established by a series of earlier tests. Fretta said his hemoglobin levels tested at 1 percent and 3 percent outside his normal levels during the off-season. The evidence was enough for USADA to suspend him from competition for four years beginning in 2012, though he had retired as a professional triathlete before the sanction. He also said he had been tested “at least 40 times” prior to his record trip on the Incline. There is no record of him testing positive for any performance-enhancing drug.</p>
<p>With the doping allegations, denial and eventual confession by pro cyclist Lance Armstrong, as well as the suspensions of other high-profile athletes, Fretta said he understands the stigma – because he has experienced it - attached to those suspended from competition.</p>
<p>“This is the problem I have with the whole argument - aside from the fact that this (suspension) happened in 2012 and that (the record) happened in 2006 - since when has the Incline been regulated? And since when did we keep track of everyone going up? And if we're going to do this, we need to test the people going for these records. Who is to say this person or that person, when they did this time or that time, wasn't doing anything that could have been ... who knows? There is so much malice without knowledge. Nobody looks at the details, they just group everyone together.”</p>
<p>It’s likely that more athletes will make record attempts since the Incline became legal in February, 2013. Those who set fast times will be on their honor to report the truth, and any “record” may be best recognized as a “fastest known time.”</p>
<p>Now 37, Fretta works as a sports agent in Colorado Springs. He is an attorney, certified by the Oregon Bar. He still loves the Incline, and tells stories of working out there when he was the world’s top-ranked triathlete at the Olympic distance. He also appreciates the athletes who have posted fast times there, including Matt Carpenter, the 12-time Pikes Peak Marathon champion, who has an 18:31 to his credit. And like many Incline users, he is a big fan of Brandon Stapanowich, the ultrarunner who completed 22 roundtrips on the Incline in 24 hours.</p>
<p>But he said his 16:42 stands as the record.</p>
<p>“I have the solid numbers, I remember them like they were the other day,” Fretta said. “Apolo was 17:52, and Ryan was 17:41. I remember those two were duking it out and Apolo was all mad because Ryan beat him.”</p>
<p>Ohno confirmed Fretta’s account of their race up the Incline.</p>
<p>“I was there and he schooled us that day,” Ohno said in an e-mail to PikesPeakSports.us. “He was an endurance athlete so he obviously had an advantage. We said we were not racing, but we were always competitive. I know that Mark was at 16:40ish as I could see him at the finish. He yelled back at us when he finished. We really were not too far behind. I know that I had a best time at that point that day and I think it was in the low 17:50's with Ryan just 10 seconds or so ahead of me. “</p>
<p>Ohno said he he eventually hit 17:45 while training with his teammates later that summer, but none of the original fast trio thought about records.</p>
<p>“We knew they were good times,” Fretta said. “We didn't think anybody in our peer group had done this. But talk of records and such didn't begin to materialize until the OTC got serious with it and started putting up these times outside the cafeteria. We started comparing times and slowly from there it became discerned as the fastest time.”</p>
<p>Fretta said there is also a misconception about where he started the clock. Both he and Ohno say they started at the first tie, where the sign is located.</p>
<p>“We walked up the trail from the (Barr Trail) parking lot to the incline, then walked down to the last step and started there,” Ohno said. “A lot of the wrestlers at the Olympic Training Center started their watches at the place where the trail met up with the incline ... we always started from the bottom step.”</p>
<p>Fretta realizes people will form their own opinions, and that’s he’s happy to discuss the record with anyone. “I think it’s important to get all the information out there and let people make up their own minds,” Fretta said. “I personally don't like being challenged on an issue that I don't think is an issue. Other than that, let people say what they may. I guess that is part of the fun, right? It gets people excited about it and I think that's great.”</p> Brandon Stapanowich nails 22 Incline ascents in 24 Hour UltraInclinathontag:pikespeaksports.us,2014-07-05:5021591:Topic:5736572014-07-05T20:49:23.070ZJill Suarezhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/JillSuarez
<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656429053?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656429053?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300"></img></a><p>Ultrarunner Brandon Stapanowich of Manitou Springs completed the first 24 Hour UltraInclinathon on Saturday having ascended the gnarly old railway bed 22 times.</p>
<p>With friends gathered at the bottom of the Incline, he hopped off the final railroad tie and grabbed an orange-flavored popsicle. Encrusted in dried, salty sweat, he was obviously exhausted with various body…</p>
<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656429053?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656429053?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a><p>Ultrarunner Brandon Stapanowich of Manitou Springs completed the first 24 Hour UltraInclinathon on Saturday having ascended the gnarly old railway bed 22 times.</p>
<p>With friends gathered at the bottom of the Incline, he hopped off the final railroad tie and grabbed an orange-flavored popsicle. Encrusted in dried, salty sweat, he was obviously exhausted with various body parts protesting the massive effort.</p>
<p>"I was holding it together until about 19 or 20 (ascents), and then things started to hurt a lot," Stapanowich said.</p>
<p>He began his day-long challenge at noon on July 4 and managed to make 18 round-trips in 18 hours, enjoying night views of the city and a great fireworks show in Manitou Springs. He said he was concerned about climbing all night, but ultimately found it to be peaceful. His friends kept him company on nearly every ascent. Steve Stermer had finished nine laps of the Incline and was going for more on Saturday afternoon.</p>
<p>At daylight, Stapanowich was ready for the UltraInclinathon to be over.</p>
<p>"Once the sun came up I was a little disappointed," he said. "The Incline was still there, it hadn't gone anywhere. We still had six hours to go. But the last six hours were icing on the cake. So it was good."</p>
<p>The Incline ascends about 2,000 feet in the foothills above Manitou Springs, though the exact elevation gained is debatable. At the most, Stapanowich climbed a total of 44,000 feet, and it's likely that he has set the "known" record for elevation gained in one day. He said he had heard that the record might be 40,000 feet, but didn't want to get bogged down in the details.</p>
<p>He nearly called it with 21 round-trips completed in about 22 hours, but gutted-out one more push to the top.</p>
<p>"I'd stopped with two hours or so to go," he said. "My knees were really hurting. And I said, I'm done. I've done 21 in 22 hours, that's enough for me. But right after I typed that and sent it, it didn't feel right to me. It felt like quitting. I mean I still had two hours, what am I going to do, sit here? So I figured as much as it was hurting, I'd do another one just for fun."</p>
<p>Stapanowich is an accomplished ultrarunner with a seventh-place finish in the Leadville 100 in 2012. He was 13th in the Western States 100 in 2013. But he also enjoys creating events - all of which he has won - including the first "Inclinatahon" (13 roundtrips on the Incline for a total of 26 miles), and "The Stank," four consecutive summits of 14,115-foot Pikes Peak, for a total of 100 miles. He and Incline regular Roger Austin collaborated on the creation of the UltraInclinathon.</p>
<p>"I'm not a painter or a writer or a musician, but I feel like it's a form of artistic expression coming up with these creative ideas," he said. "It's neat that you inspire people, then you draw inspiration from others, and the cycle keeps perpetuating. So I think that's the cool part of it."</p> Brandon Stapanowich begins 24 Hour UltraInclinathontag:pikespeaksports.us,2014-07-05:5021591:Topic:5738252014-07-05T00:40:02.309ZJill Suarezhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/JillSuarez
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<p><span>The guy who brought us the original "Inclinathon" (13 round trips on the Manitou Incline for a total of 26 miles), and "The Stank" (four consecutive round trips on Pikes Peak for a total of 100 miles), Brandon Stapanowich is now attempting the 24 Hour UltraInclinathon ... a little something he cooked up with the help of Incline fanatic Roger Austin.</span><br></br> <span>Stapanowich, whose ultra running ability is nearly as impressive as his creativity for insane…</span></p>
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<p><span>The guy who brought us the original "Inclinathon" (13 round trips on the Manitou Incline for a total of 26 miles), and "The Stank" (four consecutive round trips on Pikes Peak for a total of 100 miles), Brandon Stapanowich is now attempting the 24 Hour UltraInclinathon ... a little something he cooked up with the help of Incline fanatic Roger Austin.</span><br/> <span>Stapanowich, whose ultra running ability is nearly as impressive as his creativity for insane events on mountain sides, embarked on his day-long odyssey at noon on the 4th of July, 2014, in Manitou Springs.</span><br/>
<span>He is attempting to climb the mile-long Incline as many times as possible in 24 hours. The Incline, an old railway bed, ascends 2,000 feet into the foothills at the base of Pikes Peak.</span><br/>
<span>He could set the record for most elevation gained in 24 hours. The current known best is 37,572' by Robert Webb of Mt. Shasta, Calif.</span></p> Greg Cummings blazes 1,000 Incline ascents in 250 daystag:pikespeaksports.us,2014-05-29:5021591:Topic:5609872014-05-29T19:39:41.840ZJill Suarezhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/JillSuarez
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656433664?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656433664?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></img></a> <strong>Greg Cummings (in blue, top center) along with his family and friends celebrated his 1,000th ascent of the Incline in 250 days on Thursday, May 29, 2014. Cummings, a Type 1 diabetic, is climbing to promote his nonprofit Change 4 Diabetes.</strong></p>
<p>Colorado Springs resident Greg Cummings, a Type 1 diabetic, reached another big goal on Thursday when he tagged the…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656433664?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656433664?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-center"/></a><strong>Greg Cummings (in blue, top center) along with his family and friends celebrated his 1,000th ascent of the Incline in 250 days on Thursday, May 29, 2014. Cummings, a Type 1 diabetic, is climbing to promote his nonprofit Change 4 Diabetes.</strong></p>
<p>Colorado Springs resident Greg Cummings, a Type 1 diabetic, reached another big goal on Thursday when he tagged the summit of the famous Incline for the 1,000th time in only 250 days.</p>
<p>About 30 friends and family members, including his wife, Alison, and daughters, Christi and Danielle, made the climb to celebrate the moment.</p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong><a href="http://www.pikespeaksports.us/video/greg-cummings-summits-incline-1-000-times-in-250-days" target="_blank">Check out the video from the summit!</a></strong></span></p>
<p>Cummings ran the final steps then raised his arms to a brilliant, blue Colorado sky.</p>
<p>"It feels very cool," Cummings said. "Two-hundred and fifty days, 1,000 ascents, no days off."</p>
<p>The adventure began on Sept. 22, 2013, with the goal of climbing 1,000 times in a year to promote his new nonprofit Change 4 Diabetes (<a href="http://change4diabetes.org/">http://change4diabetes.org/</a>). Cummings wants to find a practical cure and essentially stop the deadly disease. Researchers believe that a cure can be found in the next 10 years.</p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><strong><a href="http://www.pikespeaksports.us/photo/albums/greg-cummings-blazes-1000-incline-ascents-in-250-days" target="_blank">Photos from the summit celebration</a></strong></span></p>
<p>The Incline community - a rugged group of trail runners and hikers - has followed Cummings' journey since it began. They cheered and popped the cork on a bottle of champagne as he ran the final steps to the summit.</p>
<p>"I want to thank all of you guys for all the encouragement," Cummings told his friends. "It has been a long route and it's just nice to do the ascent with friends. Without you guys, I'm not sure I would have been able to pull this thing off."</p>
<p>The Incline is an old railway bed that stretches to the sky above Manitou Springs, Colo. It is a mile in length with a staggering vertical gain of about 2,000 feet. In some places the grade exceeds 60 percent.</p>
<p>Cummings had initially set out to climb 1,000 times in a year. He began on Sept. 22, 2013, and the numbers rolled up quickly as he gained momentum through the winter, often climbing by himself and monitoring his blood sugar levels in freezing weather.</p>
<p>He hit 500 on Valentine’s Day (in 146 days). Then set a new record for Incline climbs in a year with 720 on April 4. The old mark (719) was set by his friend Roger Austin in 2013.</p>
<p>Alison Cummings said she was skeptical when Greg told her of his plans to go for 1,000.</p>
<p>"I thought he was crazy and I wasn't sure it was a good idea," Alison said. "But I'm glad he did it and I'm proud of him. I think he has overcome an amazing obstacle. There is nothing he can't do. Sometimes he'd get as little as four hours of sleep and he'd be back up climbing. But this has changed him for the better."</p>
<p>His daughters noticed a change, as well.</p>
<p>"He worked really hard for this," Christi Cummings said. "I think this is the happiest I've ever seen him."</p>
<p>Though one Incline ascent per week is plenty for most people, Cummings wasn't finished.He plans to climb a few more times in the month of May to increase his world record of vertical feet climbed in a month.</p>
<p>The numbers look like this: The journey to 1,000, has included climbing a whopping 2 million feet.<br/> In the last 29 days, he has claimed the world record for vertical feet climbed in one month. (Following Thursday's first climb, he had ascended 330,000 feet in the month of May.) The old record had been 328,000 feet set by skier Greg Hill of Revelstoke, British Columbia (<a href="http://mjm.ag/1iw6XPW">http://mjm.ag/1iw6XPW</a>) in March.</p>
<p>"I'm going to try to move that up a ways in the next three days," Cummings said.</p>
<p>Based on his recent pace, he could hit 1,500 or more in 2014. He'll have to take a break - along with everyone else - beginning in August, when the Incline is closed for repairs. It is expected to open again - with a new makeover - by December.</p>
<p></p> There is a new Incline King in town: Greg Cummings tags the top 720 times in 196 daystag:pikespeaksports.us,2014-04-05:5021591:Topic:5482322014-04-05T21:23:58.121ZJill Suarezhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/JillSuarez
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656421134?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656421134?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="600"></img></a> <strong>Incline royalty, Greg Cummings (right) set a new record for Incline ascents in a year, tagging No. 720 in 196 days. Roger Austin (left) held the previous record of 719. Cummings has a goal to climb the Incline 1,000 times in one year to promote his nonprofit Change 4 Diabetes, which raises funds to help find a practical cure for the disease.…</strong></p>
<p><br></br></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656421134?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="600" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656421134?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="600" class="align-center"/></a><strong>Incline royalty, Greg Cummings (right) set a new record for Incline ascents in a year, tagging No. 720 in 196 days. Roger Austin (left) held the previous record of 719. Cummings has a goal to climb the Incline 1,000 times in one year to promote his nonprofit Change 4 Diabetes, which raises funds to help find a practical cure for the disease.</strong></p>
<p><br/> <strong>VIDEO: (This is good stuff) <a href="http://www.pikespeaksports.us/video/greg-cummings-sets-new-incline-record-with-720-ascents-in-196" target="_blank">King Cummings is crowned</a></strong></p>
<p>When Greg Cummings stepped on the final tie at the summit of the Incline a small crowd of about 40 people were there to greet him with applause and cheers.</p>
<p>It was a moment fit for a king, the new Incline King.</p>
<p>Cummings set the record for climbs in one year on Saturday, April 5, 2014. He now has 720 ... and he knocked 'em off in 196 days.</p>
<p>He began the adventure on Sept. 22, 2013, with the goal of climbing 1,000 times in a year to promote his new nonprofit <a href="http://change4diabetes.org/donation/" target="_blank">Change 4 Diabetes</a>. A<span style="font-size: 13px;"> Type 1 diabetic, Cummings wants to find a practical cure for the disease. Researchers believe that a cure can be found in the next 10 years.</span></p>
<p>"It's a daily struggle," Cummings said of living with Type 1. "It's a terrible disease. It kills a lot of people. It's something that needs to go away."</p>
<p><strong>Read more: <a href="http://www.pikespeaksports.us/group/theincline/forum/topics/greg-cummings-takes-the-fight-to-type-1-diabetes-vows-to-climb-th" target="_blank">Greg Cummings takes the fight to diabetes</a></strong></p>
<p>His good friend Roger Austin made the final climb with him and presented Cummings with a gold-and-red crown - for the King - at the summit.</p>
<p>None of the Incline regulars, a tough group of athletes, each with the lungs of a Thoroughbred and quads like a Clydesdale's, have come close to Cummings' mark. Austin held the previous record, nailing 719. Joe Monger hit 500 in 11 months.</p>
<p><span style="color: #3366ff;"><strong><span style="color: #0000ff;">(Help fix and maintain the Incline! Join Incline Friends at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 9, at Stargazers Theatre for the blockbuster documentary "Running the Edge: The Colorado Trail."</span> <span style="color: #ff0000;"><a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/e/running-the-edge-the-colorado-trail-tickets-10942071029" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ff0000;">Tickets here!</span></a></span> <span style="color: #0000ff;">Or, $12 at the door.)</span></strong></span></p>
<p>Austin shakes his head in disbelief when thinking about Cummings' feat.</p>
<p>"Just incredible," he said. "It took me a year to do 719, and he's done 720 in just over six months. That's pretty frickin' amazing."</p>
<p>On his current pace, Cummings will tag No. 1,000 sometime in June ... and he'll do it in about nine months.</p>
<p>Cummings admits that some of the climbs were tough, but he's determined to reach his goal.</p>
<p>"A lot of days I would have loved to stay in bed," Cumming said. "Those days when it was minus four degrees, and you're still up here doing ascents. And then, of course, with the diabetes ... just this morning when I left my car my blood sugar was 320. That's just horrible. It's just such a yoyo with diabetes, you're feeling bad all the time."</p> Want a little more than a 5K?tag:pikespeaksports.us,2014-02-21:5021591:Topic:5390762014-02-21T21:36:58.441ZJill Suarezhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/JillSuarez
<p>It's not the incline, we give you that, but this WILL get you ready for an awesome summer and fall in our lovely mountains! Check out this mountain foothill race:</p>
<p>Join us on a 5 mile trail course in beautiful Bear Creek Regional Park West. You will course next to a creek, on winding single track and fast wide track. Then, in marked segments of the course, there are short distances to sprint your heart out (if you choose). Racers will be awarded for finishing the main course as in a…</p>
<p>It's not the incline, we give you that, but this WILL get you ready for an awesome summer and fall in our lovely mountains! Check out this mountain foothill race:</p>
<p>Join us on a 5 mile trail course in beautiful Bear Creek Regional Park West. You will course next to a creek, on winding single track and fast wide track. Then, in marked segments of the course, there are short distances to sprint your heart out (if you choose). Racers will be awarded for finishing the main course as in a normal trail run, but there will be segment awards, too! Register today before prices go up. Only $29 until March 17th.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.myjourneyracing.com" target="_blank">www.myjourneyracing.com</a></p> Greg Cummings takes the fight to type 1 diabetes, vows to climb the Incline 1,000 times in a yeartag:pikespeaksports.us,2014-02-14:5021591:Topic:5378822014-02-14T16:28:41.070ZJill Suarezhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/JillSuarez
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font-size-3">Climber notched record 500th incline ascent in 146 days on Valentine's Day<br></br> to help promote his nonprofit <a href="http://change4diabetes.org/" target="_blank">Change4Diabetes.org</a></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656419907?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656419907?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300"></img></a> Greg Cummings made the final difficult steps to the summit of the…</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font-size-3">Climber notched record 500th incline ascent in 146 days on Valentine's Day<br/> to help promote his nonprofit <a href="http://change4diabetes.org/" target="_blank">Change4Diabetes.org</a></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656419907?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656419907?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a>Greg Cummings made the final difficult steps to the summit of the snow-covered Incline. He smiled easily and greeted friends at the top, then sat down and lanced the tip of his finger to check his blood sugar level.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">Cummings is a type 1 diabetic and has lived with diabetes for 32 years. He is also one of the most prolific Incline climbers. In 2011 he became the first to make 500 ascents in one year, and he held the record for 601 ascents in a year until his friend, Roger Austin, set the current record (719) in 2013.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">Cummings is a physically powerful, gentle and soft-spoken man. But when the subject turns to diabetes, his demeanor changes. He hates type 1 diabetes and wants to end it forever.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">"Having type 1 is like balancing on a tightrope" Cummings said. "There's high blood sugar on the right and low on the left, and you're constantly falling off one side or the other."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">When his blood sugar surges, he feels like his "body is made of stone." Moving requires great effort. He becomes dehydrated and feels as if his heart is pumping mud. When it slips low, he becomes exhausted and irritable. When his blood sugar drops too low, he becomes unresponsive, incoherent, and his mind "drifts away into unconsciousness."</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: 13px;">(Photo, Greg and Alison Cummings climbed the Incline together on Valentine's Day. It was a record 500 climbs in 146 days for Greg!) </span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">He has experienced the extremes of both many times. And while Cummings remains active by constantly monitoring his blood glucose, he knows that type 1 diabetes (T1D) could kill him.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">"Having type 1 diabetes is a horror," he says. "It impacts everything you do and it's overwhelming."</span></p>
<p><span>Cummings is tired of the tightrope and has taken the fight to type 1 by starting his own nonprofit organization, <a href="http://change4diabetes.org/" target="_blank">Change4Diabetes.org</a>. His goal is to help find a Practical Cure.</span></p>
<p><span>"A Practical Cure will end the need for insulin, the constant monitoring of blood glucose, and allow a person to eat at will, and sleep without the concern of low blood glucose," he said. "It will impact millions of people in a very positive way."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, in 2011, there were 18.8 million people diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S., with another 7 million expected as undiagnosed. The disease is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, and as many as 79 million American adults may have prediabetes.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.thejdca.org/" target="_blank">In his research</a>, Cummings discovered that the top four diabetes organizations in the U.S. were committing only 2 percent (on average) of donations toward research for a Practical Cure. </span><span style="font-size: 13px;">Change4Diabetes.org will take a different approach. The organization's by-laws dictate that not less than 80% of donations received will go to research for a Practical Cure.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">T1D has haunted his family for years. His mother has suffered with type 1 for more than six decades. He and his wife, Alison, have helped her out of low blood glucose reactions many times.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">"Every minute that I have known my mother she has had to struggle with this damned disease, and the same has happened with my kids, because every moment they've known me I've been dealing with diabetes. Our goal is to stop T1D from tormenting humanity for the next 75 years! It is time to make a practical cure a priority.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">To draw attention to his organization and the effort to find a cure, Cummings has vowed to hike the Incline 1,000 times - and climb more than 2 million vertical feet - in 12 consecutive months. He hit number 500 today (Valentine's Day) as he climbs with Alison, the love of his life. Should he make it, he'll also set a record as the quickest (146 days) to reach 500 ascents.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size: 13px;">Video: <a href="http://www.pikespeaksports.us/video/fall-change-4-diabetes" target="_blank">The first 311 Incline Ascents</a> ** <a href="http://www.pikespeaksports.us/video/winter-change-4-diabetes" target="_blank">Climbs 312 through 493</a></span></strong></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">He always checks his blood glucose at the summit and the base. Too high and he'll adjust by injecting a tiny amount of insulin. Too low and he'll eat some carbohydrates to maintain the crucial balance.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13px;">There is symbolism in his effort. Type 1 diabetes never takes a day off, and since </span><span style="font-size: 13px;">beginning his journey on the first day of fall, Sept. 22, 2013, Cummings has climbed every day - averaging more than three ascents - and many of those days have been difficult.</span></p>
<p>He hopes that everyone will give a minimum of 2 cents for each of his 1,000 ascents - a donation of $20.</p>
<p>"It's easy to stand by and do nothing, but we intend to win and that requires action, commitment and sacrifice," he said. "In our case, we need the collective action of many people, each giving a little to make a measurable difference ... but with it, we expect to find a practical cure for this killer disease."</p>
<p>For more information, to check on Greg's Incline progress, and to donate, go to: <a href="http://change4diabetes.org/" target="_blank">Change4Diabetes.org</a>.</p>