Michael Everson's Posts - Pikes Peak Sports2024-03-28T21:33:25ZMichael Eversonhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/MichaelEversonhttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2797449362?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://pikespeaksports.us/profiles/blog/feed?user=0zd4ws3cri23v&xn_auth=no"Get out and get doin'...That's all I gotta say." KNtag:pikespeaksports.us,2016-08-25:5021591:BlogPost:7256562016-08-25T17:00:00.000ZMichael Eversonhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/MichaelEverson
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<p>I use the CASE method of marketing (Copy And Steal Everything). Keeler North came up with my title.</p>
<p>The Pikes Peak Ascent was last Saturday. It was like Christmas at my house. With 5 Eversons running the Ascent and 1 running the Marathon, it was a packed house for a week and it was a blast.</p>
<p>My musings throughout my Mighty…</p>
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<p>I use the CASE method of marketing (Copy And Steal Everything). Keeler North came up with my title.</p>
<p>The Pikes Peak Ascent was last Saturday. It was like Christmas at my house. With 5 Eversons running the Ascent and 1 running the Marathon, it was a packed house for a week and it was a blast.</p>
<p>My musings throughout my Mighty Marmot matriculation have been a lot about me and my training. And<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806522986?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806522986?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-right"/></a> commencement day was the Ascent. I guess the rest of my blogs will be post graduate work. Today I will focus on what I got to see over the weekend.</p>
<p>I'll start with the teams I ran with.</p>
<p>The Marmots were a blast to run with. Seeing them at every race along the Triple Crown and encouraging them (and being encouraged by them) was special. --Photo by Tim Bergsten</p>
<p>Thanks for selecting me to the team Tim Bergsten, and special thanks to my teammates: Jen, Mike, Lindsey, Anna, Daneille, and David. Inspiring runners in so many ways.</p>
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<p>The next team I ran with is for Keep Kids Alive Drive 25. There were lots of team members in this crew and I don't have all the names. I wrote a little blog on this a few weeks ago, My brother, Tom, is the director of the organization and he had 20ish runners doing the Peak over the weekend along with dozens of spectators who met us at the finish line. It was great to have all these people cheering us on.</p>
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<p>There was some remarkable stuff going on the mountain this weekend. I'm not going to mention all of them because this is a blog. But here are a few that might have been missed:<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806522401?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806522401?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-right"/></a></p>
<p>Brandon Stapanowich decided to run up and down Pikes 4 times. He covered 100+ miles in just over 30 hours. Those of us who know Brandon know that he is no slouch. He makes up races that no one in his/her right mind would think of, and then he runs them. This "race" is formally known as the <em><strong>Stank</strong></em> and Brandon has the course record. He got 3 round trips done from the start of the Ascent to the start of the Marathon. Then toed the line for the Marathon for his "Double." <br/> The photo is Brandon at the top for the 4th time at about 28 hours.</p>
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<p>Jessica Beecham attempted to run the Pikes Peak Marathon. I got the pleasure of meeting and guiding Jessica on a few runs over the summer and she is just pure joy. Why, you might ask, is Jessica so fantastic?? Well, she is legally blind and can barely see 10 feet. And that vision is a blur. So Jessica and her guides ran up Pikes Peak and back down. Now she didn't make the finish line cut-off, but she did make it to the top in time and still managed to get done in 11:30 ish. I can't imagine running this race blind. She was fantastic.<br/> --Photo by Anne Fleming</p>
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<p>I'll brag a little on my brother, Shawn Everson, who has never run the PPM. In his first attempt last year, he dropped at the summit from exhaustion. He came back this year to redeem himself.</p>
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<p>But just 8 weeks from race day he tore the hell out of his quad on a training run and it was debatable if he would be able to toe the line. Not only did he toe the line, he got up 20:00 faster than last year and he looked great. </p>
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<p>He finished a little over 4 hours later. He wasn't fast, but the goal was to finish, and that's what he did. Now he has a jacket to prove it. </p>
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<p>As many of us are impressed by Joe Gray, Kim Dobson, and Alex Nichols for their spectacular performances on the mountain, for most of us, this is a personal challenge. We know we won't likely <em>win </em>anything. But, as Mr. North stated on a little run he did in the Spring, "GET OUT AND GET DOIN'...THAT'S ALL I GOTTA SAY!"</p>
<p></p>Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chosetag:pikespeaksports.us,2016-08-15:5021591:BlogPost:7249562016-08-15T16:28:16.000ZMichael Eversonhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/MichaelEverson
<p>As I put the final wrappings on this year's training for the Pikes Peak Ascent, I can't help but look back and realize the way things are.</p>
<p>Many of my friends know that I am on a quest for 20 years in a row of hammering up and sometimes down Pikes Peak for the Ascent and/or Marathon. This will be number 17. After Saturday's race, I will be 85% of the way home. <br></br> <br></br> Oh the things that I have learned! It's all about training. The race is just the culmination of busting your…</p>
<p>As I put the final wrappings on this year's training for the Pikes Peak Ascent, I can't help but look back and realize the way things are.</p>
<p>Many of my friends know that I am on a quest for 20 years in a row of hammering up and sometimes down Pikes Peak for the Ascent and/or Marathon. This will be number 17. After Saturday's race, I will be 85% of the way home. <br/> <br/>
Oh the things that I have learned! It's all about training. The race is just the culmination of busting your ass for months to get into some kind of condition to get to the top of this mountain in a reasonable time on race day. </p>
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<p>And every year, here are the things that seem to never change:</p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806525727?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806525727?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a>First, I start my training on the last Sunday of November by dragging my butt out of bed and heading to Memorial Park in Manitou Springs. Thus begins the Incline Club training runs. I re-acquaint myself with other members and we commiserate about how well or poorly we did in August. Then we go for a 12-15 mile run somewhere in the mountains for 2-4 hours because August will come again. And by God, we're going to be ready.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">Rampart Range Road on an IC run</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806515397?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806515397?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-left"/></a>For 5 more months the club will do long runs on Sundays. When April rolls around, we start our tempos and interval runs on Barr Trail and the Incline. These runs are followed up by hill repeats. It's like clockwork. We know it's coming, and we know it's hard, and some of us think "THIS SUCKS!" But we also know it helps, so we show up, and we do it.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Steve Griego doing intervals on the Incline</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">As the summer wears on, I like to get elevation. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, this includes<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806528872?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806528872?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-right"/></a> Elk Park Trail and running from the top of the Peak down 3 miles and back up. I <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806529911?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806529911?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-left"/></a>schedule these into my work week so that I can do one of these runs once a week from mid June to race day. There's nothing quite like a butt kicking 6-11 mile run with the goal to be: Get to the office by noon!</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">And of course, as the temperatures rise in the summer, that's when we take shots at the summit. I usually do 4-5 bottom to top runs during the summer. The depth of the snow on the <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806530745?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806530745?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a>mountain will determine when my first attempt is. This year, June 18 was my first shot. On the 17th, I posted on Facebook that I might need a ride down if anyone might be up top. If no one showed, I'd just use the old thumb to get down. There was plenty of snow for the last three miles, but it was the first weekend where I felt I could go for it without too much post-holing. </p>
<p style="text-align: right;">Photos: Marcus Lawler running at 11,000 feet.<br/> Snow fields above tree line.<br/>
Rich and Richie Canedo, They saw my FB post and came to pick me up. Great Friends! </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br/> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806531058?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806531058?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-left"/></a> This year, I Incorporated some track/speed work into my training. Larry, Fall Series, Miller organizes these runs on Tuesdays from April to August at the Manitou High School track. And there is quite a crew that shows up to run 3 miles in some weird fashion of 1/4 mile repeats or 300 meters fast, 100 recover or something similar. This was really the only change in my training this year. And we shall see if it pays big dividends on race day. </p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">Here's the crew that showed up on May 24th this year. </p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><br/> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806537136?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806537136?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a> And finally, as the year comes to a close, a bunch of Incline Club members gather at the top of Pikes Peak, the Sunday before the big races, and clear the trail for the last mile. Some of us just pick up loose rocks and debris as we put the final touches on our training. Some of us move giant rocks and make the trail more run-able through the Golden stairs and above. </p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">What changed? Well, the track workouts were different.<br/> What stayed the same? Pretty much everything else. </p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose (the more that things change, the more they stay the same.)</p>
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<iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hph71M5m9T8?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>I get high with a little help...tag:pikespeaksports.us,2016-08-08:5021591:BlogPost:7242852016-08-08T15:54:09.000ZMichael Eversonhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/MichaelEverson
<p>I've been running the Pikes Peak Ascent and/or Pikes Peak Marathon every year since 2000. While I will brag all day long about my accomplishments (or lack thereof), It is pretty clear that I would not have done what I have done without a little help. </p>
<p>This blog is dedicated to the people who put up with me, challenge me, and help me. </p>
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<p>I'll start with my family. My wife has put up with this mid-life crisis for 17 years now, and she has been my biggest fan. …</p>
<p>I've been running the Pikes Peak Ascent and/or Pikes Peak Marathon every year since 2000. While I will brag all day long about my accomplishments (or lack thereof), It is pretty clear that I would not have done what I have done without a little help. </p>
<p>This blog is dedicated to the people who put up with me, challenge me, and help me. </p>
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<p>I'll start with my family. My wife has put up with this mid-life crisis for 17 years now, and she has been my biggest fan. <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806524460?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806524460?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-left"/></a>Sometimes she kicks my ass out the door to run. Sometimes she complains because I have another run to attend. But she has always been gracious in allowing me to pursue the goals I set out to <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806524436?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806524436?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-right"/></a>achieve. My kids just deal with it. Kat likes to run. Marg would rather walk. But I think they like the fact that I stay fit so we can ski together in the winter. And we all love Pizza.!</p>
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<p>...Do you need anybody?<br/> I need somebody to <em>run</em>...</p>
<p>As for my friends, most of them are runners. And whether they ran with me 15 years ago, or run with me today, many of these runners are staples in my running endeavors. I'm sure to forget some <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806531254?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806531254?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-right"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806533090?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806533090?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-left"/></a>people, but here are some pictures of the badasses that have made me a better runner. On the left, Fred and Ed Baxter, and Shawn Erchinger. On the right, Roger Austin. These 4 in particular make me do the incline a lot. There are a lot of other Incliners, but these ones get me out of bed early on Saturday mornings.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806533683?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806533683?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>The Incline Club has been an integral part of my training for the past 14 years. I emailed Matt Carpenter after the Pikes Peak Ascent in 2003 and asked him how to prepare for the Pikes Peak Marathon. He responded: "Join the Incline Club!" I did. Here are a few ICrs who have helped me become a better runner:</p>
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<p>Two ICrs, John Garner and Dan Cockrell, have been great training partners. We don't run as much together as we once did. Dan moved<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806534694?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806534694?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-right"/></a> away a couple of years ago and John and I have had life hit us in the face like a wet dishrag. But these two in particular made me run in places I had never been to before and we have had some great times together. </p>
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<p style="text-align: right;">Dan Cockrell</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">John Garner</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><br/> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806536580?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806536580?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-right"/></a> More recently, I have come across Steve Griego. He started running with the Incline Club a couple of years ago, and now he's pushing me harder than ever on the Incline Club runs. Virtually every Sunday he is asking me what I'm going to do. Then he joins me to make me do it harder than I ever expected. He's become quite a good mountain runner to boot. </p>
<p style="text-align: right;">Photo by Roger Austin</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806537373?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806537373?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-left"/></a>Finally, Larry Miller, the man, the legend! He's been on my ass since 2004 telling me my form sucks and I could be better if I would listen to some of his advice. He organizes track workouts on Tuesday afternoons from April to August. He's a wealth of information and a great runner. Seems like every time I get to the top of Pikes Peak and he is there, he asks me what color my shoe laces are. I can't stand how hard his workouts are, and I appreciate the fact that he makes me do them. </p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">There are many other runners I enjoy spending time with. Too many to post here for sure. But these are the ones I spend the most time with.</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">If you're sitting on the fence and not sure if you should go for a run, join the Incline Club, or Pikes Peak Road Runners, or Jack Quinns, or show up at CRC at 6:00 PM almost any afternoon, or a whole lot of other clubs. I joined the Incline Club to become a better mountain runner. The bonus is the friendships that have lasted for years. </p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">Thank you Elizabeth, Margaret, Kathryn, John, Dan, Steve, Roger, Ed, Fred, Shawn, Matt and Larry. You've been an integral part of my running life, and I appreciate it. I know I have tons of other running friends and I am so glad to have you in my life. But blogs are supposed to be short, and this one is getting a little long and sappy. </p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I <em>run</em> high with a little help from my friends...</p>
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<p></p>We're on a missiontag:pikespeaksports.us,2016-07-30:5021591:BlogPost:7230562016-07-30T15:00:00.000ZMichael Eversonhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/MichaelEverson
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X7uHJPMNwwE?wmode=opaque" width="560"></iframe>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806523424?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806523424?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350"></img></a> For the past two weeks, I have been racing. Despite sleep deprivation and a nagging little achilles injury, I have been running pretty well. So now it's on to the Pikes Peak Ascent in 3 weeks. And here is who I am running for:…</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X7uHJPMNwwE?wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806523424?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806523424?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-right"/></a>For the past two weeks, I have been racing. Despite sleep deprivation and a nagging little achilles injury, I have been running pretty well. So now it's on to the Pikes Peak Ascent in 3 weeks. And here is who I am running for: <strong> <a href="http://www.keepkidsalivedrive25.org/blog/2016/8/20/run-to-remember" target="_blank">Keep Kids Alive Drive 25.</a></strong></p>
<p>This organization was started by my brother, Tom, to help neighborhoods become safer places for kids to play while vehicles are present. To summarize the mission of KKAD25: To make streets safer for all who walk, cycle, play, drive, and ride. This is an education process. Most people who speed through residential neighborhoods also live in those neighborhoods. </p>
<p><a href="http://corunco.com/" target="_blank"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2653383898?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-right"/></a>We complain about it all the time, yet we are also the ones who contribute to the problem. Do you actually STOP at the stop sign? Do you drive the comfortable 5 MPH over the posted 25 MPH limit that is posted in virtually every residential neighborhood in the country? I know I have. So I joined the mission in 2007 to <em>Run to Remember</em> those people who have been killed as a result of these negligent behaviors that so many of us have. .</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806524017?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806524017?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-left"/></a></p>
<p>2007 was my first year on the team. I've run every year with the names of so many loved ones embossed on my shirt who have died too soon and whose families now have a great way of memorializing their loss. I've run through rain, sleet, snow, heat, personal worsts and personal bests, and a double with the names of these people in tow. It can get pretty emotional. We celebrate life every single year.</p>
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<p>2009 PPM (Double year) Photo: John Garner</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806524157?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806524157?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a></p>
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<p>Now it's 2016, and I will be 10 years on this team. KKAD25 invites dozens of family members to either run or spectate as our team runs the Ascent or Marathon. It's cathartic. The families bring signs of their deceased loved ones and they cheer us on as we finish the races. It's extraordinary. One of the coolest things that happens is that these families are able to create a community that has this one horrible thing in common: the death of a child. It's spiritual.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">Russ Lloyd finishes the PPA 2015</p>
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<p>This run has become a project for the Keep Kids Alive Drive 25 organization. I get to run.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806524469?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806524469?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-left"/></a>For my brother and crew, it's putting a video together, organizing getting family members up the mountain on Ascent day, organizing a dinner and pre-race event to have all the families meet, arranging travel and hotel for the families, and to actually run. And if you ask any family member who has been a part of this, you will know that it is a fantastic event that helps them heal.</p>
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<p>Kayla Miller with her brother, Bobby<br/> Rogers, finishing the PPA</p>
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<p>Obviously, this is expensive. If you would like to contribute to help us defray all these expenses, <strong><a href="http://www.keepkidsalivedrive25.org/runtoremember" target="_blank">Click here</a></strong>.</p>
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<p>Here is a cool video from last year's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7uHJPMNwwE" target="_blank">Run to Remember</a> </p>
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<p>We run fast to help people slow down. We run up and endure whatever the mountain dishes out each year. We experience the emotions of the race and the people for whom we run. We <em>run to remember</em> because <em>Were on a Mission on a Mountain.</em></p>Woah, we're half way there, Woah Oh! Livin' on a Prayer.tag:pikespeaksports.us,2016-07-20:5021591:BlogPost:7231222016-07-20T15:30:00.000ZMichael Eversonhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/MichaelEverson
<p><a href="http://corunco.com/" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2653383898?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200"></img></a> Sunday was the running of the Barr Trail Mountain Race (BTMR for you acronym lovers). This is a race I have loved for years. There's been a lot of transition in the past 5 years, but it's still just a brutal as ever. It's relatively simple: run halfway up Pikes Peak, and then run back down for a total of approximately 12.6 miles. You would think that doing half of the Pikes Peak Marathon would be easy. It's not. Once the gun…</p>
<p><a href="http://corunco.com/" target="_blank"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2653383898?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-left"/></a>Sunday was the running of the Barr Trail Mountain Race (BTMR for you acronym lovers). This is a race I have loved for years. There's been a lot of transition in the past 5 years, but it's still just a brutal as ever. It's relatively simple: run halfway up Pikes Peak, and then run back down for a total of approximately 12.6 miles. You would think that doing half of the Pikes Peak Marathon would be easy. It's not. Once the gun goes off, or at this race, the hat is dropped, it's easy to realize this is going to be hard.</p>
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<p><br/> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806548843?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806548843?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a>The race starts at the Cog Railway Depot on Ruxton Ave. Within 200 yards of the start, reality sets in as runners get to "run" up one of the steepest hills they may have encountered in their entire running lives. I don't know the grade, but it's a 1/4 mile of sheer hell and it hits you like a windshield hits a fly. I could feel my calves tightening up and I wasn't even a half mile into the race. I know I'm supposed to use this race as a barometer for the Peak in 5 weeks, but I always know what's training and what's a race, and this is a race and I must treat it as such.</p>
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<p style="text-align: right;">Photo by Tim Bergsten</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">The "Ws" follow over the next mile to mile and a half as a steady, grinding ascent of about 11% grade My race legs didn't feel so good, and I walked a ton of this section. Once above the Ws, I was able to run, but not as much as I felt I should. I began to fall behind my splits and just figured I would settle in for a tough "race." Those of you who know me, know I walk with a purpose when racing, so I settled in to a determined walk until I was 1/4 mile past No Name Creek. I lost time, but thought I might get some back on the downhill.</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806552582?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806552582?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Just past the 7.8 mile sign on my way up, Joe Gray came whizzing by on his way down. He was damn near 4 miles ahead of me. Photo by Tim Bergsten</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">A quick energy gel just as I came into Barr Camp--the turn around point to head back down, and I was ready for the return trip. I made it to Barr Camp in 1:29:01. Joe Gray would finish the race 1 minute later a full 6+ miles ahead of me. That's fast! "Woah, we're halfway there..."</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><br/> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806553101?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806553101?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I'm not sure what happened, but man it was nice to feel that second wind. I started running down and I had a time goal in this race of 2:15 or better. If I was going to hit that mark, I needed to crush it on the downhill. It was hot, I was tired, and I had just eaten a Gu. I'm on a mission from God. "Woah Oh! Livin' on a prayer."</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">With half a mile to go, Tim Bergsten snapped this photo of me. At this point, I felt I had a shot at the 2:15 mark, but I was going to have to run like hell to hit it.</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">Below Photo by John Garner</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806554722?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806554722?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-left"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806554722?profile=original" target="_self"><span style="color: #000000;">The brutal reality of this race hits every participant at the end. It's a little hill called Hydro, and it crushes</span></a> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806555196?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806555196?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-right"/></a>every runner. The final approach is to run down the hill I complained about earlier in this post. When your legs are trashed from that little number, take a hard left and run UP a hill that is at least as steep, and twice as hard. I buried my head in my chest and began the long, slow chug up Hydro. I ran out of gas about half way up. I could barely muster the energy to get to the finish line and be done. I lay down in the finish chute and drank some water. <br/> The Race Director, Peter Maksimo, snapped this photo of me and Mike Teger.</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I know, you are wondering if I made the 2:15 mark. No! 2:15:43. But I did have my fastest downhill time on this race ever. at 46:44. This is not quite half of the Pikes Peak Marathon course. But it gives runners of the PPM and PPA a good dose of what is coming next month. I have some uphill work to do because I am only running the Ascent. I am comforted that I can have a sub par first half-- "Woah, we're half way there..."-- and recover to finish strong--"Woah Oh! Livin' on a prayer."</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2751080519?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2751080519?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">L to R: Me, 2nd Age Group, Larry Rosenkranz 3rd AG, Craig Summerdorf 1st AG (2:14:28)</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Photo by Tim Bergsten</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"></p>Weekend Warriortag:pikespeaksports.us,2016-07-11:5021591:BlogPost:7213902016-07-11T15:30:00.000ZMichael Eversonhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/MichaelEverson
<p><a href="http://corunco.com/" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2653383898?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250"></img></a> This weekend was filled with quite a few things I MUST do. I try to do this work/life balance thing and I think I do it pretty well. I try not to over commit, and I try to prioritize the important things and get them done. This weekend, these were my priorities: The OC 500, Drums Along the Rockies, The Summer roundup Trail Race. This was a lot to cram in to one weekend, but I was determined, so I made things work.</p>
<p>Let's…</p>
<p><a href="http://corunco.com/" target="_blank"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2653383898?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-right"/></a>This weekend was filled with quite a few things I MUST do. I try to do this work/life balance thing and I think I do it pretty well. I try not to over commit, and I try to prioritize the important things and get them done. This weekend, these were my priorities: The OC 500, Drums Along the Rockies, The Summer roundup Trail Race. This was a lot to cram in to one weekend, but I was determined, so I made things work.</p>
<p>Let's start with Saturday morning. Erin O'Connor, AKA "OC," is a man I met on the Incline about a year ago. He put in his head that he was going to join the 500 club. This is a club of now 8 people </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806521870?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806521870?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-left"/></a>that I know of who have climbed the Incline 500 or more times in one calendar year. The members: Roger Austin, Greg Cummings, Dave Romero, Joe Monger, Thayer Mayer, Wade Garner, Steve Stermer, and now Erin O'Connor.</p>
<p>Knowing that I had a race on Sunday, I decided I would join the fray, but only go halfway up the big hill and then head back. I had a great time, and OC finished with a bunch of other Incline nuts to nail down number 500 on July 9. So, in little more than 6 months, this guy climbed 500 times. That was multiple doubles and triples, and one Inclinathon-13 round trips in one day, a marathon on the Incline. His average for this year is 2.6 per day. Hot or cold, snow, ice, rain, you name it, he plowed up and down the trail virtually every day.</p>
<p><br/> The 500 Club (Dave Romero was missing) </p>
<p></p>
<p>Saturday night, my daughter and I headed to Denver for Drums Along the Rockies. I was really </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806522353?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806522353?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a>apprehensive about this after I was selected to be a Marmot because I knew we would be out until at least midnight and I would have to race the next day. My daughter is an awesome kid, so I stuck to my commitment. We decided we would leave at 3 PM to get to Denver in plenty of time for me to eat a good <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806522396?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806522396?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-left"/></a>Pasta meal, and then head over to the stadium for the show. Well, that didn't work. We got stuck in traffic and that meant we had to go directly to the stadium or miss part of the show. So, crappy, greasy pizza at the stadium for dinner was the pre-race meal. But, I gotta say, that Drum & Bugle Corps show was fan-damn-tastic! We had a blast. </p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806523711?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806523711?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a>Marg & Dad enjoying the show</p>
<p>I returned home at midnight and was in bed by 12:30 with the alarm set for 4:30 AM. I might have slept for 3 hours as I tossed and turned and sweated in the heat of the night. The alarm rang way too quickly. I rolled out of bed and put on my race clothes and headed to John and Re's house for a ride to the Summer Roundup. How the hell am I going to run this thing???? Well, I warmed up and figured I just slam the hammer down and get done as fast as I could. I'd either blow up or go fast. The race went pretty well outside of the last 1.5 miles, and I finished very well. I checked results and I was 37th overall, 31st male, and 3rd in my age group. Maybe all this pre-race ritual stuff is overrated.</p>
<p>Just show up and run...Then go home and CRASH!!</p>
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<p style="text-align: right;">Richard Demming (1st AG), me (3rd), and Chris Reed (2nd)</p>Stop and Smell the...tag:pikespeaksports.us,2016-07-06:5021591:BlogPost:7204222016-07-06T22:00:00.000ZMichael Eversonhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/MichaelEverson
<p><a href="http://corunco.com/" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2653383898?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250"></img></a> Yesterday morning, Rich invited me to a memorial hike to honor his daughter, Allie, who died in a car accident last week. This really hit home for me. The pain was all too real. Someone I love and care about had lost the one thing that no parent ever wants to lose. Another friend, Re, miscarried the day before this. She wrote a little post on Facebook that went like this: "It was a wisp, a dandelion seed, a spider silk, a puff…</p>
<p><a href="http://corunco.com/" target="_blank"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2653383898?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-left"/></a>Yesterday morning, Rich invited me to a memorial hike to honor his daughter, Allie, who died in a car accident last week. This really hit home for me. The pain was all too real. Someone I love and care about had lost the one thing that no parent ever wants to lose. Another friend, Re, miscarried the day before this. She wrote a little post on Facebook that went like this: "It was a wisp, a dandelion seed, a spider silk, a puff of smoke." "A thing too fragile for this world...But it was real...."</p>
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<p>I came to realize that the pain is the same no matter how old the child is. </p>
<p><br/> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806518213?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806518213?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-right"/></a>Intemann trail is one of my favorite "low elevation" trails. It starts at Ruxton near Spring Street. This is where we memorialized Allie. I included memorializing the <em>dandelion seed</em> as well. It was special. There were only 7 or 8 of us. Rich said "No running, we are going to walk, and look at the flowers and the sights." That is what Allie did when she went running with dad. He said "look left, look right, look at the beauty we always seem to run by while looking down at the trail in front of us."</p>
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<p>All I did on this little jaunt was take some pictures and talk to my fellow hikers. RIch joked as we walked up Ruxton: "When's the last time you WALKED up this road?" I don't think I've ever walked up Ruxton until yesterday.</p>
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<p>I'm not a flower expert. My mother was, and she loved wild flowers. She had them all over her yard when she and my father lived in Beulah. Their yard was spectacular with color in the summer. They are pretty. And sometimes, running down the trail at what feels like breakneck speed, I just blaze right on by and never know what beauty I have just missed.</p>
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<p>As we headed down the trail, and I conversed with people I had never met or barely knew, I realized that it is at times like these that it is so very important to have good support networks. People who care and will help when all things seem in disarray. I felt honored to be among the friends to make this journey.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806522122?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806522122?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>Orange! It's a favorite of mine. Maybe it's the Broncos. Who knows? But Orange sticks out in the green weeds and natural grasses off trail. Easy to miss at 7:00 pace, but hard to miss when walking--<em>a wisp</em></p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806523131?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806523131?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>Although we were on a hike, and not a "workout," I thought this view of my favorite hill was quite impressive. The contrast of the blue morning sky against the dark greens of the mountain are stunning..--<em>a spider silk</em> </p>
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<p>Intemann Trail is a pretty long trail. If you take it from beginning to end, it is easily 5-6 miles where it <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527139?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="280" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527139?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="280" class="align-left"/></a>connects to Section 16/Palmer Ridge. The group I hiked with was only going to climb Iron Mountain. I had to cut my trip a little short as I needed to go to work. So I cut out at Pawnee road and headed back to the car. I hugged my friends and left them. It gave me 1/3 mile to contemplate, pray, and mourn alone.</p>
<p>God bless all those who are suffering the loss of a loved one. </p>
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<p>A white flower. Another little jewel on the trail.--<em>a puff of smoke</em></p>
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<p> Life is full of color. Sometimes we need only slow down and take a look. Stop and smell the... </p>
<p></p>Elk Park Trail: Just take some photos, would you?tag:pikespeaksports.us,2016-06-27:5021591:BlogPost:7185372016-06-27T19:00:00.000ZMichael Eversonhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/MichaelEverson
<p><a href="http://corunco.com/" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2653383898?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250"></img></a> On Saturday, June 25, I gave Elk Park Trail a try. This is one of my favorite trails because it is really high and has some great views. The trip starts at timberline just off the Pikes Peak Highway and drops about 1800 feet to Barr Camp. Then you turn around and run back. It's about 10.5 miles round trip with some gentle, rolling hills, and some good technical stuff as well.…</p>
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<p><a href="http://corunco.com/" target="_blank"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2653383898?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-left"/></a>On Saturday, June 25, I gave Elk Park Trail a try. This is one of my favorite trails because it is really high and has some great views. The trip starts at timberline just off the Pikes Peak Highway and drops about 1800 feet to Barr Camp. Then you turn around and run back. It's about 10.5 miles round trip with some gentle, rolling hills, and some good technical stuff as well.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806519270?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806519270?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-right"/></a></p>
<p>The start: The first mile is a gentle drop from tree line into the high forest of Pikes Peak. Starting in the thin air of about 12,000 feet, you hit a small grove of trees about 1/4 mile down. Then it's another 1/2 mile before you hit the trees again and stay in them for the rest of the trip down. The view is spectacular.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">High on a mountain side> </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806520815?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806520815?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-left"/></a>1 mile down on this trail and things get a little dicey. The trail takes a hard left and gets a little steeper. A few hundred yards later, and the trail heads right and gets downright nasty. It's steep, technical and has all manner of ankle twisting rocks and ruts. Staying focused on this section is a key part of a successful Elk Park Tail run. This drop is between 1/4 and 1/3 mile. At the bottom of this hill is a fork in the road. To the right is <a href="http://skyrunner.com/story/oilcreek.htm" target="_blank">Oil Creek Tunnel</a>, To the left is Barr Camp. </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806521396?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806521396?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-right"/></a></p>
<p><span>My friend Chaz and I ran the next 4.5 miles at a pretty easy pace. His goal: to summit Pikes Peak. My goal: to run back to the car fast (the uphill part). The miles ticked by, and a little over an hour had passed since we left the car. We arrived at Barr Camp in 1:03 and change. </span> </p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="text-align: right;">Joe Fugate at Barr Camp.</span></p>
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<p>I ran in to Joseph Fugate at Barr Camp who ran from the bottom and was heading back down. We chatted for a few minutes and then it was time for me to hammer the uphill. </p>
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<p>I took off with a goal of 75 minutes for the 5.3 mile run back. I took a bunch of pictures on the way, and here are some of them:</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806522736?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806522736?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">French Creek (I think)</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806540621?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806540621?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The trail</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806542427?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806542427?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Troubled bridge over water. :)</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806543853?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806543853?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Lots of downed trees and bare trees. It gets windy up here.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806544918?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806544918?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Another creek crossing</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806545933?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806545933?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This is why I like this trail. What a view!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806546987?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806546987?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The big hill on the way back up. Yeah, it's that steep.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806549185?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806549185?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Imagine trying to get this thing down the trail. 1.5 miles from trail head.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806550117?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806550117?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The par 5 14th hole. Dogleg left, 660 yards from the tips.</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">I finally break out of the trees and have just less than a mile to go. The views now are incredible. If you have not run this trail, and you like to run in the mountains, you have got to give it a try. Once you drop deep into the forest, your feet are landing on pine needles that are super soft. The streams are beautiful and the sound of the wind blowing through the trees is so soothing. The sights, the sounds, the smells and the feeling of the trail underfoot is all I need.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806551095?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806551095?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Back above the trees. 1/2 mile to go.</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">Goal achieved: 1:13:22 back. With all the picture taking, I am very satisfied. Happy Trails!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>A shot at the Summittag:pikespeaksports.us,2016-06-20:5021591:BlogPost:7182842016-06-20T21:02:00.000ZMichael Eversonhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/MichaelEverson
<p>Fathers' Day weekend is a good weekend to summit Pikes Peak. So, I decided after the Garden of the Gods 10 mile race that I would make a shot for the summit on Saturday if the weather was good. The weather was good, so summit I did.</p>
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<p>I sent out a Facebook notice that I was going to summit and Marcus Lawler, one of my Inline Club friends responded that he was running to A-Frame on Saturday and would love some company. Neither one of us were looking to go fast, but just needed…</p>
<p>Fathers' Day weekend is a good weekend to summit Pikes Peak. So, I decided after the Garden of the Gods 10 mile race that I would make a shot for the summit on Saturday if the weather was good. The weather was good, so summit I did.</p>
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<p>I sent out a Facebook notice that I was going to summit and Marcus Lawler, one of my Inline Club friends responded that he was running to A-Frame on Saturday and would love some company. Neither one of us were looking to go fast, but just needed to get some altitude and miles in. So this worked out perfectly.</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806520982?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806520982?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a></p>
<p>We left Memorial park around 5:25 AM. The first couple of miles ticked off pretty easily, and we were on Barr Trail as the sun began to rise. With smoke in the air from regional wild fires, it was a spectacular sunrise.</p>
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<p style="text-align: right;"> This photo doesn't do it justice, but that's what you get from a cell phone. </p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806521866?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806521866?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-left"/></a></p>
<p>As we neared Bob's Road, the Peak was in sight and the sky was clear. It was going to be a hot day in the city, but the temps as we climbed remained in the 50s which made for a comfortable run. </p>
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<p>I am always amazed at how awesome this mountain appears when you are climbing it. I have a little saying that goes like this:</p>
<p>"If you can see the summit, you are probably not on the mountain." </p>
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<p>So, while Marcus and I were "on the mountain," we were nowhere near the summit. </p>
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<p>Blue skies and the destination only 7.5 miles away.</p>
<p>We made it to Barr Camp in just under 2 hours. Fellow Marmot, Brandon Stepanowich was playing caretaker while Zach Miller was running all over the country. I failed to get a picture of the three of us so just imagine us standing on the deck of the cabin. Come on, you know what it would look like. </p>
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<p>Once we got above Barr Camp, it was nice and cool. We both tried some running between Bottomless Pit sign and A-frame. Click this to see a video of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLdQcByqFZc" target="_blank">Marcus running</a> at 11,000 feet.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806524344?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806524344?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-left"/></a></p>
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<p><br/> Marcus Lawler running at high elevation</p>
<p>At A-Frame we parted ways and Marcus headed down. I figured on a good solid run/walk to the summit three miles later. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806525491?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806525491?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Selfie of us at timberline</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">1/4 mile after leaving A-frame, I snapped this picture of the <a href="http://www.fotp.com/10-education/history/roberts" target="_blank">G. Inestine B. Roberts</a> memorial. </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527026?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527026?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Not a bad place to die.</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806533966?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806533966?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a></p>
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<p style="text-align: right;">The Summit Selfie.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806534764?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806534764?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">3:59:07, hard to see in this light. Hoka Challenger Shoe</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806536584?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806536584?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-left"/></a></p>
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<p>"The train, the train!!"</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806530745?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806530745?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>My ride back down: Rich and Richie Canedo. </p>
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<p>The run/hike up was pleasant. Thanks for the company Marcus! I counted 778 steps in the snow that started just after the 2 miles to go sign. It was worse near the summit, but never very technical. </p>
<p>This is what we train for. The big run up the big mountain in August. </p>
<p></p>Did I miss church? I think not.tag:pikespeaksports.us,2016-06-14:5021591:BlogPost:7171092016-06-14T00:00:00.000ZMichael Eversonhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/MichaelEverson
<p><a href="http://corunco.com/" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2653383898?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250"></img></a> Race number 1 in this venture with the Marmots is complete. My teammates represented well with a number of age group awards. I forgot just how awesome this race is from a race and, for sure, from a spectacular venue point of view. So here is my race report (think church):</p>
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<p>As the members or our congregation gather for the service to come, there is plenty of conversation. Food is shared as well. I mean Tim Bersten…</p>
<p><a href="http://corunco.com/" target="_blank"><img width="250" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2653383898?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250" class="align-right"/></a>Race number 1 in this venture with the Marmots is complete. My teammates represented well with a number of age group awards. I forgot just how awesome this race is from a race and, for sure, from a spectacular venue point of view. So here is my race report (think church):</p>
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<p>As the members or our congregation gather for the service to come, there is plenty of conversation. Food is shared as well. I mean Tim Bersten had coffee and doughnuts, the ever present bribe that every church uses to get people in the doors. The service is scheduled for 7:00 AM, and like any good church service, the congregation wants it to be over fast.</p>
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<p>Our minister for today's service is Dave Sorenson. He will get things started with a BANG a minute after the program indicated we were to begin. Dave will hand over the rest of the duties to Deacon Jerry Evans who will handle the sermon. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806514840?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806514840?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The start! Photo by Tim Bergsten</p>
<p>The start: After taking a couple of nervous pees, running around Manitou for an hour, and getting pictures taken at the start by Tim Bergsten, 7:00 AM start time was here. Pastor Dave counted us down to the start and BANG, we were off. I settled into a pace that felt good and hoped not to blow up in the brutal hills that were to come. </p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806517048?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806517048?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a>1.25 miles in to the service, and I am seated comfortably with the same people I sit with every week. Isn't that always how it works, we sit with people we like? We approach the first aid station where we are offered water and Gatorade, but not wine. I guess you have to adapt when not at your regular church. The opening song is Thriller. I think I like this church.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;"> 1.25 miles in<br/> shooting a snot rocket<br/> at Marcus Lawler</p>
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<p style="text-align: right;">Photo by Josh Garner </p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">I am in the Garden, so I do a little meditation and praying. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806524725?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806524725?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-left"/></a>I think of my dead parents, I say a few prayers for my family--specifically my wife and daughters and generally my siblings. I settle into a cadence of 3 steps for every breath, and count the breaths to 100 and then repeat. This cadence thing puts me into a trance until I get to the offertory song, Prince's When Doves Cry. Once again, no wine, but water does just fine. Perhaps we can find someone who can turn this water into wine.</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">Mile 5 Kissing Camels on the left<br/> Photo by Nick Parton</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806524863?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806524863?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">5.5 miles Photo by UltraRob Lucas</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">As I Approach the North Parking Lot aid station, the communion song is I'm Proud To Be An American. Well, no communion, so I guess an energy gel will have to do. I suck that down along with a cup of water and feel ready for the final 4 miles. </p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Deacon Evans is within earshot now. I hear his corny jokes from the morning. Guys with chips on their shoulders and chips off the old block are still echoing down the valley. He's shouting out the names of people as though they have been saved or baptized in sweat. I hear my name and feel relieved that I am nearly done. For me, the service is over. An hour and 15 minutes sounds about right for a church service on a Sunday morning. </p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">Now for some Pizza and--no, not wine--beer! I like this church. </p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Go now in peace:<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806525507?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806525507?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: right;">The finish line</p>
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<p style="text-align: right;">Photo by Beck Young</p>Incline...Stations...Santa Fe...Guide Dog!tag:pikespeaksports.us,2016-06-08:5021591:BlogPost:7162882016-06-08T22:00:00.000ZMichael Eversonhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/MichaelEverson
<p>My family and I took a little weekend getaway to Santa Fe over this past weekend and it went a little something like this:</p>
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<p>I had to get my Incline Club run in on Thursday evening, so thus began the weekend. The IC ran an interval run up Barr Trail that consisted of 1:00 running hard followed by 1:00 rest. That lasted 30:00-<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806515397?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806515397?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200"></img></a> -15:00 running and 15:00 resting.…</p>
<p>My family and I took a little weekend getaway to Santa Fe over this past weekend and it went a little something like this:</p>
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<p>I had to get my Incline Club run in on Thursday evening, so thus began the weekend. The IC ran an interval run up Barr Trail that consisted of 1:00 running hard followed by 1:00 rest. That lasted 30:00-<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806515397?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806515397?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-right"/></a>-15:00 running and 15:00 resting. Then, for the butt kicker, Steve Griego and I did six 30 second hill repeats on the Incline from the bail trail. That's just how we roll.</p>
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<p>Friday came and it was time to head to Santa Fe for my wife's birthday. Fully packed and taking the back roads, we headed toward San Luis and Taos. I love traveling these back highways as the scenery is spectacular. We stopped in San Luis to hike the Stations of the Cross. I think the kids liked it, Steve Griego runs the Incline<br/> and I know I did. </p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806516464?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806516464?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> Jesus takes a digger</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Saturday we spent in Santa Fe at the historic downtown square. I didn't get any pictures of me that day, but my daughter did and I might share them with you if I can figure out how to get them from her camera to my computer. <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806517039?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806517039?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-full"/></a>Here's a picture of an Eagle. </p>
<p style="text-align: left;">We returned home on Monday, and having not run but 2 miles on a treadmill through the weekend, and eaten a ton of food, I felt the need to get some running done. So I attended the Achilles Pikes Peak run at the Colorado Running Company. There I got paired up with Jessica Beecham, a blind runner, who needed a guide to run a quick 5 miler up the Santa Fe Trail. <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806517218?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806517218?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Jessica and me after our run</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">From Santa Fe city to Santa Fe trail, it turned out to be a pretty good weekend. And this, my friends, is how I am tapering for the Garden of the Gods 10 miler. </p>
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<p></p>Oh... My... GOG!tag:pikespeaksports.us,2016-05-31:5021591:BlogPost:7153252016-05-31T16:24:08.000ZMichael Eversonhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/MichaelEverson
<p>Well, the first run of the Triple Crown is less than two weeks away. <a href="http://gardentemmile.com" target="_blank">The Garden of the Gods 10 miler</a> is probably my worst event. So on Sunday, I decided I better get some road running in to see how the tires worked on asphalt and concrete. This meant running the entire 10 mile course for my Incline Club run. Have I told you how much I hate roads?</p>
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<p>Since I'm the guy who sends off all the Incline Club runners every Sunday…</p>
<p>Well, the first run of the Triple Crown is less than two weeks away. <a href="http://gardentemmile.com" target="_blank">The Garden of the Gods 10 miler</a> is probably my worst event. So on Sunday, I decided I better get some road running in to see how the tires worked on asphalt and concrete. This meant running the entire 10 mile course for my Incline Club run. Have I told you how much I hate roads?</p>
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<p>Since I'm the guy who sends off all the Incline Club runners every Sunday morning, I am always the last to leave. Gotta put all the papers back in the car after everyone gets signed up. Then I head out for my run. I usually end up passing a number of my fellow ICrs as I make my way to some trail head. But no trail head today, just GOG.</p>
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<p>With the temperature in the mid 50s at 8:00AM, and mild winds, it was actually a pretty good day to be on a 10 mile run. The prescribed run was to be Barr Camp. But a few of us decided that today was the last, best chance to get the Garden done before the actual race. So I headed East towards the Garden to hammer out something I would consider respectable. At the 5 mile mark, I am just South of 40:00. This is PR pace for me. Huh?</p>
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<p>As I head back, I see lots of people I know training for the GOG race. Some are Pikes Peak Road Runners, some are training with Colorado Running Company, and of course, my IC friends. I felt good, and heard many call my name--some saying I should stop walking and others saying I am running fast. I guess it's all relative. </p>
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<p>As I reach Balanced rock on the way back, I realize I am easily going to hit a PR on this course. With about 1.25 miles to go, my watch is at 1:09 and change. I plow through the last good downhill and back up El Paso. I finish with a PR. What the hell?? Tired? Yes. Do I want a donut? Yes (I ate 2). Here's to hoping I didn't race the GOG 10M on May 29 when the actual race is on June 12. OMG!<a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806515988?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806515988?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The Garden as I drove home on Sunday. Yeah, you can see why people like to run here.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">I highly suggest you run this race at least once in your life. It is beautiful! <a href="http://gardentenmile.com/register/" target="_blank">Click here</a> to register</p>
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<p></p>LRR training runtag:pikespeaksports.us,2016-05-26:5021591:BlogPost:7149192016-05-26T14:30:00.000ZMichael Eversonhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/MichaelEverson
<p>I've been running Pikes Peak for the past 16 years. Whether it's the Ascent, Marathon, or both, I haven't missed a year. The training is the best part of this adventure. I've met so many people running in, around, and on the mountains around Colorado Springs.</p>
<p>I run with a club called the <a href="http://www.inclineclub.com/home.htm" target="_blank">Incline Club</a>. It was started by a some people who wanted to get better running up Pikes Peak. Matt Carpenter and Larry Miller are…</p>
<p>I've been running Pikes Peak for the past 16 years. Whether it's the Ascent, Marathon, or both, I haven't missed a year. The training is the best part of this adventure. I've met so many people running in, around, and on the mountains around Colorado Springs.</p>
<p>I run with a club called the <a href="http://www.inclineclub.com/home.htm" target="_blank">Incline Club</a>. It was started by a some people who wanted to get better running up Pikes Peak. Matt Carpenter and Larry Miller are two of the charter members. Both of these guys got me off my ass and running, starting when I joined the club on Nov. 30, 2003. This is one of our typical runs from Sunday, May 22, 2016:</p>
<p>It's called it Longs Ranch Road. However, it is a run that connects 4 different trails/roads to make one beautiful loop. The run starts at the Pikes Peak Marathon start line. We head up Manitou Ave, up Ruxton and to the Ute Indian Trail (which is adjacent to the start of the Incline). Then run about 3 miles to Longs Ranch Road (LRR). This is where the fun begins.</p>
<p> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806515767?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806515767?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-right"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806515945?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806515945?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-left"/></a>LRR is a bear (actually it's 3 of them!). Baby bear is the first section that is somewhat gradual grade where much of it is runnable. You know you're done when you see the first J pipe sticking out of the ground on the left side of the road. Mama bear is steeper and less runnable, and is more rutted. But the views are better as you climb. Once again, you see a J pipe on your left to let you know you're done. Papa Bear is more difficult and, for me, pretty much not runnable. It's just plain steep! The last J pipe lets you know you're done. </p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806517757?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806517757?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-right"/></a></p>
<p>After the bears, the hill is gradual for about 1/3 mile to a point I call Contemplative Rock (on the right side of the trail), and then it's downhill for about 1/2 mile. I took a right in the fork in the road to take Bob's Road for another 3/4 mile on gradual uphill until it connects to Barr Trail. This is where the Bob's Road aid station is for the PPA/M races. </p>
<p>From here, it's about 5.5 miles downhill on Barr Trail back to downtown Manitou. If you've not run this route before, I highly recommend it. It gives you some pretty serious hill training for the uphill, plus it's not well traveled, so very little in the way of crowds until you hit lower Barr Trail near the Ws. And outside of the Ruxton/Manitou Ave, it's all on dirt.</p>
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<p>The pictures: 1. Waldo Canyon Burn Scar from Mama Bear. 2. My time to the top of Papa Bear.</p>
<p>3. View of the Peak from Contemplative Rock.</p>I'm a Marmottag:pikespeaksports.us,2016-05-21:5021591:BlogPost:7139162016-05-21T16:07:49.000ZMichael Eversonhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/MichaelEverson
<p>Yesterday I was introduced to the Mighty Marmot Nation. This means I get to run in the Triple Crown for the first time in a long time. The first race will be the Garden of the Gods 10 miler, followed by the Summer Roundup Trail Run, and culminating with the Pikes Peak Ascent in August. </p>
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<p>I'll be joined on this year's team by Anna Meehan, Danielle Spivey, Jen Samora, David Mulligan, and Mike Mazzola. . </p>
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<p>I have not run the Garden of the Gods race since 2009. I…</p>
<p>Yesterday I was introduced to the Mighty Marmot Nation. This means I get to run in the Triple Crown for the first time in a long time. The first race will be the Garden of the Gods 10 miler, followed by the Summer Roundup Trail Run, and culminating with the Pikes Peak Ascent in August. </p>
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<p>I'll be joined on this year's team by Anna Meehan, Danielle Spivey, Jen Samora, David Mulligan, and Mike Mazzola. . </p>
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<p>I have not run the Garden of the Gods race since 2009. I swore after that race that I would not run on asphalt again. But this year I decided I would put my name in the hat for the Mighty Marmots and, if chosen, I would pound out the Garden and see if I could manage to run a decent race. The GOG is in 2 weeks, and I have only been training in the mountains. I hope that is adequate.</p>
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<p>The Summer Roundup is a race I haven't run since 2007. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago, and the race has changed a lot since I last ran it. But, from what I understand, it's still a trail race, so I should enjoy it. I prefer the dirt over the asphalt.</p>
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<p>The Pikes Peak Ascent: that is the race I train for. I love this race. I have run either the Ascent or Marathon every year since 2000. I made a goal in 2000 to run either the Ascent or Marathon every year for 20 years in a row. So rolling into 2016, I have completed 80% of my goal. I have had some great days, and some horrible days, and plenty in between.</p>
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<p>I could be the poster child for this race. I wear the shirts and hats pretty much everywhere I can: casual workdays, church, weekends, vacations.... I've recruited friends and family to join me in this journey. Love or hate it, this is the race I run come hell or high water (and in recent years we've had both). </p>
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<p>I also run the Pikes Peak Ascent for Keep Kids Alive Drive 25. This is an organization that helps neighborhoods throughout the country to make streets safer for all who walk, cycle, play, drive and ride. My brother, Tom, is the founder and director of this organization. I have been running for them for the past 10 years, and the Pikes Peak Ascent is a huge part of what this organization does to help families with deceased loved ones in the healing process. </p>
<p>If you are so inclined (get it: INCLINED!), you may go to their website at</p>
<p><a href="http://www.keepkidsalivedrive25.org/donate/" target="_blank">http://www.keepkidsalivedrive25.org/donate/</a></p>
<p>and click the red Donate button. </p>
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<p>I'm looking forward to running with the Marmot team and had a great time last night at the newbie dinner with alumni Phil Goulding, Brianne Pierson, and Brandon Stapanowich, and Pikes Peak Race Director Ron Ilgen. Thanks Tim Bergsten for putting us all together. I'll be blogging all summer on my training and racing. Hope you enjoy it. This is going to be a great summer.</p>