A Book for Daughters, Granddaughters and Men Who Want to Grow

Read this book and then give it to your daughter(s), granddaughters if you and any man who wishes to learn and grow.

The book was suggested to me by some relatives of mine. They are very nice people. However, he occasionally sends me pictures of some amazing looking dish he is making. Unfortunately, you cannot eat a picture so it seems kind of mean to me. She promised bake me the best ever chocolate cake with chocolate frosting when I got to MN in May. Tick tock, tick tock, I return to AZ in a few weeks.

Anyway, they are runners, the crazy kind who run marathons or longer. A friend of theirs is also a runner, a long distance trail runner. The friend, Barbara Powell, wrote this book about her journey to run the Leadville 100.

Leadville is in the mountains of Colorado and the Leadville 100 is a 100 mile out and back trail on which runners go over several passes with the highest pass being Hope Pass at 12,500 feet which is shortly before the turn around point. Runners have 30 hours to complete the race. They start in Leadville at 4:00 one morning in August and have to return to the starting point in under 30 hours. So runners run, jog, walk, crawl for 100 miles until the return to the finish line. Runners have to reach each check point by a certain time or they have to leave the course. For anyone who has hiked in the mountains, some parts of a mountain trail are nice, other parts are full rocks, pot holes and slippery gravel. Also, the race goes regardless of the weather. It can be sunny, cloudy, rainy, lightning or even snow in the mountains. Or all of them in a 24-hour period. The closest thing a runner will find to an outdoor bathroom is wide tree. Running a marathon is not for the meek. Running about four of them in one time period is only for those who want to push themselves, physically and mentally, beyond anything most of can imagine.

The book in part is about the author’s journey to running the Leadville 100 in August, 2023. But the book is much more than about running. It is about her life journey from childhood until race day. It’s about reflecting on being a child and the rules and expectations which come from family while growing up. It’s about all the unique challenges women face that men do not. For any man who reads this book, it will give the man a better perspective on how poorly are society can treat women. It’s also about overcoming these challenges. And it’s about learning to accept and love the person inside you which can be the biggest challenge of all. At least it always has been for me.

The life of a woman is becoming increasing difficult. There is a movement to take all of women’s rights away from them. For women to have no control over they personal health decisions. There is even a significant of men who believe women should lose the right to vote. But this book is an example of why these men will never prevail. Women like the author will never submit to men again. Have healthy loving relations with men, yes. Submit, no. For this reason I want my granddaughters to read it when they are old enough.

FYI, I did bike thru Leadville back in the day. It was my first bike tour thru the mountains. I did my training in Fargo which is about 900 feet elevation and my toughest climb was going over the walking bridge on the Red River. The first day started in Snowmass, thru Aspen, and then a long long climb to Independence Pass which is a 12,400. Down the pass and on to Leadville. On that day I biked in sunshine, sleet, snow, and a t-storm. I was one of the most difficult days I ever had on my bike. But the difference between biking and running is one can cost coast on a bike, especially down mountain pass. There is no coasting in running. I cannot conceive of running a marathon. Running a 100 miles in the mountains in less than 30 hours is beyond belief. But the author has done it, now twice as she did the Leadville 100 again this August.

Reading about an ordinary person who did an extraordinary thing is very cool. But what was really inspiring was her journey. You can order the book through Barnes & Noble and Amazon. I believe you will find it is money well spent. When done with it, give your copy to child, grandchild, or a friend who needs some inspiration overcoming life’s challenges. It will also help reinforce that unachievable life personal goals are achievable.