Manitou Springs Part II: The Incline + Pikes Peak Trail

DEVIATE FROM THE HORIZONTAL

While driving out to Manitou Springs on a quick trail recon mission, I was pleasantly shocked when I first saw the Incline trail from the highway. It seemed impossibly steep...



And it IS impossibly steep...with an AVERAGE grade of 41%...reaching 68% at the steepest. My mouth was watering. Grinning ear-to-ear, I rubbed my hands together with delight. It was even gnarlier than I had dreamed. My dreams were crushed before I could even crush them on the trail! That, my friends is some high-quality dream-crushing. A pre-emptive strike. A visual shot across the bow. You get the picture.



Matt Carpenter has reportedly run the Incline in a time of 18:30ish, perhaps faster. Team USA Olympic triathlon hopeful Mark Fretta holds the unofficial record, with a freaky-deaky 16:42. Apolo Anton Ohno says in THIS blog post that he uses the Incline as a special challenge in his training as well.

"Go out hard. When it hurts, speed up" is the motto of the Incline Club, the local ultrarunning/mountain running club.



The New York Times did a great article a while back on how athletes at training at the Olympic Training Center (15 minutes away) use the Incline:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/02/sports/olympics/02incline.html



Matt Carpenter rallies the Incline Club in his annual Call to Arms

Works better if you turn the music off. Bottom right of your screen...scroll down...yep. Right there

Once you hit the top of the Incline, you can connect to the amazing Barr Trail, which leads to the summit of Pikes Peak...



Here's a funny video of Matt Carpenter running up Pikes Peak, stopping at some of the well-known distance markers. Special random cameo at the end...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIUArTDQUrU&feature=player_embedd



I will be back SOON to run the Incline and Pikes Peak. I cannot think of a better benchmark of mountain running ability and aerobic running fitness...

Who wants to join me?

Bueller?
Bueller?

Manitou Springs Road Trip: Part I...Garden of the Gods

Over the weekend HotWheels and I drove from Boulder down to the very cool (sits at 6500') mountain town of Manitou Springs. Our plan was to check out the Olympic Training Center, Garden of the Gods, Pike's Peak and the famous Incline and Barr trails. We also wanted some good maps and first-person beta on the best mountain bike trails in the area. The Colorado Springs/Manitou Springs area's running and mountain bike trails seem to be unanimously regarded as superior to Boulder's. The staff at Colorado Cyclist was very friendly and helpful in sharing maps and specific trail information...I cannot wait to get my Turner Flux down here!

Ever since I started adventure racing and focusing on ultra-endurance events in the mid-90s I have read about the Pike's Peak Ascent and Marathon (and Matt Carpenter's inhuman feats of endurance), the Barr trail, the Incline Club, and the town of Manitou Springs. I never thought it would take me this long to actually see it in person! I'm glad I finally made the trip. If you think these snapshots are spectacular, you should see it in person at sunset...or sunrise!

We were limited in time, so did not fit in any training on this afternoon. However, I look forward to coming back soon to test myself on these legendary trails...





Part 1: Garden of the Gods
Part 2: The Incline
Part 3: Olympic Training Center

From the Vault: Half Dome Run, July 2007

Prior to this week, my last set of "from the vault" photos (a.k.a. disposable-film-camera shots that I randomly found and dusted off) were from a 1997 near-suicidal, life-changing canyoneering and waterfall-climbing expedition at a secret spot on north shore O'ahu, Hawai'i.

This week's set is from a bit safer, equally beautiful but still occasionally lethal tourist spot: Half Dome, Yosemite National Park.

I had originally planned an epic long run that my friend Terri Schneider suggested: 40 miles of Cloud's Rest, Vogelsang, etc. but on my drive up (solo) to Yosemite circumstances changed and it turned out I would only have 10 hours or so before I had to return home. I slept in my car in the parking lot of Half Dome, and woke up early.

Unfortunately I did not wake up early enough, and there were dozens of eager tourist and hiker-types already on the trail. Since I wanted to beat them to the Cables, I ran up the trail, past the tourists, past the Vernal waterfall, up the steps, through Emerald Pool up to the dome. I don't remember my "split" but at or just under 2hrs rings a bell. The cables were a bit sketchy, and I vividly remember wondering how more people don't die here more often. Deep down inside I have some latent acrophobia, even after all these years of rock climbing, 600+ midnight foot rappels in 2004 Primal Quest and mountaineering.

It really is a life-or-death situation and folks of all ages seem to be OK with that. The photos below were taken with what must have been a cheapo disposable film camera. Perhaps the last time I ever used one? The end of an era! I have not been back since, but I look forward to returning soon to do my original Vogelsang-Cloud's Rest big 40 mile loop that my friend Terri Schneider recommended 3 years ago...

From The Vault: Primal Quest 2004: San Juan Islands/Cascade Mountains

Just for the heck-fire of it, I found these old photos and need a place to put them safely. Like HERE!
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Primal Quest 2004 in Washington Started and Finished on Orcas island, but the meat of the race was 75 miles away in the Cascade Mountains where the running, trekking and mountainn bike navigation occurred between Darrington, Mt Baker and Bellingham. (Those were some long paddles...55 miles and 65-70 miles....not to mention the many miles of portaging). The race didn't go as planned for anyone. The tragedy of losing Nigel Aylott to a rockfall accident and trying to re-start the race mindset with hundreds of wilderness miles still to go was an experience that I will never, ever forget. I raced with Bev and Alan Abbs and Jeff Fuller.




After a week of racing, with a brief stop for a wake, the last thing you want to do is talk. That race was for Nigel!

Chris Solinsky 26:59 10,000 AR

His last quarter melted my brain.

This is the definition of Dream Crushing.

Imagine the feeling...

BoCo ReLo!

More to follow!

Operation Colorado

This Sunday evening I am flying solo to Denver for a few weeks of Ironman training at altitude, and possibly interviewing for a new job as well. During this time my plan is to swim, bike and run in the Boulder area throughout the week and (weather permitting) perhaps some higher elevation locations on the weekends. I have not yet visited Colorado other than brief business trips in the past so I am very much looking forward to the full experience. (Strange, right? I have raced in most other western states yet for some reason I seemed to have saved the "best" for last (according to my Colorado friends at least)).

While racing, mountaineering and training at higher elevations between 8 and 14'000 feet in the past I historically have done well compared to other hematocrit-challenged, sea-level beach monkeys. With luck that will remain the case over the next few weeks as I adapt to the thin air. I hope to continue rolling my ~25 hour training weeks and reap maximum benefit of the altitude, regardless of my temporarily diminished pace and power output. It should be interesting to compare how my current sea-level 6:48ish/mile MAF pace (Maximum Aerobic Function/151 heart rate) slows at 5400 feet. Humble pie, anyone? I'll take seconds!

Every day I will be reporting on my twitter feed, @seanclancy75 with some random observations and photos.

Here's to High adventure and exciting life choices, friends!

Choose Your Own Adventure.

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