Just been reflecting a bit more on Leadville now that it's been almost 3 months since crossing that finish line... as I mentioned this morning, I just wanted to share with you how grateful I am for you guiding me through the training and then the race.
I know that everyone says that running the Leadville 100 will be a life changing experience, and before you do it you really wonder "how?" I've done a lot of cool things in my life that I am super grateful for. How will this be different? But it is. It stands alone as one of the single most life changing experiences I have endeavoured. Three months later I am only now understanding how the training process and crossing that line continue to impact me on a daily basis. I find that my mind wanders back to Leadville, both the 29 hours and 16 minutes that I spent on the course, and back to the training process, on a daily basis.
It is a marble in my pocket of strength and confidence that I can reach in and grab when I am having a tough moment at work, with my kids, in relationships, life, etc.
It is a marble in my pocket of strength and confidence that I can reach in and grab when I am having a tough moment at work, with my kids, in relationships, life, etc. It is a constant reminder that I can accomplish things that I thought once were impossible if I take it one step at a time. It has made me more grateful for my community, my friends and most importantly my family. It has brought me closer with those who went through the experience with me, and even those who didn't. I am more patient with my clients, my friends and my family when they are struggling. I have a deeper connection to my community. And I have a greater respect for my body, which in turn has helped me develop a better relationship with my body. One that is grounded in respect and appreciation as opposed to punishment and reward. Through our process as coach/athlete/friends I learned about running, nutrition and trail logistics... but I also learned about pacing myself in life and being more present as a mom, wife, friend, lawyer, person, etc., One of the things that prevented me from signing up for Leadville for a long time was that I felt it would be selfish and take away from my family. And at times it certainly did! It was distracting when I wasn't training and when I was training I certainly was away from my family for long runs. BUT... It made me focus more on the quality of the time I spent with my family over the quantity, which, after repeating that mantra week after week of training, really helped me become a more present and (hopefully) better wife/mom. It was a temporary period of time that took away a lot of time but I am better for it.
Thank you for being such a significant part of this journey and those lessons. ... and of course, it was f*cking fun!
Kate
