I hope to be beginning a new season of training, with three weeks off to spend in Colorado before Hardrock 2014 in July!
I hope to be selected in the Hardrock Lottery for 2014. It’s a serious long shot. But so was my first ticket to HR, so it’s my dream.
If that doesn’t happen? Then I hope I got selected for the Western States Race, so I could then run the Grand Slam of Ultra running. Oh, and the vacation time for all of that also miraculously occurred.
If those two don’t happen? Then I hope I get a condolence letter from Laz, saying I was picked for The Barkley.
Whoa!! When did it get to be December 30th so quickly??
Sigh. I lost control of Reverb 2012, but I gave it a good shot. I might start on Reverb 2013 in November. Some prompts, I can write off the cuff, and some prompts really made me think. Some I just didn’t have time to think about and write. So I may start reviewing prompts earlier. It’s been a very cool project, one I have enjoyed doing.
Year in Review: I don’t do these. Read my blog if you want to know what went down. It was a good year. I had alot of fun, some scary moments, and made some new friends. There ya go.
New Years Resolution: I don’t do these either, and neither will I write a blog post on “why setting NY resolutions is pointless and wrong”. I make my resolutions and goals all year long. Sometimes they change, and sometimes new ones pop out of nowhere.
Races for 2013: I can do this one. I don’t really run that many organized races. So far on the calendar this year:
January Run for Regis: Running the 1/2 marathon MLK Training Weekend January: Two days of running on the MMT course in VA Reverse Ring February April 5: Doing the “Gate to 8 x 2” 50K Ohiopyle (FA) April 13 Glacier Ridge Trail 50K May 18: MMT June 29: Black Hills 100K August 31 The Ring October Oil Creek 100
So, not so much on the calendar yet. Which is okay. MMT is THE race for 2013, I am focused on improving my time for this year. I’ve been working on base miles for the last two months, and am ready to get going on 2013 doings.
So, have a great NY Eve, don’t drink and drive. I doubt I will make it up to welcome in the new year, I value my sleep over ticking over the calendar page. Since the Mayans were not correct, I think 2013 will be there when I wake up.
28. What are 13 things your life doesn’t need in 2013?
Energy suckers Negative people Dull grey days 10 lbs Self doubt Druggies I have to fight with Excuses Laziness Snapping turtles-I don’t need these in my pond! People who don’t want to work hard-see laziness I guess Excessive mud Ticks People who don’t believe I can do it….I’m not sure what the “it” is from time to time..
Yes, I am behind on my Reverb postings. I plan to try and catch up this weekend.
I was fighting a cold for a few days. I succumbed on Thursday to it and threw alot of drugs at it. That, with a two day rest day from running, made me feel much better today.
The early morning snowstorm scared off everyone from Mohican. All that showed was Mark and Terri, who live there in town. It wasn’t so bad of a drive. My usual 1.5 hour drive took me two hours. The way I look at it, I live in an area where there is winter. Sometimes you just have to suck it up.
With no one showing but us, we revised the plan already revised. It really didn’t matter. We all know the trails and approximate mileage.
The snow depth would change. On Big Ass Hill, it was slick going up. Then we would find lower depths of snow.
Stopped at the Gorge Overlook for some pictures.
Mark stayed with us to the Covered Bridge, and he took the river trail back to the vehicles.
Terri and I continued, taking the old “Orange Loop” of the Mohican 100 course.
It was a good run, slow going through the snow. There were some footprints in some sections of the trail, so others were out on this gorgeous morning too.
We encountered our first mountain bikers about four miles from our finish-they were very happy to hear we had broken trail, and we were stoked to have their tire marks to follow back to the parking lot, so good karma all around there!
I wore the old trail “screwed shoes” for the run today, but the snow was so deep they were not needed. If you are a winter trail runner-or actually even a winter road runner, there are alternatives to Yaxtrax and those commercial products.
Matt Carpenter has the “original page” on the how-to-do-it, and here is Nick’s video on it:
Okay, on our YUTC race course, there is a section of trail called “The Monkey Hills”. We have created a rather silly challenge-the Monkey Hills (or Trails) Marathon, where you just run the distance back and forth, for 29 laps.
Monkey Hill Marathon Stats The distance of each out-and-back lap is 5,036 ft. (.95 mile) 452 feet of gain per lap x 29 laps = 13,108 ft. of gain
I started buying a sock monkey or two, and brought them to the Monkey Trail Marathon. During the YUTC race, I also had a couple of sock monkeys out on the Monkey Section of the course.
I also brought the monkey to Colorado with us. This made the guys laugh too. It’s hard to take yourself too seriously when you are carrying a sock monkey. Cam even carried the monkey up three 14’ers that he summitted-Mount Elbert, Mount Massive, and Handies Peak.
So every time I see a sock monkey, they make me laugh. I’ve taken to snapping pictures of them whenever I spot them. I buy them rather randomly, and seem to give most of them away. I hope it brings other people small pleasures!