ASCEND/DESCEND ∞: July 31, 2013

This has been, by far, the best season of mountain running I've had, and with my abilities growing (slowly, humbly) and the tick list showing signs of progress, it's hard to stop and write about it. Of course growing abilities and a shrinking tick list are relative to the immense amount of ability in the people I look up to and to the infinite amount of mountain "projects". There's no end in sight, I think.

That being said, I completed the Devil's Backbone 50 miler on July 13. That was a big one for me, given that I've been reading about and contemplating running it for a long time. "Unmarked, unsupported, and unequaled." Their motto drew me in. I'm often at a loss to write about the races I do, because for me, the journey is about so much more than the course, my splits, the weather, etc. The distance and time involved in running far in wild places is amplified in the mind and spirit, creating a unique opportunity to explore the edges of your being. What I find interesting, is that the better I get at this physically, the more I can maintain focus on these less than tangibles.

Nonetheless, the course was wilder, more beautiful, and much more difficult than I imagined. I ran a pretty smooth race with no major problems. I finished in 13 hours and 17 minutes. That's a bit slower than my goal, but I'll live. It was enough of a confidence boost that I bagged the 100K I registered for in August, and have decided to run the Bear 100 miler in late September. If all goes well it will put me back on the hunt for having my name drawn in the Hardrock 100 lottery. The wish list never ends.

I'm in a nice groove with training, and I've been getting in some really nice EARLY morning outings in the mountains before I have to be at work at the crack of noon. I do believe Lone Peak is my new favorite place.

Enough babble, time for the pictures.