Everyone meet Mary Arnold. Mary is one of the newest contributors to TRAVLETE. She’s also one heck of a runner and over the next few weeks we’ll be chronicling the final days, hours and minutes leading up to the biggest challenge of her racing career…the Leadville 100 Trail Run.
August 5, 2011
Ten years ago, I ran a 10k on a whim and had to walk backwards down the stairs for three days. Most people would call this an unsuccessful fitness experiment and go take up tennis or Zumba.
I am not one of these people.
Instead, I buried myself in preparation for the next race, determined to do better the next time. When that race went well, I signed up for another and then… another. In a year’s time I had moved up to the marathon and a few years after that I managed to qualify for Boston. When an injury threatened to sideline me, I used swimming and biking to get ready for a triathlon. Multisport made me stronger and less than two years later I finished an Ironman. While I would not trade that experience for anything, all that time on the bike made me pine for a good, solid long run.
So I took up ultras. I ran 50ks then 60ks and finally a 50 miler. Each time, no matter what the race meted out, I always finished feeling better, stronger than I had before. I marveled at how far I had gone and wondered how just how far I COULD go. Races with names like “Iron Horse” and “Burning River” began to entice me. Would it really be possible to cover 100 miles a day, on foot? I had to find out.
Now, after months of training, I am only less than 15 days away from the start of my first 100 mile race. I will be toeing the line at the Leadville 100 Trail Run, a beast of a course that the organizers call “the Race Across the Sky” since the entire run takes place at 10,000 feet. I am beyond excited and totally terrified; I really hope that the Ken Chlouber, the race founder’s, words prove true:
“You are tougher than you think you are and you can do more than you think you can.”
I invite you to come along and see.
-Mary
Comments
Good luck at Leadville!!!
Awesome! GO MARY! Keep us posted on how you’re feeling as the big day gets closer…
What the heck are you planning to eat during a 100 mile trail run? Even after 2 gel-free weeks post-IMLP, the idea of ingesting malodextrin again still churns my stomach. Do you have to carry everything with you the whole time or are there stops along the way where you can pick up extra nutrition or gear, the way you can in Ironman?
Thanks Courtney! I will take all the “good lucks” I can get. This one is going to be HARD.
Thankfully, I do not need to carry everything, as there are 11 aid stations along the way. Otherwise, I think I would probably need to bring an actual mule.
For the race, I will keep about 1k calories of liquid fuel (EFS) and 2 liters of water on me at all times. Over the course of the race, I will need to consume about 5k calories.I use a mix of gels and real food like potatoes, turkey and gluten free rolls. And when all else fails, handfuls of M &Ms.