I have ventured into the desert and returned with much wisdom…
Ok, it was a hike with my parents in Arizona. Nevertheless, I did end up with some great takeaways for my ultra training.
An Uphill Climb
The Wind Cave Trail was a fun, but fairly challenging hike with some rocky terrain and a 320 meter elevation gain. This type of path hasn’t entered my training routine as of yet, so it was a great reminder of what is to come. I need to make sure I prioritize incline training as the elevation gain is arguably the most challenging part of Sinister 7. I will be climbing 2,300 meters over 50k.
Side bar:
Last night during a webinar about training specificity, the presenter explained the concept of a Mountain Training Unit (MTU™). Essentially every 100 meters of elevation gain should be considered one extra kilometer in distance.
I did some quick math using the calculator that was provided. The ultra I signed up for is 50k, plus 23k from those pesky MTUs. So, the distance I should actually be prepared for is…. 73k!?
Stay tuned for another blog post on what in the heck I will be doing with this elevation info..
A Certain Set of Skills
During my desert quest, I noticed a couple trail running skills that I need to work on. Firstly, the importance of foot placement/lifting my feet. Tripping hazards are literally everywhere in trail running, no need to add my own feet to the mix!
Secondly, becoming more aware of my surroundings. My tendency for tunnel vision became painfully obvious on the descent, when I reached for what I thought was a sturdy rock. Turned out to be a cactus.
Being skewered (read: lightly poked) was shockingly not all that pleasant. I will definitely be a bit more vigilant on future outings. Don’t want to have a run in with a Canadian cactus 
…
Trail Fever
Wind Cave Trail was a great hike with lots of interesting deserty vegetation, a few friendly squirrels and an amazing view from the top.
There were some great lessons learned on my desert hike and it got me super excited for the beautiful scenery that I will see during my ultra. It is going to be an amazing experience and I cannot wait to take it all in!
P.S. Check out the new HFTH Instagram account! 
