NicoleThe Pikes Peak Ascent is not your typical half marathon at 13.3 miles with 7800 feet of elevation gain. It runs straight up the mountain from Manitou Springs to the summit of Pikes Peak – 14,115ft. Not only is the terrain challenging, averaging 11% grade, but over half the race is spent at over 10,000 feet. That’s fewer O2 molecules to breathe in.
Brief Backstory
This was my first time doing this race, and I had registered for this race last year as a part of the Meat Fight/Project 13 team. Meat Fight helps people with MS stay active and Project 13 provides coaching for people with MS to complete specific events. 2020 was a pilot year for P13 at the Ascent, so I signed up as it was a nudge to try this one! Who doesn’t love a new challenge?? There were two others and the coach, Kelly Williamson doing the event this year. We were all supposed to race last year, but the event got cancelled and here we are in 2021.
Weather
It was unseasonably cool – high in town around 79. It was an overcast start, and that meant there was a good chance of it being just plain cold higher up. I was sure to pack gloves, a buff, a beanie, and a light jacket in my hydration pack. I believe the cooler day helped everyone out there.
Something to keep in mind is that I look at this mountain every single day. It is a majestic backdrop to Colorado Springs.
The Start
The race started at 7am, with waves about a minute apart. Start times were determined by a qualification race in order to seed the faster runners in front. My result from the Barr Trail Mountain Race superseded my qualification race I used when I registered and put me in the 8th wave out of about 18. (Rudy was just behind me in the 9th.) I lined up in the back with a friend, looked at the foothills (the peak was obscured by clouds) and was ready to do this.
The First Mile-ish
The first mile and a half is on pavement and somewhat runnable, but there was no point in working too hard here, so I just tried to use it as a warm up. It gets steep fast and you soon are on Barr Trail and basically just have to fall in line. Being too aggressive here will come back and bite you. My goal was to hold a steady pace, keeping my heart rate in check. I would only pass if I clearly was moving faster than the person ahead of me and there was room for the pass.
The Ws:
One you get on Barr Trail, you are on a section called the ‘Ws’ as the numerous switchbacks make the trail look like Ws from above. Clever! 🙂 This part is about 13% grade, so passing requires a lot of effort, so it is best to pass sparingly, if at all. In this section I saw Ryan, one of the other Meat Fight athletes. He had come in from Seattle the night before. Later I learned he arrived so late his motel was closed, so he slept in his car! My friend Mike was in the race and caught up to me from a couple waves back. Chatted with him for a bit and then he took off ahead. A few people came barreling past us in the section yelling ‘on your left’ and I couldn’t help but wonder when I’d see them again up the trail.
No Name and Barr Camp
After the Ws we have a little reprieve in grade and some separation in athletes began. The next aid station is at No Name creek, and this was a welcome sight, because a little ways up after this, there is actually a runnable section. I remembered being in the BTMR and just not feeling like my legs really wanted to run. Today, probably because of the cooler weather and perhaps a little more attention to fuel, my legs felt just fine and running felt good! I made a point to note how good I felt, because the rest of the race was not going to feel this good at all! The trail gets rocky and steep on the approach to Barr Camp. Up to this point I was fairly comfortable, but the winds were picking up and the cooler temps of the higher elevation was noted. About 6 miles in I opted to put on my gloves and buff. I didn’t need the jacket or the beanie just yet.
Barr Camp to A-Frame
At Barr Camp, EPCSAR volunteers were giving us the heads up that above treeline the weather had windchills below freezing. I was hoping the clouds were clearing and the sun would be out at least, as we are running on the eastern face. This part of the trail is plenty steep with rock step-ups. Racers are now in clusters, rather than a packed line, and while you still have to be mindful about passing people, it’s not quite as challenging. At this point, too, several just stepped aside, maybe happy for a short break. My energy levels were good, although my hamstrings and glutes were getting sore. Looking at the data after the fact, I was definitely moving slower, but was still passing quite a few people. It is a pretty section – a mix of rocks and trees and thankfully not many switchbacks. A gal I passed called this the worst part of the race, as it’s hard and you know you still have a long way to go. It was somewhere in here where I also slipped on a rock, rolled, and the guy behind me just helped me up and I kept moving. Seamless and no harm done other than a tiny bruise.
A-Frame to the Summit
In your mind you think – I’ve made it 10 miles, I’m almost there! The trail tells you otherwise! I am glad we did a training run on this section, as it helped me mentally prepare for the final grind. Above treeline the wind was howling. I stopped to put on my jacket, I ate the last half of my second clif bar, and just took one step after another. The wind was daring us to keep moving forward in one direction, and then we’d turn and it would help us along. I tried to stay tucked behind the taller guys in front of me. This section of trail is how your previous pacing and fueling makes itself known. Some people were sitting on rocks off the side of the trail seriously questioning their life choices, and others were cheerful and bounding by, still light on their feet. I was somewhere in the middle! My biggest mistake of this race was to not take in a few more calories with about a mile and a half to go. The dozen M&Ms I got at the Cirque aid station was not it.
The 16 Golden Stairs
These are a bunch of rock steps (more than 16, but who’s counting?), which tax your body even more at the high elevation. Tough for sure, and they would have been easier if I’d had that one last snack, but I made it up. And after that it really is just a few minutes to the finish.
Finish Line
There is no big finish arch, just a timing mat and a clock, and a handful of volunteers braving the exposed and windy mountaintop to hand out medals and make sure we are all OK. Those who didn’t look so hot were greeted by medical personnel. The rest of us were funneled past the cog rail tracks, up the steps to the platform, given our “sweat check” bag, and then offered more snacks and fluids (potato chips – thank you!), and then into the brand new Summit House we went. Warmth! I’d packed sweat pants (No Sweat, All Pants), a dry shirt, and my puffy jacket. Now it was time to put on my beanie! Once I was bundled up I ventured back outside to look for Rudy. He shouldn’t be too far behind, and there he was, walking up the cog rail platform. We did it! A shuttle took us back down to Manitou Springs, where we were greeted with cheers, pizza, and beer.
Summary (based on finishers)
Splits
Ws: 48:17
No Name: 1:11:03
Barr Camp: (~2:04, no official split)
A-Frame: 3:00:44
1 to go: 3:52:09
Finish time: 4:20:46
18/74 AG
100/486 F
425/1271 OA
TL;DR recap: Felt pretty good for most of it, and I’m happy with the result despite needing to fuel more after A-Frame. Now I know why people race this year after year. The lure of the mountain is real…
A few more photos
Nicole
