Well, if I was looking for motivation to kick my training up several notches, I found it. I am running up Mount Washington in June. For fun. Really.
The organizers bill this as the race with only one hill. Ha, I get it. I see what you did there. It is only one hill, but that hill is a 7.6 mile run up a mountain with a 10-13% incline the whole way. The course rises 4,650 feet from start to finish.
For years, I've actually wanted to run this race. Really. The Mount Washington Road Race is supposed to be the race to do, whether it's just to say that you did it or because you want to win it. I fall into the former category and definitely into the category of just finish it so you can say you did it and you never have to do it again.
In years past, I have signed up for the lottery only to be turned away. But not this year. I'm running with a number of people from Far North, which is a thrill because they are some serious runners and all around awesome people.
If I sound a little concerned, I am. I've got three months and bunch of hill work in my future, and I'm hoping that I can make it happen. I don't want to DNF and I'm feeling somewhat confident that I can at least do 15-minute miles, which means that I'll finish in around 1:45. I actually just want to finish it before the time limit of (oddly) 3 hours and 2 minutes.