Sharon Kircher

Taken on a mild, balmy 125*F June morning at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan while on a 14 mile run

“Start Running! It's a great day to be alive!”

City: Colorado Springs State: CO

Favorite Shoe: Saucony Grid Hurricane Size: 8 1/2

Age: 32.9 years old

Marital Status: Single

Family members:
Everyone who I have laughed with, cried with, lived with, loved with.

What I do for work:
I'm an Engineer in the US Army...I've both built and blown stuff up. I am a Company Commander currently serving my 3rd combat tour here in sunny southern Afghanistan.

Places I’ve called home and why I like where I am now:
You can take the girl out of Jersey but you can't take the Jersey out of the girl! I have also lived in Louisville, KY, West Point, NY, Columbus, GA, Waynesville, MO, Bolingbrook, IL, Kuwait City, KU, and most importantly, Colorado Springs! I love it there and cannot wait to come back!

When I started running and what got me started:
I ran Cross Country and Track at Shawnee High School in Medford, NJ. Whenever our coach would start practice off by saying "It's a great day to be alive," we knew were in for a workout from hell! My father, who was also a runner in high school and college, would come to all of our meets, and camp out at about 4k into the 5k race, and yell "Start Running!" at the girls as we ran by. Nobody ever understood that. But it worked. We won the New Jersey State Meet of Champions my senor year.

What does running mean to me:
Stability! Running is something I can do no matter where I am or where I'm going. Often times it's the only alone time I have in the day. It pushes me to figure out what I'm made of, to solve my world's problems, and to beat the boys

Running accomplishments: View my Pikes Peak Ascent/Marathon results
1st Team NJ State Meet of Champions 1997 (ranked 13th in the country that year), finishing first marathon (Chicago) 2004. TCR 3rd place in age group 2008. I also incorporated 4 slip n' slides in my running of the 2008 Bolder Boulder.

What I like about trail/mountain running:
I finally figured out I'm a masochist. The friends I've made and suffered with. Yak Trax.

Favorite running trail and why:
Barr Trail, by far. Hate the W's, love the 3 miles above treeline. There's nothing quite like waving at the Cog Train passengers as you're sprinting up the last few switchbacks at the summit. Holmdel Park in Freehold, NJ comes in a close 2nd.

Favorite trail/mountain race and why:
One of my favorites, and least favorites, is the Summer Roundup Trail Run. Ran it is 2004 on a whim while I was on vacation here...and it DID NOT go well. I was determined to come back and do better. Fortunately four years later, I did. And of course, nothing beats the PPM!

Best running experience:
As I turned to the finish line of the 2004 Chicago Marathon, I literally had tears in my eyes; it was such an emotionally overwhelming experience. Marathonfoto has documented this extensively.

Worst running experience:
At 2008 PPM, I threw up about a mile and a half into the race, and I thought "uh oh..." Fortunately, I began to feel better just as the weather turned for the worse...I also threw up on some volunteers right after I finished. But they were awesome about it. I'm really really sorry about that...

Neatest thing found on a run:
Do the donuts at the Summit House count?

Running pet peeves:
When the little 9 year olds zip by me at a half marathon (good for them! bad for me!). When walkers turn their headphones all the way up and use lane 1. When I forget my Bodyglide. Silly hats. When the guy in the gorilla suit beats me at the Country Music Half in 2006 (Marathonfoto also has this extensively documented).

Something non running related that no one would guess about me:
I was an all conference javelin thrower my senior year. I was on the Army Crew Team. I make great spaghetti sauce. I love milk. I also love beer (wait a minute, everyone knows that!). I've been to Disney World 13 times.

Other hobbies and interests:
I LOVE music. I've burned through 3 Ipods. I have a playlist for everything. I have played piano since I was 5. I jump out of perfectly good airplanes. I paint my nails blue.

Other stuff:
If it were reasonable to eat cheeseburgers and french toast sticks for every meal and not develop some crazy deficiency, I would!

Wear your sunscreen. The only way to run fast is to run fast. Ice!

I can recite every scene from "A Christmas Story" from memory :)

Page last modified: 12/21/2009