Meet the Team: Alex "Axel" Nichols

Name: Alex Nichols

Age: 26

Hometown: Minneapolis MN

Current residence: Old Colorado City, CO

Sponsors: INOvB

Personal Bests:
9:10 3k Steeple 14:47 5k (on the same day!)
52:20 Ten Mile
2:30:32 Marathon
2:20 Pikes Peak Ascent
there are a lot of traditional race distances that I have yet to run

Notable Achievements:
14th Place at Division 3 cross country nationals
3 time top 5 finisher at Pikes Peak Ascent
2 time top 5 at Barr Trail Mountain Race
2010 Triple Crown of Running overall winner

Goals for 2012:
Break the team record at Mt. Washington with Team Colorado!
Win Barr Trail Mountain Race
Win Pikes Peak Marathon
Win North Face 50 in San Fran
Stay healthy

Favorite trails:
The secret trail up North Cheyenne Creek to the top of Almagre Mtn

Favorite workout:
24x400

Favorite races:
Barr Trail Mountain Race

Meet the Team: Peter "The Prez" Maksimow

Name: Peter Maksimow

Age: 402 months old (still a baby!)

Hometown: Whittier, CA

Current residence: Manitou Springs, CO

Sponsors: Inov-8, Colorado Running Co., Black Fox Brewing Company


Personal Bests:
5k – 15:04 (road)
10k – 31:56 (track)
Half Marathon – 1:09:30 (road)
Marathon – 2:32:22 (road)
50K – 3:22:09 (trail)
I once held my breath underwater for 2 min 18 sec
601 day running streak

Notable Achievements:
2-Time CO State 50K Champ 2011 & 2012 Greenland 50K - 3:22:09 (CR)
2012 Cheyenne Mountain 25K - 1st OA, 1:46:05 (CR)
2012 Jeremy Wright North American Snowshoe Champs (10K) - 2nd OA, 48:08
2012 USSSA Snowshoe National Championships (10K) - 6th OA, 47:30
2011 Lead King Loop 25K (CO State 25K Champs) – 2nd OA, 1:51:14
2011 Summer Trail Roundup 12K - 1st OA, 44:54 (CR)
2011 Mt. Washington Road Race (7.6 miles)- 6th OA, 1:04:45
4 X US Mountain Running Team Nat'l Champions (CMS - 2005, 2010, 2011; Team Colorado 2012)
3 X Top 10 finisher at the Pikes Peak Ascent
2 X Pikes Peak Road Runners Winter Series Champion (2010, 2011)
2 X Mt. Baldy Run-to-the-Top Champion (2003, 2010)
2 X Runner Up @ Vail Hill Climb (2010, 2011)
2005 US Mountain Running Team Member

Goals for 2012:
Run fast, drink good beer with good friends and just enjoy the process....qualifying for the US Mountain Running Team would be a nice, but that might be tough with my Team Colorado teammates alone!

Favorite trails: Intemann Trail, Section 16, Waldo Canyon, Williams Canyon.

Favorite workout: Hill repeats up Cave of the Winds Road in Manitou. It's amazing how I nearly pass out after each repeat!

Favorite races: Pikes Peak Ascent, Mt. Washington Road Race, TransRockies Run

Website/Blog: You're looking at it! www.teamcolorado.blogspot.com

Manning and Maksimow take 1-2 at the Run to the Shrine

Tommy Manning and Peter Maksimow take the top two spots at the 2012 Run to the Shrine at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The 10k race, which starts at 6,300 feet and climbs to 8,100 feet in 4 miles before plunging back down to the zoo in the last two miles, was won by Manning in a course record time of 38:40, with Maksimow coming in at 39:22. It was a quad wrecker!

We got shit for awards (actually, our awards were made out of Elephant shit...don't worry, they were encased in resin so we weren't actually biting down on the shit).

PikesPeakSports.us write up here.
Full Results here.

Big Mountain Trail Race

Peter "The Prez"Maksimow, Tommy "One Man Wolf Pack" Manning, Justin Ricks

Meet The Team: Rickey Gates

Name: Rickey Gates

Age: 31

Hometown: Woody Creek, CO

Current residence: San Francisco, CA 

Sponsors: Salomon

Personal Bests:
5k - 15:40
10k - 31:38

Notable Achievements:
2008 Mountain Runner of the Year
Mountain Running Champion
Trail Running Champion
59:58 at Mount Washington
Winner/Course Record Holder for Canadian Death Race (125k - 12:15)

Goals for 2012: Make a 6th USMRT, do my gosh darn best in all that I do.

Favorite trails:
Conundrum/ East Maroon Trail outside Aspen, CO
Anything around Mount Tamalpais in the Bay Area.

Favorite races:
Mount Washington Road Race
Golden Leaf Half Marathon in Aspen
Sierre Zinal in Switzerland.

Website/Blog: rickeygates.com

Meet the Team: Justin Ricks

Name: Justin Ricks

Age: 31

Hometown: Colorado

Current residence: Wherever my Palomino Bronco is parked/Pueblo West, CO

Sponsors: Team Ricks

Personal Bests:
10k- 30:33
26.2- 2:22.04

Notable Achievements:
1st- 2011 Eugene Marathon
2nd- 2011 Colorado State Marathon Championships
1st- 2010, 2011 TransRockies Run3
1st- 2011 Pony Express 15 mile (Course Record)

1st- 2010 Golden Gate 50k (Old Course Record)
1st- 2009 ADT Marathon (Old Course Record)
1st- 2009 Rock Canyon Half Marathon (Course Record)
1st- 2008 Collegiate Peaks 25 Mile (Course Record)
1st- 2008 Greenland 50k (Old Course Record)

Goals for 2012: To figure out the nutrition aspect of ultras

Favorite trails: 666 and Jones Park in Colorado Springs

Favorite workout: Progression Runs

Favorite races: TransRockies, Eugene Marathon, Classic 10k, White River 50, Chuckanut 50k

Website/Blog: www.justinricks.blogspot.com

Team Colorado's John Tribbia finishes 7th at International Mountain Race

Tribbia has a strong showing in the international field at the 32nd LaMontée du Grand Ballon held in the Alsace region of France, on Thursday, May 17. He finished in 1:03:02 for the 13.5K course with 3,621 feet of climbing.

For a recap of the race visit here.

Gutierrez Runner Up at Black Mountain Ascent 6 Mile

Veteran mountain runner, Simon Gutierrez, had a strong performance at the Black Mountain Ascent 6 Mile Run on May 12th. He placed 2nd in 41:11 behind 2010 Pikes Peak Ascent winner Glenn Randall.

Gute says about the race:
"Black Canyon Ascent summary...41.11. 2nd overall behind Glenn Randall who broke my course record from 2008. I'm only a scant min from my time in 2008 but 1:38 faster than a year ago. Nothing but good feelings with 5 weeks to go until Mt Washington Road rAce...the metamorphosis
Begins :)"

Race Results.

Maksimow Wins Greenland 50k in Record Time

Team Colorado's Peter Maksimow took to the trails this Cinco de Mayo with his eye on the course record of the Greenland Trails 50k.  As the temperature rose, Maksimow stayed strong to win with a time of 3:22:09!

PikesPeakSports.us write up.

Meet the Team: Simon Gutierrez

Name: Simon Gutierrez

Age: 46

Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Current Residence: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Sponsors: HOKA One One Run Shoes/Sport Hill /Elliptigo

Personal Bests:
3000m- 8:07.
5km- 14:11
10k- 29:17
Half Marathon- 63:46
Marathon- 2:18.36

Notable Achievements:
3x Pikes Peak/ Mt Washington / World Masters Mountain Champion.
10 x La Luz trail winner

Goals for 2012: Ascent PR's. Qualifying for USA national mountain running team.

Favorite trails: Barr trail to the Peak...Fountain Creek...old north Santa fe trail ..Rampart Range road...

Favorite Workout- Time Trials......uphill. Long runs....uphill. Hill repeats....uphill...recovery day's on the flat roads

Favorite races:
Challenge Stellina, Susa, Italy
Kitzbuehel Horn Lauf Austria
Mt Washington Road Race
Pikes Peak Ascent

Meet the Team: Mark Misch

Name: Mark Misch

Age: 39 (will turn 40 on November 14th, looking forward to competing as a masters runner in the year ahead)

Hometown: Grew up in Coffeyville, Kansas USA

Current residence: Colorado Springs

Sponsors: Me, myself and I

Personal Bests: From what decade? Ha :)

Notable Achievements: Just a guy who really enjoys to run and coach, has been blessed to see a lot of the world through the sport and meet a lot of wonderful people.

Goals for 2012: A) Just enjoy the process everyday B) compete as a masters runner is a few USATF Championships if possible.

Favorite trails: Gold Camp Road

Favorite workouts: Gradual hill repeats, long threshold efforts or fartlek.

Favorite races: In recent years probably the Vail Hill Climb.

Website/Blog:

The Colorado Springs FREE City-Wide Cross Country Camp
http://cospxccamp.webstarts.com/

UCCS Men's Cross Country
http://www.gomountainlions.com/bio.php?id=896

Meet the Team: John Tribbia

Name: John Tribbia 

Age: 30

Hometown: Boulder, CO

Current residence: Boulder, CO

Sponsors: 2XU; Alta Physical Therapies; Moriarty Leyendecker Law Firm

Personal Bests:
10K- (road at altitude) 32:40
5K- (track) 15:31
8K- (cross country) 25:49

Notable Achievements:
1st 2012 America’s Uphill (Aspen, CO)
3rd 2012 Teva Winter Games Vail Winter Uphill

3rd 2011 Barr Trail Mountain Race

2nd 2011 Catalina Marathon
3rd 2010 and 2011 USA Trail Marathon National Championships
1st 2010 Imogene Pass Run
12th 2010 Thyon-Dixence (Switzerland)
10th 2010 USA Mountain Running Championships

4th 2009 XTERRA World Trail Running Championships
10th 2009 USA Mountain Running Championships
6th 2007 Pikes Peak Ascent
7th 2007 USATF Trail 10K Championships

7th 2006 USATF Trail 10K Championships

Goals for 2012: Learn to speak French better

Favorite trails: Fern Canyon in Boulder, CO