The State of The Pikes Peak Ascent: The Prez's Speech

I am slow.

I can’t help it, it’s just the way I am.

                Wacker (169) eyeing Gute (3)...wins stink-eye contest!                                 photo: PikesPeakSports.us

But let us disregard my punctuality on race write-ups and talk about running uphill with some of the top mountain runners in the world, shall we?

The 2014 Pikes Peak Ascent doubled at the WMRA World Long Course Challenge and 20 countries were represented, making it an Olympic-atmosphere feel full of colorful kits and comical communication barriers. My race preparation consisted of spending the week in Detroit--don’t ask, I’m trying to forget about that part of my training. Upon my return to Manitou Springs, my legs felt like pixy sticks from running along the river with a nice southern view of Canada (yes, southern!) and my head felt like it had been punched by the very large fist statue of Joe Louis himself.

That's a big fist, Joe!

I arrived back in time for the pre-race press conference, which was chocked full of foreign athletes, which race MC, Bart Yasso, taunted in the nicest of ways and attempted to get all the English he could out of them. It’s the American way: making people feel uncomfortable in the most comfortable way possible.

Wacker, not just a name...nor a pretty face
photo:PikesPeakSports.us

Now, I didn’t have the weight on my shoulders that I potentially could have had. I thought I had a good shot at being part of Team USA after have some really good results in qualifying races but was eventually not selected. I’m often the bridesmaid and not the bride, but at least I am in the wedding party! Plus, I had Team Inov-8 and Team Colorado to represent, not to mention Team Manitou Brewing Company, which had the best post-race prizes for me no matter how I finished. It was very encouraging to have some of the Team USA members make me feel like I was part of the team with supportive comments, kind words and a good ol’ ‘merican slap on the ass. Andy Wacker gives the best ass wacks, hence the name. And that Shannon Payne, yeah, her slaps hurt pretty bad! Again, hence the name.

The grandioseness of the weekend did not set in until I began to see all the uniforms: South Africa, Wales (just one), Eritrea (it looked like a 2:10 marathon uniform, and it was worn by four-time WMRA Long Course runner up and 2012 & 2013 WMRA Grand Prix Champ, Azerya Teklay), Ukraine, Italia (that’s how they spell it on their jersey), Norway, Slovenia, Mexico, Australia, Germany, Japan (another solo), Romania (the Romantic Romanian Runner Ionut Zinca) and many more. Even Kansas! I finally met fellow Inov-8 teammate and obstacle racer-extraordinaire, Cody Moat—it’s difficult to miss a bright red jersey with a foot as an 8 on it. I searched for another Inov-8 team member, friend and all-around good guy, Scott Dunlap, but he was somewhere gathering his strength for the Ascent/Marathon Double and knew that he had to partake in our now-traditional celebratory beer on the Peak after the race. Team Colorado was well represented with Stevie "Sunshine" Kremer, Brandy "Mile-A-Minute" Erholtz, Donna "Gar-Gute" Garcia, Amy "Chef l'équipe" Perez, Simon "Gute" Gutierrez, Sage "The Rage" Canaday, Neil "Big McD" McDonagh, and myself, Le Prez, as they say in France.

A few Team Coloradans under the lined and one circle-spangled banners. 

Quick! Look right!

The start line looked intimidating with all the cleanly shaven legs (except for Team USA’s Zach Miller, you need to join the club, Zach!) and intense looks. My ego wouldn’t fit on the front line, so it was pushed back to the second row of the start line. It was, by far, the most competitive race the Pikes Peak Ascent has ever assembled, but I knew that the race was not won in the first mile so I had to run smart and know if I did I would deserve that beer at the top.

Zach: refusing to join the club. Wacker: doing his best chicken leg impression.         photo: Eddie Metro

The starting cannon detonated and either gave you an additional shot of adrenaline or stopped your heart momentarily. I did not fall down so I guess I received the former. There goes fellow Team Coloradan and 3 X Ascent Champion, Simon “Gute” Gutierrez, to the front in his patented lead-out sprint. Oh, what’s this!? The guy with the freshly shorn legs and pretty hair, Andy Wacker, goes by Gute at an even faster cadence. It is times like these that I wish auctioneers would commentate on races in the lead vehicle. Now that would be entertainment!

Watch that elbow!                                       photo: OutThereColorado.com

The lead pack is three times the size it usually is during the Ascent and I felt like I was in a swarm of bees that had just had their hive kicked, buzzing and eager, almost angry. Apparently, I was eager, too, because a 6-flat first mile on the road climb to the Barr Trailhead can lead to the death sentence in this race. Oh well, can’t take that back now!

The next section, the Ws, is one of the toughest sections of the race, in my opinion, with its long and steep switchbacks that appear as Ws on an aerial map. It seemed I wasn’t moving fast enough because the entire Italian contingent went by me in a matter of about 10 seconds, each one saying “sorry” to me as they passed. They were so nice in their competitiveness. I think the English translation would have been, “get out of my way you American with a fairly decent mustache!” Next a Mexican went by me, then others that I didn’t recognize because all I witnessed was their asses. That’s what happens with steep grades, you get right on someone’s shoulder but really you are face to ass with them.

Brandy talks as fast as she runs!         photo: PikesPeakSports.us

I had a short chat with the Scottish-Coloradan, Ryan Smith (first UK finisher--Scotland is still part of the UK, you know!--living in Colorado has done him well.). He was thoroughly impressed with how loud I was belching 2 miles into the race. We did a great job of entertaining ourselves amid the misery of the climb…and it had just begun. As the saying goes, misery loves company…and it does!

After the Ws did a good job of stringing out the field, I found my self running with Thomas Cornthwaite of England. I only understood half of what he said with his thick accent, but I appreciated every word as it took my mind off the hard uphill grind. We fed off each other like a proper English breakfast and pushed the pace when it began to slow. Every time I went by him it was, “You look crackers!” or “Bloody Good, mate!” My encouragement was usually a slap on the ass and some American words that he hopefully couldn’t understand…just so we could be on the same page. It was working! We were gradually catching and passing runners who had underestimated what wrath the mountain could impose.

Zach Miller likes to chomp bananas!
photo: PikesPeakSports.us

We caught and passed an Italian, an American, some more runners, then Gute just before Barr Camp. His race strategy was to go out hard the first half and bank some time for the second half. This is where I told myself the race was to begin, even though I had already had almost 70 minutes of hard racing and jockeying for position, I had to convince myself this is where it started. We acquired Gute in our train to the Peak and continued to catch the carnage on the trail like Pac Man chomps up fruit.

The next couple of miles was like purgatory, it had to be done to breach treeline and face the most difficult section of the course, A-Frame to the summit (3 miles) aka the surface of the moon, where you are either struggling or have already turned into a zombie. We spotted more runners up ahead! As Thomas and I approached, he stated who the runner was (Emanuele Manzi of Italy) and excitedly exclaimed “Maaaanzi, gooud runnah!” (That’s the best New Castle accent I can hope to impart in written word). I knew the field was world class and everyone we came in contact with now held an impressive resume, so I seemed to be acquiring 1UPs with every person I passed. One more person and I would have the ability to throw fireballs! Well, I already had so much red on I looked like I was on fire: racecar red Inov-8 jersey and hat, razzel red Swiftwick Aspire 4 socks and the new rad red, ectoplasm green and black TrailRoc 245 (next season’s color, keep an eye out, you can’t miss them…they're bright!).

Gute and Gar-Gute, a couple of youngster!   photo: Gar-Gute

I came up on Ionut Zinca, the Romantic from Romania, who placed 3^rd at last year’s WMRA Long Course Challenge, and we exchanged a few words before he accelerated off ahead at such a difficult point in the race to do so. This explains why he was 3^rd last year! I felt good, I had trained for this and I was racing to plan. How many more pieces of fruit could this Pac Man get? I looked down the switchbacks and saw friend and recent training partner Marco Sturm of Germany running well and making up ground. Gute was still right there, don’t ever count him out even though he is almost 50. Where did Thomas go, he was just right with me!? Marco’s high altitude prowess was due to his month of training and living on Pikes Peak before the race. After seeing him up on the Peak every time I was up there we got together for runs, found him Team Colorado housing in Manitou Springs and he even defected to the Colorado! (Not really, but he is still staying in Manitou Springs as of early September.)

Marco Sturm: elite mountain runner, cat sitter.
photo: PikesPeakSports.us

Stevie "Sunshine" Kremer shows that mountain who's boss!   photo: PikesPeakSports.us

Neil, exorcizing the demons!         photo: PikesPeakSports.us

2 miles to go and close ahead I could see Zinca passing a pair of runners. I followed suit and decided I needed to do the same. It was Amed from Mexico and Mei from Italy. I had no idea what place I was in at this point. I could have been anywhere from 7^th to 15^th from my rough calculation, but the brain doesn’t really function properly at 13,000 ft. My brain did know to run as hard as I could with as little oxygen as was available. And so I ran on…

1 mile to go. I couldn’t tell who the black singlet belonged to until I passed him, Stefan Hubert, Germany’s top runner.The front side of the German uniform is red, that's a sneaky trick! One foot in front of the other, the senses are getting blurred now. Struggling runners. I am struggling, but I am still passing them. How!?!? With a half mile to go, you encounter the crippling rock scramble which is lovingly referred to as the 16 Golden Stairs. As the name indicates, 16 tightly weaved switchbacks over boulders make 15 meters seem like 800. For lack of better terms, a real kick in the balls! Zinca is slowing to a crawl, am I really going to pass him!? I hear someone yell “10^th place!” Are they referring to me or someone else? Halfway through the stairs Zinca willingly moves over and allows me to crawl by. BluhBluhBluup--1UP! I needed that extra life!

Within a half mile of the finish, I am energized again by a red, white and blue-clad superhero perched on a precipice, waving an American flag, mullet flowing in the breeze and muscles rippling in the vacant-atmosphere sunlight. Could it be!? Captain ‘merica!? He vaguely resembled my Team Colorado teammate, Brandon Stapanowich. This put a smile on my misery-stricken face for the first time in 2 hours and 20 minutes. I still couldn’t let up since Zinca was hot on my tail. I knew the last two minutes of the race are among the most painful I would experience in life and at any second I expected the Romanian to push past me, offer me a romantic gesture and say, “Sorry!”

Zinca trying to catch me to say sorry
photo: PikesPeakSports.us

Last turn! Don’t catch your toe on that boulder! Don’t fall over! No “Sorry” was whispered from behind and I cross the line to a congratulatory high-five from race director, Ron Ilgen, and all of a sudden the world is audible again. I placed 9^th overall in 2:21:11, a 5:28 personal record on the mountain, along with being 6^th American and behind only two Italians and one Eritrean. I was interviewed by the local newspaper the previous week, The Colorado Springs Gazette, and was asked what I thought my chances were of winning the race. “Top 20 would be amazing, top 10 would double amazing, winning would make me famous pretty quickly,” was my response. Silly questions solicit silly answers. In previous years, my time would have made me famous pretty quickly, but I was extremely happy with “double amazing.” My “double amazing” time this year would have “made me famous pretty quickly” in a few past years. Just to display how competitive the race was, 23 males broke 2:30 and 16 women broke 3:00, while only 3 men and 4 women broke those respective barriers in 2013. Women’s winner, Allie McLaughlin, ran the 3^rd fastest women’s time in race history. 4^th place finisher from last year’s Ascent, David McKay, was 22^nd this year…and that is even with a faster time! Holy Schiße, as they say in Germany! 

Holding hands with RD Ron Ilgen at the finish, and Nora, the First Lady quick to hold me up so I don't fall over.
photo: PikesPeakSports.us

I was very proud to be part of it.

I would like to congratulate all of the participants--winners as well as those whose goal was just to reach to finish in under the cutoff time. To the US men’s and women’s team for both capturing the individual and team gold medals (Individuals: Team Coloradan Sage Canaday and Colorado Springs native Allie McLaughlin; Women's Team: Allie McLaughlin, Morgan Arritola, Shannon Payne, Stevie Kremer, Nuta Olaru; Men's Team: Sage Canaday, Andy Wacker, Eric Blake, Joe Gray and Zach Miller). Thanks to those on the US Team for making me feel like I was part of the team, even thought I was not. After all, the slogan for Pikes Peak is “America’s Mountain.” Alanis Morissette would say “isn't it ironic…don’t you think?” I would say "it's coincidence" because, after all, it is in America.

There is an "US" in Team USA! Congrats on the gold medal Sage Canaday, Andy Wacker, Eric Blake, Joe Gray and Zach Miller.                                                                 photo: The Prez

The best part of the event, and reason why I love the sport so much, is celebrating with the amazing people after the hard effort is over. In this case, we had the Team World Pool Party at a little watering hole called La Piscina (thanks Brandon, how do you always seem to miss your own party!?), where 50+ people from all over the world turned it into the “Official (Unofficial) Post Race Party.” Because, in the long run, becoming famous is not all that important…but it definitely does help your popularity at the after party!

Team World Pool Party! Amy Perez (not pictured) taking picture.

There's Amy! This is equivalent of being photoshopped into the above photo.  
photo: Not Amy this time but, you guessed it, PikesPeakSports.us

The smallest and largest participant at the Pikes Peak Ascent. Allie McLaughlin would have been very popular if she had been at the after party.   photo: PikesPeakSports.us

There's Thomas Cornthwaite! Bloody thumbs up, mate!        photo: OutThereColorado.com

Chest bump to Manitou Springs: http://www.koaa.com/videos/runners-race-to-the-top-of-pikes-peak/

Inception: Greenland Trail Races

Last year, Team Colorado's Neil "Big McD" McDonagh and Peter "The Prez" Maksimow ran the Greenland Trail Races (25K and 50K, respectively) and both took course records. As we get closer to this year's race, we were able to get in the heads of these two during REM sleep to find out what their recollections were. We call it: Inception: Greenland Trail Races. Where you never really know who was dreaming what. You decide!

May the 4th (be with you) 2013
I shook the sleep from my eyes an hour before dawn and stepped outside of my house in Manitou Springs. I always play “You Shook Me All Night Long” by AC/DC at full volume on the cassette player before dawn of a big race, Manitou Springs loves it! The weather seemed refreshingly brisk, which I took as a good omen for the Greenland race. The weather looks nice, I muse to myself, but, then again, it always looks nice and turns out to be a giant wind tunnel at the Greenland Open Space, so I shouldn’t really concern myself with how nice it looks until an hour INTO the race. My training had been relatively unprepared for the step up in distance. I really wish I could have trained more, this seems like an awful long way to race when feeling like a wounded duck. After a quick mid-week jaunt up to Larkspur for a course preview, my gaps in fitness seemed inconsequential. Well, Roger Bannister didn’t run 5 days prior to breaking 4 minutes in the mile for the first time, so if I am doing the math correctly that means…uhhhh, three weeks off before this race is a perfect amount of down time! Team Colorado decided to carpool for the race, meaning our chauffeur  Nora, allowed a few last minute zzz’s before hitting the trails. On the ride to the race, the seats were making me itchy, “what are these things made of, CACTUS!!??”, I wonder. The rolling hills of Larkspur were teaming with all manner of Lycra and hydration system festooned ultra competitors. As I pull the last couple of cacti needles out of my arse, I use all of my warm up time to prepare my spandex and hydration gels packs of salt sticks, and even some NoDoz in case I get sleepy a few miles in, so that I am well lubricated during the race. Both races appeared ripe for fast times. ”Wow, this is going to be so slow”, I tell the race director Derek Griffiths at the start line. Even with numerous countdown reminders, the crack of the starter’s pistol felt rushed. Rush…I love that band and I think as I am caught off-guard when the blerch of the starter’s weird magafone horn-thingie goes off. Antsy to get in a good groove I made my way to the front of the lead pack. Pack mentality is how I run my races, stalk and attack in a group…sounds cruel, doesn’t it? Quickly finding myself gapping the field, I offered some mental diversion therapy. Whoa, there is I-25, I wonder if they can see me flipping the bird from here!? I looked off to the right and saw some grassy hills. All I see is blue and yellow-purple hills, I think I need some calories. Over to the left was Interstate 25. Yeah, definitely seeing the bird, I am getting some attention from people in cars now! I focused in on a lone tree way off in the distance, but it didn’t really seem to be moving any closer and it was depressing me, so I switched to the ground ten feet in front of me. I realize there is someone at my side and he has been there the whole time, it wasn’t just the noise of the car horns that have kept me company for half of the race. About a quarter of the way in to the race I felt a strange gurgle in my stomach, unfortunately all too familiar to me. All I can think of is that line from the Shakespere “boil and bubble…toil and trouble”…it’s probably not the direct quote but it paraphrasing…I’m in the middle of a race, what do you expect!? Being open prairie land, tree coverage was quite the commodity. It’s like I am getting vibes from some entity on the course. I looked left then right and deftly hopped behind a thicket to make a quick biomass deposit. Wow, this is the first year there has not been gale force winds on this course…wait, what is that wretched smell!? Relieved, in more than one sense, I was back on the course making up for lost time. I lost some time because I couldn’t brethe for about a minute there, I think something died! A zeroed in sense of directed drive pushed me through the halfway point. Am I only at the three-quarters point of this reace--this is really going to take a long time? Roughly two-thirds of the way in to the race, again my innards expressed discontent. Why does this guy at the aid station keep heckeling me and calling me a “wanker”? A significantly less camouflaged leafless tree provided the scantest of privacy for a second bowel evacuation. You really have a lot of time to think when you are in a race this long, maybe that is why I keep asking myself so many questions? Brow sweating from stress more so than effort. Am I halucinating, did I just see a Gnome?—I definitely need some energy gels. Frustration capped as not five minutes passed before a final fully digested elimination behind a hedge the size of a garden gnome. OK…almost there…keep moving…hips are tightening, buttocks is involuntarily clenching…but this guy is still at my side like flies were on that gnome back there. Convinced my internal root cellar empty, I proceeded to bomb back down the course. I wish a bomb would fall on my head right now, that’s how much I hurt—but NORAD could intercept it before it hit the ground, DANG IT! Amazed that I had somehow held my lead throughout the ordeal, I figured surging over the last quarter of the course only made sense. I am definitely hallucinating now because I was running with someone the whole race and now he has vanished without a trace. I finished the race looking peaked. This is like a dream and there is the finishd line…but why won’t my legs move…it’s like they are in wet concrete. I washed my hands promptly after crossing the line. I cross the finish line to a cheering crowd and I bow to the roaring crowd. I won the race. I won the race…I thiink? I somehow set a course record. I somehow set a…uh oh, I think I just pooped myself as I bowed.

May the 3rd be with you in 2014!

USATF Trail Half Marathon Championships, Moab, UT…aka where there is no internet access

Recently, at the Moab Trail Marathon/Half Marathon, Team Colorado officially had an unofficial Team Colorado party in Moab, UT at the USATF Trail Half Marathon Championships. All the big guns showed up, and in addition to the party they raced a half marathon (and a marathon, in Sage's case) over slick rocks, up a creek and and through picturesque arches with alien hieroglyphs.

Let's see, we had Stevie Kremer, Megan Kimmel, Jared Scott, Justin Ricks, Sage Canaday and probably others that might have been under an alias.

Stevie does it again…and again…and again…                                photo: Rich Bolt/USMRT

A big congratulatory fist bump goes out to the new USATF Trail Half Marathon Champion Stevie "Sunshine" Kremer. You did it…AGAIN! Stevie ran an impressive 1:38:08, with Melody Fairchild of Boulder, CO in 2nd (1:40:11) and past USATF 10K Trail Champion and 2012 co-Trail Runner of the Year (along with Stevie--what a team, we share everything!) Megan Kimmel placed 3rd (1:42:57) in this very competitive women's field. 

Stevie said her legs were so short that she "might as well have put on a snorkel and started swimming." Similarly, Megan said she experienced a wardrobe malfunction and finished the race "with water gushing out of the top of my socks."

The top women (Stevie 2nd/Megan 3rd from right)                          photo: Rich Bolt/USMRT

Jared, sporting Numero Uno, ran a lot of the race with fellow Team Coloradan, Justin Ricks, swapping the 2nd place position like it was a bad joke. 

Jared told us, "The race was great! Good course with varying terrain, but nothing too incredibly steep on the half marathon course. Justin and I battled the last few miles of the race...he's an animal on those down hills! We went off course descending off that one cliff face but only a minute or so off course. The course was pretty well marked with pink flagging so staying on course was more of a matter of maintaining focus and not zoning out which can be tough during a race. Running through the creek was chilly and deep in spots, I decided that running on the banks was better than the creek itself. Overall a good day."

Justin started off with a black veil to be incognito                               photo: Denise Ricks

He also added, "There is a lot of radioactivity around Moab. In fact, there is a huge Government Superfund clean up site just up river from where we raced. I'm not sure how that affected our race performance." 

Well, they will know when they start to grow webbed feet.

Jared looking happy even after wading through the toxic creek                     photo: Rich Bolt/USMRT

Still life with Justin and phallic rock                                    photo: Rich Bolt/USMRT 

Justin documented his experience on his blog with a write up on the race and his busy race schedule in different states in the the same weekend. 

           They just called it even and each took 2nd & a half place…then embraced                      photo: Rich Bolt/USMRT

Sage Canaday took a wrong turn and went off course in the marathon and ended up finishing in 2nd place (3:20:42), then, after coming through the finishing shoot, he took a wrong turn and we have still yet to hear from him. We think he ran back to Boulder, CO.

Sage getting interviewed by Edwin Moses after he took a wrong turn in the marathon           photo: Rich Bolt/USMRT

Results

Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile...Should Have Been Called "Run Michele Run" the Way She Kicked Some Tail!

Michele Yates' Run Rabbit Run Race Review Recapped Rather Rivetingly. Really, that is a lot of R's. Here it is. 

     Triple redemption...one might call it. On Friday, September 13th at noon, I started the Run Rabbit Run 103 mile course with thoughts of revenge. Not only did I let this race course beat me last year, but because of injury this year...I had been forced (for the last 3 months) to bomb one World Championship, give up another...and race well below my potential at a National Championship. 

     The deep elite group and I slowly climbed our way up Mt.Werner. We navigated our way through the long grass, trail, rocks and dirt until we reached some supporters at the top of the gondola.  I quickly exchanged out my 2 Ultimate Direction handhelds for my Blaze Plus fuel belt...complete with GU Energy gels and a Simply Bar.  This would be the start of a long day for crew chief and hubby extraordinaire, Wyatt Yates. Jordan Whitlock would soon join me for the rest of the ascent.  A good friend of mine who encouraged me to run my own race even though Rhonda Claridge would briefly pass us at the crest of the mountain before I made a strong pass on the downhill leaving both of them behind. 

     The mountain weather wouldn't disappoint.  I found myself already with a chill and quickly put on a light running shell jacket at aid station #2. Tim Olson would lead the way down the technical section of fish creek falls. Myself and a few other guys quickly passed through the aid station there and hammered down on concrete road to Olympian hall. There, I would meet up with Wyatt, do some more quick weather change outs, refuel and be on my way. This section of the course was a huge circle and on the back side (after yet another big climb), I found myself struggling mentally a bit.  I questioned if my legs were going to bounce back and/or if I was going to get through this low so early in the race (around 30 miles). Meredith Terranova (backup crew), talked me through it. I was on my way again and with the extra encouragement on the course from her hubby, Paul Terranova...I found myself breezing through Olympian hall, back up Fish Creek Falls and on my way to Summit Lake for the first time. *** All of that would be put to a standstill...With a quick stop and stare down from a standing bear...I slowly raised my arms to make myself appear bigger, and let out a sigh of relief as he ran off the other way***  The easy road from Long Lake to Summit Lake would be cold, for now it was night time and the glow of dim lights along the way inspired me. 

     Next up, a rough, downhill jeep road that rolled right into Dry Creek Aid Station and continued on down to Spring Creek aid station. This was the part I really needed to utilize ( I told myself).  Always noted as a downhill runner, I would be sure to use those sections to capitalize on any lead I had, and to push myself the hardest I could so I knew what I "had."  You guessed it...now on the turn around, it was the long ascent up...passing through those aid stations once again, only this time dry (thanks again to hubby Wyatt!).  On the way down a freak thunderstorm passed through, down poured on all of us, and moved on. 

     Playing games with myself to keep the focus, I counted in my head...5,6,7,8..up to 30 seconds...30 seconds that is all the break you can have after a few minutes of pushing hard Michele ( I told myself). The plan worked.  Numerous runners poured down the mountain as I ran up...their words of encouragement meant so much more than they would ever know. They "moved" me...all the way to Summit Lake aid station for the second time.

     

     Keeping my stay brief, my tummy fueled, and my mind optimistic I got on the flooded, now technical Wyoming trail.  My heart sank, I realized I could hardly see through small, dim beam of light coming from my head lamp. "Am I getting night blindness? Are my eyes watering so bad from the snow and cold I can't see?"  (Yes, I said snow, although not that bad, it was snowing)...Oh no!!! I made a rookie mistake and forgot to change out my batteries!!!!"  Feeling so slow, and like I was losing ground, I pushed myself through the darkness, splashing in puddles and tripping over tree roots. This was supposed to be the "fun" trail for me!  Thankful my light wasn't totally out, I surged onto Long Lake aid station where I would be forever grateful to the aid station volunteer for giving me new batteries!  With only 45 minutes of darkness left...and about 13 miles to go...I rushed out of there like my pants were on fire!  I needed to be strong on these last two sections in order to make up some time. Although never even looking at my watch for a majority of the race, I did now and saw that I could MAYBE make it under 20 hours.  My emotions were getting to me, my anxiety grew with each step towards Mt. Werner aid station (the final one before the finish).  Frustration built, " where is the damn aid station!?...it has to be around this corner, okay up this hill, okay around this corner, grrrr!"  With all the voices in my head, a real one appeared, "great job Michele, almost to the aid station!"  ...a fellow 50 mile runner would exclaim. Relieved, I trudged on, soon greeted by Mt.Werner aid station and  numerous 50 mile runners with their energized words as my quads screamed out on the final downhill.

You can't see me because I'm camouflaged!

     On the last trail called zigzag, I relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the way in.  I loved every painful minute of this race.  The other runners, volunteers, race director, and supporters made this experience the best I could have asked for.  With God all things are possible, and I am so happy he decided to give me the ability to run again. I did not break that 20 hour mark, but I did finish 1st female 20:16:54, 7th overall. 

Watch out for those bears!

iRunFar.com article
Dream Live Run

Axel does Poland: World Championships Race Review by Axel Nichols

After a little over a day of travel I arrived in the Krakow International airport and stepped into a sleek black Mercedes with two Japanese athletes. Before long we were flying down the highway at speeds in excess of 130 MPH in a leather and walnut rocket ship on our way to the host town of Krynica Zdrój. This was my introduction to the 2013 World Mountain Running Championships. I’m not sure if Poland lacks the standard laws of the road that we so strictly follow in the states, or if our driver was just a mad man, but that drive was a perfect introduction to the theme of my trip – speed. 

Making the US Mountain running team has long been a goal of mine. In the running world, donning the USA kit and representing your country is like a stamp of approval. At the 2013 national championships years of hard work paid off and I had finally qualified for my first US team. But then came that little other thing: actually racing against the best in the world. I was excited to be there, but the nerves of running for my country were beyond anything I’ve felt before.

Axel looks surprised at the number of countries that exist in the world                          photo: Maddy Schmid

The day after arriving I ran the course and felt great. Unfortunately the race was still three days away. That left me with a lot of time to get more and more nervous. I don’t know if it was jet lag or just the fear of racing on such a high level, but whatever it was it left me with some very sleepless nights. I found myself staying awake until 3 or 4 in the morning stressing out about every little thing. 

Axel and the "King" rush to get back in time for Polish sausage and beer happy hour           photo: Maddy Schmid

Race day came around and I was finally able to get some sleep, thanks in part to the 12:30 PM start time. I was still nervous but found myself thinking back to Max King’s advice during our team meeting the night before: just go out there and do what you did at Cranmore (the national championships). For me that meant running my own race. I did a great job of moving through the field at Cranmore and I had decided to attempt the same thing at the worlds.

What is this, a 5K!?                                                              photo: Maddy Schmid

The field went out fast, with 100+ guys all thinking they would be in the top 10. By the end of the first downhill I found myself far enough back that Paul Kirsch, our team manager, wasn’t able to count my position. I was definitely running fast, but just not as suicidal as many of my competitors.

"I thought this was a mountain race" Axel says       photo: Maddy Schmid

On the following lap I continued to run my own pace and found that a lot of people had gone out way faster than they could hold. Just as I started to feel good I saw Max King standing on the side of the trail. He yelled out to me that I was now the 5^th man. At the time I had no idea if he had just cramped up or if he was out for good but I immediately thought about our team score. He was one of the strongest runners on the team and without him we needed some people to step up in a big way to get a medal. With that in mind I attacked the downhill even harder in the hopes of helping out the team. Just 200 meters later I passed a clearly suffering Glen Randall. All of a sudden I was a scoring member of Team USA and I was on a mission to help out as much as I could.

Power hiking is perfectly legal!                                                           photo: Paul Kirsch

In the next lap and a half I kept moving up. I was in the 70’s, 50’s, then 30’s. All of a sudden I saw the familiar bouncing fro of Ryan Hafer. Just like Cranmore I found myself chasing him down in the final climb of the race. 

Ryan Hafer's 'fro flails in the wind                                        photo: Maddy Schmid

I kicked hard in the final 800 uphill meters and passed both Ryan and one other runner. I crossed the finish as the third US team member and the 27^th finisher feeling happy and worried at the same time. I had run the best possible race I could run and finished higher than I thought was possible, but it was tough day for the rest of the team. After seeing that Zach Ornelas was just two spots in front of me I realized that our team medal chances were over. 

How did I get so tanned in 12K of racing!?                      photo: Maddy Schmid

In the end we lost the bronze by just 6 points, despite Max and Glen’s rough day. It is a small consolation but a 4^th place team finish on a less than ideal day clearly shows the current depth of US trail running. I just can’t wait to come back and see what we can do on a great day.

Who's this muscly guy?                                                   photo: Maddy Schmid

Sierre-Zinal: It's like the NASCAR of European Mountain Running

Not the Red Cross...Switzerland!                                           photo: Sage Canaday

With the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon in the rear view mirror, we cannot neglect to speak of "one of the finest mountain races in the world," the famous European mountain race in Switzerland called Sierre-Zinal. You know it's a big deal when they have THREE helicopters and over THREE AND A HALF hours of race coverage! 

Dear American mountain running, we have some catching up to do!

In what we consider an amazingly well-translated description of the Sierre-Zinal race on the race website, it states:

The race Sierre-Zinal (August 11, 2013, 40th edition), also called the Race of Five 4000m Peaks, is considered to be one of the finest mountain races in the world. It was once written that it is to mountain races what the New York Marathon is to marathons. It is the oldest mountain race found in its category in Europe's mountains. 

Advising proper footwear since 1973

Sierre-Zinal, which takes place in the heart of Valais' Alps, offers its participants a significant challenge: distance - 31 km, 2200m ascent and 800m descent. Incredible scenery, a warm atmosphere and exceptional organisation explain the success and longevity of this challenge.

As Jonathan Wyatt (record holder of both Sierre-Zinal and the Jungfrau Marathon, as well as a multiple world mountain racing champion) wrote, "As a mountain racer you must experience the tradition and history of this race."

A few Team Colorado members took a crack at this Swiss equivalent of NASCAR and we were able to track a few of them down to ask them about this classic race.

As a formal introduction to Team Colorado, an all-star rockin' the Pearls, a smiler on-par with our Chef d'équipe, Amy Perez, we would like to introduce Stevie "Sunshine" Kremer. 

"Yeahhhhhhh," says Stevie as she wins the Pikes Peak Marathon           photo: The Gazette/Jerilee Bennett

Stevie--or "Steveee Ktktkemehr" as they call her in Switzerland (that accent is really difficult to put into words, check out 1:16:09 into the race coverage video)--placed 2nd overall female in a time of 3:03:12, matching her result from 2012 (3:04:33). 

On the mens side, Team Colorado's Rickey "MIA" Gates placed 9th OA in a time of 2:40:47, Sage Canaday was 17th OA with a 2:45:01 and Glenn "Pulling a GR" Randall was 21st OA (18th according to the Awards Ceremony) in 2:47:01.

Stevie Kremer

Team Colorado: Stevie, first of all, welcome to the Team! We are excited that you are adding some additional sunshine to it! We hear Sierre-Zinal is one of the most, if not the most, prestigious mountain races in the Europe. Why does it have that slogan? Is it true? 

Stevie: Thank you so for letting me be part of this extremely talented group of runners! The best part is they all have such phenomenal personalities with so much going for them, including fast legs and huge lungs, that I'm really looking forward to meeting and learning more about everyone! 

Sierre-Zinal is one of the best and most popular races I've ever competed in. I believe one of the reasons this race has such a prestigious reputation is the runners that come out for it and these runners come back year after year...for example, this past year, many of the past winners from years ago came to race and celebrate the 40th Anniversary of it. It is five days filled with delicious food at various places around Sierre and Zinal, beautiful areas to run in, plus a phenomenal group of people from, literally, all over the world.

Team Colorado: Hmmm, sounds nice, can you pack me in your bag next time you go!? A lot of us on this side of The Pond have a certain idea of mountain running. How is it different than European mountain running? This race in particular or a general mountain race in Europe? 

Stevie: It's funny because this is one question I get asked a lot since returning (the difference between Euro and US mountain running, that is, not human trafficking), and I'd have to say one of the biggest differences is how technical the trails in Europe are, although Sierre-Zinal is not particularly technical. In addition, I would say the trails seem to be much steeper than those in the U.S. You go from Sea Level (or close to it) to 1,500 meters in a super short distance.  

But another big difference are the spectators and fans that come out to watch big trail/mountain races in Europe. People line the course, regardless of how steep or technical the trail may be. You feel like you're in the Tour de France running in Europe!

Stevie, showing the men who's the boss...not Tony Danza!           photo: Ian Corless

Team Colorado: How does it compare to Pikes Peak?

Stevie: I loved Pikes Peak. It's not too technical and not to steep. Besides the 16 Golden Stairs, I was capable (although I'm not sure I actually did) of running the rest of the course, which is more than any European race I ran. In Europe I did a bunch of "riking" (run/hiking...something a good friend of mine from Crested Butte taught me), something I didn't do much of in the trails back here. I loved being in the mountains of Europe and running in the diverse terrain, but I did miss the smooth trails in CO.

Team Colorado: From pictures, the finish line of Sierre-Zinal looks like the Tour de France of running (are we really using the TDF reference twice in this interview?). Are runners really treated like rock stars over there? Stevie, you ARE a rockstar, you were 2nd there this year (oh, and 2nd last year, as a matter of fact). 

Stevie: Oh yeah, everyone is treated like a rockstar, it's incredible. Everyone is friendly and excited FOR you...and when I say everyone, I mean supporters as well as your competitors. We get spoiled with food and accommodations...it's one of the best vacations ever!

Team Colorado: Stevie, you qualified for the US Mountain Running Team in July (2nd at the US Mountain Running Champs at Cranmore) but you turned down you spot because of work obligations (you are a teacher and couldn't leave the little ones to their own devices). Was that a difficult decision? 

Stevie: It was a very hard decision not to run in Poland with Team USA, not only because of the amazing experience it would have been but also because of the camaraderie that comes with it. Being part of the Team last year was one of the most incredible running experiences I've had and I hope I am able to relive that again one year. It is such a strong team and I am super excited for them to crush it:-)

Team Colorado: Do you like cheese!? I heard there was some amazing cheese there in Switzerland.

Stevie: You know, I'm not a huge cheese fan, but if I had to choose one, I'd definitely choose Munster--a cheese that isn't in Switzerland:-/  Boring answer, I know!  They do make some sweet cow bells that I love to wear (and so do my dogs!).

Team Colorado: Has anyone ever told you that your style is di bomb digi bomb di deng digigi? 

Stevie: When you say style do you mean my stylish pearls that cover up my big ear lobes when I run, or do you mean my popped collar look that is part of my every day wardrobe? Thanks for the nice compliment, by the way!

Yeahhh (again) at zee Mont Blanc Marathon finish...Stevie is always happy, can you tell?   photo: Ian Corless

Team Colorado: What is up next for you--more world domination?

Stevie: Basically, in a nutshell, I just hope to continue enjoying running and doing okay, all over the world, and of course, with the pearls in:-)

Top 3 women (L to R), Steveee Ktktkemehr-2nd, Eliso Desco-1st, Maude Mathys-3rd         photo: Fred Bousseau 

Rickey Gates

When we asked Rickey about what he thought of this huge European Mountain race, he poignantly added, "Yeah, what she said."

So, that is what you call a trail in Europe                                      photo: Ian Corless

Glenn Randall

GR with the now-extremly-tanned-and-acquirer-of-some-kilos, Lance Armstrong, the Maillot Jaune, in the background

Team Colorado: We hear Sierre-Zinal is one of the most, if not the most, prestigious mountain race in the Europe. Why does it have that slogan? Is it true? 

Glenn: I think you hear that because it is true. This is a race that gets a lot of really good people running it. I got 9th at World Mountain Running Championships last year and 18th (according to the awards ceremony) at Sierre-Zinal this year. Also, I only saw one helicopter at Worlds last year, but I saw at least three helicopters at Sierre-Zinal. As awesome as World Mountain Running Championships is, the numbers seem to be on Sierre-Zinal's side, somewhat like they are for a couple of the world's biggest marathons. 

Team Colorado: A lot of us in 'Merica have a certain idea of mountain running. How is it different than European mountain running? This race in particular? A general mountain race in Europe?

Glenn: The only mountain races I've run in Europe are Sierre-Zinal and Worlds last year.  However, I will say that both courses had much steeper ups and downs than I've seen in the States. Also, Sierre-Zinal probably does the best job of any mountain race I've ever run of including pretty much everything you can run on, so you are forced to confront your weakness, and although you are using different muscle groups through a lot of that, for me, this just means pushing harder, which means there is more of my body to hurt. This may not make me popular, but I think that mountain running in Europe is a much more painful endeavor than it is in the United States. As for Sierre-Zinal, it's difficult to describe. Mountain races hurt in a much different way than road marathons. Sierre-Zinal, at least in my experience, is somewhat to mountain running as mountain running is to road running. Amazing trails, scenery and locale, but also probably the most pain I've ever put myself through. 

Team Colorado: I guess you have never experienced child birth, have you, Glenn!? You said Sierre-Zinal was probably the most painful experience of your life (after child birth, that is). How does it compare to Pikes Peak on the pain-scale?

Glenn: Pikes Peak is a strange mountain. I think the great challenge of Pikes is the altitude. But that oxygen deprivation means that you are kind of numb to the pain. Marc Lauenstein, who won Sierre-Zinal this year, was second when I won Pikes. After the race, he told me that shortly after timberline, he started to feel drunk and then I pulled away. The altitude didn't make me feel drunk until I finished. But nonetheless, that kind of dulls the pain. But Sierre-Zinal is at a low enough altitude that you have to feel the pain, and it is really severe. It's kind of like the difference between morphine and no morphine. Pikes has substantially more staggering and slobbering on yourself, but it doesn't hurt as much.

Team Colorado: From pictures, the finish line of Sierre-Zinal looks like the Tour de France of running. Are runners really treated like rock stars over there? Glenn, now that you are going to grad school for physics, could you answer this in physics terms.

Glenn: Much like Schroedinger's Cat, you're never sure if they are treating you like a rock star or treating you like a pig being fattened up for slaughter until you run the race. At that point, the wavefunction collapses from a superposition of both into one state. This year, after the race, I was a pig that had been fattened up for slaughter: popular at the dinner table, basted in wine, sizzling hot, but also fatty and nonmoving. On that note, I'm kind of hungry. 

That is a cute little mountain!              photo: Glenn Randall

Team Colorado: Glenn, you made the USMRT (as they used to call it when TEVA was our sponsors and the rest of the world thought we were the country "TEVA"), when do you head out to Poland? Are you going to eat a lot of perogies? 

Glenn: I leave for Poland on September 4. I'm going to eat whatever they give me to eat out there, because the food is half the adventure and in Europe, if you're a picky eater, they let you starve. 

Team Colorado: How does physics help your mountain running?

Glenn: Physics makes me realize that a) the pain is not real, it is a chemical reaction (ok, that's chemistry, but chemistry is just applied physics), b) an undetectably small part of me has already finished (seriously, quantum mechanics is awesome), c) as I climb, the gravitational pull that makes climbing hard is decreasing by 1/r^2 where r is my distance from the center of the earth, and d) the pain doesn't exist until I observe it, nor do any bad results. 

Team Colorado: Physics sounds fun. Best of luck out there in Poland, you mad scientist!

Sage Canaday

Sage leads CR holder, Jonathan Wyatt of NZ, "for a couple seconds"    photo: Sage Canaday

Team Colorado: Sage, congrats on your race. We hear it is one of the most, if not the most, prestigious mountain race in the Europe. Why does it have that title?

Sage: First of all there's the history of the event: it's been going on for 40 years! Also, it is a beautiful place to run, you are connecting these little mountain towns near the Alps. The ridge line and the severity of the climb on what are usually just hiking trails make it the ultimate mountain race/challenge. 

Team Colorado: A lot of us in America have a certain idea of mountain running. How is it different than European mountain running?

Sage: I don't know much about other European mountain races, but the Alps are just plain steeper than the Rockies! What would be a technical trail in the US is considered a "road" in Europe. As Killian even said: The Pikes Peak Marathon is a "flat road."

Sage with Glenn Randall closely following (there's Lance again!)

Team Colorado: How does it compare to Pikes Peak, (in your terms, not Killian's terms)?

Sage: I was in a lot of pain at both Sierre-Zinal and Pikes. The pain at Sierre-Zinal was caused by sheer muscle failure and the pain at Pikes was caused by glycogen depletion. As runners like Max King can attest, Sierre-Zinal does something horrible to your legs if you aren't prepared for it!

Team Colorado: The finish line of Sierre-Zinal looks like the Tour de France of running. Are runners really treated like rock stars over there? Sage, you are already a ultra rock star in the States, how was it over there?

Sage: I'm pretty sure everyone knew Ricky and they had no idea who I was. Then again, I didn't finish in the top 10!

Raclette under the heat lamps...just like McDonalds does here in the US!  photo: Sage Canaday

Team Colorado: I hope you brought some of that local Raclette back to the US! 

Sage: I tired to but it all melted on the plane ride back so I ate whole wheel in the airport. 

Team Colorado: Wow, that is a lot of cheese to consume. You probably had a belly ache. So, are you ready for some time off? I am sure you have some ultras coming up soon, which ones?

Sage: I took one day totally off after Sierre-Zinal and then another recovery on the 30 hour train/plane/plane/plane/car ride back from Zinal to Boulder. I'm more determined than ever to train specifically for the UROC 100km from Breck to Vail in a few weeks...it's the SkyRunning Ultra Series Final and Killian and Anton (and maybe Max) will be there. 

Team Colorado: So, no rest is what you are saying? Thanks and we will look out for you and the rest of Team Colorado out at UROC 100.

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