Kathy: That's good advice. I especially agree that speed in trailrunning is dependent on terrain, so don't worry if it varies.
If you don't like the heat, I'd encourage you to try the 30k in Ridgecrest in December or the same distance in the Calico trail run in January. Yes, they just finished running, but that gives you 10 months to get ready!
In any case, it's very impressive that you're already doing the distance you are, especially with the incline you're taking on.
By the way, I hope you had some fun on Vivian this weekend. I did South Fork up to about 11,000, then got stuck below a slick, icy spot that I couldn't get around. I had no ice axe, and have never practiced using one anyway, so I headed back down. It was an extraordinarily beautiful day, so all was well.
I saw only 2 guys heading up towards the peak. I find it amazing (and wonderful!) that with 30+ million people here in california, only a dozen or so try to hit San G peak any given weekend during the winter.
ultra: Did you do Ridgecrest or Calico? Do you recommend any trail races between now and the end of the year?
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