The Week In Review: Tapering...

    Tapering... more like boring!  Ha... ha...  But really, tapering isn't all that much fun.  Trying to limit runs to an hourish isn't all that exciting when there are so many sights to be seen so close by that can only be reached by foot!  Hopefully there will be some observable benefits when Saturday's race rolls around, but right now I'm not so sure..

     I'm stoked to have some good guys in Kendrick and Matt out there crewing me this weekend and really stoked to run 50 miles around the highest flat-top mountain in the world!  The mesa is about 500 square miles and rises 5,000 ft above the surrounding valley reaching its high point at about 11,3333 ft.  Truly a remarkable piece of land!   I've heard the weather will be great, low of 48/high of 68 with a 30% chance of showers in the afternoon!  From what I've heard the course is really beautiful and fun, though slow.  I hope not to spend more than 10 hours on the course- I feel like I'm strong enough to finish in less than 9 (the current course record stands at 9:24), but any given day...

     Tomorrow morning Matt and I will leave Leadville and head out to find a campsite. My primary objective will be to keep my stomach happy, with a strong last 15 miles being my second priority.  It will be fun to race again since I haven't run an ultra since my first and only pay-and-get-a-t-shirt ultra back in March of last year, the Bel Monte 50.

     Here is last week in review:

7/16- Monday
      X

7/17- Tuesday
      13.5 miles with Brandon and Luna on the CT/CDT near Twin Lakes, 2:00, 2,500 ft

7/18- Wednesday
      X

7/19- Thursday
      13 miles with Luna near Frisco, Meadow Creek-Gore Range-Ten Mile Creek, 2:02, 2,800 ft

7/20- Friday
       8 miles with Matt and Luna on Mitchell Creek Loop from Tennessee Pass, 1:10, 800 ft

7/21-Saturday
       X

7/22- Sunday
       7 miles with Kendrick and Luna on the Boulder's Trail, :50, 800 ft

Totals:  41.5 miles, 5 hours, 6,900 ft

Near the intersection of the Meadow Creek and Gore Range trails