Well, one update every five months does not give much information to what is going on in my life!  Here's a recap of my main Mt Evans Ascent training run.

 Mt. Evans Ascent (the training run):  My longest training run was six miles.  I think I ran four or five times in preparation for the Ascent.  Not much time spent training (what's new!), and I was nervous I would not make the 9-mile cutoff in 2.5 hours.  The Monday before the race, I drove up to Echo Lake to see how fast I could make the cut-off point.  Before setting off on my run, I drove the route and stashed water and gel packets - just in case...

My running gear consisted of my shoes (naturally...), a cheap pair of running socks, my new neon yellow Pearl Izumi Barrier Convertible cycling jacket, a baseball cap, and a water bottle.  And a borrowed Garmin GPS HRM (Thanks, Jeff!).

I must first say that I love running and cycling in the mountains.  Echo Lake's elevation is 10,600 ft.  I neither run nor cycle fast, but I love the beautiful solitude that the high country offers.  I set out on my run at a slow jog, and about a half mile later I realized that I would NOT be running (or jogging) all the way to the summit.  After my half-mile jog, I simply walked as fast as I could.   There were a few sections of jogging, but my legs simply did not have the strength.  If I remember correctly, my heart rate never exceeded 145 bpm, but my legs refused to comply.  Nevertheless, I managed to reach the cutoff time (Summit Lake @ 12,830 ft.) with about 20 minutes to spare.  The weather was beautiful, with not much traffic.  Once I finished my run/walk, I thumbed a ride back down to the Echo Lake parking area.

Lessons learned:  I ended up with a good-sized blister on one of my heels.  I also found out how important it is to remember where water and energy packets are stashed.  I remembered a couple of places, but there are (I think!) three more locations where I left my stash.  I took courage knowing that since I made the cutoff with time to spare, that I would make it on the actual race day.  I also realized how cool it is when Mt. Evans tourists see someone jogging up the mountain road.