Driving down to Colorado Springs and looking to the West to see Pikes Peak brings a feeling unlike most others. I will always remember my “runs” to the top of Pikes Peak. They hold a separate place in my memory that includes running my first marathon, my marathon PR in Philadelphia, most of my ironman races, and my 100 miler. Finishing a half marathon at 14,115 feet brings its own challenges and feelings, and having to turn around and descend the year I completed the Pikes Peak Marathon, was a feeling unto itself. And so, I will always gaze up at the mountain with both awe and respect.
Whenever we drive to Colorado Springs, I always point at the barren peak and tell anyone within earshot how much it means to me. I was relatively new to marathon running when I first tackled the ascent. My friend and Colleague Joel Peacock ran it with me that year. My colleague and friend, Dennis Jahnigan, also ran it despite being under treatment for brain cancer, to which he would succumb later that year. Two years later I ran the marathon thinking about him. There are so many more things that matter than our finishing time or placement.
Pikes Peak represents the highest bar we can set for ourselves. Since I believe in setting the bar high, trying to reach that bar, but not judging myself on the result, this has special meaning to me. Setting that bar has many aspects. It may have something to do with my athletic endeavors; it may have something to do with work related goals; it may relate to personal, life related priorities. That what Pikes Peak means to me.
No comments:
Post a Comment