The "Buckle"

OK, I have been AWOL for quite a while. I know there have been tens of you checking the blog for updates. As you know, I did finish the race. Overall it was a great experience. I am attaching a picture of the legendary buckle for you all to see. I am still working on the log of the race to share with everyone.

Sweet Success!!!!

More detail will come later, but this pic pretty much sums it up.

29 hours, 7 minutes, 4 seconds, of running. In the mountains.

Taper

I have entered the taper for my big race. I am currently 10 days from the start, 11 days from the finish. The training has gone well, I feel prepared. We have the logistics mostly worked out, crew, pacers, place to sleep, etc. There is a lot that goes into planning this type of race, it is not simply a "wake up and head to the start line" sort of deal.

I am now just running mid mileage in my mornings, and I am working on things like what I want to wear, and what all to load in the car as extra gear. As you might imagine, you can encounter almost any weather, from freezing snow to scorching heat. Makes it hard to pack light.

The donations have gone very well, and I know for sure that we will end up over $1000. Awesome.

-Scott

Slacker

OK - so I have not been posting as diligently as I should. We have been very busy, I have started a new job (same company), my parents were in town 2 weeks, lots to do... lots to do.

I have been getting in my runs, so that is a good thing. This week was lighter than it could have been, but I think it will be alright. I ran a short 5 miler today, and will be getting out for my last long run tomorrow. I plan to run a longer run with less elevation. Should be able to get in ~40 miles or so. I will let you all know how it actually turns out.

To the handful of you that read these posts, sorry they have been infrequent, I will pick it up as we approach the big day.

If anyone out there is still interested in donating to the Xinxiang Social Welfare Institute, my charity for this run, please click here for more information on how to donate.

For more information on how the charity idea came about, click here.

Thanks!

Good Week

Well, overall it was a good week. When you are preparing for a race like Leadville, you never feel like you are really getting milage in, but I do feel good about what we did this week.

My big run this week was a near six hour run on Pikes Peak, here in Colorado Springs. I was out with Bill, who is running Leadville with me. We started out on what is known as "the Incline". This is an old Cograil line up Manitou Mountain in Manitou Springs, CO. They used to run a cog train up for tourists to get a view from the top. They have long since removed the rail lines, and now you just have the railroad ties going up the mountain, essentially a giant staircase. The total distance is 1.2 miles, in which you climb 2000 feet. If you do this math you will realize the severity of the climb. We thought this would be a good way to start our run, just to make sure we were tired by the end.

At the top of the Incline, you can access the Barr trail, which is the 13 mile trail to the summit of Pikes Peak. We ran the Barr trail the the "2 miles to summit" sign, which is at 12,700 feet above sea level, and about 500 feet above the treeline. Since we started our run at 6:45 pm, it was well past dark with no moon when we hit our turn around point. We ran with headlamps to see where we were going, which is still challenging to not trip or roll an ankle.

It was a great experience to be above treeline at night, so peaceful, you would have to be there to understand it.

The run down went well. This was a real training exercise, as it can be treacherous to run downhill by headlamp. So many rocks and roots, you cannot take your eye off the trail for a second or you will be down. Fortunately, we did not have any major accidents, just a few "near misses".

Here are a few pictures.

-Scott

Mt Rosa (or Almagre) just South of Pikes Peak.

That would be me.

Colorado Springs from about 9500 feet above Sea Level.

Bill - my Leadville co-hort.

Barr Camp at 10,200 feet.

Hard to see, but this is Colorado Springs at night from about 12,500 feet.

This is Bill as we start our descent, 12,700 feet and heading down!!

If you look close you will notice the moths, they were everywhere.

Busy Week

It was a crazy week, did not get as much mid-week as I should, but feeling great, ran Friday - Saturday - Sunday 10,11,14, which is good to get those miles back to back. I am still at too light a load, so I will be at it in the morning before work. need to keep up the pace I am currently on. My 14 miles today were brutal, I ran for 2 hours between 10 and noon, it was about 90 degrees without any trace of clouds, a real scorcher.

I did get some pictures during my Saturday run through my favorite local park, just 1 mile from my house. Scenery is pretty good!!

For those not familiar with Colorado Springs, the mountain you see is Pikes Peak, another favorite running spot of mine.

-Scott

Crunch time

OK - officially 45 days to race day. I am a bit concerned as I had a real short week last week (31 miles) due to being under the weather. I am starting to feel much better, and I got out for a fast 5 mile run today and really felt strong. I could still feel a bit of congestion, but nothing even close to where it had been.

This will be a big week, as I need to post ~50 miles as I get back up to speed, and I have already lost 2 days with only 5 miles. If I can make the miles this week and be 100% by the weekend, I think I will be in good shape. Body don't fail me now!!

In the rest of the family athletic news, Jen's training for the Pikes Peak Ascent is really progressing, as she has been on the mountain a minimum of once a week for the last 3 weeks. Tomorrow morning Sam has a swim meet where he will be swimming 25 free, 25 breast, 25 back, and I think he is a part of the 100 free relay team. What a stud.

Down time...

I am not good at taking rest, never have been, and have no desire to get good at it. However, this weekend, I had to. I got in a nice 6 mile run Friday night, and just was still feeling off. My head cold had moved to my.... NOOOO.... Lungs!! When you are a distance runner, this is generally not good news. Oh well, it is not like I am on a deathbed, just real congested. I was scheduled to run between 26 and 30 miles today, and I had to scale it back to 10. I do think I am starting to get over the hump, so I will try to make up some lost ground this week.

We had a happy fourth none-the-less, and Mason enjoyed his first Independence Day as an American. Of course, he did sleep through the fireworks, but hey, it was a long hard day at the pool.

Happy Fourth to all!

Summer is Here!

It seemed like it would never come... Summer. Well, it has finally arrived. There is nothing better than being out the door for a 5:30 am run and being and to break a sweat. Sunny and warm, it's about time.

I did get out for an 8 miler this morning after a rest day yesterday, I was feeling ok but just a bit worn down. I have been struggling with a minor cold, and running while stuffed up is just not any fun. I think I am past the worst of it, and should be in gear for some big miles across the Holiday weekend.

Had some good wildlife spotting this morning, I ran across a group of mule deer bucks, 9 in all. Their racks were all in velvet, very cool. I also spotted my first fawn of the season, looked like he was just born last night, very wobbly legs and he kept bleating at me to go away.

Part of what has made this event so much fun is the people at LOOK. The lady's at the LOOK project are so excited about this, it makes it even more fun and worthwhile. Keep the $$ rolling in, 7 weeks to go!!

Scott

Early Rising

I was out the door this morning at 5:25 for a nice run through the neighborhood. It was a gorgeous day, about 59 degrees when I left the house and about 10 degrees warmer by the time I finished an hour later. Sun shining, and lots of people out running, which is always great to see.

Fundraising update - we are up to $550 collected, and I am confident by the time I am finished we will have well exceeded $1000 raised. It might not sound like much, but to these kids that is an unfathomable amount of money, and buys a great deal of necessities.

Today's statistics - 8 miles, 700 feet elevation gain, all before work!

Thanks to all!!
Scott

Stretch the legs

Took the dog out for a quick three miles tonight. Was not going to run, but felt good to limber up the legs, as I was quite sore today from yesterday's run. The dog appreciated it as well.

"2 miles to Summit"

Today I ran on the famous Barr Trail, starting out of Manitou Springs, Co. This is the 13 mile trail that summits Pikes Peak. This time of year the trail can get very crowded, as folks ramp up their training for the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon in August.

Just to add to the chaos, the Bacon Brothers (as in Kevin Bacon) were playing a concert at the summit of Pikes Peak today as a charity event. No one has ever done this before, for more reasons than I can list here. Regardless, there were many folks trying to hike up to see the show, most of whom did not appear to be fully prepared for a 13 mile hike to 14,100 feet. Let's just say that I was asked more than once by Passersby "how much further". I am not sure what is worse, lying to them and telling them they are almost there, or telling them the truth.

For those familiar with this trail, there are several well known markers that help you gage your progress. My plans today were to run to either "bottomless pit" or "A Frame". I ended up running to the "2 miles to summit" sign, which means I went 11 miles up, then proceeded 11 miles down. From the car to where I turned was a 6500' climb over 11 miles. I really would have liked to summit today, as I was keeping a good pace. But duty calls, and I had promissed Jen I would be home by 11:30. Not every wife let's their husband play in the mountains for 5 hours at a time, it is not a good idea to be late!

Overall statistics, 22 miles, 6500 feet elevation gain, 12,718 feet peak elevation. Great weather, and no, I did not see Kevin Bacon.

Home Sweet Home

You know, as much as I enjoy travel, there is nothing better than getting home. I spent the first three days of the week in Roswell, NM for work. Due to the difficulty of finding flights in and out of town, we drive, 6 1/2 hours each way, to get there.

The weather was good, and I got in 2 runs for a total of 12 miles. I was hoping for more but we had meetings all days and dinner each night, not to mention trying to find time to do actual work in between.

Fortunately, I was able to avoid any alien abductions, as I am sure that would have hampered my training.

Later -

Scott

Father's Day

We had a good time camping this weekend in Chalk Canyon, on the creek right next to the lake. Hiking, Fishing, Eating, Exploring... good times. Of course, we are excluding the details like the 5 straight hours of rain Saturday. Minor setback. We did wake up to a beautiful Sunday where we ate Breakfast Burritos, soaked in Hot Springs and headed home.

Mason did great on his first camping excursion. He slept great Friday night and hardly at all on Saturday night, which we think was as much about teething as anything.

You will notice I did not mention much about running, as with the poor weather Saturday it really made it impossible for me to get out while we were in the mountains. Sometimes life gets in the way, I guess I am just fortunate it is a really good life.

Once we got home, unpacked (almost) and took out time to celebrate Alice's birthday (tomorrow, Daddy will be traveling) my wife sent me out for a father's day run. Seven miles of hills, trails, and perfect weather, just as the sun was setting behind the mountains.

More miles will come this week, as I usually manage pretty good mileage when I am on the road.

Besides, what else is there to do in Roswell, NM???

Scott

Dangers of Early Morning Running

I generally run before work during the week, which means out the door by 5:30 am most mornings. The challenge to this, of course, is DO NOT wake any children. Running as much as I do is hard enough on my beautiful wife, leaving her at 5:30 am with a screaming toddler is not a part of the reality I enjoy.

This morning, I was going through my normal routine. Out of bed, head to the office in my jammies to put on my running clothes that were left there the night before, down a slimfast (cheap, easily digestible calories at 5am) and head out the door. Except, this morning, as soon as my hand hit the door knob, I heard it.... Mason started screaming. This is not good. I hate to miss a run, but I cannot leave, or I better be prepared to not come back. As I was heading to Mason's room to get him before he woke the rest of the herd, Jen followed me up the stairs, and said to just go. She must have detected my fear that I was going to miss a run (I really do not hide it well). She rocks.

This project is definitely not something I am doing alone, there should really be more credit to Jen than myself. She is the one with the kids when I am out training. For me, the training is easy, I love to run. Don't forget, Jen is also training for a major event. She will be running the Pikes Peak Ascent the weekend before my race. This is a half marathon (13.1 miles) with a little twist. You ascend 7800 feet up Pikes Peak on rocky singletrack to a summit elevation of 14,100 feet. She is superwoman, huh?

Well, it was a beautiful morning, I got in a nice 7 miles, mostly on singletrack, and some great hills. In fact, I had a total of 1168 feet elevation gain today. Pretty good for just a run through the neighborhood, of course I have a very cool neighborhood!!

Off to pack for camping this weekend!!

Fast Progress - Fast Company

Well, it has not even been a week since we kicked off the fundraiser, and we were approaching $400 as of yesterday morning!! That is outstanding.

I was invited to lunch yesterday by my LT100 partner to join a local Colorado Springs woman who holds the distinguished title of 3 time "Leadwoman". This essentially means that three different times (2004, 2006 and 2008) she completed the 5 Leadville events, a 10k run, a mountain marathon, a 50 mile run, a 100 mile Mountain Bike, and the 100 mile run. Pretty amazing. Kim was a wealth of information, and we scored major veteran advice, well worth the price of lunch.

I did get out for a 6 mile run this morning, pretty slow with a lot of hills. Goods news is my tightness in my back is almost totally gone, and I can get back to normal. Should be able to get in a solid 90 minute run tomorrow morning before work, then we are off to camping in the mountains (maybe I can sneak away for a bit of real mountain running).

Thanks again all, and I will get some pictures up real soon.

How to Donate - Made Simple!!

First off, a clarification. The support for the project we have received to date has been overwhelming. So many people have come forward to help already, I cannot adequately relay enough thanks. That being said it has become very clear that the instructions to donate were not what we would call "crystal clear", more accurate would be "clear as mud".

To simplify, you can donate by simply clicking here:

https://www.chinesechildren.org/Charity/DonationForm.aspx

Please make sure to add either my name, SCOTT WESCOTT, or the project name, "A Really Long Way" in the box labeled "for (specific project)".

I did get out for a short, quick 4 miler today. Jen and the kids were at a party at the Pool, which happens to be 4 miles on the dot from the house, with great trails the entire route. The fact it is primarily downhill is helpful, as well. I got there just in time to grab a brat, get in a quick dip and enjoy the beautiful evening with the family. I am having some muscle cramps in my back due to the long run Sunday, so it will be a light load this week.

Thanks again all!! Mason's homey's in Xinxiang are counting on us....

Air Force Academy, and Beyond

Today I ran the Academy with Bill, my partner in the Leadville 100. We started north of the Academy on Baptist Road, ran in to Pike National forest, came south on forest roads and single track until we were near the turndown for Stanley Canyon. we decided to head down an unknown path, and ended up finding an outstanding stretch of singletrack that ran the north edge of Rampart Resevior down to Stanley Resevior.

This was really one of the prettiest stretches I have been on in a long time. We ended up making it halfway down the Stanley Canyon trail, 12 miles in to our run before we saw another person. That is awesome.

We finished up on the Falcon trail to Sante Fe Trail back up to Baptist and to the car - 25 miles on the dot.

It was a gorgeous Colorado Morning, we were running by 6am and were out for about 5 hours. I really feel pretty good tonight considering I essentially ran a marathon this morning through the mountains. Could be worse...

A really long way. . . . . . .

A really long way. . . . . . .

A charity run benefiting the LOOK project.

My entire life, I have been searching out ways to challenge myself. Whether on a bike, in a pair of running shoes, or a work related project, I have always tried to go one step beyond my comfort zone. This year, I am taking that to a whole new level.

Starting August 21, 2009, at 4:00 am, I will start off on the most ambitious physical challenge of my life. I will be embarking on a journey known as the Leadville 100. To those of you unfamiliar with the race, it is a continuous, 100 mile trail run through the mountains outside of Leadville, Colorado. If the distance alone is not scary enough for you, the low point of the course is at 9,200’ above sea level. If everything goes according to plan (what could go wrong??) I will be crossing the finish line in something less than 30 hours, prior to 10:00 am Sunday morning. As I have stepped up my training to ready my body for this challenge, a few things have occurred to me: 1) I am an exceptionally lucky individual 2) There are countless people that are not so lucky 3) I need to channel this event into something more than just a run.

In February of this year, my wife Jennifer and I traveled to China to meet our fourth child, Mason. This being our first foray into adoption, we did not completely know what to expect. What an absolutely amazing experience. Now that Mason is home and seamlessly transitioning into our family, we still often think of the many, many children still living at the XinXiang Social Welfare Institute in Henan Province, China, where Mason spent the first year and a half of his life.

The XinXiang SWI is one of the neediest in all of China, as the Henan province is one of the most populous and poorest provinces in China. When I was researching potential charities to support, I immediately looked to our awesome adoption agency, Chinese Children Adoption International (CCAI) and their charitable branch, Chinese Children’s Charities (CCC). Specifically, I wanted to do something for both the older and special needs children in the SWI’s, as they are the least likely to make their way out through adoption.

This is when I found the LOOK project, Love for Older Orphanage Kids. This project was started by parents of adoptive Chinese children who felt the need to do something for the children who were left behind in the SWI’s. They are specifically focusing on the Henan province for 2009 as the needs there are so urgent. There is lots of specific information on their web site, but I can tell you this is not about buying all the kids a new Wii. They are looking for things like underwear and towels, not exactly luxury items.

Please take a moment to look at these web sites. If you are not in a position to donate, that is understandable. But if you are, please consider giving a gift to this exceptional group. Please reference “A Really Long Way” on your check or on the project section of the on-line form. All funds will be held until after the race, at which time I will work with LOOK and CCC both in the US and China to ensure the items we purchase are used for maximum effect. I will be made aware of who donated, but not how much. I don’t care. Just do what you can. It is appreciated.

http://www.chinesechildren.org/

http://www.lookproject.org/69.html

http://www.leadvilletrail100.com

CCAI – Attention: Charity Department

6920 S. Holly Circle

Centennial, CO 80112

CCC and CCAI are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and your donations are tax deductible.

** If for any reason I do not finish, we are keeping your money!! The kids need it more than you!! **

THANK YOU

Getting Started

Ok. I am not really just getting started. I am actually 70 days away from the 4am start of the Leadville 100. I am going to start the process of tracking my training and posting about runs online. If nothing else, this should motivate me to get out and keep going. I will also keep updates as to the progress of our charitable endeavours, raising money for the Xinxiang Social Welfare institute outside of Zhengzhou, Henan, China. This is where Mason was hanging out when he decided to come home with us.....

Keep running.