Fit to be Tied Column
August 14, 2009From the Pueblo Chieftain
by Gary Franchi
The Peak holds special aura for local runner Dehn
The Peak.
The name itself stirs the inner souls of many runners throughout Colorado
and the country. It’s mystical, magical and generates a certain
awe, respect and trepidation.
On Saturday, 1,800 of those runners will run and walk and navigate up
that 14,115-foot beast in the Pikes Peak Ascent, a 13.32-mile jaunt that
starts in Manitou Springs and has a 7,815-foot vertical gain including
2,000 feet in the last three miles. Twelve Puebloans will be included
in that group. The following day, 800 brave hearts will attempt the round-trip
marathon, including four from Pueblo.
Among the Ascenters will be a long-time Pueblo West runner who counts
himself among those who put the Peak in an elite category. Ron Dehn, at
61 years young, will be trying to complete his seventh Ascent, perhaps
with even more determination after having been turned back near the top
last year by the blizzard that spoiled the finishing dream of more than
half of the field.
“It’s at the upper end of what I can do,” said Dehn,
whose racing distances include short distances up to half-marathons and
who only races occasionally.
A runner for 27 years who initially started in order to augment his tennis,
Ron did his first Peak in 1997 at the age of 49 and had his best time
that year – 4 hours and 18 minutes. While he says it’s getting
tougher for him as his age creeps up, Dehn still views the Peak as something
special, unique and worth doing.
“I like it because it’s a great challenge and you have to
dig so deep,” he explained. “It helps you focus on your training
during the year – gives you some incentive to do more and prepares
you for other challenges.”
His strategy for tackling the Peak is simple – “You run where
it makes sense and you walk fast where that makes sense.”
Dehn noted that he begins to start focusing on the adventure at the start
of each year.
“January one I start thinking about it. You train for it physically
and mentally,” he explained.
Like many others, he trains on Barr Trail as often as he can get there
during the year. A rare perfect training week for him during the heart
of his preparation would include about 20 miles of running in town, a
couple of days cross training on the bike and 10-14 miles on the mountain
itself.
Dehn worked full-time for 31 years at the University of Southern Colorado
before retiring in 2001, with his last position being Associate Director
of Information Technology Services. He didn’t stay retired long,
beginning work two months later as a transfer recruiter two days a week
during the main CSU-Pueblo academic year. July 1 marked the start of his
40th year or service to the university, an equally awesome achievement.
Each year, Ron said he gets a boost by having family members cheer him
on near the finish, and he expects his wife, Chris, and kids Melissa and/or
Jeremy to be there Saturday. The inspiring goes both ways, as the kids
are now thinking about running the Rock Canyon Half-Marathon this December
in order to qualify for next year’s Ascent. He also may be joined
on the 2010 journey by his brother, Dave, who ran the Ascent in the 1980s.
We’ve got one local “doubler” this year – Pueblo
West’s Jessie Quintana, who figured that having turned 65 last November
was reason enough to attempt both the Ascent and the marathon this weekend.
“I figured I wanted to try doing both just once in my lifetime,”
said Jessie, who already has 14 Ascents and six round trips in her career
log.
Running
The once-popular Skyline Drive 10K will return to Canon City on Sept.
13 after an absence of several years. It features a challenging 800-foot
elevation rise and descent, starting and finishing in Greydene Park in
the downtown area. Go to www.ccrec.org for details.
Kim Arline’s quest to raise awareness of and funds for a community
trails system in Pueblo West has led to the scheduling of the inaugural
Run 4 Trails four-mile run on Sept. 19 at Pueblo West High School. After
the race, there will be a bike and pedestrian safety fair featuring a
bike safety check, minor repairs and “fix a flat” workshop
by the Great Divide bike shop.
Workshop
A free introductory TaiChi running workshop will be held 6-7 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Boulder Running Company on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs. Learn how proper form can enhance your running and reduce injuries. Contact instructor Mark Wallis at (520) 298-8982 or mark@markdwallis.com for details. Or go to www.markdwallis.com.
Cycling
The region has two bike rides in September. Downtown Westcliffe will host the Bike With Pike Adventure century ride to Colorado City and back on Sept. 12, and it includes a 69-mile distance round trip to San Isabel plus an 8-mile family ride. The following weekend, the fourth annual Bicycle Ride for Kids will take place on Sept. 20 at the Pueblo Memorial Airport. This is a out-and-back course, and riders can pedal however miles they want up to a maximum of 38 miles round trip to the Transportation Tech Center. Proceeds benefit the Pueblo Child Advocacy Center.
Race Calendar
• Aug. 30 – South Shore Adventure (Prediction Series race),
4.3M , 7:30 a.m., Lake Pueblo (lrvolk@yahoo.com).
• Sept. 12 – Bike with Pike Adventure (bicycle rides), 100M,
69M & 8M family ride, 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. starts, Westcliffe (www.runwithpike.org).
• Sept. 13 – Skyline Drive, 10K, 8 a.m., Canon City (www.ccrec.org).
• Sept. 19 – Run 4 Trails, 4M, 8 a.m. Sierra Visa Elementary
School in Pueblo West (kimarline@comcast.net).
• Sept. 20 – Bicycle Ride for Kids, any distance up to 38M,
8:30 am, Pueblo Memorial Airport (583-6332).
• Sept.26 – Danapalooza Trail Run, 5K, 8 a.m., Canon City
(www.danapalooza.com).
• Sept.27 – Hot to Trot, 5K, 8 a.m., Pueblo Union Avenue (251-3189).
• Oct. 10 – Autumn River Run, 5M/5K, 9 a.m., Canon City (www.ccrec.org).
• Oct.24 – Harvest Run (Prediction Series race), 5M, 5 p.m.,
Lovell Park in Pueblo West (diazsd@aol.com).
Send comments and fitness information to Gary Franchi via e-mail at garyf@bresnan.net.
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