I have BIG plans for the next 18 months. I’m not getting any younger and so I need to do all the races that I either didn’t finish the first time or races I’ve been obsessing about for years.
This is me in 2019, at the Leadville 100 starting line:
I’ve been obsessing about Leadville since 2012. I raced the 10K when I lived in Colorado. Finished the Leadville Marathon in 2019. DNF’d Leadville 100 in 2019. And DNS Leadville 50 in 2023.
This week I went down the rabbit hole of researching top finishers in my age group of these races to see what I could learn to help me finish Leadville 50 and 100 and this is what I learned: they finished HARD races leading up the Leadville. One runner I researched lives in Tennessee and she finished races like Beast of the East, Mount Mitchell Heartbreaker, Georgia Death Race – all races that warn you to not attempt unless you are fit and mountain extreme ready.
It was an eye opener 1) because I think I can do anything and 2) I thought I trained hard in 2019 but I didn’t finish hard races leading up to the big race.
Now, I want to finish any 100 no matter the course or location. So it’s part of the plan but Leadville has to be part of this plan.
It just does.
Therefore, here is my plan to share with you, subject to changes, additions, subtractions. My only rule to myself is that when I register, I have to show up. You are probably thinking that is the bare minimum, sheez. However, I do have a tendency to get scared and anxious, and not show up. But I’m older now, the least I can do is show up. I’m going to show up. I’m going to follow the plan and DO HARD THINGS.
My BIG plan started this month with the 50K Miner’s Lady, which unfortunately I twisted my ankle on a downhill section and limped through my first, and only lap; it was a 5 lap course. I’m rehabbing my ankle as I write this story about my Do Hard Things 18-month BIG plan.
Here is my plan for the rest of 2024.
September – Panther Creek 10 Miler
October – Mammoth Cave 50K
November – Philly Marathon
December – Lookout Mountain 50M
These are not big, scary races, however, I’m approaching them as base training and building distance and strength. Training will include lifting weights, core work, running LeConte A LOT, cross training and solid recovery. When all goes well, I’ll sign up for the 2025 races.
But here’s a sneak peak of what I’m thinking about, plotting and planning for 2025. It’s BIG. But I’ve always had big goals, big dreams and think I can do it all.
Tasali Ultra, Black Canyon, Roaring Gap (this is a re-do), Monument Valley (I’ve always wanted to run here), Mount Mitchell Heartbreaker (Big, Scary), Umstead, Ultra Race of Champions (re-do), R2R Grand Canyon (big dream), Chattanooga 70.3, Leadville 100 (re-do), Continental Divide Trail (dream), Ironman Florida (re-do).
