 there it is that's Leadville and here I am on 6th Street and the last time I was on this street exactly one year ago I was suffering big time this is excruciating it's taking every ounce of energy to move my body forward getting myself to the finish line of last year's Leadville 100 was one of the most difficult challenges of my life right down there I don't know if I'll be back right now in this moment I'm like I'm never running a hundred miler again God in about a week after last year's race I thought you know what I can do better and that's really why I'm here I think I can do better so this year I've trained a whole lot more I've gotten my legs ready I've done some races I've done some running my legs are feeling good last year I think I rode my bike too much and here's a pro tip biking does not get you ready for a hundred mile ultra marathons and I'm grateful that I'm back here with my amazing crew Dana and Xantha and oh yeah do you remember that woman who paced me named Amelia Boone and I didn't really know her at the time yeah she's back too and you know there she is and we ran 15 miles together and that was essentially the start of our beautiful wonderful relationship and I'm feeling very happy I'm feeling just just overwhelmed with gratitude are you ready to run tomorrow because she's pacing me again I'm ready to run do this you're gonna rock it we're gonna rock it and the only thing that I don't have control over in this year's race you can kind of see that the clouds are a little dark they're calling for a lot of rain tomorrow and we'll see what happens all these races are adventures their journeys I love the hundred mile distance because it's a journey it's a mental and physical journey from highs and lows I get to see all the different phases of the day from the sunrise to the sunset to weather and rain you get to feel everything on your skin and that's pretty special in our day-to-day lives we don't get to experience that all that often and so tomorrow I know is gonna be a journey and I'm ready and so excited that you're gonna be there with me I'm so excited let's do it see in the morning there's Amelia Boone morning morning you ready to run I'm ready all 100 miles riding bikes at the start of the Leadville 100 here we go Go Ryan! Here we go! Thank you! I got this! Leadville! Leadville! Leadville! Remember you're better than you think you are you do more than you think you can so dig deep and if you need one word you can keep it going remember Leadville! Leadville! Tough! That's all you need! Hi Claire! How you doing? How you doing my girl? This is the only time I'm gonna be able to run with you! Have a great race! So I'm running here now with my buddy Don! Hey what's up everybody? You used to live in Boulder! Don's an amazing human and he's gonna be way up there today! How you feeling bud? Dude I feel awesome it's gonna be a special day no matter what happens we're gonna smile have a good time cheer thank everybody appreciate what we're able to do and just enjoy every minute of it Exactly man so much gratitude for this race Go get him Don! Alright I'm coming up on May Queen the sun is kind of coming up I can see a little bit of light in the sky I'm feeling surprisingly tired already so that's not good but these races are long there's a lot more so I'm not too worried yet Yeah just keep moving forward that's all I can do Alright I'll give you a little assortment Give me a little like Halloween special you know You got it! Thank you so much appreciate it have a good one Bye! Bye! Hi ladies I love you! I love you! Thanks for being here! Alright! Go go go! I'm gonna go that way Alright feeling feeling better a boost of seeing people cheering and yelling Amelia and Dana that always helps the spirits my vest just broke so now it's swinging all around I don't think it can be fixed at least not right now a complete cloud cover right now which will keep the day cool not that it gets all that hot up here but we'll see we'll see when the rain starts these clouds are just begging to let loose they're pretty dark I remember running down this section last year just begging for mercy this is when the pain really started kicking in and my quads were shot every step felt like I was running on glass it was not comfortable so hopefully this year will be a little bit different when I come back through here but only time will tell I'm trying my best to kick in the gear the gear that I usually have at the beginning of an ultra and I'm having trouble getting there and this is where my mind starts playing games with me like over on your toast you're not gonna make it you're only 15 miles into this thing you're not even get up hoe pass oh and those thoughts are scary and going down that dark tunnel is dangerous because I think any hard thing any adventure that I've ever done I've gotten through it because of my mental strength not so much because of my physical strength and so I'm already seeing myself going into a dark hole which is not good so I'm really trying to be conscious and mindful to be like this is pretty cool Ryan look where you are be grateful just keep moving forward your body will get it together and that's all I can do you know to stay somewhat positive out here and talk to people feed off their energy appreciate the smell of the rain on the pine needles and keep moving forward and smile that's a big one got a key smile when you sit out on an adventure you never know how it's gonna end up that's what makes it an adventure and what happens between A and B is all unknown and for the most part it's incredible like look at this well that's pretty that'll lift anyone's spirits right incredible keep moving forward that's my motto so far today just keep moving forward I'm trying to stretch out my hamstring my left hamstring has been kind of nagging me for the past six months stopped me in any races but it hurts and I usually just run through it but I'm trying to take care of it early today oh my god Hulk Hogan it is an honor my friends we're running with the great Hulk Hogan tell you what Hulkamania negativity two things just don't go together hell yeah brother I needed a boost and I got it from Hulk Hogan you too brother okay we're going down the very steep power line hill now and this is where I want to take care of my quads my quads were the problem area last year and we're just gonna go down nice and easy nice and easy as easy as you can go when gravity is pulling on ya power your bike to see ya have a good one guys the best high is a runner's high yeah thank you so much for being here have a good one alright they gave me a little a little gel sorry I can't talk it's still in my mouth and it's just good to see humans cheering ya on that I really feed off of the energy of the crowd I do like that's why I like these big races where there's large numbers of people here and there it really helps me especially on a day like today where I'm kind of bleh but it's a hundred miles there's a lot of ebbs and flows and ups and downs and it's just the beginning just the beginning running down the middle of the road it's a beautiful road a stupid vest is still broken all over the place which will be very annoying by mile 75 he's gone crazy cowbill fixes everything hi there hi there I know it's dangerous to row with my eyes closed but it just helps me to breathe deeply and I don't think I'm going to crash in anything because I'm on a road how are you feeling? very good hello hello hello thank you thank you so this field out here is really tricky there's like holes and bumps all over the place hidden in grass and I've tripped a few times out here so I gotta be careful okay so the high from outward bound has worn off I'm back to come on body let's get to it huh I don't know what it is you know how some days you wake up you just feel awesome that's not how I feel today which is very unusual for me so we're going to work through this huh I need some magic and you know I love sage sage I'm trying to take it on every adventure I go on protects me gives me a little strength so I'm going to put this sage in my best and hope that it can do some magic man I shouldn't be hurting this much I'm barely into the race as hard as this is already as much pain as I'm in I have to remember that I get to do this and I need to really hold on to the gratitude because just being able to be out here running on these trails this sacred land is such a privilege and uh I can't whine too much you know this is awesome even though it also sucks it can be a little bit of everything that's fair the beach right here is wet from yesterday's rain and it smells so good I'm just running that's it one leg in front of the other that's all I have to do today that's all I have to do today is run thank you thank you hello hello hello let's get some boulder high fives I'm going to place fifth in the mile marathon you got fifth in the mile marathon Moe's just got fifth in the mile marathon the race that started me running I called my elementary good job buddy thank you all you're awesome so last year I wasn't paying attention to these little pink flags and I kept going straight that way for about a mile I do not see anybody near me I'm looking at the ground looking for footprints not seeing many running shoes so I think I must have missed a turn last year I'm very happy to be taking the right route for some reason today every step is a struggle I feel like I can't even talk I feel like I'm in slow motion but at least I'm in motion I guess water guy please fill me up thank you all for being here you're awesome you're wonderful humans thank you my legs hurt they hurt and this might help them maybe a little bit loosen them up loosen up my hips thank you you too okay let's keep going my new friend Leo from where? Las Vegas how's this altitude treating you? oh man it's rough hard to breathe up here can't beat the weather though it's nice working our way through the pain cave right? yeah that's right getting tight that's right and sometimes it's easier to go through the pain cave with a buddy yeah it's a great take me upper yeah you just talk your way out of it we start talking about random stuff and you forget about your pain and I'm alone again I've probably been passed by about 20 people in the past hour which is a bit demoralizing I'm like why do you all feel so awesome and I feel like poo then I have to remember it doesn't really matter I'm out here for my own challenge and yeah it's a challenge so far it's more challenging at a much earlier stage in the race than I expected but we'll get through it and another thing that's tough is I really felt like I was in the best running shape of my life coming into today had really prepared well felt amazing last month in the 50 miler and my legs just just don't want to go my new favorite oh it's hard to chew when you're so tired you know people ask me a lot how do you stay positive when you're hurting so much when you're so deep in the pain cave and my answer is it's the only option if I allow myself to go to a negative headspace to a dark place that's when you know I give up essentially that's when I quit and I've done that I've been there but I've been here this moment so many times I know that just keep moving forward think about all the good things in life you know and you know just appreciate the beauty and that gets me through most anything that goes for anything in life not just ultras don't trip no crashes and I just have to remember just keep moving forward you have friends waiting for you you have dear loved ones Dana, Xanta, Amelia and a whole bunch of other people and last forever this pain will be over at some point and it's always good to have a goal you know like okay this race is finite it's not gonna last forever I'll get to the finish line no matter how bad it hurts this right here this spot this Aspen Grove is my favorite part on the course it is so beautiful and I can only imagine how beautiful it is in the fall with all the colors but Aspen's have always been my comfort tree you know I'm a tree hugger I'm from Boulder I love them thank you Aspen's where is everybody she's like I'm just out here on a Saturday morning run by myself I wanted to twin lakes for a much needed boost I love this place what's up brother sexy this cheers man doesn't Amelia look good in purple Amelia looks great in purple look at this mashed titers alright just doing some more stretching here as you can see very flexible legs look at that woo ow I've been telling him that he needs to start doing that so look at him go Amelia how's your day it's fantastic my day is fantastic I've been chasing around on bike now here at Twin Lakes he's going to go up and over Hope Pass and then when he comes back I'm going to pace him Hope Pass here we come you know it thank you awesome volunteers you're amazing yeah buddy how you doing alright here we go how you doing brother good to see you okay now I'm exhausted from cheering and I'm feeling alright I'm feeling like maybe I'm feeling a little bit better I don't know I said I wanted to go on a journey I'm definitely going on a journey and look at this beauty that's where we're going lucky us here we go time to ice the feet oh that feels good man that is cold coming straight from the snow mountain to the mountains woo boy and now my feet are 40 pounds each alright it's time to start climbing up the mighty Hope and I kind of enjoy this part because I get to walk and chill out because it's steep there's no running here yep I'm on the struggle bus today I just feel slow in every way which I guess is alright I'm still moving forward but it seems like everybody around me is going faster still a lot of race left though that's pretty isn't it you want to know what's going through my mind right now why are you doing another very hard thing here Ryan you knew it was hard last year it almost broke here but I do these things because I feel like I'm a more loving compassionate understanding patient person after going through something like this these adventures crack my heart and soul open and let in all the love that sounds corny and very hippy of me but it's true just being out here in these hills with a bunch of people having the same experience it's pretty special it's like once a year 100 miler so this is kind of like a holiday even though it's a very painful one but there's good times too it's not all pain I get to think about all the people I love in my head right now that makes that makes me happy trip I need to be lifting my legs a little higher alright we're starting to see some things we're popping out of the trees and boys are beautiful woo look at that yes thanks for being here love your videos man thank you you volunteers are the best love you here we go how we doing I'm just going to sit here by this fire eat some soup chill out and enjoy the view woo now we go up just a little bit higher that way just that way here's the leader of the race looking good incredible that means he's already gone up and over all the way to windfield and back over I don't think I'm going to catch him thank you for the cowbells you're awesome okay a few more steps and I'll be at the top of Hope Pass which is great news the bad news is I have to go back up and over the other side that side is way harder here we go look at this woo looks like there's some serious weather right over there and now I guess I have to run ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch you would think running downhill would be easy but it is definitely not so the rain is here I don't know how hard it's going to rain but it is on its way looks kind of fierce we'll see it sure is beautiful and lush in here it's been a very rainy summer up here in the high country and that's good we've been very lucky not to have any forest fires way to go way to go looking good keep it up there she is Claire Gallagher how you doing so good to see you keep on kicking butt you got this Claire got a cheer on my bolder people right now that's of you right there it's important to remember to look at all the beauty around me today and not to stare at my feet because that's something I tend to do when I'm hurting you know you just look down look forward but man there's a lot of nature's best all around here pretty awesome and blue sky look here we are at wind field it's sunny I got some soup I got some taters this is the turnaround now we have to go back up oh it's going to hurt but oh well man how you doing brother good to see you you're looking great man you're looking great how are you I'm doing alright I'm kind of feeling it how about you I mean it has to be expected staying positive feeling good ready to go after it again man yeah hell yeah brother go get some food and we'll see ya cheers man ready to go woo here we go back out into the wilds man ole ole you got this see you back in Leadville see you in Leadville just have to go up and over that first ahh I am slowly trudging up this hill it's taking all of me to get up here which is I guess the point of Leadville it's supposed to be hard huh how you guys doing that's right man but it's fun to see everybody because they're coming down how we all doing good to see you guys one foot in front of the other one foot in front of the other looking good looking good keep it up nice job nice job we're getting there we're getting there little by little and the view is still stunning as you can see whoa I love Colorado I love you Colorado nice job buddy I love how encouraging everybody is everybody passed good work good work everybody's cheering each other on that's what I love about this sport woo good job everybody where you going I think I can the little engine time I think I can oh we did it good job everybody where to go where to go good job good job where to go my legs are like what we just went up super steep and now we're going down super steep here we go I'm putting the camera away I'll see you in Twin Lakes here we go I need this energy I need it how you doing thank you thank you it's Amelia I love you all I got you look I love you I love you sorry I'm a little stanky I love you Molly I love you Amelia I love you H nation guy I love you I think it's almost time to go I should get up help me up it feels so good to have you all here this is a really powerful moment it was a year ago I met her sorry for the tears so this is my pace sir Amelia Boone how you doing I'm fantastic I can't thank you enough for doing this I can't thank you enough for letting me accompany you it's pretty awesome this is too hard we're going up here seriously though this is incredible it's amazing it feels so good so Amelia how has your day been it's been fantastic yeah just hanging out doing ultras because you get to run a little bit you get to hang out with people you get to cheer a bunch of people on I've been dreaming of this moment for a while and here we are and earlier today when I was deep in the pain cave I was like I hope I make it this far I knew you would so this is a very exciting moment for me we have Harvey Lewis we have Maggie Guterl Guterl it's so great to meet you guys this is a big deal the other Ryan how you feeling that whole pass I think going from 500 to 10,000 you live on the east coast right Ohio yeah so it was a little bit of a nice punishment yeah it hurts well it's fun to meet a couple of legends it really is back to my Ryan Ryan get off your ass and go ride your bike that goes for all Ryan's you're going too fast slow down it's nice to be smiling after this morning's fiasco and you know I might hit the pain cave deep here another 10 miles but right now I'm feeling good because I'm with my girl okay okay okay okay I'm coming here we are running through the aspen trees how's it going Amelia it's fantastic I have been so excited for this me too I love you time for some honest talk now I feel exactly how I felt last year at this very point my body's like we're breaking down and I'm full of a lot of fear about it because those final 25 miles were so uncomfortable so painful and I just don't want to go there again so I'm just trying to stay in the game you know keep moving eating but very aware that I have a long way to go but I have Amelia yeah I got the MVP oh actually I haven't told you this yet I have a special guest pacer coming in for the end coach Amelia what do I do I'm freaking out no need to freak out look like it's very natural that at this time this year let's slow it down at this time last year you're starting to feel how you're feeling now and your brain immediately goes to oh crap history's gonna repeat itself but what you need to remind yourself you're much better trained this year you've been putting in the miles and just because that's how it happened last year doesn't mean the story's gonna be the same look that goes for anything in life like when you come into a situation that you're sure is gonna be a repeat doesn't have to be so the key is getting your mind out of it yeah this whole day has been a mind game yeah how you doing good to see you soup time I need this why do we do this to ourselves man I don't feel so good my knee hurts it's a new pain welcome to the day of difficulties but man it's beautiful I'm with my Amelia I mean ultras are a lesson or like a constant trying to triage everything that's just what they are everything is gonna go wrong and it's not a matter of if it's a matter of when and things are gonna change like what goes wrong and you just kinda like gotta write it out just hide the lows hide the lows baby hide the lows okay we're coming into outward bound we're getting a little sprinkle which actually right now feels nice hopefully it doesn't get too much rowdier and I took some Advil my knee is feeling better so we'll see how this final stretch goes this is the moment of truth this is where it all fell apart last year I'm coming I'm coming Hi Jenny I'm ready to rock buddy let's rock made it alright it's time to finish this time to finish this so Scott you've done this race before what's our game plan game plan is called run so you can't run anymore walk until you need to crawl and just keep moving you're moving well look at those legs I'm doing alright man look at those legs sexy Scott legs let's go have some fun man and that's the main thing too having fun alright so we're going up power line which is just so fun it is steep it is steep but we're cruising so I'm starting to feel nauseous which is what happens at the end of Ultras and Scott Scott me doing some breathing exercises Scott's been here before he knows what's up how many times have you puked on power line you puke running Deuzer puke while you run Scott says he can also pee while he runs you gotta be able to do all the berry samples while running Scott's really good at making animal sounds let's hear one of your birds Deuzer I want to hear some animal sounds I could do a velociraptor thank you thank you thank you Scott's out pooping in the woods and uh I'm just cruising down the Colorado trail here and I'm feeling good I really am like what a roller coaster this day has been my knee still hurts a bit but it's under control it seems I took some Advil back there with Amelia and uh yeah I am so motivated just to get this race done you know I had so much fear around this final section for good reason last year hurt bad but man I'm feeling pretty good feeling pretty good still probably 15 miles to go but I'm smiling Olé I can hear Amelia how's it going yeah I feel better how you get some veggie broth veggie broth how we all doing yeah thank you everybody thank you Susan you're very welcome the edge of comfort all over the place I want it I don't hear you I want to go fast or at least so much fast some grainy here chug chug chug great feeling great on the bike it's Amelia we got a party now we've got John over here we've got Scott and Amelia I love you guys okay good thinking good thinking good thinking oh boy we're cruising I'm trying my hardest just the slightest uphill burns oh my god final straight away dude you're rocking and hitting at me let's go look at this hard you wouldn't be out here I wouldn't be out here it was easy wouldn't be out here helping you let's go man come on bud let's go how are you mate so much that was amazing thank you so much Ken oh man oh yeah thank you so much brother proud of you proud of you look at that time what a journey today has been I'm so grateful thank you Amelia oh I'm so glad I finished the strong Dana so proud of you so it's been about a month I was in Leadville and all the memories are still incredibly vivid it's like I just finished the race yesterday this is really sticking with me and I think that's because of all the people I met along the way I met so many wonderful humans all throughout the experience and I will never forget getting choked up when Amelia met me at mile 60 it brought back so many emotions and then running through the night with Scott and whooping and hollering and making animal sounds but still being very focused on my goal and I'm definitely proud of what I accomplished I came into this race with really high hopes I trained a lot in hopes of running quite a bit faster than last year and for most of the day it didn't look like I was going to be able to pull that off but towards the end I don't know exactly what happened but I got really focused laser focused and I was charging I did not want to have a repeat of the previous year and getting to that finish line sprinting across that finish line felt so good so thank you so much for watching this video it means the world to me that you enjoy my content if you'd like to support my channel on Patreon I will have a link down below to get early access videos and videos with no ads but again, no pressure on that just watch my videos and share them with your friends that would mean so much to me so my friends I know this was a long one thanks for sticking with me the whole time and oh there's another thing I don't think I've run my best race at Leadville I still think I can go quite a bit faster and so maybe you'll see me again at Leadville. I hope you're all doing great please subscribe if you're not subscribed and I will see you down the road and remember, get off your couch and get out there