Easier week.

 A brief and welcomed downhill grade on the way back up. Eldora Mountain Ski Resort in the background.

Coach prescribes a week of easier runs, a chance to rest up, consolidate gains from several weeks of challenge, prevent injury.

Plan was for three runs: Three miles easy, four miles speedwork, five miles long-easy.

A five mile long run hardly justified a trip down to Boulder. I first thought of doing it at Rollinsville, then moved it closer to home to Eldora. When it was time to run the weather was turning springtime-blustery, so I opted to stay in my neighborhood and do Ridge Road, a 2.5m out-and-back.

Running at elevation means taking in grade-changes. In my case that meant starting at 8550, dropping to 8100, then climbing back up.

By the time I'd reached the 2.5m point and the returning climb, the weather had changed. The temperature had dropped, the wind had come up, the snow had once again started. Getting back home was a good challenge.

Long Easy turned out being Long Not-so-easy. Fortunately only 2.5 miles of it.  I was more than ready for a good hot shower.