EVERYTHING HAD TO GO PERFECT.

I PINKY SWEAR I'LL NEVER MOCK RACERS WHO CRY AT THE FINISH.  'Cause I did.  It was all good until I saw Surfergirl.  The last thing I snapped at her was...

.... Where's my bottle!

It was the final pit stop, I was in a group of pro women and fast dudes.  I had to stay with them for the long and windy transition to the most challenging climb of the day, Powerline.

Also in the group was Mark Wallace, who beat me at Nationals last month.

Let's just say I had to catch that group...

... and I had to have all my nutrition for the final 2.5 hours.

Up to this point, everything had gone according to plan.

She gave me the Camelbak first, then ran next to me as I'm yelling with a bottle and shoved it in the cage...

... she's a pro, I'm an idiot.

The bike was working perfectly.  Even though I did some full rookie moves yesterday.  

• Andrew from BMC, replaced my dropper post for me.
• Thomas from Industry 9, rebuilt my hubs and gave me new bearings.

Don't ever do these things the day before.  I did, because they were generous and I've been out in the middle of nowhere and unable to take care of before.

My food strategy also was a roll of the dice.  I reverted back to my all liquid diet.  4 scoops Skratch Superfuel and 2 scoops of Skratch hydation per bottle, per hour.  400 Calories.  That's a hundred more than I'm used to consuming.

The weather was perfect.  Mid 40's at the start, overcast after 12.  I shoved a newspaper up my jersey for the first 45 minutes to keep the cold off my chest.

Cody and Paul Iverson handled the other pit stop - we hit each stop twice, it's an out and back course.  They were also great... and I also yelled at them.  Apparently, I mismarked bottles.  I wanted 2 for the way out and 1 for the return.  Cody gave me one, I'm yelling for the 2nd.  He runs grabs one and runs uphill to jam in my back pocket...

... he's a pro, I'm an idiot.

But, even an idiot can have a great day.  

On the way to the final climb, Mark was dropped.

I started to think I just might win this thing, which would be a major bonus on top of reaching my goal to go sub-8.

But, he's a real competitor.

Somehow, he rallied and caught and passed me on Powerline.

Then I rallied on the downhill and blew on by.

Then he rallied on the paved climb...

... and I started looking at my clock.

Calculating.

Will I make it?

I was hurting.

Everywhere.

The idea of quitting, soft pedaling, sightseeing the final 12 miles was so tempting.

It would be close.

Singlespeed guy and I battled the whole way.  He'd spin out, I'd go by.  He'd get in a good gear and pull us.

I think we're gonna make sub-8.

That's all I want.

Me too. 

All the way up the neverending dirt road, we traded pulls and encouraged each other.

7:52.

Onto pavement.

The right hand turn on to 6th Street.

I was hyperventilating.

There's the finish line.

7:55

Shift! We're gonna make it.

7:57

There's more to this story - which is why I'm late on posting.

Three years ago, when I did the race knowing my date with a 20 year goal was coming up, I set my sites on a PR.  It seemed outrageous at the time.  PR, at 57?  My written, stated and proclaimed focus was 8:15.

I crossed the line at day at 8:15:37.

The picture on the front of my book, The Way of the RACER, is from that day.

Here's the scary part.

I remember distinctly asking...

... What if we are putting limitations on ourselves?  What if it's possible to do more than we've ever thought possible? 

What if?

Yes, I believe affirmations work.

More than ever, now.

But, not without work.

The great Scott Adams, in his book How to Fail At Almost Everything and Still Win, says affirmations put what we are looking for on our radar.

3.5 years ago I made a RaceDay Wallet with Leadville 8:15 on it.  You have something like that on your wallet and see it everyday you and things start to change.

Since then, I came up with the Giant Race Day Calendar.

For 22, I wrote in red Sharpie Leadville Sub-8.

What about the work?

Outrageous goals take outrageous planning and work to accomplish.

This year's effort started last year, when I wrote on the giant calendar, Qualify for Silver Corral. That meant, go fast enough at the Leadville Stage Race to get into the second fastest group, right behind the pros.  It required a combined time of under 7:30.  I did 7:27.

Meaning, this year's goal prep started 18 months ago.

During that time, I perfected my RaceDay Ready program.  

Is this a blatant pitch to sell you something?

No, there's nothing to buy.

It's a blatant pitch to share with you what is working for me.

Which brings me to Nate's 20 year celebration last night.  He completed 20 Leadville 100s in a row.  

During his speech to a small gathering of friends and family he harkened back to the day we met and he had no clue what he was doing.  He thanked me for the advice I gave him, and the positivity that a chubby, broken soccer player in a long sleeve soccer shirt on a barely ridden bike could get it done.

Neither of us had any idea he'd go on to 20 in a row, win it on 7 occasions and had blistering times.

He did the work!

The thing is, nobody does it alone.

We need support.

Which brings me to my pal Chris.

He did an 8:06 last year, and was determined to bust 8 this year.  We trained a ton together, and worked through our strategies.  From what to eat to tire pressure to training to altitude acclimation to how to take care of the ladies...

... in the middle of all that he found his soulmate.

It's not easy to ride your bike when you're smitten.  

Who would want to do that?

We lined up in Silver, matching Jailbreak jerseys so we'd be easy to spot on course.  

He and Tim dropped me on the first climb.  I caught and passed on the fast and tricky Powerline downhill.  Eventually we linked up on the way to Columbine,   We reached the turnaround within seconds of each other, behind schedule at 4;11.  I wasn't worried, because if you do it right you return faster than you go out.

We got separated on the way down.

It happens.

It's a long day.

He finished in 8:00:00.  

For me, that it'd be a win.  But, I know this tiger and that second is going to keep him hungry and thirsty for more.

Which brings me to my chin resting on my stem, bombing the pavement on the way back.

I was so tired.

Wallace was on my wheel, and unshakeable.

We were an hour out, and I wanted to badly to pull over and take a nap and never wake up.

I started thinking about all the work.

All the support.

Surfergirl's patience with me.

The outlaw cowboy song She's a good-hearted woman in love with a good timing man, by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.

I started thinking about you, and your well wishes and encouragement.

Then I started thinking about Leif and Zach.  Two gents who rang me up at the start of the year and asked me to help them get ready for this very race.  They were out on course and they'd be out a helluvalot longer than me and face helluvalot of adversity.

Almost all of us reached our goals today.

Some didn't.

Their bodies didn't respond.

Others of my pals, crashed and went to hospital.  Prayers for them.

There are a thousand other stories I could share.  Eric's first time 7:40sh, Coach Brian's 7:17 Kristen going 9:04 on her first attempt.  The McGee brothers riding together.  Brian doing it on way less than normal training.  Tim getting knocked out, bleeding and still ripping an 8:10.  Leif going from zero racing ever to an 11:30.  Zach having a battle with bad food.  Vanessa blasting 10:30.  Jorge, overcoming his descending nightmares with a 9:20, Todd heaving after crossing the line, Jesse's first sub-9, Kentucky Tom's adventure...

... what's your story?

What are you going to work for?

What is your outrageous?

How can I help?

https://pedalindustries.com/pages/raceday-ready-how-and-what

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Who cares lbs.
6ish hrs (terrible hotel choice)
Body Water ?
no weights
0 minutes recovery
0 minutes reading + Journaling