I had offered to help John Bozung today to clear/mark the trail for the Squaw Peak 50 from Little Valley to Big Springs. Due to rain in the forecast, John was thinking of postponing it until Monday. I had decided to just go ahead and run with my buddies at 7:00am. About 6:45am John called and said the weather looked good. He wanted to go ahead with the run, but nobody had shown up. He asked if I could still help out. I hustled to get ready and was at Vivian Park by around 7:15am.
John got another couple to change their running plans and help out. His name was Adam, but I've totally spaced it on her name and their last name. John's neighbor drove us through Wallsburg to Little Valley and we started from there about 8:30am and finished at Big Springs about 3:30pm. The four of us covered 14 miles in about 7 hours. We cleared deadfall, cut a path through some steep snow at one point, marked the trail with ribbons, and painted blue cougar paws along the way.
The scenery was beautiful, especially at the top at about 9500 ft. I'm going to have to remember to stop occasionally during the race to appreciate the vistas, and maybe snap a few pictures.
I wasn't sure if this long of a run (with a lot of walking) was a good idea just a week before the race, but it was good to see and experience this tough part of the course near the end. I survived it pretty well...one face plant, a few slides down the snow, and an array of leg scratches...and now I know what to expect. It is a little intimidating, however, to think of doing this again on Saturday, having run 35 miles just to get to where we started.
Physically, the hay is in the barn. I'm either in good enough shape to finish this race, or I'm not. I plan to take it easy this week to make sure I'm recovered and rested as much as I can be. The work that remains is to figure out the final logistics...what to eat, drink, wear, carry, and put in drop bags.
I'm feeling fairly confident, a little anxious, and overall pretty excited. Regardless of the outcome, it will a life experience, another adventure into the outskirts of my perceived limits. I feel blessed for the opportunity.
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