A little over the top (of Pikes Peak)

I don't know if I would have run this run today - if I was doing a "normal" training for the Pikes Peak Ascent.  Mind you, I'm not sure if there is a consensus as to what "normal" training is.

This is my first Pikes Peak Ascent, it's a race I have thought about for 2 or 3 years and commited in my mind to do a year ago.  I'm repeating myself from earlier posts, but never have been so unprepared physically for such a "goal" race.  I have not had much of a choice, knee surgery 5 weeks ago, started running 11 days ago.   Training has indeed been limited.

And yet, I couldn't be more excited about this Saturday.  I will probably post later this week a goal time.  At this stage, I am still quite clueless as to what to expect for a finish time.  But this afternoon I went up to the Summit to get a run in - to both train and to see what I could do.

I got to the Summit about 4pm, skies were looking a little precarious but I hoped for the best and trotted down the Barr Trail.  I saw a 1/2 dozen hikers coming up between the Summit and Cirque - then no-one til I was on the way back, 5 minutes from the top.

So, I basically had the trail to myself.  I'm okay with that - although on race day I expect that to be very very different - not sure what to expect above treeline.  Able to pass people?  Being passed by people?  People passing out?

I went down 3 miles - took it easy as the knee still doesn't like downhills - but kind of surprised myself that I was down 3 miles in just under 40 minutes.  The Garmin put me at 3 miles about halfway between the "3 miles to go" sign and the little turn off trail to A-Frame.  Yet on the return trip it gave me 3.06 miles.  Could be an altitude thing or the multitude of switchbacks.

Took a few minutes at my turnaround to empty the shoes, drink some water and look up - way up.  I told myself to try not to do that on Saturday.

2 Sundays ago my son and I had done the top 3 miles in 70 minutes, today I wanted to beat that.  I did.  Total time up was 1 hour on the button.

Saw a few Mountain Goats on the way down - got quite close especially on the way up, just above treeline - those things are huge.  At the very top a couple of guys were just starting their way down.  I'm certain they are running this weekend, thinking about it they looked very similar and I know there are brothers running one of the races.  (I just checked race website: Marc and Oscar Casal Mir - from Andorra).  Quite possibly could of been them.

As I passed them one of them asked me (phonetically speaking) "did you come from Maan ee toe?" - "no" I managed to say - "just 3 miles down".  The other one responded "Ow, that is goot"

I thought it was too.  And I wasn't even struck by lightning.