My date with destiny...

Well, fast forward 17-months from my pacing experience at the Leadville 100 trail run and I’ve done the unthinkable. This week I pulled the trigger on a race registration that has my stomach feeling like I ate some bad sushi. Somehow I have gone from “why would you ever think about a 100 mile run, those people are crazy” to finishing my first 50-miler last year and blurting out “#@%^ ever doing 100!” to registering for the Leadville 100.

The reality is after finishing my pacing segment with Kristina in 2014, I had the bug to see what I was capable of. I remember Julie asking me in the car on the way back to our hotel how the experience was, and I had ‘that look’ in my eyes. That ‘look’ that no doubt made her heart sink knowing that I would have my date with Leadville 100 destiny in the future.

My friend Seth had a quote last year that summed it up well for me, "endurance racing is like heroin, buddy. Once you get a taste you cant quit." The truth of this is spot on to the demise of many other priorities in life.

What is really interesting to me about this race is that I don’t have any desire to do 100 mile race anywhere else. With Ironman, it was much different. Finishing an Ironman was the goal and I chose a location. For this race, Leadville chose me, and the LT100 is calling me like the ring calling to Frodo.

I’m terrified to be honest. Especially since I am still recovering from some minor injuries I obtained in my 50-miler last year. I don’t do well with no sleep. I have never raced over 12 ½ hours straight.

The unknown of it all is daunting.

Still yet, I am thrilled. I will prepare for this mentally and physically for the next 8 months and be at the start line ready to go. I have a lot to research and learn before then. I am thankful to be sponsored by Pearl Izumi this year as part of the 2016 Pearl Izumi Run Championship Team so I know that I will have the best technical apparel to keep me going. I am putting early thoughts to my pacing team and crew and researching all I can about the course and pacing strategies. For those that care, I’ll be posting my training and prep updates here.

Here we go!

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An Excited Heart

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