Kevin Houghton

In a world of hurt at the 2003 IM Canada Marathon. :)

“There are two pains in life, the pain of discipline, and the pain of regret.”

City: Colorado Springs State: CO

Favorite Shoe: Addidas Rotterdam Size: 11

Age: 45 years old

Marital Status: Single

Family members:
My extremely energetic brittany spaniel Lucy.

What I do for work:
Banking risk management

Places I’ve called home and why I like where I am now:
Minneapolis and Mankato MN.

When I started running and what got me started:
My first ever road race was the Twin Cities Marathon. Back in September of '93 I was sitting in my college dorm room watching a bike race on TV and got excited about competing. I decided to enter the TCM but had no idea what I was getting into. My longest run before the race was 10 miles... two days before the race. Needless to say the race was a sufferfest but after it I was hooked on endurance athletics.

What does running mean to me:
Taking ownership of who I am and who I want to become.

Running accomplishments: View my Pikes Peak Ascent/Marathon results
13 marathons including 5 at Ironman Canada.

What I like about trail/mountain running:
It's a pure "no-mind" activity. When you are bombing down a tight, rocky trail you can't think at all, you just react. It's a joy to get away from my mind once in a while.

Favorite running trail and why:
7-mile creek in Mankato MN. I had a great time running there in college.

Best running experience:
Realizing during the third race of the PPRR Fall Series that sometimes you just have to say "what the F@#$". Racing is about pushing yourself and often that means letting go of the fear of pushing harder than you think you can.

Worst running experience:
The marathon at Ironman Canada. I had stomach problems and suffered tremendously for a 5+ hour marathon.

Neatest thing found on a run:
My lost mojo.

Running related bathroom stop story:
It is very challenging for me to run in Palmer park without making a stop. There's something about that park that just gets my system rolling. In the summer of 2001 I likely used the park more often than the toilet at home.

Other hobbies and interests:
Being happy. ;o)

Other stuff:
If it's not tequila, than it's just a waste of time. :)