some dreams for the next few years

this post is more for myself to look back on, but its also a way for me to formally accept a few select challenges that are out there: to make my intentions clear to any readers i have, but also to myself.

with the move to Colorado, ill have access to trails and will therefore be able to train more than ever(due to decreased pounding compared to roads). ive always felt like i handled hills better than most people ive run/raced with, but that could just be a side-effect of living in Illinois. i just love the feeling of going up with each step. so my first goal is to run up all the 14'ers (mountains with peaks above 14,000ft) in Colorado. most likely my standard will be that i have to start below 10,000ft and run the entire way up for it to count. this is my "first" goal only because i plan to run the my first 14'er within the next six months. one of the biggest roadblocks, after the sheer altitude, is the simple fact that many of these mountains arent runnable for most of the year. so the goal is to run Mt. Evans at the end of this summer. that will most likely be it until next summer, and the achievement should solidify my opinion of myself as a true mountain runner. next summers goal will be to run the rest of the "Front Range" 14'ers: there are five, six including Mt. Evans. after that(summer 2013) ill have to start travelling to hit the rest of them, so the goal will be to clear out an entire mountain range during a long weekend vacation, for obvious financial reasons. there are over 50 14'ers in Colorado, so the goal of running them all should give my training purpose for years, without the constant need for a race on the horizon.

another goal of mine is to set a CR (course record) at the http://www.arrowheadultra.com/index.php/race-inforegistration/race-rules(mile race, check out the link). i love the cold, i ive been able to tolerate it better than most for as long as i can remember and im somewhat notorious by this point for wearing what most would consider insufficient clothing during the colder months. my body just feels at home in the snow and the wind. ive made it through three Chicago winters now without covering my legs (although the past winter i used the treadmill a bit due to the shift in training style). even when sauna training regularly, i feel like the cold is something my body responds well to, unlike the heat which i doubt ill ever be able to handle to any significant degree. add that to the fact that i have more camping experience as a 19-year-old kid than most people get in their lives, and Arrowhead is the event for me. packing everything youll need for more than 30 hours of running into a sled and dragging it across rugged trails in the middle of winter has an appeal to me that i have trouble explaining. id imagine its how Anton Krupicka feels about Leadville, or Scott Jurek feels about Western States, or Zach Gingerich(if he had a soul) about Badwater, or more recently Ian Sharman about Rocky Raccoon. ill never be as fast as those guys, but Arrowhead could put me on the map. ultra runners become known for races that play up to their unique strengths, so even if i dont have speed, i can atleast be king of horrible, cold weather.
im hoping to run Arrowhead for the first time in 2013, then again in 2014 with a true record attempt by 2016. there are just so many variables in a race like this. and having never run a 100 mile race (or even a 50 miler!) the time frame may be a bit soon, but all i cna do its hope and train.

those are just two things that i hope to do before im 25, probly more to come. and the latest on my move as well.