On Sunday, August 12 I joined a handful of other volunteers for a Barr Trail Work Day sponsored by Friends of the Peak. Almost all of us intended to run the Ascent with all but me being veteran runners with at least several or more Ascents under their soles. All of that experience went a long way toward determining just what kind of "improvements" we would make to the trail. That is, we didn't want to sanitize it too much. This is a trail run after all, right? Mostly we took out some nasty…

Well I always knew I was the runt of this litter. Last weekend Don does a 9-mile run in the blast-furnace of New Mexico with 4,000 feet of elly gain and JT did some kind of crazoid run in Rock Springs, Wyoming which I can’t find any info on because I don’t think they have internet service in that little whistle-stop. While they were busting butts I was doing a measly walk up South Arapahoe Peak in the Indian Peaks Wilderness, a modest 10-mile (roundtrip) hike with 3,300 feet of gain,…

So my training last weekend consisted of a hike up Mount of the Holy Cross, as I hadn’t yet climbed this 14’er (barely making it into the category at 14,005). The roundtrip was 11.5 miles with 5,600 feet of elevation gain (3,700 net) so it was a good workout. I did not run any portion of it. The 1.6 miles of talus at the end of the ascent and conversely, the beginning of the return trip, makes the 16 Golden Stair on Pikes look like a Legos playground. To a person, everyone who has…

So I’ve had an idea in mind for a different workout and finally gave it a try on Thursday, July 19. Monument Preserve has long been a favorite place to run. It offers varied terrain, some up and down but certainly not killer hills and scenic trails that weave in aall over U.S. Forest Service land. There is a main parking lot for the preserve, right along Mt. Herman Road but I usually park at a pull-off area another half-mile or less up the road, almost directly across from a Forest Service…

I’ve always enjoyed running hills and with one exception I’ve always lived in states where there were ample opportunities to to roll up and down a running course. I seem to recall, many moons ago, reading in some magazine about a runner who said races are won on hills, that hills were the place to exert some effort, to pass and maybe even demoralize your competition. Well, if you’ve been reading any of the previous blogs here you know that I am not really out to win anything but still…

The Summer Roundup was a lot of fun and great to see the rest of the team again. For six people who just came together by chance, we’re a fun bunch if I do say so. At the end, there was JT, looking dapper in his lucky Schlitz hat. Anyone else remember Schlitz? He had this amazing, Emergency Energy Recovery and Rescue Kit. It resembles a cooler. Ahh, that ice could be so soothing on the knees but it serves a higher purpose of  cooling down the even more soothing barley-pops…

Saturday, June 23 I see an e-mail about a fire near Waldo Canyon. Hmm, not good. Later, leaving for a trip to Denver I glance south from Monument and see the towering, wide white plume. Oh no, this is only going to get worse. And Waldo is so special. Then came the carnage of Tuesday night, June 26 and the horror of watching a home burn in real time on television. In the flash of a fire, suddenly the challenge of jogging up Pikes Peak looked insignificant compared with the challenge of…

It occurred to me the other day that one of the real benefits of being on a “team” is the motivation it provides. Since we’re not competing as a team for any particular award there is really no pressure or concern about letting your teammates down. The motivation comes from just knowing other people that are pursuing similar goals of running and finishing races, challenging themselves, striving for PR’s. This was a benefit I hadn’t really considered when I applied to be on the…

One jewel of the Triple Crown in hand (Garden of the Gods 10-mile Run) I pursue the next, the Summer Round-Up.

Since every successful running team needs someone to run the anchor leg, I am officially declaring myself the…

Ran the entire GOG 10 mile course on Friday, June 1 for the third and final time. A good, former long-distance running friend said “You know you should start tapering two weeks before any race.” Oops, I’m kinda inside that timeframe aren’t I. I’ve taken a couple of runs, just under 5 miles, with the great group of people who meet in the Garden every Tuesday and Thursday morning. For me, that means getting up at 5 a.m. but boy is it worth it to watch the creeping sunrise gradually paint…

With only a couple of exceptions, no matter what state I’ve lived in I’ve been able to find some hills to run on and for the most part, I actually like running hills. They’re character builders right? Flat can be boring and for every uphill, there’s always a downhill. Lately I’ve decided that maybe I should try working a little bit harder on hills during my training runs. This modest increase in effort, combined with my past jogging experiences, has only led me back to my same old…

I have been remiss in not thanking the sponsors of the PikesPeakSports.us Triple Crown Runners, Tim Bergsten who maintains this fine “digital stomping ground for the outdoor community. Ron Ilgin of the Pikes Peak Marathon and Mike Mazzola of Mountain Equipment Recyclers. It was great getting to meet most of the other team members, get our snazzy singlets and have our…

The Ascent looks even farther away from here, atop Spruce Mountain just north of Palmer Lake. As mentioned before, this is one of my favorite places to run (5.3 mile loop) and this is just one of the great views this trail provides. This vantage spot is called Windy Point, with Mt. Herman in the foreground and Pikes Peak behind. This visit…

Ran the Summer Roundup Trail Run route today (5/15). This is the best part, coming down High Drive after going up for the first 3.8 miles before turning around. I don't want to tell you what my time was because I don't want my competitors to have an unfair advantage. I wouldn't want them to know that they can stop and have a leisurely lunch at the…

First and foremost, I am flattered, humbled and honored to be a member of the PikesPeakSports.us Triple Crown Running Team.
Having now lived in the Pikes Peak region for nearly nine years I have, for some time now, looked upon the Pikes Peak…