Those who compete in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will be sleep deprived this week

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - It takes toughness, awareness, and commitment to compete in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Because the racers will be getting up at two and three o'clock in the morning every day this week.

"Let's just say last night we looked like like eight guys. It's 11. When you go to bed, and I think you guys have a solid hour of sleep. Um, I'm usually not a morning person," says Kash Singh.

And when the alarm goes off, their first thought is, "Snooze, snooze, and then snooze," says Singh.

Robb Holland adds, "Why am I here? Why? What? Why am I doing this year after year? I remember when I was, you know, 21, 22 years old, coming back from the bars at this time and now I'm getting up. So there's something that's completely changed. And I don't know if it's for the better."

"I actually woke up before my alarm today. Yeah, just kind of stretch to bed. Had a cup of tea. Get ready for the day. I just hope it's not too cold, you know? I got these little shoes, my toes get cold, but I'm really grumpy later on in the day," says Robin Shute.

It's not just the fatigue. They're also adjusting to the altitude and the conditions atop Pikes Peak.

"So I move out here for the month. So I get out here start of June and that helps the altitude acclimatization and just be well rested for race week, because it's attrition," says Shute.