Mountain Running is one of those exotic corners of the running universe that has a special hold on the imagination. Running up hills is hard enough; running up mountains is the something else again.
One of the most accomplished mountain runners in the world is Matt Carpenter. He is the record holder for the Pike's Peak Ascent (13 miles up) and the Pike's Peak Marathon (up and down). He holds the record for the infamous Leadville 100 trail race. About his decision to run that race for the first time in his late thirties, Carpenter says,
"Somebody told me you don’t know who you are until you do a 100-miler...I said, 'Damned if I’m going to die and not know who I am.'"
Carpenter is also a three-time winner of the Mt. Washington Road race, and one of only two runners to twice run under one hour there. In 2005 at age 40, he set the masters record at that race, running an ungodly 1:02.12 and finishing 4th overall.
Henry called my attention to a profile of Carpenter in yesterday's NY Times:
At 44, A Running Career Again in Ascent
Be sure to watch the video.
1 comment:
"Somebody told me you don’t know who you are until you do a 100-miler...I said, 'Damned if I’m going to die and not know who I am.'"
If I always did what "somebody told me," I'd be in jail by now.
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