Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back on the trail.  That's my mentality in gearing up for the Triple Crown and other summer races.  I was surprisingly "unsore" this morning, despite the miles and ridiculous hills (...or, more accurately, mountains) that I put in yesterday.  As the day wore on though, I began to feel like I would have fit in well with a group of geriatrics around a bridge table!  It's not the uphill that killed my legs; my quads are screaming about the downhill…

I had a goal to run the St. Patrick's Day 5K this past weekend. It was exactly 4 weeks after the birth of our second child, and I thought this would be my first race, getting back to normal. But, running has been tough this time. Maybe it's my older body or my 10 lb. 10 oz. baby, but more likely, it is my love of soaking up every little bit of baby time I can get. Because, this is it. This is our last little baby.

I'm not disappointed that I didn't run the race. I am a bit…

Get your tickets and mark your calendars folks! On April 9th, Matt Trappe's documentary "Running the Edge: The Colorado Trail" will be arriving in Colorado Springs. The film, which follows Scott Jaime's record trek from Durango to Denver, made it's premier recently in Denver and sold out on consecutive nights. It's now coming to…

I did the incline today!  In my mind, that means I've officially joined the world of trail runners.  A friend and I started our run with that infamous beast and then continued up Barr Trail to about 10,000 feet.  That's where my lungs (and pretty much every other system vital to human existence) decided to call it quits.  So, we turned around and ran back down Barr Trail, which was a blast.  That downhill is a hard-earned reward!  We had planned to get a bit further up the trail than we did,…

I finished the St. Patrick's Day 5K this morning in 25:02.  Not my best, but I'll take it happily!  

This week rounds out my first month in the Springs and I'm proud to report that on my training runs I no longer notice the altitude as acutely as I did a few weeks ago.  Today, however, with nerves and the "race factor" that makes us runners push ourselves a little harder, I noticed the extra 5,524 feet above the flatlands of Illinois.  I usually run negative splits, especially in…

This morning I woke up, checked the weather, and started in on my preparations to get downtown to participate in the St. Patrick's Day 5k. I've run this race since 2008 (except in 2012 when I ran the LA marathon). Even though I'm not really running yet, it's my favorite 5k so I didn't want to miss it. The two main reasons I love this race are:

1) So many people participate and get in the spirit of "green," regardless of speed.

2) It's a flat (for here) course that takes place…

I am one happy runner - tomorrow marks my first race in the Springs! I am exhilarated to begin my first season at altitude (I'm a transplant from the flatlands of the Midwest). As the Ascent get closer  I'm sure I'll rethink my present excitement about altitude!

Hello fellow Quinnians! 

 …

Blog post By MtnMama of UpaDowna.org

Ever get that happy-go-lucky, nothing-can-make-me-sad-today feeling? Welcome to your happy place! For me, most of the time, my happy place is in the outdoors. As an athletic woman who enjoys many sports, I was struggling with the "right" kind of happy place. Being an outdoor enthusiast and a co-founder of an outdoor adventure non-profit,…

Some people run away when they hear the term 'lactate threshold,' but you don't have to! Even the recreational endurance athlete should understand the concept so that they can plan their training more effectively. And while the best way to know what your LT is to get tested with a blood lactate test, understanding the concept and the approximate effort levels associated can help you get faster.

I'm going to explain LT in a way that I hope everyone will be able to understand.…

Last month Kaci Licktieg, Team Pearl Izumi ultrarunner and physical therapist, presented some tips for keeping your legs happy throughout the winter. She brings up a good point about how slick, wintry surfaces can place increased demands on our stabilizing muscles. Lack of proximal strength, specifically in the gluteals, has been…

I originally posted this on my coaching blog http://neoendurancesports.com, but thought it would be a good one to put here on Pikes Peak Sports.

Last night I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to a group of women at the Colorado Springs Bicycle Village Ladies Night. As local female coaches, Alison Dunlap and I kicked off the presentations for the evening. Alison had an entertaining slide show…

I will be honest. I am a "middle of the pack" runner. Granted, as I have gotten more consistent, I have improved. However, I don't know that I'll ever win a race and very rarely will I place for my age group (especially while living in Colorado Springs with so many fast runners).

Now, don't get me wrong. I love to win. I'm not super competitive when it comes to sports, but I do like…

Hello fellow Quinnian foot sporters! :-P

Get your beads out for our upcoming Fat Tuesday run and start checking the pleats on your kilt for our St Paddy's Day run (BTW pleats go in the back Black%20Watch%20kilt.jpg )! FYI there are some great items at your local dollar store to supplement your running attire for these days. I have included a picture for your…

Hello fellow Quinnian’s!

Hope you were able to get out and enjoy the warmer weather over the weekend! We have some fun events coming up, including our Mardi Gras run and our St Paddy's run! Come on out for a good time and blow off a little steam with a nice run/walk this week!

This week at JQRC:

- Boulder Running Company w/ Track Spikes!!!! It’s that time of the year for HS and college runners to get set for track. Come see what BRC has for your track…

This year I decided to run the Winter Series.  And in Colorado, you never know what kind of weather you're going to get.  Reminds me of this quote from Forrest Gump...

"Life is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna get." ~Forrest Gump

Therefore, deciding what to wear on race day has been one of my toughest decisions.  I don't want to be too hot and yet I don't want to be too cold either.  Decisions, decisions!!…

A few months ago I wrote about handling recovering from an injury that needed surgery to repair it. It's been just over 3 months since my surgery (More specifically 14 weeks tomorrow as I write this.)

While the time has gone by quickly, it's definitely not an easy process, but I am making good progress and not missing out on too many activities along the way (except for running.) I've been going to physical therapy (Orthopedic Rehabilitation Associates near Powers/Dublin) religiously…

     The Book of HURT is essentially a welcome guide for the hundred miler on Oahu. In it contains specific mention of wild pigs, leptospirosis infected streams, serpentine roots, shoe stealing mud, and exposed cliffs. The course consists of five 20 mile loops with 24,500 ft of total gain and 24,500 ft of total loss, all between 300 ft and 1,900 ft above sea level. This is the elevation profile:…