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100 mile motivation

From Semi-Rad, a speech he gave at a graduation. I just love this!

Running 100 miles requires a lot of steps—226,000 steps, according to my watch. In my experience, about 10,000 of those steps are fun. The rest of those 226,000 steps are pure persistence, through blisters, foot and leg pain, chafing, indigestion, fatigue, sleep deprivation, and sometimes mild hallucinations.

I’ve discovered that it’s a lot like wanting to be a writer when you grow up, or, I’m guessing, being an astronaut or even a small business owner: you have a dream one day, and then you spend years working toward it, many times only motivated to continue by a faint memory of that first dream of seeing yourself cross a finish line, or sign a book deal, sit in a space shuttle, or on the opening day of your shop.

You start because of a dream, but you finish because you become good at talking yourself out of giving up. This is persistence.

People may call you stubborn—that’s OK.

Stubborn is just a dirty word for driven, and driven people get things done.

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Roger said Yes

My plan for Leadville is all falling into place.

Today is a rest day after traveling and running for four days in a row. I feel a bit like I should’ve at least gone for a bike ride but opted for cleaning the house (this never happens, choosing cleaning over a ride) and organizing my house. I had a great dinner and now ready to rest; after three hours of sleep from yesterday’s traveling back to New Hampshire.

The big news of the day: Roger said yes. Yes to pacing me on the first leg, and hardest: Winfield to Twin Lakes. He is the strongest, toughest endurance athlete I know. And he said yes. You know what this means?

I have to get to Winfield under the cutoff.

And if I do, my pacers will bring me to the finish. I’m sure of it.

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Pikes Peak, Week 6

I hiked my first 14er in Colorado this week. Woo Hoo. It was great training but I was also pretty dizzy once I reach 13,000 feet. Talk about zombie.

The view from the Barr Trail on Pikes Peak

I tried to keep up with Roger from the start of the trailhead and lost him 30 minutes in. I made friends at mile 5 with Jim from Colorado Springs. He’s training for Rabbit Run 100. It was a good day of meeting new friends and hiking with old ones (not old people, ha).

The hike was arranged by Whitney and Kathleen and included many people from Grand County. The dinner before was fantastic and I asked Roger if he would pace me the first, hardest section of Leadville. He’s thinking about it. Once I get his okay, then all the planning will be just about finalized.

But let’s talk about Week 6

Monday – Recovery Day
Tuesday – Breakthrough trail run – 10 miles.
Wednesday – Off (I wasn’t feeling it. Didn’t bike either. An off training day)
Thursday – 5 miles
Friday – Travel to Colorado, Running at 5,500 in Littleton 4.5
Saturday – Running at 5,500 in Littleton, 3.5, walking around Colorado Springs, CO
Sunday – Pikes Peak and 2 extra miles at the end 26 miles
Total Miles: 49.1

It was a good week. However, from talking to runners training for the 100 mile run in Leadville, I’m feeling a little behind. I haven’t done hill repeats and I’m not doing speed work. I haven’t run much at night and I haven’t done loops on Kearsarge like I promised myself.

I have some work to do. I have 3 big training weeks coming up and 2 weeks of recovery. Hiking Pikes Peak really made me question my ability to finish Leadville. Although I felt good this morning after the Pikes Peak hike/run and ran 10 miles today. I just have to do the hard training days, do the weights and core work and just freaking do the hill repeats.

My problem is that I don’t enjoy the workouts. I just want to run and hike and explore. I want to see new places and push the limits of what I think I can do. Stupid hill repeats. I’m going to do them. I will.

Hills, I will destroy hills.
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Leadville Pacer Planning

I’m in Colorado, and today I meet with my Pacers and Crew to discuss race day planning. But first a short run at 5,500 feet in Littleton. The picture above is me stretching after a run, looking into that gorgeous blue Colorado sky.

Here’s my hope for pacing on August 17:

Pacers as of July 13. Please Roger, say yes!

Today, Mary and I head to Manitou Springs to check out Garden on the Gods and Cliff Dwellings. A little more acclimation training for me and tomorrow – Pikes Peak to bag a 14’er.