Barr Trail Mountain Race Toilet Box!

Just days after finishing my fifth and fastest Badwater 135 (thanks crew people....race report soon to come) I got the opportunity to volunteer once again at the Barr Trail Mountain Race, in Manitou Springs, Colorado.

I love Manitou Springs! You won't find any bog box stores, or strip malls here. But what you will find are awesome trails, a diverse population, lots of trees, flowers, and mountains. It is also home to the Pikes Peak Marathon and Ascent, as well as the very successful Barr Trail Mountain Race, that goes from the Cog Railroad staging area to Barr Camp and back.

Some friends of mine worked the sweat check at the start. As I drove over to volunteer in the wee hours of the morning, I remembered I forgot my box for all the runners to put their things for after the race in. Fortunately, there were plenty of dumpsters brimming with boxes Sunday morning. My husband helped me fish out a really good box, complete with a picture of a toilet on it. I told him that not just any woman would be willing to go dumpster diving at 5 in the morning with him. Ah, the memories!

Here is a picture of the toilet box, now a BTMR heirloom, and some pictures of the race too.

Leadville, Mt Elbert, and a marmot......

A huge thank you to everyone who showed up to run, crew, and hike this weekend in Leadville , CO.

Friday's night run was just what I needed to get me revved up for the Leadville Trail 100, after finishing a tough Badwater 135 less than two weeks ago. Ultra runner extraordinaire Theresa promised me that there only were chipmonks out in the woods at night.....a beautiful full moon over Twin Lakes gave us some really good views. With the exception of some cpmers, we had the woods to ourselves.

On Saturday we found ourselves going up and over Sugar Loaf, my favorite part of the Leadville Trail 100 course. It got pretty hot, (for Leadville) although some evening thunderstroms cooled things off just as we were finishing up. Thanks to Jeff O, June and Theresa for keeping me company.

Sunday we all hiked up Mt. Elbert. The climb was steep, but worth it, because once on top we were surrounded by great views of Rockies. Lots of wild flowers of every color, and one very hungry marmot, made for a happy, successful weekend.

Here are some pictures!

Final Update for Leadville Runs

Hi All,

At 8pm, we are meeting at 8pm at the Leadville Fish Hatchery for a night run. We have at least one persona who has offered ta drive those of us who are running a ride to Twin Lakes, from which we will run to our cars left at Fish Hatchery.Please bring your own headlamps and water bottles, gels, and other snacks and warm clothing you think you may need. So far it looks like it is going to drop only into the 40's Friday night. but it is Leadville, so who knows!

Saturday morning we are all meeting at Mayqueen at 8 am, and getting a ride to Fish Hatchery. From there we are running up "the Loaf", and will love those three false summits! Once we get to Mayqueen, we will refill from our cars, and run back to Fish Hatchery. Will the fun ever end?!

NO! On Sunday, starting at 5 am, weather permitting, we are hiking up Mt. Elbert, about 9 miles round trip. If the weather is bad, we will come up with an alternate training run.

See you in Leadville, where I hope it is cooler than Badwater!

More Leadville Run Updates!

As planned, we are going to meet at Twin Lakes at 8pm for a fun night run to the Leadville Fish Hatchery.

On Saturday, we are going to meet at 8 am at MayQueen, so we can leave a vehicle with our supplies, and then drive to Fish Hatchery, so we are actually starting at 8:30 am.

More soon!

Training Runs in Leadville!

Anyone looking for some good mountain running, here is your chance!

On Friday night, we will meet at 8pm at Twin Lakes, and run to Fish Hatchery, for a total of approximately 14 miles. Bring your own headlamps, water bottles, gels, warm cloths, and anything else you might need. After we all finish the night run, we are heading back to Leadville to sleep.

On Saturday morning, we are starting at 8:30 at the Fish Hatchery, running up Sugarloaf, all the way to Mayqueen, where we will refill water bottles, get more gels, shed layers, etc....then turn back around and run back to Fish Hatchery. This is about 26 miles total, with lots of climbing, so make sure you bring everything you need.

I am in the process of working out the details of who will leave their cars at which location. Look for another post on my blog later this week.

On Sunday, we are starting off at 5 am to hike Mt. Elbert. The route we are taking is 9 miles round trip, the perfect way to end the weekend!

See you in Leadville!

Training Runs in Leadville

Hi Everyone!

It's hard to believe running out here in the beautiful California desert in 100 + degree weather that I will be running in possibly near freezing temperatures in Leadville, CO later this month.

If anyone is interested, some friends of mine and I are planning a series of training runs in Leadville, CO.

The first one will be a night run on Friday, July 23rd.
The second one will be a day run, out and back on Saturday July 24th. Be prepared to run at least 20 miles.
The third one will be more of a hike, where we will be summiting Mt. Elbert. Mt Elbert is Colorado's highest mountain. It is a Class One climb, which means even I can do it! It's a beautiful hike, and when you're done you can brag to your friends that you summited Colorado's highest 14er.

These training runs are free, and a great way to meet people and make new friends.All runs, except for the climb up Mt Elbert, will be on the Leadville Trail 100 course. However, this is in no way affiliated with the official LT100 race. You can use this as a training run for any of your upcoming ultramarathons.In my opinion, if you can run in Leadville, you can run anywhere!!!! Bring all your own gear, fueling needs, hydration, and any secret, magic foods you think you might need.

All the full details, (time, place, distances) will be posted on my blog when I get back to CO from running the Badwater 135, which for me starts at 8 am on July 12th. Good luck to all the runners! It looks like it is going to be crazy hot!

Estes Park Marathon, Mt. Evans Ascent, and more baby deer!

Still more beautiful weekends running in the mountains of Colorado. How lucky we are to live here and be healthy enough to run everyday.

Sunday June 13th marked the third time I ran the Estes Park Marathon. It is a really challenging course, due to the high altitude, and hilly terrain. This year's weather made it even more challenging. My husband and I woke up to rain and COLD! I had to run fast just to stay warm. At mile 20, I found out I was in solid second place in the women's division. My hands were too cold to open my gels, so I was running on empty as I entered the local high school track. This is a really well organized, well thought out race. The finisher's medals are nice, and the volunteers fo a great job. Thanks everyone!

Saturday the 19th marked my third time running the Mt. Evan's Ascent. I wasn't in the mood to compete, but still had a nice time running up this mountain which climbs to over 14,200 feet. As usual there were mountain goats to greet the finishers near the top. Tim and I camped the night before, and Tim was lucky enough to spot a baby bunny nestled in the forest. How sweet!

Off to the Leadville Marathon on the 3rd, then to Death Valley to run my fifth Badwater 135.

In a few days I am going to post some information regarding a training run for the Leadville Trail 100, to take place in late July. It is low key, unofficial, and free. More information to follow......