Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race

I did Leadville 2 years ago with my teammate Lisa Thompson. Leadville is a race which entry takes place by lottery. Hundreds of people sign up and acceptance is heard a couple of months later by mail. A belt buckle is the prize at the end of a very long, high altitude, race. You have to finish under 12 hours to win this buckle. Now, one would think that 12 hours is plenty of time to finish a mountain bike race. I made it within 2 minutes. Yea, too close for comfort! It took me two years to forget the pain that I experienced with this race. I have never cried at the end of a race and believe me, I've had my share of long, painful events. I cried like a baby after I crossed the finish line as my husband and friends were anxiously awaiting. This year the pain is still a memory but a distance one. I decided to give it a try and apply for an entry by lottery along with my new teammate Amy. I couldn't believe it when I heard that both of us received entry!! Its exciting but scary. There is no cheating the training and dedication that this race demands. So, please cold weather go away!!!! I need to get outside now and train.