June 2012 Blog Posts (32)

What a week it’s been.  My heart goes out to all those affected by the fire, especially those who lost their house.  Really puts my problems of finding open trails to run on this weekend in perspective.  And of course a huge kudos to all the first responders who are just kicking ass and taking names.  Can’t imagine how horrible this fire would have been without those guys and gals out there working their tails off.

I first heard about the fire on Saturday while down in Lake City,…

 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…

I remember my first visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (which for some weird reason nobody quite understands is located in Cleveland) and I saw a t-shirt that said, “If it’s too loud, you’re too old.”  That t-shirt is what comes to mind whenever somebody complains about music.  Like when my parents called my beloved Pearl Jam and the whole grunge thing garbage, but which they said was totally different from when my grandparents said the same thing about the Beatles and Led Zeppelin and…

Me, Sharon, Sharon's dad, Don, Don's doughnut, and Bill at 14,115 feet on Father's Day.

I feel good about my training from the past weekend. On Saturday, a few Attack Packers and I ran from Soda Springs Park, up the Incline, past No Name Creek a little ways into the Experimental Forest, then back down…

Oh, Palmer Park. Our in town, technical play ground. I'm just now starting to feel really comfortable riding in Palmer Park - when I first started, the rocks all scared me. Now I'm taking the fun trails - not always by myself, but I try to at least find one fun rock section every ride. And I have to admit that I've…

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

One down and Two more to go!!  Great race this weekend in the Garden of the Gods.  I love all the races that Ron Igen puts on, these are all top notch events.  His races are truly for the runner!  Starting with a great first year expo, it never gets old to hear Bart Yasso speak about his past experiences.  I first saw him speak two years ago at the Pikes Peak Ascent/Marathon, very inspirational speaker.  What I…

I won the race! That will get you motivated to write a blog piece. What an outstanding evening at Palmer Park, it was everything that I could have hoped for.

Daniel Matheny and I pedaled away from CTS a little after 4:00. We jumped up on the midland bike path and started towards downtown. It felt…

What came first the race or the ride? I often consider this puzzle and never do I land on a clear answer. Every time I race and have a poor result or a great result, I always am more motivated than ever to get out and train hard to improve. That leads me to going out on bigger rides and exploring new trails that leave me with the unique experiences I crave. At the same time the number of races I do, although a lot, quell in comparison to the number rides that I go on and come back thinking,…

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

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

This is the only shot any of the photographers (in this case, Tim) managed to catch of me during the Garden of the Gods 10-Mile Race, as far as I can tell. As you can see, I appear to be having a one-woman party about half a mile into the race…

Up until now, my blog posts could be collected and aptly titled "How Not to Train for the Triple Crown," but with the Garden 10-mile under my belt, I'm ready to start really preparing for the Summer Roundup and Ascent. First, though, one more Triple Crown Don't: Don't decide the morning of the 10-miler to wear a pair of shoes you've worn twice and have never run in (I'm sure all you runners are wincing at my naivete right now). Black/non-existent toenails are not a great summer…

     As a guy who has had his fair share of bonks, including this one which has earned me the moniker "Zombie," I can tell you that hitting the wall is no laughing matter. Your body fails, your mind soon follows, and your race is almost certainly over. You become overwhelmed with an incredibly helpless feeling and curse yourself for an inadequate, or poorly executed calorie intake plan.

     But what if bonking…

Unlike some of the other sports I've done, mountain biking is one where taking some time prior to the race and checking out the course can make all the difference between winning, finishing and taking a major spill out. Marathons? It's nice to know where the hills are and if there are any sharp turns. But not…

Such a fantastic weekend of running!  With all due respect to the winter sports crowd (I hate being cold and don’t even like to get out of bed if there is snow on the ground) this is by far the best time of the year to live on the Front Range.

Friday after work I made the short drive up to Lewis-Palmer high school for an all-comers track meet.  My first track race in over 15 years, I attempted the 1500m/3000m double.  Forgot how painful racing on the track can be, but now…

The Garden of the Gods 10 mile run and 5k(new this year) are truly a celebration of the Community of Colorado Springs.

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…

I just read Jon's (PikesPeakSports.us Triple Crown Team member) most recent post. This last part really stuck out: "Anyhow, looking forward to the Garden.  I just ended a 30 day period which saw me cover two marathons, two 14ers, a 50K, and two 50 milers, so it will be nice to have a short distance weekend.  I think I have a decent shot at a sub 70.".......... I think I can officially say I am incredibly intimidated by the other runners I'm going to encounter tomorrow. I just ended a 30 day…

Sand Creek Race Series is underway! Bear Creek race #1 is in the books and the suffering has begun, wait I mean the fun has begun. In classic Sand Creek style Andy and Eldon pieced together a circuit in Bear Creek that was super challenging while keeping with some good ol’ MTB riding fun. The crowds…