#224 - LEADVILLE DISAPPOINTMENT AND GRATITUDE

It’s taken a bit to process everything from my Leadville Trail 100. The race for me ended at Twin Lakes, mile 40. My plan to fuel and hydrate better by going out at a conservative pace was obviously too slow and might have worked better had I not expended so much mental and physical energy dealing with a lighting system that wasn’t bright enough and my dicey depth perception and balance that led me to being too cautious navigating the rockier, uneven trail sections. I was moving ok but with a thin margin for error when my left hamstring cramped ¼ mile from Halfpipe aid station, mile 33. Despite eating salted mashed potatoes, salted watermelon, and a banana, the hammy continued to cramp up for the next 2-3 runnable miles. I got 250 mg. of salt from a fellow runner that immediately helped, but I’d lost too much time. I bombed down into Twin in a desperate attempt to beat the cutoff and have a shot at Hope Pass, but missed by about 15 minutes.

Aside from the disappointment, I’m left with a few bright spots. I proudly represented Team Leadville and Warriors Ascent, which is a great organization supporting veterans experiencing PTS. I also had an amazing crew led by Brian Farrington, who had also paced me to the finish in 2015. My sister Ellen and nephew Matthew came out from Charlotte, NC to experience the magic of Leadville for the first time. Gabby Penaflor, who paced me to the finish in 2010, flew out last-minute from KC, and was responsible for the giant duck and other decorstions on top of the crew vehicle for easy spotting. Super appreciate 19-year old upcoming ultrarunning star Josh Taylor being there the whole time. Huge thanks as well to long-time supporters and all-around nice people Shelley, Scott, and Shane Miller. It’s so amazing having all of those folks ready to give up their weekend while this old guy pursues his dreams in the mountains and tries to inspire younger folks to follow in my footsteps.

Congrats to all of the finishers! There is seriously not much more inspiring than being at the Leadville finish line during the last two hours and seeing beaten-up warriors trudging the last of their 100 miles with their families and friends in tow. It was also cool seeing well-known runners like Hellah Sidibe and Harvey Lewis totally out of their elements and acknowledging what a beast the Leadville course is, yet still finding ways to get to the line. It was also inspiring to see Tyler Andrews, who’s taken me on amazing journeys in South America, bravely fighting in obvious distress to a fourth-place finish.

Finally, what a special treat getting to spend time with the amazing Simone Brick, and conversing with legends Ken Chlouber, Merilee Maupin, Cole Chlouber, and Travis and Mark Macy, joking around with the cutoff king and queen Mike and Sandy Monaghan as they followed me around, and chatting with some of the sport’s luminaries like Robbie Balenger, Scott Jurek, Courtney Dauwalter, Hellah, Harvey, and more. And seeing tons of old friends along the course. I’ve got some things to adjust and then I’ll be back!

Bill Stahl
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