Run Rabbit Run

Photo: Paul Nelson Photography

"For Everything that comes next, Ego is the enemy"    -Ryan Holiday

"I don't care what Karl Meltzer says, 100 miles is a long way" Fred Abramowitz exclaimed in the pre race briefing, "You can do more than you think you can do, but it's gonna hurt a lot more than you think it's gonna hurt" He exclaims make a slight tweak to Ken Chlouber, the founder of the Leadville 100s famous moto.  100 Miles is an intimidating distance, there's a level of uncertainty of whether or not you're even going to make it to the finish that lies underneath that just isn't found at other distances, I guess that's what makes it so alluring.

Quad Rock 50 Mile

"You're on the Highway to Hell" the signs read lining the trail on the return trip up Mill Creek, one of the steepest climbs on the course which lands around mile 34 right in time for the hurt to start setting in.  This was my 4th time running QR50, and I couldn't help but smile at the signs because I was actually feeling pretty solid at this point as opposed to others years where it did truly feel like the highway to hell.  My Coach John Fitzgerald was waiting toward the top part of the climb leading up to Tower's Aid Station at mile 35, and dumped a ice cold water bottle down the back of my shirt which as the temperature for the day was creeping up into the low 80's (really not that hot but when you were shoveling almost 2 feet of snow from the driveway 2 weeks earlier, it feels pretty darn hot) made me feel like a brand new person.  The signs reminded me of one of my favorite AC/DC songs and life mottos "It's a long way to the top if you wanna Rock and Roll!"