Race Report: Pike's Peak Ascent

Start of the 2016 Pikes' Peak Ascent

I ran up a mountain.

I RAN UP A FREAKING MOUNTAIN!!!

Like all the way to the top. From the bottom.

Ok, deep breath, get it together.

But seriously. I am not often proud of things I do. I am harder on myself than anyone I know, and generally am more self-critical than anyone I know. But I am proud of this one.

I wasn't the fastest. In fact, I'm pretty sure the woman who won the race was off the top, home, showered, and napped by the time I finished. I. Don't. Care.

I did it.

Training Above the Clouds

I'm prepping for the Ascent, as I've mentioned before. The Ascent is the annual race from the bottom to the top of Pike's Peak.

I ran to the top of that waterfall in the back.

According to everyone I've talked to, you can't just train for the Ascent the way you train for any other half-marathon - you know, go out and run. You have to practice going up, up, up. And you have to do that at elevation.

So that's what I've done. For the last five Saturdays, I've gotten up, driven to the top of Pike's Peak, ran down part way, back up and then did it again. Each Saturday, the run, the weather, the mountain itself, has been different. The only thing that has stayed the same has been the elevation.