Eric Klaphake

2011 Madison Marathon

“My being slow, make you look fast! You need people like me.”

City: CO Springs State: CO

Favorite Shoe: LaSportiva Wildcat Size: 40

Age: 49.6 years old

Marital Status: Single

Family members:
4 year old son, 2 tortoises, and cichlid tank

What I do for work:
Veterinarian

Places I’ve called home and why I like where I am now:
Born in Nebraska, college in Wisconsin, vet school in Kansas, 5 years in Utah, 3 years in Tennessee, 1 year in Ohio, 5 years in Montana, and now Colorado.

When I started running and what got me started:
7th grade track, then added cross country in high school through college. Petered out, then started trail running in Montana 4 years ago.

What does running mean to me:
Fun, challenging, but not being afraid to stop for the views or to smell the flowers.

Running accomplishments:
-3 Bridger Ridge Runs Completed
-2 Madison 1/2 Marathons
-1 John Colter Run (MT)
-1 Run to Pub 1/2 Marathon
-Registered for 2012 2 person relay for Devil's Backbone 50

What I like about trail/mountain running:
That being slow, walking, resting, or stopping to enjoy things are acceptable!

Favorite running trail and why:
New here

In MT was Hyalite to Mt. Blackmore to South Cottonwood & back up to History Rock. Challenging 15 miles, wildflowers, mt. goats, moose, solitude, and views.

Favorite trail/mountain race and why:
Bridger Ridge Run--made me want to get back into running, scenery and challenge for training and running is incredible.

Best running experience:
3rd Bridger Ridge Run--cold (15F at start), muddy, foggy. But all combined to make perfect running conditions. Breaking through the fog on the downhill with 3 miles to go, sun out, and passing people left and right.

Worst running experience:
Coming in last place at NE state cross country meet AND last at the Conference Championships in College.

Neatest thing found on a run:
Perfect alpine flower field on approach to Hyalite Peak.

Running related bathroom stop story:
In college, needing to go badly and running into a mature corn field, using leaves, then cut thru to other side to shave a mile off of training running, much to my coach's ire.

Running pet peeves:
2 people next to each other on trail not paying attention to others trying to get by. People not picking up feces from their dogs on the trail, barking dogs off leash.

Something non running related that no one would guess about me:
Rode down a luge track once

Other hobbies and interests:
Photography, tennis, trumpet-playing, volleyball, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, snowboarding

Page last modified: 3/15/2012