Spokes

I was standing in the midday sun staring into my car. Sweat was dripping down my face and my eyes were heavy when a little devil popped up on my shoulder. “Just stop Tim. You are tired, beat up and it’s hotter than hell out here. Just get a 25 mile finisher time and take a nap in the shade. This was not an “A” race for you anyway” ------------- Rewinding the clock 5 hours, I was ironically shivering from the cold awaiting sunrise as I stood next to 200 other ultrarunners. The sun was just beginning to light up the sky as the race director made his final announcements about the race. Early morning view The Quad Rock 50 would consist of a clockwise, 25-mile loop followed by a reverse run of the same loop. Each lap has three major climbs and about 5,500 feet of vertical gain per lap for a grand total of 50ish miles and 11,000 feet of elevation gain. “Follow the pink flags,” the race director said. This piece of advice would come in handy later in the day as I slogge...

The Starting Line I was laying in bed with my eyes wide open when the alarm went off at 2:50AM. For the past six hours, I had been mentally running through every segment of the run between a few short sleep breaks. It was going to be a long day and I was ready to finally race. I had a pit in my stomach knowing the event was finally here. I ate a Clif Bar and went downstairs to heat up some water for coffee. My crew and pacers were still sleeping and it looked like a college slumber party downstairs as I stepped over bags and sheets making my way to the kitchen. Sipping on my coffee I went back upstairs and put on the rest of my clothes. This included my standard run gear, arm warmers, wind shell, gloves, beanie and headlamp. The rest of my crew would be waking up shortly, so I sat on the bed for a few moments, closed my eyes and did some deep breathing. Julie came over to me and put her arm around me and laid her head on my shoulder. “ You will do great baby .” She whispered in my...

It’s hard to believe that it was three years ago when I made my first trek up to Leadville to compete in the Heavy Half. It was my first official trail race and likely the spark which ignited my passion for trail running at a more competitive level. There is a deep sense of respect I have for the historical town of Leadville that sits above 10,000 feet. The ghosts of the past still brush up on your sides as you walk down the sidewalks and look at the snow-capped peaks in the distance. The cool air whispers to you in the night and lets you know that your presence is now another thread in the history that paints this town with mystery. The 2016 Leadville Marathon would be my last official race before heading deep into the cave of training that will carry me to the 100-mile trail run in August. It would also mark the 10th marathon or further distance run I’ve done this year in training or in races. My friend Seth flew into Denver on Friday afternoon and we loaded up his rental car ...