Back at it...

Jim Jones Koolaid hill.  The classic 600' in .72 mile interval hill.  Just right to build monster cardio power.   Easy/Granny gear slogging for now.

After Bandera, I took a week of total sloth.  Were talking about naps every day, Playstation for hours at a time and gluttonous eating. Total embrace of the American way.

Then...I started running.  14 days have passed and I have run every day- usually twice.  I am using total discipline to keep the intensity low and just build the base.  Lots of strength training and flexibility work in there too, plus a few hours of pool running with the jog belt.  Exciting stuff.  Body is really happy with me for giving it rest, basically mid-November to late-January.  This week of 30's F and sun felt almost like summer after the bitter January we had.  Things are lookin' up.

Plus, Chief Meteorologist Phil has delivered his state of the art forecast predicting an earlier spring.  Groundhog day holds special sentiment for me.  It was, for some unknown reason, my father's date to begin preparing for anything.  It was his new year.  If he had anything big on the horizon, Feb 2 was the kickoff.

Significant Groundhog Days in the Humphrey Hall of Fame
Dad quit smoking and began running on 2/2/85- just 3 months before my first run at age 5.
Dad started training for his first Marathon (Pittsburgh, May 1987).  Every subsequent marathon he ran began with a 2/2 launch.
Denali expeditions (April/May 2004, 2005) most definitely began prep on 2/2.

Thus, on 2/2 my training was officially and ceremoniously underway.  With an early spring coming to the Idaho mountains, it is clear that Phil knows I need my trails to melt out.  He knows I need downhill quads of steel to get to Auburn and treadmills and road running won't get me there.  He recognizes the homage my family has paid to February 2nd, and is now pulling for me at Western.  Maybe Phil can do something about the boiling heat in the American River Canyon as I move through there in June.

Last 14 days.   Less miles and more vert in the near future.

Rapid River.  Calf is finally feeling strong enough to climb the steepest of the steeps.  I did 2 climbs that were over 1200'+ vertical per mile.  Too bad the snow line is hanging low right now.  Can't get much past 4K' until this warm front moves through.  Great to get some sun and run some actual trail.

Cruisin through the canyon on the way back toward the Fish Hatchery/Trailhead.  Love the big limestone.  Reminds me of  some great climbing areas in Wyoming.

T2K autumn 2013 colorway.  This might be the only pair in existence right now.  Thanks for the hook-up SCOTT!  This color is much faster than the Spring 2013 blue/orange.   

Ice Road Truckin' #1.  I shot this series during my lonely marathon this week on the flats of Long Valley, just south of McCall.  Hard to see all those peaks up there and know I'll have to wait 4-5 more months to get after them.

Ice Road Truckin' #2

Ice Road Truckin' #3

Ice Road Truckin' #4.  Mounted my wedding ring to a leather necklace.  It was ripping into my finger while shoveling, climbing, doing pullups...any kind of manly guy stuff.