After a mostly off or cutback year in 2012, I have other hopes for 2013.
I want this to be my "Ultra" year and I hope to try for a marathon and 5k PR too.
To start the year I am aiming for three 50k trail races in three months:
- Holiday Lake 50k++ in Appomattox Virginia on February 9th
- Terapin Mountain 50k in Sedalia Virgina on March 23rd
- Promise Land 50k in Bedford Virginia on April 27th
These are 3 of the 4 races in the Lynchburg Ultra Series (LUS). The fourth is in November. I have done Holiday Lake each of the last three years and enjoy it as a "beginner level" ultra. The next 2 are more challenging, having more than three times the climbing and descent of Holiday Lake.
My thinking is that these three races should prepare me to tackle a do-it-yourself ultra with a family history connection. I am aiming to do this in May or June.
In 1737 my ancestor Edward Marshall covered about 65 miles in a day and a half over wagon roads, Indian paths and unbroken forest ground. He was the "winner" of the Walking Purchase "walk" which set the boundaries for a land purchase in what is now eastern Pennsylvania. More info here. I plan to follow a route that roughly retraces the course of his effort by following roads and hitting the main points of that walk/run for a total of nearly 70 miles.
If I can stay mostly injury free, in the middle of the year I will try to improve my best time at the 5k distance.
During the fall I will be preparing for the fourth LUS race - Mountain Masochist Trail Run on November 2nd near Monroe Virginia. This is a 50 mile trail race with even more elevation change than the other races in the series. The preparation will likely include some other races/events; maybe the Susquehanna SuperHike September 7th in York and Lancaster Counties or maybe the Dam Half or Full Marathon near Lewisburg PA September 22nd and a marathon PR attempt possibly at the Wineglass Marathon in Corning New York on October 3th.
My son Matt is aiming to do some trail races, so my year will hopefully also include some races that he picks.
And then I may consider acting my age. ;o)
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