. So, the alarm clock went off at 5:30 AM, and we were out of the door and on the road by 6:00 AM. We wanted to get there early enough to have time to drop by the coffee shop and get a bite to eat.In the coffee shop, where there was already a pretty good crowd, a gentleman named Joseph, who was from British Columbia, was kind enough to offer us a seat at his table. It turned out that he had not completed the bike race yesterday, missing the time cut-off outbound to Twin Lakes. A lot of this was due to a malfunctioning cleat, where a screw had come loose from one of his shoes, and it would not allow him to disengage his right foot from the pedal. He wasn’t too worried about it though, as this was something like his 8th or 9th time having done the race. He also told me about how many years he had done the 100 mile run back to back with the bike race, so I was pretty inspired just to be sitting there talking to him; that and the fact that he was 70 years old! I have so far to go, even though I feel like I have worked my butt off just to get to where I am.
The awards ceremony was great. To start things off, the race director, Ken Chlouber, had all of the Leadman participants, the 23 of us now left, line up in front of the whole crowd to receive our buckles. That was truly awesome, humbling, and inspiring; especially since we went before the champions and everyone else who had been faster than me. Afterwards, each of the riders who had finished the race was recognized and awarded their buckle, starting with the champions first. After a while, Lisa and I left the gym just to walk around and get some air, use the bathroom, etc. I felt sorry for Ken Chlouber and Merilee Maupin, as they spent hours up in front of the hot gym, recognizing each rider. They took time to make sure they shared any extra information they had about each rider, as if they had gotten to know each of us, and I suppose they had, especially for some of the veterans who had returned year after year.
Eventually I had to go back over to our vehicle and change into some running clothes and get ready for the 10K race. It wasn’t something I was feeling very enthusiastic about, especially since I was still tired from the previous day. It was getting hot too, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
Basically, the 10K race is an out and back for the 1st and last 3.1 miles of the LT100 run course. It goes all the way down to the bottom of the boulevard, turns around and then heads back uphill again. From riding it the previous day, I wasn’t really looking forward to running uphill, but at least I would not have to be seated on a bicycle. My butt still hurt.
At 12:00 noon, standing out in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 170 runners, there was Ken Chlouber with his trusty old shotgun, getting ready to launch us on yet another event. This time, though, he had some help from one of the younger members of the race, a small boy who may have been something like 12 or 13 years old… Boom! And we were off again. I couldn’t help but let the flow and excitement of the crowd help propel me forward, a little faster than I had committed myself to when I was trying to talk myself into actually wanting to do the event earlier that morning.
We crested the 1st hill, took a left turn by the high school, and then another right turn onto the dirt road, heading downhill. Gradually I started to warm up and let my legs go, increasing my stride. On a whim I was carrying a water bottle because I had worried about how hot it was and my dehydration level from yesterday. I started carrying the bottle tucked into the crook of my arm, ala Matt Carpenter, and was surprised to find how comfortable it was. Every few minutes I tried to take a sip from the bottle and then switch which arm I was carrying it in.
It wasn’t long before I saw the 1st runner heading back my way. This was a relief because I knew the turnaround couldn’t be too far away, and then I could head back too. Of course Mike Shafai, my faster Leadman counterpart from Colorado Springs, was well in front of me, and I gave him a high five as he blazed past me. The breeze felt good and cooled me off a bit.
Heading back uphill into town wasn’t as hard as I remembered it being yesterday on the bike. This shouldn’t have surprised me, because I was so worn out yesterday afternoon, and it is much easier to run uphill than it is to ride, at least for me anyway. So, slowly I chugged my way uphill, determined not to let anything derail me from a good race. A few folks stopped to walk on some sections, but I kept right on, thinking I could just slow my stride a bit, but absolutely not to stop and walk.
I was also taking some time to savor the moment, thinking about how many times I would cover this same bit of ground over the next week; 3 times. Once on the bike, a second time during this 10K race, and hopefully a 3rd time when I will bring it home a final time during the 100 mile run. You know, not to try and jinx myself, because I know this is definitely not within the next 100 yards before me; not yet, but it will be.
Soon the finish line was in sight, and I tried to step up the pace and even sprint a little bit at the very end. Lisa was there to snap a picture. Today I felt so much better than yesterday, and I went over to enjoy some of the food and drinks that were laid out for the racers. We stayed to watch the awards ceremony and cheer in the rest of the racers. Afterwards I got a hot-dog and we each got an ice cream cone before heading back down to Buena Vista.
Now it was time for some rest and relaxation. We were going to spend a few days in Buena Vista celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. On Wednesday I would drop my wife and son off at the airport so they could fly back east for a surprise 70th birthday party for her father. On Thursday I would pick up my father at the airport, and then we would head back up to Leadville for the final chapter in this saga. I have a whole crew of good friends and family members who are coming out to help get this first 100 mile run accomplished. Actually, I am really starting to look forward to it. See ya on the other side!
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