Beating the Clock for a Belt Buckle: A Leadville Trail 100 Story
Life Time Run - October 23, 2012
When Bob Gerenz, Life Time Run member in Coon Rapids, Minn., was asked about his experience running and finishing the Leadville Trail 100 Run, he responded with one, short phrase: Life-changing.
Many people's first reaction upon hearing that someone is embarking upon an epic 100-mile running journey is likely, "You must be crazy." Bob said that anyone who tries to participate in such an event must be a "little" crazy. As he said, "It's not normal."
Abnormal or not, Gerenz finished 56th out of 308 runners who completed all 100 miles in a time of 23:55.47 (23 hours, 55 minutes). Within his division, males ages 40-49, he took ninth out of 92 runners.
Dream Big, Train Hard
What inspired Gerenz to train for and then compete in a 100-mile race like Leadville?
"I started thinking about Leadville in the fall of 2010. Earlier that year, I received the 2009 Leadville Mountain Bike Race DVD as a gift. I watched it over and over again and got really excited about the race, the mountains, Leadville, and endurance events. I had always been a runner, but now all of a sudden, I really seemed to get passionate about being an 'endurance athlete.'"
A former cross country and track athlete in high school and college, Gerenz logged on to YouTube to view more videos on the Leadville Trail 100 MTB Race, even though he does not participate in mountain biking. It was then that he came across videos of the Leadville Trail 100 Run. One 5- to 7-minute clip of the race garnered his attention. Set to the U2 song, “Beautiful Day,” Gerenz learned that only 42% of race starters finish Leadville. Upon viewing the video several times, it was then that he told himself, “I’m doing the Leadville 100.”
Before that video, Gerenz remembers saying things like, “Why would someone need to run farther than a marathon?” Prior to this journey, Gerenz was no stranger to longer distances but he never had he set out to run 100 miles. After college, he ran his first marathon, Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minn.
"The marathon was hard, and of course there are always parts of an event that are no fun and other parts that are exhilarating," Gerenz recounted. "It felt good to complete that long of a race for the first time. Over the next few years, I completed Grandma's several more times."
Then, as many runners do, Gerenz took time off from running due to other commitments, including his wife, children, house projects and work. After nine years, the running bug bit again and Gerenz hit the roads. It was then that he discovered ultra-running and Leadville.
In order to prepare for Leadville, Gerenz put a one-and-a-half year training plan together. He first ran two 50K races, moved up to a 50-mile race, followed by a 100K race and then his first 100-mile ultra marathon.
In April 2011, Gerenz completed the Zumbro 100 Mile Endurance Run in southeastern Minnesota. His strategy was to complete the 100 miles in 24 hours or less. Though ambitious for a self-described "newbie" to ultra-running, it seemed doable and became "one of those races where things just started to click right from the beginning."
Gerenz finished in 21:16.00, setting a course record (21 hours, 16 minutes).
Mind Over Matter
After finishing such an impressive feat while still new to the sport, Gerenz was determined to make his Leadville dream a reality.
Some may wonder how one prepares their mind and body to run 100 miles. Gerenz said during the actual race he segments out the 100 miles by concentrating on the next aid station. Having a well-organized crew of people to assist you throughout the race also keeps you focused on your goal, he said.
"In the two 100 milers I have done, the first 50 is kind of a blur. I get into a groove, my body feels pretty good, and I just go. I try to get ahead on nutrition and fluids," Gerenz said.
"For me, it's the last 40 that I have to be concerned about. Little pains start showing up and you try to ignore them. Then, in the last 25 it gets harder to ignore them. That's when I have to rely heavily on mental focus. My mind moves quickly from thought to thought, trying not to dwell too much on discomfort, but acknowledging it, and then moving on."
Gerenz credits his training, planning, support crew and pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting for his successful finish at Leadville – earning him the cherished Leadville Belt Buckle. He said of his training, "I think that during training, you have to put yourself in uncomfortable situations to learn and understand how you will react. You have to have the mindset that completing 100 miles is going to hurt."
A Team Effort
For Gerenz, his finishes have been surreal. Zumbro ended in a sprint for the win, and Leadville was a sprint to finish in less than 24 hours.
He said, "I pretty much forgot about any discomfort in order to reach the goal. It's pretty cool that your mind can shut out the pain, because I don't remember any pain until I actually stopped running."
Getting past the finish line of Leadville was a team effort, Gerenz shared. “When we finally made it to 6th Street, it really hadn't sunk in that I could get under 24 hours. With 7 minutes left, my crew and I all started running. We could see the finish line and the time. Then we were there at 23:56. What a satisfying day. Here I was at Harrison and 6th with my loved ones and friends and the Big Buckle."
For those who may be considering tackling ultra-racing or an ultra marathon, Gerenz offered this advice. "I would say that being physically prepared is probably the best predictor of success. Will and determination can take you far, and can help you finish when things get tough, but they alone won’t get you over and back all of those mountains!"
Gerenz would like to thank the support of his family, friends and crew for his finish. His crew included:
Sue Gerenz (Wife, Crew Chief / Pacer)
Adam Gerenz (Son, Crew Member /Impromptu Pacer)
Shara Ambrosecchia (Assistant Crew Chief / Number Cruncher)
Dan Ambrosecchia (Crew Member / Gear, Food, and Hydration Specialist)
Jim McCormick (Pacer # 1)
Josef Simon (Bonus Pacer)