Hardrock is a-coming

Since the 20th Century 100k, I’ve been tapering quite a bit for Hardrock. I was tempted last week into some fun Carkeek loops with friend Jonathan, but I don’t think I did too many. I was having so much fun though, I honestly lost count of my loops and have no idea how far I went. Ah well.

This weekend I went out and cheered at the inaugural RNR Seattle event. My wife did the half-marathon after getting a friend’s spot the day before (funny, last minute race entries run in the family I guess…), so I was her transportation and cheering section. She ran a great race and it was fun to be out there for the event and kind of be on the other side of things (i.e., not running). I bumped into multiple folks that wondered why I wasn’t running, but I was more than happy to skip the road and go home for some nice afternoon trail running.

I was also following along (along with the rest of the ultrarunning world apparently) with the WS100 updates and cheering everybody on from Seattle. It was an awesome day, and super fun to follow the updates. Congratulations to all who toed the starting line and laid it all out there this weekend. Congratulations especially to Hal and Anita who ran spectacular races! Also big congrats to friends Kobaraki from Japan, Krissy Moehl, Nikki Kimball, Sean Meissner, JB Benna, and others that I’m sure I’m forgetting. Congrats to teammates Leigh Schmitt and Mike Wardian too. Like I said, thanks to all of you for running great and giving me some fun entertainment all day Saturday!

I’m headed out to Durango, CO this Thursday to get acclimated to the CO elevation and get tuned up for Hardrock next week! I decided to start my CO trip by finishing something I started last year. You may recall that I made a speed record attempt on the CO Trail last summer and we ended up having to throw in the towel at Molas Pass (only about 70 miles from the end). Well, I’m going back. Not for a speed record attempt or anything- but just to finish what I started. On Thursday after I fly in to Durango, I’m going to hitchhike out to Molas Pass, and have a leisurely hike/run from there down to Durango over the next 2-3 days. I’m super excited to be back out in CO and back on the CO Trail, and I feel like I have unfinished business with that trail. Finishing those last miles will give me great satisfaction and put my mind even more at ease going into Hardrock. I know a 70 mile jaunt through the San Juans the week before the toughest 100 miler in the country isn’t most peoples’ idea of a “taper,” but this is what I’ve got to do, and I think it’ll all work out.

I’m packing up now and will report back after I finish my CO Trail adventure! Have a great week!