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.

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…

Quinnian’s

Happy Summer Solstice everyone…..what are your “Mid-Summer Night’s Dream(s)”??????

WE NEED TRIPLE CROWN SERIES VOLUNTEERS!

You can sign up to volunteer for any…

I am NOT ready for the Pikes Peak Ascent – OMG Dave and I were in Leadville this weekend for some fun to include high altitude training – I guess. Saturday’s run started the way the Leadville 100 trail race did for Dave in 2014 running from town towards Turquoise Lake. I had paced this section for him in 2014 and our friend Susie Howery in 2015. I recounted both of their last…

Rebecca Rusch, a well known figure in the endurance biking world, was giving a short talk the night before the Dirty Kanza.  She was speaking about the self doubt some of us would face the next day.  She told us of a "friend rule" she follows for whenever the voices in her head start telling her she sucks.  Whenever these voices pop up, telling her she should quit or she's a loser or she is a lousy athlete, she asks herself, "Would I…

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):

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…

Quinnian’s

WOW what a fabulous birthday bash…thanks to everyone who made it possible!!!!

Don’t forget to we have Grandmaster Chae: Hiker/runner self-defense class  (7-8pm Penrose Library (downtown) Come over right after the JQ…

My family and I took a little weekend getaway to Santa Fe over this past weekend and it went a little something like this:

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- -15:00 running and 15:00 resting.…

I’d say the High Drive Challenge is a great way to practice how you’ll feel during the Ascent, as well as the next day when your quads are burning trying to walk down stairs.  Oh no, that would be if I signed up for the Marathon.  Thank Goodness I did NOT.  I’ll leave that to Dave doing the DOUBLE. 

Anyway –…

Having been lucky enough to “win” a lottery slot in this year’s Leadville Trail 100 MTB race in August, I thought I would go over to Leadville to get a training ride in.  Besides, it is beautiful over there!

My buddy, Warren, and I started out off County Road 9 to head up St. Kevin’s which is about 3 miles from the starting line.  The first couple miles were…

Ready or Not!

I’m really excited to be a part of the Mighty Marmots! My store, Mountain Equipment Recyclers, has been a sponsor of the team for the past few years. Each season I follow and admire the runners. Tim Bergsten always finds a great group to represent Pikes Peak Sports. It has been an honor to have our company logo on the shirts. This year I get to wear one!…

IT’S HERE… IT’S HERE… IT’S HERE!!!!!!!! It’s our 10th anniversary at Jack Quinn’s Pub with original JQRC pricing for beers ($2.00).  Free spaghetti from 6p until it runs out!  Woodshed Red playing from 6.30p-9ish.  Score a 10th anniversary shirt for just $10.00 (see what we did there?)!!!!

 …

Ah summer...longer days, warmer temps and storms.

Because it's Colorado, and there's always a catch to every season!

It's the biggest tease: the weather is great, I have more light in the day to run, but those pesky storms like to rudely intrude on my training plans!

Running in the morning is out most days -- I start work around 4:30 a.m., so I'd be looking at a 1-2 a.m. start time if I were to run before work!  Plus, who am I kidding, I hate running in the morning! …

Hills. I can say that I don’t love them, yet I find myself facing another training season full of them! I would have never thought I would be one of those crazy people running up all of those hills at Garden of the Gods, let alone running to the top of Pikes Peak! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WAY! That kinda stuff is for crazy people!

As much as I have improved over the years, running never gets…

Yep, I’m the Mighty Marmot “retread” this year and wear that label proudly.  I missed the team photo sadly, but I am once again thrilled to be a part of the PikesPeakSports.us Triple Crown Runner Team and associated with this group of runners.  I’m also thankful to Tim and PikesPeakSports.us, and Ron and PikesPeakMarathon.org for the opportunity.  With all that…

     "HIYAAH! HUMDADDY! HEYOOOO! GIDDYUP!" These words, so unfamiliar yet somehow instinctual, emerged from somewhere deep within my soul as I belted them into the air above Clear Creek Valley. Bandit, the burro I had been introduced to just hours before, was hitting his stride as we left the town of Empire and headed back to Georgetown. Positioned just behind Bandit's right hip, I ran hard while twirling the end of the lead in my right hand. Grinning from ear to ear, I picked up speed as…

I like to run at least 5 days a week and this week has been a mess with MOVING homes.  Dave and I did find time on Sunday – or I should say we made time.  Dave lives in Mountain Shadows which means Mountains/hills/slopes on the way back no matter what.  We ran down to Ute Valley Park which I love and don’t run there enough.  There really are some pretty good climbs that are peak-ish I’d say.   Great training for the Pikes Peak Ascent which is just months away.   There is one climb with a lot…

Well, the first run of the Triple Crown is less than two weeks away.  The Garden of the Gods 10 miler 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?

Since I'm the guy who sends off all the Incline Club runners every Sunday…

Quinnian’s

Awesome Field Trip to Thrive last week….they really  know how to party!!!!

Can you feel it???  Only a week to go before our 10th anniversary party at Jack Quinn’s Pub offering original pricing for beers ($2.00) with Woodshed Red playing from 6.30p-9ish.  The Pub will close downstairs to reservations and focus on our…

Since returning to Colorado, running motivation has increased from about 5% to approximately 1,857%. That’s good news, and I didn’t really realize that it had in fact dwindled down quite so much until recently, when I noticed that I am actually pumped to get out the door every morning versus simply finding time to get in a run so that I had something to write down in the training log that day so that I didn’t feel like a loser. I had been chalking up my sluggish miles everyday to having no…

My life is like a whirlwind these days, filled with immense projects, impending transitions and decisions affecting me without my control.  Add my crazy dislike for planning beyond a few days, and it’s easy to feel like a backseat rider in a high-speed chase. Running is my release.…