Sharon Anne Greenbaum's Posts - Pikes Peak Sports2024-03-28T12:49:10ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaumhttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2808641423?profile=original&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1&xj_user_default=1http://pikespeaksports.us/profiles/blog/feed?user=0idr3ri2xs0mq&xn_auth=noUnforgetable year at 2018 Pikes Peak Ascenttag:pikespeaksports.us,2018-08-19:5021591:BlogPost:8068972018-08-19T20:30:00.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
<p> The third and final leg of the 2018 Triple Crown of running is in the record books now, the Pikes Peak Ascent.</p>
<p> It’s old news by now, but due to the inclement weather forecast, the race was shortened to end at Barr Camp. The day before the race large hail pummeled Manitou Springs, damaging vehicles and frightening race participants, reminding race directors, volunteers, and race veterans all too much of the blizzard of 2008 that hit on Ascent day that year.</p>
<p> I…</p>
<p> The third and final leg of the 2018 Triple Crown of running is in the record books now, the Pikes Peak Ascent.</p>
<p> It’s old news by now, but due to the inclement weather forecast, the race was shortened to end at Barr Camp. The day before the race large hail pummeled Manitou Springs, damaging vehicles and frightening race participants, reminding race directors, volunteers, and race veterans all too much of the blizzard of 2008 that hit on Ascent day that year.</p>
<p> I think, as a veteran of this race with a combined 30 finishes of ascent/marathon races, I digested the news with relative ease. Sure, I was overdressed, and now my altitude training above tree line wouldn’t be showcased as I’d wanted. Obviously if we saw this coming, less hiking and more running would have been emphasized in training. But, we were all in the same boat, so off we went when the starters gun fired.</p>
<p>I felt as if I’d pushed myself when I crossed the line in 1 hour 58 minutes,but I recovered pretty much immediately, which was a sign I was ready to keep going and get into that thin air. But, as a veteran and a person who doesn’t exactly love racing and pain(there’s a confession!), I looked at the big picture.</p>
<p>I knew I’d look back on this with fond memories. the process of getting on that gorgeous mountain and training left me with that same, contented sense of completion. the racing of the triple crown left me with that same sense of gratitude for our lovely running community and the great people in it. I am about the journey of getting ready for these things, so it was like having that cake(the process of preparation)just with a little less icing(the glory of the finish as I might have ideally wished for). </p>
<p>I chose to walk down the trail , catching up with old friends, making new ones, cheering on racers who I overlapped with who where still coming up, and thanking volunteers who stayed at aid stations to make sure we stayed hydrated as we trekked both up and down.</p>
<p>It was a lovely summer for me as a blogging member of this mighty marmot team, and I do feel all the mightier for it, a little excitement is good for us, and with 30 (now 31 if yesterday “counted”), I do forget some years, but I won’t forget this one! I think i’m already even looking forward to participating again next year!</p>
<p></p>Countdown to Pikes Peak Ascenttag:pikespeaksports.us,2018-08-12:5021591:BlogPost:8058652018-08-12T19:08:51.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806530896?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806530896?profile=original" width="640"></img></a> Onlt 6 days away from the final leg of the Triple Crown, the Pikes Peak Ascent!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Though this year I sort of ended up doing this in a whim, I have no regrets after entering the Ascent one night after that extra glass of wine I indulged myself with while i gazed up at that mountain.…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806530896?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="640" class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806530896?profile=original"/></a>Onlt 6 days away from the final leg of the Triple Crown, the Pikes Peak Ascent!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Though this year I sort of ended up doing this in a whim, I have no regrets after entering the Ascent one night after that extra glass of wine I indulged myself with while i gazed up at that mountain.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Then came becoming a marmot and blogging for pikespeaksports.us for the Triple Crown of Running as the "retread" marmot( thanks, Tim Bergsten and Ron Ilgen for having me!). It’s been fun to blog and experience this more as a mid pack person this time around.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I look back at my preparation, and there are many weeks I can count my running miles on one hand. But, add in the hiking in the mountain, and it’s more....Hopefully teaching so many exercise classes(yes, some were "cardio") will be helpful. I am an experiment this year for sure!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Regardless, I loved setting the goal of completing the Triple Crown of Running, look forward to hopefully getting another finishers medal!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Thanks to Alex for helping me focus on a training Ascent last week so I am able to set my goal at about 4:30 and having a blast on the Peak a few time enjoying new trails, to Donna and Daryl for being fun and crazy to train and travel with me and my husband(and for shortening your distance so we could join you!), and to sole sisters for letting me jog and run with a group of fun girls of all ages on Thursdays at Colorado Running Company.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This is always such a great way to close the summer season and enter into Fall. You can all place bets on whether you think I'll ever do this again or not! </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Good luck everyone!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806551118?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806551118?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"></p>50-year Olympic Marathon Celebration in Alamosatag:pikespeaksports.us,2018-08-01:5021591:BlogPost:8049452018-08-01T21:55:45.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527439?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527439?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></img></a> The last weekend of July, my husband and I took a weekend road trip south(last time it was north) to Alamosa, Colorado and to then Taos New Mexico, one night at each venue.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">We started our sight seeing by visiting Fort Garland Museum with friends Donna and Daryl, who also share a passion for sight seeing and are…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527439?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527439?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a>The last weekend of July, my husband and I took a weekend road trip south(last time it was north) to Alamosa, Colorado and to then Taos New Mexico, one night at each venue.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">We started our sight seeing by visiting Fort Garland Museum with friends Donna and Daryl, who also share a passion for sight seeing and are nostalgic about running, so it was fitting that we all proceeded Alamosa for the 50 year Olympic Marathon Celebration in Alamosa for a night of Italian food, an inspiring lecture, and a run the next morning .</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The celebration was in conjunction with a cross country and track and field reunion for Adams State University. I wanted to make sure I made this one(my third one) since Coach Joe I Vigil, a very inspiring professor and coach of mine in the 1980's, is now 84 years young and rumor has it he won't be traveling to these functions anymore(I'll believe that when I see it, at this rate I think he will outlive most of his former athletes as he is aging with grace and dignity)</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I knew this one was going to be good, yet my expectations where far exceeded. Deena Kastor, American record holder in the marathon and coached by Doctor Vigil, was our keynote speaker. Coach Vigil humbly received and honorary award and gave a short inspiring speech(articulate speech is only one of many of his gifts)</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The run the next day was to honor the fact that 50 years ago at this time, the Olympic Marathon Trials were hosted here. So we ran the race on the last 5 miles of the course with those Olympic giants alongside us. Kenny Moore, Billy Mills. Frank Shorter, to name only a few. And , for me , more personal friendships, where revisited as I jogged along with old friends and teammates from the past.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">These former friends and team mates allowed me to share some posts commemorating the event, and allowed me to share on facebook(please look at those, you won't be disappointed, and I want to give these folks credit for their wonderful and thorough posts), but I made a beeline to the one priority picture I wanted with Coach Vigil. I gave him a hug and told him when he stops coming to these events, I'm stopping. But then later, I realized, I won't stop. These relationships mean too much to me, and even if he stops going, he'd want me to keep going! Plus it's pretty fun, I had lazer narrow focus while in college and now that I'm older I actually stop and notice so many things about Alamosa and San Luis Valley that I some how missed back then. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Though the celebration continued for another day, hubby and I opted to continue south and enjoy a quiet night in Taos at Art studios, eating good Mexican food, and learning about the history of that area before looping back through the first town of Colorado,San Luis, the next Sunday morning on the way home. The burn area of Springs Fire looks to be healing, though we where saddened by its destruction.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">With the morning off from work on Monday and a clear weather report, I enjoyed a solitary fast hike up Peaks Peak via the Manitou Incline in cool weather conditions. I proudly donned my swag hat from the weekend. One more leg of the Triple Crown, the Pikes Peak Ascent(this will be number 31 for combined total of Marathon and Ascent races). Though I am more unfit than ever(for good reason, not a year for me to push). I'm feeling positive and grateful to have this lovely fourteener right in my backyard. And I can feed off the good memories of this past weekend for awhile as well now!</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527672?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="480" class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527672?profile=original"/></a></p>Trails to hike and run in Blackhawk, Coloradotag:pikespeaksports.us,2018-07-22:5021591:BlogPost:8045762018-07-22T01:49:35.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
<p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527187?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527187?profile=original" width="320"></img></a> My recently retired husband and I enjoyed a 2 night midweek escape in Blackhawk, Colorado this past week, which gave me a chance to start focusing on some altitude training for the third and final leg of the Tiple Crown of Running.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">In addition to enjoying the dining, socialing, swimming and a little gambling(we…</p>
<p style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527187?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="320" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527187?profile=original"/></a>My recently retired husband and I enjoyed a 2 night midweek escape in Blackhawk, Colorado this past week, which gave me a chance to start focusing on some altitude training for the third and final leg of the Tiple Crown of Running.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">In addition to enjoying the dining, socialing, swimming and a little gambling(we broke even— woohoo!),</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> we explored the local trails, which do not disappoint!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Trail day #1, Charles and I where joined by our friends, Donna and Daryl. We drove a few miles out of Blackhawk and jogged/hiked to the John Frazer Cabin. I so enjoy learning about what life was like for early homesteaders and miners over a century ago, and in addition to normal lovely mountain trails at around 9000 feet, Blackhawk area provides this!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This was about a 6 mile excursion for us, starting and ending at the trailhead lake, having a raspberry snack along the way(better than gu chomps this day)looking at flowers, trees and views as we explored the area on foot.</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;">The following day, I went right out the door and explored local trails and the found a lovely one that was about an hour jaunt that went by beautiful aspens, another ruin or two, and ended in a most lovely clearing.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This weekend will find me ascending my back yard fourteener again, Pikes Peak, as I continue my quest to finish the last and final leg of the Triple Crown of Running!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527434?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="240" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527434?profile=original"/></a></p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"></p>New Summer Roundup Race Adventurestag:pikespeaksports.us,2018-07-11:5021591:BlogPost:8038022018-07-11T22:45:27.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
<p style="text-align: center;"> The second leg of the Triple Crown of Running was the inaugural running of the Summer Roundup Half Marathon in Cheyenne State Park.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">In the past, the second leg has always been the shortest race of the three, and the only one that varies, but lengthening this race to a half marathon on rugged terrain , despite my inner whining , made sense on many levels. Many runners where in pursuit of the 3:30:00 cutoff to prove their…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> The second leg of the Triple Crown of Running was the inaugural running of the Summer Roundup Half Marathon in Cheyenne State Park.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">In the past, the second leg has always been the shortest race of the three, and the only one that varies, but lengthening this race to a half marathon on rugged terrain , despite my inner whining , made sense on many levels. Many runners where in pursuit of the 3:30:00 cutoff to prove their readiness for the Pikes Peak Ascent and stay “in the running” to gain bragging rights for completing the Triple Crown of Running. Others , outside of this Triple Crown thing, where drawn into the half marathon distance , and for only 35 bucks, you can suffer more at a lower price(yeah?)</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> I know we all agreed on one thing once this race got underway! This was not for the weak at heart! The course was hilly and technical, take your eyes off the trail much, and you find yourself tripping....I had forgotten my watch and decided that was a blessing because my eyes would have strayed off the trail.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I’d hoped to rely on mike markers to keep my focus... but there weren’t any! I cursed father marmot Tim(only a little), under my breath, but reminded myself we where being tested and I wanted to “pass”. The sweltering heat also added to the test as I tried to adjust my marmot uniform to be cooler rather than fashionable...</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I was pretty happy to see the finish line, only slowing dramatically at the very end of the ordeal.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I didn’t have my usual enthusiasm for sticking around for the post race massage or much of anything for that matter, but I felt accomplished and grateful for this opportunity as I gathered my hard earned finishers pint glass and filled it with water and gatorade.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Now, we all realise how much work we need to do for the 3rd and final leg of the Triple Crown in 6 weeks.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The good news is, it’s not so hot above tree line!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Happy Training!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527472?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="320" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527472?profile=original"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527655?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="240" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527655?profile=RESIZE_320x320"/></a></p>Easy Logistics on Pikes Peaktag:pikespeaksports.us,2018-07-04:5021591:BlogPost:8032022018-07-04T16:47:48.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
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<p>Summer is the busiest time for sure in my chosen profession !</p>
<p>That is why having Pikes Peak in my backyard is such a luxury for me since life/work balance is the most challenging this time of year.</p>
<p>Monday, with a rare morning off from work, I made a rather spontaneous choice to ascend the Pikes Peak,arriving at the first shuttle of the day at 6 am (and a nice visit with my friends Daryl and Donna) to start off the Ascent with a trip up the incline steps. </p>
<p>As I…</p>
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<p>Summer is the busiest time for sure in my chosen profession !</p>
<p>That is why having Pikes Peak in my backyard is such a luxury for me since life/work balance is the most challenging this time of year.</p>
<p>Monday, with a rare morning off from work, I made a rather spontaneous choice to ascend the Pikes Peak,arriving at the first shuttle of the day at 6 am (and a nice visit with my friends Daryl and Donna) to start off the Ascent with a trip up the incline steps. </p>
<p>As I continued my brisk hike, the foliage between the incline and Barr Camp was very different than it was on Father’s Day! All that was left where a few indian paintbrush and dry looking wild roses</p>
<p>Barr Camp was just busy enough as i made a brief stop to filter some water, enjoy small talk with fellow hikers and joggers,and continue on!</p>
<p>I finished the last 3 rather warm miles enjoying the company of Wesley, who is training for his first ultra.</p>
<p>What a difference 3 years makes! in 2015 we were post holing it through snow drifts on july 2 and today, not even a wet spot on the trail!</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806528589?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806528589?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a></p>
<p>I stood in the shuttle line for about a minute before getting a ride down to Devils Playground, where I got a ride with a nice family immediately as well... I am beginning to think weekdays might be best if you’re in a time crunch as I was back in Manitou right around noon(Compared to Fathers Day Sunday when there was much waiting in long lines--and I was actually in the wrong line for part of that time!)</p>
<p>This Sunday is the Summer Roundup 2nd leg of Triple Crown. Very nervous for this this technical half marathon and easing the anxiety by looking at cut off times! I haven’t looked at the course, going into it cold turkey since downhill is a hard on my muscle imbalance (right leg weighs at least a quarter pound less than left one, you can actually tell in this photo--time to start working on that right VMO muscle for sure) plus, I haven't even reached a week of running that totals 13.1 miles, much less doing all of that in one day! Should be interesting, to say the least!</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806529009?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="320" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806529009?profile=original"/></a></p>
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<p>Hope to be making a race report on a happy finish for Summer Roundup next week!</p>Fathers Day on Pikes Peaktag:pikespeaksports.us,2018-06-20:5021591:BlogPost:8027362018-06-20T21:44:56.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806529536?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806529536?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></img></a> Even though my own father passed away over a year and a half ago, i still like to keep up our tradition of going up Pikes Peak every Fathers day.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This was my first time clear up on Barr Trail since the race last year, as is the case most years. This year was different due to complete lack of any snow whatsoever.…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806529536?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806529536?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a>Even though my own father passed away over a year and a half ago, i still like to keep up our tradition of going up Pikes Peak every Fathers day.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This was my first time clear up on Barr Trail since the race last year, as is the case most years. This year was different due to complete lack of any snow whatsoever. Some years we were post-holing through snow up to our knees this time of year!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">When we where younger, this was a family affair—me, my mom, my brother Jim, all with dad rallying as our main support. He supported eveyone, He loved that mountain and Pikes Peak so much, and it was quite nice to have someone who enjoyed driving to the top top pick me up after Ascents on the mountain!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I went easy most of the way, connecting with an informal group of gals from Denver for some nice company much of the way. The foliage was lovely, especially after the switchbacks —columbines, wild geraniums, wild roses, and then the tundra flowers. This is one trail where the scenery is great even when you’re just looking down!</p>
<p>Trying to outpace the rain, I made it to the top and adjusted from the calmness of the trail to the mob scene of the summit house on father’s day...luckily the much needed rain in the forecast didn’t start till the evening and continued all night.</p>
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<p>My body was recovering as well as could be expected from the Garden of the Gods run, and the new system of riding the shuttle down wasn’t too horrific as I rode it down to devils playground and then got a ride down to Manitou with a nice couple who had also run the Garden of Gods 10 k/ 10 mile. </p>
<p>Once my father reached a certain age, I had to start fending for myself with these types of logistics on Pikes Peak, and soon learned that I’d never end up stranded at the top of Pikes Peak after a training jaunt! In fact, very often you find someone you know up there to get a ride down with, and this is part of what makes Pikes Peak so special! I can go out my back door, climb a 14er, not have to turn back down that mountain, and still get home before my teenager is out of bed in the morning!(yes that has really happened, though when I got home this day I’d found out my husband received an omelette in bed for Father’s Day from that now 20- year old!)</p>
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<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806531951?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="231" height="309" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806531951?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024"/></a></p>
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<p></p>meeting of the marmots, perfect 10tag:pikespeaksports.us,2018-06-11:5021591:BlogPost:8025442018-06-11T01:00:00.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
<p style="text-align: center;">I got the opportunity to meet my new fellow marmot teammates a few days before the first race of the Triple Crown Series that we where all going to blog about together.</p>
<p>We met father marmot Tim at the Garden of Gods, the venue of the first race, for our team photo shoot. I’d tweaked my knee a little bit at work that day after teaching yoga, spinning, and then a step aerobics class.</p>
<p>I felt a little ridiculous limping through the photo shoot trying to…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I got the opportunity to meet my new fellow marmot teammates a few days before the first race of the Triple Crown Series that we where all going to blog about together.</p>
<p>We met father marmot Tim at the Garden of Gods, the venue of the first race, for our team photo shoot. I’d tweaked my knee a little bit at work that day after teaching yoga, spinning, and then a step aerobics class.</p>
<p>I felt a little ridiculous limping through the photo shoot trying to look like a “ real “ runner and felt a bit more in my niche with the posing pictures afterwards... ..</p>
<p> Next, those of us who could make it went to pizza with father marmot Tim. This ended up being just the female marmots( Wendy, Kim, and Sarah) and Tim,of course. Once we arrived to Savelli’s in Manitou, Tim matter of factly said, “let’s order beer! “</p>
<p>I felt compelled to confess I was more of a wine versus a beer drinker, thinking I’d be the lone wine drinking marmot. To my delight, however, the other female marmots were also wine drinkers ordering both red wine and white wine variations. Cool! I thought all runners were partial to beer and not wine for some reason.</p>
<p>As we sipped wine and ate pizza we talked about things, of course running was talked about quite a bit. I learned my fellow female marmots like ultra races( really? my ultra IS the garden!) but I found these girls to be inspiring and fun; I need to run more, after all , if I’m really doing this triple crown again and hope being part of this team this might help inspire me!</p>
<p>We chatted about the blogs we were to write about the Triple Crown this summer, to be displayed on social media. Oh my, I made my second confession: that, contrary to popular belief, i’m an introvert and am doing this blogging because I think it’s good for me to try something new , but being this “ out there” is a little out of my comfort zone.This flowed into the others saying they are also a bit introverted . Wow! ! Fast new friends ! wine drinking introverts who maybe run a little more than i like, but I resolved to myself it would be a good idea to run a little more and drink a little less wine this summer as I took on this new marmot identity for a few months.... with that said, we called it an evening since introverts need their alone time!</p>
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<p>I finally met the full male marmot team( Mathew, John, and Brian)at the race start as we posed for a full team picture. Bringing all us marmots together must be like herding real marmots for Tim, but he did it</p>
<p>Once the race got underway, I was overwhelmed by the sense of community I feel in these Triple Crown races, this year more than ever. I am the retread marmot, meaning I did this gig 6 years ago , the second year into these annual teams. I was amazed at how many people knew who we were in this 7th year as brief and fun laughs and words of encouragement were exchanged throughout the run with fellow runners. Race Director and marmot leader Tim makes it look easy to get all us together like this—- like artfully knowing how to put on that perfect party that is more about the people you invite and where you have it than anything else. Wonderful high school managed aid stations, music, and a finish at Rockledge Ranch with farm animals(first time i got to pet a pig, no more ham for me!) all with the beautiful Garden of the Gods as the backdrop! This helped me to surpass my goal of finishing well under the 2.5 hour cutoff with relative ease,quite a feat for me considering my generic “for the health of it” routine I’m employing these days of jogging 3 times a week for 3-4 miles..(I do have very active job, which also helps).Awesome!. Never could have pulled that off alone!</p>
<p>I lingered around for quite some time after to enjoy the Run Fest afterwards. I spun a wheel at Trading Post table and got a cute sterling silver necklace and put my name in a drawing bucket at the Profile Sanford table and won some nutritional items in the drawing, which I picked up the next day at the store. that’s fun, could use help with my on the go eating habits and always like to learn about resources such as this in the community . The necklace is a runner ! I will wear that like a cute little medal as a memory of the day. luckily, the Subaru table had provided me with a little backpack to put my goodies in, as well as sunscreen and sunglasses since the suns rays where in full throttle now. I got a re aligned spine at the Springs Family Chiropratic table and then I felt ready for my slice of pizza! i sipped( or choked?) down half a beer while I waited in the pizza line before throwing that beer out(next time i’ll donate my beer to a Brewers Cup member who wants a second one!)maybe my tummy was too empty for that, but I had my celebratory wine later that evening and reflected on the day. <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527563?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806527563?profile=original" width="320" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>I reconnected with old friends and made new ones, as usual! Pretty cool. the Triple Crown races always deliver! I ended the day feeling content and grateful, now I realize why I keep doing this through all of these varying seasons of my life.. i rated my day on a scale of one to ten. It was a ten. A “perfect 10”, exactly what my finishers shirt and finisher medal logo said!</p>
<p></p>Why Am I Doing This Again?tag:pikespeaksports.us,2018-06-09:5021591:BlogPost:8012352018-06-09T13:10:05.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
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<p style="text-align: center;">I was pretty sure I wouldn’t enter this year. I am slowing down allot at age 55 and that second race is pretty intimidating now that it’s a half marathon, but I was in need of some good “trail therapy”by the time i decided to enter the Pikes Peak Ascent. After entering the Ascent, i realized I was also in serious need of a few interim goals along the way to keep me on track, so here I am in the Triple Crown of Running once again.!…</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;">I was pretty sure I wouldn’t enter this year. I am slowing down allot at age 55 and that second race is pretty intimidating now that it’s a half marathon, but I was in need of some good “trail therapy”by the time i decided to enter the Pikes Peak Ascent. After entering the Ascent, i realized I was also in serious need of a few interim goals along the way to keep me on track, so here I am in the Triple Crown of Running once again.!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Often, I think we do find ourselves so entrenched in our day-day routines of work, family obligations, and basic routines,that we just need something to snap us out of the mundane, put a little “spring” back into that stride and into life!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">For me, this feeling hits in the summertime after sort of hibernating much of the winter and spring! </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">the catch is I “hibernated “a little too extensively this year, I doubt I ever ran more than 10-15 miles a week all year, so, now, due to no one else’s fault other than my own, I have to execute a race plan with that 2.5 hour cut off time as my goal. I hope to be closer to 2 hours, but have to be realistic!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I , like many of us this weekend, will be looking at cut off times and knowing those minimal paces needed, so at least there will be company for all of us “bringing up the rear.” last year, I was under 2 hours and many of the folks in this pack where stopping to “smell the roses,” pausing for pictures, etc, so this is a fun place to be. You still have to be in decent shape, you can’t just get up off the couch and accomplish this, it’s something to be proud of! In the first race, Garden of Gods 10miler, this likely means power walking or granny gear jogging the uphills and then aiming to have a more fluid stride on the downhills ,walking through the water spots, and building in a little” buffer” time. Since the cut off is 2 and a half hours, or a 15 minute per mile pace, 13-14 minute miles should suffice nicely to ensure an “official” finish and a nice finishers medal!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">So far, after going into this challenge after a year of only running(jogging?) about 3 times a week( often with my husband or son, i leave a few minutes before them and they chase me down on a 3-4 mile route)i’m having a blast! I’ve introduced a few longer hike and jog adventures into my routine and hope that helps me out come Sunday.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I think the nicest thing about reintroducing these longer hike/ jogs back into my routine has been getting back on pikes peak and reconnecting with old friends( like J’ne from Denver, who i’ve been meeting on the Peak regularly for over 25 years!) and making new friends as well, like Alex, who I see regularly at my YMCA workplace, but finally we’ve connected to explore trails. This is the story every year, meeting new people and reconnecting with existing friends who I may not make the time for without this common goal of getting more fit!</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;">On our lastest longer jaunts, we focused on visiting places that may be difficult to do now that the pikes peak highway is no longer open to vehicles other than the shuttle service, such as Mount View and also going on to Elk Park to get a ride down.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">My mid age knees and lower back don’t love the downhill running the way they once did, so i now lean toward bottom to top endeavors with rides down. in fact , i hope this years Ascent can be faster than what I did the Roundtrip in as a twenty- something, when i used to matter of factly rationalize that “I may as well run “down the mountain because it was faster than getting that ride down! times have sure changed, literally and figuratively!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">We will see, but, meanwhile, let’s get through this Sunday first! one mile at a time! Good luck to everyone!</p>
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<p></p>Triple Crown Ruuning Series 2012--Official endtag:pikespeaksports.us,2012-10-13:5021591:BlogPost:3797142012-10-13T01:47:49.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
<p>What a fun and rewarding series of races the Triple Crown Running Series was this year! I did all of the little "extra additions" this year as well, including bringing along a family member to the inaugeral 5k in the Garden of the Gods as well as participating the 10k Road Ascent only a week ago.</p>
<p><br></br> I was part of the PikesPeakSportsTripleCrown Runners Team this year, something I wanted to do to become more involved in the running community. For years now, I was always the "rushed…</p>
<p>What a fun and rewarding series of races the Triple Crown Running Series was this year! I did all of the little "extra additions" this year as well, including bringing along a family member to the inaugeral 5k in the Garden of the Gods as well as participating the 10k Road Ascent only a week ago.</p>
<p><br/> I was part of the PikesPeakSportsTripleCrown Runners Team this year, something I wanted to do to become more involved in the running community. For years now, I was always the "rushed runner", going to the races, leaving quickly, always with something "very important" to do right afterwards.... I wanted this year to be different, to stop and smell the roses a little bit more, to enjoy the little things other than just the quick run and rushing off.</p>
<p><br/> I made a priority out of doing the 10k Road Ascent this year as I wanted to support the inaugeral event. I was surprised there were not more people with the reasonable entry fee and the gorgeous scenery. With the news of the Waldo Canyon burn scar area trails being closed for up to 10 years, I have become more explorative in my training. The Road Ascent sort of took the place of my Pony Express run(canceled due to the burn scar) this year. The Road Ascent course was difficult, and the fact I have not been to any real altitude to train since the Ascent did show--but none-the-less this was a great workout. I was relieved to find the little gift shop at the finish line at Crystal Lake was open when we finished--it was a great place to get warm. I wished I would have brought a little cash along to buy something in the shop, though. Note to self--bring a little cash up next year!</p>
<p><br/> We Colorado Springs natives are ALWAYS the worst about never going to these places that are right in our backyard. Do you believe this was the first time I had actually stopped in this area? There were even little historical signs to read along with the great views on this frosty morning!</p>
<p><br/> A few days later was the awards ceremony. I enjoyed seeing all of the runners and volunteers in a different environment and giving credit to everyone for pulling these events off so successfully for yet another year! I even went to the Bristol Brewery part afterwards this year with yet another small group after the awards.</p>
<p><br/> Thanks again to everyone! What a wonderful community of folks involved in this! My intention of running for the PikesPeakSports team has been fulfilled! And I think I will forever stop and smell the roses far more in the future Triple Crown Series races. Hope to see you next year!</p>Just another fine day on the mountaintag:pikespeaksports.us,2012-08-22:5021591:BlogPost:3606792012-08-22T22:30:00.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2749074648?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2749074648?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="280"></img></a> The Pikes Peak Ascent is over and another Triple Crown Series is done! This year was quite special and being chosen for the PikesPeakSports.us Triple Crown Runners team was definitely the icing on the cake!</p>
<p>I am not sure how many people have even been reading the blogs, but in a way it does not matter. It has been rewarding for me to write and, again, I thank Tim, Ron,…</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2749074648?profile=original"><img width="280" class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2749074648?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="280"/></a>The Pikes Peak Ascent is over and another Triple Crown Series is done! This year was quite special and being chosen for the PikesPeakSports.us Triple Crown Runners team was definitely the icing on the cake!</p>
<p>I am not sure how many people have even been reading the blogs, but in a way it does not matter. It has been rewarding for me to write and, again, I thank Tim, Ron, and Mike, because without them I would not have had the discipline myself to write like this and I would not have had the opportunity to meet and interact with the five others chosen! This was perfect for me in this year of milestones!</p>
<p>After racing 25 times in a 34-year span, I certainly feel a part of the amazing history around the Triple Crown. It is much bigger than me, and that is what keeps me going.</p>
<p>People do ask me, after 25 years, if this becomes boring, and the answer is a no-brainer for me. Absolutely NOT! Every year I suppose the courses stay the same (well, mostly, but we won't start in on opening that can of worms in regards to the Summer Roundup Run). But think of how every year the dynamic of each race changes, and how no one training run or race will ever be the same in any way or form.</p>
<p>My gratitude list for this year is lengthy - I have my health back, even to the point of placing second in the 45-49 age group for Ascent and second in the Masters group of the Triple Crown. </p>
<p>The week before the race was scetchy. That was greatly my fault as I started celebrating the end of this summer season too early. It was my anniversary and I had a few too many drinks and a few too many indulgent meals while celebrating with my husband in Cripple Creek the weekend before the race.</p>
<p>When I received my annual massage, a treat I give myself once a year before the Peak, the therapist chewed me out a bit for doing this, but reminded me I could undo some of the damage by being more mindful about what I ate and drank the rest of the week. I think that helped, though I started the race with a tummy ache and the mindset to not be too dissapointed if I bombed the race this year.</p>
<p>I never did feel great throughout the race. there was some nasty sciatic nerve pain, residual from last year. But the training must have paid off because people kept coming back to me after Barr Camp, and my split times were boringly even, the exact even splits to run a 3:30 Ascent (one hour to no name, 1:45 45 to Barr Camp, 2:30 to A-Frame, then an hour to the top. My final Ascent time was 3:31.</p>
<p>As always, J'ne Day Lucore and I finished close and shared the bus trip down, our girl-time alone annually to catch up with one another. Welcome the world of the old-timer. J'ne and I have quite a bond after doing this for over 30 years together even though she lives in Denver and I usually only see her this one time a year. Her presence inspires me because she made the transition from ultra-competitve runner (winning overall and having a PR of 2:37 for the Ascent) to being further back in the pack with the age group competitors (like me) with relative ease. That reflects how she is a true runner at heart, and that is what I wish for all runners!</p>
<p>Have a great Fall, everyone! Relax, and celebrate your accomplishment of completing the Triple Crown Series!</p>Triple Crown Experiments..Death of a great Olympian....tag:pikespeaksports.us,2012-08-01:5021591:BlogPost:3495552012-08-01T21:30:00.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806496842?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806496842?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350"></img></a> The Summer is flying by, again! It always does for me, especially the time I spend training for the Triple Crown. Only one leg left. My favorite one. Pikes Peak.</p>
<p>As I have shared this is my 25th year doing the Pikes Peak races.. A handful of those races have been roundtrips. Every single year the Peak races, even the DNF's (sad face), have all been…</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806496842?profile=original"><img width="350" class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806496842?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350"/></a>The Summer is flying by, again! It always does for me, especially the time I spend training for the Triple Crown. Only one leg left. My favorite one. Pikes Peak.</p>
<p>As I have shared this is my 25th year doing the Pikes Peak races.. A handful of those races have been roundtrips. Every single year the Peak races, even the DNF's (sad face), have all been "experiments". Like all experiments, some have failed. I will talk of those "fails" first. I would really have 34 races under my belt if I had a perfect record. But who is perfect? No me, for sure! I am a work in progress!</p>
<p>1978 was my first race. Up til 1992, you could be a doubler, the easy way. Race to the top. Get your time. If you feel good(yes, you could make the choice on the fly) go back down, get your time again. Pretty nice deal compared to today, where you really have to work for that doubler status. </p>
<p>After all of these years, I don't remember every statistic. I do remember being a good downhill runner, with a 4:49 PR for the roundtrip - and the irony of that feat,seeming so studly and healthy, coming to a point where, as a doctor said, "you have the back of a 70 year old, slow down"(my discs in the back where compressing due to overuse). Stubbornly, I entered another roundtrip or two after that, not even making it to the start line due to injuries because the training did me in. I ran as much as I could back then. Now I run as little as possible to get the job done. That is what happens with the aging process! After marriage and children, there were no more roundtrips!</p>
<p>Some of the failed Ascents included quitting when I was a young gal, going for a sub three and bombing early on. I walked down thru the Experimental Forest after No Name Creek. I was younger and had a big ego, which has now been bashed down so many times that it is nearly non-existent(that is a good thing, I think). And then there was the time, while as a school teacher in the Marshall Islands my boss would not let me use a competitive entry because I was not allowed to miss the first teacher workday of the year. I felt sad getting into that airplane and missing that year, but more grateful that I was going back to a good job at the time. Of course I missed the 2 pregnant years and at least once because of of a conflict with collegiate Cross Country Season,but otherwise I was there!</p>
<p>Last years experiment was to try the Ascent while healing my sciatica(by the way, caused by those same thinning discs from when I was 27). It was a fruitful experiment. I did what I could to the best of my ability--bottom line--no impact(yes, that means no running, no jogging, nothing where two feet are in the air at the same time). So I worked on walking. Fast. As fast as I could! I had to do the first races of the Triple Crown(if you miss one you are disqualified for the rest) to get to the end product of the experiment, which was the Ascent. I worked diligently to get my incline times down closer to the prestigious sub 30 mark(from the first tie--PR is 31:49), twice a week.-The stairclimber nature of the incline was fine on my sciatica last year. I ended up with a 3:45 Ascent last year , pretty good considering my limitations. I would almost be pleased with that time this year, but I do hope for a bit faster. </p>
<p>I consider my experiments a success when No. 1) I sign up for the race, No. 2) I make it to the start line, No. 3) I make it to the finish line. Once I sign up for a race, I hate not making it to the start line Others may not be bothered by this, just happy they signed up for something for the sake of having a goal Me? Once I pay and sign you can be 99% sure I will show. The roundtrip, therefore, is too much of a physical risk now, due to those failed experiments in my late 20s. The Ascent is more of a win/win proposition for me. I like those. Another thing learned: Over-thinking statistics wrecks it - they're only for your peripheral vision. Always have goals and be focused but look for the small pleasures. These will keep you wanting to come back year after year.</p>
<p>For example. I remember less about never breaking 3 hours in the Ascent, but more about how my bother (who ran a 2:59:59 compared to my 3:00:26) will tease me till we reach our grave about this(I think I will blame the lack of chip timing for not breaking 3 hours?) Our sibling rivalry was a healthy one, and we fed allot off of that while this wimpy brother was still actually running(he cannot run anymore due to bad knees (wa, wa, who gets the last laugh now?)</p>
<p>I will remember the years the family all trained together, instilling the love of the outdoors early on in the family.I will remember that cat found, the marmot that hid in the back of my dad' s truck that we found after we drove back into town(had to take the thing back)--the time I went up on Father's Day with Michelle ("We MUST forge on!, my Dad is waiting for us on top!", I told the tentative training partner,"For the sake of Father's Day Tradition!) even though the Peak was covered in several feet of snow at the top. I will remember the way me and my friends tease, banter, and laugh with each other while up there in training.</p>
<p>Congrats on finishing the first two legs of the Triple Crown and good luck on the last Pikes Peak leg --I will see if my experiments work this year. Hope yours does, however you define it.</p>
<p>And don't miss the TCR award ceremony in September That will be a good time, as always. I will make the ceremony for sure, as I did a college track and field reunion last year at Adams State in Alamosa, Colorado. The photo is a pic of tour family in Alamosa at the reunion. I jogged/walked the 5K alumni fun run with my daughter while my husband ran the whole thing with my son).<br/> These running memories are very special, and you never know when or if you will see some of your old running buddies again.</p>
<p>My most accomplished teammate from Adams State , the famous Olympian Pat Porter, died over the weekend in a plane crash along with his son and his son's friend. Just another reminder to live each day as if it may be your last. Pat Porter was an inspiration to me and my team mates at Adams State. He was symbolic of our program down there---where young athletes from modest high school careers came to coach Joe I Vigil's amazing program, and in an almost assembly-line fashion, went on to achieve great things. Please goggle this amazing athlete, read about him, and celebrate his life. He did run the Pikes Peak Ascent once(he won it, of course) in 1981 and though this race was never his focus, he was an advocate of high altitude training as his pursued his Olympic career. He made the US Olympic Team for the 10,000 meters in 1984 and 1988.</p>
<p> </p>Reflections: Eugene, Prefontaine, Losing everythingtag:pikespeaksports.us,2012-07-16:5021591:BlogPost:3449052012-07-16T01:58:48.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806498953?profile=original" target="_self">IMG-20120626-00007.jpg</a> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806499647?profile=original" target="_self">IMG-20120625-00003.jpg</a> My latest Blog I spoke of the fire, mostly, which devastated my part of town on the last day of what was a perfect 5 day vacation to tracktown USA, Eugene, Oregon. Now comes time to talk of this little getaway we…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806498953?profile=original" target="_self">IMG-20120626-00007.jpg</a> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806499647?profile=original" target="_self">IMG-20120625-00003.jpg</a> My latest Blog I spoke of the fire, mostly, which devastated my part of town on the last day of what was a perfect 5 day vacation to tracktown USA, Eugene, Oregon. Now comes time to talk of this little getaway we took.</p>
<p> My husband and I always wanted to visit Eugene and, after reading Steve Prefontaine Books and after watching Steve Prefontaine movies, so did my son. First of all, who doesn't love Steve Prefontaine? Especially to runners, such an endearing figure, the same type of symbol to running as the Beatles or Elvis were to music. That one in millions and millions that will live forever in our hearts, generation after generation. More profound in the Prefontaine story are the age and timing of his tragic death. At only 24 years old we lost an icon in a tragic car accident. A rock stands there, at the site of the crash. We visited that rock with my Aunt Chris and cousin Juniper (non-runners, who in our search for the iconic rock, said numerous times, "where is this f'in rock?"). We found it, along with a few Pre admiriers that day along the country road in Eugene, and around it is shoes, medals, pictures - a continual feed of givings from his adoring fans.</p>
<p> Prefontaine was born to a lower class family in Coos Bay, Oregon in 1951, and came along as a runner in the beginning of the running boom. His parents were pretty much the opposite of what we call "helicopter" today (they watched him run for the first time only after being coaxed by a neighbor who implied they should come since Pre was "what Olympic stuff is made of"). Afterall, running was not real glamourous back then.</p>
<p>Steve was material in changing that. After his immedate success as a runner in high school and then in college at University of Oregon, he was very accustomed to winning races based on this extreme talent and guts. He spiraled into a depression in his post-collegaite career after coming in fourth place at the Muncih Olympics in 1972. He trained alone and avoided races for 2 years after that, living in a trailer, so poor he qualified for food stamps in the day where professional runners got very little, if any, monetary support for their efforts. Steve finally recovered psychologically and had an electric race with Olympic Medalist Frank Shorter - on the day of this death. That day seemed to be the beginning of his comeback, yet marked the end of his life.</p>
<p> Before our runs along Pre trail, a tree-barked soft trail made in Pre's honor after his death (he wanted the US to have more dirt trails like Europe did back then), we circled up and yelled "Pre Lives!".</p>
<p> Eugene, a simple, energetic, friendly, and very "green minded" community, still feels Pre's message each day.</p>
<p> As we stay motivated in this 5 week gap until the last leg of the Triple Crown (Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon), I would encourage watching the Olympic track and field events during the London Games which start July 27 and end Aug 12. Look for our local racewalker from Colorado College (I personally would like to see race walking become bigger here in Colorado Springs--I have grown very interested in learning more about its techniques during times of injury but have found no one locally to coach me to learn more---these guys walk far faster than even the best of us can run), our local Jenny Barringer (who asked we all pray for the victims of the Waldo Canyon Fire after she qualified for the 1500--nice little gesture from Jenny)--watch marathoner Kara Goucher, wife of local legend Adam Goucher--and then pick your own favorites and be inspired by them. I personally like our male steeplechaser, Evan Jager, because he reminds me of the cross country runner in the movie Juno. There is also CU's female steeplechaser, Emma Coburn. I Also like 800 meter runner Nick Symmonds due to his pure talent and come- from- behind- to -win style. We got to watch many of these runners in person, and saw them out for their morning jogs while we were on the group runs during our Eugene visit. </p>
<p> I personally am happy enough with my Summer Roundup race--a 14 minute improvement over last year when I had to walk much of the thing due to severe sciatica. In fact, I am so grateful to have been chosen for this PikespeakSports. us team, because if not chosen I would have bagged racing the Garden and SummerRoundup altogether after losing confidence that I could race again. Being chosen for the team gave me that little push I needed to pick myself up, brush myself off, and get back out there and try again. So a second big thank you to Tim, Mike and Ron for this opportunity. I am totally getting my butt kicked in my agegroup and thought that turning 50 next year and going into a new age group might help---but then I noticed I would have placed the same there now. Teamate John Teisher taught me to only pity race performance for one minute, and it actually just took me longer than that to type this paragraph.</p>
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<p>I am also slowly recovering from the devastation of the fire in our west-side community. A few friends houses did burn down. They lost most everything. One of these friends is moving to..... Oregon. Looks like things will probably turn out okay for her after all. And when she moves there I hope she remembers PRE, who lost his life, far too young, and even though he was dirt poor, had his health and his gift - and that is what he is remembered for...</p>
<p> </p>Summer Roundup 12k-thank you for sticking with the plantag:pikespeaksports.us,2012-07-04:5021591:BlogPost:3425032012-07-04T02:46:41.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
<p> What can anyone say? We are all speechless, what just happened with the Waldo Canyon Fire is beyond comprehension, regardless of our belief systems or any other thing that may divide or unite us from one another.</p>
<p> I was in flight to Eugene Oregon as the fire erupted, so for 4 days the whole thing was in my peripheral vision. I checked the internet daily to check the fires status between my visits with the relatives in Oregon, watching the Olympic track an field trials, and…</p>
<p> What can anyone say? We are all speechless, what just happened with the Waldo Canyon Fire is beyond comprehension, regardless of our belief systems or any other thing that may divide or unite us from one another.</p>
<p> I was in flight to Eugene Oregon as the fire erupted, so for 4 days the whole thing was in my peripheral vision. I checked the internet daily to check the fires status between my visits with the relatives in Oregon, watching the Olympic track an field trials, and enjoying group runs from Eugene Running Company along Prefontaines trail in Eugene in the clean, rainy air.. On the 5th day, Tuesday June 26, next thing I knew we were on the phone with our college-aged daughther, who was looking after our Rockrimmon home, telling her what to pack from our beloved belongings and coaching her through what had become a mandatory evacuation of our home and neighborhood. </p>
<p> This week since the fire has been stressful, to say the least. I bounced from one home to another, and quickly learned why they made such a big deal about the impact this fire had on the community. It was most certainly hard on those being evacuated and we appreciated any kind heart that might take us in, even a pet, anything, as we sweated it out. Did we have a home to return to or not? Well, ended up we, personally, did have a home to return home to, but that was only the beginning of this ordeal, as I had guessed. I watered my plants. I put out water and apples for a few skinny deer that wandered into my area, a mile from the fire, that looked at me with helpless eyes. I found out which of our neighbors houses burned down and which ones did not. I got my work and family stuff in a pile. And then came running. I longed for my running groups, which are really not that much about running when it really comes down to it. They are about being in nature, seeing my friends, having a safe refuge to regain/ maintain my sanity. And now? Those gone as well? What? No 4th of July race? No incline club? No Barr camp Race? Right when I needed this the most, gone? They said the air quality was poor, that the resourses of the community were drained. I respect that. But still, I went out in it, curious, perferring to be out than on some treadmill. My runs, some with the dog, some with friends, some alone, were pretty much shit. My exercise physiologist friend said running in this stuff is like becoming a smoker overnight. Oh well......</p>
<p> I, for one, am happy that one race is still happening, the Summer Roundup. It has lifted my sad heart a little knowing the event is happening this weeked, even though it may feel less like meeting my running friends on the trail and more like meeting them in a bar. But I don't care right now. I just want to feel like the world is not coming to an end, and even if it was, I would probably pick going out on the trails anyway.</p>
<p> So.... Thank you, Summer Roundup, for having your run, for finding a way, to bring our outdoor commumity together in a time when we need each other the most.</p>
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<p> </p>Healing from the Garden...and a broken hearttag:pikespeaksports.us,2012-06-22:5021591:BlogPost:3395472012-06-22T03:30:00.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806497092?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806497092?profile=original" width="229"></img></a> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806498815?profile=original" target="_self"></a> Last Sunday, the day of the Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Run, I think I experienced the whole gamut of human emotion. Thank goodness I had some loved ones by my side, especially during the 24 hours following the Garden run.</p>
<p>It was the four of us all day long: my…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806497092?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806497092?profile=original" width="229"/></a><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806498815?profile=original" target="_self"></a> Last Sunday, the day of the Garden of the Gods 10 Mile Run, I think I experienced the whole gamut of human emotion. Thank goodness I had some loved ones by my side, especially during the 24 hours following the Garden run.</p>
<p>It was the four of us all day long: my son, myself, my father, and my mother. The other relatives were out of town, but these four were enough to get me through the unexpectedly difficult hours yet to come. The smiles of the morning at the race dissolved into tears by the early dawn hours of the following day, when a beloved family pet was euthanized in my brave son's arms. We had talked about this moment, we were a little prepared for this moment.</p>
<p>When we adopted the unconventionally large chihuahua, Louie, we fell in love, of course. My son said he wanted to hold the chihuahua as it took its last breath, and he did, which was lucky for me because by then I had lost my strength. It had been over four days of decline, and we went through that first phase of grief. The DENIAL. "Oh he just got into something, he will be fine", to the other phases that follow predictably, according to Katerine Kubler Ross. I was ANGRY. He was only 7 years old. Why? Then I BARGAINED. A lot. I tried special foods, gels, drops and watched him deteriorate underneath me. Then we found ourselves in the late night hours at the emergency vet clinic, running tests, finally having to stop at a point, sort of like a DNR in a hospital.</p>
<p>The DEPRESSION phase lasted for days. Made it through work obligations and did a few uninspired runs. Finally, a week later, Dad by my side again, I decided to follow our Peak tradition and make my first ascent training run. Dad used to run the thing but now he is my driver and picks me up on top. It was a good choice to go. ACCEPTANCE began to occur, the Peak seems to have that power over me. I even began to see some silver lining such as that this loss will prepare me for the bigger losses that will occur when I see those loved ones from my own species go through this thing.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806499163?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="260" class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2806499163?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="260"/></a>I am almost myself again, laughing, and letting my newer dog, Sky (as in Skyrunner), the running dog of the family, charm me once more. I am even looking forward to training this week, preparing for the next leg of the Triple Crown (the Summer Roundup) adding much needed structure to my life again</p>
<p>I reflect on old pets found while running - Zeb the kitten that Michelle (yes that is my PikesPeakSports.us teammates Pheobe's mom) and I found on the peak during a rainstorm. We took turns carrying that little thing down. It even had a bow on its neck - someone must have dropped it out of the train that still ran on the Incline then. We ended up giving it to my mom that day for her birthday. Then there was Odie: who me and a van load of crazy college girls from Adams State found during one of our track road trips. My folks came to watch our next home meet in Alamosa, and adopted that dog also. We have watched these animals come and go and they will continue to do so. We go into these relationships knowing this but it does not seem to make it easier when we watch them leave us.</p>
<p>I appreciate my father as I reflect on our Fathers Day together. Others have been fond of him also, to the extent of making a watercolor of him while he was on the Peak, such as this one by our own Jeff Tarbertr, owner of Colorado Running Company. That same year I was also sketched while running one of my earlier Ascent races.... these seemed more fun than posting photos this time. </p>
<p>And, lastly, Dogs Louie and Sky in the only picture we got of them in the short months we had the two at the same time. This was at Red Mountain in Manitou, the original Mount Manitou Incline was there. My kids Sarah and Mike enjoyed taking the dogs on this tamer hike off of Ruxton Avenue, one where dogs are still welcomed.</p>
<p>I'd have taken more photos, but Louie was supposed to live longer, in my mind. But I am mostly OK now - at least his life was pretty much perfect for the short time he was here.</p>
<p>I guess that is all we can ask for, huh?</p>
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<p> </p>The Garden of the Gods Race and Community!tag:pikespeaksports.us,2012-06-10:5021591:BlogPost:3337812012-06-10T23:00:00.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2738207308?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2738207308?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></img></a> The Garden of the Gods 10 mile run and 5k(new this year) are truly a celebration of the Community of Colorado Springs.</p>
<p>Think of this before you read on: In 1879 Charles Elliot Perkins(head of Burlington Railroad at the time) purchased the Gardens 240 acres with the intention of building his home on those acres, next to his rich and famous friend in Glenn Erie,…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2738207308?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2738207308?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a>The Garden of the Gods 10 mile run and 5k(new this year) are truly a celebration of the Community of Colorado Springs.</p>
<p>Think of this before you read on: In 1879 Charles Elliot Perkins(head of Burlington Railroad at the time) purchased the Gardens 240 acres with the intention of building his home on those acres, next to his rich and famous friend in Glenn Erie, General William Jackson Palmer. Perkins later added to the property,which is now 480 acres but never built on it, preferring that the Garden become a Park open to the public, free of charge, for eternity. His children respected this wish when their Father died, and, there we have it. The beginning of the magic of community in this amazing event. I just think that is so cool. (by the way I am not a historian so feel free to correct me if any of this is wrong)</p>
<p>I always heard, even as a teenager 30 plus years ago running in my first Garden Races, that this was really a community event. It took a few more years, however, for this to really soak in, and now it is almost all I think about when I come to this event.</p>
<p>Today, 3 generations of Foster-Greenbaums came to the race. My parents, Phil and Julie Foster, ages 76 and 78, and 14 year-old son Mike came along this year. My parents no longer run the event, but support in any way they are asked to do so, for they have grown to love the running community. My son Mike, running his first 5k roadrace, got to see first hand that, yes, hundreds and hundreds of people do get up very early for this event, and it is worth it (Mike becomes a bit nocturnal over the summers, so I was a proud mom that he got out of bed for this.)</p>
<p>As I ran the race the concept of community began to unfold before me,the way it does every year, yet every year is just a little bit different than the one before. I saw many kids I knew at the High School Aid Stations, all of these kids getting up early for the cause of rasing funds for the High School teams that they run on. There were also some teens running the race alongside me. I know when I was a teen, running made a big difference in my life, and I often wonder if I'd have gone down the wrong path without it, so I have a special place in my heart for this group.</p>
<p>Though I did not bring home any hardware(awards) this year, this year was more special than in years past. I Improved my time 35 minutes over last year, when a deabilating injury had me wondering if I could even make the cutoff of 2 and one half hours. I was wondering if I'd run again, ever, and I did run the whole way this year. I felt good. Healthy. Grateful. I kept my goal of sub 8:30 miles in the back of my mind as I read my splits at each mile, which ended up closer to 8:20's. My son Mike got an award in the 1-14 year division in the 5k, where I don't think the 1-4 year olds gave him much competition, but the 5-14 year olds did(I don't think any 1-2 year olds should be allowed to run personally, but that's just my opinion as my brain tries to wrap around that agegroup bracket).</p>
<p>Moving forward, I am happy to put the focus of my training back on the trails. I was very weak on the uphills today, so I think I will start visiting the incline stairs more regularly. The incline offers me a way to keep that old injury from last year at bay, when I was unable to do any high impact activities(yes, that did include running)--In fact, training on the incline actually allowed me to have a decent ascent time last year without doing any run-training at all.</p>
<p>Thank you, race directors and volunteers, for continuing to make an already community-oriented event even more-so by adding the 5k run, expo, and chip-timing!</p>
<p>I think that Charles Elliot Perkins would be quite pleased right now...</p>
<p>As always, continued health and luck in your training everyone!</p>
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<p> </p>Milestonestag:pikespeaksports.us,2012-05-28:5021591:BlogPost:3266602012-05-28T23:30:00.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2738159014?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2738159014?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300"></img></a> This past weekend I completed a minor milestone --- my first race of 2012! (I did do the New Years 10k on Jan 1 but only as a fun run).</p>
<p>This minor milestone, the BIGWIG Double 5k on May 27 (photos posted compliments of Tim Bergsten himself) will lead to a couple of other milestones this year, namely completing another Triple Crown of Running series, which culminates…</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2738159014?profile=original"><img width="300" class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2738159014?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300"/></a>This past weekend I completed a minor milestone --- my first race of 2012! (I did do the New Years 10k on Jan 1 but only as a fun run).</p>
<p>This minor milestone, the BIGWIG Double 5k on May 27 (photos posted compliments of Tim Bergsten himself) will lead to a couple of other milestones this year, namely completing another Triple Crown of Running series, which culminates with the big goal for the summer, my 25th Peak race, which will be the Ascent race. </p>
<p>The Big Wig double 5k allowed for me to try my new pikespeaksports.ustriplecrownrunners uniform, my shoes, and a bit more sidewalk pounding than I am used to, and since I was not drawn to going to the Bolder Boulder and fighting those crowds, allowed for a racing experience in my own backyard.</p>
<p>Now, I look forward to the Triple Crown Races as the next goal for 2012 . Each race in the series allows for a measurement of fitness as well as a checkpoint in training before the next race. I know, for example, that if I am well prepared for the Garden of the Gods 10-miler on June 9th, that my body will be ready for the 12-13 mile Ascent training efforts I have planned periodically throughout the rest of the summer to prepare for the Ascent. And I know that the Summer Roundup race July 8 will give me a taste of faster running on a more technical and crowded trail so there won't be any surprises come August 18th in the Ascent.</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2738150857?profile=original"><img width="270" class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2738150857?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="270"/></a>I have settled in on the Ascent race after years and years of humbling experiences on Pikes Peak. Once upon a time I rationalized doing the Roundtrip each year, saying to myself when I got to the top "I may as well run down" because that did not take any longer than getting a ride down. And, coming from an enthusiastic running family who trained for the roundtrip for years, the peer pressure to do the whole thing would win over year after year. This all ties together, actually, to another milestone: My 50th birthday coming this year. With that milestone comes, at least for me, humility, perhaps a greater awareness of vulnerability. And when I enter the Ascent now I am fairly confident that I will make it to the starting line, while if I entered the roundtrip the training may well do me in, injure me, and come mid August I could be sitting at home sulking, missing out on all the fun come race day(Yes, this did happen to me once or twice--I have lost count!)</p>
<p>I really respect those "rountrip people" allot, don't get me wrong. They have permission to call me a wimp whenever they want, but at this point I am pretty content in this little groove of moderation that I have been in. Every once in a while "one of those doubler people" will tell me I must put the double (ascent and roundtrip races back-to-back) on my bucket list. I respond politely (even though I think they are crazy, but that refreshing kind of crazy) since I believe in never saying never.</p>
<p>Do I ever get bored of this training, you might be thinking, does it get repititious? Believe it or not, no, though I can see why you might think so. Maybe the Colorado winters actually help, because I only have the freedom to train the full Ascent a few months out of the year, free of snow. If I were training those same four hours on the road the time would seemingly stand still and I would be in lots of pain, but when I do those same four hours of training on Pikes Peak (yes, I allow for plenty of hiking) it seems it is over in a blink of an eye. Plus the rest of my life is pretty packed so the mindlessness is welcomed. What else could you wish for?</p>
<p>Good luck in your training, everyone, if you've picked the right event I honestly believe the majority of the time, you, too will experience this feeling of timelessness in your training and racing as you meander along....Next thing you know, if even by mistake, you will be doing some event (or events) 25 times or more and wonder what the heck just happened!</p>
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<p> </p>Cleaning out the Trophy Casetag:pikespeaksports.us,2012-05-17:5021591:BlogPost:3233292012-05-17T23:00:00.000ZSharon Anne Greenbaumhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/SharonAnneGreenbaum
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<p> As one of the more veteran members of the PikesPeakSports.us TripleCrown Runner team members, I am honored to share perspectives that an older runner/ racer might have after over 34 years experience in this community as well as overseas.</p>
<p> Maybe it was a mid-life crisis thing (I turn 50 this year) or because I hate cluttler, or perhaps it was because I spent most of last year wondering if I'd ever run again and I needed some closure. It was…</p>
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<p> As one of the more veteran members of the PikesPeakSports.us TripleCrown Runner team members, I am honored to share perspectives that an older runner/ racer might have after over 34 years experience in this community as well as overseas.</p>
<p> Maybe it was a mid-life crisis thing (I turn 50 this year) or because I hate cluttler, or perhaps it was because I spent most of last year wondering if I'd ever run again and I needed some closure. It was probably a little bit of all of that, but I tackled the job of cleaning out the family trophy case earlier this year. </p>
<p> All of the kids' awards stayed (I have a 14 year old boy and 18 year old girl), even those from the smallest of fun runs, soccer games, and swim meets to the larger ones, like city track meets, talent shows, even some JO events. Many of these awards were received while living overseas, a big chapter of the kids' childhood. How exciting that they have so much of life in front of them, I think to myself.</p>
<p> Most of my awards, however, ended up in the charity bin. I saved a few from high school, when few girls ran and I was one of two girls on the cross country team my first year out in 1978. I saved a Garden of Gods 10 Mile Run award from that time frame, remembering icon Gail Barron coming from Georgia to win that year. She was one of those pioneer runners around in my early teen years, known for her beauty and speed, and breaking some stereotypes for competitive women back then (particularly for the southern belles from her state). I saved all of my Pikes Peak Ascent awards, including from my first at age 15 (now you have to be 16 to run) and remembered my first long training run up there - I was literally crying because I had gotten lost and went to bottomless pit instead of the top with my junior high gym teacher!</p>
<p> I saved everything from college, where things were so competitive that walking away with anything at all was good. I was so invincible back then, or so I thought. With those awards I remember what it was like to peak and be quite fast, and I remember my famous coach, Dr. Joe Vigil, and all of my teammates who I just saw at a reunion in 2011.</p>
<p>I ran lots and lots of mileage back then, tried to pile it on, but now as an older runner I try to do as little as possible to get the job done. Last week I ran 29 miles, the biggest mileage week of the year so far where last year I had to walk most of the Triple Crown races and most certainly walked the training. I am so grateful to be running again. Will this year be the last? I hope not but I will treat it as if it is as last year taught me to take nothing for granted. Most of the teammates at my college reunion were no longer running as they went "over the hill" and into their 50s. I feel so lucky.</p>
<p> With this all said, I most certainly saved every single Pikes Peak Award (all 24!) and all Triple Crown awards---why those? Well, with age you get a bit more nostalgic I guess. I look forward to another year of training on the mountain. The bus ride down and the awards ceremonies after the Ascent and Triple Crown races feel more like a reunion now versus a competition, more like a celebration of health and of life again for another passing year of being able to complete this feat.</p>
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<p> I thank Ron Ilgin Tim Bergsten, and Mike Mazzola for letting me be a part of the PikesPeakSportsTripleCrownRunners Team and for their support. I think this is going to be a BLAST!</p>
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