Talking running with David Manthey of Runner's Edge of the Rockies
Sunday, April 3, 2011
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As a kid, I ran to stay in shape for soccer and actually disliked running, to be honest... I did a few 5-10km’s, and of course the BolderBoulder. It wasn’t until after college though that I started actually enjoying distance running. My first marathon was the Marine Corps Marathon in 2001. It was an incredible experience and my passion and interest just grew from there. I'm now running ultra-marathons -- 50Ks/ 31 miles or more. Last August I ran the Leadville Trail 100, my first attempt at 100 miles. Unfortunately it didn’t go as planned, and I sprained my ankle at Mile 10. I ran for 24.5 hours until the ankle became too bad, and I was forced to drop out at Mile 86.5. I’m in training to do it again this year, hopefully with a better outcome!
I played competitive soccer and golf at CSU, and while on the golf team coached some Jr. golf camps and just had a blast with it. After college, I moved to Kansas City and went into corporate America, but missed sports, and had the opportunity to coach HS soccer for a couple of years. After moving back to Denver, and running a few marathons, I found myself coaching friends and colleagues on how to run smarter and avoid injuries, and soon had an informal running group going. So at the urging of friends, in 2003 my wife Julie and I started Runner's Edge of the Rockies with 32 people for our first training session. Now, in our 8th year, our group has grown to 350+ members and we train year-round.
While running alone for short distances is easy-- and very refreshing after a stressful day, distance running on your own can be extremely monotonous and difficult for a number of reasons. And unfortunately a lot of beginners may not have the know-how and wind up getting hurt or burned out and then give up on running. Running with people
makes a long run so much more enjoyable because if you’re going through a tough spot in your run or training, you’ve got a teammate there to support you. It helps too, to have people who run at the same pace, so you don't make the mistake of going out too fast, or trying to do something beyond your capabilities. And if the group is coached, then you can get advice, tips, a daily training plan, etc.
Wow- 350 people running? Where are the runs? What level are the runners?
We have all levels of runners, different ages, experience levels, backgrounds, etc. It’s a really great group and supper-supportive of each other. Most members are focused on half or full marathons, but we have the ultramarathoners and trail runners too. We have tri-coaches, and a walking coach, and a lot of new members are training for their first 5-10km race. Because even experienced runners had to start somewhere! And new members can jump in at any time.
Our Saturday runs take place all over the metro area, and our members really appreciate being able to run in different places and on different routes each weekend. It's a pretty big production, and some Saturday mornings I'm out on my bike at 3:00 am marking the course and getting everything ready. We have over 120 different routes, and I’m always adding new ones. All of our runs are fully supported with aid stations ever few miles and we have 11 different pace groups that are lead by experienced members, so every level of runner and walker can train at the right pace.
And you're the official training partner of the Colfax Marathon?
Yes. We've been involved with Colfax since year 1, in 2006. The race has changed a lot since then. We're providing the pace groups for the marathon and half, which will help runners stay on pace and will help give them a better opportunity to hit their time goals. Look for us at the starting line, or at the Expo during packet pickup.
What's the Bear Chase?
It's a new race we put on at Bear Creek Lake Park. It's a trail race with multiple distances: 50 mile, 50k, half marathon, and 10k, and it will be held on Sunday, September 25th this year. Last year was the first year we had the race and it was a lot of fun. The runners voted it the best race in Colorado for 2010 in Competitor Magazine.
Thanks for chatting!
We have to get you out for a run with us.
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Come out for a complimentary run with David and Runner's Edge of the Rockies -- you'll have to RSVP to get the run location, and so they can plan supplies accordingly.
Posts
David helped me on my journey of changing my life! I started unable to run more than a few miles at a time... by the end of 6 months I took on the ING NYC Marathon! Great program and I'd highly recommend it to anyone!
David's coached me through my first 50-mile race, and I finished half an hour faster than I'd dreamed possible. He's now coaching me to finish the Leadville 100 this year. When I finish that race, I know that I'll be able to attribute much of my success to his coaching abilities.