Leadville 100 Training Diaries, Week 1, Day 3

Discipline Over Motivation

Today, I feel tired. Three days in a row of 5:00 AM adoration, and my WHOOP band is reminding me that I’m in a steep sleep deficit. But this is discipline. Sometimes, discipline must trump performance. I’m not a professional athlete—I have other life obligations and vocations that are just as important. Discipline leads to consistency, and consistency leads to success.

A Fun New Chapter: Volleyball!

On a fun note, I joined our hospital’s co-ed volleyball team! I grew up playing competitive sports—softball, volleyball, and basketball. I put in a lot of hours in each, which made me decent, but maybe I could’ve been really good had I specialized. Still, I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m so grateful my parents let me play all three year-round.

Games start this month, with playoffs in May. I’ll keep you posted! I didn’t realize how hard it would be to make friends in a new city, especially while working full-time and training as much as I do. But it’s all good! It feels great to use different muscles and do something purely for fun—while still keeping that competitive edge.

Grief, Surrender, and a New Dawn

Ultra marathons are a team effort, no doubt. I couldn’t do it without JJ and my crew. They keep up morale, pace me, and—when I’m deep in the pain cave—wipe my feet, wash my face, and take care of me. It’s remarkable.

This morning, I read a quote from Saint Josemaria Escriva that struck my heart:

“Love the cross, and the Lord will hear your prayers.”

During prayer, I sat with Mary Magdalene, imagining her grief after Jesus' death. Losing a loved one is devastating. When it happens, we scramble to stay busy—anything to avoid dwelling on it. I know that feeling all too well.

I've experienced grief in three profound ways:

1. Hurting my husband and best friend. I was the cause of his pain, and the weight of that realization felt unbearable. Through confession, prayer, and silence, God brought us to a new dawn. Our marriage was refined in fire—stronger, brighter, and built on faith, hope, and love.

2. Losing my Paw Paw. He was my biggest supporter, always believing I could handle any race. When he passed, the sadness was overwhelming. He wouldn’t see my children. He wouldn’t watch my cousins get married. But I knew he was home with Jesus. He had surrendered to God long ago, and through his life, he taught us how to love and serve Him.

3. Experiencing two miscarriages. You never think it’ll happen to you. After the first, I questioned everything. Did I run too much? Drink something I shouldn’t have before I knew? The second miscarriage made me wonder—what was wrong with me? Wasn’t I supposed to help grow God’s kingdom through motherhood?

Fear crept in. But after time in prayer and adoration, I surrendered. This can’t be about my will—it has to be His. If it is God’s plan for me to be a mother, then we will be parents. Until then, JJ and I will embrace the ways God calls us to be mother and father figures in this season.

Walking the road of grief with Mary Magdalene, I realize: We can busy ourselves to numb the pain. We can let it swallow us whole. Or—we can see it as a way to encounter Jesus. If we choose the latter, He will lead us out—to a new dawn, a new life, and ultimately, His resurrection.

Leadville Training: Lessons Learned

The first aid station at May Queen is 13 miles in. It’s dark, rocky, rooty, and crowded. This is where I got my first blister. I wasted too much time trying to get it covered—only to find the medical tent lacked bandages or moleskin. The stop was necessary, but it cost me.

Timing and speed in the first half of Leadville are crucial. If you fall behind cutoffs, you’re forced to play catch-up—not a fun place to be. That’s what led to our first DNF (Did Not Finish).

Another lesson? Clothing management. JJ and I overdressed early on and overheated by the next aid station. We need a better layering strategy. More on that later.

Today’s Workout

Morning: 45-minute stair climber (200+ floors) in Zone 2, walking at Level 8. I added 4x30-second Level 10 intervals—definitely a solid Zone 3 challenge!

Evening: Back & Core Strength

• Bent-over row 5x5 @ 65, 65, 75, 75#

• Negative pull-ups 3x5 (5” lower)

• Assisted pull-ups 3x5

• Lat pulldown 3x12 @ 55#

• Bicep curls 3x12 @ 12#

• Single-arm bent-over row 3x12 @ 25#

• Hanging leg raises 4x10

• Incline sit-ups 4x20

• Medicine ball slams 4x20 @ 12#

Nutrition Check-In

Weight: 144.2 (stable). Trying to sync my scale to track body fat %.

Meals: Stuck to my plan, maybe slightly over—fueling for tomorrow’s long run!

• Breakfast: Overnight oats

• Snack: Larabar

• Lunch: Work-provided (potato & chorizo tacos + side salad, small portion of rice & beans)

• Dinner: Homemade chicken mole w/ sourdough + cabbage salad

• Pre-volleyball snack: Yogurt w/ blueberries & cashews

  
  

Call to Action

We’ve all faced grief and suffering. If you’re in that place now, know this:

You are not alone. Your mistakes don’t define you. Your fears have no hold over you. Those we’ve lost still live within us.

Surrender your suffering to God. Let Him raise you up in the new dawn of His resurrection. Darkness doesn’t last forever—but sometimes, we must walk through it to be reborn.

Proverbs 3:5-6"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Happy Training!