Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/5830677680
Having registered for the Pikes Peak Ascent and the Marquette Trail 50, both scheduled for August 21, 2021, I had to make a decision as that date approached. I went with the mountain race (and as it turns out avoided the brutality of running 50 miles in high heat and humidity back in Michigan).
I “ran” the race “with” Aly and her friend Erin. Unfortunately, our friend Laura wasn’t signed up for the Ascent but she fit a good run in while we finished the event and we all had a fun weekend together in Colorado Springs. The race-day weather was just about perfect… a little windy at the top but overall we lucked out.
Participants started in waves beginning at 7am. Aly and Erin were in earlier starting waves and so I fell back to my assigned starting position.
The Pikes Peak Ascent course is a 13.3 mile race with over 7,500′ of elevation gain from downtown Manitou Springs to the summit of Pikes Peak, an elevation of 14,115′.
The first mile or so follows paved roads (mostly uphill) through Manitou Springs before race participants are funneled onto the narrower Barr Trail, which winds its way all the way to the top.
I had flown into Colorado from Michigan the day before the race and expected I might have to push through altitude sickness at the top but the tight, burning feeling in my calves right away was unwelcome. Fortunately, that sensation disappeared once I hit Barr Trail. From there I fell into step with the single-file train of race participants, passing only when I could get around people without expending unnecessary energy. I took advantage of each aid station, drinking lots of water and Gatorade and refilling my hydration pack when it was low. I forced myself to eat a couple of GoMacro bars on the section up to the top of the Incline, knowing that I might struggle to eat denser foods at higher elevations.
Slow and steady was the game up to the No Name Creek aid station, after which the trail flattens out and even features a few slightly downhill sections on its way to Barr Camp. I ran the flat and downhill sections, hoping to stay on pace for a sub-five-hour finish.
The aid station at Barr Camp, approximately the half-way point of the race, was stocked with a variety of snacks. I took a bunch of grapes and they were amazing. I felt a boost of energy leaving Barr Camp. But that boost didn’t last long, and the approximately three mile climb through the forest to A-Frame, which sits at tree line, felt like quite the slog.
I was feeling the elevation. Recalling how I felt on my first 14er (Mount Massive), I worried I might feel continuously worse so I kept sipping Gatorade and forced myself to keep nibbling on food and eating baby food packets.
The great views, cool wind, and sense of being within striking distance of finishing refreshed me as I continued to climb and I actually felt a lot better through the end of the race. I wasn’t able to go fast, but I kept moving and passed many people that had stopped to take a breather.
I met up with Aly, Erin, Laura, and Brian at the event expo area, where we enjoyed some Red Leg Brewing Company beer and exchanged stories. Aly finished a full hour ahead of me, whereas Erin (also a flatlander) turned back midway through the race due to altitude sickness (although she didn’t officially finish, she ended up with the most total miles).
We had a good recovery Sunday sipping coffee, eating out, and enjoying some craft beer in Colorado Springs.
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