Here we are again, deep into Leadville 100 territory.  Attending the night run has been a ritual of mine for 5 years now.  I truly look forward to it as it is a great way to cap off a summer’s worth of training and stoke the 100 mile vibe by hanging out with some like-minded folks.  The run starts at 8pm and travels 21 miles along the race course.  We usually end up back at Brandon’s around midnight.

Half of the fun is hanging out before and after the run, catching up with friends old and new.  Brandon does a fantastic job of hosting all 30+ runners and making us feel right at home.  What a great tradition!  Rob was roving around with the camera capturing some great images of the gathering.

Credit: Robert Timko Photography

I love this shot.  The group is all smiles before taking off into the night.  Leadville is visible in the distance behind us, we would be taking the long way to get there.

Credit: Robert Timko Photography

Lots of Pearl Izumi shoes on the run.  JY and I demonstrate good synchronization technique while cornering in our matching blue/lime kicks.

Credit: Robert Timko Photography

The run went really well for me.  I had been up in Leadville since Tuesday night climbing 14ers every day with my son.  The 8-10 hours a day of climbing and descending steep trails had tired me out, but toughened me up also.  I enjoyed the feeling of being able to dig deeper when I needed to and actually finding something there.

GZ and Rob set up an awesome aid station at the halfway point and had all the trail runner bases covered with water, beer, chips, brownies, and doughnuts.  The Prince music blasting through the air topped off the experience and left me smiling.

Credit: Robert Timko Photography

Party like it’s 1999.

Credit: Robert Timko Photography

One of my favorite parts of the run was when a few of us hit the boat ramp and sat down for a few minutes with our lights off gazing at the amazing sky.

Credit: Robert Timko Photography

Well, two weeks to race day.  I can’t believe it’s that time again.  I’ve been training really hard for the past couple of months trying to dig myself out of the hole I’ve been in for the last year or so.  Finally making some progress and feeling stronger.  Still need to shed a few more pounds, but I’m getting there.

Thanks to all involved with the run and for making it such a great time.  Here we go again!