39 short stories from the 2004 Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon

Rock line

Name: Glen Winkel

Ascent Goal: 3:30

Results:
264 42/187 Glen Winkel 49 Manitou Springs CO 3:45:21

General Summary: My first Ascent! I was surprised how “easy” the race was. No one told me many of the “runners” weren’t running! Here I was “running” and suffering knee and foot injuries, when I perhaps ran only 30% of the race. I know I can easily take off 30 min IF I train next year! The snow and slush certainly made passing precarious and slowed my times.

Things Done Right: Went out easy. Took everyone’s advice to go slow. I ran into Craig on the run and though many passed me then, I passed them all near the top. As he said, “the race begins at Barr Camp.

Things Done Wrong: It would have helped to train for the event! Since I broke my foot in Feb, I was able to get in only one run since then. With our National Championships the two weeks before the Ascent (bike racing), I was unable to get in any runs in the weeks before the Ascent. Now that I know what to expect, I’ll know how to train for next years Ascent.

ROCK LINE

Name: Beverly Weaver

Ascent Goal: 5:45

Results: DNF

General Summary: Due to a storm that left snow and ice on the top on the previous day, the race started 30 minutes late. Due to an expected incoming storm, those who were reaching A-Frame in approximately 4 hours or more were turned back. Consequently, I had a 20 mile training run, instead of a 13.32 mile race.

Things Done Right: Started in a better position than last year, so I didn’t need to pass so many folks on the W’s; was pretty much on target for my goal time when they turned us around. Carried plenty of GU, one water bottle, ibuprofen, jacket. All of these came in handy on the way down. Had enough training on trails to jog all the way back down without much pain.

Things Done Wrong: Need to drop weight and train more — if I could have reached A-Frame earlier, I could have finished the race, instead of coming back down.

Comments on Calculator if Used: I used the calculator, wrote two sets of times on my gloves and was aware of exactly where I stood at every checkpoint. This is a great tool.

Any Other Stuff: The aid stations were closed for those of us who had to make the trip back down. Luckily, there was someone at Bob’s road who offered to fill up my water bottle, so I had water to get back down. Also, by running back instead of walking, I managed to get off the trail before the storm hit and didn’t get pounded by the torrential rains, hail, lightning, etc. that hit around 4PM. Others were NOT so lucky.
Best of all, on the way back I found the glove that Darrell had lost the previous Saturday when we were doing volunteer work on the Barr Trail. All in all, it turned out to be a good day.

ROCK LINE

Name: Andy Dillon

Ascent Goal: 3:30

Results: 3:38:03
202 44/213 Andy T Dillon 41 Colorado Spgs CO 3:38:03

General Summary: Great race, great atmosphere as always. Nice to see so many IC runners in action!

Missed my goal but with a previous best of 3-58 it’s hard to be disappointed! Felt good throughout but still managed to lose time above Barr Camp. Apart from the melting snow near the top the conditions were great — nice temperature and calm. And didn’t Pikes Peak look awesome with a dusting of snow on it!

Thanks to Matt and Yvonne for organizing another great year of running with the Incline Club. What a crazy bunch of people !!!

Things Done Right: Lots of training with the Incline Club. The long runs give you a great base and the Thursday night workouts make the W’s seem a lot easier when you get to the race. And most importantly, running with the IC makes it all fun!

This year I did more flat running also, which feels good when those calf muscles are sore.

Lost weight — last year I was 182 pounds on the morning of the race, this year I was 165 pounds. That must help! Bryan Willis advised me to give up eating food altogether and stick to drinking beer so maybe I’ll give that a go for next year. Hmmmmm...

I bought Matt and Jim’s Training Guide — lots of useful little tips and tricks in there which I put to good use in the race!

Did a 3 week taper and loaded up with carbs for a couple of days before the race. Felt weird (like I was losing all my training) but I felt good in the race and got a PR so I’m not complaining!

Strategy — “went out hard” to try to beat the crowds onto the trail. I practiced this all year and it feels pretty natural now. I think the extra effort on the road is worth it since you have several hundred fewer people to pass on the W’s. Then I slowed down and took it easy on the W’s. In fact some people were passing me, clambering over rocks, tripping over tree roots, slipping and sliding on that loose stuff at the side of the trail, tiring themselves out ... in previous years that was me! As a result I arrived at No-Name Creek faster than ever before and less tired also!

Things Done Wrong: Could take the “go out hard” strategy a step further. On the approach to the A-Frame there was a lot more bunching of people who must have suddenly slowed and I lost time trying to get past them. So I’m thinking I need to get faster on the No Name to Barr Camp section to get ahead of this crowd — then hopefully there won’t be such a need to pass people in the last 3 miles. For me, passing large numbers of people is the toughest thing about this race so if you can avoid that by running a little faster early on then I think it’s worth doing. Of course, the faster you are, the less of a problem all this becomes, so I guess I just need to train harder!

Ran out of water on the long stretch from Barr Camp to A-Frame. Fortunately I had drank lots of water early on so I didn’t get too dehydrated, but it wasn’t the best example of planning!

Comments on Calculator if Used: I recorded my times at the various split markers compared with the 3-30 pace from the calculator (in parentheses):

Ruxton 3:33 (4:37)
Hydro 11:10 (13:14) Practiced all year going out hard to try to beat the crowds onto the trail — felt good
Ws 40:22 (42:13) Nice and easy on the W’s — no need to tire myself out passing people as in previous years
NNC 59:52 (1:01:32) Still taking it easy, but still on pace
7.8 1:21:01 (1:23:22) The nicest section of the course. Ran sensibly and felt strong.
BC 1:45:05 (1:46:41) Still ahead of target pace and still feeling good. Mistake: forgot to fill my water bottle ahead of the longest “dry stretch” of the course
BP 2:02:32 (2:02:13) Not feeling so good now. Getting thirsty!
A-F 2:33:09 (2:29:31) Finally got some water! I wasn’t feeling too bad but there was a lot of bunching up of runners just before the A-Frame. Lost time trying to pass.
2 2:55:27 (2:50:31) Still crowded. Feeling ok but passing is difficult. The trail is wet and it’s hard to get traction. While passing someone I clambered over some larger rocks and my left calf locked up. Ouch!
1 3:15:04 (3:08:22) Wet and snowy on the ground. Very difficult to pass. Feeling strong and wishing all these people would get out of the way! Passing people is painful now.
Top 3:38:03 (3:30:00) Managed to pass a few people but the effort involved is pretty terrible at this stage. I always seem to feel strong in the last mile — but I can never take advantage of it because there are so many people ahead! So better get there quicker next time :-)

ROCK LINE

Name: Lars Duening

Ascent Goal: Less than 4 hours

Results:
122 37/191 Lars Duening 38 Colorado Spgs CO 3:26:35

General Summary: Weather, lack of time, a certain laziness on Sunday mornings, and injuries had relegated me this year to the status of a virtual ICer — so for this year’s Ascent I counted on my other Tri training to give me the energy to finish if only I paced myself enough. Consequently I ran deliberately slower than my usual pace, and when walking was faster than running, I walked.

To my surprise this just-finish approach worked out better than expected, and I finished 30 minutes faster than last year (when I did train for the Ascent).

Things Done Right: Pacing — conserving energy on the first few miles really paid off later.
Enough food — I prefer to believe that my diligent consumption of some gels helped prevent burn-out.
Warmup — not just to get the muscles warm, but it also helped to focus mentally on the race.

Things Done Wrong: Didn’t train with the IC, so on the last couple of miles my calves started cramping from the unusual exertion.

Any Other Stuff: The weather was a bit iffy and presented us snow above the timberline, which made for a slippery finish.
And among the spectators were two curious squirrels :-)

ROCK LINE

Name: Mary Jo Campbell

Marathon Goal: Finish in 7-8 hours

Results:
120 14/29 Mary Jo Campbell 47 Colorado Spgs CO 4:53:11 3:02:05 7:55:16

General Summary: I was on pace for a 4-4:30 ascent until after A-frame when I got stuck behind folks who wouldn’t move over and then stopped for long periods of time waiting for downhill runners. It was very frustrating to be halted when 2-way traffic could have been easily navigated by experienced mountain runners. All the unscheduled rest stops were nice “breathers” but it broke my rhythm and caused my legs to cramp up. Had to wait in a stinking LINE to cross the finish!

Things Done Right: Trained with the Incline Club — Yay! Rested and hydrated well the week before; stretched a lot. Used Accelerade for liquid supplement plus gels and energy bars. Bought shoes 1/2 size larger to accommodate downhill portion, had a friend on top with gear and food for refueling, had LOTS of people praying for me.

Things Done Wrong: Took extra long-sleeve shirt to top anticipating worse weather, ran out of liquids and fuel between 2 and 1 mile mark on way up, did NOT anticipate the human log jam on the trail at the top.

Comments on Calculator if Used: Was hoping for a 4-4:30 ascent, 3 hour descent, but got derailed with heavy trail traffic at the top — both ways. Stopped looking at the pace card as I realized I wasn’t going to make it in that window. Had a 3:02 descent, even with a 25 minute first mile (ugh!).

Any Other Stuff: Race souvenirs: one fall with a skinned knee, 2 rolled ankles, 2 pulled hamstrings, 5 blisters and one blood blister under a toe (pretty!).

ROCK LINE

Name: Jen Taylor

Ascent Goal: 3:45

Results: Horrible. . .
155 15/40 Jen L Taylor 25 Colorado Spgs CO 4:15:53

General Summary: During my training runs this summer, I carried 9-10 lbs. of water/accelerade in my camelback. I did the same thing last year, and on race day cut off about 30 min of time since I wasn’t carrying so much weight. I have done this while training for marathons too and it works great since I feel so much “lighter” on race day and my heart rate is much lower. But instead, my heart rate was 10-15 beats higher than it should have been. This is the same thing that happened to me during the GOTG 10 mile. Also, I tasted blood throughout the race. I have no idea what the cause of my increased HR was.

Things Done Right: I spent each Saturday training on the mountain, which helped a ton last year. The last week I tapered, stayed well-hydrated/fueled.

Things Done Wrong: Unfortunately, I’m not sure what went wrong.

ROCK LINE

Name: Joe Cowell and Brenda Cowell

Ascent Goal: 5:20

Results: DNF - Trail closed due to weather

General Summary: We got a late start with the second wave and a 30 minute delay due to ice on top. We were well ahead of all cut offs but the late start came back to bite us.

Things Done Right: Trained up high and hydrated for a week. Incline club runs were the key to my training and were what I needed.

Things Done Wrong: Probably will not carry as many warm clothes next time just to cut down on weight

Any Other Stuff: Brenda and I were right on schedule to reach goal. We felt good at A-frame and were hoping to do well on the top three miles. Unfortunately the course was closed because of weather and we were turned back at A-frame. Over all we had a good race and were happy with all the results of the race except for the not being able to top out due to weather part. We will be back next year.

ROCK LINE

Name: Vicki Martin
23 1/22 Vicki K Martin 50 Colorado Spgs CO 3:48:24 2:11:19 5:59:43

Marathon Goal: To beat last years time and finish under 6 hours.

Results: Yea!! 5:59.43

General Summary: Another Great Pikes Peak Marathon!! Wonderful Volunteers all over the mountain, Thank-You to each and every one of you! Weather cooperated for the marathoners. Nice, cool, and clear at the start. Temperature much milder than last couple of years, a little warm coming down last couple of miles.

Things Done Right: I felt rested and ready to go, ate well and drank enough water. Did not take water with me but drank at every water stop. Also, did an e-gel before race and then another at No Name meant to do two others but didn’t, probably should of, Training went well this year for me and I was able to improve by almost 9 minutes. Accomplished 1st in my age group.

Things Done Wrong: I wish I had done more training going down in the upper 6 miles. I forget how hard that can be on your body and I’m sure that would have helped my speed down the mountain.

ROCK LINE

Name: Doug Laufer

Ascent Goal: Improve on last year; keep streak; avoid injury setback (ribs); have fun

Results: See comments in summary
144 8/120 Doug Laufer 51 Palmer Lake CO 3:29:43

General Summary: Results: Time was 6:21 faster than last year’s Ascent time. Streak at 19 years of doing one race, the other, or both. Did not aggravate cracked ribs (did not do round-trip :-(. Yes had fun — I have had really good years and really bad years but find that no matter the results always have nice glow and some form of mental bliss for the effort & process.

Summary:
The year of the cracked ribs. Took fall 4 weeks before race, left me stressing about what to expect. Prior to fall was in good groove, running consistently with some good quality workouts. After fall did very little, but did spend a lot of time at altitude. Anyway I was really rested :-).

Happy with ascent effort. Felt I had even, honest effort. Upper half slow based on Matt’s calculator (see below), but felt ok — only passed by one runner above Barr Camp. Only problem during race was a slightly unsettled stomach; not sure if from over hydration or not being as relaxed I would have liked to have been.

Wimped on the double — not sure if it is good or bad decision — some of both I guess. The rib injury had me flip-flopping on doing the double for the weeks leading up to the race. At about A-frame I had no doubt I would be running Sunday, was not feeling too beat up, upper body/ribs felt fine; however the wet, slippery conditions the last two miles had me doubting the value of doing the double (cracked ribs on Peak on day similar to Saturday). Spent Saturday afternoon/evening looking at the web-cam on top of the Peak and listing the pros and cons (in other words thinking way too much). After what amounted to a four week layoff I was looking forward to getting back into training routine — I did not want to risk setback or the fall running season, so skipped the round trip, felt a bit disoriented all day Sunday, but ready for fall marathon training :-).

Things Done Right: I had more excitement and energy for training than I have had in several years. Prior to fall was having a very good training year — very consistent, good quality workouts. Was also doing stretch & strength workout routine that I think was really helping. I spent a lot of time at altitude, especially after cracking ribs.

Some of the energy and excitement were derived from Matt & Jim’s book. I highly recommend it for veterans and newbie’s alike. Good for new ideas, training reminders and motivation.

I am excited about next year all ready — feel I gained some insights this year, look forward to improving training approach and the process of preparing properly for a double for 50th year of the Peak race.

Things Done Wrong: Well other than cracking ribs, I think I had a couple of glaring weak points. First while quality was good, quantity was lacking — not enough long runs — nothing over 4 hours. Had I done the double I would have paid for that! Also I think I need to work on the mental aspects of training and racing (after all these years). It may be the most overlooked aspect of running. Keeping a positive attitude and having high expectations helps keep training on track and helps provide the mindset to push hard on race day. Just like building a base or working on speed — need to work on those mental skills

Comments on Calculator if Used: Was right on splits for 3:20 pace from start to Barr Camp. Lost 4 minutes to A-frame and 5:43 in last 3 miles (about 2 minutes each mile). That pattern is similar to prior years. Do not think I went too fast to Barr Camp — as mentioned above felt ok in second half, did not fade, in fact passed a number of runners and was only passed by 1 runner. Still could have been stronger up high.

ROCK LINE

Name: John O’Donnell

Ascent Goal: 3:45-3:50

Results:
546 52/120 John D O'Donnell 52 Colorado Spgs CO 4:11:59

General Summary: Good training and tapering. Didn’t expect my lower back to act up as it does sometimes.

Things Done Right: Good carbs and plenty of fluids and gels used.

Things Done Wrong: Too much stress on setting a PR.

Comments on Calculator if Used: A real good tool that everyone needs for splits.

Any Other Stuff: People should pack their trash.

Rock line

Name: John O’Donell

Marathon Goal: 6:30 or less

Results:
306 31/82 John D O'Donnell 52 Colorado Spgs CO 4:43:11 2:17:23 7:00:34

General Summary: Do to running the Ascent on Saturday, my lower back acted up . Walked or slow run to Barr Camp. After A-Frame started to push it more and felt good. Had a good down hill finish.

Things Done Right: Good carbs and fluids with gels. Also, got a good rub down after the Ascent. Used some of that free stuff in our race bags, Biofrese pain gel that real seemed to work.

Things Done Wrong: None.

Comments on Calculator if Used: A good tool for splits.

Any Other Stuff: Turned out to be perfect race weather after running the Ascent the day before on snow and wet trails.

Rock line

Name: Diane Repasky

Marathon Goal: 6 hours 30 minutes

Results:
27 4/27 Diane L Repasky 39 Colorado Spgs CO 3:58:09 2:05:10 6:03:19

General Summary: Marathon/Trail Race Start at Memorial Park in Manitou Springs and head up to the summit of Pikes Peak via the Barr Trail turn around and head back down to the finish at the bottom of Ruxton.

Things Done Right: Trained well, consistent, and hard. Did not go out too fast, drank at every aid station and carried some water for the upper half of the trail where the aid stations are farther apart. Paced myself well for most of the race, I had not much left at the end of the race. Glad to see the finish line.

Things Done Wrong: Could have pushed a little harder between Barr Camp and A-frame but it was a section of trail I did not train a lot on, so was not as familiar.

Comments on Calculator if Used: Calculated for both 3:45 and 4:00 hour ascent time, came in very helpful. Copied both and taped them to the back of my race bib for reference.

Any Other Stuff: Weather was good, cool and the rain and hail held off long enough to safely finish the race. Trail was in good shape considering the weather the day before. The last mile at the summit was wet & slushy.

ROCK LINE

Name: Jason Jungbauer

Ascent Goal: hopeful sub 3hrs - realistic sub 3hr 15min

Results:
107 20/161 Jason D Jungbauer 30 Manitou Springs CO 3:23:41

General Summary: 13 plus miles uphill to 14110 or 14115 ft. Well maintained trail especially the top mile:) Top three miles covered in snow and ice, yes in August.

Things Done Right: Trained well, got a lot of time in at altitude, got a good nights rest. Got to the start in time to warm up.

Things Done Wrong: Did not train enough in the last few months for winter running conditions (perhaps we could drive and carry bags of ice to LRR and run up it in July to prepare). I can not see the peak from my house until I come around the corner on Crystal Park Rd (by Savellis) so I did not know it had snowed over night, and thus did not bring anything other than t-shirt and shorts to wear, (luckily I did have gloves.) I had a good pace going to make a sub 3hr 15min time but lost it up above the A-frame between my numb feet hands and lips I just slowed down too much. Also with the start being delayed I ate my 2 power gels earlier in the course than I had planned and I kind of bonked at about the 1 mile to go sign.

Comments on Calculator if Used: Right on until the top miles. Would have been the whole way except for the conditions.

Any Other Stuff: My favorite part was when my shoe found the small “river” at the top and my foot disappeared to my ankle in ice water.

ROCK LINE

Name: Mike Everson

Marathon Goal: 6:30:00

Results:
232 38/111 Michael F Everson 40 Colorado Spgs CO 3:59:13 2:35:58 6:35:11

General Summary: Cool temperature for the entire ascent made for good running conditions. Coming back down it got a little warm. All in all, a good day for a marathon.

Things Done Right: 1. Plenty of CarbBooms for the run. I think I had 12-15 of them.
2. My brother as “pit crew” stayed at start line until 2 minutes before race began so I could give him clothes I didn’t think I would need. Then, he drove to the top and had a camelback full of water and CarbBoom gels. When I completed the ascent portion, I traded my empty camelback for the full one and ran down. WHAT A GUY!!
3. Met two others on course who really helped pace me. Jimmy from Austin, TX and Marco from Virginia Beach, VA. Although I didn’t make my goal, I am extremely pleased with my result. I am not sure my result would have been as good without them.

Things Done Wrong: 1. Got rocks in my shoes on the downhill. Had to stop and dump rocks out which cost at least two minutes. Probably need lightweight gators to prevent this from happening again.
2. I didn’t anticipate the logjam of people running both directions at/near the summit. This cost precious time running both directions. Not much you can do.

Any Other Stuff: Course was in OK shape given the recent rain/snow. It was pretty sloppy at the top (wet, slippery) so a lot of people fell (not me). I had a good time, and recovery was better than I thought it would be.

ROCK LINE

Name: Chaz Lalonde

Ascent Goal: 3:15 or at least beat last year’s time

Results:
81 9/187 Chaz J Lalonde 45 Colorado Spgs CO 3:17:25

General Summary: Great conditions until about 2+ miles to go. I was ahead of schedule to post 3:15 until I got to the snow/ice/slush.

Things Done Right: Put a dry pair of shoes/socks in my sweat check! I had a very good training season with only a few minor injuries.

Things Done Wrong: Fell behind my split time by 1 mile to go, and had to go faster than ever before during this race in the last mile. While I succeeded in catching up and beat last years time by 6 seconds, I paid for it at the finish line.
Thanks to Larry Miller, I was able to get to sweat check and get some extra clothes and dry socks/shoes.

ROCK LINE

Name: Heather Stites

Marathon Goal: Sub 6:00 (Sub 4:00 Summit)

Results:
12 1/14 Heather K Stites 25 Colorado Spgs CO 3:30:59 2:01:39 5:32:38

General Summary: Race went unbelievably well — much better than I could ever imagine.

Things Done Right: Hydration and mental alertness.

Things Done Wrong: Need to do downhill training as well as more than one hill workout (IC Club) a week.

Comments on Calculator if Used: Calculator was very accurate.

Any Other Stuff: Wish they had Gu at the stops on the race :o(

ROCK LINE

Name: Jonathan Veteto

Ascent Goal: 3:10

Results:
154 26/161 Jonathan E Veteto 34 Manitou Springs CO 3:32:27

General Summary: We all know what it is and where it is.

Things Done Right: Trained all year, ran the top section a lot, spent two or three days a week at altitude (10k+) since June. put in a lot of miles on the peak.

Things Done Wrong: Was fairly sick to my stomach all week, and while i felt good at the bottom, by the 1/2 mile to go to Barr camp sign, I knew it was going to be a long morning. just had no go the last half. I cramped badly, felt dizzy, and almost fell over. never have felt that bad at any race.

Any Other Stuff: I absolutely loved the cool weather. would trade cool weather for warm and sunny any day for a race like this. while footing was a little wet & sketchy at times, the relief from the heat was really nice.

ROCK LINE

Name: Harry Harcrow

Marathon Goal: under 5:00

Results:
47 13/99 Harry S Harcrow 37 Woodland Park CO 3:25:44 1:43:39 5:09:23

General Summary: Great day for a marathon! Perfect weather and it just seemed less crowded this year for whatever reason. I had been fighting sore legs for a long time leading up to the race and hoped the rest had helped.

Things Done Right: I tried to not worry about my time and just relax and enjoy the run. I also took a water bottle with me to help me stay hydrated and made sure I took gels and sodium supplements regularly during the run. This worked great up to the 7.8 sign. After that I battled sore legs and cramping that would only get worse. After the foot bridge to Bottomless Pit, I had to hike to the top. I had a great descent time while battling constant leg pain and cramping. The important thing is that I finished and gave it my best.

Things Done Wrong: The last 6 weeks leading up to the Marathon I didn’t train or recover properly and that was my downfall. It probably didn’t help that I spent Saturday crewing for Gina at Leadville, but not being there for her was not an option.

Comments on Calculator if Used: I had studied the calculator, but just cannot seem to ever hit those split times past Bottomless Pit.

Any Other Stuff: I thought the trail was in great shape even with the rain on Saturday. Thanks to all that spent time getting it ready for the races!

Rock line

Name: Stephen Martin

Marathon Goal: Sub 6 hr

Results:
118 21/111 Stephen E Martin 44 Colorado Spgs CO 3:45:10 2:05:21 5:50:31

General Summary: Overall I felt the weather conditions were ideal, cool but not cold and warming as the day progressed. The W’s on the downhill didn’t seem as hot as in years past.
Organization of the race was top notch, many thanks for the hard work to all the race committee and volunteers.

Things Done Right: Took Matt’s advice not to go out too hard, ran to Barr Camp at a relaxed but consistent pace. Pushed hard from Barr Camp to the Summit. Did a better “taper” this year than in previous years, in that I cut back on distance and time, but not on intensity. I was able to do a faster ascent time than in training and I feel the tapering helped.

Things Done Wrong: Not enough training runs on flat courses, as people reeled me in on the flatter sections.
Pushed too hard from the Summit to Barr Camp on the descent, I would have liked to have had a little something left to push the downhill Ws better.
Forgot to eat my last gel pack at French Creek on the downhill.

Comments on Calculator if Used: I used the calculator as a reference, don’t always strictly adhere to it, but I think it is an effective tool for the race.

Rock line

Name: Gordon Barnett

Marathon Goal: PR if not use this as my first Ultra (Mt. Masochist 50 mile) training run

Results: First Ultra Training Run
179 27/91 Gordon J Barnett 49 Colorado Spgs CO 3:52:47 2:20:57 6:13:44

General Summary: - This was my third PPM.
- Conditions improved over Saturday’s ascent although still wet up at summit.

Things Done Right: - Steady pace until 2 to go. Sucked it up from that point on.
- Felt I was well hydrated; water & electrolyte replenishment.
- Salt tablets; 1 in first thing in the morning (part of my pre-race procedure) carried another for the summit turn-around.
- Took 2 GUs up and another 2 GUs on the down. Plus grapes at Barr Camp... damn those are good grapes!
- Concentrated on my stride running down hill. No “runner’s toe” this race.
- Wore my Montrail Masai

Things Done Wrong: - Stopping and starting from 2 to go on, due to line heading up yielding to the descending runners. (Note yielding to downhill runners is a VERY GOOD thing, constant stopping and starting is not.)
- Right quad went into spasms just below Bob’s Road which stopped me dead in my tracks.
- Who ever the runner was who passed and threw me his baggie of table salt — THANK YOU — otherwise I’d still be up there!
- I’ve had success in the past when at least once/season going from the bottom to the top. Didn’t do that this year.
- Carried too much body weight this season.

Comments on Calculator if Used: - I’ve always use Matt’s calculator, and was bang on my splits until 2 to go.

Any Other Stuff: - It was inspiring witnessing the commitment to training and the awesome “strides” that several IC folks made this year. Andy D, Jessie G, Gina H, and Pete T come to mind.... inspirational!
- Loved seeing the competitive spark in Matt’s (the freak of nature) eyes again.

ROCK LINE

Name: Matt Von Thun

Ascent Goal: 3:00

Results:
37 13/191 Matthew S Von Thun 38 Colorado Spgs CO 3:06:02

General Summary: I enjoyed the trail more this year partially since I hadn’t done a training run up the peak and therefore the Ascent seemed like that first spring time run where you become re-acquainted with Barr trail. The snow up on top made traction difficult, but also made for a more interesting run. As can be seen in my race calculator below, my lack of training caught up to me on the last two miles were my legs were just plain worn out. For the first time in four years I had to walk the last part of the course.

Things Done Right:
1. Good nutrition and hydration.
2. Hiking and backpacking on the weekends gave me some altitude training.

Things Done Wrong:
1. Poor Training:
    a. No long runs on the peak.
    b. Did not build up a base of long runs during the season.
    c. No speed work
    d. Poor hill training. For the first time since the incline club was formed, I didn’t make it to any of the workouts.
    e. Didn’t run while on vacation for 4 weeks in June/July
2. Poor sleep the week before the race.
3. Bad Taper: In June I ran 0 to 10mi/week, starting in mid July I ramped up to 20 mi/week, then the weekend before the Ascent I did a backpack trip with friends that included a 15mi round trip climb of two 14ers and one 13er. Since I had not been building up my leg strength during the year, this had a negative effect on my legs and may have contributed to the soreness/weakness I felt at the end of the race.

Comments on Calculator if Used: Below are my pre-race goals and Actual splits. The goal splits are from a slightly customized version of Matt C’s calculator.

Race Split Goals 2004
Enter Goal: 3:00:16

                         Goal                Actual            Difference
Location            Split  Cumulative   Split  Cumulative   Split   Cumulative
Ruxton            03:58.0    03:58.0  03:06.0    03:06.0  00:52.0   00:52.0
Hydro street      07:24.0    11:21.9  07:02.0    10:08.0  00:22.0   01:13.9
Top of Ws         24:52.6    36:14.5  22:19.0    32:27.0  02:33.6   03:47.5
No Name Creek     16:35.1    52:49.6  16:30.0    48:57.0  00:05.1   03:52.6
7.5 Summit        18:44.9  1:11:34    15:56.0  1:04:53    02:48.9   06:41.5
Barr Camp         20:01.1  1:31:36    19:47.0  1:24:40    00:14.1   06:55.6
Bottomless Pit    13:20.4  1:44:56    13:25.0  1:38:05   (00:04.6)  06:50.9
3 to go           25:27.9  2:09:24    25:25.0  2:03:30    00:02.9   05:53.8
2 to go           15:59.8  2:26:24    18:24.0  2:21:54   (02:24.2)  04:29.6
1 to go           15:19.9  2:41:43    18:44.0  2:40:38   (03:24.1) (01:05.5)
Finish            18:33.5  3:00:17    25:19.0  3:05:57   (06:45.5) (05:40.0)

By feeding my finish time back into the Matt C calculator I get the following table.
The table shows where I fell off the pace, when my legs wore out.

                  My Time    Calc    Diff
Ruxton            03:06.0  04:05.5  00:59.5
Hydro street      07:02.0  07:38.1  00:36.1
Top of Ws         22:19.0  25:40.1  03:21.1
No Name Creek     16:30.0  17:06.7  00:36.7
7.5 Summit        15:56.0  19:20.6  03:24.6
Barr Camp         19:47.0  20:39.3  00:52.3
Bottomless Pit    13:25.0  13:45.8  00:20.8
3 to go           25:25.0  25:14.6 (00:10.4)
2 to go           18:24.0  17:32.2 (00:51.8) 
1 to go           18:44.0  15:49.1 (02:54.9) 
Finish            25:19.0  19:09.0 (06:10.0) 

Any Other Stuff:
-Drank at each water stop as well and at each split location.
-At No Name: Ate power gel, re-filled bottle with H20 and added my own packet of Gatorade
-At Barr Camp: Ate power gel, re-filled bottle with one cup Gatorade and top off with water)
-At A frame: Ate cliff shot, topped off bottle with water
-At 1.5mi to go mark: Re-filled bottle with water

ROCK LINE

Name: Andrea Cichosz

Ascent Goal: Finish under 4:30

Results:
218 63/126 Andrea Cichosz 41 Colorado Spgs CO 4:33:40

General Summary: I had a great race. I know people were unhappy with the weather conditions, but I happen to like running in this kind of weather. I’d rather fight snow than heat. So for me the temperature was perfect.

Things Done Right: I took a little water bottle that I had refilled at every station. I took Gu, lots of GU. I paced myself through the (hated) switchbacks. I ran my own race the entire time. I am so glad, my husband dragged me up on the summit so many times in the last couple of weeks , so I had no problems with the altitude.

Things Done Wrong: I probably should get a little more aggressive in passing. It was so crowded in the last miles that I just hung with the group. Had I passed a little more, I would have truly been under 4:30.

Comments on Calculator if Used: I had made myself a time schedule that I tried to stick to and saw the calculator the night before on the Website. Looking at those times, made me feel really confident, that I was going to be able to achieve my split times and I did.

Any Other Stuff: My goal was to be under 4:30 which is 28 minutes less than last year. I finished at 4:33. Considering the conditions on the trail and the “crowds” during the last miles, I feel I achieved my goal anyway. Thank you ICer’s for your support and help, I consider you an instrumental part in my finish time. Next year: Under 4:00!!!!

ROCK LINE

Name: Glen Ash

Ascent Goal: under 3:40

Results:
270 1/14 Glen L Ash 67 Colorado Spgs CO 3:45:34

General Summary: The wet weather had the trail packed well above AF and above two mile sign the slush and snow made for wet feet. Having trained with the IC Club, this was no problem.

Things Done Right: Went out at a steady pace and walked the steep parts, with a good time to BC. then I started to slow down. I may have lost some conditioning(See Wrong) but had a good race.

Things Done Wrong: Two weeks prior the race, I had a pain in the upper part of my leg and ended up walking home the last two miles. I was afraid the pain would keep me from making the top on race day and did very little running until the race. (No pain during the race.)

ROCK LINE

Name: David Zink

Ascent Goal: 2:45 to 2:50 or who knows?

Results:
17 2/187 David Zink 45 Fraser CO 2:51:31

General Summary: This was my first race on PP. I am a cross country skier and I entered the Ascent to have a summer training goal. Training for the Ascent fit well with my summer XC ski training, as my goal this summer was to improve V02 max. I mixed 1-3 running workouts per week in with my program of roller skiing and occasional bike. We live at 9000 ft. so all of my training is from that elevation and upward. Almost all of my intensity running workouts were uphill, and distance workouts were often peak runs to around 13,000 ft.

Things Done Right: I wish I could say that I intentionally paced myself well at the start, but the truth is I am just plain slow on the flats. I watched what seemed like more than 100 runners go by me on the way to the bottom of the W’s because I was simply in my top gear and “spun out.” In retrospect, this was probably a good thing and kept me from taking too much out of the tank early on.

Things Done Wrong: I worried more than I should have (both before the race and during, as I watched all of those runners pull away from me) about having room to pass, etc. It turns out there was never a time that I felt like I had to run somebody else’s pace. The runners I caught up to were friendly, encouraging and always stepped to the side way sooner than I ever wished they would have.

Comments on Calculator if Used: I found the split thing great mental stimulation, but I am very used to pacing myself by watching my heart rate and how I feel. I don’t think I changed anything during the race based upon feedback from where I was according to time splits. Maybe if I do the race next year that will be different (but I forgot to record my splits anyway). Staring at tiny numbers and doing math in your head at 13,000 feet is a wonderful distraction from pain, however.

Any Other Stuff: Matt’s course description and his new training manual are fantastic, from the perspective of someone who has zero experience with the race. I am also very impressed with the Incline Club and enjoyed my first (and so far only) Sunday club workout in July. What an fun group to be around and train with!

Rock line

Name: Teri Harper

Ascent Goal: To finish my 1st ascent hopefully under 4:30

Results:
128 33/126 Teri M Harper 40 Woodland Park CO 4:10:17

General Summary: Since this was my first Ascent I didn’t know exactly what to expect even after reading Matt’s book. I had only been above Barr camp 1 time so this was the least familiar section and of course the longest/hardest. I
know the race doesn’t start until Barr Camp or actually A Frame! I ran/walked up until Barr Camp and pretty much hiked after that due to the crowds. Actually it was the fact that I could hardly lift my legs over the rocks and boulders, but the altitude/breathing wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be.
While I was running/walking the race I questioned my own sanity of why I was there, but then by the next day when I was watching the marathoners finish I was wondering what time I could have finished the marathon in. So I guess I am hooked!!!

Things Done Right: Hydrated well, ate a couple of power gels and a handful of M & M’s along the way. Wore a pair of gloves entire race (my hands tend to get cold really easily) and had a long sleeve shirt to put on above treeline.

Things Done Wrong: Hiked up to the top and back in late July in 10 1/2 hours so I had been on the trail at least once, but I should have ran above Barr Camp more in training. Hiked Mt. Elbert the week before the race because I was there, should have tapered and rested more.

Comments on Calculator if Used: Used the calculator for 4:30 pace and was well ahead of it for entire race which felt great!

Any Other Stuff: Probably one of the hardest races I’ve ever done, can’t wait till next year to do it again (or maybe try the marathon!)

ROCK LINE

Name: Tibor Kiss

Ascent Goal: dream: 3:00, happy: 3:11, sad: 3:20+

Results:
69 12/213 Tibor Kiss 41 Manitou Springs CO 3:14:06

General Summary: Couldn’t do my dream time, but it’s okay. There is next year. I wish I could blame the weather, but I think I just did not have the endurance towards the end.

Things Done Right: I did the right things the days before the race. I felt lots of energy in the morning of the race. I had the right meal the night before, and I was well hydrated. I did enough high altitude training, and I didn’t seem to lack oxygen in the last couple of miles. I had good energy to the end — if only my legs had held up...

Things Done Wrong: Too many short distance races in the last two months prior to the race. Also, as a consequence, not enough incline club time during the same period. I had good speed coming into the race but apparently not enough endurance: my legs were cramping after the A-frame.

Comments on Calculator if Used: I followed the calculator up to the bottomless pit sign or so, and I was right on a 3 hour pace, to the minute. From there I gradually slowed down and accumulated a 14 minute deficit by the top. I think the calculator would have been near perfect for me if I had the right endurance training.

Any Other Stuff: I head great fun again, and I am looking forward to the next season!

ROCK LINE

Name: Gary Hellenga

Ascent Goal: sub-4:00

Results:
165 33/213 Gary A Hellenga 43 Bozeman MT 3:33:45

General Summary: This race was more of an excuse to come back to Colorado and to see friends than it was an attempt to get a good time (obviously). It was also a bit of an experiment. Conventional running wisdom says one should recover one day for each mile of a difficult race, and Lynn and I had only had 7 days to recover from the 20 mile Bridger Ridge Run the weekend before the Ascent. As it turned out, we felt a bit of leg soreness doing the high step-ups on the 16 Golden Stairs, but the rest of the course wasn’t bad. Also, we were interested to see how the altitude would affect us (due to lingering snow this summer, we had not gotten up to 10,000 feet since moving from Colorado). We were surprised the extra altitude at the top didn’t give us much trouble.

Things Done Right: Hydrated well. Left the kids with their aunts on Friday, so we could come down and get some rest the night before the race. Ran well within capabilities. Didn’t overdress.

Things Done Wrong: Got timing screwed up due to the delayed start time, and had to take a bathroom break shortly after getting off the pavement at the end of Ruxton. This put me back behind a number of slower runners, and I wasn’t able to pass and run freely until after No Name.

Comments on Calculator if Used: Was not intentionally focusing on split times, but noted times of about 1:02 at No Name, and 1:45 at Barr Camp. These turned out to pretty well match my finish time, according to the calculator’s predictions.

Any Other Stuff: This course was WAY easier than last week’s! If I could count on weather like this every year, I’d run the PPA or PPM more often! We thought we would slow down severely after Barr Camp or A-Frame, but the altitude didn’t hit us as expected (which is good, since we’re headed to 19,000’ in January).

ROCK LINEX

Name: Mike Shafai

Marathon Goal: Beat Lee Moss and Todd Baker

Results: Did not beat Lee Moss. Did not beat Todd Baker. Definitely next year, unless they wuss out.
169 36/86 Michael C Shafai 34 Colorado Spgs CO 3:52:40 2:18:30 6:11:10

General Summary: I think everyone knows this course all too well, so I won’t bore you with the details.

I felt great after the race, which means I didn’t go as fast as I could have (finished in 6:11 and change).

The 10 minute stop at Barr Camp on the way down felt GREAT! I enjoyed a wonderful meal and pleasant conversation with the aid station staff. Had I carried a sleeping bag with me, I certainly would have stayed the night there.

I discovered a new secret weapon: Tangerine Power Gel with double caffeine. I sucked down one of those with around 6-7 miles to go. After my stomach accepted the sweet concoction, I picked up my pace significantly and ultimately passed a lot of people over the last five miles.

Unfortunately, I never passed Lee Moss and Todd Baker, who I desperately wanted to beat. If only the race was longer.

One thing’s for sure: I felt great when the race was over, in fact, I felt like I could have run another 10 miles (but not 74, like those Leadville maniacs!). Since Todd Baker could barely walk and Lee Moss was crying like a baby at the finish line, I know that next year I need to challenge them to a longer race.

Yup, if you think you just heard the sound of a gauntlet hitting the ground, you are correct.

Things Done Right: Tangerine Power Gel with Double Caffeine at mile 19.

Things Done Wrong: Should have had the Tangerine Power Gel with Double Caffeine for breakfast, instead of lunch.

Any Other Stuff: The aid station volunteers were great!

ROCK LINE

Name: Al Garcia

Ascent Goal: 3:30

Results:
452 75/187 Al Garcia 45 Colorado Spgs CO 4:02:32

General Summary: Was definitely ready for the race. The race went as planned until above No Name. My splits were where they should of been at that point for a 3:30 race. However, I ran a little too conservative between No Name and A Frame. I still wasn’t that far off at Barr (1:56). I should’ve taken a little more assertiveness and passed more people on the way to A Frame. Once I hit A frame, my splits were right on the money! In fact, I felt I had a lot left when I finished!

Things Done Right: Trained at altitude quite a bit. When I hit A Frame, I felt I was home!! Did a lot of 3-2-1’s and 20/30/20 above 12000’. Was well hydrated and tapered well. My clothing selection suited me right. However, my socks and shoes were soaked and I did get very cold feet from about 2 mile mark on. Finally... I had a GREAT TIME doing this race!

Things Done Wrong: Did not move out between Barr and A frame. Passed the majority of people after the 3 mile mark. I didn’t work on the middle part of the course therefore I wasn’t as familiar enough with it. This caused me to hold back more than I should of.

Comments on Calculator if Used: I had used the calculator and had a sheet with me during many runs. I used it a lot when doing my 3-2-1’s. I think it was very effective in the beginning of the race as I saw how many people died that went out way too fast on the bottom of the race. The 2 weeks prior to the race, I used the calculator to see where I was and how I was progressing. A big help

Any Other Stuff: Used the training manual extensively. That gave my training a whole new direction. I know I could of gone at least 3:30 if my tactics would have been better. I will be using this come next season. I definitely got hooked on this race!

ROCK LINE

Name: Dan Odell

Ascent Goal: 4:30 or PR

Results: PR
811 75/120 Daniel J Odell 51 Colorado Spgs CO 4:44:51

General Summary: Wanted to get to the top with my purple bib intact, have some fun and pass some blue bibs along the way.

Was successful on all three counts.

Things Done Right: Enjoyed 37 Saturday and/or Sunday trail runs since
November to get ready.
Ate right, hydrated properly and tapered well, owing
much of this to my crew chief, Ruth Odell.

Things Done Wrong: Did not get high enough in training. My downhill is
painful and I must find a way to train high without
running downhill 6 to 13 miles.

Comments on Calculator if Used: First time to use it. Best part for me was the inherent promise that, if you know your pace and
abilities and stick to it, you will pass dozens of
people who don’t. I believe a fellow named Matt said
that...

Any Other Stuff:
1. Blessings to all for encouragement by example.
2. For all who expressed thanks for my 5:00 AM breaking of snow on the UPT, you are welcome.
3. I want my 33rd STAR!
********************************A

ROCK LINE

Name: Timothy Edwards

Ascent Goal: 3:57:57

Results:
516 84/187 Timothy M Edwards 47 Florissant CO 4:07:48

General Summary: Did better than last year’s Ascent. Alpine conditions made the traffic jam worse than usual, cost my goal.

Things Done Right: Hydrated and fueled.

Things Done Wrong: Got behind too many slow people. I came alive above treeline (lots of training there) but the masses were the bottleneck.

ROCK LINE

Name: Timothy Edwards

Marathon Goal: 6:57:57

Results:
310 46/91 Timothy M Edwards 47 Florissant CO 4:29:56 2:31:52 7:01:48

General Summary: Did better than last year’s Marathon (and Double). This completes my 6th consecutive Double (and 7th consecutive Ascent).

Things Done Right: Hydrated and fueled.

Things Done Wrong: I came alive again above treeline (lots of training there) but the masses were the bottleneck. Seemed like they didn’t want to run DOWN the Mtn.
Stubbed my big toe @ mile 22, costing speed and my goal.

ROCK LINE

Name: Nicole Rosa

Ascent Goal: 3: forty-something

Results:
44 14/126 Nicole E Rosa 44 Pueblo CO 3:46:19

General Summary: I had a great race, but was disappointed (once again) to see that the aid stations did not always have what was promised. No food at A-Frame and nothing but water and a few grapes at the Cirque. Does anybody else feel that for $60, the aid stations should have the food/drinks that were promised!?

Things Done Right: Trained through the winter. Did some major tapering the 2 weeks before the race. Tried to stay relaxed during the traffic jam above the Cog, instead of getting frustrated. Stayed in my comfort zone.

Things Done Wrong: Probably could have pushed harder.

Comments on Calculator if Used: The calculator was right on the money with some of my splits, and never more than 2 minutes off the rest.

Any Other Stuff: After many hot summers, the cooler weather was wonderful!

ROCK LINE

Name: Andy Cullan

Ascent Goal: 4 hrs

Results:
539 84/161 Andrew P Cullan 33 Colorado Spgs CO 4:11:06

Things Done Right: Finished, made it to the top.

Things Done Wrong: Probably did not hydrate enough — 1st time I have ever had cramps in my calves and quads — From the beginning I could not loosen up and then the cramps kicked in about Barr Camp.

Any Other Stuff: It was fun running with so many other people.

ROCK LINE

Name: Valerie Prothe

Ascent Goal: 4:00

Results:
59 16/126 Valerie J Prothe 40 Colorado Spgs CO 3:54:10

General Summary: Overall, the race was awesome...which surprised the heck out of me since I semi wasn’t looking forward to it. Last winter I had a goal of 3:30, which I promptly gave up on when I opted to forego much running for...well...anything other than running. By race morning, I was hoping for a 4 hour ascent, but was questioning the feasibility of that when I had bonked on each of the last 3 long runs I crammed in (note to self, cramming doesn’t work in running...). When I saw the snow that morning I figured I would be even slower...ah well....

However...
Despite the snow, the weather ended up being nearly ideal and made for a great race!

I ran comfortably from the start and didn’t push until I hit the last 4 mi. As I neared the “2 mi to go” marker, my feet were starting to get cold, but then I came up on the near-naked-shoeless-woman. Suddenly my feet weren’t nearly so cold and I had a burst of energy. I passed her, glibly cherishing my wet socks and shoes. (note: I did offer her a jacket) She really did help me forget about my feet and ended up running quite a bit of the top after that.

On the 16 Golden Stairs I was starting to drag just a bit, but then I heard Sarah A, my boyfriend John, daughter Christine, and a few other ICers cheering me on (I am sorry I don’t know who you all were, I was a little out of it :) ...that alone gave me a wonderful push for a stellar finish! ;)

Things Done Right:
- Wore shoes :) :) :)
- Had a good base from the Winter and Spring
- Did some speed work
- Got in 3 high altitude long runs
- Got plenty of rest
- Dropped a few pounds before race day
- Laid out my clothes and packed my stuff the night before so, I didn’t have to think ;)
- Didn’t stress about passing people
- Was aggressive about passing when a few weren’t responding to my “requests”
- Brought 5 gels and half a bottle of water
- Drank Gatorade at aid stations
- Ate grapes and pretzels at 2 of the aid stations
- Didn’t push until the last 3 miles
- Had dry socks in my sweat check...which I was very excited about that day! :)

Things Done Wrong: - Got burned out and stopped doing the long runs...for a few months...who knew those were so needed? ;)

Comments on Calculator if Used: - Used the calculator, but tweaked it to fit my strengths, weaknesses, and experience
- Made all my splits almost flawlessly

Any Other Stuff: Thanks to Matt and Yvonne for their tips, encouragement and all they do for the club.
And I want to thank all the ICers who have helped encourage and motivate me when I really needed it. You guys are all just swell! :)

Rock line

Name: Louise Samora

Double Goal: Finish

Results: Finished Ascent, DNF Marathon

General Summary:I did the Ascent but was unable to finish the marathon (got to Barr Camp and had to turn around). Fell backwards (during the Ascent) at the two mile mark when big and I mean big man lost his balance and fell into me causing me to twist my back.

But I will not use that as an excuse for not finishing the marathon. I gave it a good try and failed so I will do both again next year (I will finish both!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).

I had a great time and a lot of fun. My two friends finished the Ascent with me and that was exciting.

I felt like I trained very good, my split times were very good. I thought for sure I would finish somewhere around 4:45 but didn’t happened. Last two miles seemed like they would never end.

Rock line

Volunteer stories…

Rock line

Name: Jackie Burhans

Marathon Goal: Train and run better for the Marathon

Results: Withdrew and Volunteered for Ascent & Marathon

General Summary: Osteoarthritis of the knee and a fair amount of pain after overusing it on a training run caused me to rethink my running future. Deciding to withdraw, I figured I might as well volunteer and be useful and was assigned to lead the Ruxton aid station. I had a blast, but want to try and run on more time for the 50th anniversary of the race next year.

Things Done Right: Didn’t completely stop my training. Kept coming to Incline runs but diverted to Garden of the Gods. Became very familiar with the trails of GOG. Bought a personal GPS device and am having geek fun. Also began swimming as a means of cross-training and giving the knees a break.

Things Done Wrong: Didn’t hook up with a physical therapist or start weight training. Didn’t really have any goals. Need to pick some shorter, flatter races and think about biking and triathlons.

Any Other Stuff: Running the Aid station is a fun experience. But you have to get up a lot EARLIER than if you were merely running.

Rock line

Name: Larry Miller-beer

Ascent Goal: Stay dry

Results: Didn’t have beer

General Summary: This was a trip this year. I didn’t know that morning it had snowed on top of the peak. What a eye opener at the 15 mile mark on the highway. Snow level built up from 1 inch on the west side to 6-8 inches on top. It was slushy under the snow which made the drive even more fun. In this condition the road is only about 4 feet wide. They turned back all but three vehicles of the 65 going up for support. Our van was #2 up. A 19 mile the van wouldn’t go in the snow so we all got in the back seat over the wheels so Ed the driver could make it to the top. But back down the mountain Dave S (ICer) and Gill were off the road and transferring the computer stuff to a 4X4 so they could made it up. Well all the timing stuff made it up but there was no support for the runners. A-frame, 1 mile to go, and the summit station crews were all down at Devil’s Playground. Got the call on the cell phone that there would be an 1/2 hour delay.

Things Done Right: Used the “hand warmers” in summit house to the max.
For training I did a lot of sitting on rocks, paid off now I have a hard butt.
Ddrank a lot of beer and that really helped my training.

Things Done Wrong: Didn’t bring snow shoes
Ddidn’t bring beer

Comments on Calculator if Used: Used to calculate my splits. Drink beer, rest, then pee<

Any Other Stuff: Way to go Incliners you did good but we need names on back of some of your shirts.

Rock line

Name:Larry Miller

Ascent Goal: Stay dry & warm

Results: Did it

General Summary: Sunday morning 5:15am - we are off and drivin. Got to the gate of the PP Highway where they made us wait. We were not sure if the road was snow packed or what. New driver - The beer drinker himself... Larry, what a mistake for the rest of the crew.
We’re off and driving again, and driving, and driving.
No snow - just dry road!
But it was cold.
Trail was very icy but I didn’t have to shovel snow for a quarter mile like Saturday. I just broke up the ice.

Things Done Right: Brought extra clothing, chair, candy, water.

Things Done Wrong: Forgot the beer, used water, not as good a beer but it was OK.

Other Stuff = Met Dr Don on top Saturday, no Dr today
Need to get new joke book for Bill G.
HATs off to Marathoner’s and the Doublers

Stories from the 2003 races


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