Three Runners die in Detroit marathon

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by ziggysocki

Wow. Pikes peak sounds amazingly hard. I want to try it. I can do a 1:50 half comfortably... and my best is just over 1:40. I am gonna have to look into this race.

Maybe you can do it with me and stlchiefs this year.

This will take some psyching up. I was having trouble getting enough air at 12,600 in Breckenridge this year, and Pike's Peak tops out over 14,000 feet. It's not just the 13 miles of uphill, it's doing it on half oxygen.

[stlchiefs]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Maybe you can do it with me and stlchiefs this year.

This will take some psyching up. I was having trouble getting enough air at 12,600 in Breckenridge this year, and Pike's Peak tops out over 14,000 feet. It's not just the 13 miles of uphill, it's doing it on half oxygen.

Hey at least you can acclimate yourself to the altitude a bit, the most I got is taking the tram to the top of the Arch!

[ziggysocki]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Maybe you can do it with me and stlchiefs this year.

This will take some psyching up. I was having trouble getting enough air at 12,600 in Breckenridge this year, and Pike's Peak tops out over 14,000 feet. It's not just the 13 miles of uphill, it's doing it on half oxygen.

Honestly, at distances longer than 10k, lungs are not my problem. But I have never run anywhere with more than a 300-400 ft altitude change. When is that race? Nevermind found it... http://www.pikespeakmarathon.org/

[stlchiefs]

Originally Posted by ziggysocki

Honestly, at distances longer than 10k, lungs are not my problem. But I have never run anywhere with more than a 300-400 ft altitude change. When is that race? Got a link?

I think it's in August, but registration is in March. http://www.pikespeakmarathon.org/

[ziggysocki]

Originally Posted by stlchiefs

I think it's in August, but registration is in March. http://www.pikespeakmarathon.org/

I say we get as many planeteers as we can and run it as a team. Who are the other runners here?

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by ziggysocki

Honestly, at distances longer than 10k, lungs are not my problem. But I have never run anywhere with more than a 300-400 ft altitude change. When is that race? Got a link?

http://www.pikespeakmarathon.org/

Lungs will be a problem here.

I'm not as fast as you, so you'd probably have more of an issue with air since you'd need more of it (plus I have a 5,300 foot head start being in Denver). I ran one half-marathon at 9,000 feet this summer and didn't notice it at all, but it wasn't overly steep (800 feet up and back down). I ran another one that topped out at 11,800 and it was a notable problem, but as I mentioned in a past thread, it was mostly uphill (4,000 feet up and something like 1,000 back down). I ran another one that topped out at 12,600 and I had to stop five times to get air - not stop to walk, but actually stop. It was half uphill (3,000 feet up and then back down), but was pretty steep.

14,000+ has to be seriously hard.

[ziggysocki]

I know Rageeumr is also a bigtime runner. He gave me some tips before I ran my first full.

[rageeumr]

Sadly I've let myself slip a bit. I was training hard last winter for the St. Louis marathon and then a buddy of mine scheduled his wedding for that weekend. No problem, I'll just run Olathe. Then mother nature had something to say about that and they canceled Olathe. So I was kind of deflated after training all winter and not racing.

But as of last week I'm back at it, slowly working to get in shape for Spring marathon season. Pikes Peak sounds like exactly the kind of race that would end me. Hills are my kryptonite. I can only imagine what a mountain would do to me.

And I know what I felt like after hiking to the top of Peak 8 at Breck last winter. Granted I was in ski boots, but even WALKING at that altitude kicked my arse, and I was in pretty good shape at the time.

[ziggysocki]

You are already signed up for Olathe right? IIRC they transfered the registration from 2009 to 2010. That will be what I am training for over the winter. I was also thinking Vegas in mid December. Anyone ever run that one?

[rageeumr]

Originally Posted by ziggysocki

You are already signed up for Olathe right? IIRC they transfered the registration from 2009 to 2010. That will be what I am training for over the winter. I was also thinking Vegas in mid December. Anyone ever run that one?

I ended up doing the half last year. But I'm guessing I'll run Olathe. Although St. Louis is the same weekend and that is a really pretty course, especially through Forest Park.

A buddy and I were thinking about doing Vegas but we put off training too long. Plus it's about a month before my wife is due with our first, so I'm a little leery about leaving town. The crappy thing is that it's on a Sunday. Riding on a plane the day before a race can really dehydrate you, and if I flew into Vegas on a Friday, I would be EXTREMELY tempted to do a bunch of other things that might dehydrate me.

[Infidel Goat]

FWIW, I ran the Pikes Peak marathon... hmm... must be at least 12 years ago.

Once you get above the tree line, it really is mostly a glorified fast march with a little hopping from boulder to boulder for good measure. If I were given the choice today, I would MUCH rather run up Pikes Peak again than run down it. That's what really kills your legs.

I trained in St. Louis and found one long hill for repeats. The legs held up fine. There was no way to train my lungs for the altitude, though, short of buying an altitude tent for sleeping--so it did make the miles near the top significantly harder than normal.

Good luck.