The trail head is about 2 miles Southeast of the Monument's West entrance on Highway 340. Tips from Guru Matt Carpenter Matt Carpenter is undeniably the world's best trail marathon runner. Below are some of his best tips for running up and down mountains. To get fast on uphills, train fast on uphills. If you live in Kansas, crank up the grade on your treadmill.
Posture is everything on the uphill.
Leaning forward puts too much pressure on your back, an erect posture will provide better push-off. On long, steep hills, switching often between hiking and running is tempting, but it makes you lose momentum and cadence. It's like switching to granny gear on a mountain bike. Running is the art of catching yourself from falling. If you lean forward, you either fall on your face, or you run faster.