100 Facts & Realizations from the Summer of Slam

100 Facts & Realizations from the Summer of Slam

1. Four (4) oldest 100-mile trail races (Western States, Vermont, Leadville, Wasatch)
2. ~77,000 feet of total elevation gain
3. ~81,000 feet of total elevation loss
4. 11 week span from beginning to end
5. 17 work vacation days
6. 11 plane rides
7. ~80 hours of riding in a car
8. ~30 puking rallies
9. 1,000s of prayers
10. One (1) black toenail
11. One (1) left tingly foot and toes (lasted ~10 weeks)
12. Attempted two (2) 100-mile trail races in 2014, completed one (1)
13. Attempted four (4) 100-mile trail races in 2015, completed four (4)... barely!
14. 42 people started The Grand Slam
15. 25 people remaining after Western
16. 22 people remaining after Vermont
17. 16 people remaining after Leadville
18. 13 people remaining after Wasatch (Class of 2015, ~31% finishing rate)
19. 280 people to ever finish the Grand Slam
20. 315 times that the Grand Slam has been completed (multiple finishes by same people)
21. 30th anniversary of the Grand Slam
22. 100-mile runs are hard
23. Thankful for the countless new friends
24. Lifetime of memories
25. Mouthwash at mile 80 is heaven in a bottle... Thanks Jobie Williams
26. Nine (9) months of planning
27. The struggle bus is real... I rode it all summer
28. The Grand Slam is an expensive endeavor... especially living in the east
29. Capturing a photo of someone when they are battling through a dark low speaks a thousand words (Jobie is very talented)
30. You can run 40-50 miles on nothing but Coca Cola & Water... thanks Daniel Scott Hamilton
31. 1 expensive handbag for my wife (payment, aka "reward" for the Summer of Stress)
32. Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
33. I still don't understand this sick sport
34. I missed out not having a "mule" at Leadville
35. Not sure how Brian Costilow has run Leadville TEN times!!... mental issues
36. My favorite race was my most challenging... Wasatch
37. Realizing that the girl at Pinhoti who said it was just as hard or harder than Western was an IDIOT!
38. Wanting to punch Joshua Cole for ever talking me into my first trail race
39. Wanting to kiss Josh Cole when realizing I was going to finish the last race of The Grand Slam
40. No sunscreen and Breathe Right Strips make funny nose tan lines
41. Clothes smell really bad after 100-mile races
42. Clothes smell even worse when you leave them in a Ziploc bag, in the back of truck while driving across America, in the middle of the summer!
43. Eating ice cubes can fool your brain into thinking you're eating real food
44. Sleep is overrated
45. Trail runners are the nicest people in the world
46. Just because you run a "fast" 50-mile time does not mean you can do that two times in a row to run a fast 100-mile time
47. Finishing a 100-miler is a HUGE accomplishment
48. It's hard to breath above 12,000 feet
49. Poles are good for hiking and for leaning forward to hurl
50. Isaiah 40:31, "But those who put their hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will sore on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint."
51. Running Badwater 135 in the middle of The Slam is just insane... Joshua Holmes
52. Lots of different body parts hurt during and after 100-miles
53. A massage after a 100-mile race is worth every penny!
54. 100-mile races are humbling
55. The Rocky Mountains are one of God's most beautiful creations
56. Running with horses sounds cooler than it is
57. My family/crew work harder than I ever do during a race... I am so thankful for each of you!
58. Trying to pee and run at the same time is hard to do
59. People who don't live in the southeast don't know what real humidity is
60. New weight loss idea... run four (4) 100-mile races in 11 weeks or be the spouse of someone running those four (4) races
61. Pacers do a LOT of work with little reward or recognition
62. Crews do EVEN MORE for little reward or recognition
63. How to stay cool with a homemade Jimbo bandana and ice in arm warmers
64. That God truly does listen and answers prayers
65. The beauty of seeing two sunrises during one race
66. Sometimes smelling bad is better than bathing in a lake with a bunch of crawdads biting your toes
67. Taco Bell is an awesome post-race recovery food
68. Naked Stormtrooper dancing is acceptable at mile 80 @ 11,000 ft up and 25° outside
69. Finding the energy to run the last 5 mile stretch faster than any other miles in the race
70. Katy knows best!
71. Teaching life-long lessons to my girls even if they are too young to understand them now
72. The word "run" is very loosely based when speaking of a 100-mile run
73. Sometimes taking the time to stop and rest will save you more time down the road
74. There are not enough toys to keep kids from getting bored when waiting at aid stations
75. People look at you funny when you tell them you got into The Slam after only completing one (1) 100-mile race
76. Saw the; 'Cary Long in the headlights look' from some girl doing her business in the middle of the trail
77. It's really hard to keep going when your 4-year old is telling you it's okay to stop
78. Anything worth doing is not necessarily easy
79. I finally understand eating early and often
80. It's very, very dusty at Wasatch
81. The pre-race meeting at Leadville is almost better than most standup comedy clubs
82. Smiling does make you feel better no matter how crappy you feel
83. The only way out is through... (Billy Simpson)
84. Words of encouragement are the best medicine for a busted spirit
85. The love and support from my family means more than my family could ever know
86. A fresh pair of socks during the middle of a race can make a world of difference
87. I completed The Slam in 2015 in ~105 hours...
88. Ian Sharman completed The Slam in 2013 in ~69 hours (record holder)... mind blowing!
89. Despite swearing off 100-mile races numerous, NUMEROUS times over this summer, two weeks later I'm already scheming of my next 100-miler adventure
90. Seeing how strong people really are and what we are all capable of doing with the right mindset and determination
91. My crew is my greatest asset during any race
92. Without risk of failure we have no opportunity for success
93. Squirrels in Utah will in fact scream at you
94. Challenging yourself physically and mentally will only make you that much stronger for life's journey
95. PRAYER IS POWERFUL
96. Pain is easily forgotten
97. 100-mile runs are more mental than physical
98. Nothing tastes good after running and puking for 10+ hours
99. Rule of 3's... In any 100-miler you can expect at least 3 things to transpire that you weren't planning on (Ken Niemimaa))
100. The bald eagle trophy for The Slam represented in Isaiah 40:31 (see #50)

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Grand Slam of Utlrarunning Award

Grand Slam of Ultrarunning Class of 2015

"Are you Nate's wife?" - 2015 Wasatch Front 100

"Are you Nate's wife?" guest blog (within a blog) Grand Slam series: Volume 4 - Wasatch 100!

The Final Chapter

Ahh... The Wasatch Front 100 - the coveted last race of the Grand Slam series! Boy was I happy to be at this point! This is the race that Nathan had most been looking forward to from the very beginning and me too, I guess, since this meant that the months of planning and stress were about to be finished! Just kidding, but really!

The little bit of time that we were able to spend at home in between Leadville and leaving for Wasatch (12 days to be exact) were busy with trips back and forth to Heidi's preschool as her classes had started again while we were in Leadville, gymnastics classes, and Wasatch strategizing. Before we knew it, it was time to leave again to head out west for our final trip. Our girls are complete pros at flying now and I couldn't tell you how many times people told me how amazing they were on the plane rides! 
We arrived in Salt Lake City on Sunday night and made the quick 40 minute drive to our condo in Park City. Our amazing friends/family Josh & Candice Cole and their two cutie kids, Jude & Erin, had made the trip out the day before and we were all going to be spending the week together out in Park City! Josh and Nathan have been best friends since high school and Josh was actually the one who introduced Nathan and I all those years ago! (We owe him a lot more than just the thanks and praise for this race, I assure you!!) He was also the one that convinced Nathan to run his first ever Ultra back in 2010!

The week wasn't all sunshine and rainbows though. Everyone had a touch of some kind of cold, we dealt with 24-hour stomach bugs, lost luggage, and stolen bank information. But no matter what cards we were dealt, just being together for the week was a wonderful blessing for all! 

On Thursday we got the opportunity to go and explore the walking trails around Silver Lake - Cottonwood Canyon and we actually got to see some Moose!!! That was a highlight of the trip for me! It was beautiful up there and the company made it even better!

Female moose on the left and bull moose antlers on the right

After we left the lake we made our way to SLC and the pre-race meeting and packet pick-up. There was a playground nearby and Candice was a trooper and watched all four of the kids so that Nathan, Josh, & I could go to the race meeting. The meeting was short, sweet, and to the point! Just the way I like it. After the meeting we went back to the condo where Joshua Holmes joined us and our parents (who had just gotten into town that afternoon) for some amazing pre-race dinner. Candice and I cooked up some homemade fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, and rolls! It was delicious and the boys ate well! With bellies full it was time to try to get some sleep before the last race start in the morning!

It's officially race day!

Our condo was about an hour drive to the race start so no extra sleep for this race! We were out the door and on our way by 3:15-3:30am. There weren't a ton of parking spaces at the Start but we found a spot on the road not far from the line and made sure the guys had everything they needed! One of the things that made me most anxious about this race was the fact the we were only going to be able to see Nathan three times for the entire race, with the first time being all the way at mile 39, so making sure Nathan had whatever he might need was crucial. Once his pack was stuffed and ready to go we went up to the Start line (which was a thin piece of material strung loosely across the entrance to the trail) and got a few pictures before the countdown began. 
Once again, it was time for the 10 second countdown, and this one was going to be the last one. 3...2...1... and they were off! We cheered for all the runners and then headed back to the condo to try to get a little bit of rest! 

Josh fueling up to do some pacing!

Fast forward a few hours and it was finally time for Dennis, Josh, & me to make our way to the interim parking lot to wait for the okay to head up to the Big Mountain (mile 39) aid station. It was a quick 20 minute drive from the condo to the interim parking. They had a big mobile command center set up and you had to get the okay from them that your runner had made it past the last aid station before they would sign your pass to send you on to the crew aid station. (Although, to be honest, I never saw anyone that was checking passes at either of the aid stations.) 
In the short amount of time between Leadville and Wasatch I tried to set out my hopes and intentions for Nathan's last GS run. I was hoping for no sickness, to feel great, and really just to have fun! With no more pressure of more races to come and finally being able to visualize the completion of the 'Summer of Slam' I was just hoping that this race might be different from the last three. So when we finally made it up to the aid station I was full of excitement and energy! They could pick up pacers at this aid station and Josh was excited and ready to go! He and Nathan had decided beforehand that if Nathan was feeling good when he came in here and didn't necessarily need Josh yet then he would save energy and just meet him at the next crew station. Well, the aid station was situated at the bottom of a short decent and if you knew what to look for you could pick out your runner coming down the switchbacks and Nathan was easy to spot because of his orange R/C race shirt. He was jogging and not walking (which is usually a good sign) but gave me a shake of the head when he came in that told me he wasn't feeling good. Already?? I mean come on! He checked into the aid station and then made his way to the port-o-potty where he spent the next 5 or more minutes throwing up, dry heaving, and struggling in between both to tell me what he needed to continue on. When he finally came out of the bathroom he went to sit in the chair and said he had started throwing up around mile 30-33 and that it had hit him out of nowhere. He wanted to lay down and rest already but after sitting for a few minutes and managing to keep down a popsicle he decided to keep going and that he would rest at Lambs Canyon (mile 52) aid station instead. He wanted Josh to go on and start pacing and I was glad. I told him that he was doing great and could pull out of this. We filled their sleeves up with ice, wrapped their Jimbo bandanas around their necks and they checked out of the aid station to tackle the next 13 miles before they would see us again. 

Big Mountain Aid Station - mile 39

Dennis and I made our way down from Big Mountain and we had some time to kill before we could head to the next Crew aid station and didn't want to just sit in the interim parking lot. Our conversation went something like this... "Dennis: We have some time to kill so we could go get something to eat if you're hungry. Me: I'm not really hungry but we can get something for you if you want. Dennis: Yeah, I'm not really hungry either." The worry sets in more when Nathan starts getting sick and we could tell the toll it takes on the both of us. It was a pretty silent trip as we made our way back into Park City to find a gas station with some ice to refill our cooler. But even though our mouths were silent - our hearts and minds were working overtime sending up lots of prayers!
My Mom was hoping to bring the girls and meet us at the Lambs Canyon aid station and it broke my heart to call her and tell her that I thought it would be best if the girls weren't there. It was terribly hard on them and Nathan at Western when they were there when he was so sick. 

Once we got our ice and some soda for ourselves we made the quick trip back to the interim parking lot to set in and wait for permission to head on over to Lambs Canyon. Around 6:00pm I got a text from Josh that said they were about 1 mile from the Alexander Ridge aid station. Dennis and I patiently waited for the tracking website to update so that we could go and get our pass. By 6:45 the website still hadn't shown they were to the aid so I went over to the command center to see if they knew more than me. The man was really nice and said that he was expected to be through almost 45 minutes ago and he would go on and sign my parking pass so that we didn't miss him at Lambs Canyon! I was extremely grateful. 

Lambs Canyon is only roughly about 5 miles and 1 exit away from the interim parking and situated on the road that runs underneath the overpass for the interstate. We made a quick pass by the aid station and decided to park just on the other side of the overpass pointing the direction that the runners were going. Dennis did some quick calculating and told me that the sun was due to set soon and we needed to say some prayers that they would make it to us before it got completely dark because they didn't have any lights with them. I quickly passed along the prayer request to our wonderful prayer group and sent up a bunch of prayers myself. When it started getting close to time for them to come in I walked down to the aid station to watch for them. The runners come up a dirt road before hitting the aid station so it should've been easy for me to see them coming. Well, all of a sudden I catch a glimpse out of the corner of my eye and there is Josh almost to the aid station. I ran over to meet him and tell him where we were parked and so forth. He said Nathan should be coming so I ran back over to the ledge to watch for Nathan. I had only been standing there a few minutes when I hear Josh calling my name. He tells me that Nathan had already been through the aid station and was heading towards the car. Crap! How had I missed him! Josh and I head towards the car and find Nathan leaning against the car losing what little stuff he had in him. He was cold and wanted to rest. I threw his dad's jacket on him and got him situated in the backseat of the car. It was about 8:15pm. I asked him how long he wanted to rest and he told me 15 minutes. As if! I told him I would wake him up at 9:00pm. He agreed and was asleep in seconds.
While he slept I tried to help Josh any way that I could and get them both prepared for the long night ahead of them. 

It's taken me a long time to write this next section because the emotion is still so raw. I am finally at the point that I can retell this part of the race with only a few tears streaming down my face. 

It was getting close to the 9:00pm wake-up mark and Josh and I were talking in the front seat when all of a sudden Nathan woke up in the backseat and quickly threw open the door to throw up/dry heave onto the road. He was in awful shape. Even worse than his worst at Western. He said that he needed to get moving. His entire body was shaking... and I don't mean like a little shake, I mean like big uncontrollable shaking all over. His eyes had big dark circles under them and he had a spaced out look on his face. I would have to repeat some of my questions because he would look at me all spacey like he didn't even hear me the first couple times. I was worried. Big time. I started out with polite suggestions like "are you sure you don't want to rest a little longer?" and "you've got plenty of time, maybe you could just stay here a little longer." But he was resigned to leaving. He just kept saying that he just had to get moving. My whole body was in knots. I didn't know how I was going to send him off into the dark night abyss and the hardest part of the race when he was so sick and out of it. It just didn't feel right. I remember walking to the trunk of the car where Josh was getting some final stuff together, putting my arm around him, and telling him that he had final call. That Nathan wasn't in the right state of mind to pull himself from the race and that it would be in Josh's hands to make the decision if it got to that point. I remember Josh looking at me and telling me that I was putting a lot of pressure on him and I said, "I know and I'm so sorry." I went back to Nathan and helped him get his warmer clothes and stuff on. I remember feeling so torn. He was so close to his end goal - the thing that we had all worked so hard for and put so much into this summer and I just wanted him to stop and stay here with me where I knew he would be safe. Every single race of this GS series he has been sick and every single time I have tried my best to build him up and tell him he could do this, just keep pushing! But not this time, one more look at his confused face and I said the thing that I had promised myself that I would never say, "Please stop. Please just stay here with me." But he just kept saying that he had to go, he just had to go. 
I held Nathan's hand and walked with him & Josh up the road about 20 yards or so. Had Josh not been there to go with him I never would've been able to let him leave that car. There are unique times in our lives when God puts the right people in the right place at the perfect time... and that is exactly what he did when Josh decided to pace Nathan for this race. We said a quick goodbye and Josh promised me that he would take care of him for me. 

When I got back to the car I was crying. I had held in the tears to try to be strong for Nathan but I couldn't do it anymore. Dennis was packing things up and when he saw that I was crying he looked at me and asked me if I could catch them. I said, sure I guess. He told me to run down the road and tell Josh that we would wait here for 30 minutes. If Nathan got worse or wasn't any better then he was to turn him around and bring him back. So I took off down the road, running with my crappy headlamp once again, trying to catch them. My lungs were burning and I didn't know how long the road went before they got back on the trail. I finally saw two headlamps up ahead of me and started calling out their names. After a few tries they seemed to finally hear me and stopped so that I could catch up. I was sobbing as I threw my arms around Nathan and told him I was sorry and asked him if he was sure that he was okay to do this. He held me while I cried and told me he didn't know. He didn't know if he should keep going or if he would make it to that finish line. He suggested that we say a prayer because he didn't know what else to do, so the three of us huddled together in the middle of this dark road and asked the Lord for the wisdom to know whether he should keep going or stop, here and later on; for energy and a calm stomach; for peace with the decisions either way; and for overall protection and safety. That would have to do for now. I relayed the message about staying for 30 minutes to Josh and then I left them there, continuing their way on the road and I turned and took my time walking the mile or so back to the car. On my walk back I had a deep, sincere, honest heart to heart with God. I asked him to take all of it from me because I just couldn't do it anymore. I was so worried that it was literally making me sick. I had a headache that was entering into migraine land. I could feel every heartbeat in my eyeballs and temples. I was so sick to my stomach I felt like I was going to throw up at any minute. I asked the Lord to give me that 'Peace beyond all understanding' (Philippians 4:7). 

I got back to the car around 9:45pm. I don't know if Dennis will ever understand what this next hour and 15 minutes would mean to me, but let's just say that I have am blessed with an amazing, God-fearing Father-in-law that was able to talk me off the cliff. Another answer to prayer from God I do believe. He told me that a lot of times when we put our trust in God (like the prayers that we had prayed after Nathan came through the first aid station sick) then we expect things to get better or, at the very least, not to get worse. So when things get worse it's easy for people to think that God doesn't care or isn't listening; when really, God wants to know: Do you still trust me? Those simple words were exactly what I needed to know that God had truly heard my crying out to Him. He knew that I still trusted Him and I knew that He would take care of Nathan. Dennis said lots of other wonderful things to me during this tense time while we waited to see if they would turn back and most of the things he said I can't clearly recall. But I know what that time meant to me and it is special. 
We ended up staying until 11:00 (1 hr 15 min from when I got back to the car) before deciding that since we hadn't heard from Josh that they must still be moving in the right direction. We drove the 15 minutes back to the condo and once we got settled God answered my prayer for peace. Normally in a race I am too anxious to sleep. I was still feeling rather ill and as I laid down in bed I prepared myself for a long night of worry. But the good Lord allowed me to sleep - which ended up being the greatest distraction for me. I fell to sleep almost immediately. I remember waking around 3:30am, looking at the clock and turned over when I got a text message from Josh. (God had woken me up right on time!) He told me they were through one of the aid stations (I honestly can't remember which) and that Nathan was craving a cold peach or apple and a slushy. I forwarded the message to Dennis and Candice and we decided what time we would need to leave to head up to the Brighton aid station. Mom came down and stayed with all of the sleeping kids so that Candice could come with Dennis & me to this aid station. 

About 4:30am we headed out to see them at the last Crew aid station Brighton (mile 75). Half a mile from our condo was a 24-hour Fresh Market so we ran in quick and got him a peach and a nectarine to throw into the cooler and around another corner was a gas station where we got him a cherry slushy. Hopefully these will be what he needs to keep some food down! It was about a 35-40 minute drive from our condo to the Brighton aid station. It's only about 13 miles but it's mostly curvy mountain roads and I felt bad for Candice because she got a little car sick on the way up. While we were driving Candice and I saw a real life porcupine. It was weird and cool all at the same time. That is officially the first and only time I've ever seen one in real life! 
When we made it to the aid station we sat in the car to wait for a little bit. We had been following the projected times on the tracking website and they had been pretty accurate so far. We knew that our friend, Joshua Holmes, was a little bit ahead of Nathan so we decided that once we saw him come into the aid station then we would get our stuff and get set up. I saw someone come in that I thought might be Joshua so I got out of the car and walked up the stairs into the aid station to see if it was or not. Lo and behold it was! He looked good but really sleepy. He had already gotten his drop bag so I helped him get some food and washed out and refilled his bottles for him. I talked with him for another minute then headed back out to get Candice & Dennis so we could get all our stuff ready. I had just made it back to the car when Candice and I both thought we saw our Josh walking inside the aid station. All three of us grabbed our stuff and ran up to the aid station. Nathan was only a minute or two behind and we worked quickly to get all of their supplies refilled. Nathan was looking forward to the slushy but a couple sips in it ended up coming back up. So we quietly put it in the garbage. Joshua Holmes stopped to say hey for a second before he headed back out and offered Nathan a sweet tea that he had in his drop bag. It was perfect for Nathan! We knew not to keep them any longer than absolutely necessary at this aid station because it was indoors and they say it is a bad trap if you stay too long. You get all warm and comfy and don't want to leave. So after a few hugs and kisses and lots of praise we got them out the door. 

Leaving Brighton

Dennis took this picture at Brighton and at the time I had no idea that he even took it. It is the most special picture of this entire race and GS series to me! How hard it is too send the one you love back out... "Love lifted me"

I must say that even though the worry was still there - it did diminish slightly after seeing him at this aid station. Was he miles ahead of where he was (technically yes)? No. But he was still pushing forward and I knew that there was no more "what if" when it came to him finishing because he was definitely going to finish! With lifted hearts Candice, Dennis, & I made our way back to the condo. We were just able to see the sun starting to peek over the mountains as we were arriving back and it felt to me like God's way of saying, "I told ya I've got this!"

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5 

The rest of the morning was spent getting our stuff together since we had to check out by 12:00pm and constantly refreshing our phones and tablets to see how he was moving through the aid stations. We left the condo and made our way towards the finish line, stopping on the way at a McDonald's so the kids could eat and play for a little bit. We got to the finish line in plenty of time to find a nice spot in the grass close to a huge tree and relax a little in the shade while we waited. The runners have to run about a 0.5 mile on the road to the finish and Dennis had his big zoom on his camera so he was able to see when they were coming! Before long we saw them making their way up the road and the happy tears were streaming down all of our faces as we ran over to see them cross the finish line! 

In conclusion:

This summer has been one of the best and worst summers of my life. We got to travel to places we had never been and see beautiful and amazing things that some people will never get the chance to see. I also had to see the one that I love go through some really tough times and I had to learn to deal with the fact that I couldn't do anything else to help him. The only way I can put that into perspective for myself is to see the similarity between this and natural child birth for me. I now know how Nathan must've felt to see me in so much pain but still resigned to my final outcome. 

Above all else this summer, my faith has grown exponentially. I have learned to truly and wholeheartedly trust God with everything and anything. The things I can control and the things that I cannot. As I was recounting this story to my good friend Jenny (you may remember her from my Leadville post) she told me that she has often heard stories from others about God really showing up and showing what He can do and she wondered to herself how she could get that to happen in her own life. Her conclusion was that a lot of the time these people (including us) were taking some really big risks without being completely certain of the outcome, but putting our trust in God regardless. I agree 100%. Our shirts say it all - "God's Glory - Our Joy"!! 

I want to say a quick thank you to everyone and anyone, people we know and don't know, for all of the prayers, thoughts, and well wishes through this entire journey! We couldn't have done this without y'all! 

It still doesn't quite feel like it's actually over. Maybe once we stay in town for a solid 6 weeks with no traveling it will finally start to set in! ha ha

Now I am going to go take a nap! 

 

  

"Are you Nate's Wife?" - 2015 Leadville 100

"Are you Nate's wife?" guest blog (within a blog) Grand Slam series: Volume 3 - Leadville 100!

Whew! Halfway finished and a five week break between races?!? That felt almost like a vacation! Except for the tiny little nagging thing that took shape in the form of Nathan's achilles injury from Vermont. 
When we returned from VT Nathan could hardly walk and the future of the last half of the Grand Slam races was questionable, to say the least. I don't think he ever really thought that we wouldn't go to Leadville - but I certainly did. I mean, how could he go do something as difficult as run 100 miles when it took him 10 minutes to cross the street? Well, let me tell you that it came down to one week before we were supposed to leave before I was convinced he was healthy enough to attempt Leadville. He came home from a 12+ mile run on that Saturday morning and said his achilles hadn't hurt during his run, so I went right then and bought our tickets! And boy am I glad that we did!

This trip to Colorado has been my favorite GS trip so far! I had only ever been to Colorado in the winter and was really looking forward to getting to see it in the summer. It did not disappoint. 
Living at an elevation of 680 ft. above sea level and going to an elevation of 10,200 ft. without getting altitude sickness can be quite the challenge. Thankfully my FIL had a wonderful plan set out for us and other than a few headaches in the bunch I am happy to report that no one ended up with altitude sickness. Our plan was to spend two nights in Estes Park (elevation 7,522 ft) and one night in Silverthorne (elevation 8,730 ft) before heading up to Leadville. 

Our hotel in Estes Park was only about 0.5 mile from the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park and on Sunday we drove the narrow and curvy road up to the Alpine Visitors Center (elevation 11,796 ft) where we had lunch and enjoyed the views. (Except for our poor Heidi who got car sick on the way up and did not enjoy any part of that trip.)

Top of Alpine Visitors Center

The many faces of a car sick Heidi

On Monday morning we left Estes Park and made our way to Silverthorne, CO. Nathan had spent a winter season working in Keystone years ago so it was nice to take the girls and walk through the village. We tried to take the girls up in the Gondola to the top (for some more altitude training) but a storm came blowing through and they wouldn't do anymore rides for the day. 

Tuesday morning we loaded our things into the car and headed to Leadville. Our friend, and Rock Creek Race Director, Brian Costilow and his family were so awesome and let us rent their house in Leadville for the week! It was perfect for us - 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and only 3 blocks to the Start/Finish! (Not to mention the playground park for the kids at the other end of the block - where we spent a lot of time!) We spent the next few days walking and exploring the town and going on the famous Leadville train ride! It was probably my most favorite thing we did!

On Friday we went to the Race Expo and got to visit with some of the other Grand Slam runners before the mandatory race meeting. We stayed for the Crew meeting afterward (mostly because I wanted to) and got some good tips for the course. My favorite tip that I actually put to use was to get some index cards and make a card for each aid station so that the Crew could remember to grab all the things that he may need or want! I will definitely be using these in the future!! 
That night we had a delicious dinner of homemade turkey meatballs, mashed potatoes, and vegis before heading off to an early bed!

Race Day is finally here!
Woo! Those 4:00am race starts come way too quickly! Thankfully being so close to the race start allowed us to sleep in just a tiny bit later! I came down the stairs, put my coat on, and we were pretty much out the door walking to the start. Joshua Holmes (fellow Grand Slammer and $lam Water finisher) had come that morning and was going to be leaving his car at the house and then coming back and showering/resting after the race before the awards ceremony and it was nice to get to visit with him on the warm up walk to the start. 
The Start line had lots of energy with plenty of family and friends cheering on from the stands and the side of the shoot. Nathan & Josh made their way towards the front and I got into position to get the 10 second countdown (I have a video from each of the races so far) and with the traditional Leadville shotgun blast they were off! 

In the months leading up to Leadville I had reached out to Brian for crewing advice and he pointed me in the direction of his sister, Kay. She had crewed him for 10 Leadville races and she is the Leadville crewing Queen! She was so amazing and sent me a wonderful email chock full of information and tips about the aid stations and what worked for them in the past. Thanks to her we knew to avoid May Queen-Outbound like the plague and head back to the house to get ready for our day! 

So while my wonderful Mother (and best Gramma ever, seriously) stayed at the house with the girls so that they could keep sleeping... Dennis (Nathan's Dad) and I headed out to the Outward Bound aid station (mile 24.5) just before the sun came up! 
The aid station was set in a field this year and it was really easy to crew. They had plenty of parking in a big open field and a large section marked off just for the Crewing Zone! 

The Sunrise hitting the mountains at the Outward Bound aid station

It was easy to watch for Nathan coming down the road into the aid station and we were able to get some nice people whose runner had not come in yet to let us move in front of them to be able to assist him better. He was looking and feeling good so we refilled his supplies and he was out of there!

We packed up our things and decided to head straight over to the Twin Lakes aid station (mile 39.5) to find a parking spot. They were not allowing you to park in the town this year and were supposed to be shuttling people in. My mom and the girls met us at this aid station and even though we were parked right by where the shuttle pick up was we never saw it and had to walk the 0.5-0.75 miles into the town. Yes, Twin Lakes is a town. Granted, a very tiny town. We found a spot close to where they jump back on the trail off of the paved road through town and set in to wait. Like I've said before, my FIL is amazing at figuring out Nathan's pace and calculating when we should expect for him to come in, so when it got close to time I walked up the hill and around the corner to meet him where he comes off the trail. I waited and started getting anxious thinking he should've been in already. I swear in the future that I am not going to wait to meet him at another aid station like that, because every time that I do I swear he comes in feeling like crap. Which is exactly what happened. He was walking and said that he hadn't thrown up but that he felt really awful and hadn't eaten much since we saw him at the last aid station. Crap. I see why most people drop at this aid station... because they feel like Nathan felt and still know that the hardest part of the race, Hope Pass, is staring them right in the face. Well, if we've learned anything from the last two races it's that Nathan isn't a quitter and so even though he felt lousy he pressed on to the mountain that was before him. 

 

Now the worry starts to set in. I prayed a lot on our way to Winfield. Prayers that his stomach would settle so that he could eat, prayers to give him the energy he needs to climb up and over Hope Pass, and most importantly just to deliver him back to me safely.

Leadville is an out and back race and Winfield (mile 50) is the turn around point. A lot of Crews don't go to Winfield and I can see why. The dirt road leading up to it has ruts so big you can lose a car in them. Once the first runner hits the road in Winfield then they stop allowing cars all the way up to the field at the top and they start parking you on the side of the road and you have to walk in.

Our backpacks were heavy and the oxygen was low as we made our way to find a spot in the grass and wait. This was also the place where the pacers could start running and I got some good entertainment "people watching" all of the nervous pacers waiting for their runners.

From where we were sitting you could just barely see the runners as they came down the road and Nathan was easier to spot because of his orange R/C shirt and yellow-green shorts. So as soon as I saw what I thought was him I ran down the road to meet and walk in with him. He said that he had thrown up a few times after he had left us and again up and over Hope Pass. We made a quick pass through the aid station for some fruit and went to meet Dennis. As soon as Nathan sat on the ground any of the fruit that he had decided to eat came back up - time to get moving - so Dennis and I made quick work of refilling his pack, changing his shirt, and making some ramen for him to carry with him. 

I walked with him down the road and told him over and over again how proud I was of him and how he's got this. I tried to remind him to smile because it magically changes your entire attitude! When he was about to get back on the trail I wrapped his jimbo bandana full of ice (it gets hot at 12,600 ft) on his neck and a told him I would be waiting for him in Twin Lakes!

Dennis and I made the trek back down to the car and down the rut-ridden road back to Twin Lakes (mile 60.5). We ended up getting a sweet parking spot right in the middle of town and it was nice to not have to carry our stuff far to get set up. My Mom & the girls brought us some dinner from High Mountain Pizza and I wish I had had more of an appetite because the 2-3 bites that I had were really good! I also grabbed some cokes and such from the tiny little store in town, Pass Gas, and giggled to myself like a 5 year old. 

 

It was just before dusk as Nathan made his way to us and when I finally saw him he was actually jogging which totally lifted my heart! He got to where we were set up and we changed out his socks and shoes, refilled his nutrition (aka: coke and perpetuem), and stuffed his pack with warmer clothes and his headlamp since it was about to get dark and cold. He had originally planned on switching to his other pack and ditching his poles at this point, but with some more climbs coming he made a good choice and decided to keep them! I walked with him up the road until he got back on the trail and may have tried to guilt him a little with reminding him that he would get to run with me in 2 more crew aid stations!

After we left Twin Lakes we had to swing back by the house in Leadville to get a few things. I took the opportunity to take a quick 30 minute rest on the couch as the girls climbed all over me and told me all about their day. I also felt super guilty because here I was laying on the warm couch and Nathan was out pushing through miles in the cold dark. 

Once we got the text that he had come through the Half Pipe aid station (non-crew) then we gathered our jackets and headed back out to Outward Bound (mile 75.5). Before we left I had changed into my running clothes and then put my other clothes back on and I was thankful for the extra layer because it had gotten cold. By this time the runners are so spread out that there was plenty of room to find a spot to set up and we didn't have to fight for space.

Headlamps coming across the field

One of my favorite sights of the night came from this aid station as well. The runners came in across the huge field that they went out of that morning and it was so cool to see spots of headlamps coming across the field in the dark! 

"Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path"
Psalm 119:105

Dennis was right on the money again and Nathan came strolling through at about 12:15a. Dennis stepped away for just a minute and almost missed him. He was cold and needed his warmer clothes so I stripped off my warm jacket to wrap him up as we worked to get his clothes on him. Once we got him dressed and drinks refilled I went with him through the aid station and then up the road for about 0.75 of a mile or so. In the aid station he picked up some "mashed potatoes" that were more like mashed potato flavored soup but the few bites he took ended up coming back up once we hit the road. I told him to hang tough because he would get to pick me up at the next aid station to pace for a few miles and that is something that we both have been looking forward to from the beginning of these races. With a quick kiss on the cheek he was off and I headed back to pack up at the aid station.

The drive over to May Queen (mile 86.5) was pretty quick since they allow you to go over the dam on the inbound trips. It was still pretty busy, but nothing like it was that morning I'm sure, and we had a small hike to get to the aid station. It was about 1:30a in the morning now and we weren't expecting him until around 3:30 so we used the spare time for a mediocre attempt at some rest. When it was finally time then we got out of the warm truck and got a nice "warm-up" walk into the aid station. While we were waiting for Nathan I remember looking up at the sky and just being amazed! I had never seen so many stars at once in all my life! You could even see part of the Milky Way! It was the most beautiful sight and I wish I could've gotten a picture of it. It truly was stunning! What an awesome God we have!

Now back to the race... this was going to be my first ever experience pacing and running at night. Until now I had never done either of these things! I was extremely nervous - everyone knows that Nathan is the hare and I am the tortoise in our relationship. But this was also something that he had wanted me to do ever since these races started and something that I hadn't had the chance to do yet. He came jogging down the hill (yay!) and with a quick refill on his coke and perpetuem we were off. It was a 6-ish mile section to the Tabor boat ramp around Turquoise Lake and we had actually run this section earlier in the week so I felt a tiny bit more comfortable. I learned quickly that my headlamp sucks as I easily tripped over every rock and root there was but somehow managed to stay on my feet. When he walked, I walked. When he ran, I ran. In between sucking air I tried to keep a tiny bit of a conversation and the miles flew by! Nathan said he was feeling pretty good and I knew that the next section after this was mostly road and dirt road and I didn't want him to have to wait on me when I knew he just wanted to be done; so I told him to drop me at the boat dock with his Dad and I would just see him at the bottom of 6th street. So before I knew it we were there and I went with Dennis and Nathan took off towards his last few miles. 

I had originally planned to run in from the bottom of 6th Street to the Finish with Nathan but on the short drive over there I started feeling like crap. I was super nauseas and couldn't stop shaking. (Now I know how Nathan felt/feels, blech) I spent most of the time waiting there with my head in my hands trying not to puke all over the car. Finally Nathan crested the hill off of the Boulevard and was looking for me to run with him. I told him I felt awful and that I would just meet him at the Finish. He understood, of course! So Dennis and I booked it up the hill, found a parking spot, met up with Mom & the girls and quickly made our way to the Finish just in time to see him close the last couple hundred yards! He deserved every step of that Finish and I could not be more proud of him! He is truly one remarkable human being that I love so so much!

Coming up from the bottom of 6th Street

I would also like to take this time to say a special Thank You to a few people. Jenny Baker is a beautiful, God-fearing woman and ultrarunner who came up with a wonderful idea to start a Prayer group so that our friends and family could send prayers for Nathan, our crew, and the runners during the race. (As well as provide emotional support to me during the race!) She is a friend that the Lord has recently brought into our lives and He has really blessed us with her and Franklin's friendship!

Also, my amazing sister/best friend, Theresa, who helped set up and organize the time slots for those that wanted to cover a certain time frame in prayer! I love her to the moon!

And lastly, all of the wonderful and amazing friends and family that sent up their prayers during the race. There are too many to list, but they know who they are, and I just want you to know that we felt the prayers during the race and know what a difference they made! You all mean the world to us! 

We are seriously the luckiest! 

#threedownONEtogo