Tina, at the top of Mt. Harvard.
Tina Mascarenas, friend of Routes, stopped by the shop the other day. We sat down with her, over a bottle of kombucha, to hear about her recently winning the 2022 Pikes Peak Marathon.
Tina grew up in Colorado Springs. Her mother got her and her siblings into rock climbing and Tina also into gymnastics. And when she was little, her grandpa bribed her and her siblings to hike the trails around town.
But while in her 20s, Tina “got fat, partied, smoked, and did nothing”. Her brother, though, challenged her to start running. She loved the structure running provided and started running all those trails her grandpa took her on. A year later, she placed top 10 for her age group in the Pikes Peak Ascent. Two years later in 2017, she won the Pikes Peak Marathon.
Jogging up The Incline.
We asked her what was different about winning the Pikes Peak Marathon in 2022. She mentioned tweaking her diet and consuming more gels and Gatorade during her training runs to significantly increase her calories. As a result, she felt great during the race and loved the cooler temperature (the race was moved back a month in 2022). She ran a personal best 3:03 ascent and an impressive 1:33 descent.
At Routes, though, we were curious to learn how it’s possible to pick up running as an adult, and in the span of a few years, become world class. Tina explained that when she decides to do something, she is all in. And a lot of the skills she acquired as a gymnast in her youth translates to running trails - especially downhill. For instance, as a gymnast, she learned muscle control, finding a line and fully committing to it, and the awareness of always knowing where she was in the air. All these attributes come in handy as she bombs downhill and launches off rocks.
Competing at the 2022 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand.
Plus, Tina enjoys the social side of running - especially among the running community here in Colorado Springs. After winning the 2022 Pikes Peak Marathon, she qualified for a spot on Team U.S. to compete in the 40K race at the 2022 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships this past November in Thailand. She placed 25th and competed alongside a couple of her training partners from The Springs.
And to boot, Tina admits her genetics have helped her transition into being an elite runner. Her younger sister, Megan, is a 3x world bouldering champion. Her mother, at age 63, still climbs six days a week - including big walls in California.
And her grandfather’s persistence paid off. He instilled in her a joy for being in the mountains - now running trails as one of the best in the world.
