Race Report- Pikes Peak Ascent

So.. for those of you who do not know what this is.... The Pikes Peak Ascent is a 1/2 marathon (trail) up Pikes Peak. The race starts in Manitou Springs at 6,295 feet and ends 13.32 miles later (a bit more than a half) at the Summit of Pikes Peak- 14,110 feet.

I'm not sure how to write a race report as I have never formally wrote on before. But here is my best ditch effort!

Start of the race Saturday August 16th..
Race Start Conditions: For those of you that know Colorado these are record lows for August!

Weather: At the start, light rain with temps in the 50s. Summit weather was in the top 30s with fog, sleet, wind, cold. It was pretty miserable on the top!

Wave 2 started at 7:30am. I might add I got to Memorial Park around 6:45am to pick up my big and get my sweat check bag together for the top! I was pretty wet by the start of the race as it had been slightly raining-pouring from 6:45-7:30am.

When I signed up back in March to do this crazy thing I had the best of intention of training and training hard BUT didn't realize that I had signed up for another daunting race only a month later in Sept. that includes 56 miles of bike. For most of you this may not be difficult, but for me trying to fit in proper bike time and run times, along with traveling and work, I soon realized something had to give, and it was high altitude training. I never stepped foot on the uphill section of Barr Camp. I only had done the incline a handful of times, running down the last 2.8 miles of Barr Camp. So.. I didn't set any goals, with a nagging hamstring most of the summer tthat took me out of my last duathlon before the finish, my sole goal yesterday was to finish!

Okay with that being said, when I got to the start of the race, I will be honest- several times I almost bagged. If I had not paid an obnoxious entry fee, I would have called it quits before it even started. I am glad I didn't.

The race began in the rain near the fire station in Manitou. The sky was dreary, reminded me of Feb. and March back in New York. As I ran past "A spice of life" (a quaint little coffee shop in Manitou) I thought... I could easily call Daniel and tell him to meet me for a hot cup of joe! i don't know what it was but...something inside me wouldn't let me stop.

As I made my way up Ruxton Ave, I was feeling great, much to my surprise. Especially, because my experienced friends reported that Ruxton is the most surprising part, and steeper than one would think. I hit the dirt trail and realized I was not even puffing hard up Ruxton Ave. So, I continued on. This was my first boost of positive energy.

For those of you that know me- I like to go out hard, and sometimes too hard. I like to go out as hard as I can, sometimes this leads to bonking or what I like to call "popping".. Anyway, as I watched people ahead of me turn into a fast hike, I decided to do the same. I let a friend pace me, well.. i'm not sure if he knew he was pacing me, but it was wonderful to the top of the incline. From there to Barr Camp, I knew the terrain was manageable if I kept a slow steady jog, so anyway, I went on trying to eat every 1/2 hour as my wonderful boy suggested! At Barr, I realized the 50 degree weather was quite nice and it was GREAT trail running weather, this would soon come to bite me in the BUTT!

I decided to utilize the wonderful aid station at Barr Camp. Drinking 2 glasses of water to every 1 glass of gatorade with 1/2 banana. As I left Barr Camp, I began jogging and realized that the food and beverages were attempting a juggling act around in my stomach. So I opted to hike for a bit, until the juggling act was perfected and settled. The 2.6 miles from Barr Camp to A-Frame alternated between bouts of slow jogging and fast hiking! When I got A-Frame, 10.2 miles in, I was feeling GREAT! At this point, I couldn't believe how well, for me, I was feeling! I thought I would be to the top by 3:35/3:45. I was so excited. IT ALL CHANGED! One/two switchbacks in, heading southward, it was at your back and felt OK, cold but ok.. It didn't take long until I lost feeling in my fingers! Now, I have bad cirulation, and my hands get cold real fast but nothing like this...

With a mile to go, I think they totally went numb, or I was pumping my arms hard and fast (yes, I know I probably looked like a tool) that I got some bood to go to them. About quarter of a mile left, I no longer knew I had legs attached to my body. I mean, I knew I was moving and I just wanted to get to the top faster than ever but if I touched my legs there wasn't much feeling. The last 2 miles came to almost a stand still several times, as more and more people clumped together because slippery weather conditions would not allow much passing.

What kept me going were the cheers and music, I could hear at the top, couldn't see but could hear, as the dense fog it only allowed for vision about 10-20 feet in front of me!

Anyway, I reached the top in under 4 hours. For some this isn't an accomplishment. For me, who didn't train, and didn't even want to start. I am excited! I also have to say I felt like a bad ass running through sleet, hail, and snow to get to the top!
For those who got turned around at A-Frame, I am sorry and that is probably very disappointing. but.. I think the race directors made a good call, as race conditions got worse and worse. I saw many with hypotherma at the top and it was kind of scary. As I crosse the finish line, the only thing that I could focus on was to get to the warm building! once inside the building, I realized how truly cold I was at it took over an hour before my body stopped shivering!

Nonetheless, it was an accomplishment that was well worth it BUT..I'm glad I am off the mtn! Stay tuned for pictures!