Going Downhill Fast Isn’t Always Easy
Margaret Spring has the mindset that vertical is great. Her very first trail run was not an ultramarathon, but it was an impressive start. She ran the Pikes Peak half-marathon. It goes up the side of Pikes Peak in Colorado for 13 miles with 7800 feet of climbing.
She said what every ultramarthon runner says at least once (sometimes much more) . . . “I’m never doing this kind of thing again!”
But her boyfriend had run with her and after the finish got down on a knee and proposed to her. So the following year he surprised her with a race entry to celebrate an “anniversary run.”
Her time improved, and she decided she might find a place in the ultra running community. She began running trails with a local running group and discovered she has a strong up-hill running game. She was the first up the mountain. But she struggled running the downhills. By the time she got back down, her friends had eaten the snacks, drank the beer and were ready to head home.
She knew if she continued as an ultramarthon runner she needed to learn to run downhill. So she began to practice. with friends and asked for advice.
She entered the Leadville Marathon and placed 3rd in her age group . . . a podium finish. This earned her a golden ticket to the Leadville 100. That will be her first 100 mile race.
She did, however, enter the Trans Rockies Run, a six-day stage race covering 120 miles. She entered the team competition with a friend and did it as a fund raiser for childhood cancer.
She decided to set a goal to win each stage in order to give a medal to each of the children they were sponsoring. She was able to manage running the downhills with her friend and they won each stage as well as first place in the team category.
Margaret is still not as comfortable as she wants to be when she runs downhill. But she keeps working on it. With the help of friends, strength training and practice she’s having success and still improving.
She says the most import thing is to have the mindset that you can always get better.
Links to Margaret online:
Elan says
What an inspiration to keep working, keep pushing and keep moving forward!