6.06.2012

not quite write.

Writer's block?  I don't think so.

Lily finished up preschool with a flourish, making learning leaps forward at mesmerizing speed.  Piper Bea turned 3 and, during a blink I suppose, unfurled the flag of her burgeoning personality.

Clinicals and classes wound down for Lindsay and the promise of a "summer of fun" began to shine brightly enough to push the dark weight of school stresses into the shadows.  The kickoff event, our first ever true family beach vacation, was just a few weeks away.

In mid-May I learned that I was going to get to run the GORE-TEX TransRockies event (http://transrockies-run.com/) in August with my pal, Sean, and, thanks to "press" credentials, my entry fees were waived.  Needless to say, this news more than made up for the word that the Slickrock 100, my anticipated first 100 miler, wasn't going to be held in 2012.  

By the time the TransRockies plans were firmed up, Bobby had already found an alternative to Slickrock, the Oil Creek 100, and, while he was it, he rounded up a gaggle of other dumbasses for the occasion.  It sounded like so much fun that my only regret was having to wait until October.

All that good stuff and, meanwhile, right on the horizon loomed my favorite of favorite races, the Laurel Highlands Ultra.  I've made my way up the ladder, starting with a leg of the 50K relay in 2010 and then running the full 50K last year.  This year, I signed up for the full 70-mile event and was equal parts excited and terrified.  Last year's Laurel Highlands event continues to stand out as one of the best weekends of my life, running or otherwise.  Friendships were forged and strengthened there that I have no doubt will last a lifetime.

A long, brutal day on the trail that nearly resulted first in a DNF and then in a non-qualifying time morphed into an incredibly satisfying and rewarding just-under-the-wire finish.  With apologies for the gross exaggeration, it was as close to a back-from-the-dead experience as I've ever had.  This year, I am determined to have a different type of rewarding day and am psyched to introduce several other friends to the festivities by having my first 19 miles also count as the first leg of Backcountry Edge's 70-Mile Relay team.

My running, leading up to Laurel, has been good.  Not great, but pretty good.  And pretty frequent.  Which IS great.  Accomplishing that has meant doing a ton of running at night...which I love.

Unfortunately, that is also when I tend to do a good bit of my writing, and something had to give.

Do I have a lot to write about?

Yep.

Can it wait?

With Laurel Highlands happening three days from now, it's gonna have to.

2 comments:

  1. Leon - best of luck to you! I know you'll do great. I'm going to be adding a bunch of trail runs to my schedule soon in prep for the North Face Endurance Challenge in Atlanta in Oct. After I get back from vacation at the end of the month, I might drop you a note and see if you want company of some runs!

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  2. Do it, Marcus! I'll look forward to it.

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