What are you training for?

This question seems to be on everyone's mind.  No seems to be able to just run, and not have a race in mind.  Well i do have a goal, but it absolutely does not have anything to do with a race.  Simply put, I want to get my fitness up to the point where I can go run the Zion traverse.

Last year, while I still had a huge grin on my face from the grand canyon adventure, I asked JT if we were running the canyon again.  He told me he likely wouldn't run the Grand Canyon and instead would opt for the Zion traverse.  I was quite skeptic in this idea, so he actually emailed someone who had run both runs, and asked him which one he would do if he could only do one. The dude emphatically replied: "Zion, without a doubt." (or something similar ot that). 

Now that I am starting to feel like this could finally be a real possibility, i've started spending quite a bit of time looking at photos.

So I present to you what I am training for... 

The Zion National Park traverse, either in September or October.   A 47 mile trail run with JT.  At first I couldn't quite understand how something could top the Grand Canyon, but then I started seeing the pictures, and well...

(all photos by Joe Braun)