Summer Reality Check: Wildfire Updates, Race Deferrals & Changing My Training
Hey fellow joy finders!
First, I want to apologize for the extended silence over here. Life has been lifing, but thank you so much for your patience with me! I wanted to take a moment to drop in with a quick update on my running journey, next steps, upcoming races, and whats been going on behind the scenes.
Summer Reality Check & Colorado Wildfires
This summer hasn’t quite gone according to plan. I had high hopes of spending endless weekends in the mountains logging hikes, camping trips, 14er summits, and trail runs. While I’ve managed to get out a bit, it’s been far less than I hoped for, largely due to air quality.
Colorado has had a tough wildfire season starting in mid-to-late June, making it difficult to find trails far enough away to keep myself and the pups from breathing in heavy smoke. I’ve been keeping a daily eye on fire containment and air quality metrics across the state.
Active Wildfire Containment Progress:
Snyder Fire (Mesa County): ~1,300+ acres 98% contained
Ferris Fire (Dolores County): ~1,400+ acres 94% contained
Aspen Acres Fire (Custer, Pueblo, Huerfano & Fremont Counties): ~100,000+ acres 61% contained
Willow Fire (Lake County - near Mt. Massive / Leadville): ~7,200 acres 48% contained
Gold Mountain Fire (Gunnison, Montrose & Ouray Counties): ~37,700 acres 24% contained
Elk Fire (Hinsdale & Gunnison Counties): ~2,300 acres 0% contained
Fully Contained:
Red Rock Fire (Mesa County) 100%
Big Sheep Fire 100%
Beehive Fire (Montrose County) 100%
Seeing those containment percentages improve definitely gives me more peace of mind about heading back out safely. While it still breaks my heart to see parts of our beautiful state affected. It has been a constant reminder of why staying fire-conscious on the trail is so vital.
The Race Calendar: Deferrals & New Goals
If you remember, I previously signed up for the Pikes Peak Ascent a bucket-list race. I’ve had to put off in past years due to injury. Now that I’m healthy and cleared, I considered training and racing it. But I’ve ultimately made the decision to defer my entry once again.
To be completely honest, I want a solid, unhurried training build. Pushing into a high-intensity build right now feels like inviting an injury back into the picture, and I refuse to rush the process! And with how intense and difficult this race is, I want a primarily healthy training build up for this race.
That said, racing is definitely not off the table. There are 2 races that I either signed up for or have my eye on.
Colorado Cold Rush Half Marathon: I had my eye on this trail half last year before getting sidelined by injury. Now that I'm back, I am looking to sign up for it and to build up safely for a solid autumn trail race!
runDisney Springtime Surprise 10-Miler (April 2027): runDisney is what reignited my spark for running back in 2023, so I'm thrilled for this! When Princess Weekend registration came and went, my boyfriend and I decided to try a brand-new race weekend instead.
Finding the Right Training Approach
I spent a lot of time mulling over how I wanted to structure my training for this next chapter. I weighed a few different avenues:
Private Coach: While I love coaching, I’ve had one for almost my entire athletic career. Right now, I really want to cultivate more autonomy in my own running journey. That’s not to say coaches are bad and if a coach is what you need, go for it! I highly recommend and encourage it! Just right now in my life, it’s not what I need.
Runna App: I explored this, but I felt hesitant about an AI-generated framework. The build-up felt a bit too rapid for my comfort, raising red flags for past injury triggers.
Running Exclusively by Feel: This was tempting, but I worried a lack of structure might lead to accidental overtraining. It felt the most right when I initially thought about it, but I wanted more guidance without going the coach route.
Pre-Written Plans (Higher Running): This is what I ultimately chose! I purchased and printed a couple of plans off their site. They give me a structured baseline for weekly mileage and long runs, while still giving me the flexibility to shift miles around if my body needs an adjust day.
Current Focus & Mindset Shifts
In this current cycle, my primary focus is shifting my relationship with nutrition viewing food as fuel rather than an incentive or something to be "earned" (which I believe contributed heavily to my past stress injury). Combined with consistent strength training and low-impact cross-training, I feel confident, grounded, and ready for what's ahead!
