All Discussions Tagged 'Leadville' - Pikes Peak Sports2024-03-29T05:10:24Zhttp://pikespeaksports.us/group/roadtrailrunning/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=Leadville&feed=yes&xn_auth=noManitou Springs' Stanciu becomes one of only three to complete Leadville-Pikes Peak doubletag:pikespeaksports.us,2018-08-23:5021591:Topic:8070282018-08-23T15:58:48.715ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p>Adrian Stanciu pushed his mental and physical limits over the weekend when he became just the third runner to tackle an incredible double in the trail running world.</p>
<p>The 49-year-old Manitou Springs resident ran the Leadville Trail 100 on Saturday, just a day before challenging himself again by running the Pikes Peak Marathon.</p>
<p>While many would call him crazy for attempting such a double dose of torture, he also certainly qualifies as courageous.</p>
<p>But what is it that…</p>
<p>Adrian Stanciu pushed his mental and physical limits over the weekend when he became just the third runner to tackle an incredible double in the trail running world.</p>
<p>The 49-year-old Manitou Springs resident ran the Leadville Trail 100 on Saturday, just a day before challenging himself again by running the Pikes Peak Marathon.</p>
<p>While many would call him crazy for attempting such a double dose of torture, he also certainly qualifies as courageous.</p>
<p>But what is it that compels a man to run more than 126 miles in two days, with the second race including an elevation gain of more than 7,000 feet?</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656431276?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="280" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656431276?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="280" class="align-left"/></a>For Stanciu, it was the dream of beating the combined time of Mike Wardian, who completed both races last year in 26 hours, 21 minutes, 52 seconds. That beat the best combined times achieved by Marshall Ulrich more than two decades ago.</p>
<p>“I’ve wanted to do both races since I read Marshall Ulrich’s book (Running on Empty),” Stanciu said. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy to beat Wardian’s time.”</p>
<p>After finishing 13th in the Leadville Trail 100 in 20:17:59, he was 58 seconds ahead of Wardian. When Stanciu reached the summit of Pikes Peak on Sunday, halfway through the grueling Marathon, their times were virtually even.</p>
<p>But Stanciu realized he couldn’t accomplish his dream.</p>
<p>“I knew going in that it wouldn’t be easy,” he said. “I realized within a mile or two of the summit that I wasn’t going to do it. I knew I couldn’t run that fast downhill."</p>
<p>He tagged the summit with an ascent time of 4:17:09, then turned for home to finish in 6:53:18. He capped his 126-mile weekend with a combined time of 27 hours, 11 minutes, 17 seconds for the two races, about 50 minutes slower than Wardian.</p>
<p>That still put him well ahead of Ulrich, who completed both the Leadville 100 and the Pikes Peak Marathon in both 1992 and ’93. In 1992, he did Leadville in 22:11 and the Marathon in 8:04 for a total time of 30 hours, 15 minutes. The next year he was clocked in 21:40 and 9:34, for a total time of 31:14.</p>
<p>Beating Ulrich provided some satisfaction for Stanciu, who runs about every day during his lunch hour.</p>
<p>“Without the record, it’s disappointing, but it’s a learning experience,” he said.</p>
<p>Stanciu works for the City of Lakewood and has two daughters with wife Brenda: Kirstyn, 12, and Amy, 11.</p>
<p>He first ran the Pikes Peak Ascent in 2010, and doubled with the Ascent and Pikes Peak Marathon the next three years. He ran the Leadville Trail 100 in 2014-16.</p>
<p>When he finished Leadville on Saturday, he jumped in the car and headed home but said he “barely made it to Wilkerson Pass” before he had to stop and napped for about 45 minutes. He got home about 5 a.m. but couldn’t sleep. By 7 a.m., he was at the starting line for the Marathon on America’s Mountain.</p>
<p>An odd coincidence is that a man in the Leadville race asked Stanciu if he could pace him for the last 25 miles. Turns out he had been the “pacer” for Wardian in the last 50 miles in the Leadville race last year.</p>
<p>Even odder was that when Stanciu reached the summit of Pikes Peak on Sunday, he saw the same man who’d paced him the day before.</p>
<p>“His name is Josh and he’s from Vermont,” Stanciu said. “He’s a volunteer on the summit (for the Marathon).”</p>
<p>As Stanciu approached the finish line of the Marathon, disappointed in his time and that he’d failed to reach the goal of besting Wardian, he found solace and joy in something more important.</p>
<p>That’s when his daughter, Amy, came out of the crowd and joined him for the short run to the finish line. He crossed the line, holding her hand, knowing he’d accomplished what only two others had before.</p> Michael Wardian makes history with a different kind of "double"tag:pikespeaksports.us,2017-08-21:5021591:Topic:7758862017-08-21T13:13:26.489ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432404?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432404?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300"></img></a> By Bob Stephens<br></br> <strong>PikesPeakSports.us</strong></p>
<p>Other runners may have wondered why Michael Wardian stopped for water and fuel so early in Sunday’s Pikes Peak Marathon. They had completed only 1.5 miles in the long race to the summit of Pikes Peak and back.</p>
<p>“At the first aid station, I was the only one getting water and food,” Wardian said. “I got…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432404?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656432404?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right"/></a>By Bob Stephens<br/> <strong>PikesPeakSports.us</strong></p>
<p>Other runners may have wondered why Michael Wardian stopped for water and fuel so early in Sunday’s Pikes Peak Marathon. They had completed only 1.5 miles in the long race to the summit of Pikes Peak and back.</p>
<p>“At the first aid station, I was the only one getting water and food,” Wardian said. “I got Gatorade or water and food at every one on the way up.”</p>
<p>It was amazing that Wardian was in the race. While most of the 800 or so in the marathon spent Saturday resting up for their tour of America’s Mountain, the 43-year-old Wardian warmed up in a way that is almost beyond belief.</p>
<p>He ran in the Leadville Trail 100, completing that grueling race in 20 hours, 18 minutes, 57 seconds. He placed 10<sup>th</sup> among 287 runners, and managed a pace of 12 minutes, 12 seconds per mile.</p>
<p>He didn’t feel very spry when Sunday’s marathon began.</p>
<p>“My first mile was in 10:52 and it felt like a five-minute mile,” Wardian said.</p>
<p>Still, he felt better than he did during most of Saturday’s Leadville 100.</p>
<p>“I had so many stomach issues in Leadville,” he said. “I had diarrhea 14 times during the race.”</p>
<p>He finished those 100 miles nearly 20 minutes past midnight and drove to Manitou Springs, arriving a little after 4:30 a.m.</p>
<p>“I can tell you the only thing open at that hour is the Loaf ’N Jug,” he said. “They don’t have a lot of vegetarian options. I ate a few salt and pepper cashews but I couldn’t sleep.”</p>
<p>Wardian said the four Imodium capsules he took Saturday “must’ve kicked in” Sunday and his stomach problems disappeared.</p>
<p><b>CHASING HISTORY</b></p>
<p>Wardian, of Arlington, Va., arrived in the mountains of Colorado on Thursday, giving him little time to adjust to the lighter air.</p>
<p>“Altitude was a factor in both races,” he said. “It wasn’t so bad today until I got above 13,000 feet.”</p>
<p>His ascent of Pikes Peak was completed in 4 hours, 17 minutes. His overall time of 6:02:55 was good enough to place 111<sup>th</sup> overall and 97<sup>th</sup> among the men.</p>
<p>“I am stoked,” he said just minutes after completing the 26-mile roundtrip of Pikes Peak, which includes an elevation gain of 7,815 feet. “But I would love some food and some sleep.”</p>
<p>Why attempt this stellar feat that taxes the body in unimaginable ways?</p>
<p>“I wanted to break Marshall Ulrich’s record,” Wardian said. “I heard about it a long time ago.”</p>
<p>Ulrich completed the Leadville 100 and the Pikes Peak Marathon in 1992, finishing Leadville in 21:40. He then knocked out the marathon in 9:34 for a total time of 31 hours, 14 minutes.</p>
<p>Wardian’s total time was 26 hours, 21 minutes, 52 seconds.</p>
<p>“I crushed it,” he said of besting Ulrich’s record time.</p>
<p>“That’s one of the hardest doubles ever,” said Peter Maksimow, 35, a Manitou Springs runner who was texting with Wardian when he hit town in the early morning hours Sunday, less than three hours before the marathon start time of 7 a.m. “What he did is pretty amazing.”</p>
<p>Wardian works as an international ship broker in Arlington, Va.</p>
<p>“If you saw the Tom Hanks movie ‘Captain Phillips,’ that was a ship like we help load,” he said.</p>
<p>Wardian and his wife, Jennifer, have two sons, Pierce, 11, and Grant, 8. They’ve been all over the world with him as he runs internationally.</p>
<p>In fact, Wardian was one of 33 runners who competed in the 2017 World Marathon Challenge, which involves seven marathons on seven continents in seven days; 31 completed the task. He had the best average time of 2 hours, 45 minutes, 42 seconds.</p>
<p>“The hardest was in Dubai because it was so hot – between 105 and 110 degrees and it was the sixth day,” he said.</p>
<p>Wardian said he’s run 35 races this year, including the San Diego 100 and a half-marathon the next day.</p>
<p>“Leadville and Pikes Peak are the most difficult double I’ve done,” he said. “This was tough.”</p> George Zack and Jack: How they won the Triple Crown of burro racingtag:pikespeaksports.us,2015-09-10:5021591:Topic:6744342015-09-10T03:08:28.600ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656425744?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656425744?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350"></img></a> The goal in Pack Burro Racing is to win the Triple Crown, races in Fairplay, Buena Vista and Leadville. George Zack and his racing companion, Jack, had come close in 2012 and 2014, winning two out of the three races. But this year, Jack sprang to life at key moments and they dashed to victory in all three events. George is a 46-year-old MUT runner from Broomfield, longtime…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656425744?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656425744?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-left"/></a>The goal in Pack Burro Racing is to win the Triple Crown, races in Fairplay, Buena Vista and Leadville. George Zack and his racing companion, Jack, had come close in 2012 and 2014, winning two out of the three races. But this year, Jack sprang to life at key moments and they dashed to victory in all three events. George is a 46-year-old MUT runner from Broomfield, longtime Pikes Peak runner and friend of many in the Colorado Springs area. Jack, 18, or thereabouts, spends most of his days nibbling grass on the Laughing Valley Ranch near Idaho Springs.</p>
<p>We asked George about burro racing and his experience racing with Jack this summer. He responded with some great answers.</p>
<p><strong>What attracted you to the Burro Racing scene? </strong>I first heard of Pack Burro Racing in the 1990s. I went to a Boulder Road Runner seminar where road racing star Jon Sinclair was going to speak. We all thought he'd discuss his training, racing, and principles of physiology. He instead gave an entertaining talk on burro racing. He had won the World Championships in Fairplay in 1977. I think half of the crowd was disappointed in his presentation but the other half was entertained. I was entertained and the seed was planted.</p>
<p>My wife's parents moved to Fairplay in the mid 2000s. As the town was at altitude with big hills around it, I would look to get in good training for Pikes Peak whenever we visited. One of my favorite runs was on the Mosquito Pass Road - which the Fairplay Pack Burro Race runs on. One day I actually ran into the race without even knowing it was going on. It was intriguing to see these folks running at 6-something pace with a burro at 10,000 feet.</p>
<p>Of course with my in laws in Fairplay, they knew all about it and were encouraging me to do the race as they thought it would be a hoot.</p>
<p>Finally in 2010, Justin Mock, a local road runner in the Front Range area said he was doing it and that really lit the fire for me to get going. We had heard of Bill Lee and we made contact with him at Laughing Valley Ranch. He has several burros up there and so we made the trek to meet burros and Bill. That is what got us going in the sport. My first burro race was in Fairplay in 2010 with Jack and we placed fourth that year.</p>
<p>For some, they do it once and they never want to do it again, but I have always found it to be a unique challenge in that it requires some running skills but is different in that you are running with an animal - and one that you need to have a connection with to be successful. And my family always smiles and laughs at this race more than any other. All of it and the community keeps me coming back.</p>
<p><strong>You've tried for some time to win the Triple Crown, what went right for you this year?</strong> Jack and I had been a possibility for the Triple Crown two times before this year. The Triple Crown is three races over three consecutive weeks in the towns of Fairplay, Leadville and Buena Vista. To win the Triple Crown a runner and his burro (the same burro and runner) have to win all three of the races. In 2012 and 2014, Jack and I had won Fairplay and Leadville but came up short in the Buena Vista race. The Buena Vista race is different than Leadville and Fairplay. Those races are long climbs starting at 10,000 feet up to Mosquito Pass (13K plus) and then long descents back into town. Fairplay is 29 miles and Leadville is 22. Buena Vista is low, with its highest point being around 9,000 feet at the most and it only runs about 12 miles. In 2012 and 2014 Jack and I came up short (third and sixth). We just could not use the same tactics in the shorter faster race of Buena Vista.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656426142?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656426142?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-right"/></a>Two things were different this year: Buena Vista was the second of the three races instead of the last (Boom Days in Leadville was on a different schedule) and we were able to win that race. In Buena Vista, Jack and I held on with a pack of six teams. With about four miles to go, Justin Mock and his burro Yukon Jack, and my Jack and I got away from the larger pack. I was able to get a little bit of daylight between them and us on the Whipple Trail. It was enough of a gap for us to hold on for the win when we came into town.</p>
<p><strong>Tell us about Jack, how did you come to race with him and how long have you been running together? </strong>Jack is the only burro I have ever raced. I have trained with him since Bill connected us in 2010. I have trained with other burros, but I have only raced with Jack. After we lost a couple of races in 2013, I was considered running with another burro, but when I went up to train with others at Bill's place, Jack would just come over and hang out next to me. We clearly have a connection. He may not be the fastest burro on the course and I am not the fastest runner, but we have been able to connect pretty well to get solid results.</p>
<p><strong>Something about you and Jack seems to click on these long runs, can you tell us what it is ... are you the burro whisperer? </strong>I am no burro whisperer. There is an on-going joke that it is all about a relationship that the runner has with his ass. While it is a joke, there is some truth in it. The more you know what your burro will tolerate, what motivates them, what bugs them, what they like to avoid, and how to keep them moving, the better off you will perform as a team on race day. It is not a guarantee but it helps. </p>
<p>We think Jack is 18 years old. He is not a young burro anymore and like all of us aging, we have both lost a step in our speed. But he can still hang with the lead group on the climbs, and then gets moving well on the downs on the roads and single track. <br/> <br/> <strong>We've seen a lot of runners in these events trying to motivate their burros to move. Has there been a time when Jack motivated you to pick up the pace? </strong>Jack surprised me a couple times this year. At Buena Vista, just before we came onto the Whipple Trail, he started clipping off at 6-minute pace and breaking away from Justin and Yukon. Justin and I have shared a lot of miles together and we were both pretty surprised that he did that. It seemed that he was going to be content to run in the herd for a bit but then he just made the break that set us up to win the race.</p>
<p><strong>You ran in the Leadville Trail 100 and Jack made a surprise visit at the halfway point in Winfield. Tell us about that. </strong>That was pretty surprising and huge emotional boost for me. I came off the Sheep Gulch Trail and was feeling the effort that you feel after running 50 miles. And there Tim Johnson and Angela Romero had arranged with Bill to get Jack out there with a big sign saying "get your ass up the pass." It was great. Jack seemed to be enjoying the attention from the crowd and the grass that was there for the eating. Nonetheless, when he saw me he was ready to do the work. I took the rope on the way back for a few strides and Jack decided to break into 7-minute pace - well, because that is what we do when we get together. Of course, I could not handle that and I had to let it go.</p>
<p>It was a really nice touch to the summer. It really reflected how this burro racing community is a family and the friends we have in it. Bill Lee met me just before the finish. It was pretty emotional for me to see all these people at Leadville, my family, my crew, the burro racing community cheering for me and supporting me. Seeing Jack there was just an incredible touch to an amazing summer.</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656426349?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="400" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656426349?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="400" class="align-left"/></a>Back to the Triple Crown. After winning in Fairplay and Buena Vista, Leadville must have been a little intense. Can you tell us how that race went down? </strong>I knew going into Leadville there were a handful of teams that were really able to win that race. I figured it would come down to Justin and Yukon (he was second in all the races) and Hal Walter and Full Tilt Boogie. Hal has won Fairplay like seven times, and Leadville probably another handful. He really knows how to run these courses, how to keep burros moving and he always comes to the line with his eye on a the win.</p>
<p>I knew that Jack and I would not get away from these teams on the climb up to Mosquito so I just wanted to keep contact with them. I figured if we lost contact, the race would be over at that point. I also knew that we'd probably not have a shot to get away until we got over to the last four miles, or the drop through California Gulch.</p>
<p>Sure enough, Hal and Boogie commanded the race and were first to the Pass. We kept in contact but it seemed that Jack and I, and Justin and Yukon were barely hanging onto Hal and Boogie most of the race. At one point, on one of the last climbs before California Gulch, Hal and Boogie had built a gap of about 200 yards. Jack and I were just standing going nowhere and I was convinced that we had probably lost the race right there.</p>
<p>But again, Jack surprised me and he started a steady trot and over the next five minutes we bridge the gap. All three teams were together at the top of the Gulch and we just knew it was going to be a question of who could keep moving best over the last four miles.</p>
<p>And Jack did what he has done there ever year I have run with him - he just started running well and steady with no breaks or mistakes. We got a 10-yard lead, then a bit more and then we got out of sight. It was amazing. It was exactly what I thought it would take for us to get the win, but it was pretty stressful in the race because we were trying to break each other for the first three hours of that event.</p>
<p>Of course, finishing with the win on our third try at the Triple Crown was awesome. I felt it showed what a great burro Jack was and how great his ranch, Laughing Valley Ranch was. LVR burros took first and second in each of the Triple Crown races.</p>
<p><strong>Looking back on the Triple Crown, what moment will always stand out for you? </strong>Tough question because each race really gave me its own surprise. In the first race in Fairplay I didn't think we'd get away from the faster runner in Justin and the younger burro in Yukon. But when we got off the Mosquito Pass road and onto the single track trails, Jack started running the path like he knew it like his back yard. And then to win the Buena Vista race after we had come up short there in the prior years was a huge surprise. I had in fact signed up to do the Pikes Peak Marathon and the LT100 because I was pretty certain I would not need to do all three Triple Crown races (because I'd lose one). But Jack showed me otherwise. The moment is really that realization over and over that Jack was a lot better than I gave him credit for. He is amazing.</p> Army Capt. Andrew Catalano forging his name at Leadville 100tag:pikespeaksports.us,2013-08-23:5021591:Topic:4912242013-08-23T19:24:34.734ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656419382?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656419382?profile=original" width="280"></img></a> Army Capt. Andrew Catalano said he'll always remember running past Scott Jurek in last week's Leadville Trail 100 and humbly thanking him for his immense contributions to the sport of ultrarunning. He'll also remember the mental anguish of missing a turn and running off course while his competitors gained time on him.</p>
<p>But there is no memory like knocking off Leadville,…</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656419382?profile=original"><img class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656419382?profile=original" width="280"/></a>Army Capt. Andrew Catalano said he'll always remember running past Scott Jurek in last week's Leadville Trail 100 and humbly thanking him for his immense contributions to the sport of ultrarunning. He'll also remember the mental anguish of missing a turn and running off course while his competitors gained time on him.</p>
<p>But there is no memory like knocking off Leadville, trotting onto the red carpet in the old mining town to celebrate the completion of the tough and historic footrace across Colorado's rocky rooftop. With a fifth-place finish in last week's race - to go with the sixth place he notched in 2012 - Catalano has forged a name among ultra running's top racers. His finishing time of 18 hours, 43 minutes, 25 seconds, was only 16 minutes outside the Top 3.</p>
<p>Catalano moved to Colorado Springs in 2010, served a hard year in Afghanistan, and has six 100-mile finishes to his credit. We asked for the Leadville lowdown. He had a lot to say.</p>
<p><strong>Huge congrats on your performance at Leadville. So you're running into town in fifth place, what do you remember and what are you thinking?</strong><br/> I was pretty pumped. No matter what place you're in, it's always a great feeling to finish an ultra. I do have to say though, it was especially enjoyable this year given that this certainly wasn't my most smoothly executed race and yet I was still able to hang on, get through some rough patches, and end up with a decent time and place. Also though, the Leadville finish is always pretty dramatic with the long run up 6th street and the red carpet at the finish line.</p>
<p><strong>You were sixth last year, you must be happy with this year's race.</strong><br/> I have to admit, I felt like I could do better place-wise but with the circumstances of the race, I'm happy with the result. Last year I did finish sixth, but was never really a threat overall. I went out conservatively and ran a calculated race that had me passing runners until the end as I worked my way down into the top ten. This year was very different. I'm a much stronger runner, so going into the race I wanted to mix it up with the best out there. That's what I did, I was in second place at one point and ninth at another. I may have even raced a little too hard/too early, which is something I need to work on, but I was definitely able to walk away from this one knowing I gave it a shot. And it was still about a 45 minute improvement over last year's time, so the progress was there.</p>
<p><strong><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656420586?profile=original"><img width="280" class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656420586?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="280"/></a>Leadville is one of the toughest ultra's on the planet. What attracts you to it?</strong><br/> Toughness is what it's all about. Leadville's a chance to pit your training and determination against the mountains and some altitude. Not to mention, the race carries a lot of prestige and history with it. While I definitely think the difficulty is exaggerated by some people and the media (just like everything else) there is something about this race that sets it apart from a lot of other competitions. No, it's not an impossible feat (or else I certainly wouldn't be able to do it) but it's a worthy challenge for sure. And there's no money prizes but a ton of pride at stake. If you don't go in ready, the altitude and the climbs can be too much... and honestly, even as ready as I've felt for my two Leadvilles, I still wound up getting humbled a bit.</p>
<p><strong>You also won the Leadville Silver Rush 50 this summer. That must have been a confidence builder.</strong><br/> The biggest thing with the Silver Rush 50 is that it let me know I was on track with my training. All winter and spring long I was training for the Nashville marathon so when early summer hit, I felt a little out of place in the mountains. I then had to switch gears and get ready for mountain running pretty quickly. The majority of that phase of training came leading up to the Silver Rush and when performed well there (running about 20 minutes faster than last year) I knew I could have a good showing at the 100.</p>
<p><strong>What have you learned about yourself since taking on these huge challenges?</strong><br/> I've learned that I can be patient when I need to be. My friends could tell you, that's not always my strong point, but ultras have really helped me cultivate it. Athletically, the past few years for me have all been about making steady progress at this sport, constantly listening to my body and always trying to find balance. That requires a lot of patience, more than I probably would've guessed I had, but has really paid off so far.</p>
<p><strong><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656420804?profile=original"><img width="250" class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656420804?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250"/></a>Leadville record holder Matt Carpenter says the secret - or the one that worked for him - is fuel. What is your eating and hydration plan in endurance races?</strong><br/> Nutrition and hydration are two things ultrarunners are always tweaking. I think I've come a long way but I'm no where near as proficient as I've heard Carpenter was when he set that record. A big breakthrough for me was when I changed my everyday diet over to a low carbohydrate-based one with a focus on eliminating processed foods. That has helped me adapt to burning fats for fuel in a more efficient manner, which makes a big difference when racing. Now I can consume a lot less calories during the actual race. Taking the supplement, Vespa, also helps with this. All told, I try to consume at least 1 gel packet an hour and as much water and electrolytes as I think I need during a long race. When I'm really struggling, I'll try to throw down some solid food to keep the body from shutting down completely. Coke is my go-to when I need some immediate sugar and caffeine... it's probably a good thing that it happens to be my favorite drink because I've been known to drink a six pack or more over the course of 100 miles.</p>
<p><strong>Everybody gets through these things in their own way, is there anything unique that you do to help cover the distance?</strong><br/> I don't think I do anything really out of the ordinary. Music is a big help sometimes. When things are going bad in an ultra, I'll throw on my headphones to get a little adrenaline boost. Also during those times, I'll try to make a conscious effort to focus on my form. Form drives speed so I think if I can maintain some semblance of good form then my pace won't slow down too much. For the mental side of things, I try to step back from the race and draw upon other experiences to gain some perspective. Racing is tough and stressful sometimes, but not as tough and stressful as being in Afghanistan where quitting isn't even an option.</p>
<p><strong>How long and when were you in Afghanistan, and what was your assignment there?</strong><br/> I was there last year, from June 2011 to June 2012. That was actually before I became a Company Commander, at the time I was a Platoon leader... my platoon was about 30 Soldiers. We were all Combat Engineers and did a bunch of different missions but our main purpose was to capture high value targets, locate explosive devices in the orchards, and train the local Afghan police to do the same for themselves.</p>
<p><strong><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656421248?profile=original"><img width="250" class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656421248?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="250"/></a>What tools do you possess that make you competitive at Leadville?</strong><br/> I'm not exactly sure on that one. Sometimes I see the guys I'm competing against and wonder that myself... but I guess if anything, it's probably the fact that I tend to have a little more speed than some of the runners out there with incredible endurance and a little more endurance than the guys with a stronger speed background than me. And then I've always been able to train pretty hard (when I'm smart about it) without getting injured. Whatever the combination is, I'm just thankful to God that I've been able run hard against some really talented runners because I really enjoy racing.</p>
<p><strong>What moment or moments will you remember from this race?</strong><br/> Catching and passing Scott Jurek at the top of Sugarloaf Pass on the way back was definitely a highlight. At the time, I was running with one of my best friends from college and it got him pretty excited too. It was especially cool because Scott isn't just one of the great American ultrarunners, but also an overall great guy who does things like waiting at the finish line for hours for all competitors to finish and going to Iraq to cheer up Soldiers. I hadn't spoken to him before the race so my chance to tell him I appreciated his contributions to the sport came while passing him at the top of a mountain. That's a rare opportunity. And then the low points are always some of the most memorable. For me it was around Winfield (the halfway mark) this year. The aid station informed me that I had lost 11 pounds already and then, as if I had energy to spare, I wound up running past one of the turns and going a considerable way off course. As I walked back to the missed turn, I fell couple a spots back in the race and gave up some important. That was definitely a rough patch but I got through it and things never got any worse. Those kinds of moments stick with you and make you a tougher person overall I hope.</p>
<p><strong>Any plans to jump on a mountain bike and go for the Leadman buckle?</strong><br/> People that know me and my lack of coordination will probably laugh at this but I won't rule it out. Isn't that the object of endurance sports, to always find something harder and more ridiculous sounding to do?</p>
<p><strong>How many miles a week were you training leading up to the race and where do you like to run in the Colorado Springs area?</strong><br/> 100 miles a week is pretty typical. That varied based on my Army job and how much time/energy I actually had to get to get the miles done, but I probably averaged around there with some 80s and 120s mixed in. As far as trails go, the ones I hit the most are in and around Cheyenne Canyon. I live right near the Canyon so almost all my runs start out my door and up to Gold Camp Road. I particularly like Captain Jack's and trail No. 668 because it doesn't take long to be running in the middle of nowhere with some awesome terrain around you. I'm pretty grateful to have had some more experienced ultrarunners from the area show me what an amazing trail system we've got here in the Springs.</p>
<p><strong>With two big finishes at Leadville behind you, what races do you hope to run in the near and distant future?</strong><br/> My next race will be the Army 10-miler in Washington, D.C. on October 20th. It's a pretty big road race and there's a competition between all the Army posts across the country. We beat the other posts last year, which scored some bragging rights for Fort Carson. This year, I'm hoping to run somewhere around 52 minutes and with the fast teammates I've got (some were pacers for me at Leadville) I think we'll be unstoppable again. Beyond that, I'd like to see if I can get my road marathon time down. And while I haven't decided if it'll be next year yet, I've got some unfinished business up in Leadville.</p> In the pack with Todd Murray: Broken bones and Leadmantag:pikespeaksports.us,2013-05-14:5021591:Topic:4463072013-05-14T20:05:41.813ZTim Bergstenhttp://pikespeaksports.us/profile/TimBergsten
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656425900?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656425900?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="650"></img></a> Among the Pikes Peak Region's endurance athletes, there are few like Todd Murray.</p>
<p>If all goes as planned, this August he'll become one of three cyclists to ride in all 20 of the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Races.</p>
<p>Two years ago he set the overall record in the daunting Leadman Series, completing the Leadville Trail Marathon, the 50-mile Silver Rush mountain bike…</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656425900?profile=original"><img width="650" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656425900?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="650"/></a>Among the Pikes Peak Region's endurance athletes, there are few like Todd Murray.</p>
<p>If all goes as planned, this August he'll become one of three cyclists to ride in all 20 of the Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Races.</p>
<p>Two years ago he set the overall record in the daunting Leadman Series, completing the Leadville Trail Marathon, the 50-mile Silver Rush mountain bike race, a 10K run, plus Leadville's premier events, the 100-mile mountain bike race and the Leadville Trail 100, in 43 hours and change.<a href="http://www.corunco.com/" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2653386113?profile=original" style="margin-bottom: 10px;" width="173"/></a></p>
<p>That's about 282 miles of racing, all at 10,000 feet elevation or higher. And the entire series happens inside of 50 days.</p>
<p>Only the toughest survive. But Murray - a Colorado Springs patrol officer - took it to the extreme.</p>
<p>He did it all on a broken toe.</p>
<p>"A month before the marathon, I'm on my motorcycle (riding trails) and hit a giant rock and broke bones in my foot," Murray said. "It hurt really bad."</p>
<p>He removed his boot and made a grisly discovery ... a bone protruding from one of his toes.</p>
<p>"The first thing I'm thinking is, 'I have that marathon in a month,'" he said. "We go to the emergency room and the first thing I ask is, 'how soon before I can run on this?'"</p>
<p>His doctor told him he'd have to rest it for two weeks. After that, pain - and his ability to tolerate it - would determine whether he could attack the Leadman Series.</p>
<p>"I got through the marathon, but boy did it hurt," Murray said. "It was an inconvenience."</p>
<p>For that tenacity and much more, Murray is the <a href="http://corunco.com/" target="_blank">Colorado Running Company's</a> "In the Pack" community heroes for the month of April. He earns gift certificates from the Colorado Running Company and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roman-Villa/113872155346754?ref=ts&fref=ts" target="_blank">Roman Villa</a>.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roman-Villa/113872155346754?ref=ts&fref=ts"><img width="180" class="align-left" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2656426163?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="180"/></a>You have to enjoy running to twice finish the Leadville 100, and beat the magic 25-hour mark both times. Everyone in the Murray family, Todd's wife Lisa, and daughters Lauren and Lindsey, like to run. Todd is looking forward to training with his family this summer.</p>
<p>When it comes to running routes, Todd will head for the Santa Fe Trail, but his favorite run is the Ute Indian Trail to Longs Ranch to Bob's Road and then down Barr Trail, a standard with the area's mountain runners and "a great Leadville training run," he said.</p>
<p>But forced to choose, he'll take his mountain bike over his trail shoes. This year's Leadville 100 will be a very big deal in the Murray household.</p>
<p>"That's my big personal race for the year," he said. "I'm really looking forward to this summer."</p>
<p>Ultra-distance events require the right mix of ego and humility. Murray, 49, lives gratefully. He knows he's fortunate, and he acts that way. He loves his job, answering a variety of calls, from domestic disturbances to traffic accidents. He currently works from 2 p.m. to midnight, leaving mornings for workouts. And he has taken time to give a little back, volunteering to organize the mountain bike race for the 2012 Colorado Police and Fire Games, a competition for police officers and firefighters.</p>
<p>His next challenge will be a little different. Murray will have surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip after the Leadville 100.</p>
<p>"The doctor says the key to being able to do the things I love is that i'll have to recover (from the surgery), that means inactivity," Murray said. "The doctor told me, 'I know you guys like to push the envelope.' But I'm going to do this."</p>