Almost July in Montana -- Makin' Plans!

This has been a "cool Spring" and the snowpack was above normal this winter.  This makes for an interminable shoulder season.  Yet, staying inside and doing nothing isn't an option (unless you want to cry) so you have to make the best with your minimal options.  Right now that means playing at low elevations, doing one of three possible hikes in Glacier National Park (like Avalanche Lake, which I've now done thrice and NO MORE this year...) and bike riding Going to the Sun Road.  OK there are more things to do but these are the things I've been doing.

Near Siyeh Bend

While waiting for the skies to turn blue and for the sun to melt the snow, I've been contemplating my goals (the trivial ones like running anyhow -- I don't have grand life goals or anything... I'm fine without them right now).  I really enjoy goal setting, even if I don't always follow through.  I'm reading a book that encourages the goal-setter to set really agressive dream goals -- that makes them more fun and possibly more worth going for.  I think this is really true.  The times I've agressively pursued goals were when I didn't really know if they were possible.  For example, qualifying for Boston seemed like a stretch since I'm such an unathletic and soft and slow runner.  But, I just worked at it and did it within a couple of years of setting out to achieve.  As a result I'm still faster than I would have been if I had just assumed I'd always be doomed to slowness.  Now I don't even think, in hindsight, that the goal was all that agressive.  It seemed like it though at the time. 

So what the heck are my goals now?  The first and most immediate goal is to really get back into shape by September.  I want to get my running ramped up, weight training ramped up and my eating improved.  I say this a lot so it's sort of boring but you never know, maybe one of these days I'll surprise everyone and actually follow through.

My brother Dave

My most important near goal is finishing Susitna next winter.  Heck, rather than just finish I'd like to (at least try) to finish under 35 hours so as to minimize the time I'm out the second night.  That increases the brutality I think (running two nights). 

Even more immediately I think I am for sure going to sign up for Slickrock 100 and train up for it.  I started my training Monday, which involved turning the alarm clock off... but Tuesday morning I got up and ran my 10 miler and then hiked in the Park with my brother Dave, who was in town visiting.  Yesterday I did some speedwork and weights and tonight I will do a 2 hour mountain bike ride.  I also would like to hike around Mt. Ranier with my friend Dave, who scored me the sweetest uber lightweight gore-tex pullover EVER for my birthday.  I just need to do a gear test.  I LOVE GEAR!  Yay me.  It makes goal setting that much more fun because my goals often require new gear.  See how that works?

My supersweet birthday gift from my friend Dave

I'm going backpacking with my friend Meghan in September and my goal is to already be well trained and fit by then so I can keep up and have the strength to carry all my extra GEAR I will want to bring (just kidding Meghan I will pack light I promise.... I love to buy ultralightweight gear and will bring the above lightweight rain jacket).

So, I have lots of fun things planned and some goals.  My dream goals?  I don't want to share because when I write them down they actually seem pretty reasonable.  I'll just tell you that I have a couple I might work on next year.