Gordon Barnett

Pikes Peak Marathon

"Don't be a horse race... be a marathon. Don't fear the long road, 'ya gotta long time to sing a simple song." ...Michael Franti

City: Colorado Springs State: CO

Favorite Shoe: Shoes from CRC Size: 10.5

Age: 64.5 years old

Marital Status: Single

Family members:
Daughter Carly and her husband Jason, grandson Matthias. Daughter Katie and her husband Peter.
Fergus the Goldendoodle.

What I do for work:
On good days, graphic design.

Places I’ve called home and why I like where I am now:
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.

When I started running and what got me started:
In 1981 on lunch hours, pushed away from the desk and got out of the office.

What does running mean to me:
Freedom.

Running accomplishments: View my Pikes Peak Ascent/Marathon results
11 Ultras (and counting) with no DNF. Including back-to-back-to-back-to-back San Juan 50s, the 2006 Leadville 100.
Winning age group awards at San Juan 2008 and Lost Soul 100 KM 2007.
3 Boston Marathons... soon to be 4, 3 PPM, and numerous flatland marathons.
Member of the Kenyan "High" Altitude Training & Cooking Team.
Running in -40 degrees Centigrade, which also happens to be -40 degrees Fahrenheit.

What I like about trail/mountain running:
Pine needles. Freedom, spirituality, friendship, solitude, and beer back at the car.

Favorite running trail and why:
Rampart Range Reservoir, "dam" fine workout.
Colorado Trail (seeing the lights of Leadville).
Elk Park.

Favorite trail/mountain race and why:
Barr Trail Mountain Race: The best organized trail race anywhere! Name another one that gives back 100% of its proceeds to local schools and community... plus a most excellent designed tech-shirt.

Best running experience:
My first 50 mile ultra in Mount Masochist, VA. You always remember your first time. Ted was waiting for me at the finish line with a cold one.
Finishing the Leadville 100 in 2006 - my first attempt. Ted was waiting at the finish line with a cold one.
Setting a PR at San Juan Solstice 50 Mile 2008, beating my previous time by 2 hours and 48 minutes.

Worst running experience:
How can you have a bad experience if you're running?

Neatest thing found on a run:
Peace and contentment.

Running related bathroom stop story:
Porta potty at the 8 mile mark at the Boston Marathon (2002).
3 words: PROJECTILE INTESTINAL EVACUATIONS - where at least a dozen previous runners suffered from the same 3 words - how'd that stuff get all the way up there?

Running pet peeves:
Cigarette butts, and the ever increasing amount of garbage left on (and off) the trails.

Something non running related that no one would guess about me:
I won "Best Twit" contest at a Monty Python concert.
Prize: Eric Idle removed my liver.
Yarrrr... I was a pirate in a past life.
Vegetarian since 1985.

Other hobbies and interests:
Yoga - namaste.
Cooking.
Music, enjoying a vast eclectic range of composers and lyricists.
Paint & sculpt.
Reading Anita's race reports.

Other stuff:
He doesn't have to outrun the lion, only his friend.
Then the lion catches up with his friend and eats him. The strong survive, the weak are killed - the law of the jungle!
Yes, very clever ...if you don't mind losing your friend. But what happens when the next lion turns up? I think you'd better get your running shoes on, gentlemen. - Doctor Who

Page last modified: 1/2/2010