Waiting...

Not much going on. I did get the official "your Badwater application materials have been received and your application is under review" e-mail from the Badwater office this week. There's nothing I can do except wait.

Ran the T & H 5K today, 24:01 and it hurt. I'm not sure I'm really accomplishing my purpose by doing this, that pace isn't even speedwork for me. My legs feel like they need to be oiled. No pickup, no turnover.

I'm sure it didn't help that Saturday I ran Horsetooth plus some for the first time since before ATY. I got a good 12 miles in, 10 on those hills followed by a cooldown on trails by Pineridge Reservoir. Ran into a few Fort Collins Running Club folks as I was starting out on my run, Tom, Doug and a new guy named Michael and ran the hills with them.

It was nice to have some company, I've done so many out and backs up there by myself that I forget how nice it is to have someone along for the run. Doug said he'd be interested in doing some Horsetooth out and backs this spring, maybe we can get an ultra group going. I did 34 miles this week and I'm looking forward to the rest I'll get over the next few days by having no time to run in between work shifts.

After the 5K this morning at breakfast I talked with Felix who is interested in pacing at Badwater. He's got a few ultrarunning and ultracycling events planned for this spring but he sounds enthusiastic. He'd be a fun addition to the crew, he has lots of positive energy. He's faster than I am and I need someone fast to help me the second day after I get out of Death Valley.

Back to work tonight for another 3 nights in a row. I tell myself it's cross-training.

There probably won't be a lot of exciting news until mid-February when they start letting us know if we got into the race.

Until then, take a nap for me.