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Showing posts from March, 2019

Exploration delayed

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Sometimes, things work out just as planned, other times the universe decides that the best laid agenda needs some disrupting. Sometimes, that disruption actually proves to be a benefit though! After all, the trail situation in Moab at the end of February wasn't all that great and my legs were a little tireder then I wanted to admit from Stories. Still, we had plans to head to Moab and Fruita for a mini-vacation/training camp that last full week of February. And then Nick crashed and tore a hole in his elbow. Okay, maybe we can still go! Just need to dial it down a little. And then the wound got infected big time. Yeah, no - not going. Time to postpone the trip and let his arm heal up. Which also had the benefit of letting me recover a little and allowing all the snow to melt off the trails in Moab. Exploring means following the cairns even if you don't know where they lead Without a plan other then get out of COS, we headed west. Moab never disappoints for riding or runn

Fatigue

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The question is always pandered about on the internet - which is harder. A fast marathon, an Ironman or a 100 mile run. Pending the perspective of the person answering, the response will be very different. A fast runner, trained for three hours at the limit will view the Ironman and the 100 mile race as challenges. Finishing a race with the distance of run that is normally the race? Crazy. The ultra runner, used to covering long distances as steady, consistent paces might see the fast marathon as a challenge. The marathon is the warm up, not the actual race. And forget about swimming! And then the triathlete - more accustomed to covering the 100 miles on wheels, not on foot and then surviving the marathon after.  I've done all three - at some stage in my life, so I have some semblance of an answer. There was the 2:47:17 marathon at the Top of Utah in 2003 that just missed out on the Olympic Trial Qualifying Time of 2:47. There were the Iron distance triathlons, including a 10:30 an

Transcendence - update

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It's been almost a month since Stories Ultra . Physically, I think I'm recovered and ready to go again. Mentally? There's still a lot to ponder here. I really never anticipated going for the 100m distance at Stories. Everything was planned out around me stopping at the 100k mark. And while I'm really happy everything came together and I was able to hit that dream goal, believe it or not, I'm a little unsure of myself now. I know that is part of the process - the Transcendence Series is supposed to be more then just racing and ticking the boxes off one by one. There's supposed to be a challenge and times where the challenge is just as much mental as physical. It's surprising that I would be facing that uncertainty after the first race, and after a race that went far better then I imagined. I should be feeling confident that I'll be able to complete the next five races. I don't need another 100 mile race - the hardest distance has been completed. All