I learned in 2006 that valuable lesson, "Never say never!" After my first marathon in 2001 I said I'd never run another marathon. This year's Pikes Peak Marathon was my 7th (Grandma's in '01, Des Moines in '06, Grandma's in '07, California International in '07, Boston in '08 and two Pikes Peak runs '08 & '09). But this was my last PPM for the time being - too many other runs to do, to keep going back to the same race.
Like my Boston race, this was an historic event. Boston '08 included the US Olympic Trials for the women's marathon - an awesomely inspiring day. This year's PPM celebrated 50 years of women's marathoning. The PPM has always allowed women to run (since 1956) and in 1959 Arlene Pieper (now Stine) became the first woman on record to complete a US marathon (KV Swizter didn't attempt Boston until 1967 when she almost got shoved out of the race). The most incredible piece of this story is that the PPM didn't actually know the whereabouts of Arlene until just one week prior to the 2009 PPM - and she, when they did find her, had no idea she held such a position in women's running history. Arlene was the honorary starter of this year's PPM.
I signed up to run the PPM again - much to my dad's dismay :-) - because I wondered if the weather cooperated if I could actually achieve a sub-4-hour ascent before turning around. As my journey would have it, summer started with that surprisingly difficult Steamboat Half Marathon which led to the discovery of exercise induced allergic asthma. Love that Colorado is greener than I have ever seen it - but my lungs and nasal passages do not. Despite this, I had a good summer of training - running the Vail/La Sportiva Trail series and running with the PPRR Sunrise Striders on Tue/Thur mornings. I say "with" loosely - as I mostly ran after them, with Sydney wishing that one of those fast people would take her for a run instead of me! Only two summit workouts - definitely fewer than I'd hoped for - but the wind gods had different ideas and two additional attempts were foiled by high winds at the summit. By race week I was glad to be done pushing it, in fact all I really wanted was to be on the other side of the race!
My greatest fans, Mom & Dad, arrived on Saturday for some pre-race Spinach Lasagna. Their plan included taking me to the start, going home for breakfast, driving to the summit to be at the turnaround and then driving back to Manitou Springs to be at the Finish Line. This year, they were successful. The weather was beautiful and, most importantly, it allowed the to drive to the summit of Pikes Peak to find spectator spots at the turnaround! I cannot express how awesome it was to have them both at the summit!
I took it easy from the start. Even with the inhaler, I was still nervous about getting to the top. My two goals for the day: Finish the race & finish without blood. It's a remarkable thing to reflect on shifting goals. I'd had more than enough time (since signing up in March, discovering the allergy/asthma issues in June) to reconcile a need to change my goals. A sub-4-hour ascent didn't matter so much as finishing this race. And on race day, I had no interest in attempting a sub-4-hour. I wanted to enjoy being on the Peak on a day that turned out to be perfect - a bit breezy and fall-like, sunny and even a bit on the warm side on the way back down the mountain. I didn't overdo it in the W's - knowing it was too crowded and wasn't worth over-expending the energy (one of the great benefits of living near and training on the mountain itself).
I have to say I really don't love the up. But the downhill is fun and to do the downhill, well, you have no choice but to do the up :-). And like last year, us back-of-the-packers, tend to have a pretty good time. My favorite part of the trail is from the top of the W's to Barr Camp. Yes some of it mellows out, but besides that, the forest is peaceful and this year was particularly beautiful. Lots of wildflowers still lined the trail, even in mid-August. Above Barr isn't so bad on the way up, but the down is ankle-breaker territory! With still two miles to the top I saw the guys that I run after during the week - they all raced to sub-6-hour finishes - totally amazing!
Nearing the end of the sixteen Golden Stairs there sat Dad - waiting, patiently waiting - for me to arrive at the summit. I was a bit slower than last year - the cold, snowy weather spurred me on last year. I really wanted to finish and I knew that part of that meant racing the weather so that I wouldn't face the possibility of being turned around. And when you're cold, well, the faster you go the more heat you generate! But I was still within my estimated time frame 4 - 4 1/2 hours to the summit. Then came the turnaround/checkpoint and there sat mom. I unloaded my jacket and my extra pack since I was pretty certain I wouldn't need gloves, hat or jacket for the return trip. And I'd made the summit - still breathing without difficulty - so the inhaler went to the finish line with mom & dad instead of with me! But that first goal, finish the race, made my summit attempt conservative. I didn't know what to expect regarding breathing - my two summit runs had been fine, but they didn't include 7800 feet of elevation gain - so I opted to ensure that I got to the top so that I could turnaround and finish.
And this year, I really did feel the almost instantaneous repletion of oxygen. I "met" Lori on the way down the Golden Stairs - she's run 94 marathons and ultra's! I admire her and enjoyed talking with her until it was time to fly a bit. The downhill, after all, is why I run this race! Down to tree line and the A-frame aid station and then into ankle-breaker territory. A-frame down to Barr camp is my least favorite part of the down. And, like last year, below Barr, my legs started to cramp. This year, the medial quads and on occasion, the calves. I chugged Gatorade when I had the chance (having depleted my stash of endurolytes and Nuun, and Advil for that matter). And I enjoyed the company of my fellow runners.
And all of a sudden there were only 3 miles to go. And then the same guy stood with his speakers on the fence posts blasting "Chariots of Fire." This year produced an ear-to-ear grin, rather than tears. Then comes the pavement and a significant shift in the pitch. Ouch. My legs weren't happy, but I was pushing 7 hours...
At the intersection of Ruxton and Hydro were two people on bikes. Turns out they were MY friends - waiting to bring me in! Thanks to Marigny and Rich for giving me that first burst of adrenaline and for encouraging me and cruising down the hill beside me. And as I neared the end of the Ruxton Ave. split, I heard a cowbell. Not uncommon at races, but Kat and Zach had promised to bring out the biggest, loudest cowbell around! Sure enough, there they were. And Zach's mom too! And like last year, Karen was waiting for me on the right side of the road, farther up Ruxton than most spectators venture. And then at Miramont Castle was a HUGE crowd - Jillian, Beth, Dani, Christy & Ryan, Rich, Chelsea, Megan and I don't know who else might have been there. On the last turn, stood mom and dad and someone they'd recruited to hold the sign. As I approached the finish the clock read 6:59:....one final lunge took me across the finish line with 40 seconds to spare for an under 7 hour finish. My legs weren't happy with that final lunge - the guy working the finish line thought they might buckle. But they held! The last voice I heard as I crossed the line was Phil, working the finish area - he had heard my name over the loudspeaker. I was one of only 171 women to finish this race out of over 700 participants. And I was in the top half of my age group and nearly the top 1/3 of all the women. Pretty remarkable, really, for a girl who found the reason she loves to run, again, on a 14.5 mile trail run up Vail Mtn. earlier this summer. The trails are soft and they are less competitive and well, they offer up great scenery and a sense of peace and sometimes solitude and when you race they offer a bit of camaraderie too!
I am so grateful. To have finished this amazing race a second time. To have friends willing to get up early on their day off to see me off. To have parents who support me even though they're convinced I'm on the "crazy train." For a beautiful day on the mountain. To have such amazing support from so many people. To have a friend crazy enough to sign up for a 6-race series in the mountains so I'd have company. To have my own finish chute of cheering friends & family lining Ruxton Ave.
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