Leadville 100 Training Diaries-Week 1, Day 2

Today was a perfect morning. JJ and I are committed to a holy hour of Eucharistic adoration at 5:00 AM. This is a sacred time to spend with Jesus, and it truly sets the tone for the day—especially during Lent as we prepare for Easter Sunday.

I've been following a 40-day Lenten journey on an app called Hallow. This journey explores the writings of St. Josemaria Escriva’s The Way and the story of Takashi Nagai, a Japanese Catholic physician, author, and survivor of the atomic bomb in Nagasaki. The theme of this Lent has been "the place of the way"—ascesis, or training. This symbolizes Jesus' time in the desert, His training ground in preparation for His ministry. Likewise, the place of the way is our training ground. We are called to carry our own crosses, accept our sufferings, and surrender our lives to God.

Internally, I struggle because I don’t feel like I’ve had to suffer much in my life. I’ve faced challenges and made mistakes—crosses I bear daily—but I haven't experienced true suffering. In some ways, I gravitated toward ultra-endurance races because they push me to work hard and experience discomfort, both physically and mentally. These races require me to dig deep, to find the strength to keep going. In those moments, I rely on simple prayers—the ones I grew up with—that remind me I am never alone. No matter the type of suffering we face, whether self-imposed or not, Jesus walks the way with us.

The Place of the Way

The place of the way—our training ground—is a place of trial and testing. Comfort is absent. Training strips away insulation and reveals who we truly are and who we can become. I choose ultras because they allow me to enter my desert. I get to choose boldness and courage in the face of adversity, knowing God walks with me. And when I inevitably encounter real suffering (in another post, I will share moments when I have), I will be prepared. I will understand the perseverance required to carry my cross and walk the way with Jesus.

Reflection on Leadville

Yesterday, I alluded to the challenges of Leadville's elevation and terrain. The mountains don’t care how fit you are. They don’t care if you are male or female. The mountain is its own entity, throwing everything at you. Your only job is to take it and move forward. Grace, grit, and determination are necessary to endure. Humility is just as important—there’s nothing like a 20% grade hill to humble you, just as in life.

Prepare for the mountain as much as you can, but respect it too. You are in her territory, and she takes no prisoners.

Today’s Workout

Today's workout was a max-effort treadmill session at a 15% incline. The goal: cover the farthest distance possible in 15 minutes.

Today's benchmark: 1 mile. I started at 2.8 mph and built up to 3.5 mph. It was challenging, but surprisingly, my heart rate stayed in Zone 1 for most of the session, meaning my aerobic capacity wasn’t strained. Instead, I felt the most fatigue in my legs. I definitely need more glute, hip, and quad strengthening to prepare for these inclines.

A cool goal would be to run/jog at a 15% incline for 15 minutes and track my progress. Some quick Google research shows that elites cover about 1.8 miles. I think I’m up for the challenge!

Nutrition Check-in

Today was much better in the nutrition department. I drank 64 ounces of water, stuck to my meal plan, and avoided unnecessary snacking. My biggest challenge is getting enough protein—I need to be more intentional about portioning my meals to hit my macros.

My weight was 144.6 this morning, likely reflecting recent overeating. The key is consistency and watching the overall trend.

Here’s my meal prep for today (fair warning: boring but consistent!).

Meal Prep

Breakfast: 1 homemade breakfast taco (2 eggs, 1 slice sugar-free bacon, 1 homemade flour tortilla)Lunch: Chicken and brown rice bowl (1/2 cup brown rice, 1 cup sautéed purple cabbage with mushrooms, 3 oz chicken thighs)Dinner: Purple cabbage salad with red onion and red bell peppers (dressing: olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper); shared Kroger sushi with JJ, side of avocado, and homemade sourdough bread (YES, I made my very own sourdough!)Snack: 1 small Gala apple, 170g Two Good vanilla yogurt, 1/4 cup blueberries, handful of roasted cashews Drink: Chamomile tea before bed

Today’s meal plan felt so much better—no unnecessary snacking, just wholesome, nourishing food. The sushi was an impulse buy (note to self: never grocery shop hungry), but no regrets! I paired it with veggies and healthy carbs. I probably didn’t need the bread, but I had to try it. That sourdough was an intense labor of love!

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow’s workout: 45-minute stair session in heart rate Zone 2 (easy to moderate effort). Let’s see how many floors I can reach!

Call to Action

Suffering is a hard pill to swallow. It doesn’t seem fair to suffer, and our instinct is to avoid adversity. But think back to a difficult time in your life—how did you emerge on the other side?

Beyond that desert, you may have found peace, hope, or a new joy you wouldn’t have otherwise experienced. Suffering is painful, but you never walk that road alone. Jesus walks alongside you, unwavering, never faltering. When you fall, He is there to lift you up. He will always walk toward you—you only need to reach out and take His hand.

Before I go, I want to share one of my favorite poems:

One night I dreamed a dream.As I was walking along the beach with my Lord,Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,One belonging to me and one to my Lord.After the last scene of my life flashed before me,I looked back at the footprints in the sand.I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,Especially at the very lowest and saddest times,There was only one set of footprints.This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it."Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,You'd walk with me all the way.But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,There was only one set of footprints.I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you.Never, ever, during your trials and testings.When you saw only one set of footprints,It was then that I carried you."— Mary Stevenson

Let that be a reminder: you are never alone.

Let’s keep walking the way.

Happy Training!