Tony Krupicka

Mile 39.5 (Twin Lakes Outbound) at the 2006 Leadville 100

"The liberty of the individual is no gift of civilization. It was greatest before there was any civilization." --Sigmund Freud

City: Colorado Springs State: CO

Favorite Shoe: La Sportiva Slingshot Size: 11.5

Age: 27.1 years old

Marital Status: nope

Family members:
Mom, Liz.
Dad, Ron.
Sisters, Katrina and Antonia.

What I do for work:
Grad student

Places I’ve called home and why I like where I am now:
I grew up in Niobrara, NE. I love it there because there are unending miles of hilly, soft dirt roads to run on as well as acres and acres of rugged pastureland to explore.
However, I have been living in Colorado Springs since 2001 and I really enjoy the altitude, trails, and mountains.

When I started running and what got me started:
I started in the 6th grade when I was 11. I had competed in the Presidential Fitness Test where we had to run a timed mile and I decided to train for it that year by running a mile every day. I've just never stopped.

What does running mean to me:
Running for hours and hours through the mountains, deserts and forests has become the primary way in which I can make the most meaningful and deep connection possible with a more primitive, pure human existence that I find to be essential for experiencing the most authentic life possible. Plus, running is obviously a great way to impress girls and allows me to consume obscene amounts of ice cream on a daily basis.

Running accomplishments: View my Pikes Peak Ascent/Marathon results
Various trail/ultra wins and a couple course records.

What I like about trail/mountain running:
The scenery that (hopefully) hasn't yet been completely remade in the image of man; the grinding uphills; the softness of the trails (fewer injuries); and the limitless opportunities for appreciating the land and the lonesomeness that the backcountry provides.

Favorite running trail and why:
I can't pick one. Out here in Colorado I LOVE the 666 (El Diablo, Balls-to-the-Wall) trail going up to Jones Park. The canyon and lack of people is great. Barr Trail climbs a 14er while still being runnable (which is great), but all the people at the bottom can be a drag.
Outside of Colorado, I would cruise the Cascade Canyon/Paintbrush Canyon trails (the full loop going past Lake Solitude and over Paintbrush Divide is SPECTACULAR) several times a week if it were possible. These might be my all-time favorite trails.
Back in Nebraska, there's an old double-track out in the pastures that climbs up out of the Missouri River Valley and into the hills behind our farm that I call the Ethiopian Trail (because it reminds me of the beginning of the movie "Endurance" when Haile Gebrselassie is running on a cow trail). This section is only about 3 miles long, but it's my favorite part of the 10 mile run I used to do to and from work in the summer.

Favorite trail/mountain race and why:
Hmmm. I guess the Leadville 100 because it often attracts a high level of competition, it fills in a reasonable amount of time (i.e. not only a few minutes or hours), and the variety of trails (a good mix of flattish cruisers through the forest and grueling climbs). Plus, it's all runnable.

Best running experience:
Any day that I'm able to get out on the trails and run injury-free. However, running in the Tetons in early July 2006 I had two back-to-back 5ish hour days that were unparalleled. Those two days in the mountains really galvanized a lot of my core beliefs about life and running.

Worst running experience:
Having 9 stress fractures (could be 10 or 11, depending on which doctor you talk to) since I began running. I have a tendency to run too much and irrationally ignore conventional wisdom regarding doable training volumes.

Neatest thing found on a run:
The view of the Missouri River Valley from the Ethiopian Trail back home in Nebraska. It is majestic and no one can fully appreciate or judge Nebraska without witnessing it.

Running related bathroom stop story:
When I was 13, I was on a 25 mile training run during the winter, and about half-way through I started to need a pit stop nearly every mile or so. By time 15 miles came around, my stomach hurt so badly, and I was so wiped out, that I just laid down in the ditch for a while and moaned. I remember thinking that my appendix had exploded and I was going to need medical attention. It hurt that bad. After a few minutes of this, I got up, walked a mile or so, and then ran the rest of the way home; albeit, punctuated with regular trips back to the ditch. At the time I was too stupid and embarrassed to try and call home to get my Dad to come pick me up in a car. But now I look back and am amazed at how unflinching and determined I was to finish a run of that length in that sort of discomfort at that age.

Running pet peeves:
INJURIES. INJURIES. INJURIES. Trail/Mountain races that fill months ahead of race day and refuse to consider holding a few spots for top runners (if it's not a race, then why are results recorded?) Exorbitant, non-refundable entry fees for races. Some day I plan to direct an ultra and then I will probably understand these issues a little better, but right now it's EXTREMELY frustrating.

Something non running related that no one would guess about me:
I was a Physics/Philosophy/Geology triple-major in college. I was 6th in the state spelling bee when I was in the 8th grade!
This is running related--but, I ran to and from school (14 miles roundtrip) on a regular basis (3-5 days/week) when I was in the 8th grade.

Other hobbies and interests:
The decline of the industrial revolution. The preservation of the biosphere. Philosophy (existentialism, epistemology, environmental ethics). Geology (geomorphology, structural geology, glaciology. Rock climbing. Road biking.

Other stuff:
Training: Don't worry too much about a plan--keep it simple and minimize anything that distracts from the actual doing. Investigate what it is you love about running and then do it--A LOT. For me, that means running LOTS of miles on beautiful trails, always in pursuit...

Page last modified: 10/9/2007