tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24602043197468422552024-02-07T20:59:30.594-07:00On the Trail......on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460204319746842255.post-45053147398004892692023-11-24T11:23:00.006-07:002023-11-25T07:31:30.434-07:002023 Year in Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6x4T3yOk9YR-zKR_hsYH5KYDhhLy32jgC3UE1XTd4JG5IrjS7yvlh1yRtuYQO7daIAFUX8Utsng1nRvOqlA2i2xu4HU8bVOoiMk8JleLWlwS9eBqftxcCINjGjB3b3q6DW7sDUpXbAXIhK-rLfL1B0xt0U2mXaWXJApr1n0IlIl5yWLL9uzSz84keOIk/s7500/Black%20on%20White.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="7500" data-original-width="7500" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6x4T3yOk9YR-zKR_hsYH5KYDhhLy32jgC3UE1XTd4JG5IrjS7yvlh1yRtuYQO7daIAFUX8Utsng1nRvOqlA2i2xu4HU8bVOoiMk8JleLWlwS9eBqftxcCINjGjB3b3q6DW7sDUpXbAXIhK-rLfL1B0xt0U2mXaWXJApr1n0IlIl5yWLL9uzSz84keOIk/w211-h211/Black%20on%20White.png" width="211" /></a></div><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Wow- just Wow. As I sit down and reflect on all that 2023 has offered it's almost overwhelming. I have been everywhere and enjoyed every minute of it all. Here's a recap of most of it. Enjoy the Journey! </span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I left my physical job to work full time on my online coaching business. In December of 2022, I worked my final day at a local Surveying job. They helped me get to this spot by sending me home first when the work was thin. I would work on my own business and certification/training when sent home. And in mid-December, I was able to pull the plug and commit to full-time coaching. As a quick recap, I started <a href="https://www.altitudeendurancecoaching.com/" target="_blank">Altitude Endurance Coaching</a> in 2018 while working a full-time job. This has been a long project and I have been hustling! So excited to work at my dream job full-time now!</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Come February, we here in the mountains are always craving that first dry dirt run, and my friends and I made it happen twice on the Loma- Kokopelli trails. These trails are just about a 90-minute drive west of us here in Glenwood Springs, Co. Our Midwest friend Rob was in town visiting for one of those occasions. We showed him all the local spots, the Hot Springs and got a couple of turns on Sunlight Mtn on our snowboards. We may have overdone it as he is already asking about coming back this winter!</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-S8o8vyX9UWXOyPKKKUSjXE1hBIxKgSDMjMs3tjcjtuDphXRBlvPqFLX7ZAfX1dJtuivksHVuszMwsMgH4zZM2Wbub2fn5hDgmWVoUDYiPqUkTmq6QYazX8VSipiUd0TXFPOmYswYIQqu5aUdx7hzuqhvY4FvCpmtTR4eRDLRIQD4cyipTNZkSakKrRY/s640/image2.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="640" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-S8o8vyX9UWXOyPKKKUSjXE1hBIxKgSDMjMs3tjcjtuDphXRBlvPqFLX7ZAfX1dJtuivksHVuszMwsMgH4zZM2Wbub2fn5hDgmWVoUDYiPqUkTmq6QYazX8VSipiUd0TXFPOmYswYIQqu5aUdx7hzuqhvY4FvCpmtTR4eRDLRIQD4cyipTNZkSakKrRY/w242-h169/image2.jpeg" width="242" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome Home Bailey! </td></tr></tbody></table><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Meet Bailey! We brought Bailey home on March 22nd. She has been a welcomed addition to our family. Predominately Border Collie with a little Aussie Shepard she is quick and smart! She gets out every day for 3-5 miles between my wife and I. Next Spring when she is fully grown she and I can get out for some much longer adventures! Can't wait!!</span><p></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I was able to help out as a part-time High School Track and Field Coach in Spring. What a rewarding experience to be able to share my passion for running with these young adults. I grew up as a track star and enjoyed being a part of the team this year. While coaching I was able to obtain my level 1 USATF Coaching Certification. </span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Steve House has created a brand and a movement in the mountaineering coaching space. I am excited to be a small part of </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://uphillathlete.com/coach/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Uphill Athlete</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> as a coach and was equally as excited to share in the first Uphill Athlete staff retreat in Boulder Colorado in mid-April. What a great group of individuals that are passionate about coaching. Meeting the staff from around the globe and sharing in the conversation was amazing. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I took my level 1 USATF coaching knowledge and was able to use it as the Head Coach for our Springers Track and Field summer program. This program is offered locally to students 17 and under for 6 weeks and ends in mid-July. Both of my daughters were able to participate and that made this a little sweeter. We had morning practices 4 days a week and all the participants were able to try something new to them. Hurdles, shot put, high jump, long jump, relays, discus, sprints, and distance events were offered. Our season ended with a home meet and a ton of fun was had!</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">A "Slam" in our running community is 4 events in the same calendar year. It comes from the baseball reference of a Grand Slam, scoring four runs off of one homerun. There are probably more but the two most popular are the </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://grandslamofultrarunning.net/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Grand Slam</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> and the </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://bear100.com/rocky-mountain-slam/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Rocky Mtn Slam</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">. I had crafted my own Slam to challenge myself. The events I chose were all within a 91-day window, from June 16th to Sept 16th. This was going to be a challenge to state the obvious and I had given the title of " Redemption Year" for a few reasons. In 2013- a full decade ago- I had dropped out of the Bighorn 100 at mile 30. I showed up that year ill-prepared for this course and it has bothered me since. Always just lingering in the background as the course that beat me. I needed redemption! In 2021 I backed down from the 100-mile distance to the 50-mile distance at the Ouray event just 6 weeks before the start. I could not see how I was going to finish the hundred with the plantar fasciitis I was dealing with. I did limp through the 50 and was a successful finisher, but I wanted to return for the 100. Leadville has been in my blood since the first time I stepped onto the start at 6th and Harrison in 2010. I have since finished 7 of nine starts here and hope to earn my 1,000-mile buckle in the coming years. Run Rabbit Run was a complete disaster for me in 2017. Much like my 2013 attempt at Bighorn, I showed up ill-prepared both mentally and physically. I wanted my revenge here! So, that was it. I was going to clean up my missed opportunities and race my heart out this summer!</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuA4gTto2M5jaO23zk2WDzsLjsxzRfr_SeJw6YE0Oi4X3tIDP_OdbpKXNHKDyrgy130Imuuj0khqQFf9BEDACo7RUnoKPfTdfIThFr6rjZo2JcsWgTIAFVckfusK5bIKOR1849KdtSI50HO_ysGNoGbtt6HNp9-FV_oALx8fDYC6mseJ5nbjTZTHx3QuM/s1440/Redemption%2023'.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuA4gTto2M5jaO23zk2WDzsLjsxzRfr_SeJw6YE0Oi4X3tIDP_OdbpKXNHKDyrgy130Imuuj0khqQFf9BEDACo7RUnoKPfTdfIThFr6rjZo2JcsWgTIAFVckfusK5bIKOR1849KdtSI50HO_ysGNoGbtt6HNp9-FV_oALx8fDYC6mseJ5nbjTZTHx3QuM/w168-h168/Redemption%2023'.jpg" width="168" /></a>June 16th, 2023 Bighorn 100 Wild and Scenic- 20,500 ft of elevation gain in 100 miles</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 21st, 2023 Ouray 100 Endurance Run- 42,000 ft of elevation gain in 102.1 miles</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">August 19th, 2023 Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run- 15,500 ft of elevation gain in 99.7 miles</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">September 16th, 2023- Run Rabbit Run 100- 20,500 ft of elevation gain in 101.5 miles</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Total: 98,500 ft of elevation gain in 402.7 miles</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">First up, Bighorn 100 </span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguurpEU6WAlEyUlLg1qXJdHCh7Wom0sPmXSKB1sBh5KA_kvfv7jks5MYGnxYPIdZl3Z1_l99PJ7hGxRD7YaawtXQxywhMA9c4slRnUi8V2bjOZUzTiP4iA0DCzq8D5FX9BcPS4rgNhHtkLbIOqYXgFNqbebGD10qddl9Axkmey3qFEAyMLrrXp3evY8ZU/s828/image1%20(1).jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="661" data-original-width="828" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguurpEU6WAlEyUlLg1qXJdHCh7Wom0sPmXSKB1sBh5KA_kvfv7jks5MYGnxYPIdZl3Z1_l99PJ7hGxRD7YaawtXQxywhMA9c4slRnUi8V2bjOZUzTiP4iA0DCzq8D5FX9BcPS4rgNhHtkLbIOqYXgFNqbebGD10qddl9Axkmey3qFEAyMLrrXp3evY8ZU/w360-h286/image1%20(1).jpeg" width="360" /></a></div><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">My friend Ryan and I met in Denver to drive the remainder of the way to Sheridan Wy. together. Ryan and I have been racing together for quite a few years. We are typically near each other as far as pace goes when the miles add up to 100 or more. We both decided to go solo and just use the drop bags and aid stations. No crew and no pacers. In addition, we had planned to run it together to help with the lack of outside support. It was a solid plan that lasted for ... a quarter mile. It had rained for the week leading up to the event and only stopped an hour before the start. Although it wasn't currently raining at the start and it wouldn't for the remainder of the event, the rain had created a ton of mud- more than the normal amount of mud that this event is known for. The road for the mass start was riddled with giant puddles that most athletes were trying to avoid, including Ryan. Not me though! I went right through the biggest one and in the process lost Ryan. For the remainder of the event, we were on our own. I ran with a few other runners but mostly I was in my own space. I kept moving efficiently and kept thinking that at any moment Ryan would catch up. The mud was thick and slick. The off-camber trail made it even tougher to stay on the trail. I planned to go out conservatively and finish with a little energy to spare. It was going to be a long season and I didn't need to crush myself in the first event. Just after the 50-mile turn I did "see" Ryan. The last few miles to the turn around is a muddy bog typically and was even worse with this year's rain. About a mile out Ryan and I crossed paths. In the dark and in the mud I was already chilled and needing to keep moving forward. Ryan appeared to be moving better than I so I assumed that he would catch up. Nope. We would both go on without the other for 49.75 miles. By morning (24hrs in) the sun would come up and start to attempt to dry things out slightly. A quarter mile out from the finish and Ryan caught me! We were both fairly confused and Ryan thought that I had already finished so he went running through the finish line without me finishing 20 seconds in front of me! It was comical, to say the least, and we laughed about it all the way home. Bighorn was complete and I was already thinking about Ouray. </span><p></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH61J60kpXL2BsaTjgaWfwR4cX5Rv4OPnrtttQVzaD2jorNnXIVnT39nvJJrburuLme9gQXMrmMMtSULFIBzA7NCO7sRckUvpdoO_BsQLPHiotEVs3VXhtAaqf3TBR-DK3XrGMXFTb3CqrRVdGqw8ecv__DWt0OKhxoHBXs89JIlrg38aIZm2PKp_NAGo/s640/image0%20(1).jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="360" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH61J60kpXL2BsaTjgaWfwR4cX5Rv4OPnrtttQVzaD2jorNnXIVnT39nvJJrburuLme9gQXMrmMMtSULFIBzA7NCO7sRckUvpdoO_BsQLPHiotEVs3VXhtAaqf3TBR-DK3XrGMXFTb3CqrRVdGqw8ecv__DWt0OKhxoHBXs89JIlrg38aIZm2PKp_NAGo/w236-h420/image0%20(1).jpeg" width="236" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simon Guerard</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Simon Guerard, </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.youtube.com/@runningwithsimon" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">yes this Simon</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">, asked for some help with crewing and pacing his Badwater 135 starting on July 4th. I have an interest in this event so I jumped at the opportunity. I was able to get out to Death Valley National Park to help for a few days. Badwater is hot as hell- not even joking. After my long drive, I got out of my truck to see what all the fuss was about with this heat. I've run in heat before up to 120 degrees, why was this an issue? Upon stepping out, it hit me- a HOT wind, like that of a hair drier whoofed past me. I thought it was a joke of some sort. But sadly it wasn't. Just a few short hours before, Simon and the crew took pics at the starting line where the temp was 127 degrees f. Badwater 135 is a unique event and very different from other ultrarunning events. There are no aid stations at all, so your crew can support you multiple times(understatement) on the course. We crewed Simon just about every two miles for the first few hours before switching to about 2.5-3 miles. That's a lot of stopping and going! This left very little time for rest from the crew but we got it done. I paced later in the event for roughly 25 miles. Simon was steady and consistent as usual and was able to finish well within the cut-offs. All in all, it was a great experience to see new places and see what the event is all about. I still have that interest in this event but there are bigger fish to fry. Congrats again Simon!</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5V3aTXFGe1l1Ku1FeMDL1TTK_XA1do0rtnnYPPvi_Noea7cSEJyS5gOLEYBLA-BXb-Beaeku2BpTgYIrKRCl3SGYe_bzgSW9VMwpRPuunb1Il7BYIHMZCherB5Kn1mQZG8_N3Pl6Vj5F9mTOn0orMHdCSxNje1WvMY0y1EwKjR0Y-uBW1qa86X-sUzXE/s640/image11.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="463" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5V3aTXFGe1l1Ku1FeMDL1TTK_XA1do0rtnnYPPvi_Noea7cSEJyS5gOLEYBLA-BXb-Beaeku2BpTgYIrKRCl3SGYe_bzgSW9VMwpRPuunb1Il7BYIHMZCherB5Kn1mQZG8_N3Pl6Vj5F9mTOn0orMHdCSxNje1WvMY0y1EwKjR0Y-uBW1qa86X-sUzXE/w183-h253/image11.jpeg" width="183" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jodi and Bryce from UltrAspire</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">As I retreated from the HOT Death Valley heat I stopped into </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://ultraspire.com/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">UltrAspire</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> HQ. Located in St. George Utah, UltrAspire is one of the leading brands in the running-specific gear market. They create the best packs, lights, handhelds, and waist belts in the industry, in my opinion. It was a privilege and honor to meet the team. Bryce, Jodi, Zach, and Hugo were all on-site the day I stopped in and I was given the full tour. How cool to see it all in action! I have been an Ambassador with the brand for 4 seasons. I can demo some new gear and give feedback on that gear, and how it worked or didn't. It is such a great process to be a part of and one I do not take for granted. </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Coach </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://zoefitness.com/contact-us/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Zoe</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">, who I work together with at Uphill Athlete, asked me to help out with a fundraiser she was kicking off in Leadville. This was a no-brainer and I jumped in to assist. We were able to raise a couple hundred dollars for Lake County Search and Rescue by offering a run/hike up and down the infamous Hope Pass. I made some new friends on that beautiful afternoon in the middle of July. Thanks for the invite, Zoe!</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyyFv3q6_tH4qxmT1TAhyVFgcheeVsYRcbHXjsIUYU771O2Umo7okx6OvCoum2JX21OzM64x5J5oj3XcAYkRl_kBP_jFy9Z-0Z9ZpnN4nrwQPuKEt8V6VQRgdf2Ft2ZCNy7SMJ7tDy8DD6NU4PEBdnN92nRfo8KldgDhIbS1C4nZ9uckAohuDfxsgLQQ/s640/image10.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="640" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyyFv3q6_tH4qxmT1TAhyVFgcheeVsYRcbHXjsIUYU771O2Umo7okx6OvCoum2JX21OzM64x5J5oj3XcAYkRl_kBP_jFy9Z-0Z9ZpnN4nrwQPuKEt8V6VQRgdf2Ft2ZCNy7SMJ7tDy8DD6NU4PEBdnN92nRfo8KldgDhIbS1C4nZ9uckAohuDfxsgLQQ/s320/image10.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eva and Pete from New Zealand</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">July 21st Ouray 100</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">This GIANT event made me a bit nervous. I shifted my training from Bighorn and mostly running to hiking giant climbs. Ouray has 14 climbs with very little to no flat sections between them. To put it into perspective, the Hardrock 100 boasts a whopping 36,000 ft of elevation gain while Ouray offers a soul-crushing 42,00 ft of elevation gain. My "A" team of crew/pacers of Mark and Leanne would fall through due to their own event, the Tahoe 200, being moved to the same weekend as Ouray due to extreme snow on the course. Ryan and I were back to solo-ing this one too. Through a mutual friend(Thanks <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ez_gone_coddiwompling/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==" target="_blank">Eszter</a>!) I was connected to Pete and Eva. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pete__robinson/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==" target="_blank">Pete</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/evadethlefsen/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==" target="_blank">Eva</a> were traveling through the area from New Zealand for the month and offered to help us with pacing in the weeks leading up to the race. We only met the day before the event. That's one of the great things about this sport. We will go out of our way to support each other, no questions asked. I think I have done this exact thing for others a handful of times. Spoiler Alert! Pete and Eva become critical for us to finish. Simon Guerard was also there racing and Nora would crew and pace him. The three of us would interact for most of the first half of the race. On the first overnight section returning over Richmond Ridge, Ryan and I would struggle together. It was a challenging night on a high mountain pass after a full day of moving uphill. By first light, we made it to the Weehawken Aid Station at mile 58.8 where we could pick up a pacer. The original plan was to have Pete jump in and go the remaining miles with both Ryan and me. And just like Bigfoot, that plan went by the wayside. Ryan was not moving well and I started to feel a little better as I do when the sun comes up. The modified plan was for Pete to go with Ryan and me solo till later in the event. The hope was that Pete could get Ryan moving and catch up to me. The course has a bunch of these out and backs that allowed me to gauge where Ryan was in relation to my position on the course. At each passing, Ryan was hanging tough and right on my heels. Eva jumped in with me with 25 miles to go. It was a big help. Well into the second night, with just two climbs to go, we didn't see Ryan. He would tap out at mile 85. Eva and I would keep moving and have a huge laugh about one of my hallucinations! I would eventually shuffle across the finish line with my daughters by my side in just under 50 hours. </span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Aug 19th Leadville 100</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeJJSIXxV3nfp3D7y7zOR_4j727M1RvcbquNAloBnor5xDC9Dvb2OxHBrPxGzR99gDkkCU3MyGQtYeEWOzqnhv3VN1jpHbDVnf9xfyweqZrhsZArswx5TodVXjhKTL1AJzaLku69WUY6CUSb5Fng1XV2WMAUR2fbhwczf1BAIMeOJxRdfI-aFptxisWY/s640/image8.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeJJSIXxV3nfp3D7y7zOR_4j727M1RvcbquNAloBnor5xDC9Dvb2OxHBrPxGzR99gDkkCU3MyGQtYeEWOzqnhv3VN1jpHbDVnf9xfyweqZrhsZArswx5TodVXjhKTL1AJzaLku69WUY6CUSb5Fng1XV2WMAUR2fbhwczf1BAIMeOJxRdfI-aFptxisWY/s320/image8.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish line with Ken Chlouber</td></tr></tbody></table><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">This is where it all started in 2010. I just love this town and event. I always try and show up early and stay late. This year would be no exception. I drove up on Thursday to enjoy the <a href="https://www.leadvilletrail100legacy.org/" target="_blank">Leadville Legacy Foundation</a> dinner at Freight. This is always a great time to celebrate and hear some of the amazing work the Foundation is doing for the community. At the 4 am start on 6th St and Harrison Ave, I was feeling good. After the first 25 miles, I quickly knew that the sub-25-hour goal was not going to happen and I was going to need to dig deep to make cut-offs. Twin Lakes is always fun and I was excited to see family and friends. Mark and Leanne would be here to crew and pace and Katie and the girls were on site for support. Once through outbound, I would just have to tackle Hope Pass, twice, for a total of 6,000 ft gained. At Winfield, the halfway mark, I would have just over an hour on the aggressive cut-offs. Upon my return to Twin Lakes, it would be whittled down to just under an hour. Leanne would jump in and we would move efficiently through the darkness. Later, Mark would swap out Leanne and we would climb the dreaded Powerline Rd. Slowly I would get over it and we would make it to May Queen Aid Station with that hour buffer. With just about a half marathon left and the sun peaking over the horizon we would move around the lake in a run-walk pattern. I would be greeted by my friends and family for the last mile walk to the finish and my well-earned hug from race founders Ken and Merilee. This is my 8th finish at this event and I am already planning the remaining 2 to be awarded a 1,000-mile buckle. This particular weekend usually falls on Mark's birthday. I really appreciate Mark and Leanne taking the time to help me finish these events. </span><p></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Sept 15th Run Rabbit Run</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTi7KsfHCZCNZL8eMZ2A7uYjU7Ab3f7rgKzuOsTXU34qAVtqaF6U7HdOJBfINoyYqA2bo6mz4O2PC1bjSNZJti8Vd0bfgdQ2_mFu-PzmvzB6_RailkLft8WdwubR-Fz0HKUXnbzD7qn4iyZonfPpLbRU01i_ONxB8Kq-zBRyhBvZq-XvDBWHv8-nqDQdA/s640/image6.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTi7KsfHCZCNZL8eMZ2A7uYjU7Ab3f7rgKzuOsTXU34qAVtqaF6U7HdOJBfINoyYqA2bo6mz4O2PC1bjSNZJti8Vd0bfgdQ2_mFu-PzmvzB6_RailkLft8WdwubR-Fz0HKUXnbzD7qn4iyZonfPpLbRU01i_ONxB8Kq-zBRyhBvZq-XvDBWHv8-nqDQdA/s320/image6.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too Tired to be Surprised! </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;">After completing the first three events in my Slam, I was excited to get to work on the final event in the project. This one would prove to be extremely challenging as I was exhausted from the racing season. I would strongly consider quitting on a few occasions, and as early as 17 miles in. Mark and Leanne would be back to crew/pace (on their anniversary!) and we would be supported by Adam McRoberts. Adam has a <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6rsO3EltGNUqphxTExYA6k?go=1&sp_cid=01fcfb785d59fdfb110b05f25001a283&utm_source=embed_player_p&utm_medium=desktop&nd=1&dlsi=bf425cd4b62e4a0e" target="_blank">Podcast</a> that I have been glued to for a few years now. I reached out a while back as I wanted to hear more episodes about the Nolans 14 route. We connected and have been friends since. Adam helped me out last year at the Moab 240 and with a bunch of experiences in ultra running, he is a great asset to our crew. The weather was perfect during the day and temps got a bit low at night. The team would keep me going when I didn't think I could. It was really special to share the last 6 miles with these three friends. I was pretty banged up at the finish and just wanted to be done. My wife surprised me with a custom tee recounting this unique season of races. What a great moment, just wish I was able to enjoy it a bit more. I was spent. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUsEzoIQbLPn4k8zQ3kOIIMFkGelctNSx3XBz2LcAIkHj_0M3tmAbnBB1tpFQnoppPzexWB2cSJ4d3v0k-EvWqc6F7VB2s5y4FkA7G6emMNhurNl2E5WXAc4JLd3g9CNJ_Zrtby58rGuuxkHq3uFSyLpY_SLmdSjkw-xi_hAZvBUJXFNlu-xUjWI_-hk/s480/image5.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUsEzoIQbLPn4k8zQ3kOIIMFkGelctNSx3XBz2LcAIkHj_0M3tmAbnBB1tpFQnoppPzexWB2cSJ4d3v0k-EvWqc6F7VB2s5y4FkA7G6emMNhurNl2E5WXAc4JLd3g9CNJ_Zrtby58rGuuxkHq3uFSyLpY_SLmdSjkw-xi_hAZvBUJXFNlu-xUjWI_-hk/s320/image5.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These Guys are the Best!</td></tr></tbody></table></span><p></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Sept 29th United Endurance Sport Coaching Academy (</span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://uesca.com/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">UESCA</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">) offered its first annual Coaching Conference! I was so excited to join in the fun! Three days of talking about all things running- count me in! The presenters were very informative and I was able to absorb a lot of information. Attendance also allowed me to extend my UESCA Ultrarunning Coaching Certification. Can't wait till the 2nd Annual!!</span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The Moab 240 was started in 2017 and I have only missed the 2018 event. I have volunteered all but the two years I ran the event in 2020 and 2022. And this year would be no exception. I spent 9 total days in and around Moab helping as a volunteer. For the first 5 days, I was at race HQ as part of the set-up team before heading to Geyser Pass as the Aid Station Captain for the remainder of the event. This was my first experience with HQ and it was eye-opening to see how much work goes into the event behind the scenes. I do love to be out on the course and working the 200-mile aid station was right in my wheelhouse. I still stand by my claim that I get more sleep as a participant than I do as a volunteer. Always nice to share in my community. If all goes to plan I should be toeing the line again in 2024. </span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMNFwxO6_4zN5nlB2jV_4VWuMkm67cIr4VXiV5b4xm3KZHNPhaDch0iz84tKPWTCErGcdDRi6ixJgpiy1olCjWE0H2GO1eAmqIsCUwxIsq49HN5-ex7fW8XzrujJkJH3NASz1nlXnAUnpKflVOwCwqE7I3TLQ0znjP5TgVS0RwzHPA8toX4GO9kvgLg4/s640/image2%20(1).jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="466" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMNFwxO6_4zN5nlB2jV_4VWuMkm67cIr4VXiV5b4xm3KZHNPhaDch0iz84tKPWTCErGcdDRi6ixJgpiy1olCjWE0H2GO1eAmqIsCUwxIsq49HN5-ex7fW8XzrujJkJH3NASz1nlXnAUnpKflVOwCwqE7I3TLQ0znjP5TgVS0RwzHPA8toX4GO9kvgLg4/s320/image2%20(1).jpeg" width="233" /></a></div><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The Javelina Jundred (100) is an ultramarathon in Arizona and falls on the Halloween holiday celebration weekend. It is our sports Burning Man. It may have been the most fun I have had in a long time. It helped that I went all out with the costume to boot. The festival vibes were apparent all the way down to the fire twirlers and all-night DJ. I had 4 friends running in the event and a few coached athletes participating as well. Leanne, Mark, and Simon all would run the 100 miles while Simon's better half Nora would run the 100k(62 miles!). The course consists of 20-mile loops so I could hold down camp and take care of my runners as they passed through, as well as act ridiculous in my costume! On Mark's final 20-mile lap I was able to (without my costume!) pace him. It was great to be out on the course sharing in his excitement of a personal best (PB)! Everyone in my camp was successful and that always leaves me with a great feeling. </span><p></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">On November 4th we found ourselves in Steamboat Springs for the </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.gotrwesterncolorado.org/home/fbclid/iwar1hvyx2etmtbpvzeakr5tnsq0qehmu8gkxqmozhb6ukarenfnblsjbfc9a" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;" target="_blank"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Girls on the Run</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> 5k. My third grader participated for the past 6 weeks in this great program for 3-5th graders. They teach basic running but more importantly, they teach individuals of all abilities to recognize their unique strengths, while building a sense of connection. It's a great program that I am happy to support. My wife and I ran the 5k with our daughter. I was not prepared for the interval workout, from her and her friend walking and the sprinting from telephone pole to telephone pole but we got it done and had fun in the process. </span></span></p><p></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><p></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The Sapinenti 5k Turkey Trot</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTp-9v2SoiyqEqnBRhJvJgmGFmQ5QUVTeXegjTVv4u0Rk4zkiBvPNg2DKyI8k7lYaFNC7EIstaGl7XzC8h3lq4IgTly3CK_hB53Du9wmu6-nCAnLolJdqOs6lF8FF0gfYja_5XJppSgl6wr7jm6FKvF5Ma0IWInm-WJSiGhIi17cUyZapiP534piHR7xU/s640/image0%20(2).jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="640" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTp-9v2SoiyqEqnBRhJvJgmGFmQ5QUVTeXegjTVv4u0Rk4zkiBvPNg2DKyI8k7lYaFNC7EIstaGl7XzC8h3lq4IgTly3CK_hB53Du9wmu6-nCAnLolJdqOs6lF8FF0gfYja_5XJppSgl6wr7jm6FKvF5Ma0IWInm-WJSiGhIi17cUyZapiP534piHR7xU/s320/image0%20(2).jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sapinenti 5k Turkey Trot</td></tr></tbody></table><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">My wife works in healthcare at our local hospital. That means some odd hours and some weekends and holidays. She loves her job. This year her holiday to work was Thanksgiving. So, we make due and create a backup plan. The Sapinaro's, Katie's older sisters' family came to stay for a few days and celebrate an early Thanksgiving. But, for our two families, it's not Turkey Day without a Turkey Trot! So, we did that too. I mapped out a 5k out-and-back route on our local bike path without any road crossing or turns. Katie's sister Laura had tee's made and we were set! The Sapinenti 5k, a play on our last names, was a go! We ran this event on Monday and hosted 17 for Turkey Dinner on Tuesday. I did jump into our local turkey trot on Thursday as well and enjoyed three miles with Mark and Leanne. </span><p></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WSZSftjuoT6h86srhr-zY52IzczD96NpbykVG6_yEkcfztHC6VQ_wyQKT5FAP2otU_FIEm7E5arDYmPHXXKc7SxxvurePQMRGK2vKF77LVvquBzBlB1kKOkRlCzXRwwVA9h7Jr9xzveuXiqOGfOJsjiwmUFifT-JUGaNhrNjB-e3fGLujsd9wpDasgE/s640/image4.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_WSZSftjuoT6h86srhr-zY52IzczD96NpbykVG6_yEkcfztHC6VQ_wyQKT5FAP2otU_FIEm7E5arDYmPHXXKc7SxxvurePQMRGK2vKF77LVvquBzBlB1kKOkRlCzXRwwVA9h7Jr9xzveuXiqOGfOJsjiwmUFifT-JUGaNhrNjB-e3fGLujsd9wpDasgE/w285-h214/image4.jpeg" width="285" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark and Leanne are the Best!</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: black; color: #f3f3f3;">As you have read (if you even made it this far!) I have been busy. I also have a great network of supportive friends and family that I am so grateful for. I love this running community and want to be a part of it for another 49 years. </span><p></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: black; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; background: black; color: #f3f3f3; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><span style="background-color: black;">What's next? I will be turning 5-0 in 2024. I have some BIG ideas but nothing is set until after our community lottery season comes to an end. I will apply for the HardRock 100, Western States 100, and Leadville 100 lotteries for 2024. Those drawings will set the stage for what will be another remarkable season of running. I am excited for all that is to come! </span></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><br /><span style="background-color: black;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDBlnnmxGtLp__WQFFkTeH2YkZ2irLVeVidvkrWTlR8KP9bwz9bQeXKTizvBtu-xJUfwrD08EGJJcXMqZwIcunZsV6Nksm27pKVDl6izBn9be-_TbhJTZJmoIESSJw5bPkGtiXomL3PzqUJu1xm9Ny8gymYBSRIyBQQsmiqfEyQH-IZcF0QaoZ7azJag/s640/image7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="640" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitDBlnnmxGtLp__WQFFkTeH2YkZ2irLVeVidvkrWTlR8KP9bwz9bQeXKTizvBtu-xJUfwrD08EGJJcXMqZwIcunZsV6Nksm27pKVDl6izBn9be-_TbhJTZJmoIESSJw5bPkGtiXomL3PzqUJu1xm9Ny8gymYBSRIyBQQsmiqfEyQH-IZcF0QaoZ7azJag/w479-h383/image7.jpeg" width="479" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><br /></p>...on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460204319746842255.post-1717261209450249622020-12-10T04:00:00.076-07:002020-12-10T20:24:14.908-07:00...That Dream again...<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7dEUUrYuc9jnw2ffNCZEfQBuak1zN1ixwN15YDR5nI9F7QwlR6BNY0b8Efqd0szpLlmds7Bo6BBFC6kBugFxzujJlp_kD7nf41bEUzEXlMKJHwpeSM3Fcmp3m2R5Sc2UpSQiy2xXpkxE/s650/pouring-whiskey-on-the-rocks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7dEUUrYuc9jnw2ffNCZEfQBuak1zN1ixwN15YDR5nI9F7QwlR6BNY0b8Efqd0szpLlmds7Bo6BBFC6kBugFxzujJlp_kD7nf41bEUzEXlMKJHwpeSM3Fcmp3m2R5Sc2UpSQiy2xXpkxE/s320/pouring-whiskey-on-the-rocks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #eeeeee;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;">I had the dream last night, again... It pops up a handful of times throughout the year. It's a less desirable one. Not like the one where I'm flying down a mountainside on a skinny tired bike and then just become weightless and float the rest of the way... Nope. Nothing like that one. </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">No, no, this one is the one where I wake confused and disoriented. This is the one where I wake trying to see if my surroundings are familiar. It is the one that leaves me hesitant, almost cringing, to open my eyes fearful of what may be- what I might have to deal with- who I may have hurt. I wake trying to put the pieces together of a blurry evening. My stomach twists from the guilt and disappointment in myself. Something that I have experienced quite a few times.... Sometimes the pieces of the prior evening come back quickly and some of those times not so much-</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Even now.. even today... after 4 years of sobriety... it still feels so real. I guess that shouldn't surprise me... I had those experiences for decades... and now after 4 years I just expect them to go away? What does surprise me is how real it still feels- even though it was just a dream these days.. What does surprise me is how once I figure out it was just another dream that the physical effects associated with my blurry evening just disappear, that they too were just all in my head. It is a powerful sickness...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Today... as I put the pieces of that sometimes wild dream back together to realize it was only just that... a dream. I am sober this morning. I have made good decisions last night not to drink. 1,461- That's how many good decisions I have made consecutively. Nothing is guaranteed in this life and each one of those is a precious gift. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I do recall that first year, year and a half. It was awkward, I was awkward. There were moments where I didn't know what to do with my hands because I wasn't holding a beverage at social gatherings. I can share that it has gotten a lot better. I have found my stride in environments that I use to struggle in. I'm still awkward thought...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">If you think you may have a problem with alcohol, or may be considering just taking a break, I want you to know there are people willing to help. I am thankful for the people who have helped me along this crazy journey. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://bttt.run/" target="_blank">Bigger Than The Trail</a><span> is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization that is using trail running as a platform to advocate for mental health. Our mission is to enrich the lives of individuals struggling with mental health. </span><span>Bigger Than The Trail has partnered with some amazing organizations to offer free online counseling. These services allow you 24hr access to licensed counselors via text or video. You can get support when you need it at no cost. Please consider these services if you are wanting a change, or even considering a change. </span></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>...on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460204319746842255.post-65123097860013807832020-10-22T13:05:00.012-06:002020-10-26T21:18:37.311-06:00Moab 240 2020 <div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOF_g93lppm9XWuPKqMeYjPj8ZvGX8x9GLgLinte2hzFntcZ4CN6Go7ozQzV6g74JhkNX1UmpZOAUIRwNnXbbt2jWLJ-kbVp_vsrTGd2H1wYi5Uy9VPHq_L1D9ovBqJ_Jtz3DHUxSOI4/s309/Moab240.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOF_g93lppm9XWuPKqMeYjPj8ZvGX8x9GLgLinte2hzFntcZ4CN6Go7ozQzV6g74JhkNX1UmpZOAUIRwNnXbbt2jWLJ-kbVp_vsrTGd2H1wYi5Uy9VPHq_L1D9ovBqJ_Jtz3DHUxSOI4/s0/Moab240.png" /></a></div><br />The Moab 240 is one single continuous loop
circumnavigating the Moab landscape. The Start is at the north end of town and
makes its way west and south slightly before turning directly south up into the
Abajo Mountain range, specifically Shay Mtn. The course starts to turn to the
north and slightly east with a direct line of sight to the La Sal Mtn range.
After nearly 170 miles, the route gains 9k ft in the next 25 miles. After
all that, it is a continuous steady descend of 30 miles back to the Colorado River
and the north end of town. That is it! <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Start to mile 72:</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i></i></b></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4AvHktI2YS6mZzs2UyXy_bO_mrUSuV0s7xtuDc7eMmSWrgCd79zGS35B36J3c0Td10rJ14X4sGgoG846wDiXr_a7U7DH31RRobadg0avMKsd5AVIvmKLEJ3AUDiUFwXWBGchLBOa7Zk/s640/image3.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4AvHktI2YS6mZzs2UyXy_bO_mrUSuV0s7xtuDc7eMmSWrgCd79zGS35B36J3c0Td10rJ14X4sGgoG846wDiXr_a7U7DH31RRobadg0avMKsd5AVIvmKLEJ3AUDiUFwXWBGchLBOa7Zk/s320/image3.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Justin and I at Amasa Back<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><b><i><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">"The question we are asking runners
quickly changed from 'are you out of water' to ' how many miles have you
traveled without water?' '' -aid station volunteer at Breaking Bad Aid mile
57. </span></i></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">The start was cool and calm. I wanted to run as much
as possible before the sun got too high and started its slow heating up of the
canyons. These miles are done with limited crew access and was a great time to
settle in with a few participants. I ran with Torrey and Jason and another guy- Pretty lighthearted miles until noon. Mark and LeAnne were Aid
station captains at Amasa Back Aid at mile 17.8. It was a nice treat to have
friends on course early. It was clear to me that it was going to get hot
and water may become an issue. I quickly started to ration my precious
commodity ensuring it was to last until the next available refill station. I
slowed down in the heat intentionally trying to straddle the fine line of pace
and energy output. Others in my line of sight were in the same predicament. The
day passed and nightfall came. Eventually, I arrived at the Breaking Bad aid
Station. Seth was working this aid station that crew was not able to access.
Again, a welcomed treat to have friends out on course. It was a rough scene at
Breaking Bad- There was a lot of carnage from the days heat. I stayed for an
hour eating and drinking and getting my feet taped up. Mostly everyone
overstayed their welcome. I spent the remainder of that night trying to drink
as much fluid as possible trying to dig out of the hole of dehydration. I
pushed on and headed for Indian Creek where I was to see my crew and aid station
captain Michael McKnight. Mike wished me well and I climbed into the back of my
car for a little rest, some food, resupply, foot care, and my first pacer!</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtShsGpW592OigOZr7ylZx7gI3cpPatr6FuvEh4xzytRP2Jz8KuHvX0c_iEbl5TYlrXoztERZV8eRHdCCQTHrM5788uvIRwHcyBsYZVpM_PyygVukyyvv9ZsxaC8xFiuFxwdFG5O2_EE/s640/image4.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmtShsGpW592OigOZr7ylZx7gI3cpPatr6FuvEh4xzytRP2Jz8KuHvX0c_iEbl5TYlrXoztERZV8eRHdCCQTHrM5788uvIRwHcyBsYZVpM_PyygVukyyvv9ZsxaC8xFiuFxwdFG5O2_EE/s320/image4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leanne, Thomas, and Justin acting like its fun...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Miles 72 to 102: Indian Creek- The
Island- Bridger Jack</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">~Wes and I were able to get out just before the pandemic lockdown
and run these two sections in March. I recalled our spring adventure and hoped
Wes was doing well in front of me- he was showing signs of dehydration earlier as
well. In Spring, we had a great two days of scouting. His insight and knowledge
were super helpful. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">A little rest went a long way to feeling human once
again. I bet I slept 40 minutes at Indian Creek. Thomas and I clipped along
steadily and picked up Ryan. As a foursome (racers and pacers) we rolled into
The Island aid station. We ate and refilled. Thomas and I had no plans to rest
here and quickly moved on. The day was hot again and I made frequent stops in
whatever shade was available. After the event I picked Thomas' brain for any
significant happenings on this section and we both agreed that it was pretty
cut and dry. We moved slowly, it was hot, and there were spots of wind that
picked up sand. I did see a "mirage" of an aid station that I was
certain of. As we approached, it was clear it was just another slab of
sandstone. Thomas thought I was being <i>weird-er</i>. I do recall the crew car
being a mile, mile and a half past the aid station which almost broke my
spirit...</span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIO5OU4PllhvuWTGAZUBAr0Gwwyt-Qr30kUoVSYUWCcGV2n23EfYfv7fD0lNJxUuIWRftXxVztT3GPtwQOdV20Bmz9M4KvDOBp22rKJ04-SP83iRwy92zojwevHr87-o1YNl3onfh96s/s640/image0.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIO5OU4PllhvuWTGAZUBAr0Gwwyt-Qr30kUoVSYUWCcGV2n23EfYfv7fD0lNJxUuIWRftXxVztT3GPtwQOdV20Bmz9M4KvDOBp22rKJ04-SP83iRwy92zojwevHr87-o1YNl3onfh96s/s320/image0.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Always Strong Ryan McAfee<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Miles 102 to 121: Bridger Jack to Shay
Mtn</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">This section was a mile, mile and a half shorter due
to the car situation... I did a solo run on the sections from Bridger to Dry
Valley just about three weeks before the event. It was nice to scout this
section and was advised by Wes to check out Shay. Again, great advice as there
were no surprises waiting ahead. Justin jumped in for his first pacer
experience. He was new to the crew this year filling in last minute. He is
young and full of energy. We made the tricky turn and descended into the valley
following the riverbed for a way before climbing up 4,000 ft to Shay Mtn. It
eventually became night and that might have helped- without the ability to see
the top we just had to plod along until we reached Shay Aid Station. Back to
the same routine of climbing in the back of the car, eating, resupply, and foot
care. I believe I was out of there in 90 minutes time. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">~Maryann Reynolds has been in a wheelchair for half
of my life (I'm 46 this year). She does not complain about it. She does not
expect anyone to do things for her. She navigates life just as you and I do.
With her own challenges, which we all can relate to having. She plans and does
research as to accessibility for herself to participate. Most recently she was
at Niagara Falls, and was just a little bummed not to be able to go to the
Canadian side, not because of inability but due to a pandemic. She has always
supported me in my athletic pursuits, always wanting me to share the race pics
and stories with her. Maryann is part of my "why". I do these
athletic challenges for those who cannot, may not be able to. I do them to
share with her in my experiences as she is sometimes more excited for me than I
am of myself. As a parent I totally get that now. Thanks Mom. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Miles 121 to 140: Shay Mtn to Dry Valley</span></i></b></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCIXOgXNdWLwiemsQWob2-kDSOLTGSpeCsNxN2rEdd0TkfjGXjcKwczARtm_QHelJaG5jGrUp5EQ5kWTzycy5rGZxhiwFAXEybL2BaK7dt75bq-SW3L8Km3WP1XQSCVteUgf_-1EAtZE/s640/image5.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCIXOgXNdWLwiemsQWob2-kDSOLTGSpeCsNxN2rEdd0TkfjGXjcKwczARtm_QHelJaG5jGrUp5EQ5kWTzycy5rGZxhiwFAXEybL2BaK7dt75bq-SW3L8Km3WP1XQSCVteUgf_-1EAtZE/w302-h227/image5.jpeg" width="302" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Was Thomas working his magic... or revenge...?</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">This section in training was fast and fun.
Descending almost 3,000 ft made it runnable three weeks prior. Not the case
after 120 miles though. I did try and run with Mark and we had a good time.
Just before sunrise I was struggling to stay awake and took a 25-minute trail
nap, in my space bag, right in the dirt off the side of the trail. It was the
only real nap I took on course outside of the aid stations. The sun came up and
we were in the Dry Valley Aid station by 9am. I think that makes it Sunday
morning...?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Miles 140 to 167: Dry Valley- Wind
Whistle- Rd46</span></i></b><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">This is where it gets ugly. And amazing. 30 minutes
in and out of the Dry Valley aid station. Change my Topo Mtn Racers for MT3's.
Refill the pack and Leanne and I are off down the "road thru hell"-
we had previously named this section based off of previous racer accounts as
neither of us had been on this road. We had no idea how true this would be for
us this morning... We start off slowly moving when the wind starts picking up
right into a headwind which turns into a sandstorm and then into a rain shower for the first 11 miles of this section. I am walking behind Leanne
in an attempt to draft, yes- like NASCAR, off of her. That is how strong the
wind is. This road is so exposed that you can see for 30+ miles in 360 degrees,
basically just a large pile of sand. That did not do me in, but it sure helped
to knock me down. The sky clears and we have a two mile road section to get to
Wind Whistle aid station. That is what did me in. I was roughly 150 miles in
and could not muster enough to walk two miles into the aid station. There was
no shade available as the tall grass was only ankle high. How does that stuff even grow in sand...? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">1:41pm Sunday Oct 11<sup>th</sup>. I’m
far down this rabbit hole... Leanne is encouraging …but... she's also fading in
and out... of my fog.. I can’t... I just can’t anymore... I have to sit- No- I
must sit, lay down right here...Car slows to a stop- "Hi, (strong Texan Drawl)
(awkward pause) ...is he alright??" <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXorGAfEkoECqgHbNAgsVN0SJ28_p4kZRN-ErYimo7MYy5jx_zgvWGl6_Ymid61mUrgtuhbLni8lhPMEn6l_C8C3fnx9d1YCHKncmQB634bXJn-28cxsrFb3c6UwsXRZ4VWemLavSImwE/s640/image8.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXorGAfEkoECqgHbNAgsVN0SJ28_p4kZRN-ErYimo7MYy5jx_zgvWGl6_Ymid61mUrgtuhbLni8lhPMEn6l_C8C3fnx9d1YCHKncmQB634bXJn-28cxsrFb3c6UwsXRZ4VWemLavSImwE/w400-h300/image8.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Death by the side of the Road</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />That was it- that was all I had. Leanne is standing
over me on the road to ensure that cars do not run me over. I have the negative
thoughts already working their way in.. you did a great 150 miles,.. shoulda
trained harder... ask the sweet southern lady for a ride, your day is
over... Once those thoughts are present, they are so hard to reverse. It
felt like an hour, but Leanne would tell you that it was 8 minutes. I must keep
moving and find another reserve- I must dig deeper. I get up and shuffle into
the aid station. It takes me 1hr 10 minutes to cover the remaining 1.3 miles,
but I get it done. Side note- Leanne and I both heard the wind actually whistle
and thought the other was whistling... made for a well needed laugh. Still
not having come clean to Leanne that I believe my day is over- I decide to try
the race advice given at check in. Eat and sleep before making any decision to
drop. And so, I do just that. I eat maybe 3,000 calories in a breakfast burrito
before passing out in a horse blanket with all my clothes on still shivering in
the 75-degree weather. I wake and eat even more in a spicy gumbo (who would
thought?) and potato chips. I really need to get up and get to rd46 so I can
drop. We push off for the next section and I am already anticipating the death
march ahead. But... something happened... I started to move... better and
better. Leanne reminds me that I have not put any music on- I did build a 15 hr
playlist for just this moment...<o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">6:36pm Sunday Oct 11th “ ...She feels
like kicking out all the windows And setting fire to this life She
could change everything about her Using colors bold and bright But
all the colors mix together...!" - Grey Street- Dave Matthews Band.
Singing with LeAnne while moving at a 12-minute mile...<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">…And just like that we are moving with the sun
setting at our backs and the La Sal Mtns directly in front of us and the
lower rim in full glow- we are clipping off miles and having a grand ole time!
My spirit returns and there is no way I am not finishing this thing. It
was all an experiment to this point- could I? - would my body hold up? - But
not any longer- this is when I knew I was getting it done. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">~Ultras marathons– and life- is just like that. In
the ultras as time and distance pass the highs and lows start to cause waves
starting gently and then growing from there. I was in some rough choppy waters
at Wind Whistle aid station not sure I would stay afloat- but I held on and
kept moving- even when my physical body did not want to anymore. And now, just
5 hrs later I am riding the crest of the wave and enjoying it. I sure am
enjoying myself but slightly hesitant as to the possibility of another low…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Leanne and I shuffle on and pick up Ryan. Ryan McAfee is a fellow participant. We have been doing this ultra thing for a bit and happen to wind up at the same races and same time frames during those races. We have mutual friends in our home state. It was great to share miles with Ryan and his crew. Spoiler alert- Ryan Finishes!! We all head into Rd 46 aid station ready for some much-needed rest before the climbing sections ahead. Those hours spent with Leanne were the worst and best I would feel throughout the whole event.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">~I have the four most important eyes watching every
move I make. Those are the eyes of my two daughters. They are watching-
learning- absorbing information- processing all that is in their line of sight.
They understand quite a bit about ultrarunning- Example: while traveling to the
2019 Boston Marathon my then 7 years old asked, " Dad, will it take you all
night to finish the Boston Marathon?" my reply, "I sure hope
not..." It is very important to me for these girls to see that dad finishes
what he starts. The life lessons of: hard work pays off- you give 110%- when
faced with adversity try another way to achieve your goal- and anything is
possible with the right mindset- are all lessons that I hope they are
absorbing from this wonderful community and my example. I
love you girls.</span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1HdnmR35B5qslQoy_BxMVfpo5GE4SIq-9LPLXVL1JalmDfSN5_U3sTrdzQwY0KBaN47X9oTY229Cj-3jxzOKucAoUQbC7EZwBLaZ-tsi8CvCBcv_8qizldO_gbYJDgzsMk0PUPNM8xE/s640/image1.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="295" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG1HdnmR35B5qslQoy_BxMVfpo5GE4SIq-9LPLXVL1JalmDfSN5_U3sTrdzQwY0KBaN47X9oTY229Cj-3jxzOKucAoUQbC7EZwBLaZ-tsi8CvCBcv_8qizldO_gbYJDgzsMk0PUPNM8xE/w185-h400/image1.png" width="185" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geyser Pass Aid Station</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Miles 167 to 201: Rd46- Pole Canyon-
Geyser Pass</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Mark joins back in for this grueling section of 34
miles with 9,000 ft of vertical gain and 4800 ft of descent. We team up with
Ryan and Benji and have a great trip up to Pole Canyon. The four of us set off
at midnight on Monday morning. Traversing the lower slopes and twisting around
made me lose my sense of direction. At one point we are splitting a
band of coyotes as they yip-howl to each other. Pretty powerful moments. We
stay consistent and make great time to Pole Canyon. Ryan is set up for a crew
change and we are not, so Mark and I push off after 45 minutes. It is now the
coldest part of the day at the highest part of the course to be traveled in the
next ten+ miles. It is 20 degrees and Mark is shivering- I got in Ryan’s truck for
15 minutes with the seat heat on- So I drive a quick pace to get us warmed up.
And it felt good. So, I kept driving a solid pace through the climbs. I turned
up another playlist and keep pushing through sunrise.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">~In 2017, the inaugural year of this event, I reached
out to Michael McKnight and offered to pace him. Initially he said he
was all set but then a few days later he inquired about my offer. I paced Mike
from Rd46 to Porcupine Rim- roughly 60 miles of this course. Mike went on to
finish third that year behind Courtney and Sean. I was amazed how Mike just
glided up those climbs and had it still all together after 160+ miles in his
legs. I reflected on my own experiences this year peak bagging eleven 14,000 ft
mountains in my home state for training. I tried to channel my inner Mike
through those climbs and think I succeeded. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Later in this section as it warmed, and we packed
away the cold weather gear in our packs I fell- hard. Just a fleeting moment of
not paying perfect attention, one long slow blink, and my toe caught the root-
I had no reaction at all. By some crazy luck, I landed in some soft dirt with a
thud. Mark looked pretty concerned and did a full inspection of damages. Nothing
major and we were moving again. As we came into Geyser Pass aid station right
around 2 in the afternoon, we decided to take a solid break and start back at
dinner time, when the temps would cool. Geyser was the best aid station for me.
My girls and wife were there, crew made a nice tailgating spot and I just
enjoyed the late afternoon rest with my friends and family. All the pressure
was off, and it felt as though we were just having a picnic. The burger from
the aid station was bomber- thick cut onions were the ticket. I only slept
20-25 minutes and wanted to absorb all the energy from this group of friends
and my family that I could. They had made a ton of sacrifices to be here for me and they
probably still do not know how much that means to me. So, thank you again to
Mark and Leanne, Thomas, the new guy Justin, and of course my wife and girls. As
I sit here reflecting on those moments, I can see the color in the trees, the
warmth of the sun, and the fulness of my heart. These are the moments I will
treasure.<br /><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Miles 201 to 223: Geyser to Porcupine
Rim<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">It was hard to leave that aid station. I was truly enjoying
the moment. Justin and I set off with Ryan and Benji again for this section. Within
a few miles…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">5:35pm Monday Oct 12th. "Hey! Is
that a lake down there?!" Me, "it sure look like it..." Justin
enthusiastically replies" I'm going in! I'll catch up to you!" <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i></i></b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEind5a1UpTRRlcbXooR4lj3Hchsiv81JoJxEPyoB3uNI8VJ_hbAyOIybjozIdnnE_R5j1pYJbdAV92hA-62F7xrgFap748-AYV3C5nINz4vbyrYxyLQKkqSkJywd5-_PeTYPxt9OJ91Lu0/s640/image7.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEind5a1UpTRRlcbXooR4lj3Hchsiv81JoJxEPyoB3uNI8VJ_hbAyOIybjozIdnnE_R5j1pYJbdAV92hA-62F7xrgFap748-AYV3C5nINz4vbyrYxyLQKkqSkJywd5-_PeTYPxt9OJ91Lu0/w480-h640/image7.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset on Sand Flats Road</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Justin is skinny dipping in Oowah Lake… I kept
plugging along. Ryan stops at the campground to re-tape his hamburgered feet and
I start to get some rhythm going. Justin catches up and we are running a decent
14-minute mile pace through Sand Flats Road. Justin had run his farthest
distance in the previous section of 19 miles and now will top that with this 22-mile
section. Great work Justin on your first Ultra of 41 miles! I am still pretty
pumped up and want to continue on quickly once into Porcupine Rim aid. The plan
was a quick 14-minute power nap and then drive this train wreck home! Well…
that did not happen- I could not move after 14 minutes, so I climbed back into
the crew car and slept for another 40 minutes. Waking up still groggy the miles
and time on feet were starting to stack against me….</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">~The overwhelming support from friends and family
both near and as far as Belgium(thanks Lionell!!) was incredible. The
encouraging words throughout the week and messages at all hours of the event
sure helped, more than you will ever know. It was in those darkest of moments
that I was able to reach into my pocket and reconnect with your thoughtful
messages. Sharing my tracker info was one of the best things I could have done.
I will continue with that practice moving forward. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Miles 223 to 240.2, the Finish!<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">After experiencing the worst and best running of the entire event with Leanne, she is back for more. But I’m tired and the
playlist isn’t working anymore for me… We bounce and shuffle down the rim and
stay consistent in forward progress. I take frequent breaks and continue down
in the dark. I have been on this trail on a bike and running in years past but
tonight I am having trouble finding the line- the path of least resistance.
Leanne takes the lead and I shuffle about 15 yards behind following her line. That
work until…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> <b><i>4:04am
Tuesday Oct. 13th " Lake County Dispatch- We just received a 911
hang up call from this number- Did you call 911?". "um..yes."
"What's your current location sir". "I am on the Porcupine Rim
Trail..."<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Yup. I called 911. That happened… I was trying to
shut the phone volume off due to its inability to motivate me and in turn
called 911. The dispatcher was not impressed with my slurred speech and did not
ask why I was in the middle of a popular mtn bike trail at 4 in the morning… Shortly
thereafter we reach the last 5k of trail. A beautifully paved bike path back to
the starting line. My phone is buzzing with messages from everyone. Leanne and
I run in…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">The crew is all at the park waiting- I can feel
their excitement. We walk in together and that’s another one of those moments that
never leaves- the last mile of Leadville will always hold fond memories and
this walk with my team can be added to it. Penelope and I run in together and
Anna gets to help pick the awarded belt buckle. That is it. We are in!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;">~I
set my goals for myself high. High enough that they seem -even to me- to be outrageous. I
navigated a plan to deliver me to the start with the best possible outcome. I
do the work. Even when the work gets stale, or tiring, and when life gets in
the way. I make the time. Running for 4 days in Moab does not allow any excuses
as to the best times to train- any time is the best time to train. I ran at
3,4,5am as well as 9,10,11pm into the night as well as well into the daytime
hours. That is what it takes. That is what I did. I am proud of myself for
sticking to the process, and not letting the negative self-talk creep in enough
to spoil my plan. This has not always been the way things work for me, and I am
learning and growing on each new challenge. Thanks for being a part of my
journey. “What a long strange trip it’s been…”</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdmBVlp47auCYZm84gOvawfhGF96cqab-scn-hLnBWHM5CyFFDhQ-OCjd5YVl0HjivZ52b9TIoUAOvuLH5RPDEgUbQm21aOEC5ZFTVMsWMXK1y-hyveYbaTLm_s48G5pmbVOIj4PCA84/s1875/brian+profile.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1875" data-original-width="1250" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdmBVlp47auCYZm84gOvawfhGF96cqab-scn-hLnBWHM5CyFFDhQ-OCjd5YVl0HjivZ52b9TIoUAOvuLH5RPDEgUbQm21aOEC5ZFTVMsWMXK1y-hyveYbaTLm_s48G5pmbVOIj4PCA84/w426-h640/brian+profile.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank You!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: Times, serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
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<!--[endif]--></span></div>...on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460204319746842255.post-10635348216767260292019-01-14T16:34:00.001-07:002019-01-17T19:46:53.826-07:00Annual Planning ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-uiBg6Al4g06TQQyiSiAoZ3iuualWzwjFzPBLPqEBQg8mIkUBmzCiewJmktoSbhlBdAeNyet4x70QGEQulRoSKl_1OY1aoWplwbw-zwhyrcyV3DjGyDGXIgAOUJ2pbPJZAyBSrEZdEg/s1600/Grayscale+on+Transparent.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1600" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-uiBg6Al4g06TQQyiSiAoZ3iuualWzwjFzPBLPqEBQg8mIkUBmzCiewJmktoSbhlBdAeNyet4x70QGEQulRoSKl_1OY1aoWplwbw-zwhyrcyV3DjGyDGXIgAOUJ2pbPJZAyBSrEZdEg/s200/Grayscale+on+Transparent.png" width="200" /></a></div>
So, this is our year. This is the year we achieve those goals. This is the year where we make our mark. Many of us have created some sort of plan- maybe a New Years Resolution, some sort of racing and training goals for the coming year. These athletic goals focus around races and events we have scheduled and signed up for. Maybe you won a coveted spot in one of the Ultra Lotteries, or you are attempting your first 50k, or 5k. They all need a plan. Most likely you have made a resolution before, and on occasion you started at training day one and train your butt off till training day 260 (this year Aug 17th) and nailed your event! Let's be real here... that rarely happens. Ask me how I know...?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"A goal without a plan is just a wish" Antoine de Saint-Exupéry</span></i></b></blockquote>
From training day one to that race on your calendar there is so much wiggle room, so many opportunities to fall prey to defeat."I will start tomorrow", or "on Monday.." All that negative self doubt that maybe "I cant...." Well, I believe you CAN and I have a couple ideas on how you can better prepare yourself and plan ahead. I try and think of my year of training as an ultramarathon. I try and plan for it similarly to an ultra in a couple of ways:<br />
<br />
1. How to eat an elephant (ask my friend Reid!). It's tough for me to think of a 100 mile ultramarathon in its entirety, even though I have completed a few. Just standing at the starting line and thinking that I have 100 miles ahead of me is overwhelming. I really have to micromanage the miles into shorter chunks, 10-12 mile sections, or aid station to aid station. My annual training plan needs the same attention. I need to break it down to smaller blocks that allow me to focus on a specific section as well as check in with my goals for progress and alignment. I break it down to monthly blocks and create a working plan for that one month. I try and test myself with 2-3 challenges for any particular month. The first one I map out is directly related to my goal(s). It may be a distance for training or a particular amount of hours of training in the month. In peak season I have done speed challenges as well as vertical gain challenges. Whatever your goal, this first challenge is a good part of the direct work needed to get you there. The second monthly challenge is indirect- its a challenge that will test you. I like this one. I have tried 15 minutes of daily meditation every day in the month, a push up challenge for the month, drinking only water, a 30 day yoga practice, starting and finishing a book.. It's a challenge, and, if completed, will make the mental mind tougher. The obvious other healthy benefits are an added bonus. I have already forgot what I did a month ago today, and so it's easy to let even these monthly challenges slip by- I try and write down a quick note on how my day was vs my monthly map. At the end of my week I will put together a recap using the daily notes and check for alignment. All of this breaks the season down into bite size pieces. This is the ground level perspective.<br />
<br />
2. Don't go out to fast. This is said at the start of every ultramarathon..and do I take heed? Not very often... I (sorta) redeem myself by practicing this within my annual goals at least. It is so easy to go lickety-split into these annual goals. They are fresh and you have a full head of steam! Remember, it's a long season. Training day 259 is quite a few monthly blocks away. Motivation is great but if you are diving into your training hard right now- can you sustain it? Can you make it to the finish, mentally and physically healthy? This one gives you the birds eye view, from slightly above. These monthly blocks can be created ahead of time to spread the training amongst them as to ensure proper proportion as well as building on each other. Next months training map will build on this current one, and so on. The idea is not to do July's work in January. Maybe I can take my own advice in my next ultra...?<br />
<div>
<br />
3. Have a plan B, and a plan C. This is the window seat, the 10,000 ft view, peering into the big picture. Even in the most perfect of training seasons, events on race day can fall apart. There are so many variables in running 100 miles over 24 or more hours. So much can change, some within yourself and some external issues can arise and change your race. In ultrarunning as well as in your annual plan...and for that matter, in life- You have to be flexible. You have to roll with the punches and adapt to changes that life throws at you. This isn't your hall pass to walk away from your goals when your tired and lose motivation, when it gets tough, but more an understanding that things will not go according to plan. You may not get Tuesdays workout in- you better have a good reason, but it may not happen. Don't sweat it- move on and do what you can. Be willing to realign your goals if needed. Be willing to change the plan when it's not working for you anymore. It's ok.<br />
<br />
There are so many ways to get to that starting line. My hope is that you get one thing from my suggestions that helps you plan your season, and finds you at the top of your game at that starting line. Enjoy the Journey!<br />
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...on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460204319746842255.post-69522938848786651792018-12-01T23:17:00.001-07:002018-12-02T07:44:44.854-07:00Still...A Pretty Good Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: Brian Passenti, standing and outdoor" src="https://scontent.fapa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/31120756_2024992117529694_2185346919217878014_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_ht=scontent.fapa1-1.fna&oh=07a8753e221c95e58edf6d2913a7d86e&oe=5CAD69D7" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fruita Trail Festival</td></tr>
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Mid April I competed in the Fruita Trail Festival by Gemini Adventures. I raced the 50k with a fair result as well as volunteered the next day to help with the half marathon. Reid and his crew work day and night to make all their events special, and it shows.<br />
<br />
I am a race pacer for Beast Pacing. You know- the runners that carry the sign for a target finish time or pace.- that's me. Its such a rewarding experience and a great way for me to give back to my running community as well as get a workout in! Early May I paced the Colorado Marathon with the 4 hour finisher group. Mid July brought me to "...a place where the beer flows like wine, where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. A little place called Aspen..."-<i style="font-weight: bold;">Lloyd </i> I<i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>paced the Aspen Valley Half Marathon. I attempted to pace the 3:50 group at Boulder Backroads Marathon too soon after another race and had to pull the plug at mile 23 and hitch a ride to the finish. Luckily, no runners were impacted by my inability... and my last race of this season was Denver's Hot Chocolate 15k (9.3 miles) as the 7 minute per mile pace group. Its always a good time with the Beast crew!<br />
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I tagged another three trips up Mt. Sopris... That middle one was a bit sketchy as Thomas and I spooked a mountain lion out of a tree...otherwise, I just love this place...<br />
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I ran the inaugural Sunny Half- a half marathon in and around Sunlight Mtn Ski Resort with 3k vert total in late July.<br />
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I ran the Snowmass Loop and found myself face to face with a big cinnamon bear...<br />
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I tagged the new rerouted South Elbert trail this fall after our friends exchanged vows.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: 2 people, including Brian Passenti, people standing, sky, mountain, tree, outdoor and nature" height="320" src="https://scontent.fapa1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/42778453_2262647860430784_4636689282210201600_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_ht=scontent.fapa1-2.fna&oh=3f5ad082cc6e136d696aa486c36ee91a&oe=5C9F6B2D" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="256" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Above the lake in Leadville</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image may contain: outdoor" height="320" src="https://scontent.fapa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/41968114_2245857148776522_429009242221969408_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&_nc_ht=scontent.fapa1-1.fna&oh=361460f50d5e47516f6a9fdfbffe97a0&oe=5CA2EB23" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="256" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt Elbert</td></tr>
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The biggest of my athletic goal was the Leadman series. 5 races escalating in difficulty finishing with my favorite, the Leadville Trail 100 Run. This was a challenging series and I found myself chasing cutoffs in both the 100 mile mountain bike race and 100 mile run. All in all I finished, not as high as I first had hoped but I still got it done.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent.fapa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/39622229_2207944239234480_3612800311845978112_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_ht=scontent.fapa1-1.fna&oh=43b0e05e2f85920edb71d70f53a88a35&oe=5CA9A173" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image may contain: 3 people, including Brian Passenti, people smiling, people standing" border="0" height="400" src="https://scontent.fapa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/39622229_2207944239234480_3612800311845978112_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&_nc_ht=scontent.fapa1-1.fna&oh=43b0e05e2f85920edb71d70f53a88a35&oe=5CA9A173" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new Leadman Pick Axe- Dig Deep!</td></tr>
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We spent a lot of the summer in Leadville with my races, a family camping trip, and a wedding. We took a short family vacation this fall to Disney Land. This was a quick drive to Cali with stops in Vegas to "get out and stretch the legs". One day at the park and the other spent at the beach. Fun was had by everyone!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent.fapa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/43952503_2281640368531533_8782085037911703552_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_ht=scontent.fapa1-1.fna&oh=72b5e6e41f3cd3a34f40bd363b4e28a7&oe=5CABA645" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image may contain: one or more people and people sitting" border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent.fapa1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/43952503_2281640368531533_8782085037911703552_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_ht=scontent.fapa1-1.fna&oh=72b5e6e41f3cd3a34f40bd363b4e28a7&oe=5CABA645" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Splash Mountain!</td></tr>
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<br />
I am on my third job this year-<br />
I was working with the Recreation Center in Snowmass Village for a few years and left in April. I took a retail managers position at a local store selling shoes and left there in September. I am current getting paid to install solar for commercial and residential applications...<br />
I have bounced around a bit this year, and not sure where I will wind up. Prior to this year I've had two jobs for 17 years, so not really a comfortable or common situation for me to put myself in. These are all great places to work. I guess I'm still unsure what I want to be when I grow up...<br />
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What I didn't do- I didn't get a 4 pass loop in- circumnavigating around the Maroon Bells, I didn't get to stand on the top of a 14,000 ft mountain that I haven't done before, I didn't get to Moab for that desert trip, I didn't visit the San Juan Mountains, I didn't get the girls out to camp off the grid, I didn't leave enough time for that weekend getaway with my wife...</div>
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These things that I didn't get done will still be there for our next adventures, still there for the taking. The list ebbs and flows and inevitably will overflow as it does every off-season. With the completed and yet to complete... still... a pretty good year...</div>
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And so.., today is December 1st. The last month of the year, but more so- the beginning of my 2019 campaign. With almost 8 weeks off from structured training, I was able to put on 12-14 lbs...and I'm not too worried about it. Today was a 3.5 mile snowshoe and just like first days of most things, it hurt. I walked a bit, I looked around and took in the surroundings, and I even brought the dog who cant keep up when I am in better shape. I<span style="font-family: sans-serif;">t's not always going to be an easy and painless process.</span> Regardless if I hit my target goal for the upcoming season or not, I always try to enjoy the journey...</div>
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<a href="https://youtu.be/xr8auZq-Xn8" target="_blank">Pretty Good Year Tori Amos</a></div>
...on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460204319746842255.post-5256753351566178362018-05-27T06:29:00.000-06:002018-05-27T06:29:59.199-06:00Life with running<br />
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I read a lot about running and recently have been reading about recovering addicts. I also read about people who find running and it changes their lives. The best is when a recovering addict finds running. I think those stories are great. I sometime wish that I had similar stories of finding sport. Mine is just slightly different...</div>
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I started running at a very early age. I was probably only seven or eight years old. I ran on the local track team my dad helped coach. I got my start as a sprinter because that's what my older brother did. I was mediocre. After two or so seasons, I got my chance to run the mile, and that's when I found running...</div>
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After that first mile... <br />
That was it...<br />
I was hooked and never ran less than the 800m again. </div>
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That single mile would change my life in so many ways that I didn't even know of at the time. </div>
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I loved every minute of running at that age. I would get lost in the tree tops from the high. I would get lost for hours running through the North Jersey burbs for "training". I had no structure, no training plan, no tapering or periodization, I could just run. It was simple then...</div>
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I've run ever since. I have run almost my entire adult life. Some years I might have run just a couple hundred miles the entire year, and others over 2,000 miles. On more than a dozen of those years I even added in swimming and biking when I was a triathlete... But I've always had running. <br />
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I'm not a fair weather runner. Actually pretty far from it. I prefer the elements, the tougher the better. Blizzard conditions, -10 below zero, over a hundred degrees, bring it on...I can remember my run in the rain on my wedding day just as well as I remember my run on the day of my friends passing. I can easily recall running to the finish with my girls after a week long <a href="http://brianpassenticolorado.blogspot.com/2017/06/desert-rats-stage-race-recap.html" target="_blank">stage race</a>. It's not always easy for me though. I struggle with motivation, fitness, time, burnout and over-training... When I do overcome those obstacles, the act of running is still simple. Fresh air, heart pumping, lungs burning... running.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fKVwZMoBci1euztxAJV5hz5DCtlrPZr8USVOQmKAsMpcv8cyp8byUB7NKJQx5CTGasE43JJwA2op7gqelZImwtbduNLd6QacmyQK7dR0I6NsjiONiWRUwBdxMjzIzE9mAujQtv2PeLg/s1600/east+of+aspen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fKVwZMoBci1euztxAJV5hz5DCtlrPZr8USVOQmKAsMpcv8cyp8byUB7NKJQx5CTGasE43JJwA2op7gqelZImwtbduNLd6QacmyQK7dR0I6NsjiONiWRUwBdxMjzIzE9mAujQtv2PeLg/s320/east+of+aspen.jpg" width="240" /></a>I have used running to shake off a hangover. I have used running as transportation. I have used running to get lost and explore.I have used running to help keep me grounded. It's been there for me through the thick and thin.Running has always been a part of me, that thing I can just do. That thing I can always rely on to be there to clear my head of all other thoughts and just move. Running gives me that mental reset. Running gives me that endorphin rush, that high that I've chased for so many years. I work through my lifes' problems while running. I find answers to lifes' riddles that puzzle me otherwise.</div>
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Life for me without running is hard to imagine. Even though I have to work harder now to achieve my goals, eat right, structure my season, running is still just as enjoyable as it was back on that track so many years ago... I am thankful that I've had running for so many years of my life and have used it at times when I've needed it most. </div>
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So... I will set my alarm...set out my running clothes tonight... and chase away those negative thoughts...the self doubt... and attack my run tomorrow.</div>
...on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460204319746842255.post-6408211191125238742018-02-25T18:19:00.000-07:002018-02-25T18:20:54.118-07:00Reflections... <br />
<img height="484" src="https://media3.picsearch.com/is?NTI3ocCZpKYQwFR7d5JJheORHqlbIhQ_7jyeU-ZRXd0&height=259" width="640" /><br />
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25 years ago...<br />
The train windows flash the passing stations creating the effect that we're moving faster than reality...<br />
The train car rattles and softly sways giving opposite sensations of complete loss of control and slight comfort. The rhythms collide and become hypnotic. It's midnight, or so...and I'm just trying to get to Port Authority. My heart is racing and my body is perspiring from my angst and the warmth of the subway platform. My mind has slowed...almost at ease, calm. Hypnotic...<br />
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Colorado Trail...<br />
The beam of light from my headlamp creates tunnel vision and at this point its entrancing. My peripherals are lost in the shadows and the overhead cover of the forest makes an even tighter squeeze of the night. It's midnight, or so...and I'm just trying to get to May Queen Aid.The trail falls with twists and turns, rocks and roots, making my pace both an uncontrolled stumble and something closer to running. My heart is in a race and racing, but my head is calm and focused. The rhythms collide and become hypnotic.<br />
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...and then it becomes familiar. I've felt this before...I've survived this before...and now I am reliving it. Totally different, but just the same. In this moment, I am both scared and invincible.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tunnel Vision</td></tr>
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These two moments couldn't be farther from each other.... The first is my recollection of running wild in NYC. With my head full of cocaine I was riding the A Train out of Spanish Harlem.The second is mile 83 of the Leadville Trail 100. I am bombing down one of the tricky sections of trail racing the clock.<br />
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These addictions are similar in that I'm chasing the high and that my tolerances leave me wanting more, needing more. My mind is comfortable with the chaos and feels at ease while the world moves at a different rhythm. I love that section of trail even after 85 miles and I loved that train ride as much.<br />
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I no longer use those substances and choose to find my highs in sport and life. I am fortunate to have these as an outlet. My outcome could have been so much worse.<br />
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By no means am I promoting either of these as "healthy". These are just my experiences and how I see the similarities...<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQeMxWjpr-Y&t=3m5s" target="_blank">Midnight by Coldplay</a><br />
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<br />...on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460204319746842255.post-37849713437524186592018-02-01T19:19:00.001-07:002018-02-02T07:41:34.274-07:00Om Shanti...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_ToQGCt3FXUu2M4lcgp5x9GOQmM7muQc5rem27-74mJ0_3wGwv4mSXAXBdpxbawAvmod6IMGhVjs5AG0PePN6WGL3lmZyy-eak8d0qJ-yrHnI71hLAyQo8jMeNxjMZxGBbQwfR4t1ok/s1600/IMG_0403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD_ToQGCt3FXUu2M4lcgp5x9GOQmM7muQc5rem27-74mJ0_3wGwv4mSXAXBdpxbawAvmod6IMGhVjs5AG0PePN6WGL3lmZyy-eak8d0qJ-yrHnI71hLAyQo8jMeNxjMZxGBbQwfR4t1ok/s400/IMG_0403.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ganesha at the Denver Zoo</td></tr>
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I often write about my trail adventures hence the name of this blog. As much as running has changed and shaped my life, I often see running as taking the drivers seat and all others forms of exercise falling to the trunk. I can talk...a lot...about running...<br />
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I was in a yoga class this past week and reflecting... reflecting on how long I've been practicing yoga. I cant actually remember when but I am sure my first class was well over fifteen years ago. I am sure I started because I was a stiff and tight triathlete and I thought that it might help. I remember thinking that I was just there for the physical properties of yoga and all the "Om" stuff was for those other..yogi's. <br />
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It started just that innocently.<br />
It was soon after those first few classes when I recall that one time... the one time that the "Om" actually vibrated... it actually vibrated my body... and my ears...and what seamed like the room!<br />
It was only for a moment and I soon dismissed it as a fluke. I mean, that doesn't really happen... right?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buddha at the Denver Aquarium</td></tr>
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That one vibration...changed the why and how I practice yoga. Sure, there are the physical benefits to an active yoga practice. And sure I stay healthy as a runner and ward off injury when I practice on a regular basis....but those were not the main reasons anymore. I began to learn the translation of some Sanskrit words and feel empowered by their meaning. I began buying books on yoga... and read and reread them. I sought out different types of practices and tried them. I started to hear the messages that were being passed along. I started to see the changes in my mindset. I was transforming...<br />
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...and so back to me reflecting in my sunrise yoga class...and how far I have come... and how the process has manifested into what it is at this current moment. It amazes me how things change, and recreate themselves, into something else entirely.<br />
...And I sit there in my comfortable position thankful that I showed up that first day, and thankful for the encouragement of the practice, and... just thankful...Namaste<br />
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<br />...on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460204319746842255.post-40178976371831501392017-12-24T08:51:00.001-07:002017-12-24T08:51:24.200-07:00Adrenaline Junkies....I get it, the bigger the better. Its the way of our culture. If one is good, then 20 must be mind blowing...<br />
In my athletic experience, 5k's are the gateway to the 10k, and then your finding yourself signing up for that half marathon... Sprint Triathlon to 70.3 Half Ironman... I don't think I'm alone with these thoughts, but I also know that others may not relate.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2008 at Tempe Town Lake</td></tr>
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I've been there- done that- all the way through the Ironman to the 100 mile run... but where does it end? When will it all be enough?<br />
If its not the distance, its a Personal Best. Speed and distance are interchangeable for me, for these "Natural Progressions". As options continue to grow in race distances, so do I in the desire to try and race faster than my previous PB. I often drift off in thought of how awesome a 3 hour marathon finish would be and of completing some of the worlds toughest endurance foot races... Boston in 2019, the Badwater 135, oooh...and the Moab 240...But would those be enough? Could I just mic drop and walk off?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2010 in Winfield</td></tr>
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I get a huge sense of accomplishment from these event, and even more so the harder or tougher they are. Ironman was a 5 year plan for me. I raced my first Sprint Triathlon in 2001 and realized my dreams of an Ironman were possible at that awards lunch. "Anything Is Possible" is the Ironman mantra for a reason... But soon after these events I find myself still looking, still searching. That sense of completion and accomplishment doesn't end there, it leaves me wanting more. But more of what?<br />
This past summer, as I was completing one of the tougher events I've done, I found myself daydreaming of even tougher longer events. As I brought my mind back to the present moment, it got me thinking that I may never answer this question. This process will be as long as it needs to be to see the end.<br />
I was recently asked what my best race is. My thought out answer is that my best race is in front of me. It hasn't happened yet. My best might be my next half marathon or 50 miler, or another one of my bucket list adventures. When it happens, that best race is only a short lived moment as I will shoot for something even better, faster, farther...<br />
It's that dangly carrot that I continue to chase...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The constant pursuit... </td></tr>
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...on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460204319746842255.post-47770063080572376232017-12-10T19:20:00.000-07:002018-05-16T06:34:42.336-06:00Onward and Upwards...<b><i> * Updated 5.15.18*</i></b><br />
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<b><i>It's been 18 months of sobriety and so much good has come from it! When I think about my drinking, I can't recall any good that had come from it... a couple fun times but mostly pain and struggles. This story below was the breaking point for me. I had known that I needed to change, but was waiting for a moment, an event to define the need for action. Boy did I get lucky.</i></b></div>
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Wow...<br />
A year...<br />
December 9th, 2016<br />
...sometimes it feels like yesterday and a lifetime ago, both wrapped up in the same moment.<br />
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That night started like many of the nights before it. Dinner with the family in town, and drinks. Back to the house, and a few more drinks. I ride my bike to the neighbors, and drink more....<br />
...and then its blank...<br />
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That's the routine. Sometimes a bit different, maybe the bar, or a party of sorts, some type of gathering, anything really. It wasn't that I needed a reason, I could find one.<br />
...this time was different though...<br />
This time I crash my bike and I'm hurt badly.<br />
This time I need surgery to fix my drinking problem.<br />
This time my face looks so bad that my girls are afraid of me.<br />
This time somethings gotta change....<br />
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They say that hind sight is 20-20 and if I'm being truthful with myself, my drinking was out of control. It's hard to see clearly in the middle of the storm. This particular moment wasn't the first sign, but the straw...<br />
I feel fortunate that this was my outcome, that I didn't hurt anyone else, physically. Like many of us, I have many more flaws to work through.Without alcohol to hide behind, its much easier to get moving in the right direction.<br />
Sometimes you get an opportunity to look at a failure as a time to grow. This is that for me.<br />
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I tell people now that I broke my face, and quite literally I did. I broke a bad habit too...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my Girls- post surgery</td></tr>
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...on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460204319746842255.post-64642497705535532602017-10-18T15:19:00.000-06:002017-10-20T13:02:04.741-06:00Limitless...<div dir="ltr">
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I had an idea about this post. I had some notes written down. I was going to fill it with boring stuff for most of you...excuses of my DidNotFinish at Run Rabbit Run 100...finishing Chicago's Marathon...end of season racing plans...and my hopes and dreams of next years season. Even as I read what I just wrote, it sounds boring...vanilla.<br />
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This past weekend, I witnessed something purely amazing. The inaugural Moab 240 mile endurance run. That's not a misprint- <b>240 MILES</b>, they rounded up from the actual mileage of 238.3 miles. I volunteered myself to pace a new friend who was attempting to complete the triple crown of 200+ mile events, this being the last in the trifecta. I wanted to see it for myself and only a few hours drive away, why not!<br />
What a privilege it was.<br />
The perseverance of achieving such a feet was incredible to witness. These athletes' heart, strength, and determination is immeasurable and contagious. They show the pure essence of limitless and how the mind is our only barrier. Beyond words...<br />
Mike did amazing finishing third at the event and winning the triple crown! Congrats!!</div>
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The Ironman World Championships in Kona Hawaii was this past Saturday as well. This race has so much history. Canadian Lionel Sanders was second overall as well as owning the second fastest bike split on that course. He was passes at mile 23 of the marathon, less that 5k from winning the World Championship. In his race recap, he says it only motivates him to do more...What a humble competitor.<br />
German Jan Frodeno was the favorite to win as the two time defending champ wearing race number 1. It wasn't his day. He stopped and walked a bit of the run dealing with hamstring/lower back pains. He didn't quit though. He persevered through to finish. Even in discomfort and the loss of glory, he managed to honor himself and all the competitors by going on.<br />
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I can only hope to learn from these experiences. I can hope to use my experiences as motivation. I can hope to persevere through. I can hope that my mind can take my body, when my body hesitates.</div>
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Lionel Sanders:<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , , serif;">"From my experience, it appears that there are no limits, other than the self-created and imposed ones that only exist in your mind."</span><br />
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...on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460204319746842255.post-80761800640468529452017-08-31T21:15:00.001-06:002017-09-01T20:56:20.786-06:00...And Miles To Go Before I Sleep. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This has been one helluva season of racing and training. My running has brought me to all sorts of new places as well as revisiting some old stomping grounds. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maroon Bells "road" run in winter</td></tr>
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In January, I began a challenge of running everyday for the month. It's design was to get a quick bit of fitness to pace a friend at Rocky Raccoon 100. I did my challenge and then ran 87 consecutive days after totaling 118 days and 709 miles. </div>
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February brought me to that pacing gig - didn't pan out for my friend and I was only able to get a ten miler in at Huntsville State Park. It's always nice to wear shorts and a tank in February though!</div>
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April 1st Thomas and I knocked out the Zion Traverse. That has been a long standing bucket list run. Read my post about it <a href="http://brianpassenticolorado.blogspot.com/2017/04/91-and-zion-traverse_5.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zion</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angels Landing Zion</td></tr>
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June brought with it the Ragnar Trail Relay in Snowmass Village. Racing on a team of family, and new and old friends was exciting.Our non-competitive team was 8th overall! A few weeks later I raced the Desert RATS Kokopelli 150 stage race. This was another bucket list route (failed miserably twice on single push bike attempts). What an awesome experience! I met so many new friends and pushed myself to new limits. Another post about this week can be found <a href="http://brianpassenticolorado.blogspot.com/2017/06/desert-rats-stage-race-recap.html" target="_blank">here.</a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kokopelli Trail</td></tr>
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In July, I got a taste of "wild and tough". I had planned to pace a friend at the Hardrock 100. Again, that didn't pan out. I did manage to volunteer for trail clean up and thoroughly enjoyed some new friends and checking out all the hype of Hardrock. It did not disappoint. I am hooked and will be back to volunteer until I can get in. I summit-ed my local Mt. Sopris as well as ran up to Sunlight Ski Resort and did two laps of the 4 Pass Loop, all on the regular circuit for local trail running.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last Pass of the 4 Pass Loop</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Island Lake</td></tr>
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August brought on the Leadville Trail 100. This race is what started it all for me as an ultra runner. I did not get to toe the line this time. My role was crew and pacer, and again, my runner didn't make it...I did enjoy the racer meeting and camping with my newly engaged friends and watching the race from the role of crew. I did two scouting missions to Steamboat Springs, running on some new to me trails and exploring. I also made an attempt at the Ten Mile Traverse, running the ridge of peaks 1-10 from Frisco to Breckenridge. I only got peaks 1-8...It will stay on the bucket list...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ten Mile Traverse</td></tr>
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<br>As I reflect back on my year in running, I can't help but to be grateful for all the places it has taken me. In the next few days I will be toeing the line for the Run Rabbit Run 100 in Steamboat Springs, Co. Its a big deal to me. I have put in a lot of work for this. It will be the culmination of an entire training season, 9+ months. It is not the end though. It's just another stepping stone in the journey.... </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and miles to go...</td></tr>
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...on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460204319746842255.post-77033079510631848782017-06-29T20:40:00.001-06:002017-06-29T20:57:26.863-06:00Desert RATS Stage Race-Recap<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8G6GSdk7pn2RSJZcEdM5asP_5cmLKmMCa55KQkyoI_lrbdU2d7bRqijiFtc1TJ_XbwCPtQMYP_mOFWIw7YzK0ugJQwTxfpLzMpi90O3rr61whD0ZED0OysimF3_2JsMQ7wdv9DINFETU/s1600/DesertRATS_2017_Day4-72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8G6GSdk7pn2RSJZcEdM5asP_5cmLKmMCa55KQkyoI_lrbdU2d7bRqijiFtc1TJ_XbwCPtQMYP_mOFWIw7YzK0ugJQwTxfpLzMpi90O3rr61whD0ZED0OysimF3_2JsMQ7wdv9DINFETU/s640/DesertRATS_2017_Day4-72.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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My feet are raw, really raw. Specifically my heals. I have hardened callus skin on most of my toes. Basically dried out blisters. I am sure I will lose two of the toe nails. My calf is tight, the right one. My left is much worse. My quads are literally peeling, sunburnt. My shoulders too. I'm driving eastbound. I was in this same spot a week ago, but westbound. I can see sections of the course. I have a much greater respect for the trail seven days later.</div>
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Seven days before.<br />
Strawberry Shortcut 10k<br />
I awake and slip out the door without disturbing any of the relatives visiting for the annual Strawberry Days Festival. With coffee in hand I drive to town for the locals foot race. This year will be a little different as I have a new team kit to sport. I'm in town for the annual 10k foot race. A little locals race of about 100 athletes. I heard a rumor of a new course and that was true. Pretty standard meet and greet around the makeshift start line and then we're off! I accomplish my goals, but my mind is already wandering..., wondering..., with anticipation... for the week to come...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">start at Loma</td></tr>
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Six days before.<br />
Stage 1- Salt Creek<br />
This stage was pretty familiar for me as I have trained and raced on the first 12 miles of this 19 mile stage. Mary's, Lions loop, Troy built, all really flow-y single track fun. Crossing the Salt creek on the pedestrian bridge to the finish was all new terrain for me. I floated in the creek to cool the core temp and it was really helpful. The climb out of Salt Creek was obnoxious. I was pleased to see the aid station at the crown and the two track road to the finish of the stage.<br />
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Five days prior<br />
Stage 2-<br />
"If pain is weakness leaving the body, then this can only make me stronger."<br />
The days mantra for me was pivotal in the work being done. Two-track roads and some pavement sections were in order for the 38 mile stage. This day proved to be the warmest of the week. I struggled in the heat and was unsure if it was actually hot, or if my issues were with the cumulative miles of three days of consecutive racing. John confirmed for me that it was indeed hot! I owned my mantra through my rough times and worked them out. I thought about our soldiers who have braved warmer climates with much more than some silly stage race on the line. My day was successful, but many others did not have the same results. Our incredible medical team had recorded temps of 121 degrees on the pavement. I kept a steady constant pace as best as possible but the third day of racing was taking its toll. We all eventually made it back to camp safe and tired. I heard stories of great teamwork, camaraderie, and looking out for each other. They all played into the days events. This ultra community is simply amazing.<br />
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Four days earlier<br />
Stage 3- Sprint stage<br />
This is the shortest of the stages at 9 miles. No one, including myself, wanted to sprint. We all took the short stage to recover and just survive to day 4. The route has spectacular views of the Colorado River and had a little more climbing than I would have expected, but still less than 1,000 ft. After the few hours of running, we all enjoyed the river at Dewey Bridge. The participants were relaxed and the work crew was flawless, like a well oiled machine. The sites and sounds made me think of a traveling circus, a good one, if there is such a thing. We were becoming a tribe.<br />
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Three days ago<br />
Stage 4- Expedition Stage<br />
"It's going to be OK."<br />
This stage was the pinnacle of the week. The 7,750 ft of gain over the 42 miles was enough to get my attention. I carried extra water, lights, as well as a shell... you never know... This was my day. The best day I was to have on the trail. I stuck to my nutrition plan and actually enjoyed the run. This section was the most scenic of all the days, and it did not disappoint. A grey fox was spotted playing on the rocks near the start and that was the just the beginning. It got hot, but I kept my cool about me. When the course topped out at 8300 ft. I had a bit of a break down, a good one. I enjoyed the view.I thought about the opportunities that I have been given and that I have created for myself. I thought about my family and my friends sending all those positive vibes from afar. I enjoyed the open trail and one of my favorite albums, singing most of the way down. I did fry my quads pretty good and needed to walk backwards down Castle Valley Boulevard in the steepest of descends.<br />
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Two days prior<br />
Rest day<br />
Ahhh, the well needed, well deserved rest day. AKA, the calorie and hydration game!! It was an amazing day of relaxing on Sandy beach and eating, and eating... It was nice to be able to clean up and take care of our bodies. A hidden waterfall off camp was so nice and refreshing.<br />
<br />
Yesterday<br />
Stage 5- The Marathon<br />
" I am the only one who can bring me down. No one else has that power"<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQs_G-DjxGuyYStvqe1Djh_xkqFEhq86CuoZgiq-kKtSpgHzut4OxU-4jauMmegLHkhaMqObCHxeFa6kJbP0y9UATkJdKX5NrSw_1R4nVmDwWqw4Y_w0syqcfDTnVoC4hpNXiGkRqei2g/s1600/DesertRATS_2017_Day6-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQs_G-DjxGuyYStvqe1Djh_xkqFEhq86CuoZgiq-kKtSpgHzut4OxU-4jauMmegLHkhaMqObCHxeFa6kJbP0y9UATkJdKX5NrSw_1R4nVmDwWqw4Y_w0syqcfDTnVoC4hpNXiGkRqei2g/s200/DesertRATS_2017_Day6-11.jpg" width="133" /></a>I was able to do my homework for this stage on the rest day. It starts out with a 10k climb before falling to the finish 20 miles later. There is an out and back section on the famous Porcupine Rim Trail that climbs 750 ft in the 2.5 miles. Pick up your stone and return to the aid station and then your home free- sounds simple-ish, right? Nothing ever is...<br />
Destroyed myself on the climb, because..., that's my thing. I like to climb. I wanted to cruise the down and get 'er done, but I had a feeling about the stone. Man, was I right. Upon my arrival, my stone seamed out of place, larger you might say than the others. I didn't hesitate. I didn't think twice. I accepted the challenge and moved on, moved through it. " No one but me..." I owned that stone.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Its MY rock!!</td></tr>
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After leaving my rock at the aid station, there was only a rolling descend to the Slick Rock parking lot. That 10k was bittersweet. I thought about the week, these people, this tribe. I thought about how I didn't want it to end, the circus. I thought about the challenges we all accepted to push ourselves, push our comfort levels. I thought about my own journey to this moment. I thought about my girls at the finish, waiting for me. I put on my music and start to sing...<br />
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My feet are raw, really raw. Specifically my heals. I have hardened callus skin on most of my toes. I roll the windows down and find my album. I think about my girls. I put on my music and start to sing...</div>
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<br />...on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460204319746842255.post-33221230032098031382017-04-05T12:05:00.000-06:002017-04-14T09:07:52.728-06:00#91 and the Zion Traverse<div>
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<h2>
Zion Traverse</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLiGuxBauakaZxSN80_XQOMWwefiM5TcO-bhjZ0gWGLCKJLJWmFaNdzQzaDFA1B4kkiG3Tev97tN5g6LKXDh7TRLMbu_pKLmwiZoiNbt8aaVY6C5hPjUd6aKSCq37tCND1hTHKk4uiL4/s640/blogger-image-646053434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLiGuxBauakaZxSN80_XQOMWwefiM5TcO-bhjZ0gWGLCKJLJWmFaNdzQzaDFA1B4kkiG3Tev97tN5g6LKXDh7TRLMbu_pKLmwiZoiNbt8aaVY6C5hPjUd6aKSCq37tCND1hTHKk4uiL4/s640/blogger-image-646053434.jpg" /></a></div>
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The Day Before...<br />
Its raining. The wipers are on full speed. I'm not the kind of guy who overly uses the wipers in any car- so that's not the issue. It is wind and rain just at the slushy hail like state, and its coming down hard in this stretch of Utah. Just a few hours ago, Thomas and I were running around in what we thought was rattlesnake canyon...turned out to be devils canyon at the western edge of Colorado. We got a little "lost" so we down climbed to another trail to make it back to the car to continue on with the plan. And the plan...Zion Traverse. Tomorrow. East to West. 48 miles.<br />
We drive and it rains, and rains, ....and rains. We try sleeping in our cars at the Lee Pass trail-head and it rains, and rains... I cant help but think that this is a lost trip- that we will eek out a ten miler on some overly populated trail and call it good. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning Start- Isn't promising...</td></tr>
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Morning! Off to a good start!<br />
We get moving just after 6am, after driving one of our cars to the East Rim trail-head on the other side of the park. Last nights rain has subsided to thick fog and dampens the sandy sections. We'll take it. We cruise the first climb easily and then begin the quick decent into the lowest point of the course, The Lodge. Just before the Lodge we turn up the switched path of Angels Landing. We are in the thick of tourists and it doesn't feel much like the epic trail run I had dreamt of. Thomas sets into a ridiculously quick pace and is chatting with the tourists in passing. <br />
I'm out of my comfort zone. <br />
The pace is to quick for me. <br />
There are too many tourists. <br />
A guy from Canadia slows Thomas down with conversation and I am able to rejoin them near the saddle.Wow. The saddle is filled with more... I cant muster up the mental fortitude to deal with all these tourists on the narrow trail to the top of Angels Landing- Its not really part of the trail anyway. We carry on the West Rim Trail.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKoHg6zAqB_mrsQqKbXclEkCvomNBhlHe4VWOpCUcpaQlCiwLFTVY10b6-8RcEuFzCu7pgrIMsCD64INafkbFFm33A55mDvn8MmJeZdgGLvhOh6waD6UbOypBWmMpuMuNBt31-Clv2eE/s640/blogger-image-1043037401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVKoHg6zAqB_mrsQqKbXclEkCvomNBhlHe4VWOpCUcpaQlCiwLFTVY10b6-8RcEuFzCu7pgrIMsCD64INafkbFFm33A55mDvn8MmJeZdgGLvhOh6waD6UbOypBWmMpuMuNBt31-Clv2eE/s400/blogger-image-1043037401.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsLENXJA7Rrns89Q0dEqraKHiuLlP9lz9YBcrPs3GR40wYKoAeSapmBHf7aGkNIEYO8MKXSJLIBeUDLl0dScNWnC4lgiIOuerRnJcscydDWZqwvhvNgGIZzAZmQm5AnwehFqx2if-x9w/s640/blogger-image-1132821069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsLENXJA7Rrns89Q0dEqraKHiuLlP9lz9YBcrPs3GR40wYKoAeSapmBHf7aGkNIEYO8MKXSJLIBeUDLl0dScNWnC4lgiIOuerRnJcscydDWZqwvhvNgGIZzAZmQm5AnwehFqx2if-x9w/s400/blogger-image-1132821069.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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Darla is awesome! Who's Darla you ask? Darla is my RunGo app! Its an app I was just introduced to through researching route info for this trip. The app does turn by turn voice directions for predetermined routes. The voice is the standard electronic voice of a female, Thomas and I started referring to her as "Darla". She was spot on- didn't miss a turn. Darla prompted us before a turn and then again at the turn. After three or four directions from Darla, we were so confident in her ability to lead us that we even put the map away. She told us when we went off trail, we took the East rim trail as apposed to telephone canyon due to snow. Darla is extra special. She can download a route to your device and be used when off grid. My phone was in airplane mode the entire run, and Darla lead the way. The app was free, but I did upgrade $2 for the month to be able to download routes for offline use. Get this app. Use Darla. "Darla, your a darling"<br />
https://www.rungoapp.com/<br />
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After Angels landing we got to the meat and potatoes of the trail- no more tourists, no more man made paths... just the trail and.. mud, snowy muddy trails. I regain my pace and my composure and return to enjoying the adventure. Luckily the trail has some amazing views to get us through these obnoxiously muddy sections. After I return home I recount the stories for my mother and describe the mud. She remembers and shares my childhood tribulations with mud. I played outside in the dirt more often than not, and mud never bothered me then. Great reminders!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQ-9UAjr8bMfkHXTVmdpgmX7ub3YxAQw3napx79dD-mx4Bzm0Z7Gw9hNGRbHbvPd4wOBwr-qdiCE8mEyn8hLxt_qSR46BpHvTcG8pYZBmNVIQtDu6TVCHE3ri9kEwdllcNMOFa_pcVwY/s640/blogger-image-404489185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPQ-9UAjr8bMfkHXTVmdpgmX7ub3YxAQw3napx79dD-mx4Bzm0Z7Gw9hNGRbHbvPd4wOBwr-qdiCE8mEyn8hLxt_qSR46BpHvTcG8pYZBmNVIQtDu6TVCHE3ri9kEwdllcNMOFa_pcVwY/s200/blogger-image-404489185.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNb7MUaBwJfPZdByIbhkwHUAVSNR4VQ47KVFsAri7oJBbA1bhVPRrjx6mktS5xTTfYVcHslD9sGh0xrpzRzUkhq2L1gwTTJfSQSglwTQKu-ezyQ5M6ecKnHrJYyPCcFrvrKDaMtN_-Ofc/s640/blogger-image--828841619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNb7MUaBwJfPZdByIbhkwHUAVSNR4VQ47KVFsAri7oJBbA1bhVPRrjx6mktS5xTTfYVcHslD9sGh0xrpzRzUkhq2L1gwTTJfSQSglwTQKu-ezyQ5M6ecKnHrJYyPCcFrvrKDaMtN_-Ofc/s200/blogger-image--828841619.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Rim Views ...For Days!<br />
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The rest of the day we maybe saw 10-15 other trail users. Two in particular were a couple from Seattle. We crossed paths at the halfway mark. They were on a four day backpacking trip to see this great park. They insisted that we take some of their water as they were going to fill up in the next half mile which saved us from the out and back of Saw Mill Springs. They are retired and out in the middle of nowhere enjoy each others company. My thoughts drifted to aspiring to be like them, no formal plans, no timeline, just taking it all in. They lift my spirits. What a cool lifestyle.<br />
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With our route change, we were unsure if the mileage would be the same and started second guessing how far the end was. As the sun was near the horizon, Darla spoke up "You are 1 mile from the finish". With that added relief I snapped off a last picture. My legs were heavy and my body tired. I was hungry and muddy. At this point, I couldn't help but think of how long this trip had taken to put into action, how long this epic run has been on my bucket list, how many plans were made that fell through to not get this done earlier...<br />
...In that last mile, I am full.<br />
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During the drive home I start the process again, ...what is next.</div>
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...on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460204319746842255.post-1436097346630317362016-08-25T05:46:00.000-06:002018-01-18T16:48:37.482-07:00Team Passenti- Leadville recap 2016<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Infamous Hope Pass</td></tr>
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It was less than a week ago I was toeing the line of my 6th Leadville Trail 100 run.<br />
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<i>4:00am 6th & Harrison </i><br />
<i>I find some friends in the pack- we wish each other the best of luck- joke for a minute how this sounded like a good idea in January...and we're off!</i><br />
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Already this has started off like your typical race report recap-<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headed out for the creek crossing<br />
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but its not.<br />
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An old friend tells a joke about a pro skier in the lodge bar surrounded by the best looking ski bunnies- He says-</div>
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"Alright, alright ladies, enough about me. Let's talk about you. </div>
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Have YOU ever seen me ski?!?"<br />
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I can talk about running all day long -just ask me.<br />
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This is really about teamwork-<br />
Team Passenti.<br />
Team Passenti is friends and family. This isn't some rookie team. Collectively, we bring over 35 years of racing/pacing/crewing experience at Leadville and now 6 finisher buckles combined. That helps. A lot. <br />
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<i>3:40pm mile 54</i><br />
<i>"Nice work Brian"-Peter</i><br />
<i>I can't look up, again. I want to stop. How far is the top?</i><br />
<i>One foot at a time, just look down...</i><br />
<i>Think they have Swiss? ...and mushrooms?! I bet the Silver Dollar Saloon does..</i><i>STOP looking UP!</i><br />
<i>Bacon too...I want the greasiest one, the one that when you pick it up the juices run down your hand and collect on your elbow till its too heavy and drops, staining your pants. I want a cheeseburger.</i><br />
<i>Down! Keep looking down. Keep moving....</i><i>I can smell it and my mouth tries to salivate, to no avail...just keep moving...</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6uuQGvW7kZRHdYMFDEoYir-119yuLhDedN-m6w-_3lacMwRmFIc3qgt0_WS0n7W5qFha713Jl-BI_lnGJK0zeD6ECdqxOui5fySQXhcVt6pQ0B2xQjQHkoacjLHAyM-vumlRUQYF_iQ/s640/blogger-image--2577915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ6uuQGvW7kZRHdYMFDEoYir-119yuLhDedN-m6w-_3lacMwRmFIc3qgt0_WS0n7W5qFha713Jl-BI_lnGJK0zeD6ECdqxOui5fySQXhcVt6pQ0B2xQjQHkoacjLHAyM-vumlRUQYF_iQ/s640/blogger-image--2577915.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ken Chlouber and Merilee Mauqin!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzwafKfHAm4ccKnIVE3p2IIK0kGzrqibffwndDzARJMUzkr3xTnN6ywn_bgn6SblBlnDevM4FslS4bq5yAdkM9JGcGyZDbR53stC9LefoEHK0VFxF49HusdQI91LLZNQKCzH9U89Db9c/s640/blogger-image--497891315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzwafKfHAm4ccKnIVE3p2IIK0kGzrqibffwndDzARJMUzkr3xTnN6ywn_bgn6SblBlnDevM4FslS4bq5yAdkM9JGcGyZDbR53stC9LefoEHK0VFxF49HusdQI91LLZNQKCzH9U89Db9c/s320/blogger-image--497891315.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Coveted Buckl</td></tr>
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2016 Team Passenti<br />
Katie Passenti: Crew Chief -7th year<br />
Jeff Wissing: Assistant to the Crew Chief/<br />
Assistant to the Party Chief- 1st timer<br />
Amber Wissing: Party Chief/ Pacer- 2nd year<br />
Leanne Evans: Crew/ Pacer- 3rd year<br />
Mark Bauer: Crew/ Pacer- 7th year<br />
Peter Heitzman: Crew/ Pacer- 5th year<br />
Gina Giuliani: Crew/ Shuttle- 1st year<br />
Ken McDonald: Crew/ Shuttle- 5th year<br />
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<br />
<i>3:20am mile 94</i><br />
<i>Wait- what did he just say? Was he talking to me? </i><br />
<i>Did that silhouetted cowboy leaning on the hood of that truck just say something under earshot of our pack? Am I the only one to hear that?</i></div>
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<i>"Better get a movin- times running out..."</i></div>
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<i>He knows it- and I know it too.</i></div>
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<i>"Hey Leanne, did you hear that guy...?"</i></div>
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<i>"No, what guy?"</i><br />
<i>"Lets go-"</i><br />
<br />
I owe you all a HUGE THANK YOU! You selflessly traveled around the course for nearly 26 hours with little rest(understatement) attending to my demands(bigger understatement).<br />
It was even one of our 41st Birthdays! Really. I know you love this race as much as I do though.<br />
We accomplished the goal!<br />
Thank you guys for supporting me along the way and all season. I honestly couldn't do this race without you.Thank you for taking time away from your own lives, families, and passions to support mine. I am indebted to you for this. Words cannot express my feelings, nor my thanks for all your help.<br />
Thank You<br />
<br />
I only stand 5ft 9in tall, but when a small army of friends and family are walking right behind me at mile 99 bringing me home, I stand a bit taller.<br />
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and finally,<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtPeaJkrNwI">Thank you...</a><br />
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I still have yet to get that burger, but I'm sure I will this week...<br />
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...on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460204319746842255.post-26340901547027972332013-02-09T23:54:00.000-07:002013-02-11T13:35:30.149-07:002013 racing and training goalsI recently had the privilege of helping a friend with pacing duties at the Rocky Raccoon 100 in Huntsville State Park, an hour north of Houston. Micky is a veteran distance runner, and he has lofty goals for most of his races. Just two weeks prior, he ran a marathon in Phoenix in 2:55, and wasn't happy with it. Micky and I met at a race, the 2010 Silver Rush 50 in Leadville. We were both using that race to gear up for our first Leadville 100 five weeks later. After the race, we exchanged numbers and have been racing and training together ever since. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0HzUqAaI0E-NbBuc0hbpHFGs8jLNOWqVWV3idP1SGO_DqwO0psD3m2kjG2_1cxjwD98u4itnFvI91LLr8wy9aaA5Un1tVATbA1V1UHVABUZqFNIc9BMj7NLJUVF2_a30QPndvmhSlG8/s1600/Houston.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji0HzUqAaI0E-NbBuc0hbpHFGs8jLNOWqVWV3idP1SGO_DqwO0psD3m2kjG2_1cxjwD98u4itnFvI91LLr8wy9aaA5Un1tVATbA1V1UHVABUZqFNIc9BMj7NLJUVF2_a30QPndvmhSlG8/s320/Houston.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Houston skyline</td></tr>
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My duties were to consist of pacing from miles 60-100, texting Micky's friends and family updates on his progress, and meeting him every 20 mile lap with his personal items. This was to be my first time in this type of role, as usually I am the racer. I was excited to be there and I wasn't alone. The crowd was buzzing with energy too. A lot of warm hugs and words of encouragement are shared prior to the 6am start. 3-2-1...and they're off. The energy is infectious and I quickly remember why I love racing. A flood of adrenaline sends goose bumps to my skin and butterflies to my gut. I have the itch, the drive. I want to race.<br />
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This year, just like Micky, I too have lofty goals for my racing schedule. I have outlined my season around four major races.<br />
<em><strong>1. HITS half Iron-distance triathlon. May 18th in Grand Junction, Co.</strong></em><br />
I really wanted to get a long tri race in this year as I have not raced a triathlon since my 2009 Ironman Arizona finish. May would be hard for me to commit to the full Iron-distance, but I do think that the half will be the perfect season kickoff. Breaking the 5 hr mark would be an ideal goal. I believe that in my triathlon days I was a more well rounded athlete. This HITS race will keep me honest, and force me to swim. <br />
<em><strong> 2. a.Hardrock 100. July 12th-14th in Silverton, Co.</strong></em><br />
Hardrock would be a honor to be able to try.Ultimate goal is to finish before the 48 hr time limit. I have a backup plan for this race because I am 12th on the "first timers" wait list. That's close enough for me to gear my training for that specific race right now. It wont be clear till May or June if I will get in. If I am not brought to the entry list, my backup plan is the Grand Mesa 50.<br />
<em><strong> 2. b.Grand Mesa 50. July 27th in Grand Mesa, Co.</strong></em><br />
The Grand Mesa was a great race last year for me. I used it to get my final miles in before Leadville. A challenging course just a few weeks out from Leadville is the perfect approach.<br />
<em><strong>3. Leadville 100. August 17th in Leadville, Co.</strong></em><br />
I will then toe the line for my fourth start at Leadville. Goal for this one would be another under 25 hr finish, but just to finish is the mission. I love this race. I love this town.<br />
<em><strong>4. ING NYC Marathon. November 3rd in New York, NY</strong></em><br />
My final race of the season will be the New York Marathon. I grew up back east and watched many a NYM finish from behind the barricades in Central Park as a young adult. This will be my first official marathon and I think a 3:10- 3:15 is a reasonable time after an already long season. I would love to be able to just enjoy this one. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivs0ys1HrqvMrbfBmU155-3CmnKJZMgGDJC3GQ5CyZVNyjqSu9lI7YKlbUkJo3VNCiVDkTJtASzxxWqJjWsUKf_saEzGNfUJVbllV_kqOXY9ioYs_2zedXTcBmOM2LD2lImbWlNcauQ6g/s1600/RR+100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivs0ys1HrqvMrbfBmU155-3CmnKJZMgGDJC3GQ5CyZVNyjqSu9lI7YKlbUkJo3VNCiVDkTJtASzxxWqJjWsUKf_saEzGNfUJVbllV_kqOXY9ioYs_2zedXTcBmOM2LD2lImbWlNcauQ6g/s200/RR+100.jpg" width="200" /></a>Unfortunately, Micky rolled an ankle at mile 36 and could no longer go on. He has had a prior injury to that ankle, and there was no "walking it off" this time. I spoke to him a week after the injury and he is healing his wounds. I need him to be well to pace me at Hardrock, this July.<br />
I was only able to run 2 miles in Huntsville State Park, but I came home with a lot more... a renewed drive to race.<br />
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...on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460204319746842255.post-70602024877987111582013-01-24T16:23:00.000-07:002018-01-15T19:02:35.273-07:00Fun<i><b>**UPDATED 1.15.2018**</b></i><br />
<i><b>I wrote this post as my first 5 years ago. As I was tracking out new terrain today on my shoes, I thought about this post. Its crazy how some things are completely different and some haven't changed a bit. Ken and I were out just a few days ago on our snowshoes and pretty similar to 5 years ago, it was impromptu and fun. </b></i><br />
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Fun is a relative term. If you have ever spent half a day with me, you've probably heard me say this; "Fun is relative". Some chose the more popular "fun" activities, like skiing, biking, reading(per my wife), or lounging in our local Hot Springs. But, again, fun is relative. There is plenty of "fun" for all.<br />
The definition of fun:<br />
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<strong>fun</strong> </div>
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1.amusement: a time or feeling of enjoyment or amusement</div>
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2.something amusing: something that provides enjoyment or amusement</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-t4VNTc9q4gIQ87GO5Howun-_hP_2SytX53jXwjcYLbSm0ZX5TqOQHc2vVGQdx7mUsVFUnY_V7RHY_G48McPBWsFwlco1iGsZmuMBA7u6zuRx1shboq54jdl6ZAoGWkIXLoJ3B8S0gU8/s1600/The+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-t4VNTc9q4gIQ87GO5Howun-_hP_2SytX53jXwjcYLbSm0ZX5TqOQHc2vVGQdx7mUsVFUnY_V7RHY_G48McPBWsFwlco1iGsZmuMBA7u6zuRx1shboq54jdl6ZAoGWkIXLoJ3B8S0gU8/s320/The+girls.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the best training partners, under 7 miles...</td></tr>
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This now brings me to the most recent "fun" I encountered with a friend, yesterday. Lets call my friend Ken, simply because well, that's his name. Ken and I have been friends almost as long as I have lived in this mountain town, 13 years. We have biked countless miles together, some seasons more miles than others, and we both share a love of cheap beer. Ken and I set out on an impromptu snowshoe outing on a secret stash of trails/ranch roads in North Glenwood. Nothing out of the norm for us. The day is perfect and so is the trail. But... that's not enough for me.Yes, I was having "fun", but there must be more "fun" out here somewhere? As I check our surroundings, I spot more "fun"! "How are you feeling back there?" I ask Ken. Ken says "good??" with a bit of hesitation. I think he's on to me. "How bout we bushwhack up to the top of that ridge?". Ken obliges, with more hesitation. I am now experiencing more "fun"! I hurry to find a good gap in the sage to navigate to the base, hang my snowshoes on a limb as a reference point for descending, and start my push up. It is muddy(understatement), and the snow slushy(and another...), and there is no clear path which shouldn't surprise anyone reading this, if you know me. Suddenly, I can feel the excitement, adrenalin rushes, and I surge and scramble upwards making my own trail in the direction of the summit. This is "FUN"! I look over at my two best training partners, Cori and Jessy, and their experiencing it as well! Running, diving, digging in the mud as two chocolate labs do best. "FUN" screams across the face of Jessy. It's addictively contagious, and I push even harder, managing to eek out a grin proving that this must be "fun"! I pause to check my surroundings, take in a quick view, search for a hole in the sage to find the next line up, and look back for Ken. He is below mumbling explicits at first, then they aren't mumbles. I spot him, and his body language says it all, not "fun". Seriously, how can this not be "fun"? I wait. He catches up. We talk. He has a half dozen reasons why this was a bad idea, and only one has any validity. He is not having "fun", and that is good enough. We agree that he will head back down, and I will push on for more "fun". I know, I know, not the best idea, but reason gets pushed aside for "fun". We part. I scramble up with a purpose, and eventually reach the rocky outcropping that I had viewed from below, 2,000+ vertical feet above our starting point.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from the ridge of West Glenwood Springs</td></tr>
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Wow. Views. Silence. I rest and praise the dogs, snap a few pics, and head back trying to follow my original line. A little sketchy in spots, but otherwise fast and "fun", I bound down. I can't help but to anticipate my next visit to this rocky ridge line. It's only going to get warmer, and drier, and I might just be faster. Maybe I wont be, but one thing is for sure, it's gonna be "fun!"<br />
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Update: Ken made it home safely. I caught up to him about a mile from our start. He appeared to be having "fun".<br />
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...on the trail...http://www.blogger.com/profile/05346512310087773714noreply@blogger.com0