Hydrating at Tennessee Pass Cafe in downtown Leadville
Ten hours to race start. Tons of chatter on the race this year, who’s gonna run what and how fast and who is the favorite…thanks Rod for keeping me abreast of the gossip. 🙂 What are my thoughts? Well, it’s simple…
It’s 100 miles. No matter how you cut it, it’s a long way. I know who’s running it, but I don’t worry about other runners or who’s who. I’ve always seen it as me against the course. It’s a distance that has to be respected. I don’t have any predictions or grand plans, except to run my own race and let the chips fall where they may. Do I do everything that is within my power to get ready. I’ve been sleeping in an altitude tent for 6 weeks…so, heck yeah.
I’ve trained…but to be honest, I really haven’t had much time to dwell on this race until today (not as much as past races). Life is just too busy right now. I have 3 kids (one is 13 1/2 weeks old today) and a beautiful wife who give me just enough hall passes to race these crazy adventures. So, dwelling on running has not been an option. Period. And that’s okay. Family is always going to be more important than running…and it should be, otherwise life is out of whack.
Will I run hard tomorrow. Yep. Will I leave it all out there. Yep. I owe it to my family to run hard and finish with no regrets. Anything less would be an insult to them. I’ve taken precious time away from them to train. I’ve sacrificed 6 weeks in a tent at night with a baby in the house. (Luckily my wife has been a saint about that part.) I’ve put in the training for this distance. Same volume that I have in the past. That’s all I can do. This will be my 12th hundred miler. I love this distance. It’s hard, it’s complicated, but yet so brutally simple—one foot in front of the other.
I’m honored to be running in the 2nd oldest 100 miler in the country. The pre-race meeting was inspirational. To be in a town that so revolves around this event. So embraces it. The tradition runs deep—it’s oozing from the town. I dig it. The energy is good. I’m stoked to be back in the Rockies and running in the footsteps of all the previous runners that have run this race for almost 3 decades. Cool to be here and the best way I know how to respect that tradition is to run smart, run hard, and leave it all on the course. Giddyup!
Leadville 100 pre-race meeting in the 6th St gym. Standing room only. 29 years of tradition.