Jim Heidelberg

Coming off the summit in 3rd place..1989 Pikes Peak Marathon. Do I look fat?

“Laugh, Love, and Live and if your kids want to dance with you ...DANCE!!”

City: Colorado Springs State: CO Country: U.S

Favorite Shoe: 1980 Nike Daybreak Size: 8.5

Age: 54.2 years old

Marital Status: Married

Family members:
Wife- Susan age 45
Son- Ryan age 14
Daughter- Kori age 12

What I do for work:
Surgical Nurse Memorial Hospital

Places I’ve called home and why I like where I am now:
I was born in Colorado Springs, love it but don't like the growth.
Guatemala in the Peace Corps 1982-83
Glenwood Springs, Colorado Mountain College 79-81
Carbondale, 81-82
Steamboat Springs, Winter of 86.

When I started running and what got me started:
In 1968 a long haired runner with a red bandana named Bob McAndrews (fellow incline club member) stopped by "Auntie's house" during a run down on Tejon street. I thought, "he's cool" and I've been stumbling along ever since. Amazing how one day, one encounter can change your life. Thanks Bob.

What does running mean to me:
Life. I see people in hospital beds who give up, never get out of the bed again. Gotta keep moving......
I couldn't run for 15 months due to hardware in my hip from a cycling accident. I never realized how much I would miss it.

Running accomplishments: View my Pikes Peak Ascent/Marathon results
I've run under 4 hours for the Pikes Peak Marathon a couple of times and sub 2:30 for the Ascent. Now I'm old and slow, rats.
Won the Mt Evans Bike race in 1986 (category 3-4).
Climbed Mount McKinley in 1981.
20th "The World's Toughest Triathlon" in Lake Tahoe 1986 against some of the best in the world at that time. This was good for a little prize money so I erroneously spent the next 4 years of life trying to be a professional athlete. Should of went to med school.

What I like about trail/mountain running:
Solitude, freedom, joy. Spindrift on an alpine ridge at 13,000 feet in the winter. The magnificent alpine world.

Favorite running trail and why:
An alpine trail up Brown's pass under Mount Yale. Classic meadows, soft trail, scenery.

Favorite trail/mountain race and why:
Pikes Peak Marathon: The history of the race, the joy, sorrow, heartache, competition, camaraderie, terrible pain and challenge.

Best running experience:
The 1989 Pikes Peak Marathon (3:55:30), feeling in "the zone".

Worst running experience:
Running the winter series in Black Forest in the 80's. I was in the lead pack with some guy, "drafting" him because of a strong head wind. He turned around and threw me in the ditch, we both wrestled for a bit, threw a couple punches, then he blew up and dropped out. I guess he was having a bad day.
Also trying to "blood pack" by sleeping on the summit of the Peak during an amazing electrical storm. Being curled up on a foam pad as lightning blasted everywhere, not able to touch anything without being shocked, expecting any moment to be "gone".

Neatest thing found on a run:
I love Indian artifacts, found numerous arrowheads over the years.

Running related bathroom stop story:
During the 1986 "World's Toughest Triathlon" in Lake Tahoe. About mile 110 of the Bike, hypothermic during an icy mountain drizzle, loving the warmth of urinating on myself (can't stop, gotta keep moving). Don't worry though, 10 more miles on the bike then a 27 mile run in the rain rinsed me well.

Running pet peeves:
Dog owners who say "don't worry, he's not mean" then the dog bites you. Talking to.... or trying to pass someone with Ipod ears.

Something non running related that no one would guess about me:
I was on the section crew and an engineer on the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway for a while. Nothing like changing railroad ties at 14,000 feet for a little "cross training". I used to work on the Incline when it was still a functioning cable car with a nice snack shop on top. It was nice to cut the first 3 miles off of Mt. Manitou and run to Barr camp after a relaxing Summer evening ride up the cable car. Ahh...the good old days.

Other hobbies and interests:
I'm more of a cyclist now than a runner due to injuries over the years, love the bike. Also love writing, playing the guitar and watching my kids grow up.

Other stuff:
I still can't accept the fact that I can't run a sub four hour Pikes Peak Marathon or sub 2:30 ascent again. I did it before, why not now? Seems like another lifetime and another person ago, and I guess it was.
Pasta, olive oil, garlic salt and parmesan cheese, lots of it.
I broke my hip during the 2008 Leadville 100 MTB race. Spent 15 months with a titanium rod and lag screws in my leg. I returned to nice bike form but could not run due to the lack of flexibility of the rod in my femur. Sept 2009 had all the hardware removed. Slowly beginning to run again. I missed it so much. I enjoy every step like I never did before. As Joni Mitchell once sang.."you don't know what you got till it's gone". How true.

Page last modified: 2/16/2013