Belated Rocky Report

Well, as usual, I have put off writing my report from the Rocky Raccoon 100.  It has been exactly 3 weeks since I finished.

So I guess that gets the good news out of the way.  I finally finished a 100, even if it was 27 hours slow, on an "easy" 100 course.

Finished!

I took off work the Friday before, and made it to Hunstville State Park just in time to go to the meeting. I saw several folks from Colorado, and some that I had met this past Fall doing the Tejas Trails events.

After the meeting Jon and I had pre run pasta at the Olive Garden with a few folks from Colorado.

I got up early, feeling good on Saturday morning.  Even on days when I have good runs, the morning usually feels a little rushed, or off.  Not this day, everything was perfect, and I was ready to go.

I don't know what that face is, but I look like a West Virginia coal miner

I started the race wearing a light jacket, a headlamp, and my Saucony Kinvara 3 road shoes.  They fit so perfectly.  I started implementing my new strategies from all my mistakes in Leadville right away.  I walked for 10 minutes to start the race, and then did my best to go slow.  Despite this, I still finished the first lap in just under 4 hours.  I probably should have gone a little slower, but again I felt great, the shoes were awesome, and I was pretty jacked up.  

I guess I was noticeably jacked up because they mentioned it as I cam through, and Jon made me slow down, and asked me to walk 10 minutes again to start the second lap, and I obliged.

3 hours and 52 minutes = 20 miles

The second lap started really well, and I was even making myself go a little slower, but then it started warming up quickly. Once I got through Damnation Aid Station the 2nd time on my 2nd lap (about 12 miles into the loop, and 32 miles into the race, it really started to hit me.  I ate pickles, and drank extra water and Heed, and also made sure to down several salt tabs.  I made myself walk about half of the way over to the Park Road aid station to cool off (this section is also the most exposed).  Once I got back under the trees I ran more, and started feeling good after taking extra care of myself at the past 2 aid stations.

I had gotten a little worried that I might keep feeling bad, but it passed, and I was feeling better again by the time I rolled into start/finish.  The heat had caused me to run this lap an entire hour slower than the first one.  I was now 40 miles and 8 hours  43 minutes into the race.

4hours and 51 minutes

My feet were feeling great, so I had to have a little debate with Jon.  I convinced him that I was still sane, and it was early enough for me to make decisions.  I needed to change into the new pair of Kinvara 3s, but I didn't want to change socks because my feet were feeling so great.  I won, and after gassing up, I got back out on the trail.

I had to bring my head lamp with me, because I would finish this lap in the dark.  This lap went very well, I was pounding pickles, and eating a ton, and started drinking broth towards the end of the lap.  In case you don't know, I love chicken noodle soup or ramen broth, not the noodles, just the broth during the race.  It is my magic juice.  I honestly don't remember a lot about this race.  I know I met a pretty cool chick from Lousiana, and I saw Les several time, and towards the end I met another girl named Katrina, then I left her with an old golf coach buddy of mine (Jason Drake) who was about to finish his first 50.

I came in to start/finish, and Amie James had just finished her first 50.  Her and her husband Richard direct the Gusher Marathon in Beaumont.

I tried to block the light at Richard's request...I missed

This lap took 5 hours and 1 minute.  Essentially the same time that I had run the second lap.  So now I was 13 hours 44 minutes, and 60 miles into the run.  I was noticeably slowing towards the end of the lap, but emotionally and physically I was fine.  No injuries or feeling bad in any way.

Me and the nephew pst 60 miles

I won the sock debate again this time, as I switch into my recently purchased Montrail Rogue Flys.  Those are some comfortable shoes.  I should have listened to Jon though.  About half way through this lap, I started getting this sandpaper effect on the balls of my feet.  It was pretty bad by the time we finished the lap.  I didn't wear the jacket at all during our lap.  The darkness did not bring on the coolness like I thought it might.

I did start to get a little loopy during the lap, but overall not too bad.  Jon took really good care of me, and the time went by pretty quickly (this is relatively speaking of course).  

Between Damnation and Damnation there is a section I really like, and I ran it every lap, even the last one.  I actually flew through it faster than I should have on this lap, but hey "worked didn't it."

This is the lap that I started noticing my build up to run.  I would walk, and then it was the merry go round effect.  My arms would start moving, and I would take these little shuffle step, and then I would be running almost normally within a few strides.  The whole thing seemed to me to be like an old fairground merry go round being plugged in, with the music slowly coming to life with the bobbing of the hobby horses.  Like I said, this is the part where I first started to feel a little loopy

I finally decided to change socks, and to go with the Hokas for the final lap.  I didn't tell anyone about the sandpapered feet.  I had refused to tell Jon about it while he was pacing for me.  I got new socks, but the damage was done.  I put the Hokas on, made my second boo boo of the race, and headed out.  I was now 80 miles and 19 hours 30-someting minutes into the race (the last lap having taken 5 hours and 49 minutes).

The Hokas have a little more "slide" to them.  What I mean is that there is more room in them, and they can sometimes create "hotspots" for blisters.  This seemed to increase the sandpaper feeling on the balls of my feet.  Kirk did an excellent job, and we got pretty silly out on the trail.  The best conversation was about how old country music had stumbled upon the genius of adding in the hammer sound effect in songs (think Jimmie Dean's Big John and Alabama's 40 Hour Week).

It got cold, or at least I got cold.  I had only brought my thin rain jacket on the lap with us since the lap with Jon had been so warm.  The cold turned out to be worse than the feet.  The only other issue was a cramp that started high on the inside of my left calf after passing through Damnation for the final time.  The only other slow down was the fact that my headlamp was going through batteries very quickly.

Even though this final lap took 7 hours and 36 minutes, it really didn't seem to be that long.  With about a mile to go, my nephew showed up on the course.  It was a nice pick me up, and we started jogging in the last little bit.

Mom had gotten the buckle from Joe (the race director), so she could give it to me as I finished.  His hand was the one I was shaking while hugging mom.

It is definitely an interesting feeling when you finish.  You are weary, but you aren't sure if you should sit for fear of what it might feel like to get back up.  Everyone was standing around talking, and I actually said "what do I do now?"  I literally wasn't sure how to react, or what to do.  Luckily, after a few pictures, and a million thank yous that could never be enough, Trey was there to take me back to the RV to get some snooze before we hit the road.  That whole last lap I could think of nothing much more than sleep.

Only these guys hopped in the picture as "the crew," but everyone there did so much for me, and I will never be able to thank them enough.  These guys were amazing though.  They did everything from cleaning my feet, to preparing bottles, and everything else for me.  They are awesome.

DONE!

The next couple of days I hobbled around like an old man.  This was mostly because that calf cramp at about mile 92 lingered.  In fact, it was the only lingering feeling after 2-3 days.

There is an interesting thought that came after finishing.  I thought getting a 100 under my belt before heading back to Colorado for the summer would be a really good thing, and I am sure that it is, but it created doubt.  If it took me 27 hours, and I struggled at times on this "easy" 100, is there really any realistic way that I can actually finish Leadville?

There is only one way to find out...

Tomorrow is Rocky

I took the day off of work to relax before tomorrow.  Just sitting at my folks place now, finishing up a little bit of school stuff so I can start the race with a clear mind.

Since the last update, I have had a couple of good weeks strung together running.

I did my last "real" run, of about an hour last Sunday at Village Creek State Park, which is pretty similar to the Rocky course.  Check it:

I got a couple of new pairs of shoes to get me through the race.  I would not recommend getting shoes this late, but one pair is just a replacement version of my Kinvara 3s.  Since Rocky is so smooth, I am hoping to knock out a majority of the race in these.

I also bought a pair of Montrail Rogue Flys.  They are really comfortable, and surprisingly light.  I have only run once in them, but it felt great.  I would never, ever advise someone to consider wearing shoes during a 100 that they had only worn once, but I am pretty confident about these, and may wear them towards the end (last 20 miles?).  Hopefully I am not punished for this decision.

I am not too nervous, but I am anxious to get this underway.  I have quite a few friends and family who will be there, plus some folks from this Summer in Colorado are running, and it will be nice to see them.

I am really just wanting to finish, so it could be anywhere between 25-30 hours out there tomorrow.

Updates to follow...at some point.

Overdue Update

So it appears that when I have a full time job, that I am not very good at updating this.  I don't think many folks (if any) are keeping up right now, so I think it is alright.

I did end up running the second 50 miler on December 1st.  It was much harder than Warda.  It wasn't the terrain or anything like that, but it was two weeks after a 50 miler, and it was warm.

My legs were shot just a couple of miles into the race, and 11 hours and 45 minutes later I was done.  That is about all there is to say about this one.  It was about finishing two 50 milers within 2 weeks of each other, and making sure I could finish when I really did not want to.  Add in the fact that my Fall training was terrible, and we'll call it a win.

My training got substantially better following the 50s, and I got in to Rocky for the 100 on February 2nd.  I was able to knock out a few long back to backs on the weekends (mostly pain free), and had a nice training run at the Tejas Trails Bandera 50K two weekends ago.

Bandera was very cool, so I suppose this can be a mini-review of the race.

It was very foggy/misty, and not overly cool or warm.  Strange eerie day.  When on top of the hills, you could not see any of the sweet vistas, but it was cool in its own right.

Owens and I both ran the 50K, and we did not push the tempo too hard.  It was mostly serving as a training run for the upcoming 100 in Huntsville.  The only thing that made the day especially tough was recent rainfall that turned the clay in to pasty mud.  It was clumping to the shoes, and make them very heavy.  We met some cool people, and ran into some old folks we like as well.  All in all it was a good day.

Jon and I met Eve.  Eve unbelievably went to high school with one of my best friend's wives (Randall's wife Nat)

Eve took pictures of Jon and I running uphill

and downhill

If you know me at all, you know I have to end the picture section of me with a cute chick

Here are the stats from Jon's Garmin at Bandera

It is easier to read them if you click on them to embiggen

I knocked out 28 miles and change this past Saturday, then got up Sunday morning, and ran to my folks place in Nome.  Everyone thinks that is far because it is 2 towns away, but it ends up only being about 18 miles and change (I realize it is dumb to say only 18 miles when running, but people assume it is much further).

So now it is time to taper, and that always sucks.  I am not at all as physically ready for this 100 in two weeks as I was for Leadville.  I am more mentally able to handle it, but my buddy is not in the place where it was during the Summer.

With all of this in mind, the goal is to simply finish. While 30 hours would be an awfully long time to be out on the trails in Huntsville, I think finishing a 100 before I head back to Colorado is probably a good idea.

Party Time.

Catching Up

I suppose it is time to do some catching up.  I have been so frustrated, in several different ways, since being back in Texas, that I just did not feel like writing about running.  A few things have changed over the last few weeks, so I’ll just hop right in shortly after getting back from Colorado, and try my best to remember the most critical details.

Immediately I knew things were bad.  It was almost as if I was in a panic.  I thought that there was no way in hell I’d make it until October.  I’d find a job, or any way really, and be back in the mountains in no time.  It was hard to focus on work.  It was just plain hard to focus.  Running on pavement seemed like the dumbest idea I had ever heard of, and it was. My body couldn’t take it any more.  Almost immediately I started having the IT band issues show themselves in my knee.  My longest training running to date has only been 18 miles.  When I got to that point, my knee quit working, and I couldn’t even force myself to keep going.  I’ve become maybe the least flexible I have been since I have been running, and that has lead to a multitude of nagging pains and discomforts.

I did manage to sign up for a few races and do decently.  I did the Livestrong 5K in Beaumont, and ended up second with a time of 18:09.  That is a decent time, but only in small communities like this will it be good for second place.  Then I did the HJ5K that the school sponsors, and ran an 18:19 I believe.  The timing was a bit messed up, and I never went back to get the official time.  These shorter races were okay because they did not give my knee issues time to flare up much.

All my training runs sucked, but Jon and I decided to try and hammer out this Trail Between The Lakes.  It runs from Toledo Bend to Lake Sam Rayburn.  It sounds really cool, and there are a couple of websites that mention it, but we had never heard of anyone doing it.  We arranged to stay at our friend Justin's lake house, and then got up early the next morning to give it a whirl unsupported.  It is 28 miles, so we dropped some water and food at a couple of highway crossings.  Things looked a little promising, and a little scary, but we were cautiously optimistic.

Plus look at this gorgeous start

As the trail started, it was well worn, and we were running just fine.  After a few miles, the trail became less well worn, and soon very grown up, but still the path we were supposed to be on was able to be

Grown up, but visible.  By the end of the day, this would have looked like beaten path

 made out.  Eventually the trail completely disappeared into deep woods.  Our only signs of hope were yellow diamonds, and some silver pieces of metal nailed to trees (in the thickest part, just the metal)

It got so bad that we were running from one tree with a silver marker, looking for the next tree, running to it, and then starting all over.  It was a pretty big mess for a while.  It took all day, and I was hurting by the end, barely schlepping along.  Jon ran really well (this is a major theme in our running friendship).  I am glad we did it, as there were some cool things to see.  It just took so long.

Creepy Cemetery

Weird Mushroom

Eventually, I had had enough.  I caved and went to a massage therapist.  He has been a savior.  I have started running much better, and with much less pain.  It hurts like a bitch, but it has been really effective.  Jonathan Wade has helped me get my running back on track, and for that I am eternally grateful.

I ran the Pleasure Island Bridge Half Marathon, and ended up third there.  Again, only in this type of community can you run a 1:32 Half Marathon and end up third place. However, it was my fastest time by about 2 minutes, so I was satisfied.  Following the theme, Jon won the race.

Celebrating our 1st and 3rd place finishes overall.

Two weeks after the half, and another treatment later, I ran the Tejas Trails Wild Hare 50 Mile run in Warda, TX.  This was the first time I’d actually run a 50 mile race, and it went fairly well.  I got a bit tight during the race, and I started much too quickly, but I did not lose 8 pounds like the last time I ran 50 miles.  It took me 11 hours, but I know I can go faster if I hold back better out of the gate.  I was running about 8:30 miles for the first 10 miles or so.  I need to fix that.  I am just happy to have that one under my belt.  Here are some decent shots from the race.

Last lap aid station cerveza

It was just a really fun day in general.  Drew and Kirk, two of my best friends, ran the 10K, and then partied the rest of the day while I finished.  It was fun to see them, and the friends they had made each time that I made 1 of the 6 laps.  Jonathon ran the 50K, and crushed it with a time right around 5 hours.  Afterwards we hung out with one of the other groups for a bit longer, and drank some beers, then everyone headed their different directions.

I was pretty sore for the next couple of days, but surprisingly it did not last as long as I would have imagined.  I did not run for a week, then this past Saturday I ran 12 miles here in Beaumont with my buddy Rich.  He has put down some really good times in the past, had some back issues, and will soon be back laying down fast time again.  After about 9-10 miles I started having a strange feeling in my right hip flexor nearest the groin.  It wasn’t so much a pain as it was a feeling of fatigue, and then towards the last half mile or so I could not even make myself go very fast, so I had to slow trot it in.  Since then I have run 3 miles two different days, and knocked out 18 miles on my mountain bike in an hour (mind you on concrete).  The flexor is a bit sore and tight, but hopefully it begins to loosen up, because…

…I am registered for another 50 miler this Saturday.  In retrospect, this was an error.  Jon and I were planning what races to run, and they were broken down by month.  November 17^th , and a race in December do not sound all that close if you aren’t looking at a calendar, but they are in fact exactly 2 weeks apart. 

If I am not feeling it race morning, I may ask to switch to the 50K, but hopefully I can lay down a 50 miler with some fatigue, and see how that feels.  Perhaps it will help me to not shoot out of the gate.

I am signed up for the 50K in Bandera in January, and on the waitlist for Rocky Raccoon in February.  I want to email Joe to find out if there is any chance of getting in the 100 at Rocky, and if not, I may try to switch to the 100K in Bandera, then volunteer at Rocky.

So to anyone out there still reading, thanks for your support, hopefully I will have some more interesting tales in the next few months, and maybe I’ll see you around.

Leaving Leadville

I've put this off long enough.  I suppose part of me thought that if I did not do the pace race wrap up, and talk about leaving Leadville that it somehow wasn't real.

Now it is time to face reality.  School starts tomorrow, and I am going to be teaching again.  There will not be any trail runs through the mountains, no morning coffee and breakfast burritos at City on a Hill, and no camaraderie with other runners at the shop.

The good news is that I have a renewed energy and focus heading into the school year, and I think it will be great for the kids and myself.

Now to the race.

The Start/Finish Line

I started out the morning feeling very good.  My crew was assembled, and the atmosphere was electric as we all gathered at the start.

The Crew was pretty excited pre-race

Trying to keep Dana and myself smiling and laughing before the start

Once Josh fired the gun I kept trying to keep myself in check.  I ran strong and confident for the first 13.5 miles out to Mayqueen.  I nailed the fast mark we had set for me to be coming into the first aid station.  This means that I should not be running any faster than that, but that I was within a safe range. In retrospect, I should have run more slowly into Mayqueen.  I drank some Gu Brew and ate a bagel with almond butter and honey.  I was already behind on drinking water in between aid stations.

Feeling good at Mayqueen

Again I ran strong on the way out of Mayqueen, and throughout the climb to the Hagerman Pass road.  I took it easy on most of the uphills, and ran well on the flats and downs.  I did jog on the pass road as it  is only a mild incline.  I hiked to the top of Sugarloaf, and then ran pretty quickly down Powerline as I had planned to do all along.  Once we hit the pavement on the way to Fish Hatchery, I walked a bit to take down a Gu and drink a little bit of water.  The weather was so cool this morning that I was still neglecting my water intake and probably not eating enough either.

When I got to Fish Hatchery it was very chaotic.  This being my first time, I was not prepared for how many people were there, and I think I did not relax as much as I should have in the aid stations.  I did change shirts, wash my feet, change socks, and eat a little here.  I should have drank more, and ate more while there, but I did take a tortilla with almond butter and honey for the road.  I ended up eating about 2/3 of it.  Not enough.

The road was easy for me.  A lot of ultra folks complain about this section, but I got started on the road, and it is easy to zone out and groove here.

Grooving on the road section

Again, I ran well, but by now was getting way behind on my hydration.  I saw Kirk and Christine at Half Pipe, and grabbed a sandwich and some PureSport.  I probably only ate about half the sandwich.  On the way into the actual Half Pipe aid station I began to notice that things were a little off.  Besides nearing the point of my longest run ever, I must have started to feel the effects of what would later end my day.  I grabbed some drink here, and a couple of PB&Js.

The section between Half Pipe and the Mt. Elbert water station is where I really began to notice some issues.  The downhill hurt my stomach.  I have felt this before, and I think it happens when I am dehydrated.  It feels as if the muscles protecting my stomach are hurting as I move downhill.

By the time I reached Twin Lakes, I knew something was not right, but had no idea how bad it was going to be.

Feeling bad, but looking good coming in to Twin Lake.  At least I didn't eat it like the guy two spots back.

 I was still on schedule, but wasn't sure how long I could keep it up.  I was already beginning to think about finishing versus coming in under 25 hours.  I made it through the aid station, and stopped near Jon and Ben's car to change shoes, socks, and get prepared for climbing Hope Pass.

When I tried to pry my shoe off, my left calf completely seized up in a cramp.  Ben had to rub it out, and this is when I first realized just how dehydrated I had become.  The problem had been that it was so cool in the morning, and I was feeling so strong that I did not realize how much water I needed to be drinking.

I was feeling drained as I began the climb up Hope Pass.  Fairly early on a girl that was hiking (Jen was her name) began to stay with me.  I believe this had to be because I looked awful, and she was worried about me.  Eventually we sat down so I could drink and eat.

I looked at her, said "Oh No," and fell off the rock in a split second faint.  I laid on the ground and began to drink or eat anything that was offered to me.  I was really worried at this point that I would not finish, or even be able to make it to the top, and back down.

After about a 15 minute rest, I started very slowly again, and eventually made it to the top of Hope Pass.  I have been here before, but the aid station during the race is a very surreal site.  They use llamas to get the gear up there, so there are llamas everywhere, and a fire burning, and tents.  It looks like some sort of post apocalyptic refugee camp.  I had to hang out here for quite a while to suck down the broth from a couple of cups of ramen, and to drink and eat enough to have the strength to get down to Winfield.

Eventually I got up, climbed the last few hundred yards to the peak, and then began the descent.  I was feeling absolutely awful, and the only bright spot was when I saw Dana already climbing back up Hope.  I was really happy that she still had a shot at 25 hours.

By the time I was approaching Winfield I was seeing a lot of folks I had met throughout the summer starting to climb back up Hope.  The looks on their faces told me how bad I looked, and I became a little emotional.  I was upset that I had let myself get in this condition, and that my friends may not have the chance to run as pacers after coming all this way.  I thought about all the training I had done, and that is was all for nothing.  That type of activity, especially when coupled with dehydration, can reek havoc of your emotions.

Kirk met me a few hundred yards before the aid station, and calmed me down, and got me to the weight in.  I was white as a sheet at this point, and was swelling in my arms and neck.  There was concern on the faces of the medical staff.  I was out of it.  I thought that I was missing the cutoff time, or that they were going to pull me.

I stepped on the scale and had lost 8 pounds in 50 miles.  This is not a good thing.  To lose that much weight in that short of a time period means that it is mostly water weight.  Kirk, Christine, and Laura (Dana's friend who was to be my first pacer) were awesome.  They got me tons of food, and drinks just hoping to see what I could choke down.  I thought I was done for sure, but they wouldn't give up.  Within 35 minutes they had me cracking jokes, and my color had come back.  I could literally feel the cloud lifting from my brain.

They loaded up Laura with two back packs, and I took a hand held water bottle.  I climbed very well, not fast, but also did not stop along the way at all.  Laura was constantly handing me food, and reminding me to drink.  We got back to Hope Pass, but it was getting dark, and I was worried we wouldn't make the cutoff at Twin Lake inbound.  I do have to say that it was awesome to be on top of Hope Pass right at twilight.  It was incredible, and something that is truly magical about this race.

We may have stayed at the aid station a little too long, but the Ramen juice was necessary at this point.  We got geared up, and took off again.  Laura kept me running, and as we neared the bottom of the mountain, and began to cross the field, we found out they had extended the cutoff for an additional 15 minutes.  If we could get there by 10:15 PM we could probably get through.  At this point Laura increased out pace. All along she had stayed behind me pushing me.  Now she ran ahead to encourage my pace.  This was very smart on her part, and I sped up to stay with her.  As we neared the parking lot I was in a full trot.  Once we hit pavement I was striding, and when we got within a quarter mile I was sprinting.  I have no idea where I got the strength, but it felt like one of those "car fall on baby, mom lifts car" moments.  I ran away from my pacers and crew, and got to the aid station at 10:18 PM.  I had missed the cut by 3 minutes.  Sandy Monahans, the cutoff queen, would not be convinced, and I could see the sadness in her face.  I was feeling better than I had in hours, and probably could have been pulling into the aid station all along the way right at the cutoff marks.  It would have been a difficult night, but I wanted to try.  It was not to be.

The crew smiling, despite their fears that I would not make the cutoff at Twin Lakes inbound

My race was done, and now the processing began.  I had to process the let down.  I was thinking about folks keeping track back home, and about my pacers who had come so far, and about my summer of training.  My crew was awesome, and almost immediately I had the right perspective.  I had learned a lot about what to do differently next year.  I also thought about how far I had come.  When I signed up for the race in February, the farthest I had ever run was a half marathon.  In March I paced the half at in Beaumont at the Gusher, in April I ran the Hells Hills 50K at Rocky Hill, and then trained all summer, never surpassing the 32 mile mark.  61 or so miles was almost double my previous long run, but just happened to be short of my goal.

We got back to the house, and I rested a bit before getting up to go down to the finish and see Dana finish.  Having worked for the race series all summer I grabbed a medal, and let Shannon know that I was going to be presenting Dana with her medal as she crossed the finish line.  She finished in 26 hours and 38 minutes.  She was awesome all day long, smiling nearly the entire way.

The next day or so was mostly a blur, and I spent most of the time preparing to leave, and saying goodbye to all the folk I had grown so close to all summer.  Leaving Leadville on Monday was one of the hardest things that I ever had to do.  However, I know I will be back in a short 9 months to do it all over again.

This summer changed my life.  I have been affected in ways that I could never put down on paper.  This first summer there, and the town in general will always be very special to me.

Every other day or so I have to remind myself that this is not the end of the book there, but just a short interruption, or the end of a chapter, then everything is good again...

Wednesday Before the Run

So I have mostly been tapering, and it has been uneventful.  I put in a bunch of hard hours working to help put on the 100 MTB race, and felt like that made for some good workouts.  I also ran the 10K and got 20th out of 342 ( http://my4.raceresult.com/details/results.php?lang=en&page=6&eventid=12247&contest=1&name=Result%20Lists%7COverall%20Results&CertificateLink=1&format=view ).  I wasn't supposed to run that fast, but I got competitive.  Hopefully that doesn't happen on Saturday.

Kirk and Jon got in on Monday, and we have been hiking and fishing since then.  We had a really long planning meeting that was great for figuring out food, and times, etc.  After we got done with our planning, we were happy to find that several trustworthy plans on the internet and from a friend were very similar to the plan we had constructed.

I am a bit nervous, but still confident that I can get done under the 25 hour mark, and get that big belt buckle.  When I first arrived in Leadville at the beginning of the summer, the idea was simply to finish. So if I do not get the sub-25 hour time I am looking for, I can still be happy with having completed this race.

Thanks for everyone who kept up along the way, and gave me support.  I want to thank Jon, Ben, Kirk, and Christine for showing up to pace and crew for me.  Thanks to my family back home for keeping me in their thoughts and prayers.  I have been extremely blessed to have the opportunity to be up here all summer, and to remain mostly injury free.

Check out the leadvilleraceseries.com website on Saturday and early Sunday morning to keep track of me along the way.  http://www.leadvilleraceseries.com/page/show/341303-results  This url will probably be the best for finding me.  You can search by name or bib number.

Let's do this!

What It Is All About

For any of those who happen to read this blog (and maybe even to remind myself), and wonder why I travel, and run, and live the way I do, I think this may help.

Today was one of those days that just makes everything make sense.  You go out and run your ass off, spending over 6 hours on the mountain.  You get done, and you feel great, but tired and hungry.  You shower off, and you go back to the same restaurant you went to the night before.  Mostly because there were two things on the menu you really wanted last night, so you get the other thing tonight, and it turns out to also be delicious.  You sit at the bar, and watch the olympics with the same guy you watched the olympics with the night before.  He recalls that you happen to know the guy that won a bronze medal the night before.  The two of you enjoy a beer.

Then, you notice at the table behind you, Ludwig, the polish guy going for Leadman this year.  You sit with them, and before you know it, you've had another delicious beverage to celebrate the end of your long runs.  You swap stories, and talk about how great it is to be in this mountain town.  You talk about getting lost on the trail, but who cares when you stop and look around at the amazing beauty all around you.  You meet these people who come from all over the country, and they are all able to be here for most of the summer for one reason or another.

The first assumptions are either aimless vagabond who doesn't need a lot of money to get buy, or wealthy person who can afford to get away.  A good percentage fit into my category: teachers with the summer off.  I think our category makes the most sense, practically speaking.  We are responsible for nine months, and then can go out and do whatever we want for three months or so.  No matter what, everyone one of these stories is unique, and the dinner, and the beer, and the run, and the bike, and the mountain are what brings us all here, and somehow we all can sense the quality of the other person during a conversation or a meal.

So here is to a good day, good food, good beer, and most importantly good folks.


(If for some reason you want a run report, check out the 7/9 post, it was basically the same, except I did it faster...but I did have to take a 25 minute break at the golf course to get out of some crazy lightning...then everything was good after that)