Till Next Time

This has probably been the longest delay I have ever had in putting up a blog post but that does not mean I have not been doing anything. Rather the opposite. The past month has been stacked with great ridge scrambles , pacing , crewing and racing. It was so long ago that I posted that I don't really know where to begin with what has been going on. I have a ton of pictures that will do most of the talking but I have some other more personal things to talk about in this post.

Tough day on Mt Elbert and Mt Massive

The awesome Gore Range

Now so far this trip has been brilliant. I swear this place especially southern Colorado can't be beaten for ridges , scrambling and just general trail running. I have been lucky to squeeze in a few things that were on my must do list and there are loads of things left for me to play on another day. In one week I will try and run 100 miles at The Bear 100 in Utah. It will hopefully be my third 100. Excited? Kind of. Nervous? Terribly. This summer and even last winter I have put a lot of days on my legs to get them strong but in my head I just do not feel they are strong enough this summer for another 100. Most people I know keep telling me I said that last year and the year before but I beg to differ. Granted at Leadville in 2013 I had no idea what to expect and genuinely had no idea if I could go that distance but somehow I did.

Ice Lake - San Juans

High above Ice Lake on Vermillion

More San Juan epicness! Lookout Peak

Last year I really did feel strong and fit before Run Rabbit Run and even wrote on here how strong I felt. I still knew there was no guarantee of a finish but I was just more confident than ever before without being too cocky and it all paid off with a very strong run.

Sawtooth Ridge

Long day out to the Vestal Basin but rained off of Wham Ridge

This summer since I stopped work in June there has been a lot of running. I should feel stronger than 2014 but somehow I just don't. I am not trying to play down my chances at The Bear to gain praise. For sure I believe my mind and body are strong enough for the distance but I just cannot seem to understand why on earth I am feeling so negative this summer. This running and racing thing is meant to be fun right?

San Juan Accomodation

Exactly why I run!

The past week or so has been a real mix of emotions. Partly my doing and partly others. It has made me loose a little focus on the 100 but then again am I too focused on it! Have I been running so much that all I seem to care about is myself and going out running. I love running , that is no surprise to anyone but I love running in great areas and not just plodding streets for the hell of it. I have become so focused on trying to find the best spots to run , the best ridges to scramble that I feel I am losing touch of actually why I do it. I have been running and exploring in the mountains for well over ten years and as time goes by and especially this summer I don't feel I am losing my love for it but I feel I have lost the real reasons I do it.

The Rut VK

The Tetons - Wyoming

I remember many many years ago going running in Glencoe to scramble routes and just go out playing and having fun. No focus on any race or goal at the end just the pure enjoyment of it. This summer my best days have also been the ones where I have gone out to do a ridge route and not thought about an up and coming race or a past one where I felt I should really have done better.
With all this in my mind I have decided this will be my last blog post for a very long time. Maybe forever. I have no pressure to write this blog at all and over the years have really enjoyed noting down my adventures.

Crested Butte race. 1st female for Lauren and a GoPro!

Guides Ridge - Crested Butte(not the race line!)

I will continue to post up race results but as far as any reports go I am just going to take a back seat and forget about it. I really don't want to sound like I am trying to be some running purest , running free , alone in the mountains and all that palava but I just want to go and do what I did years ago and not worry about races or worry about my fitness level and so on.  Maybe I just need to go and find a proper life and not just shut everything out just for the sake of some running.

The narrows - Longs Peak

A very icy Cables Route on Longs!!

Next year for sure my focus is again on getting into Hardrock and that focus will not change until I one day manage to run that race. I will run Glencoe Skyline and Tromso again next year as they are the two best Skyrunning course in the world but other than that I really am unsure if I will race anything else at all.

Ciao for now!