KISS ME, HARDY NELSON

Over the weekend, Stablemate Eric Nelson battled through the Bear 100 to throw down a hardy performance. Here’s Stablemate Nelson’s race report.

The 2019 Bear 100 was one of those best/worst experiences.

The day was close to perfect. Beautiful fall colors popping and great cool temperatures equaled running bliss.

But then night came and the weather turned miserable. Cold rain turned the trails into rivers of unnavigable mud.

It took a lot to keep my mindset in a positive place in those moments. At the end, all I could do was laugh in between deep body shivers and clumsy slips and falls. I couldn’t control the environment, but I could control my attitude.

It helped being surrounded by great people. Jessica, Chris, Heidi, all my running friends (old and new ones met on course) and the amazing the volunteers. Thank you all for your help.

One of the volunteers approached me at the finish line. He had been working the aid station at mile 85 and he overheard me and Chris talking. I was debating whether we should sit by the warm fire and “try” to dry off or if we should just push on through the cold, dark night. I wanted to relax by the fire so bad in that moment, it would have felt soooooo good.

“But you left,” the volunteer reminded me. “You went out and you pushed on.”

And that’s what, for me, these 100 mile races have been mostly about. Strengthening my mindset and learning to push on through the darkness.

And so the worst experiences can be transformed into the best experiences. Best/worst or worst/best it’s all the same. Just callous your mind and keep moving forward. Life is beautiful—even when it’s a cold, muddy mess.

The Stable News caught up with The Stablemaster and asked him about Nelson’s performance: “Having a sailor’s name like Nelson suggests a certain softness—sailors are renowned for being soft. That said, Stablemate Nelson put in a hardy performance. He’s had a cracking year and is set for a big year in 2020.”