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 Ascent/Marathon races with a sense of wonder.
Wonderment at the people who have been able to accomplish these feats while, at the same time, wondering if I could ever scale such heights.

I’ve hiked up Pikes Peak once, one of 27 14‘ers I’ve been privileged to stand atop, but jogging up it? That’s a question my intestinal fortitude had not been asked. I love the physical challenges this rugged region presents and I’m a regular user of one of the more challenging workouts that I won’t name because it’s not (wink) legal. I would never say I’ve grown bored with that particular challenge because it kicks butt each and every time no matter how good one’s conditioning is but I needed a goal for 2012 so I decided to get off my “what if” and onto “why not?”


So as a rookie trainee for the Pikes Peak Triple Crown and also a big music fan, the current line running through my cranium is from the Talking Heads song Once in a Lifetime:  “And you may ask yourself, ‘Well...how did I get here?’”  I got here by accident, I guess. I’ve always enjoyed participating in sports (somewhere below the world-class level) but as the aging process continually reminds us that we’re getting farther away from qualifying for the Olympics we look for more realistic competitors, such as the aging process.



 




While huffing, puffing and perspiring, I call my joust with Father Time, “Cheating the Reaper.” If one more hill, one more bike ride buys me another day’s use of the earth’s oxygen supply then it’s worth it. So basically, at the age of 60, I believe most of us are competing against ourselves. I humbly submit that I am not competing against the mountain because I have too much respect for mountains. In my opinion, one never “conquers” a mountain, you take what it and Mother Nature give you on any given day.

You’re probably getting the idea that I keep my personal bar somewhat low. At least that way I never disappoint myself! Better to be pleasantly surprised at one’s performance. Perhaps 20 years ago, maybe farther back, the average 60-year old might have been competitive, might have even won their age group but these darn Boomers are so stubborn in their refusal to grow up that the upper age brackets are almost as competitive as some of the youngsters. So I sally forth realistically, knowing that if I complete the Triple Crown, the Ascent will be the toughest thing I’ve ever done athletically. Okay, you’re right, I’ve lived a pretty cushy life.



Many people have had a much tougher road, which brings me to another motivation for climbing mountains. I know too many people, some of them very good friends, afflicted with various maladies, some so severe that simply standing and walking are now impossible. Whenever I climb or jog I carry these people with me, in my heart and mind. It’s a very modest way of honoring them and at the same time, reminding myself to be thankful for every step I’m still able to take. Yes, I’m also sappy and sentimental but these are the people who inspire me. Just as the people who have trod these trails before me inspire me.

One good thing about taking on something as popular as the Pikes Peak Triple Crown is that so many people have done it, a rookie like me has plenty of experience to draft off. There is no shortage of people to give you advice on how to train, what to wear, what to expect on race day (anything and everything it would seem!). I call it a la carte training. You can take in all of this data, sift through it, choose what to keep an use and what to lose, just toss aside. Naturally, every individual will eventually devise their own path to training and successfully completing the mission.

I’ll write more about what I’m learning and the path I’m on in future blogs. Now, back to the trail.