It’s Breck Epic week.
A year ago, I was training hard to take a big swing at this event that we love. I was deep into a bigger build than ever, with my training volume up from Leadville the year before. I planned to race for six days and co-host the Breck Epic’s nightly race recap/podcast. The stars were aligning to be a cog in the wheel of an event we hold near and dear.
I was doing what I’ve done for as long as I can remember: pushing my body, pursuing fitness, finding my limit. I was anticipating racing through Colorado’s high country for six straight days.
Then I got COVID.
It was this time last year, down in Denver, that I was diagnosed with Post Viral Syndrome (Long COVID).
This week is hitting me harder than I expected. Perhaps it’s seeing a world I’ve grown to love go on without me. Maybe it’s the reminder of where I was this time last year. Maybe it’s the uncertainty—the not knowing when I’ll be back.
Races like Breck and Leadville aren’t just races to me. Breck Epic is a North Star of sorts—a reminder of what I’m capable of despite all the challenges over the years.
But here’s the thing: I’m still here.
I’m not where I want to be. I’m not racing. I’m learning how to pace, how to train, how to recover, how much fallout there is when I push too hard. I’m learning the difference between moving forward and pushing too far, and I’m fully experiencing the crashes that come from digging too deep.
I’m fighting forward. I’m making progress.
My propensity to push causes some crashes and setbacks, but I’m trying to zoom out and remind myself of what I tell my athletes often: setbacks are part of the process.
I’m hopeful. I believe in my ability to bounce forward. And you can rest assured, I’m doing everything in my power to make a full recovery—to get back to doing the things I love.
Maybe that’s one of the most valuable lessons from this last year: endurance isn’t always about going farther or digging deeper. Sometimes it’s simply about showing up and staying in the game when the game doesn’t look anything like you expected or wanted.
That’s one I’m still learning:
Acceptance.
Pacing my race.
WNbL,