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It’s getting warmer! Heat, sometimes combined with humidity depending on where you live, can throw you a good curve ball during these summer months of training and competition. We have all heard stories about athletes being taken to the hospital during a race for dehydration, or collapsing before the finish line or seeing white spots with a tongue feeling like sandpaper. I will say that those are extreme cases and ones that can be easily prevented with a little know-how nutrition for the heat know-how.

Deer Creek Canyon Park had its beginnings as a campground for wandering bands of Ute and Arapahoe. The 1,881-acre Open Space park was first homesteaded in 1872 by a man from Plymouth, England, John Williamson. Back then, Deer Creek's rolling hills and fertile fields attracted both farmers and miners. John Williamson's famed Glen Plym Ranch, as well as the Couch and Clark Homesteads, all sat within the current park boundaries.

When you need to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Summit County is the perfect escape. There are dozens of breathtaking trails to choose from, but I've chosen one easy and accessible trail to tell you about. The trail begins near downtown Breckenridge and has incredible views of the ski runs and the town. The course also has a fairly easy running surface, although watch for rocks and tree roots.

Melody Fairchild is arguably the best American high school female distance runner of all time. She was born September 10, 1973 in Boulder and began running in the city’s foothills at age nine. Melody won eight Colorado track and cross country state championship titles for Boulder High School and still holds the state records for cross country (16:45.1 in 1989), 1,600 meters (4:49.86 in 1991), and 3,200 meters (10:34.09 in 1990).

As you pull in to Crested Butte, the sign reads 8,885 feet. This should be your first indication that this won't be a terribly easy trail run. The birthplace of "extreme," Crested Butte is home to some of the toughest athletes around - harsh adventures are the norm. Nestled in a valley at the road's end, surrounded by towering peaks, Crested Butte's natural backyard provides a whirlwind of activities for the outdoor enthusiast.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Pikes Peak Marathon, I'm writing about the Barr Trail. This lung-burning trail travels from a parking lot in Manitou Springs, which is located just west of Colorado Springs, at 6,650 feet. The U.S. Forest Service trail winds up the east face of Pikes Peak in the Pike National Forest and summits at 14,115 feet. This trail is not for the weak hearted with a brutal 7,000 feet of elevation gain that covers 13 long, winding miles. It takes the average Pikes Peak Marathon runner more than seven hours to complete, top to bottom. That being said, this trail is also a Colorado favorite for so many hikers and runners that if you've never tried the Barr Trail, I consider it a must-do!

Beep Beep Beep. Slap. My hand fumbles the alarm clock off. Ugh. Why is it so early? My brain slowly processes the time of 4:30 a.m. Ring Ring Ring. The phone? What the heck? Then I remember. I am meeting my buddy for a 5 a.m. run. After we'd each missed early morning runs we decided to call each other to make sure that both parties were out of bed. I pick up the phone.