the bold adventurer succeeds: Ponderous Posterior 50k

Date: 1/14/12

Stats: 30 miles; ~7,500’ elevation gain

Results: 5:40:00

This past Saturday was the 2^nd annual running of the Ponderous Posterior 50k in Colorado Springs. The PP was the third and final Fat Ass event along the Front Range this winter. I was lucky enough to make 2 out the 3 (Ft. Collins being the other). These are really cool events! Awesome trails, no entry fee, food/beer afterwards and some good camaraderie along the way. We had some great weather for this one too. Sunny and mid-50s; not bad for the middle of winter.

This was one of the most enjoyable and most productive runs I’ve had in the past month. The route was a big loop, 30 miles and 7500 feet of climbing, on entirely new terrain for me. We visited Red Rock Open Space, Intemann Trail, Red Mountain, the Incline, Longs Ranch, Waldo Canyon, Williams Canyon, Rampart Range Road and Garden of the Gods. It was a great intro to the trails around Colorado Springs.

Of course the locals had to show off their pride and joy: the Incline. The Incline is the old railroad bed of the Manitou Incline Railway, which climbs 2100 feet in only 1 mile. That is some crazy elevation gain! I definitely plan on getting some more ascents on it to prepare for Hardrock. I took it easy up this section, knowing that I still had 17 miles left in the run once I reached the top.

With the big climbs out of the way, the last half of this course was relatively smooth sailing. Discussing 2012 race schedules with the other guys really made the time fly by. The scenery wasn’t too bad either. It took about 5:40 to finish. Like most of the other runners, I could have pushed it a bit harder, but it was nice sticking with a small group and not feeling totally spent afterward.