Yikes! I'm falling behind in blog-land - clearly I’m overdue for an entry. (What was it a great man once said? “Blogging’s what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans...”)
The last three weeks have been heavy on business travel and light on marathon training. With five weeks to go, I’m realizing how much work I have to do - both in terms of physical preparation and fund-raising. Spending time on the road does give me the opportunity to run in some fascinating places, though.
For example, three weeks ago I spent time in Salt Lake City. Since I was staying outside Salt Lake, near Park City, I took advantage of the AMAZING hiking trails which wind their way up the mountainside behind the town. Of course, I’d forgotten the joys of training at altitude. It’s a humbling experience, no doubt.
Self: “Hey, let’s run this 5 miler as a negative split, whaddya say?”
Lungs: “Nah.... not so much.”
In any case, the Deer Valley Resort offers some stunning trails with phenomenal views of the valley stretching away to the northwest. There’s something magical about deserted ski resorts in the summertime; the sense of isolation one gets from trekking up dusty, isolated trails which will be teeming with skiers come January.
To find one particular trailhead, I had to pass through a lodge complex at Silver Lake which was a cross between an average suburban shopping mall and the Overlook Hotel from The Shining. Is it possible for a place to be, at once, twee and sinister?
And aside from the occasional lycra-encased mountain biker (predominantly middle-aged gentlemen wearing unfortunate Okley wrap-arounds) I more or less had the place to myself. Solitude and clean air in abundance; very different from my usual training routes around Brooklyn. At least in NYC I don't have to worry about getting mugged by a gila monster or carried off by an eagle. (joke)
Now that I'm back in the Big City (thankfully, at sea level) I'll be returning to my regular routine - which will include, between now and race day, the "peak" and "taper" phases of my training regimen. The final push is now!
Avanti!
