The New Year

In a continuation of my offseason, I've been hanging out in Moab. Since I've gotten here I've gotten in a few 10-15 mile runs on my favorite trails and everything feels really good. The weather is great, my body feels great and it's really nice to see so many old friends. Still, the year to come is weighing heavily on me and demanding some decisions.

I'm excited to continue with Montrail for another year. They are a good company who I'm proud to support and represent. Montrail sponsored me before I'd done just about anything noteworthy, so I'm proud to be able to continue working with them after the modest successes I've had. As we move into the future they continue to build up an incredible line of high performance shoes that gets better every year. As someone who beats the living shit out of my gear on a daily basis, I'm happy to say that Montrail can keep up with the abuse of trail running.

I've also tentatively decided on a racing schedule for the next year. Check it out:

Feb. 19 - Red Hot 50k
This race is in my hometown. I've done it the past two years in a row and I intend to continue doing it for a long time to come. Though my fitness will certainly not be at its best due to the nature of such an early season race, I love running in the backcountry of Moab. Also, it's always fun to invite everyone over to my house for a big dinner and bonfire. You're invited.

March 5 - Nueces 50 mile Endurance Run (aka USATF 50 mile trail championships)
I'm going to run this race for the simple fact that it's the national championships and I run for money and titles. I'm being sarcastic, but you can go ahead and take it seriously. Do it - I dare you. Also, it's a race I've never run in a place I've never been, both of which seem like good reasons to give it a shot.

Springtime - The White Rim Trail
This is a 100 mile jeep trail outside of Moab that's been run for speed a few times. Sometime in late March/early April I'm most likely going to come out and run it in one push. This is because I need to get another 100 mile experience, but I don't want to race that long so early in the season. So I'm going to recruit some friends and come out and figure out how to run for like 20 hours.

May 7 - Miwok 100k
Miwok is super competitive and therefore worth the trip out there. It's an ultra cup race with a lot of history and a deep field, so I'm really psyched for the opportunity to come out and compete with everyone. This will also be my first try at the 100k distance.

July 8 - Hardrock
Assuming I get in, of course, I'm going to focus 100% of my energy on Hardrock. After school gets out in May I'm going to move to Telluride and run uphill for a month and a half to try to build power. Then, if all goes well, I'll run the one race I've wanted to do more than any other since I first discovered ultras. Hardrock is the one.

August 26 - Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB)
In July/August of 2009 I spent a month traveling with a friend through Europe. Without a doubt, my favorite place we traveled was Chamonix, France. The town and the mountains create an incredible feeling of excitement and possibility that is not found in America. While Colorado mountain towns have histories of mining, Chamonix has a history of mountaineering, and this pervades the spirit of the entire area. The mountains and their glaciers are more stunning than any I've ever seen before. I basically can't ever say how amazing Chamonix was, and that's why I'm so excited to go out there this summer and run the super competitive 100 miles around Mont Blanc.

After that my schedule is unclear. TNF Endurance Championships are a possibility again, as are a few races in the fall, but these are not certain. I'm going to focus on my training through UTMB and worry about what comes after as that time gets nearer. But this series of races is going to be a lot of fun. I can't wait for the season to start.

Ultramarathons are getting bigger and more popular every year. As the sport continues to grow I find the disparity between my solitary training and high-profile racing growing greater all the time. This growth carries the possibility of bad effects, but so far the influx of money and popularity has been only good, at least as far as I can tell. Even if all this somehow ruined the sport or at least diluted its value, I'm in no position to complain since I happily accept support from my sponsors and allow myself to be featured periodically in the media. But I do these things because I see them as good things that help the sport survive and allow its participants to make money doing something really cool. So I'm looking forward to moving into the new year and helping the sport grow even more than it already has.