How I Started This Insanity

Ever since we have moved to Colorado Springs I have been in awe staring at Pikes Peak. It stands ever present in the background of all that we do here in town. It has always seemed to call to me, challenging me and beckoning me to climb it. I'd done the Manitou Springs Incline a few times and hiked on Barr Trail (the trail to the top on the eastern slope, and even took the cog rail train to the top, but had not yet done the whole thing. I'd heard of the Pikes Peak Marathon and Ascent before moving here, but thought that was only for those crazy people of the world...until last summer.

My friend Eric called me up late last August and said, "You want to hike Pikes Peak on Saturday?" I paused mometarily and asked him, "You mean, like, to the top? That's over 20 miles round trip! Don't you have to kind of get in shape for that type of thing?" He said something to the effect of no problem. So I thought (no offense to Eric), "Well, I'm in better shape than Eric, so at least he'll give out before me..." So I told Eric 'sure let's do it' and it was set for a few days later meeting at 5am.

As we got into Manitou Springs that Saturday, where the trail head is located, I noticed a bunch of traffic barracades piled on the side of the road. I turned to Eric and said, "I think we may have chosen to hike the same day as the Pikes Peak Ascnet." He looked at me and said, "No, they'd have it all blocked off by now." So we went on and I had that doubt of hiking to the Peak today still in the back of my mind. It was a cool morning and watching the sunrise on the side of the mountain base was awe inspiring. It was a great day for a hike to the Peak. Sometime into our hike coming up from behind us came a runner, bounding with ease up the trail with a racing number on the front of his shirt. I thought to myself about the Pikes Peak Ascent and started to seriously wonder if there was about to be a hoard of people droning up the side of the mountain. Eric and I looked at each other, too late to turn around, and kept on hiking. Not much time later started the droning line of people testing their will at 'running' to the top.

Eric and I decided that it'd be best to get out of the way of poor souls 'having fun' beating their bodies into the ground running up the mountain, and we spent a lot of time standing on the side of the trail watching these long miserable faces slowly trudge past us. Most looked spent, exhausted, unhappy, in pain, some covered in dirt with blood trickling down a leg or an arm from a spill earlier on the trail. Eric looked at me talking about how insane all these people must be to try and do this. I looked back and said, "I want to be one of them next year." The thrill and exhilleration that filled my body watching these people and thinking that I could do that too was overwhelming. I was hooked, and nothing was going to stop me from trying.