Next Up--Training Race and 11 Days till WS Application

With the first day of fall on the horizon weather in NoCal seems to have forgot its time for some chillier temps please. 90's and a day or two of 100 scheduled as we move towards Sierra Nevada Endurance Race next weekend. With me on running the marathon distance I see no reason to taper as I am building back to the base level.
With about a month of running up K2 I returned with the Garmin Heartrate monitor to access where I was..With a 4mile warm up the ascent begins. As I started up this steep section my breathing was not as labored, nor was my heart rate jumping off the charts as much...So things are coming back and some strength is building back in the legs for climbs like this...Running near Auburn during the weekdays this fall and winter I should put this in once a week and have stagecoach on the list as well. Granted every run seems to start with a downhill and end with a climb so that will be fine. The SNR marathon distance has a run through Buzzards Cove ($#$%) a short steep ascent up Cardiac Hill but for the most part its a training run on area I am very familiar with..I will run with the heart rate monitor and access some performance vs heart rate and level of effort. It will not be really fast except the last four miles from the Overlook to NoHands..More on this next weekend..

Fall or some shape of it does bring the opening of the Machado Orchard in Auburn which means two things..fresh pressed cider and hand made pie!!! I recommend this to anyone in the area. Stop by, its not as popular as Ikeda's but seeing the staff peeling apples, cutting peaches and then pulling out the pies from the oven is the bomb. If you run far enough you can always have a slice of pie...

I am getting kinda excited knowing that the application process for Western States opens in about 11 days. It has me thinking about the experience and what others have done to get to the race..its a lot of work. A lot of time spent on the trails with friends running, hurting etc..Come January 1 life goes into high gear for running and I hope many of you can join me....

Tony