On Wednesday, I did a night run at Palmer Park, approaching the park at the last moments of dusk. It was super peaceful and quiet, and I passed only one other trail runner who was also seeking a nighttime jog.
On Friday, my husband and I met up with Felix and we hiked around Prospect Lake at Memorial Park at sunset. Storms over the Rampart Range to the north made for a very picturesque evening.
And then on Sunday, Sharon and I summited Pikes again! This was our third summit each, two of which we did together.
The weather was warm and I never needed my long sleeve shirt. And the friendly marmots were busy as ever, chirping at us from all angles in the alpine tundra. Here are some photos from the journey:
We made the summit in 4 hours and 30 minutes exactly. Although we were 5 minutes slower than our last attempt at this route, we were pretty casual on the way up. It was another gorgeous day with friendship and good conversation. Nothing like spending time in the Colorado high country!
As a bonus, on our way down, we stopped at Crystal Creek Reservoir and got a view of the north face of Pikes, with clouds building for the afternoon showers.
I feel that I'm at a solid place with my training for being about 6 weeks out from race day. I may need to reevaluate my 4 hours goal - it's going to be a stretch for me. I'll be happy with 4:15 or even 4:20 for my time, or at least besting my previous time of 4:24. I'd be thrilled with being under 4 hours, but the truth is that I've been less focused on speed work and more focused on having fun adventures in the mountains. And truthfully, I'm ok with that. For me, the journey really is more fruitful and fulfilling than the destination.
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