December 3, 2009 / 8:35 am

Incline, Barr Trail
Distance: 7.83 miles
Time: 2:23 hours

Once again, an email from Tracey the night before during class. Something about weather permitting we'd do the Incline. Okay, I thought I was safe saying yes to her since it snowed off and on all day and I was sure she wouldn't want to do the mile straight up the Incline on a very cold and snowy day. Wrongo sportsfans.

I met her at Memorial Park in Manitou and pointed up, she nodded. Yikes. The outside temperature was 12 degrees when I got out of the car. Very cold. I told her this is what I call Freakin Freezin Cold. Strong words from me, she replied.

I have only done the Incline once before; and yes, with Tracey. She's determined to either kill me or make me a better runner. Hmm, now that I think about it, I do move into her age group next year.

We ran 1.1 miles up to the Incline through Manitou. Once there, I told her to take off and don't worry about me, I'd eventually get to the top. I've read it's a 3000' elevation change from top to bottom of these sinister steps (google Incline pictures and you'll see what I mean). Snowy, cold and steep steps didn't deter me though; 46 minutes later, I made it one mile straight up. Tracey had been waiting for over 8 minutes.

From there, it's insult to injury since you have to run up a little trail to catch the Barr Trail. I thought we would hit it, run up to No Name and then turn around. Oh no, I did not read her entire email ... we were continuing up a side trail so she could get at least 7 miles. The real name calling began in my head as I fell in behind her.

Finally, after watching her trip up the trail like a deer, she stopped. Thank goodness. I am not that graceful deer; I fell, thankfully only once.

The glorious turn around! Running down the Barr Trail is great fun; when there is no snow masking wicked patches of ice. Due to the conditions, I ran it very carefully. Despite the freezing cold, it was still a great run. We peeled off at Hydro and I told her once we hit the pavement again that we would finally begin running. "What have we been doing?" she asked incredulously. Floating, Tracey, floating.

Coming into town, I noticed she had frost on her face and she commented so did I. Yes, it was that cold. at 6400' it was 12 degrees. Imagine what it was 3000' above that. My toes were frozen after the Incline. They thawed as I began to run; however, then my fingers froze. I finally had to hold my water bottle in my armpit, pull my fingers out of the gloves and ball my hands in the gloves with the fingers of the gloves flapping in the wind. Eventually, I pulled my windbreaker over the gloves to warm the hands. That finally did the trick. Yes, I've requested wind mitts for Christmas.

A great, if very cold run. We only saw one set of tracks up the Barr Trail from Incline and none past the Incline until we got to the switchbacks.

It took a very hot bath to warm me up and I am still tired from the run. But what a sense of accomplishment. To do the Incline and then still run 5 more miles!



Website for history of Manitou Incline: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.manitouincline.net/inclinehotel.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.manitouincline.net/history.htm&usg=__tLqcHytQ-e6xbqu6DJYDSND9o8A=&h=400&w=303&sz=52&hl=en&start=50&um=1&tbnid=k-9mM3tFVPHbaM:&tbnh=124&tbnw=94&prev=/images%3Fq%3DThe%2Bincline,%2Bcolorado%2Bsprings%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1I7DKUS_en%26sa%3DN%26start%3D36%26um%3D1