Part 7 of a 10 part strategy to finish Leadville

Twin Lakes to Halfmoon
Total miles 9, miles running 3.0, miles walking 6.0
Cutoff time 20:45, planned arrival 19:45

If it helps to make promises to God, you will be inclined to do so during
this section.  Before I get into the details, I want to make you aware
of a fact.  The fact is that, given you have left the Twin Lakes aid
station, there is a very high probability that you will finish this
run.  Very few drop out after passing through the Twin Lakes aid station.
If they do, it is because of a physical injury or they can't make the
cutoffs.  We are in no trouble with the cutoffs and if we're careful we
won't get injured.  That reminds me of a point I omitted earlier.  It
will be dark and you need as much night vision as possible.  A way to
help with this is to wear sunglasses during the day.  The sun can be
very bright, especially on Hope and will temporarily burn the retinas
of your eyes.  You won't notice this during the day but it will impair
your night vision when it gets dark.  I suggest you wear sunglasses even
if it is cloudy for UV protection at altitude.

Back to promises, this section does not get the same attention as Hope
or Sugarloaf passes but it is very tough.  There are a lot of factors
contributing to this.  Physically you have traveled over 60 miles, you
have just had the crap beaten out of you twice on Hope pass and you
have been on your feet for over 16 hrs.  If you haven't eaten or had
enough to drink, now is where it will take it's toll.  Given that, you
now have 1,400 feet to climb.  Mentally, you are still a long way from
the finish, you are annoyed by aches and pains and it is now dark and
cold.  If I were to recommend the most important section to have a
pacer, it would be this one.  On the other hand, if I were a pacer, I
may want to stay clear, there are some cranky runners out there.

The atmosphere of the race really changes on this section.  It becomes
very quiet, dark and runners become scarce.  At this point, half the
starters have dropped out and the remaining half are spread out over
40 miles.  The hike and picnic is over, it is now time to get serious
and focus on what you are doing.

There are 3 rises that never seem to end.  The first is the worst, most
of the climbing is on a jeep road.  When you hit the trail, it levels and
you get a break.  There are several smaller rises so if you are not
familiar with the course, it's hard to keep track of the big 3.  It's
not important, just make sure you run when you can.  If it helps, look at
your watch when you leave Twin Lakes, it'll take 2:55 to get to Halfmoon.
You'll know when you're on the last rise because the trail turns left at
a rock pile and quickly heads downhill to Halfmoon road.  Once heading
down, you can run most of the way to the next aid station.

Expect to arrive at Halfmoon at 19:45.  If you have a drop bag, you'll
probably need more clothes by now and new batteries.  It is now close
to midnight, if you haven't had any coffee or caffeine yet, it is time.
The caffeine not only helps with alertness but it helps your body
metabolize fat for energy, just what you need.  Personally, I have found
the coffee to be too time consuming unless it is already made and not
too hot.  Instead, I carry 2 or 3 caffeine pills for the night.  You
should only take 5 minutes at this aid station leaving at 19:50, 55
minutes ahead of the cutoff.

Hint for enjoyment:  In prior segments I have suggested focusing on the
external environment, now it is time to look inward.  Soon you will be
focusing on the finish, at this point there are few distractions other
than the here and now.  You will be sufficiently tired to let your guard
down and possibly learn a few things about yourself.  First you should
feel really good about making it this far, this was all your doing, the
preparation and your performance so far.  You will really appreciate this
because it will become evident during this section how difficult of an
undertaking this really is and the fact that you are doing it.  You
should hold your head up and be very proud of where you are.  Even if
you stopped now, you have accomplished a lot.  You should also know that
it will get easier as you progress, the hard part is behind you.  Enjoy
the moment of walking through the evergreens with soft needles underfoot.
In spite of this section being tough, if you pass through in harmony with
it rather than fighting it, there will be no problem.

Next Segment:  Halfmoon to the Fish Hatchery
If you missed segments 1 through 6, e-mail me direct and I'll forward
them to you.  Or, Stan Jensen has put them on his homepage if you have
web access, http://www.run100s.com/Pb

Dana Roueche
Boulder, CO
danar@us.ibm.com