October 12th, 2024, I pulled into the parking lot of a trailhead up in the mountains of Colorado with an appetite for a small adventure. I parked at 9,300’ above sea level. The trail was 4.5 miles up a hill, another 4.5 miles back down the hill. A paltry 3,300’ of elevation gain to the summit of Hope Pass outside of Twin Lakes, CO stood between me and one glorious view of the Rocky Mountains. After 3.5 hours of running/hiking/sucking wind, I returned to the truck. Sucked down water, food, and electrolytes. Then took a pause.
I didn’t feel quite right. My head was light, and my legs were heavy. On the verge of the lights going out I recalled a few previous bouts with this feeling I had unfortunately experienced on previous endurance adventures. The answer to my rather uncomfortable situation was a combination of refueling and patience. Wait for the body to recover and get your ass back to the drawing board to improve physical and mental fitness.
I was heading to a campsite that night and received a call from my mom. I told her what I was up to, and she read me like a book. She said, “You’re training for something aren’t you?” I wasn’t willing to admit it to myself and especially not to others what I had been dreaming of for years. It seemed too big, too outrageous, and frankly – too weird.
I wanted to run the Leadville 100.
7 months from today I’ll toe the line at the intersection for Harrison Avenue and 6th St. in Leadville Colorado with the dream of completing one of the most historic events in ultrarunning.
On December 1st of last year, I applied, and the results of the lottery were announced January 8th. I was in disbelief. Years of dreaming of having the opportunity to pursue this wild adventure started to truly come to fruition.
7 months from now I’ll have 40 miles under my legs before starting that climb up hope pass that wrecked me a few years ago. To add more excitement, the course asks you to will your half dead body and soul over that summit twice. The true definition of type 2 fun.
I visited Leadville last August to volunteer at this event at the Mayqueen inbound aid station. This is at the 87-mile mark in the race. It was an incredible opportunity to be a part of the event and see the determination and unshackled spirit of hundreds of human beings. Everyone I interacted with had tackled a full day of tough miles, and even tougher internal conversations within themselves to keep their ass moving when every fiber in their being was urging them to stop. I learned a great deal that day and was determined to return a year later with a bib on my shorts.
I knew the results of the lottery would be revealed at 10 AM on Thursday January 8th. I was at work, and went out to my truck at 9:59 AM, to take a minute. I honestly wasn’t sure how I would react or what my emotions would be like upon receiving an email indicating I was or wasn’t in the race. At 10:01 I received an email with the following text:
“Are those goosebumps on your arm Tyler? They sure are…you’re headed to the Life Time Leadville Trail 100 Run presented by La Sportiva (August 22)…congratulations, your name has been selected from the lottery! Take a moment to let it settle in. Are you ready to dig deep? We know you are…and we’re waiting for you in Cloud City on that iconic red carpet. See you in August!”
I tried to feel deeply in that moment. Those are the instants that provide a true thrill and delight in life, and I wanted to understand what my emotions were. This practice was harder than I expected because the internal responses were so vast. It was an emotional soup made up of disbelief, excitement, elevated anxiety, joy, and a profound level of gratitude to get this opportunity.
I’ve always worked best with any challenge having a carrot to chase. In my little world of running, there is no bigger carrot than this event. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, I believe I became emotional upon receiving this email knowing that this training effort and race will teach me more about myself than I could have previously imagined.
So, where the hell do we go from here!!??
There’s a long list of to do’s. Decide on the right training plan, get the body as healthy as possible, improve overall strength, book a place or places to stay up in the Leadville area, plan some training trips up to the course, dial in my nutrition on and off the trail, acquire and test the right gear, train the stomach for high carb intake, and build mental toughness.
The real magic of this effort is to find the balance between accomplishing this mission while being a present and supportive husband and Dad. I won’t be perfect, and it won’t be easy, but I am determined to make peace with this equation, and all its challenges.
Throughout this past week I’ve had recurring thoughts about what this really means (or doesn’t mean) in the little bubble that is my life. My mind does continue to land on a high level of timidness, and tinges of fear, knowing how hard this is going to be. I’ll likely end up pushing my physical and mental capacity well beyond anything I’ve ever experienced before. I’ve gone back and forth on what to do with these thoughts. Often doubt in yourself is a dangerous and prohibitive mindset. But I’ve ultimately decided to look at it through a different lens. I know that my personal growth does not and will not occur within my perceived comfort zone, and I cannot properly identify that zone without knowing and feeling what scares the hell out of me.
Thank you to everyone that has provided support to this point.
Thank you to everyone who has decided to read this far and allow me a space to be vulnerable.
What an opportunity. The Leadville 100. Let’s Go.
In With The Words 