The High Five By 55 Project Rethought

I still want to do this thing. I still want to figure out how to become mountain capable enough and fit enough to finish the High Five 100 while predominantly training in Florida. And I want to do it by the time I turn age 55.

All that said, I'm rethinking how I want to go about doing that. My initial plan had been to spend the years from age 46 to 55 practicing in the mountains by completing Hardrock qualifiers and chasing an entry into the Hardrock 100 Endurance Run. Then once that happened, running Hardrock (likely uncrewed) as the final puzzle piece before jumping into High Five 100. It was a fine plan. It was a plan that excited me in many ways. It was a plan that did have a big potential flaw in it. 

The flaw, I want to be spending time and hiking and running in the San Juan mountains. Hardrock is in the San Juans, but none of the qualifying races are. At first, I figured that would be fine. It would be fun to travel to new places and experience different mountains. And that could be totally fine. But not what I really want. What I want is to spend time and hike and run in the San Juans. 

So, I'm adjusting the plan. Despite really hoping to run Hardrock some day, I'm going to give up that part of the plan. Instead of chasing Hardrock tickets in different mountain locations around the country in pursuit of a Hardrock entry, I'm going to do what I really want to do: spend time and hike and run in the San Juan mountains. I plan to make this simple: enter and run Ouray 100 annually beginning in 2026. (2025 is totally committed to one final big marathon attempt.) Spend a week or so in and around Ouray annually, acclimatizing to the altitude, recon-ing various parts of the High Five course; and wrapping up with another go at Ouray 100. I'll do that until either I feel totally ready to take on High Five or the year I turn 55. And then I'll register for High Five. When I'm fortunate enough to have the opportunity, I'll crew or pace someone at Hardrock the week before. Or volunteer at the event if the race can find a space for me. 

This both simplifies the entire project and makes it quite a bit more exciting for me. An annual week in the San Juans. Building out a logistics plan that can be repeated year after year without much tinkering. Really getting to explore that mountain range and get to know the towns well. Still scratching the Hardrock itch even if indirectly. Testing myself at that really dumb event called the Ouray 100. This is exciting to me. Really, really exciting.

So, the High Five By 55 project lives! But it lives in a slightly different form than original conceived. In a form that speaks to me even more than the original form. I give a little: eventually running Hardrock. But I get so much more back: getting to spend time and hike and run in the San Juans of southwest Colorado.

I'm super energized by this rethinking!