Skip to main content

Posts

Finishing Leadman and the 2022 Leadville 100 Run

There is a short steep climb at mile 5 of the Leadville 100 that seemed to audibly laugh at me and assert the truth that an extremely difficult 27 hours was ahead of me. My quads were heavier than barbells at the bottom of the ocean. My breathing felt like each breath was moving through a straw. And worst of all, a crack in the strong armor of my mind rapidly grew from a hairline fracture to what would eventually grow to be the Grand Canyon. -------------------------- This has been an epic summer in Leadville. Signing up for the Lead Challenge or ‘Leadman’ series was something that I have thought about since my first Leadville 100 finish in 2016. Completing the Marathon, the 50-Mile run, the 105 Mile MTB, the 10K and the 100 Mile run over the course of 10 weeks was a bit daunting, but something I was excited for. The challenge of balancing both mountain biking and running ultra-distances would prove to be difficult both in terms of time and training. Having made it through the 10
Recent posts

2021 Desert Rats Stage Race- Stage Five: Bring it Home (Chapter 7 of 7)

The crew at the start I woke up and my legs felt amazing! Staying off of them and the CBD seemed to do the trick because I was barely sore and felt super fresh for the day.  I knew it wouldn’t be an easy day as we would be climbing 2,000 feet right from the start over the first 5 miles. Just like in Stage 4, right from the start, Morgan took off. The first 6 miles involved a 2,000 foot climb up a 5-7% grade paved road. I trailed behind Morgan for several miles and let him have some space, but I pushed to keep up with his pace. I was gassed a few times but was able to fall back into stride. Around mile 4 there were some switchbacks and they reminded me of Lookout Mountain back in Golden which I had done all winter in training. “You’re at home Tim! GO!!” I picked up the pace and went past Morgan. He was right on my heels as we made the first turn. I pushed a little harder. He faded back a hair. Rounding the next turn I was out of sight for a little and I sprinted hard and then

2021 Desert Rats Stage Race- Rest Day: Eat and Sleep (Chapter 6 of 7)

I woke up sore in the morning. Breakfast wasn’t until 9AM since it wasn’t a race day, so I took some time to chill around camp. Josh and Melissa were still there so I got to hang with them for a bit which was awesome. As a bonus, I got to shower up in their camper. I swear dirt just ran off me in rivers as I washed my long hair and feet. There were several options of things to do during the day. There was a stream close by with a waterfall that some people were hiking to. With my legs so sore I decided to do all I could throughout the day to rest them and rub them down with some CBD cream. I hopped a shuttle down to the Colorado River where several people were heading for the day. There was a tent down there with lunch and some drinks. Since I had been alcohol free for a few weeks I decided to drink some bubbly water and wait for the race finish to have a real beverage. I was still feeling good, but my legs were sore and I was already thinking a lot about the marathon. It was kin

2021 Desert Rats Stage Race- Stage Four: The power of belief (Chapter 5 of 7)

I slept a little better last night, but still not great. I was super nervous about the Stage on this day. 8,000 feet of climbing, 43 miles. The first 37 miles were all mostly uphill. Morgan had been talking about this stage all week and I knew that this is where he was hoping to make his move and try and buy back time. I knew full well that 30 minutes could easily be overcome on a day like today. My plan going into the day was to play defense. Say on Morgan and not let him get any time back. If he ran, I would run. If he walked, I would walk. I had to remind myself that vertical was my strength. The steeper and longer the climbs, historically, the better I did in races. I was still nervous for the day though. We were graced with some cooler temperatures on this stage. In the high 80’s and overcast, it was a welcome reprieve from the stage 2 days prior. My group started an hour after the first wave, and like expected, Morgan didn’t waste anytime getting to work. He was running uph

2021 Desert Rats Stage Race- Stage Three: Jort Power (Chapter 4 of 7)

Day 3 Another restless night’s sleep in the tent, but I was able to drag myself sheepishly out of bed around 5:45AM. Today’s stage was the shortest of all of them at 9 miles, and I was looking forward to a shorter run and a day of relaxation. Since it was the sprint day, I threw on my running ‘jorts’. Not sure if they help me go fast, but they definitely make me poke pun at myself and lighten the mood. I grabbed some light breakfast and coffee and made sure my running gear was packed up for the stage. I didn’t really have a plan for the stage, other than continue to keep tabs on Morgan who was only about 20 minutes down in the overall. I did have a thought that if the trail looked runnable that I would hammer it out after the first mile or two. Morgan and I  The start We all started together on this stage. The first mile was a gradual climb back up the road we finished yesterdays stage on. The pack of runners was tight up the hill. The leaders were all together and the mood was l

2021 Desert Rats Stage Race- Stage Two: Stronger Together (Chapter 3 of 7)

Getting ready for the day The sun rose and the camp began to stir with activity. Breakfast was at 6:30 and the first wave of athletes would head out around 8:00 AM. My wave would be 30 minutes behind the first wave. I had a lot of time to think throughout the night as one of my tent mates sawed logs and my earplugs only muffled part of the sound. My plan for the day was to go SLOW. Move steady, hydrate and eat. I would let go of any desire to keep my leader status and just let the race unfold in a way that kept me healthy. Stage two was close to 40 miles and completely exposed. There was nowhere to get relief from the hot sun so I knew that it was critical to stick to my plan. I was dressed in a long sleeve white shirt, shorts and my white hat in an effort to keep my skin cool. Stage 2 Start The stage started off mellow. The leaders were pretty much together although the Morgan (the second-place guy) ran up the trail a little ways. I was with a guy from Florida named Mike. Mike had