Leadville 100 Mile Ultramarathon

Leadville.

Just the name itself has the ability to instill fear and admiration in any ultrarunner, and many others as well. I admit I am very frightened of it...but kind of want to do it at the same time. I started going to as Pema Chodron advises on, the places that scare me.

Why is Leadville so scary? The race starts at 9,200 feet, and reaches a high point of 12,600 feet at Hope Pass. (I tell myself I can handle it - I visited V who used to live at 9,000 feet in Nederland and I was okay there. I even went running (getting lost usually in the woods) and didn't have trouble. I lived in Boulder for two years...but the thin air did kick my asthmatic butt from time to time.) It looks so tough..it has an insanely high drop-out rate. 

Iliana planted the seed in my head and keeps nagging me...and I admit I want to run the Leadville 100 Miler, maybe even this year. I don't know if I'm ready, but Iliana sent me a guide on how to run Leadville in less than the cutoff (which is a real killer at just 30 hours). Then there's also the financial implications; supporting my ex last year really drained my bank account, along with ultrarunning (not to mention the fact that I work at a nonprofit). I may need to take on some very unusual methods of raising funds for Leadville.

But I still have the taste in my mouth...I have terrible willpower (which is why I have trouble keeping chocolate in my house for long) and when I want to do something, I usually do it.


I haven't made any decisions yet, but it will be a little logistically confusing. (Burning Man is the following week and I can't afford to be flying back and forth so I might try to stay in CO and go to BM straight from there...). I'm not sure what shape I'll be in (My doctor hasn't even seen me to give me the okay on running yet!), especially with running the Vermont 100 Miler the week before. But the idea keeps circulating...and circulating....

I know I've posted it before, but I'm still dreaming...