It has been a good winter to be a runner here in Durango. Very little snow has made for some good trail conditions if one is willing to get out early, or drive to the desert. The dryness is making me a bit nervous for fire season, but hopefully we will get more moisture in the spring. The skiing is pretty lousy, but there is enough snow to make some nice fat ice conditions. I wish I had time for more of that, because the Eureka area is looking pretty ideal right now. But mostly I run, and eat, and recover, and try to find the time for more of all of these. Hardrock is always in the back of my mind, reminding me to be smart about my training. Go slow, go long, pay attention. I have a long time to prepare, but it is never to early for some things. I enjoy having a big goal in the future for motivation, and Hardrock gets me out the door in the dark, in the snow, whatever the conditions. Hardrock and Scot the dog. I'd say I do much of my training alone, but not really. Scot goes on almost all the runs, and is the most enthusiastic training partner around. His pacing strategy does not work for me, but we figure it out. The look in Scots eyes when he is running appears to me to be the purest sense of joy I have ever witnessed. That is my main goal for 2012. Run like a dog.
