Are you busy May 11th and 12th, 2012?

It is official, I have signed up for the Zion 100. Well I actually signed up a while back but wasn't ready to admit it quite yet. I am still trying to figure out how to keep the joy of running at mile 70, 80, 95! After volunteering at aid stations at mile 92 and mile 80 of 100 milers I have seen what it looks like and it isn't always pretty. So why do it? I want to see if I have the guts. As an ultrarunner I have realized that the 100 miler is the distance at the top of the sport. Yes, there are longer runs. There will always be something longer, crazier, hillier, you name it. But the 100 miler seems to have made a place in ultrarunning as the pinnacle. I have not been to the top in Triathlon (Ironman) or any other sport but I feel like I have a shot here and that feels awesome. I have no illusions about it being all sunshine and lollipops but I am hoping it will be an amazing experience. Join me?!?

Here is a call to all runners, TransRockies pals, triathletes, Facebook friends, bike racers, friends of sport, coworkers... join me! Did I mention, there is a 50 miler. Or go for it and run the 100 miler. Or pace me during the middle of the night. Or don't run at all. You can just come to see Zion National Park and high five me after the race! (please note, open invite to join me does not include parents who are best supporting from home, I would rather send text updates, thank you for understanding!)

The course is one long trail in a figure 8. NO repeating sections, no endless loops. It is almost completely trail and there is less climbing than most 100s on trail. Vistas include mesas, desert and sky and the weather could be totally perfect that time of year.

I must also mention that this is the first year of this race. The race director, Matt Gunn is a stand-up guy. I don't know him but I have seen how classy he has been up until now and from what I have seen I have total faith that the race will be great. Put it this way, when I signed up for the race he emailed me personally to say hello, invite me to training runs on the course and ask if I have any ideas for making his first race go smoothly. SERIOUSLY, that blew me away. He has also responded to questions on the website super fast, offered to host training runs on course outside of the handful he is officially organizing and has secured ham radio operators for safety during the run in zones with no cell coverage. I am really looking forward to meeting him and supporting this effort.

Have I convinced you? Please join me, this will be a race to remember. Training starts now, 25 weeks until we are ON!