AM Sausagery

We introduced a couple of out-of-towners to the incline this morning. While it was definitely cold, the timing couldn't have been better. As we worked our way up the steps, the sun slowly rose behind us. Throughout the course of the hike, the snow changed from grey to orange to pink to white. Marty and Nancy (aka "the flatlanders") hung tough.

There's no question that today was a good day for the HDS. It helped keep my core warm, and having wiener hood induced tunnel vision helps you focus on the task at hand. But, after attempting to drive to the office still in the suit, I'm reminded by how terrible peripheral vision is. I really need to work on that for the race suit.

Please to enjoy some pics!

Goals

Now that registration procedures have been posted for the Pike's Peak Marathon, I feel I'm ready to commit to my goals for the year. First and foremost is the Pike's Peak Marathon, and I'll start with a BHAG. Sub 3:00 on the way up, and top 20 overall. To be honest, I don't really care about my finish place. I just really want the sub 3:00 time. I know that would mean going out much faster than I should. But, I'll just approach it as an Ascent followed by a nice cool-down jog.

To that, I'm going to need to do some work on a new race suit (aka HDRS 1). I just received a new suit, and after a trip to the fabric store, I'm ready to start modifications.

Heat is the biggest concern. As is, the material is thick, and there's no ventilation. In training, this isn't a problem, but at race pace, it becomes a cooker. For an event that's over 3 hours, I'm concerned that if I don't improve ventilation, I won't be able to keep up with hydration needs. So, for v1, increasing ventilation will be my primary focus.