This was my 8th Pikes Peak Ascent, and not a PR (like last year) so I don't actually have much to say about it, but need to complete this to get credit for the mileage in my Training Blog. Smile.
It's a difficult Race for many reasons- Trail Congestion in Wave 2 chief among them. These Videos tell the tale.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEg9dGimpRM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5xm8stUsRo
The first Vid, from 2011, shows the hundreds of folks reaching the trail at the same time and coming to a virtual standstill.
The second Vid, from 2012, despite the 'cool Van Halen soundtrack', shows folks further up the trail, strung out, but still nose to tail Ad infinitum.
I went 10mins faster, by myself, carrying 94oz of fluids, 2 weeks earlier, at which point I was satisfied with this year's endeavor.
When I reached A-Frame at the same time during the race as during that PR for this year 2 weeks earlier, I looked up and saw 400 people in virtually a solid line ahead of me, and I was just not set to fight them all the way to the top. The amazing thing is, despite easing off the gas and going with the flow in the long conga lines, I ended up passing about 200 of them anyway, because SO MANY in the last 3 miles were complete toast, pulling off to the side gasping, and fighting for consciousness.
Not sure I'll give this event up. It's right in my sweet spot for challenge, builds up bone density but without TOO much pounding (since I haven't run DOWN yet) and has a camaraderie factor with my Brother and his buddies and gals coming out that I don't want to give up. But since I'm not a 'real runner' owing the all the bio-mechanical issues I have, I'm always stuck in the traffic at the bottom, then catch more traffic at the top.
I did actually go 1 minute faster in the race than on my own last year, but we can chalk that up to the Race Course being shorter than I usually measure- to the top across the tracks, which is well past the Race Finish Line. I will take some credit, as I was also utterly Ruthless up top, no easy feat at that Altitude, passing folks aggressively for an hour and a half above treeline, dancing on the edge of the rocks along the trail, and busting past folks easing at the large step-ups that are all along the last 2 miles.
Love the challenge of the Mtn, not so much the Race.
Huge Props to Race folks and Volunteers, beyond the awesome job of boosting morale and running at every Aid Station, and putting together as great a race experience as conditions will allow, it did not go unnoticed that the Cirque Aid Station HAD GATORADE left, which is an important improvement since I am finishing almost exactly at the mid-time for the entire race with the slow half of participants still to come behind me. That was the first time since 2005 that's happened, and big UPS to those involved!