Badwater or Bust

Stars Vs. The Album Leaf - Opinions Versus The Sun

I spent the weekend out in Palm Springs with my parents and KD. It was great to embrace the 103 degree heat and really be able to say it feels nice. I've been getting some quality sauna sessions in, and have overcome some anxiety about heat. Now, it's another part of the race (as opposed to the whole race itself), and we'll deal with it like anything else any other ultra may through at us.

More importantly, I'm getting my legs primed to the point of perfection (for me at least). It feels like I'm a pot of boiling water, and I'm letting out just enough each day to keep the water from spilling over. I ran 4 miles up Pine to Palm highway in Palm Desert climbing around 1500ft at just under 8:30 pace. Though it is not the steepest climb, I ran very strong in an almost professional manner. Cars whizzed by grazing my shoulder around the blind curves, but I kept fluidly ascending the the hill and as it got steeper, I got even more aggressive as my legs and lungs swore to my mind that this was a sustainable 135 mile race pace. I got to the top of our section and decidedly to be a little smarter than previous years and call it a day. The view was incredible, and I could look over every switchback I had made up the climb. The Salton Sea to my right, San Georgino (11,503) in the clouds to the North, and San Jacinto (10,833) driving up off the desert floor to my left.

This climb was representative of my career thus far. I'm running better than ever, and am as dialed in as I can be right now on a specific goal. I can look back on the past few months and see pleanty of indicators that prove I'm ready to go. The four mile climb was not the biggest hill I've ever run or will run, but I ran it as well as I could. It wasn't just that every step was stronger and more efficient than ever before, but that I was also more calculated and believed in myself more than ever. It gave me not just confidence, but a deeper belief in myself to take on the bigger mountains.

Though success at Badwater isn't indicative of anything being guaranteed anywhere else, I'll will take whatever I accomplish and learn onto the path to the next summit.

Follow #39 Monday morning at 8am: Tracking