Leadville Training Diaries Week 2, Days 8-14

Alyssa Rodriguez
Apr 16
4 min read

Training Week Recap: Amasa 25K & Leadville Countdown

This week of training went really well. I spent the week prepping for my first training race of the season: the 25K Amasa Trail Race in Moab, Utah. Nothing too eventful happened during the week itself, but I did get to attend a leadership conference that my director encouraged our department to go to—which was a nice break from patient care.

The conference was helpful for a few reasons, especially around communication and creating a drama-free work and personal life. I don’t feel like I carry too much drama around in my own life, but it was a great reminder to have open and honest dialogue with the people around you. Don’t make assumptions—be curious and ask. Sometimes our egos like to hop in the driver’s seat and create a narrative so far off course, we end up taking a wild turn onto the crazy train and leave logic behind.

So here’s a small piece of advice: don’t let your ego drive the bus. It’s okay to feel a certain way or be upset, but always take a moment to look at the facts. Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment. We’ve all heard this in some form before, but it’s always worth hearing again.

Race Recap: Amasa 25K

This weekend marked my first race back in preparation for Leadville, and what a race it was! The Amasa 25K in Moab was absolutely stunning—one of the most beautiful races I’ve done in a long time. There was climbing, jeep roads, technical terrain, and even some rock scrambling. It was an absolute blast!

I told one of my running friends back in Texas that it’s not a true trail race unless you 1) fall, and 2) donate a little blood to the trail—it’s almost a rite of passage. I had one big fall early in the race, resulting in some bruises and bleeding, but thankfully no major injuries. It felt good to get a little dirt on me to kick off the season.

I finished the race in 3 hours and 19 minutes and placed 5th in my age group—not that I was aiming to place, but I’ll happily take that! One race down, three to go.

Next month, I don’t have a race scheduled, but I do plan to spend some time training in Leadville. I’m hoping to get in a few runs along the race route, and hopefully by June the snow will have melted over Hope Pass so I can log some time up there.

Moab Adventures

On a fun travel note—if you haven’t been to Moab, go! It’s an adventure-packed town surrounded by natural beauty. You’ve got the infamous Arches and Canyonlands National Parks nearby, as well as amazing bike and running trails, and some pretty great food.

And guess what? I finally get to call my Jeep a real Jeep! JJ and I took her on a beginner jeep trail along Potash Road to see the Potash Ponds and drive up to Elvis Rock. It was incredible!

Leadville Reflection: 17 Weeks Out

We are officially 17 weeks out from Leadville.

This weekend’s race was a great re-introduction to race day conditions. For breakfast, I had two eggs, one small waffle with syrup, a cup of Froot Loops, water, and black coffee. Nutrition is so important when it comes to racing long distances. Whether it’s 13 miles or 100, you’ve got to learn how to fuel properly—or risk bonking.

For the 25K, I didn’t need too much fuel, but I still used water, Gatorade, Welch’s fruit snacks, and an orange. My next race is a 50K, so nutrition will play a bigger role. Fueling is a science experiment—what works for one person (or one race) might not work for the next. I’ve had races where PB&J saved me, and others where it was a total “no-go.”

Even when you don’t feel like eating, you have to. Your body needs the carbs to keep your muscles moving.

The next battle? The mental one. More on that in a future post.

This Week's Workouts

Day 8: Strength training (Lower body)
Day 9: 40-minute run
Day 10: 8-mile run
Day 11: 40-minute run
Day 12: Rest/travel day
Day 13: Amasa 25K Race
Day 14: Rest/travel day

Nutrition Check-In

This week’s meals were solid. No change in weight or body fat. I’m planning to track my intake more closely this week using MyFitnessPal. The goal is to hit my protein targets and keep my last meal at or before 7:00 PM.

The overall focus? Keeping my body properly fueled for both training and race day!

Next week’s meal plan will include some fun “power bowls” from my favorite cookbooks—can’t wait to share!

Call to Action

This week, we enter Holy Week in preparation for Easter Sunday. I encourage everyone to spend a little time reflecting on the beauty of the resurrection—and how we are all called to live like Jesus.

Happy training, friends!