Despite Ryan Hafer out leaning me at the tape by just over a dozen minutes, it wasn’t a bad day at the Roundup.  I went in hoping for a decent but controlled effort, and figured that would net me a time in the low 58s.  Ended up crossing the finish line in just under 54 minutes (really thankful for that new fancy styrofoam chip timing thing, as my watch read 54:01).  Pooped at the end, but I felt I had another gear I could have gone to had an Olympic birth or a date with Jessica Alba been on the line.

Tim is paying me the big bucks to write about all things Triple Crown related, and I’ve had two solid efforts there so far, but in reality my mind has been focused on Hardrock for quite some time.  For those who don’t know, Hardrock is a 100+ mile trail run that starts and ends in Silverton and takes you through Telluride, Ouray, and Lake City along the way.  It’s in the San Juan mountains, so there are some hills here and there.  I’m three for three at the run, and feel like I’ve never been more fit for the course, but I don’t take anything for granted.  It’s going to be tough and I hope I’ll be able to respond.  So no whining about your long run this weekend – I’m hoping to finish in 33 hours but will be prepared to be out there for the full 48 hours if needed.  To put it another way, I’m going running on Friday morning, and might not finish until Sunday.

But I’m certainly not giving up on my sub three hour dream on Pikes.  As soon as I get back home from Hardrock, I’ll be spending lots and lots of time on Barr Trail.  An entire month of running nowhere else.  So for all those folks just behind me in the age group standings, you’ll still need to put in some work if you want to pass me.