Matt Carpenter, 40, is considered one of the world’s best high-altitude mountain runners. The Manitou Springs runner holds the record for the fastest ascent of Pikes Peak and recently won the U.S. trail running championships in Vail.
What is your best training technique?
Consistency is the key. Before this race, I went five months with no days of less than two hours of running. I have a general running theory that it does not matter if you train a little “wrong”; as long as you are consistent, you are going to get better. Of course, it helps if you are consistently training right.
What is your worst injury?
I hurt my lower back several years ago after doing the Pikes Peak double and then not taking the time needed to recover from it. I kept hoping it would go away, but it was killing me for almost two years before I finally got smart and treated it like an injury. After that, I cured it in about a month – what a waste!
Most frightening moment?
In a race in Italy, I punched through the snow and felt my feet in the air. Turns out I had run into a very dangerous crevasse field. The race director saw where I was and thought for sure I was going to get killed.
How do you push through mental fatigue?
First, I remind myself of all the training I put in, which is often harder than the race. Next, I try to focus on how far I have gone instead of how far I have to go. From there, it is just a matter of breaking down what is left into ways that my mind can handle. … It is easier on my brain to say I have only an hour to go instead of 10 miles, even though they mean about the same thing.
What is the sickest thing you have ever seen?
I was pacing a guy at the Leadville Trail 100 who just started throwing up. But what was bad was that it was this thick, black, toxic-looking stuff. However, he kept going and finished the race.
What music revs you up for a big contest?
I like rap music. Some of the “angry” stuff (like Eminem) can really fire me up before a race. In a lot of ways, distance running is a lot like the mean streets they rap about.
Best advice you’ve ever received?
We don’t get better from training; we get better from resting from our training.
