Early Spring Training

I'm glad to see so many positive comments our new safety measures. I thought for a moment I was being Scrooge or something.

This week has been one of my best overall training weeks in a very long time. Getting back in swim shape, still base building with my running ('bout to change), and some time turning the pedals on the bike. Tomorrow I begin to add some distance to the base. I'm returning to an old lover who, in the past, has treated me so well. She gives tough love (I'm into that sort of thing). Tomorrow I return, after about a year and a half I think, to run around White Rock Mtn, "round the mountain". I love to run trails. I don't like the additional time it takes to get to the trails which is why I train lately on the roads around my house. I have old knees and the soft desert floor treats them kindly. I usually see wildlife, maybe a coyote, rabbits, burros, and the occasional mustang. Weintzy said he even saw a big horn once.

The run itself. The run itself starts at the Willow Springs parking lot at the upper part of the Red Rock Scenic Loop. When you get out of your car and face north, that is the mtn to run around. Mostly uphill the first 4 miles. The last 2 miles of said 4 miles is a brutal climb. Steep, steep, and steep. The uphill is nearly identical to the "Ragnar" leg of the Wasatch Back without the elevation. Grade and distance are very similar. The final 3.5 miles are all downhill and it's fun. We call it the rollercoaster. All in all about 7.5 miles with a usual finish time of about an hour 15 roughly. Really can't wait to give this one a shot again. I'll give a little report Mon morning here on the blog.