Stephanie Merchant Johnson's Page

Ever since I visited Colorado Springs in the late 70's during a cross-country road trip with my family, I've had a deep respect for Pikes Peak.  My dad towed our 28-ft. trailer up Pikes Peak Highway in the middle of July, and when we reached the summit, we were greeted with a hail storm and had a snowball…

I was showered, had my hair done, my running outfit laid out, and alarm clock set and double-checked before I went to bed the night before the Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Run taking place on June 12, 2011.  No oversleeping like I did for the Take 5 in the Garden, this time I was READY! I was so excited I must've lain awake for an hour or two before I finally fell asleep, so when I woke up by myself at 5:02 a.m., I was startled to discover the alarm clock had never gone off!  Or had…

So here it is, one week from the Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Race ... a race I've been training for since the middle of February ... and as the time gets closer, I'm beginning to doubt myself.  So far, I've been running up to 8.6 miles, and have even clocked 9.79 miles accidentally, but with the left knee pain I've been having, I don't know if I'll be able to finish.

I…

Back in February when I started training for the Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Race coming up on June 12th, several runner friends suggested I participate in other races to prepare myself.  I took their advice and ran the St. Patrick's 5K in March.  Even though it was my first race and kind of tough, I felt exhilirated afterwards!  I was so proud of myself for finishing, I couldn't wait for the next one!  So I signed up for the Take 5 in the Garden, conquering 5 miles with my fellow running…