6 runs since welcome winter, and i thought things were going well. After todays debacle, it seems there are somethings that need adjusting.
Just shy of 40 miles with a little less than 5,000' of gain, nothing spectacular, and nothing impressive either.
today's run was the coup de grâce. it was supposed to be an easy jaunt, i knew i was a little light on calories over the past 2 days, and was planning on taking it pretty slow and enjoying the scenery. When i got to Crowder State Park in North Carolina, it was too tempting to run to South Carolina (an easy 8 mile jog over Kings Pinnacle, and along a ridgeline), how could i resist.
Everything started out fine, a nice easy climb over just under 2 miles and some great views (pictures to come, i left my cable at home, so am unable to get the photos off my camera yet), then a fun little rolling 6.5 mile section dipping into south carolina for the turn around.
At the turn around, i felt a bit tired, but figured i'd be ok, jogging back at the same pace i held on the way out. After about 2 miles on the way back, things began to really fall apart. At this time, i was beginning to think i could use some water and something to eat (it would have been good to think of this a couple hours ago when i decided to go without either). The ups turned into walks (though none of them were terribly steep, nor where they long). I was still able to cruise the descents pretty well, and found a little solace in that. It's kind of like coasting down on a bike, is my body getting acclimated to just letting gravity do the work? it seems as such.
But i pay severely on the climbs. With about 3 miles left, things got even worse. i was feeling extremely haggard, my legs were aching, and my body was depleted. I don't recall feeling this depleted on any of my runs. I was a bit dizzy, and looking for one of those many benches i'd seen on the way out. on a couple of occasions, i sat down along the side of the trail hoping things would straighten out, and i'd feel better again.
this never happened. i kept moving forward as i figured the sooner i get back to the car, the sooner i could get some water and calories. as i came around the side of kings pinnacle (i was eager to avoid any climbing i could and anxious to make my way back down to the part visitor center). I saw a sign indicating there were only 2 miles left, a glimmer of hope, though i was still sinking further into the depths of depletion.
I took a slightly different route back, hoping it would be shorter, and less technical (as i remember the pinnacle trail having 1 or 2 somewhat technical rocky sections, which i was eager to avoid in my wonky state). i made it back to the visitor center, and sat in the rental car for several minutes before i could muster the ambition or energy to walk to the water fountain fill my bottle.
i drank a bit form the fountain and some from the bottle on my way back to the car. i then sat down again, and felt myself growing nauseous. i had no desire to eat, and was now feeling nauseous, great, i need liquid and food, and all i want to do is throw it up.
i laid the seat back and stayed there for 10 - 15 minutes waiting to feel like i could drive to get some food and liquid. i made it to the grocery store about 3 miles away, and again laid the seat back and tried not to throw up. i stayed there another 15 - 20 minutes before i was able to muster the ambition to go into the store and get something to try and settle my stomach and regain my strength.
I went in, grabbed a 1/2 gallon of chocolate milk, a box of mango juice, 2 liters of coke, some yogurt (planning for breakfast), some black berries, and a bunch of bananas. The woman at the checkout looked quizzically at the blackberries, and asked "do you eat these", i was a bit surprised and responded "yes, they are super tasty".
I drank a bit of the mango juice, and some coke, and again laid the seat back and hoped it would stay down. After another 10 minutes i started to feel a bit better, and actually found myself actually thinking about food. a good steak.
on my way back to Charlotte, i stopped by Old Stone Steakhouse, and had a very tasty meal. things contiued to turn around, and i was feeling back to normal, except i was strangely full with relatively little food.
Looking back on the previous week, it seems i have been neglecting eating. thinking back, i can't remember eating too much, and the food i've been eating has been low grade. maybe 1 or 2 meals a day of some eggs a couple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, maybe some pasta. tonight i sat down to dinner, and had trouble eating a small salad, 20oz steak, a small yam, and a medium piece of cake (normally i am able to eat this and plenty more, especially after a 3.5 hour run).
Now that the house is in a pretty stable and livable condition, I'll be trying to focus on much higher quality and more consistent eating habits and see if that helps turn things around.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Monday, October 7, 2013
Welcome Winter
i had a couple short higher effort runs on monday and tuesday, neither was fantastic, both were pretty much on roads, and just to try to satisfy my desire to be out and running again. then work and life (the temperatures are really starting to drop, 20's at night and 50's during the day, so getting a furnace and some form of heat took priority over running). The good news, i have a gas fireplace, which is now working, and does a good job of keeping the house around 60 degrees.
Saturday was time for the welcome winter run, apparently an annual event in the making, started last year, and continued this year. The group began to assemble at City on a Hill Coffee shop at a little after 6 am. It was a bit cold (around 20), but spirits where high. Due to the previous nights snow the original route was abandoned for what turned out to be a really fun loop from the fish hatchery over to hagerman pass via mt massive, and back. John promised to run faster than everyone and flag the non obvious turns.
After a little food and drink, everyone began piling into cars, and off we went to begin our adventure. it was a little beyond brisk at the start, a small amount of fresh snow covered the ground as we began up the fire road our of the fish hatchery. We carried on, Mike performing heel clicks and spinning off rocks. we carried on up the initial climb into the mt massive wilderness area, periodically regrouping.
we took a couple wrong turns and lost on several occasions, but managed to find it again and continue on our way. there were a couple creek crossings, one of which warranted balancing on a log, and resulted in milo (Ryan? and Leah's dog) over the creek:
and we were off once again. after a couple more crossings of this creek, we were climbing up through the far sides of mt massive, and had some great views of mt massive as well as a group photo op, as everyone was once again together:
As we were cresting the ridge to head down into hagerman pass, we were above tree line, and greeted with a good bit of wind and rocky trail. It was pretty fun to watch the snake of color ahead of me:
A little shaky, and blurry in the beginning, but it gives an idea of the wind and train of color.
After that there was another fun little descent and some deep snow sections:
taking us down to the Hagerman tunnel, which once connected leadville and basalt via the midland railroad.
We again regrouped here and ate a bit enjoying the warmth of the sun, and discussing the remaining route: we'd continue down hagerman pass, then start up towards sugarloaf on the leadville 100 course, hopping back on the colorado trail around the top of sugarloaf and following that to highline and rock creek trails back to the fish hatchery.
The group began to stretch out again here. once we started up towards sugarloaf, most chose to hike up and enjoy the views of turquoise lake and the surrounding area:
All in all it was a great little adventure, and warmed up nicely. The route was excellent, and the fact that there were so many great people and we all stayed pretty close together once we finished the initial climb made it all the better.
This year's route brought to you by John, Mike and Garmin:
Welcome Winter!
Some more photos can be found here:
Saturday was time for the welcome winter run, apparently an annual event in the making, started last year, and continued this year. The group began to assemble at City on a Hill Coffee shop at a little after 6 am. It was a bit cold (around 20), but spirits where high. Due to the previous nights snow the original route was abandoned for what turned out to be a really fun loop from the fish hatchery over to hagerman pass via mt massive, and back. John promised to run faster than everyone and flag the non obvious turns.
After a little food and drink, everyone began piling into cars, and off we went to begin our adventure. it was a little beyond brisk at the start, a small amount of fresh snow covered the ground as we began up the fire road our of the fish hatchery. We carried on, Mike performing heel clicks and spinning off rocks. we carried on up the initial climb into the mt massive wilderness area, periodically regrouping.
we took a couple wrong turns and lost on several occasions, but managed to find it again and continue on our way. there were a couple creek crossings, one of which warranted balancing on a log, and resulted in milo (Ryan? and Leah's dog) over the creek:
and we were off once again. after a couple more crossings of this creek, we were climbing up through the far sides of mt massive, and had some great views of mt massive as well as a group photo op, as everyone was once again together:
As we were cresting the ridge to head down into hagerman pass, we were above tree line, and greeted with a good bit of wind and rocky trail. It was pretty fun to watch the snake of color ahead of me:
After that there was another fun little descent and some deep snow sections:
taking us down to the Hagerman tunnel, which once connected leadville and basalt via the midland railroad.
We again regrouped here and ate a bit enjoying the warmth of the sun, and discussing the remaining route: we'd continue down hagerman pass, then start up towards sugarloaf on the leadville 100 course, hopping back on the colorado trail around the top of sugarloaf and following that to highline and rock creek trails back to the fish hatchery.
The group began to stretch out again here. once we started up towards sugarloaf, most chose to hike up and enjoy the views of turquoise lake and the surrounding area:
Once on the colorado trail we were greeted with some fun little rolling sections.
All in all it was a great little adventure, and warmed up nicely. The route was excellent, and the fact that there were so many great people and we all stayed pretty close together once we finished the initial climb made it all the better.
This year's route brought to you by John, Mike and Garmin:
Welcome Winter!
Some more photos can be found here:
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Minimal running, but some fun adventures
and some new cold weather gear
There hasn't been a lot of running going on, to be honest, since finishing leadville, and a couple since completing virgil crest ultra 50. Those few runs have proven to be pretty entertaining, looking back on them makes them even more so.
1 run in particular is worth a short story. I was helping mark the UROC 100k course between Frisco and Copper Mountain, which happened to cross the 10 mile range. The day started out pretty gloomy, with some snow and rain.
I headed down to Frisco to meet up with Mike and a couple others that were going to help mark the course. around 12 we started out on the trek which would climb up over the 10 mile range, and take us up around 12,500'. This promised to have some good weather in store for us, and it made good on the promise.
The first couple miles were spent climbing up a dirt road before turning into some pretty fun single track, that continued climbing. the 3 of us (Brian, Sandi, and myself) were enjoying a leisurely climb, alternating between a jog and a hike. Making sure to put surveyor flags every so often to make sure the runners would be able to follow the course tomorrow.
some comments were made regarding there being less snow then expected. then we got above tree line, and were hiking through snow a little over ankle deep and making our way up to the ridge. spirits were still high, though it was starting to get a little chilly (good thing i brought my patagonia houdini, a very light and thin wind breaker: i'm getting better at this preparation thing). once we were on the ridge, things got pretty real.
the banter stopped, the flags started to get placed a little farther apart. the wind was howling, the snow was coming down sideways, and we were all getting cold. everybody added all the layers they had. Of course, in all my preparation, i had a hat (which was serving as a glove by now), an asics cold weather running shirt, shorts, and of course my magic houdini. at this point we could see about 100 yards in front of us, and the pace was quickening. everybody was ready to get off the ridge and out of the winds and snow.
ice covered my legs (literally, i had balls of ice all over my legs, on the windward side), the windward side of my face was starting to freeze, literally, ice was forming on my eyelashes and eyebrows and obscuring my vision on that side. I put my hood up and was thinking how grim things were beginning to look. My hands were so cold, they stopped working correctly.
1 hand was wrapped in the glove to keep warm, the other i tucked under my shirt next to my body to try and warm it. i would rotate the hands every so often to try to keep some dexterity. I was looking around and hoping we'd come to the descent and get back into the trees for some shelter from this beating we were taking.
then about 1/2 way through the ridge section, we lost the trail, or rather re-routed the race course, along a ridge, then down through a rock field back to the actual trail. at this point we were moving pretty good, the lead runner (yes we were doing everything we could to run at this point, despite the close to knee deep snow that we would punch through periodically) would place a flag, the other two would continue around. wash rinse repeat.
this continued for what seemed like an eternity, in reality it was probably 1 - 2 miles of extreme discomfort and cold like i haven't experienced in a while (and i've been without heat for all of september). finally we began to descend and the snow thinned out, revealing lots of rocks and a pretty steep descent on technical footing. at this point the banter was starting to come back, things were warming up, and we were back to having a good time.
we enjoyed some really fun single track descent over the next several miles and a fun little flat section before crossing the 91, and making our way through copper mountain and into where the aid station would be.
that was a very tough and fun little section. there were times i was thinking:
i worked so hard to try and make sure i was prepared so i wouldn't be that guy that search and rescue was looking for, and now i'm galavanting over this pass in some pretty severe weather (temps in the 20's and winds gusting around 40mph with snow: these are all estimates on my part, so i'm sure it's a bit off), at least i'm with 2 other people, both with tights, gloves, hats, and multiple jackets. just keep moving forward and get out of this weather.
When it was all said and done, it wasn't that bad (definitely a hindsight thing). I did learn a bit, and gained more respect for the mountains, and the weather they offer up. I went out and bought some cold weather gear:
With that, I believe i'm prepared for this weekends welcome winter run, i forget the details, but its' something like 60k (37ish miles) over 3 or 4 passes, including hope pass (around 12,500'), and of course all the 50 degree weather we've had this week, is leaving. Being replaced with some nice 20 degree weather, and snow. looks like i'll be carrying some cold weather gear, good think i'm more prepared than i was last week.
if this goes well, maybe i'll actually get up on some of those ridgelines i've been eyeing?? one adventure at a time.
There hasn't been a lot of running going on, to be honest, since finishing leadville, and a couple since completing virgil crest ultra 50. Those few runs have proven to be pretty entertaining, looking back on them makes them even more so.
1 run in particular is worth a short story. I was helping mark the UROC 100k course between Frisco and Copper Mountain, which happened to cross the 10 mile range. The day started out pretty gloomy, with some snow and rain.
I headed down to Frisco to meet up with Mike and a couple others that were going to help mark the course. around 12 we started out on the trek which would climb up over the 10 mile range, and take us up around 12,500'. This promised to have some good weather in store for us, and it made good on the promise.
The first couple miles were spent climbing up a dirt road before turning into some pretty fun single track, that continued climbing. the 3 of us (Brian, Sandi, and myself) were enjoying a leisurely climb, alternating between a jog and a hike. Making sure to put surveyor flags every so often to make sure the runners would be able to follow the course tomorrow.
some comments were made regarding there being less snow then expected. then we got above tree line, and were hiking through snow a little over ankle deep and making our way up to the ridge. spirits were still high, though it was starting to get a little chilly (good thing i brought my patagonia houdini, a very light and thin wind breaker: i'm getting better at this preparation thing). once we were on the ridge, things got pretty real.
the banter stopped, the flags started to get placed a little farther apart. the wind was howling, the snow was coming down sideways, and we were all getting cold. everybody added all the layers they had. Of course, in all my preparation, i had a hat (which was serving as a glove by now), an asics cold weather running shirt, shorts, and of course my magic houdini. at this point we could see about 100 yards in front of us, and the pace was quickening. everybody was ready to get off the ridge and out of the winds and snow.
 |
| Patagonia Houdini |
 |
| The houdini stored in it's pocket for convenient carrying |
1 hand was wrapped in the glove to keep warm, the other i tucked under my shirt next to my body to try and warm it. i would rotate the hands every so often to try to keep some dexterity. I was looking around and hoping we'd come to the descent and get back into the trees for some shelter from this beating we were taking.
then about 1/2 way through the ridge section, we lost the trail, or rather re-routed the race course, along a ridge, then down through a rock field back to the actual trail. at this point we were moving pretty good, the lead runner (yes we were doing everything we could to run at this point, despite the close to knee deep snow that we would punch through periodically) would place a flag, the other two would continue around. wash rinse repeat.
this continued for what seemed like an eternity, in reality it was probably 1 - 2 miles of extreme discomfort and cold like i haven't experienced in a while (and i've been without heat for all of september). finally we began to descend and the snow thinned out, revealing lots of rocks and a pretty steep descent on technical footing. at this point the banter was starting to come back, things were warming up, and we were back to having a good time.
we enjoyed some really fun single track descent over the next several miles and a fun little flat section before crossing the 91, and making our way through copper mountain and into where the aid station would be.
that was a very tough and fun little section. there were times i was thinking:
i worked so hard to try and make sure i was prepared so i wouldn't be that guy that search and rescue was looking for, and now i'm galavanting over this pass in some pretty severe weather (temps in the 20's and winds gusting around 40mph with snow: these are all estimates on my part, so i'm sure it's a bit off), at least i'm with 2 other people, both with tights, gloves, hats, and multiple jackets. just keep moving forward and get out of this weather.
When it was all said and done, it wasn't that bad (definitely a hindsight thing). I did learn a bit, and gained more respect for the mountains, and the weather they offer up. I went out and bought some cold weather gear:
 |
| knickers (yep 3/4 tights) |
 |
| Marmot Mica a more substantial shell than the houdini |
 |
| Marmot Mica stored in it's pocket |
 |
| The houdini in it's pocket, next to the mica in it's pocket for comparison |
 |
| black diamond liner gloves (not as warm as i expected, but definitely has to be better than bare hands) |
With that, I believe i'm prepared for this weekends welcome winter run, i forget the details, but its' something like 60k (37ish miles) over 3 or 4 passes, including hope pass (around 12,500'), and of course all the 50 degree weather we've had this week, is leaving. Being replaced with some nice 20 degree weather, and snow. looks like i'll be carrying some cold weather gear, good think i'm more prepared than i was last week.
if this goes well, maybe i'll actually get up on some of those ridgelines i've been eyeing?? one adventure at a time.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Virgil Crest Ultras 50 miler
I came out to new york to visit family and run on the VCU course. I've been out for this run 5 of it's 6 years, with some mixed results. this year i opted for the 50 miler instead of the 100.
It turns out to be a good decision, as there was some pretty good rain that started coming down around 3pm, we'll get to that later.
the weather was very favorable prior to the rain (which started around 3pm), cool and overcast. we started at 6am, my goal was to head out at a comfortable pace to daisy hollow (the turn around and 25 mile mark), and try to come back at the same pace.
I met up with Scott, whom i met in Geoff Roes' Alaska Ultra Mountain Running Camp, in 2012, and had the pleasure of running with him again this year at the camp. The first 5 miles into the gravel pit went pretty well and comfortably. The course was suprisingly dry, probably the driest i've seen this course.
I pulled off the course for a quick bathroom break, and when i got back on course, i soon came up on Scott, and we ran together a bit before i took off again. I came into mile 9.5, the lift house aid station feeling good, and ready to embark on the toughest section of course (the Alpine loop), which entails running up and down the slopes of Greek Peak ski resort (some very steep, though shorter climbs).
Finishing up the alpine loop, i came back into the lift house aid station (mile 14), went through quickly, and was onto the section out to daisy hollow, probably the funnest section of the course. we run down the road for a little more than 1/4 mile, then climb up a bit. Just before the climb, there's a small step over a rock wall and a creek crossing, i managed to slip while crossing the wall, and banged my knee pretty good.
fortunately, the pain subsided after 5 minutes or so, and i had full range of motion. i hiked up to the top of the climb and began jogging again moving into the Rockpile. at this point i was moving pretty comfortable, and doing all right through 20 miles. I was holding pretty steady at a 10 hour pace (slated to hit the daisy hollow turn around in 5 hours).
On the way into rockpile, i was greeted by Ed and his son, we hiked up a bit together, and soon I saw Rebecca (Ed's wife). A pleasant suprise. at Rockpile, i ate a bit, reloaded my gels, and ate 1 on the way out. Unfortunately i did not refill my hydration pack, and would run out of water before i got to daisy hollow.
i realized this oversight shortly after i left rockpile, and opted to slow the pace slightly to account for my limited water supply. I was still feeling good, and jogging pretty consistently. The trail seemed to be cleaned up a bit and in better shape than previous years, as the climbing felt easier, and the footing wasn't as technical. Plus the sections that had rope seemed far easier to get up.
I came into Daisy Hollow, filled my hydration pack, grabbed several gels, and a drink box of chocolate milk. I felt pretty good leaving Daisy Hollow, and was able to make decent time back to rockpile, being a little conservative on the climbs, and running well on the descents. It felt like i was a little slower on the way back. I saw Scott, earlier than i was expecting to see him, and unfortunately he was having some difficulty with his stomach. I wished him the best and continued on.
when i got into rockpile, i ate a gel, and restocked my pile. I was starting to feel pretty good about making it back to hope lake, hoping to have a return split within 30 minutes of my time from hope lake to daisy hollow. I ate a bit and headed out.
Just a little before starting to descend down towards lifthouse, my right hamstring started to feel as though it would cramp at any minute. i immediately slowed to a walk, and did what i could to try to prevent what seemed to be inevitable. I walked down much of the descent, favoring my right leg and hoping i could avoid the cramp.
it was tough going, down the rooted muddy section, as i popped out on the road, i started jogging again, and was able to jog all the way into the aid station without issue. though i was starting to feel a bit worse for the wear.
i was pleasantly surprised to see Melissa and my Dad waiting for me there. I was a bit gruff with my requests, though they didn't seem to mind, and quickly filled my hydration pack, and got me some food and extra gels before sending me on my way for the final alpine loop.
I managed to miss a turn on the loop, fortunately i wound up following a parallel path, not too far from the actual route. i had a hard time with the climbs, going very slowly on this loop, and was running the descents pretty slowly as well. as i said, i was definitely starting to feel the days mileage adding up. after what seemed way too long a time, i caught a glimpse of the aid station and was all too happy to be approaching another refueling opportunity.
I slowly jogged down the descent into the aid station, hit the port a potty, and got some food, and refilled my gel stash before heading out, hoping to get as far along the course as i could before the rain started. it had been threatening all day, but was actually starting to feel like the rain was on it's way.
I jogged down the pavement, until the short climb up carson rd, which i walked, and continued walking until the trail turned down again, at which point i was able to muster a decent jog, doing all right even in the technical sections. about 2.5 miles from gravel pit, the rain started, and it came down pretty good.
I was actually pretty happy to be running in the rain, the weather was still comfortable, so the rain wasn't bad. I started to pick up the pace a bit, as i was anxious to get to gravel pit and be onto the final section.
i got into the gravel pit aid station, ate 3 or 4 potato pieces, 1 gel, and added 2 to my pack for good measure. i drank 2 cups of water and 1 cup of coke, and was on my way again. i was super excited to be on the final section, and the rain was coming down pretty hard, making the course even more muddy and slippery.
fortunately much of the final section is downhill, and i was able to jog through it, feeling pretty tired and ready to be done. I walked the few short climbs that i encountered on the way back to hope lake, and jogged the flats and descents. finally i was on the paved path working my way around the lake. i could see the pavilion and finish area on the other side of the lake, and was all too ready to be there.
I jogged it in, and was greated by both my sisters, Melissa and Tracy, and my Dad. All waiting for me to arrive under the shelter of the pavilion. i sat down got some dry warm clothes on and had a bit of food.
we all sat around for a bit, talking and visiting, I wanted to wait for Scott to finish. After a little while, my Dad decided it was time to head home, so Tracy and he left, while Melissa and i continued to wait for Scott.
Shortly after my Dad and Tracy left, i went out, and could see Scott out on the other side of the lake making his way towards the pavilion and finish line. The volunteers were commenting on how quickly the runner in the red rain jacket was moving (Scott must have been very ready to finish as well). He came across the line extremely happy to have finished his first official 50 miler.
Scott had some definite issues on the course, from nutrition to some problems with his knee, so he wasn't able to fully enjoy the course, which i think is suited for his running style: it's rocky, rooted, muddy, and pretty technical throughout.
all in all a great day, and a fun wrap up to my summer (so it may have been the first day of fall, but i'm calling it a summer wrap up). now back to Colorado for some house work, and a couple easy runs, then the grand canyon in the middle of october.
there have been several ridgelines i've been eyeing around leadville, that i think would be a lot of fun to traverse, we shall see if i've got the ambition and time to get across them before winter fully grabs a hold of them.
and of course i got some cool swag:
an extremely warm and much appreciated sweatshirt:
with a nice comparison to Everest base camp to summit (though i am pretty sure it's a bit warmer, and easier to breathe at virgil crest ultras).
and a nice technical long sleeve with the same comparison.
It turns out to be a good decision, as there was some pretty good rain that started coming down around 3pm, we'll get to that later.
the weather was very favorable prior to the rain (which started around 3pm), cool and overcast. we started at 6am, my goal was to head out at a comfortable pace to daisy hollow (the turn around and 25 mile mark), and try to come back at the same pace.
I met up with Scott, whom i met in Geoff Roes' Alaska Ultra Mountain Running Camp, in 2012, and had the pleasure of running with him again this year at the camp. The first 5 miles into the gravel pit went pretty well and comfortably. The course was suprisingly dry, probably the driest i've seen this course.
I pulled off the course for a quick bathroom break, and when i got back on course, i soon came up on Scott, and we ran together a bit before i took off again. I came into mile 9.5, the lift house aid station feeling good, and ready to embark on the toughest section of course (the Alpine loop), which entails running up and down the slopes of Greek Peak ski resort (some very steep, though shorter climbs).
Finishing up the alpine loop, i came back into the lift house aid station (mile 14), went through quickly, and was onto the section out to daisy hollow, probably the funnest section of the course. we run down the road for a little more than 1/4 mile, then climb up a bit. Just before the climb, there's a small step over a rock wall and a creek crossing, i managed to slip while crossing the wall, and banged my knee pretty good.
fortunately, the pain subsided after 5 minutes or so, and i had full range of motion. i hiked up to the top of the climb and began jogging again moving into the Rockpile. at this point i was moving pretty comfortable, and doing all right through 20 miles. I was holding pretty steady at a 10 hour pace (slated to hit the daisy hollow turn around in 5 hours).
On the way into rockpile, i was greeted by Ed and his son, we hiked up a bit together, and soon I saw Rebecca (Ed's wife). A pleasant suprise. at Rockpile, i ate a bit, reloaded my gels, and ate 1 on the way out. Unfortunately i did not refill my hydration pack, and would run out of water before i got to daisy hollow.
i realized this oversight shortly after i left rockpile, and opted to slow the pace slightly to account for my limited water supply. I was still feeling good, and jogging pretty consistently. The trail seemed to be cleaned up a bit and in better shape than previous years, as the climbing felt easier, and the footing wasn't as technical. Plus the sections that had rope seemed far easier to get up.
I came into Daisy Hollow, filled my hydration pack, grabbed several gels, and a drink box of chocolate milk. I felt pretty good leaving Daisy Hollow, and was able to make decent time back to rockpile, being a little conservative on the climbs, and running well on the descents. It felt like i was a little slower on the way back. I saw Scott, earlier than i was expecting to see him, and unfortunately he was having some difficulty with his stomach. I wished him the best and continued on.
when i got into rockpile, i ate a gel, and restocked my pile. I was starting to feel pretty good about making it back to hope lake, hoping to have a return split within 30 minutes of my time from hope lake to daisy hollow. I ate a bit and headed out.
Just a little before starting to descend down towards lifthouse, my right hamstring started to feel as though it would cramp at any minute. i immediately slowed to a walk, and did what i could to try to prevent what seemed to be inevitable. I walked down much of the descent, favoring my right leg and hoping i could avoid the cramp.
it was tough going, down the rooted muddy section, as i popped out on the road, i started jogging again, and was able to jog all the way into the aid station without issue. though i was starting to feel a bit worse for the wear.
i was pleasantly surprised to see Melissa and my Dad waiting for me there. I was a bit gruff with my requests, though they didn't seem to mind, and quickly filled my hydration pack, and got me some food and extra gels before sending me on my way for the final alpine loop.
I managed to miss a turn on the loop, fortunately i wound up following a parallel path, not too far from the actual route. i had a hard time with the climbs, going very slowly on this loop, and was running the descents pretty slowly as well. as i said, i was definitely starting to feel the days mileage adding up. after what seemed way too long a time, i caught a glimpse of the aid station and was all too happy to be approaching another refueling opportunity.
I slowly jogged down the descent into the aid station, hit the port a potty, and got some food, and refilled my gel stash before heading out, hoping to get as far along the course as i could before the rain started. it had been threatening all day, but was actually starting to feel like the rain was on it's way.
I jogged down the pavement, until the short climb up carson rd, which i walked, and continued walking until the trail turned down again, at which point i was able to muster a decent jog, doing all right even in the technical sections. about 2.5 miles from gravel pit, the rain started, and it came down pretty good.
I was actually pretty happy to be running in the rain, the weather was still comfortable, so the rain wasn't bad. I started to pick up the pace a bit, as i was anxious to get to gravel pit and be onto the final section.
i got into the gravel pit aid station, ate 3 or 4 potato pieces, 1 gel, and added 2 to my pack for good measure. i drank 2 cups of water and 1 cup of coke, and was on my way again. i was super excited to be on the final section, and the rain was coming down pretty hard, making the course even more muddy and slippery.
fortunately much of the final section is downhill, and i was able to jog through it, feeling pretty tired and ready to be done. I walked the few short climbs that i encountered on the way back to hope lake, and jogged the flats and descents. finally i was on the paved path working my way around the lake. i could see the pavilion and finish area on the other side of the lake, and was all too ready to be there.
I jogged it in, and was greated by both my sisters, Melissa and Tracy, and my Dad. All waiting for me to arrive under the shelter of the pavilion. i sat down got some dry warm clothes on and had a bit of food.
we all sat around for a bit, talking and visiting, I wanted to wait for Scott to finish. After a little while, my Dad decided it was time to head home, so Tracy and he left, while Melissa and i continued to wait for Scott.
Shortly after my Dad and Tracy left, i went out, and could see Scott out on the other side of the lake making his way towards the pavilion and finish line. The volunteers were commenting on how quickly the runner in the red rain jacket was moving (Scott must have been very ready to finish as well). He came across the line extremely happy to have finished his first official 50 miler.
Scott had some definite issues on the course, from nutrition to some problems with his knee, so he wasn't able to fully enjoy the course, which i think is suited for his running style: it's rocky, rooted, muddy, and pretty technical throughout.
all in all a great day, and a fun wrap up to my summer (so it may have been the first day of fall, but i'm calling it a summer wrap up). now back to Colorado for some house work, and a couple easy runs, then the grand canyon in the middle of october.
there have been several ridgelines i've been eyeing around leadville, that i think would be a lot of fun to traverse, we shall see if i've got the ambition and time to get across them before winter fully grabs a hold of them.
and of course i got some cool swag:
an extremely warm and much appreciated sweatshirt:
and a nice technical long sleeve with the same comparison.
Monday, August 19, 2013
Leadville Trail 100 Run - 5 of 5
I spend much of the week leading up to this run debating if i should even try it. despite my repeated claims that this isn't that tough a course, on paper.
A huge thank you to all of you who helped me realize the hand was already dealt, i might as well play it. i did just that.
i woke up at 3am saturday, grabbed a quick breakfast. i looked at my freshy salomon kicks, and the merrel mix master's sitting next to them, and decided to walk sirius in the merrels, then change to my salomons for the run. Sirius and I went for a short walk (he would have his own endurance event, being stuck in the apartment for 15 or 16 hours), then grabbed the last of my stuff (all organized next to the door so i wouldn't forget anything).
I headed over to the start line, hoping to meet up with Rod or Paul from Geoff's camp. I got to the start line, made my way into the starting area, and looked around, but did not see either of them. I looked down . . . no way, i forgot to put the salomon shoes on. . . I still had on the merrel's, which are ok for shorter runs (meaning i've never run more than 10 - 15 miles in them, and was always happy to take them off when finished). it's 5 minutes until start, i can drive home and switch shoes, starting ~20 minutes behind everybody else . . .
the gun went off, and everyone started down 6th st. i followed, debating running by the apartment (just over 1 mile each way and switching my shoes). i though how nice it would be to have a crew, or someone that could help bale me out of my hole. I called Sara (she is living back in California), she didn't really have any immediate ideas (it was 3am her time, and she had been soundly sleeping). She suggested i ask a race volunteer to get me shoes. she would later text me 3 or 4 ideas (which i got this morning). i then emailed Rod, as he was out here crewing for a buddy of his, and decided to continue pressing on.
By now i was among the final half dozen runners working our way down the boulevard. i then thought i probably should have just pressed on to the first aid station (13 miles) in hopes of seeing paul or rod and asking them to help (or Paul's crew), if they had time.
it was kind of nice being in the back of the bus, there was some space to run (at least for a bit), the usual backup occurred around twin lakes. the only solution i'm able to come up for this is to run strong early and get onto the single track near the front.
i got into mayqeen (mile 13ish) grabbed some food, shed my jacket and was on my way out when i heard my name. It was Rod. i stopped by and explained my foolish mistake and he quickly ran through a series of options (asking what size shoe and type of i wear to see if he could find something that would work). i explained were i lived, were he could find the keys, and where the shoes were, and the small detail of Sirius. Rod was awesome, and said he would go by there once he had an opportunity and see what he could work out.
All there was left for me was to keep moving and see how things worked out. worst case, i had a spare pair of shoes at mile 40 for after the water crossing. the willingness displayed to help me sort out my oversight (a pretty big one) gave me a lot of strength, reverberating what i heard at ac100 a couple weeks ago: lot's of people really care for you and will go out of their way to help. Rod was already busy taking care of his buddy, to add this to his plate of tasks, was a bit selfish, and his graciousness in offering help was completely selfless. For this i am extremely grateful.
Now that i had relief from that issue, i was able to focus at the task at hand, running:
Coming into the fish hatchery aid station (which really is outward bound now, they moved the aid station from the fish hatchery, down the road 1/2 mile or so to outward bound), Rod saw me and let me know he was too busy being blocked in and crewing, so did not have a chance to get my shoes, but he would try again.
i was feeling pretty comfortable, and seemed to be running well within myself through 23 miles and my legs felt pretty much like they did when i started: just kind of there, not fresh and poppy, not heavy and lethargic, just like a detached tool that i turned on or off. granted, i could not run fast, but today was not about running fast, it was about getting this done.
i kept pushing along and talked to several people along different stretches of the course. the inquiries about the rabbit would surface here and there:
at twin lakes (mile 40), i swapped out my shoes and put on fresh socks. much better, but i had some concerns about going 60 miles in my asics. they proved to be inadequate at ac100 after 25 - 30 miles a couple weeks ago. though they were far better feeling than my merrels, so i'd wear them for a bit and see if Rod was able to work some sweet magic. alas, i would not see either rod or my cushy salomons the rest of the run. unfortunately his buddy wasn't able to complete the run. I grabbed some food and headed out, actually looking forward to going over hope pass.
i took it pretty conservatively just hiking comfortably to get over it and get out of winfield. I was able to make good time over, took 10 - 15 minutes to get some solid food in me and try to settle my stomach as well as rest my legs, just preparing for the return effort. I checked out of winfield at 12:30 race time (exactly 25 hour pace).
Somewhere in my head there was a small voice that kept saying, just do the same thing on the way back, and you can get a gold buckle. i honestly felt pretty good, and was pompous enough to humor the voice and entertain possibilities of it happening. i got back to the top of hope pass and into the aid station, looking forward to those magic mashed potatoes that helped settle my stomach and breath a bit of life into me last time through. they were just as good and effective this time.
before long i was cruising down towards twin lakes, remember last time i was here and intent upon making it to mile 60 before it was dark. I ran the descent very well, and smart, managing to stay within myself, picking pretty good lines through the little rock gardens and root sections, passing people pretty well. all this and i was able to save some legs for the remaining 40 miles.
This time at twin lakes, i changed my socks, and noticed the balls of both feet were thoroughly soaked and starting to blister. I thought it would be smart to get some tape on those so they don't make things any tougher than they are already going to be. i thought about it briefly, then put on clean dry socks and hoped it would magically fix itself. i continued to eat and relax for a bit (i had a 2 hour cushion before the cut and chose to enjoy it for just a little while. after 30 minutes, i grabbed my light several gels and was on my way.
i was hiking the ups a bit slower now, but making decent time on the descents, and feeling ok. my legs were definitely tired, but i could must a slow jog on the flats and a decent pace on the decents, so i did what i could. about 1 mile from halfpipe aid station, i ate my last gu and washed it down with a bit of water.
when i got into the halfpipe aid station, my first mission was to get some tums and some gels (they were getting tough to choke down and giving me a bit of indigestion, but were keeping me moving all right). Bad news, all out of gels, 7 miles to the next aid station, no gels = no bueno. ok, i'll grab a pb&j sandwich to take with me, eat a boiled potato (an entire potato, not just some pieces) and try to be like a camel.
fortunately Robert (a guy from fort collins, a little north of denver, i met at the marathon in june and spoke with at each of the races since) came in not too far behind, and gave me some gels, and offered full access to whatever i may need at the crew only aid station (an unofficial location where crew can set up aid for the runners) about 3 miles away. we walked that section at a pretty good rate and chatted a bit throughout.
once we got there, his crew pulled out the box of goodies, and i grabbed some salt tablets and 3 hammer gels and were on our way again. about 4 miles to outward bound aid station. about 1 mile prior to the outward bound aid station, i decided i needed to have my feet dealt with, as the only thing they were fixing was my ability to move forward, and that was more of an unfixing.
robert went over to his crew, i ducked into the med tent to have them do what they could for my feet. ej (one of robert's pacers popped in and asked if i needed anything, then came back with several gels and some food). As my feet were being finished up (some antiseptic and mole skin, essentially a cushioned form of tape, applied to the balls of both my feet), one of the medical staff brought me a cheeseburger, which i promptly put guacamole on and at a bit, got my shoes and socks back on, and off i went to see about catching up with robert for a little bit.
i caught back up to robert about a mile from the aid station, shortly before the climb up powerline, we walked together for another 1 - 1.5 miles before i got anxious and bid him well. I hiked up powerline at a pretty steady pace, definitely not fast, but not too slow.
The climb seemed to go much faster this week than it did during the mountain bike, maybe it's because it was dark and i couldn't see too far ahead. there were several spots that offered a great view of the moon (almost full). it looked like once I was at the top of sugarloaf, i'd be able to carve a hunk of cheese out and have a little picnic. Probably a good thing it wasn't close enough, and i forgot all about this by the time i got to the top.
there were several rocky sections, which my feet did not like, and i opted to walk through, gingerly picking out my next steps in an attempt to spare my feet some of the inevitable beating. When there were clear or relatively rock free sections, i slogged the best i could. I could look down and see some lights at different points along the descent, which gave me some perspective. before long, we dropped off the road back onto the single track which seemed to take much longer to get through this time.
After a little bit we came into mayqueen, somewhere between 4:40 and 4:45. my goal was to leave before 5 am, 5 hours for 13 miles should work. i grabbed some oatmeal, sipped on some water, another handful of tums, and laid down for 5 minutes or so. one of the volunteers promised to kick me out by 5am. i wound up leaving slightly before 5am and kept pressing the effort with fast walking and slow jogging.
This continued through the remainder of the trip around turquoise lake. as i approached tabor boat ramp, dawn was in full effect, the trail was light enough that i no longer needed my headlamp, and i was still making decent time. i fought down one more gel, and did a little math, close to 3 hours for 6 miles, should be good, just gotta keep moving.
so i pressed on, knowing i had between 3 and 3.5 miles of climb back into town. i did not want to miss this one. i chatted with a few people briefly on the way back down the dirt road, then was pleased to see the pavement by the golf course. 4 - 5 miles left, some of it will be rocky uneven, and unpleasant, but all of it is doable.
i pressed on making the turn to start my final climb back into town, and clumsily made my way through the rocky obstacles to the smoother dirt section. 2 miles of this, then 1 mile of real pavement. at this point pacers were making their way backwards on the course to greet and escort their runners to the finish. they would congratulate me: "nice work leadman, congratulations".
i graciously accepted the congratulations (or so i think i did), and reminded myself, almost, you still need to keep moving, you are not done yet, just a bit more. my eyes were tearing up just thinking about crossing the finish line and finally completing the adventure which, began several years ago. 2 dnfs, this course has been wreaking havoc on my psyche in some form or other for 2 years now, is it possible, am i really going to do this?
as i crested the next to last hill, i could see the finish line, people had lined the streets and were helping runners celebrate and urging them onward toward the red carpet. i was super emotional at this point, and i'm sure my eyes were tearing up heavily as i made my way the final 1/4 mile uphill to the finish. people congratulating me on my accomplishment.
i crossed the line in 28:35:01, no crew on site, no pacers on site, but deep down, i knew there were so many people out there willing me across that line, from my very first step. many of whom have been helping me prepare for this since before it was even a dream of mine. Josh Colley, the race director, whom Sara introduced me to earlier this year, congratulated me and gave me my finishers medal.
tears were welling up in my eyes, this is the most accomplished i've felt about anything i've done in the past. i don't know what it is about the days events that made it as such, i never really had a truly bad moment on course.
not once did i entertain the thought of not finishing, i just kept moving, doing what i could do at that time, correcting for the little issues, wet feet, upset stomach, tired legs, minor adjustments along the way, always remember there are so many people that have done so much for me and mean so much to me, that want this for me. all these thoughts helped push me through and get me across the finish.
thank you all.
a couple hours later i showed up to the awards ceremony to collect some more mementos:
another warm and comfy jacket (slightly different than the mtb one from last week):
my special leadman trophy (which is quite dense)
some swollen, extra tender and moderately blistered feet. they look much worse then they really are.
and some garmin data (probably all but 10 miles of the course in 2 parts:
0 - 68
70 ish - 95 ish - my 8 hour marathon
A huge thank you to all of you who helped me realize the hand was already dealt, i might as well play it. i did just that.
i woke up at 3am saturday, grabbed a quick breakfast. i looked at my freshy salomon kicks, and the merrel mix master's sitting next to them, and decided to walk sirius in the merrels, then change to my salomons for the run. Sirius and I went for a short walk (he would have his own endurance event, being stuck in the apartment for 15 or 16 hours), then grabbed the last of my stuff (all organized next to the door so i wouldn't forget anything).
I headed over to the start line, hoping to meet up with Rod or Paul from Geoff's camp. I got to the start line, made my way into the starting area, and looked around, but did not see either of them. I looked down . . . no way, i forgot to put the salomon shoes on. . . I still had on the merrel's, which are ok for shorter runs (meaning i've never run more than 10 - 15 miles in them, and was always happy to take them off when finished). it's 5 minutes until start, i can drive home and switch shoes, starting ~20 minutes behind everybody else . . .
the gun went off, and everyone started down 6th st. i followed, debating running by the apartment (just over 1 mile each way and switching my shoes). i though how nice it would be to have a crew, or someone that could help bale me out of my hole. I called Sara (she is living back in California), she didn't really have any immediate ideas (it was 3am her time, and she had been soundly sleeping). She suggested i ask a race volunteer to get me shoes. she would later text me 3 or 4 ideas (which i got this morning). i then emailed Rod, as he was out here crewing for a buddy of his, and decided to continue pressing on.
By now i was among the final half dozen runners working our way down the boulevard. i then thought i probably should have just pressed on to the first aid station (13 miles) in hopes of seeing paul or rod and asking them to help (or Paul's crew), if they had time.
it was kind of nice being in the back of the bus, there was some space to run (at least for a bit), the usual backup occurred around twin lakes. the only solution i'm able to come up for this is to run strong early and get onto the single track near the front.
i got into mayqeen (mile 13ish) grabbed some food, shed my jacket and was on my way out when i heard my name. It was Rod. i stopped by and explained my foolish mistake and he quickly ran through a series of options (asking what size shoe and type of i wear to see if he could find something that would work). i explained were i lived, were he could find the keys, and where the shoes were, and the small detail of Sirius. Rod was awesome, and said he would go by there once he had an opportunity and see what he could work out.
All there was left for me was to keep moving and see how things worked out. worst case, i had a spare pair of shoes at mile 40 for after the water crossing. the willingness displayed to help me sort out my oversight (a pretty big one) gave me a lot of strength, reverberating what i heard at ac100 a couple weeks ago: lot's of people really care for you and will go out of their way to help. Rod was already busy taking care of his buddy, to add this to his plate of tasks, was a bit selfish, and his graciousness in offering help was completely selfless. For this i am extremely grateful.
Now that i had relief from that issue, i was able to focus at the task at hand, running:
"We'll tell you when to start and we'll tell you when to stop. In between, don't think, just keep running." - Ken Chlouberi came out of mayqueen and started working my way up the line of runners, in a bit of a panic that i was so far back so early (perhaps i had delusions of being a competitor at the front of the pack, i can't really say why, i just know i was working too hard to get around people). after several minutes of this, i felt a tug on my pack and turned to see paul. another friendly face. i popped into line with him and we chatted for the next several miles, working our way up sugarloaf together, and down a bit of the descent before i took off and wished Paul well.
Coming into the fish hatchery aid station (which really is outward bound now, they moved the aid station from the fish hatchery, down the road 1/2 mile or so to outward bound), Rod saw me and let me know he was too busy being blocked in and crewing, so did not have a chance to get my shoes, but he would try again.
i was feeling pretty comfortable, and seemed to be running well within myself through 23 miles and my legs felt pretty much like they did when i started: just kind of there, not fresh and poppy, not heavy and lethargic, just like a detached tool that i turned on or off. granted, i could not run fast, but today was not about running fast, it was about getting this done.
i kept pushing along and talked to several people along different stretches of the course. the inquiries about the rabbit would surface here and there:
is that your kids rabbit
nice bear
nice dogit helped lighten the mood.
at twin lakes (mile 40), i swapped out my shoes and put on fresh socks. much better, but i had some concerns about going 60 miles in my asics. they proved to be inadequate at ac100 after 25 - 30 miles a couple weeks ago. though they were far better feeling than my merrels, so i'd wear them for a bit and see if Rod was able to work some sweet magic. alas, i would not see either rod or my cushy salomons the rest of the run. unfortunately his buddy wasn't able to complete the run. I grabbed some food and headed out, actually looking forward to going over hope pass.
i took it pretty conservatively just hiking comfortably to get over it and get out of winfield. I was able to make good time over, took 10 - 15 minutes to get some solid food in me and try to settle my stomach as well as rest my legs, just preparing for the return effort. I checked out of winfield at 12:30 race time (exactly 25 hour pace).
Somewhere in my head there was a small voice that kept saying, just do the same thing on the way back, and you can get a gold buckle. i honestly felt pretty good, and was pompous enough to humor the voice and entertain possibilities of it happening. i got back to the top of hope pass and into the aid station, looking forward to those magic mashed potatoes that helped settle my stomach and breath a bit of life into me last time through. they were just as good and effective this time.
before long i was cruising down towards twin lakes, remember last time i was here and intent upon making it to mile 60 before it was dark. I ran the descent very well, and smart, managing to stay within myself, picking pretty good lines through the little rock gardens and root sections, passing people pretty well. all this and i was able to save some legs for the remaining 40 miles.
i was hiking the ups a bit slower now, but making decent time on the descents, and feeling ok. my legs were definitely tired, but i could must a slow jog on the flats and a decent pace on the decents, so i did what i could. about 1 mile from halfpipe aid station, i ate my last gu and washed it down with a bit of water.
when i got into the halfpipe aid station, my first mission was to get some tums and some gels (they were getting tough to choke down and giving me a bit of indigestion, but were keeping me moving all right). Bad news, all out of gels, 7 miles to the next aid station, no gels = no bueno. ok, i'll grab a pb&j sandwich to take with me, eat a boiled potato (an entire potato, not just some pieces) and try to be like a camel.
fortunately Robert (a guy from fort collins, a little north of denver, i met at the marathon in june and spoke with at each of the races since) came in not too far behind, and gave me some gels, and offered full access to whatever i may need at the crew only aid station (an unofficial location where crew can set up aid for the runners) about 3 miles away. we walked that section at a pretty good rate and chatted a bit throughout.
once we got there, his crew pulled out the box of goodies, and i grabbed some salt tablets and 3 hammer gels and were on our way again. about 4 miles to outward bound aid station. about 1 mile prior to the outward bound aid station, i decided i needed to have my feet dealt with, as the only thing they were fixing was my ability to move forward, and that was more of an unfixing.
robert went over to his crew, i ducked into the med tent to have them do what they could for my feet. ej (one of robert's pacers popped in and asked if i needed anything, then came back with several gels and some food). As my feet were being finished up (some antiseptic and mole skin, essentially a cushioned form of tape, applied to the balls of both my feet), one of the medical staff brought me a cheeseburger, which i promptly put guacamole on and at a bit, got my shoes and socks back on, and off i went to see about catching up with robert for a little bit.
i caught back up to robert about a mile from the aid station, shortly before the climb up powerline, we walked together for another 1 - 1.5 miles before i got anxious and bid him well. I hiked up powerline at a pretty steady pace, definitely not fast, but not too slow.
The climb seemed to go much faster this week than it did during the mountain bike, maybe it's because it was dark and i couldn't see too far ahead. there were several spots that offered a great view of the moon (almost full). it looked like once I was at the top of sugarloaf, i'd be able to carve a hunk of cheese out and have a little picnic. Probably a good thing it wasn't close enough, and i forgot all about this by the time i got to the top.
there were several rocky sections, which my feet did not like, and i opted to walk through, gingerly picking out my next steps in an attempt to spare my feet some of the inevitable beating. When there were clear or relatively rock free sections, i slogged the best i could. I could look down and see some lights at different points along the descent, which gave me some perspective. before long, we dropped off the road back onto the single track which seemed to take much longer to get through this time.
After a little bit we came into mayqueen, somewhere between 4:40 and 4:45. my goal was to leave before 5 am, 5 hours for 13 miles should work. i grabbed some oatmeal, sipped on some water, another handful of tums, and laid down for 5 minutes or so. one of the volunteers promised to kick me out by 5am. i wound up leaving slightly before 5am and kept pressing the effort with fast walking and slow jogging.
This continued through the remainder of the trip around turquoise lake. as i approached tabor boat ramp, dawn was in full effect, the trail was light enough that i no longer needed my headlamp, and i was still making decent time. i fought down one more gel, and did a little math, close to 3 hours for 6 miles, should be good, just gotta keep moving.
so i pressed on, knowing i had between 3 and 3.5 miles of climb back into town. i did not want to miss this one. i chatted with a few people briefly on the way back down the dirt road, then was pleased to see the pavement by the golf course. 4 - 5 miles left, some of it will be rocky uneven, and unpleasant, but all of it is doable.
i pressed on making the turn to start my final climb back into town, and clumsily made my way through the rocky obstacles to the smoother dirt section. 2 miles of this, then 1 mile of real pavement. at this point pacers were making their way backwards on the course to greet and escort their runners to the finish. they would congratulate me: "nice work leadman, congratulations".
i graciously accepted the congratulations (or so i think i did), and reminded myself, almost, you still need to keep moving, you are not done yet, just a bit more. my eyes were tearing up just thinking about crossing the finish line and finally completing the adventure which, began several years ago. 2 dnfs, this course has been wreaking havoc on my psyche in some form or other for 2 years now, is it possible, am i really going to do this?
as i crested the next to last hill, i could see the finish line, people had lined the streets and were helping runners celebrate and urging them onward toward the red carpet. i was super emotional at this point, and i'm sure my eyes were tearing up heavily as i made my way the final 1/4 mile uphill to the finish. people congratulating me on my accomplishment.
i crossed the line in 28:35:01, no crew on site, no pacers on site, but deep down, i knew there were so many people out there willing me across that line, from my very first step. many of whom have been helping me prepare for this since before it was even a dream of mine. Josh Colley, the race director, whom Sara introduced me to earlier this year, congratulated me and gave me my finishers medal.
tears were welling up in my eyes, this is the most accomplished i've felt about anything i've done in the past. i don't know what it is about the days events that made it as such, i never really had a truly bad moment on course.
not once did i entertain the thought of not finishing, i just kept moving, doing what i could do at that time, correcting for the little issues, wet feet, upset stomach, tired legs, minor adjustments along the way, always remember there are so many people that have done so much for me and mean so much to me, that want this for me. all these thoughts helped push me through and get me across the finish.
thank you all.
a couple hours later i showed up to the awards ceremony to collect some more mementos:
another warm and comfy jacket (slightly different than the mtb one from last week):
 |
| the time is slightly longer than last week . . . |
my special leadman trophy (which is quite dense)
and another belt buckle. i'm going to have to start looking into getting some belts
some swollen, extra tender and moderately blistered feet. they look much worse then they really are.
and some garmin data (probably all but 10 miles of the course in 2 parts:
0 - 68
70 ish - 95 ish - my 8 hour marathon
Friday, August 16, 2013
Old friends reunited
those of you that have run with me in the past may recognize my old friend. The velveteen rabbit is back and I'm happy to have some companionship on my long adventures again:
 |
| velveteen rabbit |
"what is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, . . .
"Real isn't how you are made, " said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you." . . .
"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit
"Sometimes"
Leadville Trail 100 run pre-race
I've been wavering this entire week as to whether
or not i should start the run tomorrow. I continue to bounce from one
emotion to the next: fear, concern, insecurity, complacence, self pity,
loneliness
My body is tired, my mind
is worn down. i've got 1 small niggle hanging in there. I have been
asking myself the wrong questions all week, and my misdirection nearly got the
better of me. Late yesterday on one of Sirius and my walks things started
to make more sense, the fog began to lift. I opened my mind to accepting
that i've had a really rough go on this course the last 2 years, and let it get
the better of me.
Over the course of the past several years, i've started many runs, some i've finished, some i came up short, but none of them weighed so heavily on my day to day life as i've allowed tomorrow's run. I can't exactly pinpoint what i've been focusing on, or what i imagine in my mind to be the right outcome, I only know that i've lost the focus on the journey, and tied some inappropriate worth to the outcome.
This morning i woke up a bit lazy and groggy, laid around a bit, and enjoyed
the sense of this weight being lifted, the fog seems to have dispersed.
I've had a lot of encouragement from good friends, some old and some new,
each one of them helped me realize that it's all a journey, the only expectations
placed on me are placed there by myself.
i've been in over my head many times before, sometimes i've managed to pull it off sometimes i've come up short, each time i've taken away important life lessons. in the past i've always embraced the journey and accepted that i will be able to do as much as i can do on the day, and i will draw strength from those that believe in me.
tomorrow will be no different, though i struggle to let go of my fears, i will do my best to leave them at home as i head for the start line, and embrace whatever the day has to offer. i will remember each of our interactions, and those traits each of you have which i so admire. i will strive to learn from you and strengthen these traits in myself.
thank you all and may you enjoy the day, and know you have helped shape me into the person i am:
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| only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go |
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