Over the past five months living and racing in Colorado,
I've amassed a cornucopia of mid-race implosions (or assplosions). Don’t bother
trying to inform me of how I should ‘do this or stop doing that’ because I bonk
in every variety of fashion on the suffer spectrum.
Pikes Peak Ascent is a race up to the top of Pikes Peak. I
live along the course and figured running around here daily would substitute
race specific training. As a self-proclaimed ‘soul runner’, I start races
according to my mood ring on race morning. When I feel good, I just go,
scoffing at future consequences for real-time actions. I’ve been running for
over 20 years, so I am fully aware of the risks that I take.
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Good vibes at the bottom photo: Gary Gellin
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On a blow-up scale my Pikes Peak Ascent race was Haley’s
Comet. I led the race up Ruxton Ave before the trailhead. Cruised through Barr
Camp (technically the halfway point) in 2nd with fellow Team
Colorado stud ‘Gute’. Roughly a mile and a half past Barr Camp I began to start
cramping in my quads. Once at tree line my race faded faster than a Rick
Perry/Herman Cain/Elliot Spitzer/Anthony Weiner campaign. The last three miles
was NOT a mixture of walk/running. In layman’s terms, the front part of my legs
did not work. Sorta essential to getting to the top of a 14er. I finished in 3rd……..woman
that is. Losing over 20 spots in the last three miles as I peg-legged to the
top of America’s Mountain was a blast. I crossed the line confident that there
may be no better blow-up artist than I.
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Fooling everyone by running the last 10 yards photo: PikesPeaksSports.us
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Hangin' with the Team Colorado ladies is a surefire way to cheer up photo: Amy Perez
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Sorry about the race, Neil. But it was very entertaining to read about. Great photos.
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