Turkey Day...According to Gute

Simon Gutierrez (lovingly known to his Team Colorado teammates as "Gute") got his fill of Thanksgiving races in the past few weeks. 

On November 17th, Gute participated in the Pikes Peak Road Runners Turkey Trot Predict, where he came across the line in 16:37.15, only 2.85 seconds off his predicted time of 16:40, thus winning a big-ass frozen turkey.

Gute (the bald guy holding a frozen turkey) graces the December cover of the Long Run

OutThereColorado.com article and results

Then on Thanksgiving Day, Gute ran the Fort Collins Thanksgiving Day Run, an extremely competitive 4 mile race.

In his own words, Gute gives us his race review:

I knocked off another race from my "got 2 run it" list.

With great prize money, wonderful weather and many of the top Colorado runners showing up for a flat fast race at 5000 ft sea level, I was expecting to cruise 20:20, win the masters money and pumpkin pie for my age division.

Sometimes you show up for your "A" game and all you got in the 1st mile is noodle legs....hitting the mile in 5.02 feeling like it was 4.50 is not a good feeling especially when your in 20th place and and 2nd overall master....next mile was when you ask yourself if racing is worth it...2 miles 10:16...3rd mile 15.42. But I had recovered enough to enjoy being slightly ahead of master ace Art Siemers...feeling like I could at least finish strong, I did not expect the calf cramping with 400 meters to go...something that I have dealt with, especially on hard flat pavement over the past 25 years...

21:00 second master and like 26th overall may seem like a disaster but in reality It was a lot of fun, I still got a 100 dollar prize and being in different old guy age groups, Art and I each got pie...

Results

Next up for Gute is XC Nationals in Lexington, Kentucky on December 8th after a 2 mile tune up at the Nielsen Challenge on the December 1st.

This weekend will also see Team Colorado members Justin Ricks, Alex Nichols and Rickey Gates take on the North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile Championships in San Francisco, CA.

Another Incline Beer Mile and the last Fall Series Race

The second edition of the Incline Beer Mile took place on Saturday, November 10th. The small field of 6 had to endure the incline masses, the raining of snow pellets and foamy beer (considering each participant had to carry their own beer with them).

Note the winning technique - getting the beer down your throat as quickly as possible.                    Photo: Andy Wooten

Peter Maksimow defended his title in a pedestrian 30:56, with JT (Jon Teshier) claiming the second spot and Liz Sanchez of Denver close behind him in 3rd OA, setting a new women's CR in 42:58.

This is what the Incline Beer Mile looked like back in November of '82!                                                Photo: Amy Perez

The next day at the Pikes Peak Road Runners Fall Series race #4, Justin Ricks come off a 2nd place at the USATF Trail Marathon Championship a week ago to place 2nd OA in 47:06 at the 7.3 mile trail race at Palmer Park in Colorado Springs, CO. He solidified his 2nd place in the series behind overall and series winner, Robby Young.

Justin trying to stay warm in the sub-30 degree weather

Peter Maksimow finished 6th OA in 49:56 and pretty much just stank it up, losing positions in the overall series. Alex  "Axel" Nichols just put in an easy effort to keep an injury at bay in his preparation for the North Face 50 Mile in a few weeks.

Results
Write up on PikesPeakSports.us

Ricks Captures 2nd at USATF Trail Marathon Champs

Justin Ricks places 2nd at the slick-rock, rope-climbing, shit-show which was the Moab Marathon in 3:14:40.

The Moab Trail Marathon, which must have been inspired by PPRR's Fall Series, played host to the 2012 USATF National Trail Marathon Championships. Team Colorado's Justin Ricks ran a conservative race to finish in 2nd place. "I knew it was going to be a challenging course and knew an easier start would play in my favor once I reached the more technical parts of the course." 

Yeah, it's all fun and games in the first 3 miles of a marathon!

Justin, who moved into third place around mile 10, started out in 12th place. "I felt great all day and had a lot of fun out on the trails! Considering the depth of the elite field, I am very happy with a second place finish at a national championship race."  

OK, now it looks serious

Results

Trail Runner Mag write up
Colorado Runner Mag write up

Werewolves and Domination

18th Annual Emma Crawford Coffin Races - 10/27/12

On Saturday in Manitou Springs, CO, a event that might be considered on the Lunatic Fridge took place. Known as the Emma Crawford Coffin Races, this event features a crew of four runners and a coffin with a "Emma" (preferably lightweight lightweight Emma) 195 yards down Manitou Ave.

The story of Emma Crawford goes back to 1889 when she moved to Manitou Springs in hopes that the famous Mineral Springs would heal her tuberculosis. Unfortunately, she died a year later and was buried atop Red Mountain. A few years later a large rain storm washed her coffin down the steep slope into town. And to commemorate her, we race coffins through the streets! She would have been proud!


The "Werewolves of Manitou" consisted of (L to R) Brandon Stapanowich, Logan Wealing, Peter Maksimow, Justin Ricks and Brian Rawlings.

No, we didn't win, but we represented for all Werewolf kind and for our sponsors: PikesPeakSports.us, 2 South Wine Bar and Colorado Running Company.

See the write up on Brandon's blog.

Pikes Peak Road Runners Fall Series #3 - 10/28/12

The 3rd installment of the Fall Series saw Team Colorado take places 2, 3, 4 and 6. This 5.5 mile (advertise) race (actually it was 6.4 miles--way off Larry Miller, RD!) was held in Ute Valley Park in Colorado Springs, CO and featured the 46-year-old-retired-from-downhill-running Team Colorado member Simon Gutierrez, who braved the rocky, technical up-and-down course to place 2nd overall (38:41) behind Robbie Young. He was not wearing the proper footwear, or else he would have won!

Gute finishing with a Barn close on his heels!

Justin Ricks was a close 3rd in 38:58, followed in 4th by the newly returned to the uninjured world, Alex Nichols (39:17), along with Peter Maksimow rounding out the top 6 in 6th with a 40:23.

Justin making a "I-just-got-beat-by-a-46-year-old" face

Alex "Axel" Nichols swallowing his tongue but placing 4th

Pikes Peak in the background, beard in the foreground, and the midrift in the midground

Results on PikesPeakSports.us

And we will leave you with this pug that tried to dress like Peter.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

USATF CO State Championships' Weekend

There were two USATF CO State Championship races this past weekend and Team Colorado was represented in both.

USATF Colorado State Cross Country Championships - 10/21/12

This very competitive 8k was held at Monument Valley Park in Colorado Springs and consisted of 4 X 2K loops on crushed gravel/dirt trails and grass. The meet also served as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships hosted by Team Colorado Member and coach of the UCCS Men's Cross Country team, Mark Misch, who will become a masters runner in less than 3 weeks!

The Gute taking it out with the leaders (white Hoka singlet #663)

Team Colorado's Simon Gutierrez and Justin Ricks took it out with the roadies and speed demons in a race that saw a Andy Wacker take the win in a very impressive 24:41. Simon ran an impressive race (for an old guy) placing 26th in 26:38 and taking the overall masters win.

Justin showing some leg!

Justin, who has been running long, slower distances in the mountains and neglecting doing very many speed workouts said, "that sucked!" after the placing 61st in 27:20. He is training for the US Trail Marathon Champs and The Northface 50.

Gute would have run at least a minute faster if he less midsole to his shoes!

video of the start of the XC Champs

USATF Colorado State Half Marathon Championships - 10/21/12

Peter Maksimow ran the Boulder Half Marathon serving as the USATF CO State Half Marathon Championships the next day at the Boulder Reservoir. The course consisted of mostly dirt roads, some pavement and, yes, that ringer again, Andy Wacker, who took the win in 1:11:37 for his second USATF CO State Championship of the weekend. Congrats Wacker!

Peter placed 8th OA in 1:17:47.

Photos courtesy of PikesPeakSports.us

Gute Strikes Gold in Cripple Creek, Ricks & Maksimow Take On Fall Series

Saturday October 13

Simon Gutierrez takes to them thar hills, at the Mine To Mine 9K in the old gold mining towns of Cripple Creek and Victor, CO, in an attempt to strike gold. And gold he did strike, by gum, by placing 3rd OA in 30:49 and winning a gold nugget worth $100.

Gute doing what he swore he would never do...run downhill. Luckily he had his fat shoes on!

The 9K road race started on a blustery snowy day from the Mollie Kathleen Mine and descended into the town of Cripple Creek before climbing back up and finishing at the Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mine. The OA male and female (Matt Levassiur & Brandy Erholtz) winners took home a $500 gold nugget. When asked what he was going to do with his valuable earnings, Simon concluded that he would make himself a gold tooth for his mouth!

Sunday October 14

The very next day saw a lot warmer weather for the second race of the Pikes Peak Road Runners Fall Series, where Justin Ricks and Peter Maksimow took the 2nd (28:49) and 3rd positions (29:48), respectively, and place themselves in that same order in the overall series. Local runner, Robbie Young, took the top spot and extended his lead in the series.

A well-tanned Justin has his eyes on the last climb of the course

Wonderful fall foliage with NORAD in the background...and, no, Peter is not heel-striking in this photo

This 4.5-mile real cross country-style course (actually, closer to 5 miles, Larry Miller, RD, doesn't know how to measure) at Bear Creek Regional Park was a roller coaster of climbs and descents, soft gravel, single tracks which looked like a drunk person blazed them (Larry?), creek crossings and the formidable rope climb up a 30-foot embankment. (Again, thanks Larry!)

There's the rope climb

Results, videos photos and colorful commentary by Tim Bergsten can be found at www.pikespeaksports.us

Pikes Peak Road Ascent - Sub-Freezing temps, Yetis and White Beards

On Sunday, October 7th, Simon Gutierrez and Peter Maksimow took to the Pikes Peak Auto Road to run the Pikes Peak Road Ascent 10K. The start line temps were in the low 20's and the gain of 1,550 feet in altitude and windy conditions only made for more frigidness.

    The mid-soles of Simon's Hokas kept his toes far enough away from the ground so that his toes didn't freeze

After taking out the race in a fast first mile, Maksimow realized that his legs and a few toes were frozen, along with his beard. Gutierrez took over and went on to win in a time of 42:24. Maksimow was 2nd in 44:46. Local race machine and running reaper, Gerald Romero, was 3rd in 47:43.

Yeah, it was that cold!

Along the course, there are signs warning of Big Foot sighting. The cold weather brought one curious Sasquatch out to see what all to commotion was about on the auto road.

Kind of a disturbing photo...if you are afraid of Yetis

                                  Mistaken for a Yeti (as well as Santa Claus) a few times along the course

                                      Simon and Peter take the first two podium spots

Photos, videos and results of the race at PikesPeakSports.us