An Eye on The Destination at 14,110 Feet

Excellence can be attained if you - care more than others think is wise - risk more than others think is safe - dream more than others think is practical - and expect more than others think is possible. - Anonymous

Ok, perhaps a bit melodramatic, but work with me. 

This update is about setting my goals, and I found this quote to speak to setting goals that take alot of work to achieve.  (On a separate note, it's a good thing this quote is by Anonymous, otherwise I'd have to come up with some sort of explanation about somebody who I may or may not know anything about, let alone who they are, and then go on to describe what I thought they were talking about when making the fabulous quote to begin with.  Anonymous just saved me a bunch of time and potential embarassment.)

I mentioned when I started Fighting the 40's that in order to leverage the motivation I have right now to lose 45 pounds, I need to have events on the calendar.  There is something about registering for an event, showing up on race day, wearing a race bib or a number, and looking around at that rest of the people waiting for the gun.  You feel the adrenaline, and while you know that you aren't really there to win, that the true test is against yourself, you also can't help but picking people out of the crowd that you want to beat.

And so, after thinking about it for some time now, I'm setting a goal for next summer by picking two events.  I've lived in Colorado Springs for nearly six years now, and I have yet go to the top of Pikes Peak.  In August of 2012, I intend to go to the top.  Two weekends in a row.

The Pikes Peak Ascent is a 13.32 mile trail run from Manitou Springs to the summit of the moutain.  Ok, 13.32 miles...just a half-marathon which is 10-months away.  I don't think "Anonymous" from the quote above would find that very challenging.  However, throw in 7,815 feet of vertical altitude gain, and suddenly it's not "just a half".

The Assault on the Peak is 49 mile bike ride on the Pikes Peak Highway.  The first 24.5 miles is, again, from Manitou Springs to the summit, with an elevation gain of over 7700 feet with an average grade of 6.7% and a maximum grade of 10.5%. 

This past summer the Ascent and the Assault were run on successive weekends in August and should be scheduled at very similiar dates in 2012. 

So, I suppose the next question to answer is "why"? 

There are several reasons.   Maybe the easiest answer is, I suppose, the same as given to anyone who has ever been asked, "why climb the mountain?"  Because it is there. 

Another answer that I have already eluded to is that I need to have events to train for, and while these aren't the only events I'll enter, the back-to-back nature make then a natural goal for me.

Finally, by picking the Ascent and the Assault my training plan and the activity I need to do to lose the weight is more or less naturally dictated to me.  There is no "deciding what exercise to do today when I can't decide what to do".  It pretty much boils down to getting off my butt and running or mashing pedals.  So, no excuses. 

There will be other events I train for.  Adventure races.  Bike rides.  Football.  But, I just read that in order to register for the Ascent, I need a qualifying time in a half-marathon, so I need to go for a run.