LARRY AVERY, 63, of Boulder is the men's champion of the Seniors division. Denver's Jim Romero was a close second and Tom Lemire of Boulder placed third. Avery is the CEO of Avery Brewing Co.

When and how did you start running?
In 1980, a fellow worker was the race director of a three mile race. He talked me into signing up for the race, so about three weeks before the race I started running. It took several days of trying before I could run a 2.25 mile loop around my neighborhood without stopping, but I ran the race in 25 minutes (seems like only yesterday) and I was hooked.

How do you train to stay at the top of your age group?
I used to run 60-80 miles/week year round, but the last few years I've replaced 25-30 of those running miles with walking miles. I try to avoid "garbage" miles (slower than nine minute miles) and I try to get in a 1/4 mile interval session on a nearby track every couple of weeks. My favorite workout is to run a race, so I run 30-35 races each year.

Where is your favorite spot to train?
I run a lot of miles on the Foothills Trail (Wonderland Lake area), Eagle Trail (Boulder Valley Ranch), South Boulder Creek Trail, and I also enjoy the 10 mile loop at Hall Ranch, but I don't get there as often as I'd like.

Why do you run?
Do you remember how much fun recess was in grade school? Running, for me, is recess. It's a suspension of everyday life and allows for thinking, reflecting, relaxing, and even visualizing my next race. I'm big on visualization. The benefits continue even after running in that I feel better both physically and mentally.

Any advice for runners looking to improve?
First, you have to believe you can run faster. That's where visualization comes in. You have to "see" yourself running faster. To race faster, you have to train faster, but only one or two days a week. Intervals on a track are helpful, as is reducing your body fat to a low level and lots of sleep helps too.

What did you think of the series and which races were your favorite?
It made the summer more interesting and competitive. My favorite races in order are: Rim Rock Run, Georgetown to Idaho Springs, Evergreen Town Race, Copper Mountain to Frisco (Ten Mile Creek), the and Governor's Cup. There's a theme here - most are downhill!

Larry Avery's Racing Series Results
Steamboat 10K, 1st Place, 100 Points, 50:21
Ten Mile Creek 10K, 4th Place, 40 Points, 46:38
Stadium Stampede 5K, 3rd Place, 60 Points, 23:51
Boogie's Diner Buddy Run 8K, 3rd Place, 60 Points, 39:01
Evergreen Town Race 10K, 3rd Place, 60 Points, 46:31
Governor's Cup 10K, 3rd Place, 60 Points, 45:40
Boulder Backroads Half Marathon, 5th Place, 20 Points, 1:41:24
Rim Rock Run 37K, 1st Place, 100 Points, 3:06:46