Zion Update

It was painful to do, and I postponed the email for a few days, but I finally sent a note to JT today to let him know there's no way I'll be ready to run the full 50 miles and 10K of climbing by the first week of October.

I hate people who gives excuses for coming up short on day-to-day things, so much so that one of my favorite quotes is:  "Excuses are the foundation to the house of failure.", so I guess I need to lump myself in with those weaklings.  My reasons are simple:

1-

Travel for work has been and will continue to be a little crazy. 

• In the last 4 weeks I've been on a plane to Vermont; Cincinnati & Dayton Ohio; Chicago; San Diego & Santa Fe, New Mexico.
• The next 3 weeks have me going to Tampa FL; Columbus Ohio; and Portland OR. 

(All were or will be 3 or 4 day trips) 

I've really tried to run regardless of travel, but it's not as simple as one might think.  Clothes and shoes remain wet and stinky throughout the trip.  I have to carry 24 pounds worth of demo equipment in my suitcase which takes up quite a bit of room.  The actual travel days make it a challenge to run as there's a meeting lumped in there after arrival, or prior to departure, so it's hard to squeeze in the run. If I was travelling alone, it would be a different story, but until I am 100% self-sufficient, these are 2 person trips, so I'm kind of forced to go to dinners, bfast etc., which makes things even tougher. 

2- 

When I am home, the stupidly hot weather has limited me topping out at 28 miles or 5hr30min runs before my brain boils on my weekend long runs.  I just can't get past that distance or time.  I refuse to run any earlier than 5am start, which means I'm running into almost noon.  It's just been brutal and impossible to to run more than that, especially on my own.  I did run one night run starting at 7pm with a buddy, but night running is slower and I just don't like to do it repeatedly.  I have done a decent job getting many 4+ hour, even 5.5 hours runs in, but it's simply not enough when the Zion traverse will take 12-14 hours.  

It really sucks, but it's reality.  Had I not been injured for 10 months, then I'd be be ready, but I'm not.

Oh, and then there's the little issue of stupidly messing up my back on Saturday morning so i wasn't able to run this weekend or today.  It's getting better, and i should be able to run either tomorrow or Wednesday, but it just adds to the lack of running and time is running out. 

There are some options out there, and we're discussing those.

Ok, I feel bad enough about this already, so i'm done venting.

Long term plan is to build higher mileage just as soon as the weather is more appetizing, as I while I won't be thrilled about going out for many hours on my own, at least the weather will make it less uninviting.  I'm thinking 50K in Bandera, 50 miles at Rocky Raccoon, then some spring trip to wherever JT wants to go. (assuming I'm invited)