Thu 7/21 - AM 75 minutes

Out and back along the Difficult Creek Trail. First run of any substance since the race four days ago, finally feeling like something other than slow jogging. A junior version of the race in fact, with half the climbing and 2/3 the distance. And I wasn't racing which was the key thing, although at times I was rolling along at a pretty good clip. Some gnarly footing and steep pitches, more of an issue on the way up than down. In the afternoon drove back over Independence Pass and on to Leadville, soon after our arrival the daily rains rolled in harder than any of the previous days.