2008 Leadville Trail 100 - 28:33

Photo by Lorraine Gersitz, leaving Winfield

I did it! I may have set a record for lateness leaving Winfield and time back to finish. Looking forward to getting the data (Note: check out Chris Labbe's website on Leadville statistics for some very interesting data and charts, LT 100 Data Project).

Ran most of the course in Vibram FiveFingers, some with huaraches and quite a bit barefoot!

BFT

Highlights:

1. Spending a week in Leadville acclimatizing and meeting old and new friends.

2. Doing the entire race carrying all my own gear from start to finish except for food which I had in drop-bags at the various aid stations.

3. Running over half of the trail from Half Moon to Twin Lakes barefoot and going up to Hope Pass aid station barefoot...just too muddy for shoes and finding a great hiking stick somewhere along the way.

4. Dealing just fine with freezing cold wind, slippery mud, icy rain, hail so thick the trail was unseeable and snow. Crazy.

5. Being treated like a king by the best volunteers ever at each and every aid station. Thank you!

6. Feeling strongest while leaving Half Moon on the way back, running and running and running.

7. The joy of putting on my FF KSOs after running and hiking for so long barefoot.

8. Staying consistent with my nutrition all the way through the race. Every aid station I would mix up my sports drink (maltodextrin, hemp protein, green magma, rehydration salt), chewed two Clif blocks and slurped some of my Hammer Gel with shelled hemp seeds. Never felt nausea, never felt low energy.

9. Realization that huaraches DO NOT work well in mud and rain!

10. Seeing the finish line after 28+ hours of adventure.

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A huge thank you to Vibram Five Fingers for getting me through this race. Five Fingers are the ultimate footwear for those who want to learn to run with the trail. It is not about beating onself up or enduring more pain, no, not at all. Rather, it is about learning to run gently and thoughtfully through a rugged environment. Learning how to feel the trail and respond to it. It is about suble balance that the toes need to be part of. It is about freedom and elegance and simplicity. Give them a try.