As a physical therapist, I spend a lot of time helping people prevent and reduce the chance of injuries. Unfortunately injuries can still happen, and when they do I talk about recovery timelines, tissue healing, progressive loading, and the importance of patience. But when you're the injured athlete, following your own advice can be surprisingly difficult. This is my journey to earn a Leaville 100 coin through the Leadville Marathon.

This past weekend was supposed to be a classic “follow the snow” roadtrip. But this year had other ideas: record-low snowpack and record-high temps in the Rocky Mountains. There were plenty of bluebird days in the forecast, but there was barely anything to ski. So we pivoted. Instead of chasing winter, we leaned into what the mountains had to give us and turned it into a “follow the sun” adventure filled with dirt, desert, and hot springs.

If you live in Colorado, you know how I am feeling: you check the snow report, hoping for powder days and the opportunity for fresh tracks… and instead you find spring-like temperatures resulting in thin coverage and icy runs. Some winters just don’t deliver the ski conditions we have come to expect in the Rockies and this year is definitely one of them. While this winter is disappointing for skiers, it’s actually pretty great for many other sports and movement activities.