Journey from Leadville - December 1, 2012

My apologies for being away so long - it's time to wrap up the Leadville 2012 Race.

I need to take you through the last 22 miles to the finish line! Jay Gates took me up Powerline in the dark. At this point in the race, there are a couple of things running through my mind. First, as you can imagine, I'm feeling tired. I continue to feel so oxygen deprived and have come to the conclusion that it isn't going to get any better before the race end.  Climbing had been my weak spot since mile 40 but at the same time, this would be my last climb.  I was a little ahead of Rick but figured that he would catch up with me like he had on the previous mountain climbs.

Jay was awesome and we had some great conversation. Mentally I was trying to figure out what time I could get to the finish line.  The great news was that I KNEW I was going to finish. The more pertinent question was, would I finish under 24, 25, 26, 27, or 28 hours? My goal all year had been sub 24 hours and I really believed my training had prepared me to achieve this. I didn't anticipate the difficulty I would have with breathing. Going up Hope Pass it was becoming increasingly clear to me that sub 24 hours was not going to happen. I thought the 25 hr finish was possible but it would be really difficult. Nonetheless, the Big Buckle that is awarded to sub 25 hr finishers is a badge of honor that I would be proud to wear.

Our climb was really good, just slower than what I had hoped. Sometimes I didn't talk very much because I was focused on breathing. Jay and I conversed about the Leadville experience, our year of training, and how much I appreciated him and others training with us. Jay had an important role in our training - he did a lot of the toughest workouts with us - 48 miles to West Branch and climbing the stairs at Jumers.

As we approached the top of Sugarloaf Pass (or Powerline), Rick and his pacer, Curt Johnston, caught up with us. I was really glad to see them - we were both that much closer to the finish. We visited for a few minutes and then we began the descent downhill to the MayQueen Campground aid station. The pattern for this race had been Rick gaining or passing me on the uphill climbs and me gaining or passing him on the downhill and flat sections of the race. Since this was a downhill section of the race I decided to take off again and thought we might cross paths again. Also, if I had any chance at a sub 25 hour finish, I needed to get going again.

Jay and I ventured out ahead. Rick and Curt were walking for a bit, largely due to Rick's sore feet. Even though we were going downhill I was probably not running as much as I should have been to the Hagerman Road. By the time we hit the lower part of the trail after the mile run along Hagerman road, I could feel my energy beginning to wane and probably started to let my mind think about my knees starting to hurt a little bit. Jay and I also talked about how cool it was that Rick and I had trained over the past 12 months and how neat it would be to finish Leadville together. This idea had a tremendous amount of appeal to me and I thought it would be really fitting. So I decided this was the way I wanted to finish the race. We finished this leg of the race at MayQueen and within 2 minutes, Rick and Curt showed up. We fueled up and headed out together for the final 13.5 miles!

John Lawler and Larry Ratigan joined Rick and I around Turquoise Lake. Rick's feet were really hurting so we walked for quite a bit of this section. When we reached the Tabor Boat Ramp, we picked up Doug Himmelman and Scott Passman and continued on our way. I stopped a couple of times to retape my feet so Rick made his way ahead and I eventually caught up with him. At about 95 miles we met up with a few others - my sisters Kim and Debi and Todd Hornbuckle. Technically we violated the 1 pacer per person rule but many of these rules aren't really that important to enforce when there isn't much traffic on the trail or road.

The last 5 miles seemed much longer than 5 miles but we made it. The last mile at Leadville is especially awesome because as many of our team can join us as they want. With the exception of my 82 year old mom and our official photographer/videographer, my sister Michelle, our entire team ran the last mile of the race with us. We walked quite a bit of it but ran it in for the last 1/4 mile or so. It was one of the greatest feelings of my life - what a wonderful accomplishment with a very special group of people!

Rick and I crossed the finish line together at 27 hours, 22 minutes, and 17 seconds and received our medals and hugs from Merilee (Oneal) Mappin. I always love seeing Merilee, especially at the finish line of the Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run.

We had a quick post race medical check in everything checked out just fine. We gathered everyone together for a big thank you and team picture. It felt a little sad to say goodbye to everyone but people had to get back to their lives and we were so grateful they could be with us at Leadville.

Mom, Debi, Kim, Katelin, and Michelle joined Rick and I at the awards ceremony where Rick and I received our finisher hooded sweatshirts and belt buckles. We were a little sore in the legs :o) after a shower and a quick nap but the ceremony was wonderful and I'm so glad we were able to attend.

Thank you for reading about my Leadville experience - it has been most enjoyable to venture through this journey and it is my hope that sharing some of these thoughts will help and inspire you to achieve more satisfaction and joy in your life.

Have a great day! DIG DEEP!  DIG DEEP!  DIG DEEP!

Journey from Leadville - September 24, 2012

Miles 60 - 78.....

Thomas and I at Notre Dame vs. Michigan football game 9/22/12 - Irish victory 13-6!

Wow - I can't believe 12 days have passed since my last blog! As I was preparing for Leadville, the "Big Goal", blogging seemed to be part of my daily routine. I've been busy with a number of other things - good things - but it has resulted in me being away from the blog. I have some unfinished business though - logging the experience of the remaining 40 miles of the race.

Picking up where we left off....felt really good leaving Twin Lakes. Once we started the climb out of Twin Lakes (about 2.5 miles of incline) it was clear that Rick's climbing superiority would reign again. I was happy for him and encouraged him to go as fast as he could. I told him I'd catch up later. My breathing troubles kicked in again and it remained my biggest nemesis. My pacer, John Lawler, was amazing! I didn't realize it at the time but he was strategically thinking with me the entire time we were together. John made great conversation and kept reminding me to continue taking deep breaths to get oxygen in my lungs. He had me drink more than I wanted with his objective being to get me to stop to go to the bathroom many times. It took a little while but before I knew it I was stopping every 5 minutes or so. This is what I needed as it was a sign that I was beginning to hydrate. The more we climbed the further Rick and Melissa distanced themselves between us. Jeff Friedman also passed us early on in this segment and we caught up with him once we reached the top.

The next 9 miles went quite well, mostly because it was downward and flat. The breathing was still difficult but it was starting to get better. We had stretches where we we were moving really well and my spirits improved. There were still times I needed to walk to catch my breath. Our most common pattern was to run counting 100 paces with the right foot and then walk. Sometimes we'd pick a landmark ahead or find a point that started going uphill again. John did everything I asked and knew when to encourage me to push even further. At one point we wondered whether we were still on the trail since we had not seen a green glowstick for sometime but soon thereafter we learned that we were on track. As we continued the decline my speed was picking up to the point where I felt like we had to be making up some of the gap between Rick and I. Rick is a good downhill runner but this is my strength in downhill running. Maybe I take more risks than I should when going downhill but it feels right to me and given the difficulties I had been experiencing in other parts of the race, these were my opportunities to make up some time.

I'm not exactly sure where we caught up with Rick and Melissa but I think it was around mile 68. Given the pace I was moving I thought I would have caught up with them sooner but I was glad they were making such good time. We ran the next couple miles together into the Half Pipe aid station. I learned at this point how much Rick's feet were hurting him. He had successfully trained for a year with these shoes but in retrospect they probably weren't the correct ones to have running trails in the mountains. I was fortunate enough to not have hurting feet. As a result, the running was hurting him quite a bit. Melissa was awesome with Rick - she had him on a program of run 15 paces with the right foot, walk 15 paces with the right foot. I'm sure the walking hurt too but probably not as much as the pounding of the running. I think I could have kept going faster but it was great to meet up with Rick again, we enjoyed the company of him and Melissa, I wanted to try to keep him motivated, and honestly it was nice to let up on the pedal a bit. My breathing was still very difficult.

Another milestone - hitting the 71 mile mark - only 29 miles to go! This was a relatively quick stop - ate/drank a cup of soup and drank a coke or two. The four of us left the aid station together. This was a flat segment and I was feeling pretty good so John and I ran off ahead and figured I would probably see Rick again on the climb back up Powerline. We cruised into an area about 1.5 miles further up the road referred to as Treeline. It is named Treeline because this is the altitude above which markedly fewer trees grow. At this station I traded out for a new shirt and bundled up more for the night. I was finally beginning to feel colder - the night sweats had finally left my body. I also traded in my friend John Lawler for my niece Katelin Gannon.

The breathing wasn't easy but my spirits were uplifted. I felt like I was getting back into my stride again a bit and I only had one giant incline to go - the dreaded Powerline. I could do one more big incline - no problem. I was also watching the time and wondering if 24 hours was still possible. I thought I would just run for awhile and see how I was doing later - then I could make the decision how hard I should push. Katelin and I took off out of the aid station and all was going well. As we turned right out of the aid station we followed a gravel road. Up ahead we could see the paved road and cars driving on it. I knew we would eventually be running on this road so we kept running toward it. About 1/4 - 1/2 mile further something seemed a little strange - we couldn't see any green glowsticks, no people in front of us and it felt like we were running away from our destination - DARN IT! We looked back and couldn't really see anyone else either. What a horrible feeling - I had this same feeling in 2005 at about mile 37 when I wasn't sure if I was still on course. We stopped and tried looking for some sign to see where we needed to go. I walked ahead a bit further to look for a marker - no luck. Katelin ran back to look for a marker - nothing! We were pondering what to do. I did not want to back track only to have to run a part of this course twice - once was long enough! On the other hand, it would have been disastrous to continue going in the wrong direction. It was one of those moments where you are feeling helpless and scrambling to figure out what to do. We probably only spent 2-3 minutes figuring it out but it seemed like 5-10 minutes.

When we looked back where we came from again, we could see a few headlamps heading diagonally across the field - that was where we needed to go. You might wonder why we couldn't see these headlights before - good question. Part of why we didn't see them was because we weren't sure where to look and part of it was that it this point in the race there aren't a whole lot of people in any one stretch - we're sort of out there by ourselves. So we backtracked to get back on the trail and when we did come up on the next group, it was Rick and my sister Debi! They were doing well and we stayed with them for a very short time. Soon thereafter Katelin and decided to go ahead again. My race was a combination of going fast and slow - Rick's race was steady throughout. He was a great measuring stick for me. Whenever I fell behind, I set my sights on trying to catch up with him again and knew that when I did, I was doing well.

Much of Katelin and my run was along a paved road that ran north and then 90 degrees west into the Fish Hatchery. It was run/walk the entire way. A few times I tried extending the run further to some telephone poles or to the end of a downward slope. We did a good job of passing people. Sometimes on our walk stretches we would get passed up but we overtook these people when we started running again. It was at this point in the race where I was wondering where I would finish in terms of time. My 'off the course' detour discouraged me a bit and made me think, "If I miss my goal by 5 minutes I'm going to be really disappointed", and I was beginning to doubt if I would be able to hit my sub 24 hour goal. I wasn't ready to give up on it but I just truly didn't know. There were so many variables - how would I perform going up Powerline? At what point does fatigue seriously impact my performance? Would my breathing get better? stay the same? get worse? If I couldn't achieve the 24 hour goal, could I still get sub 25 hours which would earn me a 'big belt buckle'?  The big buckle is a badge of honor that separates those with an extraordinary finish from those who have an admirable finish. It still had some appeal to me even though it wasn't my original goal. Katelin kept me grounded and said that I should just keep doing the best I could and make the decision later based on where I was at later in the race. I still thought about it but agreed she was right and tried to put it out of my mind for awhile.

I had fun with all my pacers. Katelin was a great conversationalist and she, like the others, was very sneaky and manipulative in getting me to drink and eat more than I wanted. I'm grateful to her and all my pacers for taking care of me. We reach the Fish Hatchery and I feel like I'm doing fairly well - only 27 miles left! I grab some soup and coke at the aid station, stop to use the restroom and get ready for my tackling the last big climb, Powerline!

Doug Himmelman is my pacer for this stretch. Jay Gates joins us as well since he will be pacing me up Powerline. I was hoping to run quite a bit of this mile leading up to Powerline since I would be hiking for over an hour once we started our descent. However I was also trying to eat and drink along the way and did not want to upset my stomach further so we actually walked most of it. My breathing was still a struggle so I thought that walking could help me regain some oxygen. I'm not sure if it made a difference but it seemed right at the time. This mile to the base of Powerline seemed longer than it should have been but that was becoming a common theme throughout the entire race - everything seemed to be farther away than it was supposed to be!

I can't believe how long it is taking to write about this race but I guess it is a long race. Next time I will try to finish it up!

Until my next post, have a great day! DIG DEEP!

Journey from Leadville - Byrne - September 12, 2012

A summary of the miles 50 - 60 of the Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run - 2012 (this is taking longer than I thought!)

Our crew was ready for us at Winfield, as they were the entire day. We were both required to weigh in. I don't remember what Rick's weight was but I don't think he had lost any significant weight. I stepped on the scale - 191 lbs. Holy mackerel! My weigh in on Thursday night was 203.6 lbs and I would venture a guess that I probably put on some additional weight on Friday before the race. Part of me didn't care that I had lost the weight, it meant that I had 12 lbs less to take back up over Hope Pass! On the other hand I knew this was not good. I was frustrated because I felt like I had been diligently eating calories and drinking more water, gatorade, enduromax, and coke then I thought my body needed. I'm not sure what my crew was thinking but I'm sure they were seriously concerned. The race volunteers were equally concerned and they may have been justified in making me wait around awhile but I appreciate the judgment that they exercised.

John Byrne and Kim Greder on the way back from Winfield - mile 52

I've heard it numerous times that the volunteers will do everything in their power to get you back on the trail and see you - it is 100% true. They cared about my health but they also cared about me finishing. I am not privy to what they told my crew but they insisted that I drink and eat a significant amount before leaving the aid station. I ate another teaspoon of salt, drank 16 oz of water, a couple of cokes and a few other things I don't remember - bananas? The night sweats continued on and I was still feeling shortness of breath. I laid down while my crew worked on my feet - I think they took some tape off my feet and gave me a fresh shirt and pair of socks. I did not want a new hat or sunglasses. I wanted to get going but they weren't letting me go until I had eaten and drank a little more - which I begrudgingly did.

I'm not sure when Rick left with his pacer Gordon Staley - it may have been when I went back into the tent. I'm glad they went. Rick was ready, he was feeling strong, and there was no reason for him to wait for me. I visited the port a john to change into a new pair of slider shorts and vaseline my body again and I left Winfield with Kim. At the time I didn't know that the crew was semi-depressed over my weight loss and outward physical appearance. I looked so much weaker than just 4 hours earlier and I had a more difficult 50 miles ahead of me. In some ways more difficult because it was the second 50 miles but in some ways it is mentally easier because I was on my way back and I didn't have to climb the front side of Hope Pass which, in my opinion, is the hardest part of the race.

Kim was nothing short of amazing. As we were leaving Winfield, she reiterated that for the next 3.75 miles the key objectives were to refuel my body and get my breathing back. Running was a secondary goal and if necessary, we would walk the entire 3.75 miles before meeting Scott Passman to continue up Hope Pass. I knew she was right. I needed nutrition despite feeling bloated in my stomach and I agreed that I would take it before reaching Scott. I did delay her requests on a number of occasions but made good on my promises. Except for the first 3/4 mile or so out of Winfield which was very 'up hill' the rest of the trail was up and down with a fair amount of 'down'. I wanted so badly to run it but my breathing was still very difficult. I was also trying to negotiate the trade-off between giving up time now to be stronger for the steep incline up Hope Pass or making good time on this stretch at the risk of struggling up Hope Pass. I opted for the former so we did walk much more than I had wanted to and I concentrated primarily on trying to get oxygen in my lungs and force nutrition down my throat. We came across another bonus less than 1 mile into this segment when we caught up to Gordon!

Gordon started off with Rick but Rick was feeling so good he went ahead of Gordon. We had told our pacers from the very beginning - "If we are feeling good enough to move faster than you are, we love you but we are leaving you." We subscribe to the philosophy of "One man left behind!" I was glad to see Gordon and he stayed with Kim and I for a few more miles. Technically we violated the "one pacer only" rule but in the middle of the mountains nobody really knows and honestly nobody cares :o) Leadville has rules but I appreciate the fact that they don't let the rules get in the way of common sense and manage the rules in a way that maximizes its runners the chance to be successful. By the time we met up with Scott, I was actually feeling more fueled and I'm not sure the breathing was much better but there was a slight improvement. Doug Himmelman had made the 1/4 mile climb to meet us there too - it is always awesome to see more people!

Scott was ready to go and so was I. Kim made me bend over and take 10 deep breaths before we left. We began on the steepest climb of the day. I knew this was coming and I was mentally geared up for it. It wasn't easy and I don't feel like I was moving fast but I was moving and as we made our way up Hope Pass we started passing others - a very good sign that I wasn't struggling anymore. Just the opposite was occurring on the front side of Hope Pass, I was continually being passed by others. It was depressing and made me feel like I was getting worse. Everyone on the course is so great though, encouraging each other, regardless of whether they are passing or being passed. One time as I was passing a water bottle back to Scott, the exchange went awry and Scott had to climb down a steep gulley to retrieve it. I felt bad about it but I wasn't going to get it! He was able to catch back up to me within 5 minutes or so.

I had not seen my friend Christian Robbins during this race. As a former Leadman and previous sub 24 hour finisher of the race (twice), he was one of my measuring sticks that I was going to keep tabs on. I had learned at mile 30 that he had been behind me to that point. I figured he would pass me going up Hope Pass (since everyone else was!) but that didn't happen. As I was leaving Winfield I thought for sure I'd see him soon. When I didn't see him I figured that we had missed each other at the half way point and that he was not far in tow. After climbing for some time, I passed him on his descent. I felt bad for him because I know he wanted to be much further along. Given his location at the time, his chances of finishing were not looking promising. We exchanged an embrace and he told me I was doing a great job and to stay strong. Again it dawned on me how lucky I was to be where I was at. Christian, without question, is a superior runner to me and has proven it multiple times, yet he did not finish Leadville in 2012. It was a very humbling moment.

After we made it through the trees we could see further up the mountain and we were able to locate Rick and his pacer, Jay Gates. They were easy to spot because they were both wearing red shirts. They were way ahead of us, I would estimate 20-30 minutes. As climbing was Rick's strength throughout the race, the distance continued to increase between us. I was really happy that he was doing so well and thought that I might be able to catch back up with him if I could just get to the top!

As we were climbing the air started cooling off, the sun hid behind the clouds and the mountains and it even spit rain for a brief time. I could tell that others around me were getting colder but I welcomed the cooler weather. I was still sweating more than normal and had hoped the rain would pick up.

As we approached the upper half of the mountain I did begin to feel better. Part of my feeling better might have been mental - knowing that I was getting close to completing my 2nd climb up Hope Pass and looking forward to a long descent down the front side of Hope Pass.

Finally we reached the top! Awesome, awesome, awesome!!! I looked over the mountain and didn't see Rick and Jay anymore - they were well on their way down. Later on Rick told me they had made good time on the way down from Hope Pass. After a short celebration, Scott and I began to make our way down. We started running when and where we could. The path was narrow and steep and there were people in front of us so it was difficult to pass people. I was also happy to be able to catch my breath some more and feel the relief or pressure off my quads from climbing so I was okay descending at a quick walk - it was only a quarter mile until the Hopeless Pass aid station.

Quickly I began to feel more energy and more motivation. As we came into the Hopeless Pass aid station I grabbed a cup of ramen noodle soup with a scoop of potatoes in it, a couple of cokes, a teaspoon of salt, and some fruit. I found my guardian angel volunteer and said, "I bet I look a lot better than the last time you saw me!". She agreed. I gave her a big hug and thanked her profusely for forcing salt into my body - she knew what I needed at a time when I didn't. Jeff Friedman caught up with us at this station - I was glad to see him again.

Upon leaving the aid station I had said to Scott that I wanted to run but thought we should let the food digest for a few minutes. During this time Jeff and his pacers passed us. At first I wanted to wait 5 minutes but after a few minutes I said that I was ready. My stomach wasn't completely settled - it never is during this race - but the time seemed right. We began to take off and I was beginning to feel a surge of positive energy and strength that I hadn't felt in 30 miles. Scott encouraged me to go at whatever pace I felt comfortable with and he would keep up. We started FLYING down the mountain - I am not kidding! It was a controlled, very fast pace. We were passing people left and right and these people were moving quickly too. For a brief period of time the breathing didn't seem to be an issue anymore - oh how I wish it would have been that way for the rest of the race! It was unbelievable how long we were running at such a fast pace - doesn't this mountain ever end? This is probably why it seemed to take forever to climb up the front side of the mountain.

I felt very satisfied when we reached the base of the mountain. We had made up great time and honestly I was surprised that we had not caught up with Rick and Jay. I figured they had done well coming down the mountain but I thought for sure we would have caught up to them. We had a couple miles across the meadow and the shallow creek before reaching Twin Lakes and did a good job of running/walking this stretch. Scott would count off 50 or 100 paces with his right leg and then we'd walk for a bit. The cold water from the creek felt great - I was still feeling a little warm even though the temperature was dropping.

John Byrne and Scott Passman - Mile 60 outside of Twin Lakes

As we approached Twin Lakes I kept looking for Rick and Jay and wanted to try to catch up with them. We ran into Twin Lakes very strong and the expression on our crew's eyes was 'priceless'! I yelled, "I'm back!" and was feeling on top of the world. I learned at that time that Rick and Jay had just arrived a couple minutes before us. Given how strong Rick looked and how horrible I looked at Winfield, the crew rightfully thought that I would be way behind. Thanks to the crew and my pacers Kim, Gordon, and Scott, I was able to rebound and was back on track. Our arrival at Twin Lakes was about 7:30 pm, 90 minutes behind the plan but still in good shape.

It was not going to get dark for a couple hours but it was time to get prepared for night time. I was still hot so I didn't want running pants. I changed out of my wet shoes, put on a new shirt and fueled up a bit. I ate another teaspoon of salt and had a little food and beverage. John Lawler was going to pace me and Melissa Dawson was going to pace Rick. Jeff Friedman and his pacer also arrived shortly thereafter and we saw him some on the next section. I was not ready to put on any warmer clothes yet asked John to carry a jacket, hat, and gloves for me. John, John, Rick, and Melissa left Twin Lakes together feeling really good!

Until my next post, have a great day! DIG DEEP!

Journey from Leadville - Byrne - September 9, 2012

A summary of the first 50 miles of the 2012 Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run race experience.

John Byrne and Rick Fountain

The Crew

Rick Fountain, John Byrne, Jeff Friedman

We left Leadville at 4 a.m. on our quest to knock out 100 miles.  In the year leading up to Leadville Rick and I were not planning to run together based on the rationale that both of us would experience highs and lows at different times during the race and it would be counterproductive for both of us to try to stay together. So at the starting line about 5 minutes before the race we decided that we would start the race running together and see what happened. We also started the race with Jeff Friedman, a friend of ours that we met earlier in the week who also stayed with us at the condominium. Jeff successfully ran Leadville in 2010 and was back for another run at it.

We ran 1 mile west on 6th Street to the west end of Leadville before reaching the dirt road called the Boulevard. We had planned to run at about an 11 minute mile pace but it felt very comfortable to run at about a 9 minute mile pace. Jeff, Rick and I stayed together for the first 6 miles or so and Jeff went on ahead. At the Tabor Boat ramp our crew met us with fresh water bottles.

As we were continued running the trail around Turquoise Lake, we eventually caught sight of Jeff again - he was probably only 25 yards ahead of us the entire time but we couldn't see him because it was dark. Eventually the sun began to light up the sky and around 5:45 we were able to turn off our headlamps since we could see. We hit the Mayqueen aid station at 6:18 a.m. - about 12 minutes ahead of schedule. Originally we thought we would shed our jackets and gloves but since it was still a little cold, we decided to hang on to them. We were able to get in and out of the aid station relatively quickly. I grabbed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a banana and started walking up the road toward the Colorado Mountain Trail. Rick and I stayed together.

As we made our way up to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain we caught up with Jeff again. At the top of Powerline (about mile 20) we started to descend the very steep incline. Running downhill is my strongest asset so I decided to take advantage of it. I went on ahead and had a great run down Powerline. After reaching the road I walked and ran another mile before reaching the Fish Hatchery aid station at mile 23.5 at 8:15 a.m., 15 minutes ahead of my plan. I was feeling great and was able to get in and out of the aid station quickly.

The next stretch was 5 miles of pavement and several times I was able to see our crew several times as they passed me on the road. It was very uplifting and motivating to see them. My 82 year old mother made the trip to Colorado and I was able to see her several times throughout the race - it was awesome! Near the area called Treeline (approximately 29 miles) my crew was awaiting me with some chicken noodle soup, food and beverage. I left the aid station again on my way to the Halfpipe aid station at approximately 31 miles. I hooked up with a young guy named Steve from Boston and it was nice to get to know him and have some conversation. Around this point I began to have difficulty breathing. Until now I had been thinking that my breathing was excellent until about mile 42 but now as I'm going back through the race I remember some breathing difficulty as early as mile 30. It wasn't bad at this point but it was beginning to get more difficult.

I did a good job making my way to Twin Lakes (mile 40) from the Halfpipe aid station.  I was right on target with my plan, hitting this aid station at 11:30 a.m. It was great seeing everyone again and as they did throughout the race, my crew took excellent care of me. I left Twin Lakes feeling very good and was hoping I could perform well going up and over Hope Pass. I saw my Mom on the way out of Twin Lakes and felt some extra motivation before the big climb. My stomach was feeling full and rather uncomfortable. I felt like I kept stuffing more food and drink than I wanted to in my stomach but knew the nutrition was essential for me to continue on. An additional challenge that accompanied eating and drinking was figuring out when to begin running afterwards. Of course I wanted to run as soon as I could, yet I was concerned that running too soon might adversely impact my digestion and perhaps make me throw up. I sually walked for a bit after I ate but no matter how long I walked my stomach never seemed to feel fully settled before running again.

As I started my climb up Hope Pass I really began to struggle with my breathing. From my Leadville run in 2005 I remember my biggest challenges at this point being pain in my knees and my hips - although I had a hard time breathing then too! This time it really was ONLY breathing; however, when you are having trouble breathing, it is difficult to move forward - period. My legs felt strong but it didn't seem to help. I knew it was a long way up Hope Pass but it seemed like it was taking forever and it continued to get harder the more I climbed. I began to stop to try to catch my breath every so often and the more I climbed the more frequent and longer I seemed to stop for. Sometimes I would bend over and take 10-15 breaths hoping to get more air in my lungs to make it easier. Jeff Friedman came up from behind and passed me. It was great to see him and I was very happy for him that he was progressing so well. At the same time I felt like I was falling back and getting weaker. The time I had targeted to reach the Hopeless Pass aid station had already passed and I wasn't anywhere close to it. Giving up never entered my mind, I was just hoping that somehow I could begin to breathe better.

As I was climbing Hope Pass and struggling with my breathing, I began to think about my dad (Dan Byrne) who had died a little less than 3 years ago. For the past several years of dad's life he suffered from COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and was frequently hooked up to an oxygen tank. While I felt empathy for him, I finally felt like I could really relate to what he must have been going through. It was miserable! I was feeling a pretty close bond with Dad at this time and used this as extra motivation to continue on.

The climb continued on - this was by far the most difficult part of the race for me. Not too long after Jeff had passed me, I heard a familiar voice from behind in a green t-shirt and white hat - it was Rick Fountain!  As glad as I was to see Jeff, I was even happier to see Rick! It was very important to me to have Rick finish Leadville in 2012. He has been such a loyal friend, hard worker, and we trained faithfully to achieve this monumental goal together. Rick offered some great encouragement to me and I will be forever grateful for his words. I lamented at how difficult it was for me to breathe, he just kept telling me I could do it and to keep going. When I stopped a few times to catch up on my breathing, he reminded me that I needed to keep climbing. I could tell he was willing to hang with me for a bit but I told him to keep going and that I would catch him later. He looked back a few times, offering further encouragement. A couple of times I waited for him to turn his eyes toward the top of the mountain so I could stop again and try to catch some breaths - I didn't want him to see me stopping but I felt like I needed frequent breaks. As time passed, the distance between Rick and I increased. A couple of times I would mark where he was and see how long it took me to get to that spot. 2 minutes, 4 minutes .... Eventually we did get out of the trees and could see the top of Hope Pass! It was still a little ways but at least it was in sight. About 1/4 mile from the top was the Hopeless Pass aid station. By the time I made it there, Jeff and Rick had made it through and were on their way to the top.

It was great to reach this station. I looked at it as an opportunity to drink a coke, eat some fruit and refill my water bottles. I also knew I was within 1/4 mile of the top of Hope Pass and would be finished with the most difficult climb of the race. As I came into the aid station, a knowledgeable volunteer looked at my face and gave me one of those looks that you don't want to see when you are a runner. If her expression could speak it would have said, "You look like hell. Have you been eating or drinking anything? You are not in good shape right now." But these volunteers are wonderful, compassionate, knowledgeable, and committed to helping runners finish and I met a really good one. She asked me if I had been eating and drinking. I told her "Yes, I feel like I have been eating and drinking a lot. I feel like sometimes I've been eating and drinking too much to the point where my stomach was full and hurting." She asked me what I had been taking for salt. I replied, "I've been drinking some Gatorade and chicken noodle soup." I thought it was enough but I couldn't have been more wrong. She told me to hold out my hand and poured a t-spoon of salt in the palm of my hand and told me to eat it. Yuk! But I did and washed it down with some Coke. She told me that I needed to continue eating salt at future aid stations. I think she could tell by the ghost like color of my face that I was becoming dehydrated and void of salt. There are many things I did well in preparing for this race but not paying attention to my salt intake was a critical mistake. Thank God for this woman - she saved me in a big way.

As I left the Hopeless Pass aid station I did not immediately feel better; however, I began to gradually feel better, which was a great improvement over how I had been feeling. Soon I made it to the top of Hope Pass and I started my descent over the back side. I struggled most with my breathing on the climbs, a little less on the flats, and not too much on the downhills. The backside of Hope Pass was a very steep descent and it felt good for me to get moving again. I did not descend as fast as I did on Powerline but I was moving at a reasonably quick pace. Part way down the mountain I passed Jeff Friedman again and I caught up with Rick on the bottom half of the mountain as we were getting into the trees. Rick and I ran together for the 4 miles on the trail leading to Winfield. This trail was more up than down and flat but there was a mix. We did some walking and some running. I was struggling again with my breathing and was hoping I could make it to Winfield to use the portable restrooms. Nearly a mile before reaching Winfield I had to make a temporary stop in the woods to use a natural outhouse - one can only wait so long!

It seemed to take a long time to reach Winfield but eventually we made it. We were 1 hour behind our scheduled target time. I wasn't happy about this but given the problems I was having with my breathing, it was understandable and we were still making good time - we made it 50 miles in 11 1/2 hours.

It was wonderful to see our crew waiting again for us. I"m sure they were wondering where we were and what was taking us so long but they were ready to take care of us. The good news is that we were half done with this race, we would always have someone with us on the way back, and we didn't have to make the long ascent up the front of Hope Pass again!

This race summary is taking a little longer than I thought it would and I need to sign off so the next entry will summarize the 2nd half of the race :o)

Until my next post, have a great day! DIG DEEP!

Journey FROM Leadville - Byrne - September 8, 2012

Note the change in the title of this blog entry :o)

When I started this blog on January 2, 2012 I knew that the "Journey to Leadville" would end on August 18th because we had reached our destination. I never really thought about what would happen once Leadville was 'over' - I thought that perhaps my blog would be history.

The more I thought about it, it seemed fitting to think of Leadville, not as a destination but rather as an awesome highlight of my life, which it certainly has been. So I want to introduce you to the "revised" title of this blog "Journey from Leadville". I do not plan to run the Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run in the future but this race will always have a special place in my heart and I would love to be involved with it in the future as a pacer, crew person, supporter and advisor/coach to others who wish to run this race, and there might even be some other ways to staying involved.

The best way i can honor Leadville is to use it as a catalyst to make other positive things happen in my life and in the lives of others - I fully intend to do that! Today was the first day that I have run since Leadville (3 weeks ago!). I've played quite a bit of basketball since I returned from Colorado and did a set of stairs this past week at the stadium but have not felt the need or desire to jump back into running.

My buddy Rick left town on Friday as the Fighting Bees had a football game today in Ft. Wayne, IN - Bees won 15-14! Rick is a linebacker coach for St. Ambrose University - the players are very fortunate to have him as a mentor and coach. It was kind of weird to not be running with Rick as we've been nearly inseparable for the past 12 months in terms of running and workouts.

I did, however, have the distinct pleasure of running 10 miles with Jen Paul, the Quad City celebrity super-stud woman runner - the video map of our run is listed below for your viewing pleasure :o)

I love running with Jen but it was probably not the choice most people would make when going out for their first run in 3 weeks! This woman runs fast! We ran at a 7:15 pace for 10 miles. Depending on one's running ability, this may not seem to be a big deal. Given my ability and fitness level, this was extremely challenging! Normally I think an 8:00 mile pace is fast so the 7:15 pace was awesome for me. Jen is running the Quad City 1/2 marathon in a couple of weeks and is aiming to run 13.1 miles at a 6:05 pace so today was probably not that difficult for her. I looked over at her a couple of times and caught her yawning - just kidding! I think it was a good tune up run for her as she begins to taper for her upcoming race.

Jen Paul and me at the end of our 10 mile run - great morning for a run!

I have had the privilege of meeting and running with some very cool people over the last 12 months - people that I never would have met if it weren't for running. As a matter of fact, I can't think of a single person that I have run with that I have disliked or wished I had not met. This reason alone should convince everybody to take up running as one of their modes of exercising - seriously. Jen certainly epitomizes the feeling I have toward members of the running community. It isn't easy to describe but she exudes so many wonderful qualities that I wish everyone in the world possessed. Jen is kind, encouraging, positive, humble, talented, hard working, loyal, compassionate, and makes other people feel very important. She is highly successful in her personal, athletic, and professional life and is admired by everyone I know who has met her or heard about her. Ironically though, it is she who makes others feel like they are highly successful. I would love it if this world had millions of people like her :o)

I promised that I would write more about Leadville and I already know that I don't have time tonight to write everything that I want to. I'll offer a condensed version of content that may surface later and will certainly be in the book that I WILL publish! Since I last blogged on August 10th I'll do my best to cover the highlights of the past 4 weeks.

From the 3-8 days before our race Rick and I ran some trails on the course and did a few climbs up the mountains on the course either by ourselves or with friends Jay, Melissa, and Christian. All of these workouts did not seem to be strenuous or difficult. We usually ran or climbed between 1 - 2 1/2 hours and it was the only exercise we did that day so we didn't feel particularly taxed. Others had advised us to rest, rest and rest some more but we felt like we were already resting a bunch. We were sleeping in until we wanted to wake up and were doing quite a bit of lounging around when we weren't working out.

Beginning Thursday, we were done exercising - all we did was eat, sleep, drink, strategize, and sit around waiting for the race. Our friends began to trickle into Colorado during the week leading up to the race and it was a lot of fun having them arrive and reveling in the excitement they brought with them.

The pre-race pasta dinner on Thursday night was not what I thought or hoped it would be. The meal was fine but the 6th Street Gym, where the dinner was held, was not well attended and pretty unexciting. There seemed to be much more buzz and excitement when I attended it 7 years ago. Since the race was purchased from the local founders by the Lifetime Fitness organization, many people feel as though the race has lost its local charm. We also completed our medical check in and registered for the race. Later that night Doug Himmelman, Melissa Dawson and John Lawler arrived at the condominium.

Rick arrived 7 days before the race and Jay Gates showed up on the Monday before the race. Our friend and fellow runner Christian Robbins came up on Tuesday. Gordon Staley, Larry Ratigan, Mike Cavins, and Todd Hornbuckle made it to Denver on Wednesday to take in a tour of the Coors facility (and sample some beverages) and attend a Rockies baseball game. They arrived in Coppermountain on Friday morning and made it to the pre-race meeting. 

On Friday morning we went to the mandatory pre-race meeting and it felt very similar to the pre-race meeting from 7 years ago. The gym was packed (standing room only) and you could feel the energy and excitement in the air! The motivational speech was given by Ken Chlouber's son, Cole as Ken was attending the funeral of his brother. Cole did a great job and it was really cool to hear his dad's voice and many of his dad's words from a similar speech I heard 7 years prior. Following this meeting there was a crew meeting that was good for many of our crew to hear. Following this meeting, Rick and I held our own private meeting with our crew to talk about what we wanted them to do for us during the race. Then Rick and I headed back to the condominium we were staying at in Coppermountain to begin to lay around, eat, and rest. Many of our other crew members stayed in Leadville and drove around some of the course to figure out where they were going to meet us. They also probably had a private meeting to talk about how to take care of us if and when we became grumpy or difficult during the race!

Another friend and fellow runner, Jeff Friedman, stayed with us at the condo and he brought a pacer and crew member to stay with us as well. 

It was hard to sleep the afternoon/evening/night before the race as you might imagine. We were able to nod off at different times and grab a few winks throughout the evening - that was about the best we were going to do. My mom, sisters Debi, Kim and Michelle, niece Katelin, and friend Curt arrived on Friday afternoon/evening. Except for Curt, they headed ot Leadville to stay at a hotel. Scott Passman drove 12 hours from Boise, Idaho and showed up a little after midnight. Our team was assembled and we were ready to go.

My friend Tom Rudbeck was so gracious to host all of us at his condo. We were able to spend some quality time with him and his friends who happened to be vacationing in Colorado at the same time. Thursday and Friday night required some creative rearranging of beds, sleeping bags, mattresses, couches and futons to sleep nearly 20 people! It was fun and a week I'll never forget!

We woke up around 1:30 am to get ready for the race, pack the vehicles, grab something to eat, and travel the 30 minutes to Leadville. Everything went off as planned and we made it to the starting line about 1/2 hour before the race started. Mom slept at the hotel but my sisters and niece made it to the starting line. We took a bunch of pictures and videos with our friends at the starting line before starting the race at 4 a.m. It was very exciting to be with all these crazy people in the middle of the night heading out to run 100 miles in the middle of the Rocky Mountains - I wouldn't have traded it for anything!

An interesting observation to note is that 1100 people signed up and paid the $295 entry fee to enter the race. 900 people showed up on Friday to pick up their packets and go through the medical check in. Only 800 people actually showed up to the starting line! I was amazed. I sort of get the 200 no-shows since they had signed up and paid more than 8 months prior to the race - many things may have happened (e.g. injury, change in life circumstances). What blew me away was that more than 100 people who traveled to Leadville and were planning to run the race as late as Friday morning decided to back out of the race. I'm not sure what was going through their minds but maybe the fear of such a daunting feat caused them to withdraw, even so close to the race.

I need to go to bed. I promise to return and will share more of my race experience on my next post.

Until my next post, have a great day! DIG DEEP!

Journey to Leadville - Byrne - September 7, 2012

Leadville 2012 Byrne/Fountain Team - Best Crew I have ever seen or could possibly imagine at Leadville - This is what it is all about! from left to right - Kim Greder (sister), Lois Byrne (mom), Debi Byrne (sister), Jay Gates (friend), Melissa Dawson (friend), Larry Ratigan (friend), Rick Fountain (amazing stud athlete), Gordon Staley (friend), John Byrne, Mike Cavins (friend), Curt Johnston (friend), Doug Himmelman (friend), Scott Passman (friend), Todd Hornbuckle (friend), Katelin Gannon (niece), John Lawler (friend), Michelle Ribble (sister)

0 days until the 2012 Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run!  It's over - happy, sad, many mixed emotions.

First of all I want to apologize to all of you for falling off the face of the earth for the past month! As you know I was a little busy with a small run :o)

The days leading up to the race, while not too hectic, were busier than I thought and I didn't get back to the blog. I have a zillion pictures and videos and have to figure out an efficient way to post them - my last post with + 25 pictures of Powerline was very tedious to post and probably more tedious for you to look at. I have a bunch more and will figure out the best way to share them with you.

I will plan to put together a nice post this weekend that will probably scratch the surface of this WONDERFUL experience. The rest should come out in the darn book that I need to finish from 7 years ago!

Thanks for being patient and I'll be back soon.

Rick Fountain was outstanding and amazing - an awesome training partner and friend and he rocked! Our team was the best I could have ever imagined.

The journey to Leadville is over but it is the precursor to the bigger journey called "the rest of our lives". There are so many good things that have and will continue to rise out of this amazing experience.

Thank you for all your thoughts, love, and prayers. I send mine right back at you with about 5 times more feeling :o)

 

Until my next post, have a great day! Dig Deep!

Journey to Leadville - Byrne - August 10, 2012

10 days until the 2012 Leadville Trail 100 Mile Run...

Words to follow but I want to post pictures :o)

Until my next post, have a great day!  DIG DEEP!