Bernie Boettcher is on a tear. The 42-year-old runner raced 21 races in the first four months of the year and won 13 of them. In April alone, he ran the Sun Dog's K-9 Uphill, the Greenland Trail 25K, the Salt Lake City Marathon, the Shiprock Marathon, and the Collegiate Peaks 25 Miler. He grew up in New Jersey, but has lived in Colorado for the past 24 years. While many of you have heard of him, Bernie only started running six years ago at age 37. All of his personal bests have occurred since he turned 40.

What have been some of the highlights of your career?
I was a fairly good high school runner, but I got kicked off the team for mooning when I was 17. I didn't take up racing again until I was 37, so my "career" has been a relatively short 6 years. I was named the USATF Masters "Mountain Runner of the Year" once, USSSA's Masters National Snowshoe Champion twice, and selected to be an Olympic Torchbearer. I've maintained a nearly 50% win average over 126 races run since January 1, 2003. (62 wins) But my real "highlights" come down to magical moments in certain competitions:
*Racing across a glacier beside the Matterhorn on the Italian/Swiss border
*Winning the Imogene Pass Run for my first time ever - on my birthday
*Finding out I'd just run the fastest downhill time ever on Barr Trail
*Or just standing around after a race and having some stranger come up and tell me that I've inspired them somehow. I love those days.

Are you trying to reach some kind of goal or do you just like to race?
I do like to race. I like to know my limits too, and I've discovered that they keep changing. That set of races in April was an experiment to test my recovery abilities in a series of long races. Now that I've done it, I know I can do more. I also plan to run at least 50 races again this year as I did in 2003 (54), and 2004 (51). But I want to keep getting faster too, and going farther if I can. It's fun to keep expanding the parameters of what might be possible. It keeps me fresh.

How is your training now?
I felt lousy today. But today is Wednesday, and I did a semi-long run (15+ miles) and found myself hauling an extra two or three pounds of mud on each foot about every other step. It rained hard last night, and I wanted to do some trail work today. I would've gone longer, but the mud wore me out. Wednesday's are always hard. It's usually when the weeks racing and training catches up to me.

Where do you like to train locally?
Top-secret trails near Silt, Colorado.

What is a typical running week like?
Since I race virtually every weekend, and oftentimes more than once a weekend, my schedule varies widely week to week. But basically, it follows the routine I've laid out below. It's all dependent on what I've raced the previous weekend and the distance I plan to race the following weekend.
Saturday: RACE (10K - 26.2M)
Sunday: Recovery bike ride, 8 - 25 miles, mostly slow, usually.
Monday: Aerobic Exercises (1 1/2 hrs) followed by 30 mile bike ride or 10 mile run, slow.
Tuesday: 13 - 28 mile run, slow.
Wednesday: Aerobic Exercises (2 hrs) followed by 10 - 16 mile run, medium pace.
Thursday: Aerobic Exercises (1 1/2 hrs) followed by 7 - 13 mile run, usually slow.
Friday: Bike ride 8 - 12 miles or 7 - 10 mile run, slow.
Saturday: RACE AGAIN!

What injuries have you had to overcome during your career?
I used to get injured regularly doing speed work and stretching, so I gave them both up and started an aerobic excercise routine instead. I also made a habit of wearing good shoes. I got a great pair of training/trail racing shoes, La Sportiva Colorado Trail AT, and get new ones about every 400- 500 miles, before their wear patterns cause me problems. Since January 1, 2003, I've done 126 races in a row and haven't had any injuries that have sidelined me more than a day or two.

Why do you run?
It lets me explore the farflung corners of my world and myself at the same time. At least that's my answer today. Every time I get asked that, I seem to have a different answer... there are so many reasons.

Any advice to pass on to other runners?
Diet is a HUGE factor in any training program and perhaps the most overlooked. Keep a food diary and track your results to improve performance.

Anything I've forgotten to mention that you want to add?
Without the continued support of Beaver Creek Resort, Team 180s, La Sportiva/GoLite, and Atlas, I couldn't do what I do. They all have a desire to be the best they can be, and their products and services help me to do the same. And without the unconditional support of my beautiful girlfriend, I would've never become a runner in the first place, and none of you would be reading this.

Bernie's Best Times and Races
Imogene Pass Run: 2:21:42
America's Uphill: 43:34
Barr Trail Mountain Race: 1:35:52
10K: 32:45 at the Winter Sun 10K
Half Marathon: 1:14:30 at the Glenwood Canyon Shuffle
Marathon: 2:34:36 at the Tucson Marathon