May 2012 Blog Posts (27)

First impressions (and a face plant): Waldo Canyon Trail

So yesterday I finally decided to run …

Ten days ago I was unpacking my 3 suitcases full of clothes, shoes, and necessities. I had just arrived to my aunt's house to embark on my three monthlong journey in Colorado Springs as an intern for Pikes Peak Marathon, Inc. The 15 hour journey northwest was enough to put me to be for the rest of the day, but not so extreme to keep me from exploring what the city has to offer the very next day!

Over the last 10 days have been with adjustment for me: adjusting to a new state and home,…

Oh yeah. Cross training. I feel like I used to be better at it. But when I was training for my last "regular" marathon (the Tobacco Road Marathon in Raleigh, NC, on March 18), I settled into a groove: four runs a week, three yoga classes a week, rest…

Oh, Salida.  My favorite mountain town in the world, except during races.  

I always sell myself on the need to get to town the night before a race.  You know, it makes things less stressful on race morning.  They have a fantastic hostel that's still pretty cheap.  It's nice to get out of the big city for an extra night.  I have all kinds of justifications, but as soon as my girlfriend hears any of them she just rolls her eyes, knowing that the…

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…

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).

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…

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…

Yabba Dabba Doo! Bedrock Earthquake Review

Ok... I apologize…

www.TheDirtyDash.com is in town if you'll put some flyers up 4 us we may, just may get'cha a free entry. post to our www.facebook.com/thedirtydash under the post about Coffee Shops and Flyers if your interested!

Less then two weeks until the start of mountain bike racing in Colorado Springs - the Ascent Cycling Series organized by Sand Creek Sports. Race season always seems to come so quickly - from plotting schedules in January while training in the snow to toeing the line in sunshine in June - and this…

This is me on my first trip to Barr camp for the season this past Sunday. (Please excuse the overexposure. With my pack loaded up with avocados for Neil and Teresa, the caretakers of the camp, I had no room for a camera…

The disappointment over not being picked for the Kenyan Olympic marathon team (it was political!) has been eased a bit by my selection to the PikesPeakSports.us Triple Crown Running Team.  This will be my first time running the full series, although I've done each race in the past so I know what I'm in for.

The Triple Crown races are a huge challenge for me in a different way.  I'm currently training for my fourth Hardrock.  Within…

No, this isn't yet another post regarding the great "Listening to Your iPod While Running" debate.  This post is to address a trend I've been noticing out on the trail.  I've seen this most commonly on Barr Trail though I've come across it elsewhere as well.  I've been…

     Ask any runner and they'll tell you that they're much better company when they are able to do what they love. Miss a training run here and there and they may get a little edgy. Miss weeks of training or, heaven forbid, a race, and it becomes a potentially volatile situation. You see, running for runners is the consummate…

Me captured by Tim on my way to coming in first in my age group (25-29F) in Saturday's Run to the…

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.…

Well, my last paper has been submitted, and my final exam complete. For better or worse, finals are over and I no longer have an excuse to put off my training. My brain is still feeling a little fried, though, and I'm honestly at a complete loss as to where to even begin. Every time I see Pikes Peak, I get this rush of excitement for the Ascent, but it's always followed by a millisecond of feeling sheer terror in the pit of my stomach.

Right now, though, I’m more nervous for the…

          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.

          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…

For the record: I'm not a fast runner. I'm a solid middle-of-the-packer who sometimes makes it into the top third in my age group. Part of that is the remarkable running community in this town. You people are talented, and more ambitious runners keep arriving all the time. (Take my friend Scott Spillman, who moved to…

i go kigo! kigo drive review

As part of my continuous pursuit for great minimalist running shoes, I've looked at a number of different companies and shoes in…