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Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2001 10:42 AM
Subject: Incline Club V5 TH20 LR39
Well that is pretty much a rap! A little time check from the race starts today, a race or two on the weekend and then a party will bring the 2001 season to a close.
For those that did not make the last Sunday run we did a complete rework of the PPA/M finish/turnaround point. In all 61 people hours were put into our top mile on Sunday (195 for the year) and the feedback we are getting is really great! For the most part all of our work held up well to the storms. However Wednesday’s inch or two of snow did cause some run-off problems for several of our switch-backs when it melted. Mat E, Yvonne C and I were up there to witness the fiasco. It turns out that the ENTIRE parking lot drains next to the water tanks by the summit building, under (or across) the COG tracks, over the side, and you guessed it — right into the Barr Trail!!:-( I never could figure out why we kept having to rework that same area over and over. Sure there is rain but the damage often seemed so localized and far beyond any storms that I could imagine. Now it all makes sense. As we saw there is just too much of the summit being drained into the Barr Trail. I have talked to COG personal and they too have a problem there sometimes to the point that the trains can’t even get through all the runoff debris. In fact, you may have even noticed the summit house has placed several orange pylons next to the two ditches that have been formed from the water tank to the COG tracks. We all feel a small berm at the edge of the parking lot could solve all of our problems. This will be a priority for next year or we will always be redoing those last couple of switch-backs. The good news is that the new turn around area was missed by about 20 feet:-)
####
Thursday, August 16, 5:30 p.m. meet at Memorial Park.
Time check to Ruxton (Ascenters) or Hydro (Marathoners). Easy cool-down back to park.
Saturday/Sunday, August 18/19, 7 a.m. — Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon.
Put your nine months of training on the line! Run smart and run fast!
Thursday, August 23, 5:30 p.m. Incline Club Party!!! Matt and Yvonne’s house.
####
Mat E writes:
Did 1.5 hours of work on Sunday the 12th. Helped with the smoooooth finish
and turnaround, it looks awesome. Also Matt, you shorted me .5 on the 29th.
Thanks. Good luck to everyone this weekend.
####
Laura K writes:
Funny things heard on top of Pikes Peak (names have been omitted to protect
the goofy and oxygen deprived)
IC Runner: Well, we’ve been training hard for the past NINE MONTHS and it’s
hard to believe it’s coming down to the final week before the race.
Another IC Runner: Yep, it’s time to have this baby!
****************************
A group of manly IC runners were moving and carefully placing rocks at the
PPM turnaround...
Rock Movement and Placement Director: Just give me 12 more inches, 12 more
inches!
Manly IC Man: Gee, how many times have I heard that one...
*****************************
We have had lots of times to smile over the last nine months! Good luck
everybody in the Ascent and Marathon!!!
####
Louise E writes:
Due to unforeseen circumstances Alex and I weren’t able to come to the Peak
to finish our trail work this weekend. I’m sending you a Pay Pal in the
amount of $50 that you can either donate to Barr Camp and/or Friends of the
Peak, or you can use it for the running club. I just think that is a fair
price for not finishing the trail work. I just feel guilty that I made a
promise to finish the trail work and we could not and I think the money is
about what we would have paid if we paid at the gate.
(Matt C adds: Now that is class! Those that got the free passes and did not
work the 5 hours should take note.)
####
Randy L passes on:
The Boulder Road Runners and the University of Colorado Cross country Team
invite you to attend the 1st Mid-America Masters Cross Country
Championships on Saturday October 6, 2001 at the University of Colorado’s “Buffalo Ranch” Cross Country Course in Boulder Colorado. Please check out
our website home.rmi.net/~woodyg3/runiche.html for details and race
applications. Please also pass this email on to other USATF Mid-America
clubs and teams and individuals...
Tim Dolen
Boulder Road Runners
(e-mail address removed for www posting)
####
Adam F passes on:
No need to quote me as the source.
The Danielesque Trail Run 23km & 46km
September 29, 2001 White Ranch Open Space, Golden, CO
The Danielesque Trail Run is low key trail race run in the memory of Daniel
Rosenfeld.
www.pmimage.com/danielesque.html
####
Tom K writes:
Laura and I each put in 1 hour of hard labor on the Peak yesterday (Sun,
8/12/01). We had to leave after Alex’s cake for something we had going on
down in town. I wouldn’t mind putting in little more time this week if I
new I could get up there soon enough after work, and others would be there.
Alas, this could be it for the year, unless anyone plans on going up after
this weekend for some additional work.
Reminiscing over this past training season, I feel compelled to send a thank you up front to the IC in general, and to Matt C specifically, for providing the opportunity to train with the best, learn from the best, and run in the best environment possible. My own training hasn’t been as consistent as I would have liked, but I did what I could. Now it’s up to us to run our best and smartest to the ability God gave us. We all have good days, we all have bad days, and we will always encounter things out of our control. But that’s life both on and off the Peak. However it turns out, we will all learn something we can apply sometime/someplace in the future. It’s been a fun season, and as always, the people made it happen. Good luck to everyone — Enjoy the journey.
I also want to send a special GOOD LUCK to all of those taking on the BIG 100 in Leadville this weekend: Neal T, Keith G, Carol S, Rick&Kim, David W, Bruce H, and go Paul DW, GO man! I will miss being there, sort of.
####
Gordon B writes:
Spent 3.5 amazing hours on our adopted mile of the trail yesterday, can’t
wait for Saturday to run over our work! It was pretty cool doing all that
trail work — without the head rush or feeling the least bit dizzy. I smile
when I think of how we chipped away at “Larry’s Rock” only to discover it
could be pried out! It’s hard to believe that the season is coming to an
end.
####
Steve S writes (in part):
Put me down for 3.5 hours of trail work on Sunday. It wouldn’t have been so
long if Gordon wasn’t such a die hard worker. I would have left after the
cake but Gordon and others were fixated on that beast of a rock.
####
John O writes:
The American Discovery Trail Marathon is looking for volunteers to work aid
stations. Any takers can call or e-mail me. Thanks John (e-mail address removed for www posting)
635-3833.
####
Larry M writes:
The big race is coming up fast for a lot of Incliner’s. One thing to
remember is that this race is never won in the first four miles but the last
three. Patience is a must in running the Ascent and Marathon. Stick to your
pace, not your friends. Good Luck and I will see you at the top!
####
Fred W writes:
Gordon G., Bill R., and I (Fred W), worked a min. of 3 1/2 hours today.
And, I may add, great team work, a good product and a lot of fun! The time
flew bye. Plus CAKE !
(Matt C adds: Yes the cake was to celebrate Alex H’s one year birthday:-)
####
Steve B writes:
I’m claiming credit for an hour and a half of clean up today. (I don’t care
if you give it to me or not, I’m still claiming it!!) On the way back from
an out and back to Barr Camp on the Elk Park trail I decided to see what
there is to see on the 1/2 mile trail to Oil Creek tunnel. It’s very cool
back there--3 or 4 cabin ruins, some sort of large circular steam (?)
engine, and the tunnel invites a return with aqua socks and head lamp
sometime. Unfortunately there is also a lot of rusting metal--tin cans,
stove pipes, wash buckets. I loaded up an old wash bucket with tin cans and
metal and hauled it all the way back to my truck. Quite a heavy load, I had
to stop to rest my weakling runner arms several times along the way! I made
a big pile of old cans in the middle of the trail for later pickup.
Hopefully hikers will pick some of them up. I estimate most of the old trash
could be hauled out with six loads of a large backpack. Sam did well on his
first long run since his return.
####
Steve B also wrote:
This is a sudden decision brought on by Laila and my attempts to stay
together as I am transferred to Korea. We would have gotten married in due
time, but recent events have precipitated action. We have to get married
before September 3rd, when she goes into Commissioned Officer Training. She
is entering the Air Force as an RN, and based on her experience and Master’s
degree in Public Health will start as a first lieutenant. The Air Force is
bending the rules to allow her to go to Korea, since they normally only
allow first term nurses to go to state-side assignments. For them to make an
exception we would have to be married. Since we have such a short window in
which to tie the knot I thought what better place to do the deed then on top
of a 14er? The alternative on top of Pikes Peak at the turn around for the
marathon paled in comparison to the top of the 14th 14er of the greatest
adventure run on earth. Of course simply going to a justice of the peace
would totally lack imagination.
####
Gary H writes:
I’d like to get training opinions from IC’ers who run “flat” marathons
as well as mountain races, particularly those for whom the Sunday
morning runs are their weekly long runs: Do you think doing mountain
runs as your only long runs helps, or hinders, performance in “flat” marathons? For example, if you were training exclusively for a
mid-September marathon on a flat course, would you spend your summer
Sundays running the Incline Club runs, doing long runs on flat courses
such as the Santa Fe trail, or doing some mix of both (if you’d mix
them, what percentage of runs would you do on the trails?)? If you
would do most of your workouts with the IC, what other weekly runs would
you use to help optimize your “flat” conditioning, if any?
Thanks in advance for any responses — you can mail your ideas to me at (e-mail address removed for www posting). I’ll consolidate the replies and send a summary of the opinions back to Matt for distribution to the Club, if others are interested in their fellow runners’ training ideas.
####
Mike F writes:
At SSP 7:32 this AM. One Jeep Cherokee in the parking lot. No bod’s. Ran
easy at GOG. A few ups, a few downs, a little horse dust between the toes.
Life is good.
####
Todd E writes:
I’ll miss the action up top today. My last long run will start at Memorial
Park and loop near Barr Camp and then return to the finish line in Manitou.
Then the welcomed rest will commence, yeah! Happy running & resting!!
####
Bob M writes:
Yo Skyrunner,
Matt, would you be kind enough to let the INCLINE CLUB folks know that the
Trails and Open Space Coalition is having it’s fund raiser silent auction at
the White House Ranch on August 21st, 2001 (Tuesday at 5:30). This will
include a great western barbeque, beer, wine, etc., in a great outdoor
atmosphere. Proceeds go to support TOSC and the trails we all love to run
on. All Incliners should be members of TOSC and come to our Gala in the
Garden. — Bob McAndrews (TOSC Board member)
####
David W writes:
Last weekend I went out to Leadville for a practice “run” Winfield to Twin
Lakes and back again. Then came home to CS got up Sunday morning and went
(notice I said nothing about running here) up Barr Trail hoping to make it
to the Summit. I got no further than Barr Camp from the bottom. How do
people do both the Ascent and the Marathon, my hat is off to ya.
####
R reports:
(Last week Andy D’s R report was on the La Luz Trail Run in NM. Sorry I
forgot to mention that.)
Laila H (soon to be B) reports:
I would also like to get credit for the Deseret News Marathon that I ran
last July 24 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Here goes my report:
I missed the Barr Camp Trail run because I was helping Steve B. find Sam
over the San Juan Wilderness area. I felt bad and decided to do a different
race instead to make it up for the month of July. Well, what better choice
than run the Deseret News Marathon that was coming to town. I signed up two
days before the race (paid $5.00 more). On race day, I remember Steve’s
encouraging words “you should do well with the hills because you are
trained.” Yes, not too much running done during those days, but lots of
mountain trail climbing. So, I took off with confidence and the almost 11
miles of initial pure hills, were a piece of cake. Then comes a long
downhill, which I decided I better try to run fast (downhills are my
challenge). Still, at the half marathon mark, my time was 1:42, I sucked, I
thought. I still was convinced that I had enough energy to keep pushing. By
mile 19, my body started to feel tired, but I kept pushing. I had been
passing lots of people (male & female) and nobody had passed me. I was
getting very close to another woman and at this point, mile 20; I wanted to
make it for an award. So, this woman was another of my goals to pass. I
was so close to her since mile 16, but at mile 24 or so, I really started
to slow down. She finished 2 minutes ahead of me. My time 3:19:07 (negative
split by 5 minutes), 8th woman, 2nd place in age group... Almost made it for
the cash Utah finishers award, the woman before me, was from Utah... Maybe
next year.
####
WWW posts:
8/12/2001 47 went for an easy run on Pikes Peak as part of the pre PPA/M
taper. Most just ran down to the 2 mile sign and back up. After that a large
number of us put in a lot of time upgrading the final switch-back and
turn-around/finish area. This should really help things come race day!
8/9/2001 49 of us made the final hard workout of the season:-) Even that was reduced to 20 minutes of 1 minute hard 1 minute easy instead of 30. There were no Hydro Street hills today as well. From here on out it is taper time:-)
####
Go out hard, when it hurts speed up...
Matt Carpenter
www.skyrunner.com
Barr Trail Mountain Race
www.runpikespeak.com
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