On the week of the American Federal holiday, Columbus Day, named for someone that didn't actually go by that name when he was alive, we celebrate the real adventurers...because discovering something after it has already been discovered is like walking into someone else's house and telling them "I LIVE HERE NOW!!!"
LIMONE SKYRUNNING EXTREME - SKYRUNNING FINALE
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Not Ants...Runners! photo: Organisation Press Office
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In the finale of the 2013 Skyrunning World Series in Limone, Italy (and all along we thought that US Baseball had that title) Axel Nichols and Stevie "Sunshine" Kremer were given Limone...and so they made Lemonade! They then added their winnings to that and came out with a Bellini-esque concoction, courtesy of their new friend Valdo...but let's not put the cart before the horse.
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Axel is deep in German conversation just before the start photo: Limone Skyrunning Xtreme
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The Limone Extreme race took place in the small mountain-side town of Limone along the picturesque Lake Garda and consisted of over 6,000 feet of climbing over a 23.5k distance. Although, it must have seemed like so much longer on such a steep climb as this. (Note: Do not watch this video if you get motion sickness--or just brace yourself and have a barf bag handy, the helicopter views are a doozie!)
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Axel Nichols and fellow Inov-8 and Stoic Viking teammate, Florian Reichert, show how to keep calm even while a women is pretending she is your cranial conjoined twin photo: ISF
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Axel went into the final race of the series in 4th place and, with a 8th place performance at Limone Extreme, he secured his name (spell it correctly, A-X-E-L) in the annals of the International Skyrunning Federation with a podium finish of 3rd (226.2 points).
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Axel attempting to pass a large moss monster...Axel succeeded photo: Limone Skyrunning Xtreme
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Axel participated in the following Skyrunning World Series races: Zagama Aizkorri (well, he started that one, anyway), Mont Blanc Marathon (7th), Pikes Peak Marathon (2nd) and Limone Extreme (8th). Even though Axel didn't have as many points as 5th place series finisher, Jokin Lizeaga Mitxelena (not a made up name), he secured the 3rd place series rank because the top 3 scores were tallied to determine the overall standings. Best of three!!!
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| Podium of the Skyrunning World Series (L to R) Luis Alberto Hernando, Kilian "Hornet" Jornet and Axel Nichols. Axel did not get the not-shaving-for-a-month memo. photo: Limone Skyrunning Xtreme |
Axel then drank his prize with a little Limone.
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| They do not give out glasses in Limon, only large VALDO bottles in which to drink out of photo: Natalie White |
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| Axel getting the red carpet treatment as he finishes photo: Ian Corless |
Stevie went over to Italy sitting in 2nd place in the Skyrunning World Series rankings, down by only by a mere 10 points behind Emelie Forsberg, and worked her magic on that craggy mountain.
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Stevie shows off her color-coordniated leg tape to all the men as she passes them photo: Droz Photo
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With a big will and a small lump (on her lower back), Stevie held 2nd place on the steep climb...then she made her move on the technical downhill section, won the race and put more seven minutes on the next finisher, Antonella Confortola (2:53:58). Forsberg finished 3rd in 2:54:54.
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Brilliant Surgeon: "You know, I am brilliant surgeon, I can help you remove that hump." Stevie: "What hump!?" photo: Ski & Run
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Stevie bowled a perfect game (if this was bowling) with a perfect score of 320 (20 bonus points for the win at Limone Extreme). She competed in Zagama Aizkorri (3rd), Mont Blanc Marathon (1st), Pikes Peak Marathon (1st), and Limone Extreme (1st, CR).
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Football players (American, not European) don't even get this much attention! photo: Ian Corless
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Stevie was running so fast that she almost lost her drawers (don't believe us, check out 11:45 into the video by sporrtdimontagna). Maybe it was due to her friend, Lumpy?
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The women's Limone Extreme podium (L to R) Antonella Confortola, Stevie "Sunshine" Kremer, Emelie "Hot Pants" Forsberg photo: Limone Skyrunning Xtreme
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With her time of 2:46:13, Stevie set a new course record and with that performance she has been anointed with a new holiday: Stevie Kremer Day! She celebrated with her friend Valdo.
From here forth, October 14th is declared Stevie Kremer Day! No more City in Ohio day.
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| YEAHHH, World Series Champion! photo: Limone Skyrunning Xtreme |
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| Team Colorado's Axel Nichols and Stevie Kremer put the 'merica into America photo: Ian Corless |
Runner's World cheddar
International Skyrunning Federation
CHICAGO MARATHON
Glenn "Pulling a GR" Randall took on the Chicago Marathon last weekend, where the winning time was a scorching 2:03:45 by Kenyan Dennis Kimetto. Wow! We are not sure he even attempted to Pull a GR with that kind of speed.
Randall, who has been tied up in Physics midterms, told us he was fairly-to-somewhat confident with his preparation for Chicago. "I'm going in with roughly the same confidence I went with into a midterm last Thursday. Pre-midterm grade in the class is apparently 139%, and I'm very confident that I got in the A range for the exam. So, I figure if it worked at Pikes Peak (in 2010) and it worked on that exam, maybe it'll work here?"
It seemed to work! He finished in 32nd place overall with a very respectable 2:21:32.
Result
STEAMTOWN MARATHON
One of our newest additions to Team Colorado, James "Mr." Burns (Colorado Springs, CO), takes on the marathon distance in his sophomore showing.
Mr. Burns headed out to his birth state to run the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, PA (as well as to hang out with the similarly last-named Matt Byrne and the rest of the cast of The Office). He managed a PR and 3rd place overall, running 2:26:38.
He was plotting it all along!
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| 2:26:38, Mwhahahahahahahhhhh! |
Results
MINE TO MINE CHALLENGE 9K
Simon "Gute" Gutierrez was back to his old self (no pun intended) when he again ran the Mine to Mine 9k Challenge in Cripple Creek, CO. Last year Gute struck gold in the Mine to Mine Challenge and created a gold tooth out of the gold nugget he won. He repeated his performance again this year with a 3rd place finish in a time of 29:47.
Last year...a gold tooth. This year...another gold tooth, and in 12 more years...a gold grill!
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| Gute showing a lot of skin at this race...he usually tends to underdress photo: PikesPeakSports.us |
Gute gave us the lowdown on the race:
"The weather was perfect for a gold mining expedition....two young gunning prospectors went out at 4:07 (Joe Gay) and 4:27 (Richard Medina). I took it careful not to hurt my old hamstrings at 4:46 (especially thinking old sexy had pulled his...Gerald)...by 2 miles Joe and Richard were beyond eye sight and I was happy to not see any one behind me. So, as a wise old prospector, I did not try to get greedy and wish for more gold, instead I relaxed (15:52 through 5km), enjoyed the run and was surprised to run a minute faster than last year. Now I officially have 2 gold nuggets!! Saving up for a rainy day or some new gold teeth..."
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| Gute showing off his gold nug with RD Shaun Finley (L) and Joe Gray (aquamarine) photo: PikesPeakSports.us |
Results
The performance of the weekend has to go to the Team Colorado Ladies as they swept all the top spots and set a NEW WOMEN'S OPEN TEAM RECORD of 3:44:13. Kim "Queen of Uphill" Dobson reigns once again with her overall win in 1:11:39, Brandy "Mile-a-Minute" Erholtz followed in 2nd 1:15:34 (a past Mt. Washington Champ), Laura "Honey Bee" Haefeli completed the trifecta with her 3rd place finish in 1:17:00 (also, a Mt. W Champ, seeing the pattern here?), and Donna "Gar-Gute" Gutierrez holding the team together with her 52nd place, 1:40:33.
The performance of the weekend has to go to the Team Colorado Ladies as they swept all the top spots and set a NEW WOMEN'S OPEN TEAM RECORD of 3:44:13. Kim "Queen of Uphill" Dobson reigns once again with her overall win in 1:11:39, Brandy "Mile-a-Minute" Erholtz followed in 2nd 1:15:34 (a past Mt. Washington Champ), Laura "Honey Bee" Haefeli completed the trifecta with her 3rd place finish in 1:17:00 (also, a Mt. W Champ, seeing the pattern here?), and Donna "Gar-Gute" Gutierrez holding the team together with her 52nd place, 1:40:33. 
