Six races - six different courses and events. This wasn’t a singular journey, even though I covered most of the miles alone. This was a journey that had the support of a community. At each race, I was humbled by the day and inspired by the other runners or volunteers. It’s one of the memories that I have really taken away from the year. No matter how strong I might be, there are things that can bring me to my knees. And while finishing the Transcendence Series might be inspiring to others, I saw many things that inspired me to keep moving.
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| Sometimes to reach the goal, you just have to keep climbing into the clouds |
Stories Ultra. The mud humbled me. I knew that course and took for granted how it would be. Yet each lap, when I met other runners we provided inspiration to keep going. Everyone was working through something and those other runners were a voice in the darkness. The cold we all longed for to freeze the mud became a challenge to work through. No matter how cold it got, every time I came into The Meadows I was greeted by cheers and smiles. The volunteers and my crew - waiting to help and keep me moving. And keep me moving they did. One step at a time, always returning to the night.
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| Still smiling at Stories |
Tommyknocker 12. I started in the back of the field for that race and saw everyone on the climb up Belcher Hill. If you want inspiration, hang out in the back of the pack for a while. Those athletes are working harder then any front runner. There’s no three hour naps mid day or weekly massages among that crowd. It’s 3:00 wake up calls and squeezing training into long workdays. They are chasing cutoffs as much as glory. The conversations are different in the back as well. The conversations reflect the reality of racing, not the ideals of the elites. Those same athletes humbled me as well. While I was more then happy to head to barn early, they were out there for the entire 12 hours. Tommyknocker was also one of the few races where Nick wasn’t there to help during the race. I had to rely on the volunteers for everything. I shouldn’t have worried - the amazing Adversity Army kept me fed and watered - and their enthusiasm was contagious. If someone didn’t have fun and come away from Tommyknocker eager for more miles, they didn’t understand the point of the race.
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| I loved this view of Denver from the Tommyknocker 12 course |
Last Call. Out and back courses can be the best kind of courses. Even the smallest events feel bigger. It was a cheerful group at the start and we were all excited for the coming challenge. And challenge it was. There were climbs that reached into the sky, as if we could touch the stars if we just stretched. Views that would take your breath away, if you had any left after climbing up to 12,000 feet! If you weren’t humbled by the course, the darkness would steal your soul. There is nothing like the wet darkness to test the limits both mentally and physically. As the day dawned, the other runners - both in the 100 and the 50 revealed themselves and the struggles they had worked though in the darkness. Silverheels runners and their accountability buddies, entering the second day of movement. Last Call runners, inspired by the effort around them. Humbled by the mountains surrounding us, yet inspired that we were able to conquer the slopes.
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| The mountains are calling |
Sheep Mountain. The course at Sheep Mountain humbles even the most ambitious mountain racer. From the never ending rocks on the traverse below the summit to long climbs. I knew better this time and was able to enjoy the course. I took my time in places, soaking up the views I'd just raced through the first time. How can you not be inspired by standing on what feels like the top of the world? At the same time, it's humbling to see the remains of old mine buildings. We are up there for fun - a century ago, people scrapped out a living on the summit of those mountains. I didn't see the full gamut of emotions that Sheep Mountain can evoke this year, from the joy of crossing the finish line to the agony of missing a cutoff. But I did see some 50kers still climbing up Sheep Mountain when I was descending and I have to tip my hat to them. The day is a personal challenge - as runners we make it our own with each step. Those runners who were still facing the traverse across Sheep Mountain as the clouds were building should inspire us all.
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| Climbing to touch the sun |
Sangre de Cristo. Are you ever ready to run a 100? I still can't answer this question and most likely never will. My ready to run a 100 looks completely different then someone else's. My motivation for being out there is different then everyone else's. I know now - there is no understating the mental component of covering 100 miles on foot. The mental strength to keep taking one step at a time is as important as all the miles in training. When no matter how slow you are moving, you can keep digging and find the fortitude to continue forward momentum. When the pre-race plan has gone to hell - like they tend to in ultra running - but you aren't fazed by seeing the sunrise twice in the same spot, that is the inspiring part of a 100 mile race. It's not the people who have the perfect race. It's the ones who head back out from an aid station, knowing it's cold and going to get colder. It's the runners chasing cut offs, knowing that their race could be over at the next aid station. When all we see are the fast runners we miss what is truly humbling about a 100 mile race. The humanity and the stories that are told among the miles, not the snapshot in time at the finish line.
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| Follow the Rainbow trail - and the sun |
Indian Creek. At the conclusion of something like this, it's easy to be excited and want to share the joy with everyone around you. I finished in 7:10 - 5 minutes before the cut-off for the 50 milers (who started at 6:00) to start their third loop. I hadn't really thought about the runners I was catching on my second loop - runners who'd taken the early start for either 50 miles or 55k of fun. If they were doing the 50 mile, there was no way they would finish before that third loop cutoff. And so, after I'd finished - still hyper on the miles and getting more hyper thanks to the sugar rush from a well deserved and huge eclair (Thanks Russ!) I saw something I've never seen before. A runner, waiting and ready with his Accountability Buddy bib on, but knowing that he wouldn't get to cover the miles. His runner, crossing the finish line 20 minutes after I'd finished, breaking down into tears. Even though she would get the finish for the 55k, she wouldn't be able to tackle the remaining challenge she'd trained for. The raw emotion, out there for everyone to see, to remind us that to fail is human and the real challenge is getting back up and trying again. There is no hiding on the trails.
And so there has been change. While I still aim to cover the distance as quickly as I can and challenge myself physically and mentally along the miles, there is more. At each race, I hope to find something that humbles me - be it the course, the community of runners or the conditions we all faces. I also want to look for something that inspires me, something out of the normal that brings me back to the ultimate goal of ultra running. Helping other cover the distance as they have helped you. Supporting the runners that come after you as an equal part of the story. That is the goal for next year - to build others up and give back, to respect everyone on course and to be in the moment for those runners.
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