Leadville 50 Mile Run Training: Aspen Vista: to 12,000 feet
It was 53 when I started;
57 when I finished.
Degrees that is, and it felt butt a$$ cold. I didn’t want to complain for 2 reasons: 1) it’s going to be between 43 and 48 at Leadville Start and 2) it’s been so damn hot.
Iker’s Scared.
Scared of the length of the blog post; having 2 last training adventures to blog about.
Yesterday was it: The last day.
A day that was going to be about 2 miles bigger than I wanted it to be. I needed to get up to 12,000 feet. The only way to do it, run. The only trail I could do was Aspen Vista 6 miles up for a 12 mile total trip:
I decided to call my long time friend and Teammate, Kimmie: Always ready for a crazy adventure, always ready to see where the trail goes. So I called her, we used to come up to Alpine Vista to ride, at least once a year. It’s a beautiful climb double track, great trainer for Leadville, period.
She was up for it. We left my house at 6:30 AM, we wanted to be back a couple of hours after the girls woke up.
I dropped Kimmie off at Hyde Park, it’s a lovely State Park 3 miles down from Aspen Vista. She was going to ride, and I was going to drive up to the trail head and run from there.
My goal time: 15 minute miles for 12 whatever miles.
Not sure exactly where I am going, I am going over there.
I’m also very scared of this. Rain and Alpine storms. I am very scared of lightening, very scared because I am a lightening rod. This was great training for me, great mental training, more than anything. I know, I am going straight into that cloud.
These are my friends. I didn’t really meet them, but I had to take a picture because I was “walking faster” and they were running. I was with them for some time. I passed one of the 3, and as I passed the 2nd one, walking, he asked me if he could pace me up the mountain. I kinda laughed to myself and said, “No thank you” because I had my own pace, 15 minute miles. I was with them for some time. Then, I got too dilly dally taking pictures, and they did end up out running me, this may or may not be a good thing. I think, for 50 miles, it is an okay thing.
He did tell me about a race in October, it sounds like an ultra run type event. “The Big Tesque”.
Nice view for sure. These are the type of moments when I remember, there is so much more out there than just me. I am just a small pimple on the face of the Universe.
Oh yeah baby, Leadville, here I come.
I am almost above treeline. And I think, it is amazing, I am even with the clouds.
I don’t feel tired at all, I feel pretty good. I feel the altitude a little bit, but not much.
I take 2 clif shots with caffeine.
Then, I feel fine.
I am surprised I haven’t seen Kimmie yet.
I am easily distracted, but then, go inside myself and tell myself, “walk faster”.
I can see the radio towers, that is exactly where I am going. Ikers looks ominous over there.
I’m here. I have to take a lot of pictures. This is the best trip I have ever had up Aspen Vista. What made it the best was; I have been here before, many times. Many times with the girls this year. This is the service road at the end of the ski hill. This is the fence at the 1st black run at Santa Fe that both girls did: Parachute. It was really cool to see.
So here is the chair lift. It’s not the one we took up there, too long of a line. It’ still super cool to think about all the awesome days of skiing we got in Santa Fe this winter.
This is the traverse we took from the fast lift and the little houses.
I can’t believe I’m here. All of the exciting adventures training for the Leadville 50 mile run. More adventures than I think I have ever had.
I still haven’t seem Kimmie, that’s strange.
I made it up in 15 minute miles. Yahoo!! That’s what I was going to try to average. This means, that more than likely I will average faster than my average run. Yahoo.
But where is Kimmie?!? 
Ah, here she is, I’m 15 minutes on my way down, and I finally see her on her way up. Wow, we’re closer matched for this than I thought.
She has 15 minutes to go up, against my running anyways.
The conditions were awesome. They were unlike anything I have ever experienced before. I better go fast, I want to try to beat her down. She has about 2 miles to go up. I have to go as fast as I can, without breaking my foot or my teeth. I also, feel, like I want to beat the thunder and lightening. This storm and rain was great training mentally. Having to face my fears. Get down fast and faster.
I had to stop and take pictures of my favorite wild flower: Indian Paint Brush.
Then, I looked harder and saw this beautiful picture: 
But where’s Kimmie, I’m almost to the trail head:
Here she is. Wow, that was pretty close, about a tenth of a mile to the trail head.
12.1 miles in 2.5 hours: 12:23 per mile, yahoo!!
She wants me to meet her down the hill. So I will drive and she will enjoy ripping fast speeds down the asphalt road.
Thanks for the company and the adventure.