Trails in the Colorado high country will see some major running action this week and weekend with the six-day TransRockies Run, the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon, and the Leadville Trail 100 ultramarathon all taking place between today and Sunday.
We asked last year's winners of these epic trail races to share a few tips on how to run successfully in the mountains—whether you're looking to do well in your next race at altitude, or venture out on your first adventurous trail run later this summer or fall.
Rickey Gates and Anna Frost (pictured above) won the coed division of the six-day, staged running race that is the TransRockies Run in 2011, running between 13 and 24 high-mountain miles before enjoying a catered dinner and a night's sleep in tents each evening—then getting up to race all over again. This year's TransRockies Run starts August 14 in Buena Vista, Colorado, and finishes Sunday, August 19, in Beaver Creek, Colorado.
Gates is running Pikes Peak this weekend, and here's what he has to say about successful mountain running:
1. Puma Rx 727 Mu Marathon Running Shoes Sneakers 361347-01. I find that always helps me in the mountains with technical footing and dealing with the altitude.
2. City leopard-print ankle boots. It might seem kind of boring but running the same trail gives you something to compare your times to—you can see how you're progressing.
3. Sandals LASOCKI S368 Dark Beige. On longer runs, I like to bring food, more than enough water, and a small windbreaker. If I'm out 10 miles, I have the option to do another 10, or another 20. What I don't want is to base that decision off the equipment I have, and base it off how I'm feeling instead. But really, all I need is a pair of shorts and a pair of shoes. That's what's so great about trail running, it's so simple.
Here's last year's women's marathon winner's advice on running and racing at altitude:
Water, water, water, and more water. Staying hydrated is key.2. Fuel up.
Start out slow. Don't push too hard at the beginning, because you will pay for it even worse later.
Sandes isn't running the race this year, due to a busy first half of the season—100-K and 100-Milers around the world and setting a speed record on Namibia's Fish River Canyon Trail—but the Leadville Trail 100 will certainly be hotly contested and kicks off this Saturday, August 18, at 4 a.m.
1. Carry the correct gear.
2. Run safe.
3. Enjoy it.
Joanna Masloski won the 2011 Pikes Peak Marathon in 5 hours, 9 minutes, and 38 seconds. Pikes climbs the Barr Trail from Manitou Springs, Colorado, at 6,300 feet elevation, to the top of Pikes Peak, at 14,115 feet—and while the Pikes Peak Ascent ends there, the Marathon turns around and heads back down. The 2012 Pikes Peak Ascent kicks off at 7 a.m. Saturday, August 18; the Marathon is on Sunday, August 19. The Marathon is part of the European-based Skyrunner World Series.
1. Hydrate.
Take on extra energy—more than you think you need—by ingesting gels, chews, Gatorade...whatever works for you.3. Pace yourself.
South African Ryan Sandes won last year's Leadville Trail 100, known for its thin air—the race's low point is 9,200 feet, and its high point is the 12,600-foot summit of Hope Pass mid-way through (which runners tackle twice). Sandes won the 2011 race in 16 hours, 46 minutes, and 54 seconds.
Here are Sandes' sage words:
Weather conditions on top of a mountain are often very different from conditions at the base of the mountain. It can get very windy, cold, and wet on top, so a wind- or waterproof jacket and base layer is very handy to take with you.
Let someone know where you plan to run and the estimated time of your run. If you get lost or run into difficulties, then at least someone knows where you are.
Stop once in a while to enjoy the scenery. And, most importantly, have fun out there. The more you enjoy it, the further you will want to run.
