Once again my running has started to take off.  The past few weeks of relaxed running, both in effort and expectation, have payed off leading to some very solid running this week.  After Christmas in Montana with my grandparents, I felt completely healthy and managed to put up a nice balance of long slow running and some shorter faster efforts.  My fitness is really starting to come around so I'm very excited to see what I will be able to do in the coming weeks.  At this point, Orcas Island is definitely on my mind although there is still 4 weeks to February 7th.  I'm not focused on the race yet like I will be in a couple weeks, but ideas are starting to creep into my mind of what is possible.  Coming back from some time down I have no specific goal yet, but if I can keep running how I am now, I will be looking for a pretty fast time.

Enjoying some wet trail with my brother

Cruising through the bottom of the clearcut

Me on top of McCulloch Peak

After getting hammered with a bunch of rain on Saturday, my brother and I got out for an easy run on Sunday.  There was still some rain which was accompanied by unseasonably warm weather (50s) for about a week.

A couple weeks later and there some snow up high

Some cool ice formations up on Lookout Saddle

Nearing the top of Lookout Mountain

After some warm wet days came some cold clear days.  I like the contrast because changes the forest giving me something else to appreciate.  On my run up Lookout Mountain, the weather started to warm up again so I was happy to get a few pictures of the ice and snow.  This run took me over McCulloch and up Lookout putting me on my feet for a while and throwing in some decent climbing.  I felt solid all day and was happy to run through some areas I haven't seen for quite some time.