My first Pikes Peak Ascent in 3 weeks: Any advice from those who've done it?

You live in the Springs and haven't been on the trail yet?! Get out there and run the segments of the course between now and then. You can still get a fair amount of altitude adaptation between now and then, but you have to put in some effort. At the very least run parts of the course so you know what to expect. What's your half time?

Barr Trail isn't too bad, but there are lots of big steps. A lot of walking above tree line.

You will be fine light trainers or trail shoes.

this sounds like a troll post. you live in colorado springs, signed up for the pikes peak ascent, yet have never been on the barr trail.

you're doomed

If you aren’t doubling then what’s the point of doing the half? Halves are a waste of time. You’re just a stupid and lazy troll. Do the marathon or the double or stay home and out of the way.

You might want to run on Barr Trail and also do some running above 10K feet or else you might be in for a rude awakening...

Wow, this is why good people like Tinman and JD got chased away from this message board. The ridiculous and unnecessary insults make this board barely tolerable. This is not a troll post.

Why not sign up for the full or the double? Maybe because I have no desire to destroy my legs running down a steep downhill for 13 miles. I did a 12.6 mile (up 6.3 and down 6.3) in Alaska and crushed my legs for days. Running down Pike's will be much worse. I don't feel like missing a bunch of training when I have a marathon scheduled for early October.

Why sign up for the Ascent? Because it will probably be my only chance to do it. I arrived in COS in Dec '16, deployed a month later, came back in Oct '17, and am going to deploy to the Middle East in the spring. When I get back I'll be changing duty stations to somewhere else in the country or maybe overseas again. So three years in COS and this will be the only August I'll be here.

As for not having done the Barr Trail, I'm not a "mountain runner" who races a lot of the hilly trail runs around here. I prefer to race on the roads. I SHOULD have gotten on the trail by now since I'm running the race but to me the Ascent is just a personal challenge to do while I'm here. I'm not trying to win the damn thing.

Thanks to the one poster who actually offered some advice.

The other posters can go tell Joe Gray that he's a pansy for "only doing the Ascent" last year. I'm sure that will go over well.

0/10

OK, I am going to assume this is not a troll post and will give you some real advice.

When I "ran" the Ascent a few years ago, I felt great up to about 10,000 feet. Then the altitude hit me like a brick wall. I hadn't trained above Barr Camp and boy did I pay for it.

No, 5:00 per mile slower is not reasonable. Someone who can run 6 minute miles at 6,000 feet is not going to be able to complete the Ascent in 2:13 (11 minute mile pace). Based on your question, I feel you have no idea what you are undertaking.

Someone who has trained optimally, such as Matt Carpenter, can run the Ascent faster than they can run a marathon at sea level. Carpenter's marathon PR is something like 2:18, but his best Ascent time is 2:01. For most people, however, their Ascent time will be somewhat slower than their marathon PR. For some unfortunate souls, the Ascent time will be more than half an hour slower than their marathon PR. I feel, unfortunately, you may fall into this latter category due to your lack of proper preparation.

For example, suppose you can run a half marathon at 6,000 feet in 1:25 and a full marathon in 3:10. If so, I think you'll finish the Ascent in something like 3:30-3:45.

My advice to you is to spend as much as you can hiking on Barr Trail near the top. Drive up to the top and walk down 1-2 miles, then walk back up to the top. If you still have energy, feel free to jog. Once you hit the top, repeat the whole routine if you can.

Do this as many times as you can before race day. If you go up to the top at least three times, I promise it will make a HUGE difference.

Equally important, take it really easy for the first 10 miles. Leave something in the tank for the last three miles. You will need it. Make sure you bring water to carry with you as there will be a long stretch with no aid stations. (The three mile stretch between Barr Camp and A Frame may not seem like much, but it could take you cclose to an hour, which is way too long to go with no water.)

More generally, I think you should ask around town and talk to people who have done this before. I think you would benefit from getting information about hydration, clothing, training, etc.

1) Don't wear flats

2) Expect to be at least 50% slower, possibly closer to 100% slower in terms of pace.

3) I really don't know, but am just applying common sense with the above.

Very similar experience to colorunner when I ran it.

I ran 2:50, feeling great up until 10,000ft and then my body shut off. I was aiming for 2:30-ish and was well on pace, but after 10,000ft it was like my life went out of me and I was close to walking. Unreal, but a great experience, glad I ran it.

Definitely want to get used to running on hills. Do hills twice a week at Ute Valley, Bear Creek, Garden of the Gods or Palmer Park. Once a week try to do a run above 10k (either on the Barr Trail or one of the many other trails around). It wouldn't be to bad an idea to use a heart rate monitor to measure your level of exertion as an alternative way to pace yourself.

reed wrote:

this sounds like a troll post. you live in colorado springs, signed up for the pikes peak ascent, yet have never been on the barr trail.

you're doomed

colorunner123 wrote:

My advice to you is to spend as much as you can hiking on Barr Trail near the top. Drive up to the top and walk down 1-2 miles, then walk back up to the top. If you still have energy, feel free to jog. Once you hit the top, repeat the whole routine if you can.

Do this as many times as you can before race day. If you go up to the top at least three times, I promise it will make a HUGE difference.

This is great advice and exactly what I would do.

You don't have a ton of time between then and now, so no use cramming a bunch of training in above Tree line and tons of climbing everyday till then, that will just wreck you. Do at least a couple steady steep climbs (think base of Barr up to Barr camp) And I'd definitely recommend at least going up to the summit and jogging down to A Frame to run the final three miles maybe once a week till race day if for no other reason than to get used to the fact that you'll be running quite slowly up there yet your lungs feel more like you're doing all out 400's. It's a strange and sometimes slightly demoralizing feeling to get used to. As for footwear, you don't need a trail shoe. I've raced just as well and better in a pair of light road trainers as I have in a trail race shoe, seems to make little difference.

Good luck!

Take some gels/fuel/calories with you to eat at Barr Camp or above (actually I would take one every 25-30min for the entire race). You are working hard running uphill at high altitude for over 2 hours....most people will bonk hard above treeline. Also take in fluid at the aid stations.

It is a little late now, but its nice to drive to the top (you have to take a shuttle sometimes from 2 miles below the top because of the recent construction on the parking lot at the top) and run down 2-3 miles. Then run up hard. Having a taste of those last few miles (fairly rocky and steep) at 13,000'-14,000' is good.

Another workout you can do is start at the bottom and at least practice running hard up the W's (first few miles of switchbacks heading out of Manitou). Barr trail is actually super fast and smooth dirt compared to most mountain trails...there is even a basically "flat" mile right before the camp. In terms of splits if you are very well altitude trained you hit Barr at about half your finishing time (despite it being more than 50% of the distance of the race).

S. Canaday wrote:

It is a little late now, but its nice to drive to the top (you have to take a shuttle sometimes from 2 miles below the top because of the recent construction on the parking lot at the top) and run down 2-3 miles. Then run up hard.

Ha ha, Sage, that's a good one!

you gotta get as much work at altitude as you can in the next three weeks. that doesnt mean going and blowing your taper by working hard, but just get up high (literally a million roads to drive up to 11,000ft, just hike). Breathe in as much of that thin air as you can in the next 3 weeks, it'll make a big difference.

Beyond that, pacing is really important. Take it easy at the bottom, if it feels good. As you get higher, that same pace is only going to get harder and harder. No matter what, those last 2 miles are going to suck. Make sure you leave a little more than a little in the tank :) .

Good luck and have fun!! 12.6 miles straight uphill isnt _thaaaaaat_ far

Um, the entire race is relative effort bud. "How much slower will I run than X scenerio" doesn't work here man. Go look at stravas for people, even people who place in their age group run 13-16min miles. Your fastest mile will be the first mile up Ruxton if you're half decent you will do a 7:50-8:45 and then taper off until 12-18 min miles. You can post a really good time by doing nothing but speed hike, running isn't efficient on the very steep grade that you experience in a lot of the race.

I did the Ascent 2 years ago and the marathon last year. The ascent is a great race. I had never been above tree line on the Barr Trail for the ascent and payed for it my first time. Save some energy for the last quarter of the race and bring some calories.

I think of that climb like this: Start to Barr Camp is half way distance wise but closer to 1/4 of the way effort.

There to tree line has some fast runnable sections, but don't burn your matches!

Tree line to the summit is deceptively long. Drive to the top and run that section down and up if you can.

I've walked a lot above tree line in my two races there, but it is actually a good runnable grade if you are trained for it. It's going to be hard, enjoy!

If you're deployed in CS without a significant other, have someone be at the top for you in order to get you down quickly after the race if you develop a severe headache. Take them with you on one of your training sessions to the top (as suggested by others, hike down 3 miles run back up, that sounds like good advice, but do it well before the peak closes) so they know the top and the shuttle/construction/parking arrangements.

Matt Carpenter said the half would be about the same as normal marathon time and the last 3 miles would be slow. He was right.

Please reply with post-race with your result/experience. Good luck!