I was both honored and shocked when I was invited to run as an Herbalife sponsored athlete for the 2013 Leadville Trail 100. It was a mere days after my DNF at San Diego 100. Of course, as any ultra runner would, I accepted the invitation (who says no to Leadville for FREE?) and set out to get ready. There was one significant problem, however. I was moving half way across the country in the same time frame I should be training for this epic adventure. No biggie, right? I'll just fit training in just like I always have. Right?
Well, it hasn't worked out that way. It seems that everything that could be hard has been and every mistake I could have made has been made. So, as we are 2 weeks from toeing the line for the "Race Across the Sky" and I have compiled a list of things you should NOT do going into this race.
1. Don't move. Duh. Moving sucks. Moving is stressful. Moving with the military is worse than giving birth to a dinosaur. I really think they make it as stressful as possible just for their own entertainment. The hemorrage of money, the lost sleep, the unsuccessful house hunting missions, the 14 hour days my Marine is giving them... It all leads up to my stress being through the roof. I have slept in 9 beds since mine was loaded on the moving truck and I am in for at least 3 more before I am settled. Avoid this whenever possible. This does not equal ideal training!
2. Don't assume said move will be finalized before race day. When we left CA we were #1 on the base housing list here in Colorado. I made the huge assumption that we would have a home before Leadville. Based on that (erroneous) assumption, I left most of my gear to be delivered with my other worldly possessions. So that means our headlamps, foot care supplies, cold weather running gear, and many other comfort items are not accessible to us until our household goods are delivered. When will that be, you ask? August 27th. Yep, 10 days AFTER Leadville. Guess who has had to go shopping for new gear this month? No biggie you say? See the 'hemorrhaging of money' referenced above. Now is not the time I would have wanted to spend money on items I already posses.
3. Don't begin a homeschool program for your kids the month before Leadville. Yes, we are THOSE parents. The ones that have firm beliefs about things and don't want our kids in public school. Turns out private school isn't an option for us this year, so I am keeping them home. I have a curriculum, I have a plan and all the materials. We decided to start early so we could take time off for travel and races throughout the year. Well, turns out trying to add that to my plate, while being in a hotel, AND training for a big race equals stress. So, on to plan B (and the beauty of homeschooling) we are only working part time until we get our house. The kids still get great information and time away from the TV and I am not up all night worrying that I am ruining their educational future.
4. Don't start 2 new part time jobs while homeless. Yes, that's me. The crazy one that can't say no. In case you didn't know, I teach online for several universities. My dream job is a full time position with one school, but the going trend is moving away from that. I was offered two more positions this summer that were too good to pass up, yet added several more hours per week to my schedule. Why accept them, you ask? That extra money pays for more race registrations! Duh! Turns out though, one does need to sleep at some point. Maybe.
5. Don't be married to a work-a-holic. If you don't know Brady, you may not know that he is a fixer. He comes into a new unit and cleans it up. He has had the privilege of joining a supply section that was a disaster on more than one occasion. What that means for us is that we won't see him much over the next 6 months to a year as he does his thing. When we first got here I was getting up before 5 am to get in a 2 hour workout before he left for work. This week, his alarm is going off at 5:15 and he is out the door before 6. If I were trying to workout before he left, I may as well just not sleep. So... the training takes a back seat to just another issue. I will set the alarm earlier (who needs sleep, anyway?) or I will go after he gets home, or take Mimi with me (which means less than strenuous workouts). I'll make the best of it, but... it is not suggested Leadville training strategy!
To sum it all up, my life is pretty chaotic. Each day or night has new challenges. My training has been less than ideal, but it can't be helped. The bottom line is that I have had the opportunity to acclimate to the higher elevations here (even hiked to 14,110 last week!) and I know that is helpful. I hiked the trail to Hope Pass (the tallest climb in LT100), and I have done my best to be as active as this life allows. What I have going for me is that I am too stubborn to quit and I have the best support system a girl could ask for. People that are willing to give up their time to help me earn that buckle. It is for them too that I will give it my best.
Bring on Leadville. This girl is ready (maybe?)!
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