Can Kat Do It?

To Raise $10,000 for Elder Abuse Prevention…  YES!!!

Anyone who knows me will say that I am not a thrill-seeker. My best friend & I used to joke that I would rather be reading under a tree than climbing it. So how I have found myself just months away from cycling 100 miles across the mountaintops of Colorado is a bit worrisome (…not to mention that my last ride ended in me doing some bike-hiking and crying)!

I had seen Race Across the Sky, the Leadville 100 Trail Mountain Bike movie, and was blown away by the strength, physical ability, and bravery that each of the participating athletes exhibited during that ride. Never in a million years did I ever think I could be one of those athletes… until February 28, 2011 . My entry into the Leadville lottery (yes, there are so many people who want to do this crazy event that there is a random drawing for entries) was one of those ‘I think I’ll play along’ decisions because I ‘knew’ there was no chance I would actually have to complete it. Boy was I wrong. The Sunday night before the lottery results were announced I had a strange feeling that things were not going to go as I had planned. I tossed & turned with my nerves all night and finally my fears were confirmed at 7:00pm sharp, as promised.

At first I was in disbelief. Then I was laughing. How could I possibly get myself through 100 miles on a mountain bike at altitude, when I had not even logged ten trail rides in my life? I was, and am still not sure… but I do know that this is going to be a life changing experience.

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Check out the course map of the Leadville 100 MTB! The trail begins at 9,000 feet and goes up to 13,000!

I’ve also managed to talk Tom into riding the Leadville 100MTB through the Carmichael Training System. So, we are going Head-to-Head on the race to raise $10,000 for the The UCI Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse and Neglect. Check out his website at Cantomdoit.com to follow him on his training adventures as well!