I did the incline today!  In my mind, that means I've officially joined the world of trail runners.  A friend and I started our run with that infamous beast and then continued up Barr Trail to about 10,000 feet.  That's where my lungs (and pretty much every other system vital to human existence) decided to call it quits.  So, we turned around and ran back down Barr Trail, which was a blast.  That downhill is a hard-earned reward!  We had planned to get a bit further up the trail than we did, so to get in a few extra miles we stopped at Red Rocks on the way back into the Springs.  A few weeks ago I thought Red Rocks was sent straight from Hell - after the Incline it was delightful!  That rounded out the day's mileage at 8.75.  Even the hardest and highest sections of the run were fun - I can't help but smile and feel like the luckiest girl in the world when I stop to take in those views. There's a serious sense of accomplishment that comes with that workout as well.  It was an exhilarating way to spend the morning, but it was also a wake up call -   between now and mid-August I need to add another 4,000 feet.  Nonetheless, today showed that I've made a lot of progress since leaving the flatlands, so for the first time since registering for the Triple Crown I think I may actually survive the experience :-)