Race Reports

I’ve always told our kids that our true character comes through in how you deal with life’s setbacks, rather than how you respond when things are going great. I, unfortunately, had the opportunity to “practice what I preach” in Leadville this past August. I learned in no uncertain terms that the only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary. On a beautiful sunny day in the Colorado Rockies the Leadville Trail 100 chewed me up and spit me out. Period.

So here I am, six thousand feet up on a French mountain beginning to hallucinate hard. The sun went down six hours ago while I was on a different mountain peak. That was the second sunset I had seen in this race and it was sixteen miles behind me, twenty kilometers behind me, six hours behind me, several thousand feet of climbing behind me –several thousand feet of climbing ahead and many miles/km to go.

The Brazos Bend 100 is on the fast track to becoming the fastest trail in Texas and is located just 25 miles south of Houston on Brazos Bend State Park. The Brazos Bend 100 will offer a variety of distances including a 100 miler, 50 miler, 26.2 marathon, 13.1 half marathon and 100 miler 4 person relay as well.

Over the years there have been an increasing number of families attending the Western States Endurance Run. I thought it might be enlightening – and perhaps a bit entertaining – to hear the perspective of a family member, so I solicited the help of dear ol’ mom. What you’re about to read is her take on the inaugural Western States “experience.”