Colorado Springs, CO

Is Colorado Springs a growing city?

It would seem to me that it has grown significantly since the year 2000. It’s tough to argue that the traffic hasn’t gotten worse although commutes in Colorado Springs compared to other cities is very reasonable. Yet, according to city-data.com the population of Colorado Springs has increased by just about 11,500 residents. In 2000 the population was 360,890 compared to 372,437 in 2006. Can that be correct?

Further research showed that the population of the city in 1996 was about 345,000 according to infoplease.com. I guess what skews the numbers is the city borders or what is considered Colorado Springs “proper”. Much of the population increase over the last decade has occurred outside of the city limits therefore those numbers don’t show up.

The population of the county of El Paso is currently over 565,000 residents but I can’t find a change in population over the same time frame as for the city.

In any case there is no doubt that traffic has increased and it feels like there are a lot more people here today than 7 years ago and it’s true if you look to the county stats instead of the city stats.

Just one of the nice things about living near downtown Colorado Springs is the plethora of available running routes. Whether you’re looking for a lunchtime run or an evening stroll through Shook’s Run.

With the weather being as nice as it is the trails are sure to be more crowded than normal as the seasonal runners join the hardcore athletes. Early morning runs are cooler and typically less crowded but who can get up early every day to make that happen? Lunchtime and evening runs are more popular.

Running in the Pikes Peak region is almost always a visually appealing venture. What with all the mountain views, riverside trails and mountain trails there are routes for the beginner through to even the most advanced runners.

For a definitive look at various running routes in the Colorado Springs area check out the Pikes Peak Road Runners website and join the club!

Every July 4th a large celebration takes place. Not for my dad or my friend Gary’s birthdays or for aunt Rosalyn and uncle Barry’s anniversary. The celebration takes place to mark the anniversary of the independence of the United States. This year marks year 231!

In Colorado Springs there are 4 or 5 different celebrations in different parts of the city but the largest party will take place at Memorial Park - 1605 E. Pikes Peak Ave. As always the event is free.

The official start time is 8pm but crowds will gather much earlier than that to claim preferred seating for the fireworks extravaganza. The Colorado Springs Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture in tandem with 6 Howitzer cannons provided by the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Bring a picnic basket but leave the BBQ grills and pets at home. Also, don’t overlook the fact that any type of firework is illegal to set off in the city limits. Yes, even sparklers!

According to www.springsgov.com Memorial Park offers all of the following:

Aquatics and Fitness Center (indoor pool), fitness room, social/play room; swimming lessons. (Best access off S. Union Blvd. just south of E. Pikes Peak Ave.)
# Prospect Lake and Bath House: swimming beach, boating (motorized and non-motorized), water-skiing, boat rental (paddle, row, sail and canoe), two fishing areas (one wheelchair accessible fishing dock).
# Mark “Pa” Sertich Ice Center: public ice skating, lessons.
# Velodrome: bicycle racing track, roller skate racing track.
# Sports Center: Parks and Recreation’s Sports Division Administrative Offices; three baseball/softball fields, 15 football/soccer fields, 12 tennis courts with Tennis Center.
# Other facilities: picnicking (shelters), large-group picnic area (by reservation), bicycle criterium, horseshoe courts, multi-play court, three playgrounds (including Phil Long/Denver Broncos Community Playground with ADA accessibility), 5.3 miles of trails, 1.6 miles of bikeways, Prospect Lake Fitness Trail (hiking, biking, jogging, fitness), restrooms, public telephones, vending machines, concessions. 196 acres.

In my recent move to Colorado Springs from San Antonio I’ve come to appreciate the overall size of the state of Colorado as well as the size of the city of Colorado Springs.

On Friday I began a trek with 2 vehicles and a U-Haul trailer from south Texas to Colorado Springs. The total one-way mileage is about 975 miles. I used to joke to my friends that a drive from San Antonio to Colorado Springs is 14 hours - 12 of which are in Texas. That is so very close to the truth and having driven it multiple times it’s not funny. There are a few miles in New Mexico on the route that I use but once I hit the Colorado border it truly is about 2 hours to the Springs.

On Friday it turned out to be a 19 hour trip. Ugh! We left at 3:30am and arrived at 9pm. We also gained one hour on the trip! It certainly made for a long day and I’m still recovering from the drive, the unloading of the PODS box and the never ending unpacking.

In any event it was extremely nice to take the 1.3 mile jaunt downtown to Starbucks and be back home inside of 15 minutes. In recent trips to the grocery store, wine store, Walmart, sister-in-law’s house and various other destinations it’s nice that everything is so near. Some other cities such as San Antonio require 15-20 miles and 20-60 minutes just to go grocery shopping.

Ah, yes…it’s good to be home!

The weather has been HOT!

I’d like to feel comfortable saying that Colorado busted out of the drought this year but this hot weather makes me question it. With all the snow the entire state got this past winter and spring it seems likely that we won’t be hurting for water this summer. Would you agree?

Since the old-school pattern of high heat and afternoon thunder showers hasn’t started quite yet it can be tough to beat the heat in the mid-afternoons. How do you beat the heat?

If you like the outdoors and are a runner or a walker you’re surely aware of the second leg of the Triple Crown of Running Series in Colorado Springs.

The 1st leg of the series is the Garden of the Gods 10-mile Run. This year that run happened on June 10. Having previously participated in that event I can attest to the difficulty level. Of course, I’m nowhere near a world class athlete or even a very fast runner but this course is challenging. I was happy to average 10-minute miles from start to finish.

The 2nd leg of the series takes place on July 8, 2007 in Bear Creek Park. It’s an out and back course and is mostly uphill on the way out. It will challenge you with a nearly 1000′ incline over just over 3.5 miles. At least the home stretch is downhill! They say it’s an excellent training run for the 3rd leg of the series.

The 3rd leg of the series is the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon which is newly sponsored by EAS and takes place on August 18 & 19, 2007. The marathon has always brought world class runners to Colorado Springs and the fact that EAS is now the sponsor is proof that it has become a high-profile event - no pun intended! The official website of the EAS Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon has plenty of information about the event but the warnings about lightning, inclement weather and “sweat check” procedures are enough to steer me away from the event altogether!!

In any case, the series is a real challenge for runners of all levels yet offers some of the most spectacular scenery in the city.