DaCrizzow

   This is only my second year as an ultra runner. I mean, I've been running for about 10 years or so, a few marathons, a couple ultras but primarily a cyclist doing about 40-45 races a year with just running as a side project from time to time. Usually an injury told me when the "side project" was done.     A couple years ago I started running back and forth to work as my commute during the winter, 4.5 miles each way. I was on a pretty strict diet at the time and between that and the "doubles" I was losing weight, getting faster and feeling like a superhero. I held on to this to do a 25k trail race early in the season then put away the running to focus on cycling. I had an amazing cycling season that year. A lot of things really fell into place and I rode it out. Until I burned out. I was training for a stage race and in ten weeks I had eight 250+ mile weeks. Six of those weeks I would do 3-4 races in a row to get my mind and body used to the idea of racing w

    I've wanted to do this run for a few years now. Any excuse to hang out in Bend,OR for a couple days, coupled with a full marathon on actual dirt really made it stand out. It seems like most trail races are either 10k or 50k and up. there's a big gap there and "Haulin' Aspen" fills it.     I'm not gonna spend too much space on the race itself but more on the journey to the race. More specifically my friend's journey to the race. lots of blowdown but still beautiful     My friend is a very decidedly non-runner. Nothing whatsoever appealed to her about putting on brightly colored techwear, hydration packs, paying someone for the opportunity to pin on a number and god forbid....wearing a visor. I think we all just seemed like a bunch of dorks running around town carrying water in belts. And of course, we are sometimes. Some of that "image" changed when she saw a Killian Jornet video on my facebook page. I wonder just how many people he HAS