Here are just a few thing I learned from crewing/pacing at the Leadville 100.
1.) It is a brutal race with a 30 hour cut off.
2.) Be prepared to have some sort of problem nausea, diarrhea or both, cramping, fatigue, mental breakdowns, not being able to eat or drink or keep it down if you do. Even all of them at some point in the race.
3.) Be prepared to go extremely slow at times, maybe only making a mile an hour. And be glad to make 4 miles an hour.
4.) It is a race with 30-40 miles of running and 60-70 miles of power hiking. Note: don't spend a lot of time trying to train to run the hills spend the time training to power walk them. Unless you are some sort of good mountain runner.
5.) Be prepared to want to quit maybe even 3 or 4 times. And have a plan to know how to resist the urge to throw in the towel.
6.) When you think you want to quit, stop sit down and regroup and think about what you doing, and why you are there in the first place. You may half to do this one over and over again.
7.) Go into the race expecting to out there the entire 30 hrs.
8.) Never give up, no matter how bad things may seem. You can overcome everything, but and injury. As long as your ahead of the cut-off and they haven't cut your band for some medical reason , you can make it if you keep positive and keep moving in the right direction no matter how slow it may seem. (see also #7 again)
9.) Have a good crew and a good pacer or two line up to help you, without them it would almost be impossible. Tell your crew what to expect before hand so they know how to talk you out of quiting, and how to get you through the rough spots. (probably a good idea to thank your crew/pace over and over again after you complete the race for putting up with your cranky, tired and whinny ass.)
10.) NEVER GIVE UP!!!!
See you next year Leadville, I think it will be my turn to give it a shot.
Damn Darin! Were you in my head the whole race? That is the best sum up of my race and how I felt. Thanks for all the encouragement, it helped to get every little bit!
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