This weekend saw the annual mountain race du-jour once again take center stage in the ultrarunning community, as the lucky few selected to compete in the Hard Rock 100 made their way through the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado. I've been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to volunteer at this magnificent event for the past couple of years, and while it is my dream to one day toe the line myself, there are many days when such a dream seems almost impossible to imagine. Having been there, I have seen first-hand the ruggedness of those mountains. I've heard the stories of hypothermia, lightning strikes, animal attacks, sudden rock slides, frostbite, torrential rains, and altitude sickness that have befallen runners from the front of the race to the back.
I wasn't able to be there in person this year but I was no less captivated by the stories that came out of Lake City, Ouray, Telluride, and Silverton. It seemed that this year, mother nature was more kind to the runners than she has been in the past - there was snow on many of the mountain passes, but otherwise the weather seemed cooperative. Course records fell, and whether it was the front of the pack or the back, we watched as one after another, athletes made their way around the 100 mile loop.
Whether I get my chance to step up in this event or not, simply the strength and resolve of each of these amazing people sets an example for the rest of us wannabe trail runners to follow. I tend to sell myself short, believing that I am not capable of stretching my limits. I listen to the voices in my head that tell me I'm not good enough, strong enough, fast enough. After years of being kicked to the curb by those who were better, stronger, and faster, the lingering doubts about my own abilities is a plague that eats away at my confidence - a plague that I have to confront each and every day.
And then there are the Hard Rockers. Running 100 miles through the mountains is not for everyone, to be sure. But seeing these individuals - most of them men and women with families, jobs, lives outside of running - who have come to the mountains to test themselves reminds me that we can be more than the voices in our heads sometimes seem to allow. I could never possibly imagine myself to be capable of such a feat on my own, but seeing them makes me believe. It makes me want to take that step, to put myself on the line, and chase away the chorus of voices telling me "you can't do it."
Run Stuff
A solid weekend of running saw me clock some decent mileage on the roads, and even spend a few hours on a trail again! My mileage remains in the "intermediate" zone right now, as I continue to develop the solid base I'll need as my summer training progresses. I feel very good and seem to be adapting to the new diet rather well. I'll post more about that this week as I enjoy a lower-mileage schedule that will allow for some rest and recovery, before pushing ahead again with some more rigorous work later in the month.
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