Over and Out. It's Race Time.

What's that expression?
You know, the one that means the work has been done. There's no turning back.
Oh yeah -
The hay is in the barn
Or,
The money is in the bank
Or,
The junk's in the trunk
Or,
My entire running life is in this duffel bag.

The way it works is that you get this nifty duffel bag and whatever
you can fit into it including sleeping bag, boxes of wine, etc you can bring.

After months of training, hundreds of miles of running and thousands for feet of climbing, I'm headed to Buena Vista, Colorado, tomorrow to the start line of Tuesday's TransRockies Run.
Here's what this 6 day stage race of 120 miles will consist of:
Day One: 21 miles, 2,200 feet of gain. Buena Vista, CO to Railroad Bridge Day Two: 13.4 miles, 3,400 feet of gain (Hope Pass). Vicksburg, CO to Twin Lakes (Leadville) Day Three: 24,2 miles 2,700 feet of gain Leadville, CO to Camp Hale Day Four: 14.2 miles 2,900 feet Camp Hale to Red Cliff Day Five: 23.6 miles 4,100 feet Red Cliff to Vail <this day is going to kill me Day Six: 22.2 miles 5,100 Vail to Beaver Creek <-this day is going to kill me more That all adds up to some crazy shit.
And, here's one of the camping spots.

Damn. I just wish this race was a bit more scenic

I've got to say, I'm ready to be done training and to start running. I may be slightly under-prepared for the daily mileage, but all I can do now is go for it. What makes me most nervous are those low and painful points you hit during a race, where you have to figuratively pull yourself out of the toilet.
I have some tricks for that. I tell myself:

• Don't assume it will get worse
• Ride the lows and know you will again hit a high point, but don't get too confident there
• Realize that it's hard for everyone
• There is beer and a cold river to soak in at the end
• You can do hard things
• It is a gift that you are strong and fit enough to do this race. It is a gift to be able to run at all.
• There is beer at the end.

So, think of me at 8:30 Tuesday morning when I begin this journey. And, stick with me along the way. I won't be blogging until I get back, but join me on Instagram. Or, daily results from each stage are posted HERE if you care that much and are a creeper.

Have a great week!
SUAR
PS: Krosby's new favorite spot. He's in sync. Get it?