In June 2008 – I entered a lottery for my first Ironman. I miraculously got into a very competitive lottery for Ironman Coeur d’Alene but it was all about logging into several browsers at exactly the right time. Once I clicked submit and paid the entry fee, I knew my life was going to change. I knew that I just entered a race that I wasn’t quite sure I could finish. But I was going to train for a year and just keep moving forward. On race day, June 2009 I had a great support team (Mom and Dad) and met Mark and Than, and truly my life has never been the same since crossing that finish line.
Just over 10 years later I entered another lottery. It was another very competitive lottery and no one knows how people are chosen; apparently it is a trademarked secret. I found out yesterday I got into Leadville Trail 100 Run.
I wanted to run Leadville since 2012, the year I moved to Tucson from Colorado. It appeared on goals lists and blog posts – I wanted to train and run Leadville. Back then, I was too afraid to enter the lottery; I was just going to prepare, just put in the miles.
In 2016 after moving back to Colorado I ran the 10K in Leadville. Even while living at 8,000 going to 10,000 for a 10K kicked my butt. My plan was to progress through the distances, in a practical way, but life has a way of sidetracking even those with good intentions. I ended up leaving Colorado and moved back to New Hampshire the next year.
It’s been a wacky couple of years and I haven’t really been able to find my stride in training and racing. But the last six months something has changed and I’m more focused on mountain and trail running. I’m returning to my roots – running and hiking the mountains of New Hampshire. I’m getting stronger and more comfortable spending hours alone in the mountains. I was brave and entered the Leadville Lottery know that my life would change instantly if I got in.
I seriously don’t know how my name got picked. From reading comments from athletes on social media, many have been trying for years.
Maybe the organizers liked all the stuff I bought from their online store: shirts, maps and beanies. I’ve been wearing my Leadville shirt a lot lately to stay motivated to train. Or, maybe it was the license plate magnet I bought when I was in Leadville in 2016 that is on my refrigerator that states the elevation 10,152. Or maybe it’s the Leadville travel mug I use daily. It could be due to the hashtag I’ve been using on social #dreamingofleadville. Maybe it was hanging the map on my wall with the 100 mile race showing and not the side with the 50 mile course, which was my backup plan.
I don’t know why they picked me over the others or if it really was a random drawing. But I’m in. I’m all in. And I’m ready for a transformation. #dreamingofleadville
