Last weekend my wife and I headed to Colorado Springs, so I decided to go for a Saturday morning adventure up Pike’s Peak.

While I’ve hiked it before, my goal this time was to run it. The night before, I discovered that there is an abundance of snow past the halfway point on Barr Trail (named after Fred Barr, the guy who built in the early 1900s), which would mean a 13-mile trail run gaining 7,500 feet of elevation with a bonus of postholing through huge drifts of snow for the upper half.

I opted for the suffer-lite version of running a bit beyond the halfway point and then back down—which seemed wise in light of the conditions.

The first 3 miles were a steep and mentally taxing way to begin the day. Two other notes of interest: the crowds thin dramatically after you pass the turn for the Incline, and also sometimes Barr Camp will give runners free leftover pancakes 🙂 The run down was a mixed affair—I was grateful to not be climbing uphill but then moments of knee pounding made me reconsider. All in all, it was a good outing.

I am inspired to return. A few friends of mine have done the Ascent Race, and while it definitely sounds like Type 2 Fun, I can’t help but be intrigued. This little venture definitely gave me a taste of what it will be like. See you sometime soon Pike’s Peak, when the snow melts out, my wife has our baby, and I get a little stronger.