ELLEN HART, 46, won the women's Masters division.
Firestone's Sherry Buckner placed second and Amy Regnier of
Colorado Springs was third.
When did you start running?
I started running in third grade in P.E. class. I loved to run,
it was just that simple. And I was fast.
How do you train to stay at the top of your age group and
what is your favorite workout?
I am still fairly goal-oriented, so I pick a race and train for
it. I love to race so I enter lots of races along the way
toward my big goal. My favorite workout is running with my
friends in Boulder; I don't much care what we do.
Where is your favorite spot to train?
Trails in Boulder and the Colorado Trail in South Park
Why do you run?
I was born to run. I just know that. I have been running for
many years, sometimes competitively, sometimes not, sometimes
injured and wanting to run, sometimes taking time off running
to have babies, but always knowing that running is one of the
very few things that I was just born to do. It's not always
easy, but it's always right. (I also, most of the time, like
how it feels, and I like that I have some talent.)
Do you have a prerace routine?
Just the usual - get up, have some coffee and something to eat,
get dressed, go to the race, warm up, then it's show-time!
Any advice for runners looking to improve?
Find some combination of workouts - long, short, track, roads,
trails, fast, slow, cross-training, etc. that keeps your
interest, and keeps your running feeling fun. It's OK to take
time off, even if it feels as if you're playing hookey. I've
worried about it so often and then come back just fine. (I'm
in the middle of a month off, so maybe I'm trying to reassure
myself!)
What did you think of the series and which races were your
favorite?
I loved the races I ran - the Governor's Cup (which I first ran
in 1981), the Georgetown to Idaho Springs half-marathon
(which is beautiful, and I always get to see a lot of friends),
and the Boulder Backroads half-marathon (couldn't have picked a
prettier day, and it's such a great surface to run on).
Ellen Hart's Racing Series Results:
Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half, 1st Place, 100 Points,
1:27:52
Governor's Cup 10K, 2nd Place, 90 Points, 39:22
Boulder Backroads Half Marathon, 1st Place, 100 Points, 1:28:39
