I know that core strength is important for me not only for my running but for lower back discomfort and sacroiliac (SI) issues I have.  Therefore, I decided to do this 30 day plank challenge.   I just finished day 5 and it is getting tougher every day!

I am doing the traditional plank position on my elbows as well as on each side.…

I'm running my first winter series this year and am excited to be running with a team. I decided to join HART (High Altitude Running Team) this year and am running with the girls team for the series. I may currently be the slowest on the team but I have learned that running isn't just about how fast you are but about the camaraderie and fun had by all!

And the fun part for me is that I continue to see my personal…

Hello to all.

I am a former resident of Colorado Springs who did a lot of exploring, hiking, and running (including up Pikes Peak in 1992) in that region, which I loved very much. I am now retired, disabled (TBI), write for therapy, and live in New Mexico.

This morning I read on Amazon a very kind review of my book The Cheyenne Canon and Broadmoor Guidebook and Almanac by one of your members, Jack Busher, whom I wish to thank.

I would like to offer all Pilespeak…

The Hardscrabble Mountain Trail Run will be adding a 45-kilometer (27-mile) ultramarathon to its lineup of running races set for June 1, 2014.

Last year’s highly successful inaugural event at Bear Basin Ranch near Westcliffe, Colorado, drew more than 275 entrants to its 5K and 10K courses, but organizers…

Eric Orton

Wow.. just wow!  I am really…

Yep, it's that time of year where we think about what we wanted to achieve last year and what we hope to get out of the next. It's definitely a process, and one we should think about more often than once a year.

I was curious about the goals of the attendees at last Tuesday's JQRC/PPC holiday bash so I set up a white board and a notebook. I love…

All of us here on this site are active. Whether it's running, hiking, or cycling - we love to be active and enjoy the beauty Colorado has to offer.  But sometimes injuries set us back and keep us from doing what we love. 

My 2013 was going to be a great comeback year. I was a little fatigued after doing a late season Ironman in 2011 (Arizona), followed by a spring marathon (LA). After doing some mountain bike racing in the summer of 2012, I took several months off of…

After finishing my first Pikes Peak Roadrunners Fall Series in many years, I have to say that I feel renewed, fit and happy. Sure, I finished in 52^nd place overall and only 9 of 14 in my age group, but I was graciously allowed to infiltrate a winning team, consisting of three of the most dominant women runners I’ve ever met.  Plus, there is the simple contagious camaraderie of the series itself and a true joy found only in the unique, sharing suffering of this challenging trail…

     Thanks to everyone who stopped by last Tuesday at Jack Quinn's. We'll be there again on November 19th so say hello! Race date (December 7th) is 3 weeks away. If you haven't done so, register at active.com before the price goes up December 1st! Now for the updates...

Santa has confirmed that he WILL be making the trip down from the North Pole on race day. You can…

This weekend marked another unforgettable birthday adventure thanks to the support from a lot of friends. Huge congratulations to Tim and Katie on their incredible first 50 miler! Here's my account of how Pikes Ultra: The Stank went down:

The Finish!

(Photo: Tim Bergsten &…

For the past two years, I've decided there's no better way to mark my birthday than with an adventure run. And while I have a pretty poor historical memory, I've realized that prior to this tradition (to which I credit O'Day's jaunt to Cripple Creek) I sadly can't recall my previous birthdays. Of all the days of the year, one's birthday should never be taken for granted. In light of this, a group of…

“I can’t believe how HAPPY everyone is," said Kathy Pieper, youngest and first female to ever do the Pikes Peak Ascent. There’s no truer statement about this past weekend. The happiness pouring out of Manitou and Pikes Peak confirmed yet again why the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon weekend is my favorite of the year.

At 7am on Saturday, I felt like the Ascent had snuck…

So, the best I can say is that I finally completed the Pikes Peak Ascent and my very first Triple Crown of Running series. Certainly not my best times or efforts, but I had tons of fun along the way and met some incredible athletes and human beings in the process. I suppose that is the thread that keeps me in the running community, despite the fact that life has a way of pulling me in the opposite direction at times.  It is the experience as a whole that keeps me lacing up my shoes, rather…

The Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon are in the books.  Compared to the monsoons we had been having leading up to race weekend, couldn’t ask for a better weather.  Although I did hear a couple boomers as I was descending just above Barr Camp on Sunday.  Thoughts came to…

First things first. I ascended Saturday. The weather was beautiful, the scenery was beautiful, and the finish line was beautiful.

What made the day truly unforgettable for me, though, was people, not places. 

If you can, forgive the sequential synopsis and the unabashed name-dropping. My mile markers for the race of lifetime were the people who impacted it, some in small ways, some in big.

Okay, rewind to March, when Tim Bergsten convinced me to run the Triple Crown and…

7am, Manitou Springs City Hall. A scaffolding of banners overhead, beautiful sunny day. Crazy runners crowded onto the street, nervously looking up at the summit 13.32 miles away, trotting back and forth anxiously for quick, last minute trips to the port-a-potties. A goosebump-raising singing of America the Beautiful, a rush of adrenaline and at last: the gun- the moment I’ve waited 365 days for, the official beginning to the celebration of my favorite weekend all year long.

Four…