A New Mountain Fitness

Over the last few weeks we have been enjoying life in the mountains around Telluride since we left Crested Butte.  Fully recovered from the San Juan Solstice 50 Mile, I have been getting into the mountains for longer adventurous runs.  The bear sighting count for the family continues to grow:

-2 bear sightings while driving

            -driving down Engineer Pass

            -on a dirt road 1/4 mile from our camp site in Teluride

-2 bear sightings while I have been running

            -just outside Silverton on a trail

            -coming down Dexter Creek outside of Ouray

-1 bear sighting hiking by Maggie also around Dexter Creek

Some of the best longer mountain runs I have ever done have taken place in the last few weeks:

-Point to Point 20ish mile run up Deep Creek trail by the Telluride airport, to Sneffels Highline trail, Mount Emma (13K), Virginia’s (on HR100 Course) to Kroger’s Canteen (13K) and down Tomboy Road into Telluride. 6,000ft Climbing

Mount Emma

Virginias'

Top O' Virginia's

Looking down to Tom Boy Road

Kroger's Canteen

Korger's

-23 mile point to point run starting with a ride, aka cheat, up the free Gondola to See Forever trail to Wasatch Trail, Oscar’s Pass (on the HR100 course and where I left a message fro Joe and Dakota in the snow), down Bridal Veil basin, to Blue and Mud Lakes, off trail to a 13K ridge, to Black Bear Pass and down Black Bear to town. 6,500ft Climbing

Message in the snow to Dakota and Joe for HR100

This is a ridge (visible from town)  I have wanted to run for a while.... awesome.  

-16 mile run up Cross Mountain trail to Lizard Head trail, to a lake and scramble up Mount Wilson (14,246) in 1:59, down the same way in 3:42 with a 3 mile run to the camper on Galloping Goose after a hitch hike. 5,500ft Climbing

-19 mile run up Logan Peak via the trails of Snowbasin Ski Resort in UT.  4,600ft Climbing

I have done some of the most enjoyable mountain running of my life in the last couple weeks.  I’ve really converted over to slow mountain running/hiking in preparations for both Speedgoat and the Run Rabbit Run 100.  It feels good to have my body use to 3-6 hours of massive climbing above 9,000ft 3 to 4 times a week. 

Watching the Hard Rock 100, doing two days of trail work with Hard Rockers and then to volunteer at the Telluride aid station was an awesome opportunity.  Hard Rock is  unbelievably impressive and scary.  I want to do the race as soon as possible, but I am also very much scared.  I was so impressed by EVERY racer and honestly, more so for the back of the pack racers who kept going and finished in nearly two full days. 

As far as the top runners go, I was really expecting Dakota to run away with both the win but possibly the course record.  I haven’t gotten the scoop as far as Dakota’s take/race report.  By no means do I mean to take away from Hal’s and Joe’s phenomenal performances and 3^rd and 4^th fastest times ever.  Both Hal and Joe are amazing athletes and runners that really came up with amazing performances. 

We left the San Juan’s Saturday with a stop in Moab, UT and we are now in MT headed to Alberta/BC to visit Banff and Jasper National Parks before I race Speedgoat on the 28^th of July.