Like the pied piper, Kokopelli’s flute playing shooes away the winter and lures in spring. I feel as if I’m being drawn by something to the high desert of the Colorado Plateau. It’s something bigger than me. It’s my body’s carnal response to previous disappointment, off eight weeks with my arm in a sling and the crashing end to my delusions of running the Bandera 100K. Running to me has always been sensual.

It’s been a while since I’ve gone on a destination run with friends and family. I was too fat for these excursions but now my shoulder works, I’ve been running a bit, and my weight is back down to where it was in 2017 when I ran the Colorado Marathon in 3:47. I feel good running at this weight. I expect a pace next weekend at the Desert Rat’s 50K to be around 11 minutes per mile. In that range. I’d be happy to finish under 6 hours.

I intend to start off running with Brit and Megan. Brit said the two of them expect to run a 13 minute pace. I know how my legs run. They might start out the first mile in a 10 minute pace, certainly 11. Precious nervous energy will be surrendered to the gala at the start, but I expect to average an 11 minute pace up the first 3 miles and down the second 3 miles of the first segment, from the Hawkeye TH to the first pass by the More Fun aid station. Almost 6 miles or a 10K makes for an excellent distance and I plan to fully stop to drink some electrolytes. Only for a moment though. Then I’ll hustle the girls off with me again.

I know the girls’ plan is to run in the 12 to 13 minute range, but I think they’ll run closer to my pace for the first half of this ultra. I expect to speed up my pace to 10 minute miles for the 4 mile loop back to the More Fun aid station. I’ll fully stop again to drink something and maybe eat. Always just for a moment. I don’t expect to ever sit down. I’ll continue this much-too-fast 10 minute pace over another 4 mile segment to the Pizza Overlook aid station. I might rest a few seconds longer because my focus will shift toward survival mode around this point.

And I think this point is a tad over 14 miles. I don’t know, has anyone been keeping count?

A short 3.5 miles will take me to the Crossroads aid station and I expect to have slowed down to an 11 minute pace. I’ll slow down further to a 12 minute pace for the 6.5 miles up to the Troybuilt aid station. Not a bad pace really. It might include some walking. My rests at aid stations will increase to 30 or 60 seconds. Always prepping for the next section.

The next section from Troybuiilt is the nearly 7 miles back to the Hawkeye TH. I hope to still be running a 12 minute pace here, but it’s hard to say. My longest run this year was 17 miles. I hope to finish side-by-side with Brit and Megan. I bet we’re close to 6 hours. We will see what next weekend brings.