It’s been way too long since the last blog update, so here’s a little taste of what’s been happening. As many of you already know, on August 17th I’ll be toeing the start line of the 2013 Leadville Trail 100. Training has gone well, but now I find myself in that awkward taper phase – the mind wants to keep running, but the body needs to recover and rest up for the big race.
After stringing together some pretty solid training weeks, I’m probably in the best shape of my life right now. 3 of the last 5 weeks have seen me log at least 100 miles. In July I ran over 400 miles for the first time ever, including several Rocky Mountain National Park runs/hikes at the PRSFIT Trail Running Camp. Thankfully I have no injury concerns or issues, and am totally focused on preparing for the most challenging race of my life.
It hasn’t all been long runs and trail time, however. I’ve managed to log some faster training runs and even squeezed in a couple of fun 5Ks last month – the Independence Day 5K on July 4th, and more recently the Memorial Scholarship 5K on July 30th. I’m really happy with the respective finish times of 17:51 and 17:43, although I know they won’t count for much as I attempt to haul myself up to the 12,600ft peak of Hope Pass from Twin Lakes.
I still have a few decisions to make with regard to nutrition, clothing and footwear, but for the most part I have everything sorted in my mind. Drop bags, crew and pacer details will also be finalized in the coming days. So much to think about, but at the end of the day, it’s all about keeping moving during the race and focusing on the goal. The goal which I haven’t quite defined at the moment….