<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[mountain snail's journal]]></title><description><![CDATA[running for enjoyment and the mind]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run</link><image><url>https://www.mountainsnail.run/img/substack.png</url><title>mountain snail&apos;s journal</title><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 19 Apr 2026 05:45:40 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.mountainsnail.run/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[mountainsnail@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[mountainsnail@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[mountainsnail@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[mountainsnail@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 4/5/2026-4/11/2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[Right foot mayhem this week, with Achilles tendinitis that flared up.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-452026-4112026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-452026-4112026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 17:30:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yFn0!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2544fab1-c511-41ac-a5f1-caa7188aaef9_4096x3072.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yFn0!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2544fab1-c511-41ac-a5f1-caa7188aaef9_4096x3072.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yFn0!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2544fab1-c511-41ac-a5f1-caa7188aaef9_4096x3072.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yFn0!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2544fab1-c511-41ac-a5f1-caa7188aaef9_4096x3072.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yFn0!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2544fab1-c511-41ac-a5f1-caa7188aaef9_4096x3072.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yFn0!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2544fab1-c511-41ac-a5f1-caa7188aaef9_4096x3072.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yFn0!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2544fab1-c511-41ac-a5f1-caa7188aaef9_4096x3072.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yFn0!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2544fab1-c511-41ac-a5f1-caa7188aaef9_4096x3072.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yFn0!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2544fab1-c511-41ac-a5f1-caa7188aaef9_4096x3072.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yFn0!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2544fab1-c511-41ac-a5f1-caa7188aaef9_4096x3072.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div 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stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Right foot mayhem this week, with Achilles tendinitis that flared up. This is an overuse injury common among runners, and the healing process requires a pretty full shutdown from running. &#128532;</p><p><br>&#8226; Step Count for the week: 189,650<br>&#8226; Miles: 42 miles<br>&#8226; Time: 7hrs 32min<br>&#8226; Elevation: 7,759ft<br></p><div><hr></div><p><br><em><strong>Sunday, April 5, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 5.50 mi<br>Moving Time 1:08:50<br>Pace 12:31 /mi<br>Elevation 1,161 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 117bpm</p><p>Trail Run<br>Distance 10.85 mi<br>Moving Time 1:52:21<br>Pace 10:21 /mi<br>Elevation 2,454 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 145bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Monday, April 6, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 13.36 mi<br>Moving Time 2:12:36<br>Pace 9:55 /mi<br>Elevation 2,175 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 132bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Tuesday, April 7, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 12.28 mi<br>Moving Time 2:06:04<br>Pace 10:16 /mi<br>Elevation 1,969 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 126bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Wednesday, April 8, 2026</strong></em><br>Off</p><p><br><em><strong>Thursday, April 9, 2026</strong></em><br>Off</p><p><br><em><strong>Friday, April 10, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Assisted Dip<br>&#8226; Assisted Wide Grip Pull Up<br>&#8226; Barbell Row<br>&#8226; Cable Rope Tricep Extension<br>&#8226; EZ Bar Curl<br>&#8226; Incline Hammer Curl<br>&#8226; Leg Extension<br>&#8226; Machine Abduction<br>&#8226; Machine Adduction<br>&#8226; Machine Seated Crunch<br>&#8226; Seated Leg Curl<br>&#8226; V Bar Pulldown</p><p><br><em><strong>Saturday, April 11, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Dumbbell Lateral Raise<br>&#8226; Machine Chest Fly<br>&#8226; Machine Reverse Fly<br>&#8226; Plate-Loaded Hip Thrust Belt Supported<br>&#8226; Plate-Loaded Low Row<br><br></p><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uBuo!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5404fc0-6643-4df4-ba1d-4825663bd0ee_1264x2057.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uBuo!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5404fc0-6643-4df4-ba1d-4825663bd0ee_1264x2057.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uBuo!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5404fc0-6643-4df4-ba1d-4825663bd0ee_1264x2057.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uBuo!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5404fc0-6643-4df4-ba1d-4825663bd0ee_1264x2057.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uBuo!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5404fc0-6643-4df4-ba1d-4825663bd0ee_1264x2057.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uBuo!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa5404fc0-6643-4df4-ba1d-4825663bd0ee_1264x2057.jpeg" width="1264" height="2057" 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class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>This week is one of those when you start to doubt yourself, with the right foot banged up. With my first race about 5 weeks away and having to shut down completely from running, it really messes with your mind. With almost 500 miles on my feet in the last month, there is no doubt what the cause was. Pushing my body these last few months finally took its toll, and it is an absolutely devastating feeling that I might have to pull out of my 100k race in a month. I am trying a few tricks to recover quickly, but who knows, with my job that requires quite a bit of walking 5 days a week, whether I will be able to get this fixed in time.</p><p>This is the side of doing hard things that most people do not talk about. They tend to share only the fun parts, not the downsides of pushing your body to its limits. But the problem-solving you have to work through to be ready for the hard things is the most work. This is one of those times when you just hope for the best, know that it is not the end, and instead use it as a building block for the future.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Don&#8217;t be discouraged because of a setback. </em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://a.co/d/0iq8PRPX">Fueled By Pain at Amazon</a></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading mountain snail's journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 3/29/2026-4/04/2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[Just took a deload week from running, but I will be upping my miles again over the next few weeks as I get closer to my races this year.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-3292026-4042026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-3292026-4042026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 05 Apr 2026 17:31:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j9Pw!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fda523122-5698-4ba4-ad0e-4f643a7d2122_3072x4096.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Just took a deload week from running, but I will be upping my miles again over the next few weeks as I get closer to my races this year. Sunday&#8217;s run felt pretty good, even after my crash and burn on Saturday. As this goes out on Sunday, I will be running with my pacers/crew for the Tahoe race in June, with a minimum age of 50 required for the crew.</p><p><br>&#8226; Step Count for the week: 198,070<br>&#8226; Miles: 50 miles<br>&#8226; Time: 8hrs 17min<br>&#8226; Elevation: 8,392ft<br></p><div><hr></div><p><br><em><strong>Sunday, March 29, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 18.93 mi<br>Moving Time 3:09:49<br>Pace 10:01 /mi<br>Elevation 3,245 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 140bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Monday, March 30, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 6.62 mi<br>Moving Time 53:43<br>Pace 8:07 /mi<br>Elevation 984 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 151bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Tuesday, March 31, 2026</strong></em><br>Gym</p><p><br><em><strong>Wednesday, April 1, 2026</strong></em><br>Gym</p><p><br><em><strong>Thursday, April 2, 2026</strong></em><br>Off</p><p><br><em><strong>Friday, April 3, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 10.87 mi<br>Moving Time 1:46:12<br>Pace 9:46 /mi<br>Elevation 1,900 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 133bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Saturday, April 4, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 13.18 mi<br>Moving Time 2:15:58<br>Pace 10:19 /mi<br>Elevation 2,264 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 130bpm<br><br></p><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j9Pw!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fda523122-5698-4ba4-ad0e-4f643a7d2122_3072x4096.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j9Pw!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fda523122-5698-4ba4-ad0e-4f643a7d2122_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j9Pw!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fda523122-5698-4ba4-ad0e-4f643a7d2122_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j9Pw!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fda523122-5698-4ba4-ad0e-4f643a7d2122_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j9Pw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fda523122-5698-4ba4-ad0e-4f643a7d2122_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j9Pw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fda523122-5698-4ba4-ad0e-4f643a7d2122_3072x4096.jpeg" width="1456" height="1941" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/da523122-5698-4ba4-ad0e-4f643a7d2122_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1941,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1747922,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/i/193212888?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fda523122-5698-4ba4-ad0e-4f643a7d2122_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j9Pw!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fda523122-5698-4ba4-ad0e-4f643a7d2122_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j9Pw!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fda523122-5698-4ba4-ad0e-4f643a7d2122_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j9Pw!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fda523122-5698-4ba4-ad0e-4f643a7d2122_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j9Pw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fda523122-5698-4ba4-ad0e-4f643a7d2122_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>This is another book review, and the last one for now, as I switch to more fiction books to diversify my reading.</p><p>I met Patrick last year while volunteering at the Tahoe race, and I immediately liked him&#8212;something most people do when they first meet him. He has a compelling story: growing up with dysfunctional parents, being teased and beaten as a kid, then becoming a bully himself, developing a drinking and drug habit in his teens, and joining gangs in Denmark. He also lost his sister in his twenties and had run-ins with the justice system due to his substance abuse and fights. Despite numerous attempts to turn his life around and some successes, he kept falling back into that tough-guy persona.</p><p>Today, you&#8217;d never guess his background because his decision to change has truly lasted this time. He&#8217;s always smiling and joking when he&#8217;s in his element, inspiring others to improve. He works hard, like many who genuinely turn toward recovery and away from fear. In his early thirties, with much life ahead, he acts as a motivator and teacher to those struggling like him, seeking the right path.</p><p>Recently, he completed over 150 miles of the Arizona Monster Endurance Race but had to stop halfway because of a bulging disc in his spine. I was hoping to race with him in Tahoe this June for an unforgettable experience, and I also wanted him to sign my book. However, he&#8217;s staying home to recover. Maybe next year, my Danish friend.</p><p>I strongly recommend his book to anyone wanting to become a better, happier person.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://a.co/d/0iq8PRPX">Fueled By Pain at Amazon</a></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading mountain snail's journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 3/22/2026-3/28/2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[The picture above is from my Sunday 21-mile run, which mimics the typical aid-station segment I'll be doing in June for my Tahoe endurance race.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-3222026-3282026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-3222026-3282026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:30:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pEt-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bf229fc-2dac-4e76-b80d-25ce5b82081b_1263x1930.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pEt-!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bf229fc-2dac-4e76-b80d-25ce5b82081b_1263x1930.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pEt-!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bf229fc-2dac-4e76-b80d-25ce5b82081b_1263x1930.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pEt-!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bf229fc-2dac-4e76-b80d-25ce5b82081b_1263x1930.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pEt-!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bf229fc-2dac-4e76-b80d-25ce5b82081b_1263x1930.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pEt-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bf229fc-2dac-4e76-b80d-25ce5b82081b_1263x1930.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pEt-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bf229fc-2dac-4e76-b80d-25ce5b82081b_1263x1930.jpeg" width="1263" height="1930" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3bf229fc-2dac-4e76-b80d-25ce5b82081b_1263x1930.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1930,&quot;width&quot;:1263,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:240583,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/i/192464634?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bf229fc-2dac-4e76-b80d-25ce5b82081b_1263x1930.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pEt-!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bf229fc-2dac-4e76-b80d-25ce5b82081b_1263x1930.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pEt-!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bf229fc-2dac-4e76-b80d-25ce5b82081b_1263x1930.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pEt-!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bf229fc-2dac-4e76-b80d-25ce5b82081b_1263x1930.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pEt-!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3bf229fc-2dac-4e76-b80d-25ce5b82081b_1263x1930.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>The picture above is from my Sunday 21-mile run, which mimics the typical aid-station segment I'll be doing in June for my Tahoe endurance race. It really puts things into perspective for the faint of heart: I will have to do this 10 times during the race, and even I question if this old man can do it all in a timely manner. Next week, the weather is changing, so I will be doing more weightlifting and less running. This will also give me a little deload time for my body.</p><p><br>&#8226; Step Count for the week: 250,589<br>&#8226; Miles: 81 miles<br>&#8226; Time: 14hrs 10min<br>&#8226; Elevation: 14,488ft<br></p><div><hr></div><p><br><em><strong>Sunday, March 22, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 20.78 mi<br>Moving Time 3:45:10<br>Pace 10:50 /mi<br>Elevation 4,528 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 136bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Monday, March 23, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 10.58 mi<br>Moving Time 1:49:30<br>Pace 10:21 /mi<br>Elevation 1,716 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 127bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Tuesday, March 24, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 15.73 mi<br>Moving Time 2:41:02<br>Pace 10:14 /mi<br>Elevation 2,369 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 127bpm<br><br><em><strong>Wednesday, March 25, 2026</strong></em><br>Off</p><p><br><em><strong>Thursday, March 26, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 11.02 mi<br>Moving Time 1:47:03<br>Pace 9:42 /mi<br>Elevation 2,133 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 137bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Friday, March 27, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 8.42 mi<br>Moving Time 1:19:31<br>Pace 9:26 /mi<br>Elevation 1,486 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 136bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Saturday, March 28, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 14.12 mi<br>Moving Time 2:19:14<br>Pace 9:51 /mi<br>Elevation 2,257 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 138bpm<br><br></p><div><hr></div><div class="image-gallery-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;gallery&quot;:{&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9cca5150-1dbe-4a54-b4a1-fc33707e9e91_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/890ca79f-059c-42a6-b5b5-12acc4adc261_2757x4363.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/b7310f00-23d7-40f5-8126-bb5acd98f38f_2528x3999.jpeg&quot;}],&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;staticGalleryImage&quot;:{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5d4c0346-7dc4-4199-a56c-df4c884a00be_1456x474.png&quot;}},&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true}"></div><p></p><p>I usually don't give much advice to people on how or what to do when running. But on Saturday, I had one of my good crashes and burns during a run that I haven&#8217;t experienced in a while. I have different levels of crashes, and this one checked off three of those boxes: clearing a good section of the trail of debris, shooting the water bottles out of the vest, and getting up, slowing down, and assessing the damage. I was able to save my hands, but I scraped my arm and shoulder, gave my knee something to think about, and my hip and glute took a good smack&#8212;I&#8217;m saving you all a hair-butt picture.</p><p>So, here&#8217;s the advice when something like this happens during a run or hike: it could be a twist of the ankle or just stepping wrong and taking a fall that leaves you a little banged up. Unless something is broken or severely injured, it&#8217;s usually best to keep moving. I fell around mile 10 of my run, but continued for four more miles at a surprisingly good pace. You might ask why you&#8217;d do that. Believe it or not, most of the pain from the initial crash will be gone within about 20 minutes, and after you finish the activity, it will feel much better than if you completely stop moving. If the pain persists longer than 30 minutes, you probably broke or bruised something that needs support to prevent further damage.</p><p>By the time this goes out on Sunday, I&#8217;ll be doing a longer run to make sure everything is okay after yesterday's crash. Trust me, I&#8217;ll most likely be 100% on this run. It's funny how the body can recover and push through.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading mountain snail's journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 3/15/2026-3/21/2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[I had a funny moment on Thursday while running when I tripped and fell.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-3152026-3212026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-3152026-3212026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 22 Mar 2026 17:31:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tgsd!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392f7351-a37d-450e-93b8-a96d125631e2_3072x4096.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tgsd!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392f7351-a37d-450e-93b8-a96d125631e2_3072x4096.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tgsd!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392f7351-a37d-450e-93b8-a96d125631e2_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tgsd!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392f7351-a37d-450e-93b8-a96d125631e2_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tgsd!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392f7351-a37d-450e-93b8-a96d125631e2_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tgsd!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392f7351-a37d-450e-93b8-a96d125631e2_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tgsd!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392f7351-a37d-450e-93b8-a96d125631e2_3072x4096.jpeg" width="1456" height="1941" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/392f7351-a37d-450e-93b8-a96d125631e2_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1941,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:3800751,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/i/191718516?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392f7351-a37d-450e-93b8-a96d125631e2_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tgsd!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392f7351-a37d-450e-93b8-a96d125631e2_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tgsd!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392f7351-a37d-450e-93b8-a96d125631e2_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tgsd!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392f7351-a37d-450e-93b8-a96d125631e2_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tgsd!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392f7351-a37d-450e-93b8-a96d125631e2_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I had a funny moment on Thursday while running when I tripped and fell. I was just starting my run, and about a quarter mile in, I ran over a small boulder field and saw a snake. I changed my step midair and hit a rock, causing me to fall onto my right side with a pretty good shoulder hit. I then tried to scramble back to my feet because when you're running and see a snake that quickly, you can&#8217;t tell if it's a rattler or a bull snake. Luckily for me, it was a bull snake because my legs were just inches from it. I only wish I had a photographer with me because it must have been hilarious to see me in full panic mode.</p><p><br>&#8226; Step Count for the week: 232,681<br>&#8226; Miles: 72 miles<br>&#8226; Time: 12hrs 18min<br>&#8226; Elevation: 12,241ft<br></p><div><hr></div><p><br><em><strong>Sunday, March 15, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 21.33 mi<br>Moving Time 3:35:39<br>Pace 10:07 /mi<br>Elevation 3,159 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 137bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Monday, March 16, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 10.72 mi<br>Moving Time 1:37:15<br>Pace 9:04 /mi<br>Elevation 1,680 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 139bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Tuesday, March 17, 2026</strong></em><br>Off<br><br><em><strong>Wednesday, March 18, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 11.72 mi<br>Moving Time 1:51:45<br>Pace 9:32 /mi<br>Elevation 1,956 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 142bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Thursday, March 19, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 13.80 mi<br>Moving Time 2:27:08<br>Pace 10:40 /mi<br>Elevation 2,411 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 134bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Friday, March 20, 2026</strong></em><br>Off</p><p><br><em><strong>Saturday, March 21, 2026</strong></em><br>Trail Run<br>Distance 14.52 mi<br>Moving Time 2:29:59<br>Pace 10:19 /mi<br>Elevation 3,025 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 140bpm<br><br></p><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cHo7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f7679f-8bb4-40e6-9905-2b982ca5529a_3072x4096.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cHo7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f7679f-8bb4-40e6-9905-2b982ca5529a_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cHo7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f7679f-8bb4-40e6-9905-2b982ca5529a_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cHo7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f7679f-8bb4-40e6-9905-2b982ca5529a_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cHo7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f7679f-8bb4-40e6-9905-2b982ca5529a_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cHo7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f7679f-8bb4-40e6-9905-2b982ca5529a_3072x4096.jpeg" width="1456" height="1941" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/84f7679f-8bb4-40e6-9905-2b982ca5529a_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1941,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1343268,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/i/191718516?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f7679f-8bb4-40e6-9905-2b982ca5529a_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cHo7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f7679f-8bb4-40e6-9905-2b982ca5529a_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cHo7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f7679f-8bb4-40e6-9905-2b982ca5529a_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cHo7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f7679f-8bb4-40e6-9905-2b982ca5529a_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cHo7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84f7679f-8bb4-40e6-9905-2b982ca5529a_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I met Josh Coleman while volunteering at the Tahoe 200 last year, when he was running the race. He is tall and lanky, kind of like me, and very unassuming in general, but you could tell he was built differently. He mentioned he had a book he wrote coming out in a few months, and it sounded like an interesting read.</p><p>If you've ever struggled with losing your life partner or someone you hold closer than most, I can say his book will help you understand that loss a little better. He writes about losing his wife (Erin) in a tragic car accident and how he dealt with his sudden loss. He details his mood swings, anger towards people who thought they were helping him grieve, the crushing feelings of memories from things he used to do with Erin, and feeling overall broken when she's gone. Later in the book, Josh shares what has helped him, how he still has bad days, and how Erin&#8217;s love continues to surround him.</p><p>I highly recommend his book because of the emotions he conveys, how he handles them daily, how he found endurance running as an outlet for grief, the common ground he shares with many of his running friends, and how they work through their emotions together.</p><p><a href="https://a.co/d/0fJhPOVq">Get the book Moving Forward</a></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading mountain snail's journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 3/08/2026-3/14/2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[I have been feeling somewhat fatigued this week; however, I dedicated myself to some extended efforts.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-3082026-3142026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-3082026-3142026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 15 Mar 2026 17:30:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nqLU!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8a78a5df-9929-4c36-bb0d-327d33c26d89_4097x3576.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nqLU!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8a78a5df-9929-4c36-bb0d-327d33c26d89_4097x3576.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nqLU!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8a78a5df-9929-4c36-bb0d-327d33c26d89_4097x3576.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nqLU!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8a78a5df-9929-4c36-bb0d-327d33c26d89_4097x3576.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nqLU!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8a78a5df-9929-4c36-bb0d-327d33c26d89_4097x3576.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nqLU!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8a78a5df-9929-4c36-bb0d-327d33c26d89_4097x3576.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nqLU!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8a78a5df-9929-4c36-bb0d-327d33c26d89_4097x3576.jpeg" width="1456" height="1271" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nqLU!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8a78a5df-9929-4c36-bb0d-327d33c26d89_4097x3576.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nqLU!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8a78a5df-9929-4c36-bb0d-327d33c26d89_4097x3576.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nqLU!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8a78a5df-9929-4c36-bb0d-327d33c26d89_4097x3576.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nqLU!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8a78a5df-9929-4c36-bb0d-327d33c26d89_4097x3576.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><br><br>I have been feeling somewhat fatigued this week; however, I dedicated myself to some extended efforts. My legs generally felt strong and not overly exhausted, although my energy levels were somewhat in the toilet. Vacation is over :(</p><p><br>&#8226; Step Count for the week: 242,423<br>&#8226; Miles: 77 miles<br>&#8226; Time: 13hrs 36min<br>&#8226; Elevation: 12,274ft<br></p><div><hr></div><p><br><em><strong>Sunday, March 8, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Trail Run<br>Distance 21.11 mi<br>Moving Time 3:49:22<br>Pace 10:52 /mi<br>Elevation 2,251 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 136bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Monday, March 9, 2026</strong></em><br><strong>Chest, Back, Biceps, Shoulders, Quads, Hamstrings</strong></p><p>Exercises:<br>&#8226; Back Squat<br>&#8226; Barbell Row<br>&#8226; Cable Face Pull<br>&#8226; Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat<br>&#8226; Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift<br>&#8226; EZ Bar Curl<br>&#8226; Seated Cable Fly</p><p><br><em><strong>Tuesday, March 10, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Trail Run<br>Distance 11.25 mi<br>Moving Time 1:53:32<br>Pace 10:05 /mi<br>Elevation 1,969 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 137bpm<br><br><em><strong>Wednesday, March 11, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Trail Run<br>Distance 13.24 mi<br>Moving Time 2:27:22<br>Pace 11:08 /mi<br>Elevation 2,346 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 127bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Thursday, March 12, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Trail Run<br>Distance 10.60 mi<br>Moving Time 1:51:09<br>Pace 10:29 /mi<br>Elevation 1,749 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 128bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Friday, March 13, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Trail Run/Hill Repeat<br>Distance 6.43 mi<br>Moving Time 58:52<br>Pace 9:09 /mi<br>Elevation 1,050 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 139bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Saturday, March 14, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Trail Run<br>Distance 14.39 mi<br>Moving Time 2:28:05<br>Pace 10:17 /mi<br>Elevation 2,910 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 140bpm<br><br></p><div><hr></div><p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OYZx!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa489fd3e-5ec0-49c5-8a4a-f313f3429502_3072x4096.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OYZx!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa489fd3e-5ec0-49c5-8a4a-f313f3429502_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OYZx!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa489fd3e-5ec0-49c5-8a4a-f313f3429502_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OYZx!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa489fd3e-5ec0-49c5-8a4a-f313f3429502_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OYZx!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa489fd3e-5ec0-49c5-8a4a-f313f3429502_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OYZx!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa489fd3e-5ec0-49c5-8a4a-f313f3429502_3072x4096.jpeg" width="1456" height="1941" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a489fd3e-5ec0-49c5-8a4a-f313f3429502_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1941,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:3463403,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/i/190874376?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa489fd3e-5ec0-49c5-8a4a-f313f3429502_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OYZx!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa489fd3e-5ec0-49c5-8a4a-f313f3429502_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OYZx!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa489fd3e-5ec0-49c5-8a4a-f313f3429502_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OYZx!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa489fd3e-5ec0-49c5-8a4a-f313f3429502_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OYZx!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa489fd3e-5ec0-49c5-8a4a-f313f3429502_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I&#8217;m sitting here right after my run on Saturday, feeling mentally tired, but I know I need to start pushing myself more in the coming months, so I&#8217;ll figure it out. On this run, I revisited my old trails that I don&#8217;t get to visit often because of time constraints. It gave me some energy, as I truly love these trails on the eastern slope of the Sierras that offer tough, humbling climbs for miles and plenty of technical downhills to enjoy and let loose a little.</p><p>Sometimes, I struggle during weeks like these when I push my body to uncomfortable limits between work and running. But I know I am building toward something that will change me forever in a few months. It scares me a little about what&#8217;s coming, but I hope to be prepared for the challenge and to grow from it.</p><p>While I was running today, I thought about how I might be inspiring those around me without even realizing it. This idea kind of creeps me out a bit because some people consider what I do extreme, but I truly enjoy pushing my body to the limit. There&#8217;s a feeling I get when my body is sore and tired at the end of the day that I can&#8217;t quite explain, but it feels good to me. </p><p><br><em>Sometimes I surprise myself with what I can push through, mentally and physically.</em><br></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading mountain snail's journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 3/01/2026-3/07/2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[Not naming names, but someone might have or might not have gotten me sick on vacation.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-3012026-3072026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-3012026-3072026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 08 Mar 2026 17:30:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2VLr!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd425174b-42fa-434b-a68f-308065762d56_2924x3899.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2VLr!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd425174b-42fa-434b-a68f-308065762d56_2924x3899.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2VLr!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd425174b-42fa-434b-a68f-308065762d56_2924x3899.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2VLr!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd425174b-42fa-434b-a68f-308065762d56_2924x3899.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2VLr!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd425174b-42fa-434b-a68f-308065762d56_2924x3899.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2VLr!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd425174b-42fa-434b-a68f-308065762d56_2924x3899.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2VLr!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd425174b-42fa-434b-a68f-308065762d56_2924x3899.jpeg" width="1456" height="1941" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2VLr!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd425174b-42fa-434b-a68f-308065762d56_2924x3899.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2VLr!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd425174b-42fa-434b-a68f-308065762d56_2924x3899.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2VLr!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd425174b-42fa-434b-a68f-308065762d56_2924x3899.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2VLr!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd425174b-42fa-434b-a68f-308065762d56_2924x3899.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><br><br>Not naming names, but someone might have or might not have gotten me sick on vacation. It&#8217;s just a little upper lung congestion and a mysterious, random cough, but it didn&#8217;t affect my run along the cliffs of Kauai. It just made me go slower and stop frequently to take it all in. I did some hiking for a couple of days and kayaked one day; it was mainly a relaxing float on a calm river. Back to work next week for my enjoyment.</p><p><br>&#8226; Step Count for the week: 140,239<br>&#8226; Miles: 37 miles<br>&#8226; Time: 6hrs 28min<br>&#8226; Elevation: 3,350ft<br></p><div><hr></div><p><br><em><strong>Sunday, March 1, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Trail Run<br>Distance 7.30 mi<br>Moving Time 1:10:46<br>Pace 9:41 /mi<br>Elevation 554 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 131bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Monday, March 2, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226;Trail Run<br>Distance 8.00 mi<br>Moving Time 1:18:39<br>Pace 9:50 /mi<br>Elevation 502 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 127bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Tuesday, March 3, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Off<br><br><em><strong>Wednesday, March 4, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Trail Run<br>Distance 6.76 mi<br>Moving Time 1:07:32<br>Pace 9:59 /mi<br>Elevation 551 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 127bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Thursday, March 5, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Trail Run<br>Distance 7.56 mi<br>Moving Time 1:12:19<br>Pace 9:34 /mi<br>Elevation 554 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 131bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Friday, March 6, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Travel</p><p><br><em><strong>Saturday, March 7, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Trail Run<br>Distance 7.22 mi<br>Moving Time 1:09:30<br>Pace 9:37 /mi<br>Elevation 1,188 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 143bpm<br><br></p><div><hr></div><p>Random gallery of photos from my enjoyable week in Kauai and my first visit to the island. It is the smallest of the inhabited Hawaiian islands and one of the oldest. It&#8217;s famous for filming Jurassic Park (Waimea Canyon) and is also one of the wettest places on Earth. I didn&#8217;t get to explore the Na Pali Coast much because of time, mostly, but I did experience a good mix of everything else on the &#8220;Garden Island.&#8221;</p><div class="image-gallery-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;gallery&quot;:{&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2a8fb11a-374d-4c7b-8fab-566f0065b546_3036x4049.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c497b2e5-8b4f-4cca-8082-99802454d37f_2989x3985.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/25e8dac4-49f1-4133-aade-1d40d35b807a_2956x3941.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5036c8c1-b108-4805-b5e4-3a6b92b0ebad_2962x3950.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d6567202-519a-4057-97cc-a45eb508bc00_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/456cdaa5-17be-4124-97de-9362e4c76d36_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/b46ea672-551c-4dd6-a3e1-9d59d2154a23_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0f6a15d3-ef5d-41d6-b476-d9340247e003_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2c92ada8-6950-4d4a-83fd-41d55f68a501_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;}],&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;staticGalleryImage&quot;:{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6a64007a-3b95-4fbd-ba49-87e98b249915_1456x1454.png&quot;}},&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true}"></div><p><br></p><div class="image-gallery-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;gallery&quot;:{&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/683c4556-f5eb-47cf-a941-1a929e55b108_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/000bb051-6a81-4fa7-8e80-639bf4399c31_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2753487f-a88a-4264-8062-e4f658b92d32_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/03cc0e7b-ec14-4b11-9e35-9d342ad726f1_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7199435f-7fa7-4cb3-8761-0768984040af_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d4824396-ba85-49e6-8db6-7186f1bcb3a7_2068x2759.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ec73bf82-2c21-4dfc-930b-01e4c75e9146_1117x1489.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5d920967-9c78-427e-be1d-2665a32e111b_2371x3161.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/41fe3320-80f3-4512-a6d3-1b5e944f05ca_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;}],&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;staticGalleryImage&quot;:{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/61e756cc-b7ce-4d43-9774-8f6bba3a958e_1456x1454.png&quot;}},&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true}"></div><p><br></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading mountain snail's journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 2/22/2026-2/28/2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[A whole bunch of traveling this week with getting back from Merced, Ca and going to Kauai for a little vacation.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-2222026-2282026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-2222026-2282026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 20:30:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Q6i!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F288dafab-a414-424d-add5-151e86da26eb_3072x4096.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PqOS!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe359362b-cec7-4435-9e84-efb13c7a2526_3072x4096.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PqOS!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe359362b-cec7-4435-9e84-efb13c7a2526_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PqOS!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe359362b-cec7-4435-9e84-efb13c7a2526_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PqOS!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe359362b-cec7-4435-9e84-efb13c7a2526_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PqOS!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe359362b-cec7-4435-9e84-efb13c7a2526_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PqOS!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe359362b-cec7-4435-9e84-efb13c7a2526_3072x4096.jpeg" width="1456" height="1941" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PqOS!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe359362b-cec7-4435-9e84-efb13c7a2526_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PqOS!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe359362b-cec7-4435-9e84-efb13c7a2526_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PqOS!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe359362b-cec7-4435-9e84-efb13c7a2526_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PqOS!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe359362b-cec7-4435-9e84-efb13c7a2526_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><br><br>A whole bunch of traveling this week, with getting back from Merced, CA, and going to Kauai for a little vacation. The old problem leg is feeling good to go after a long time away from the gym. I went on Tuesday and paid the price for doing my typical leg day. The day after was a reminder of a good leg day at the gym with that good old pain of building new muscle. I will be in Hawaii next week and hope to report back on some cool trail running and hiking in my next post. Pictures coming soon.</p><p><br>&#8226; Step Count for the week: 166,699<br>&#8226; Miles: 42 miles<br>&#8226; Time: 6hrs 53min<br>&#8226; Elevation: 4,846ft<br></p><div><hr></div><p><br><em><strong>Sunday, February 22, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Travel</p><p><br><em><strong>Monday, February 23, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Road Run<br>Distance 15.53 mi<br>Moving Time 2:19:18<br>Pace 8:58 /mi<br>Elevation 1,882 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 139bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Tuesday, February 24, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Abs, Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, Abductors, Adductors<br>Exercises:<br>&#8226; Back Squat<br>&#8226; Calf Press on Leg Press<br>&#8226; Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat<br>&#8226; Leg Extension<br>&#8226; Leg Press<br>&#8226; Machine Abduction<br>&#8226; Machine Adduction<br>&#8226; Machine Seated Crunch<br>&#8226; Plate-Loaded Hip Thrust Belt Supported<br>&#8226; Seated Leg Curl<br><br><em><strong>Wednesday, February 25, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Road Run<br>Distance 13.25 mi<br>Moving Time 2:07:31<br>Pace 9.37 /mi<br>Elevation 1,582 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 129bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Thursday, February 26, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Trail Run<br>Distance 8.07 mi<br>Moving Time 1:12:46<br>Pace 9:01 /mi<br>Elevation 82 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 118bpm</p><p><br><em><strong>Friday, February 27, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Travel</p><p><br><em><strong>Saturday, February 28, 2026</strong></em><br>&#8226; Trail Run<br>Distance 5.56 mi<br>Moving Time 1:03:24<br>Pace11:24 /mi<br>Elevation 482 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 123bpm<br><br></p><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c4fs!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F856046af-4b3b-4de9-8486-62496c3bd2c6_3072x4096.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c4fs!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F856046af-4b3b-4de9-8486-62496c3bd2c6_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c4fs!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F856046af-4b3b-4de9-8486-62496c3bd2c6_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c4fs!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F856046af-4b3b-4de9-8486-62496c3bd2c6_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c4fs!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F856046af-4b3b-4de9-8486-62496c3bd2c6_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c4fs!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F856046af-4b3b-4de9-8486-62496c3bd2c6_3072x4096.jpeg" width="1456" height="1941" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c4fs!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F856046af-4b3b-4de9-8486-62496c3bd2c6_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c4fs!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F856046af-4b3b-4de9-8486-62496c3bd2c6_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c4fs!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F856046af-4b3b-4de9-8486-62496c3bd2c6_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!c4fs!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F856046af-4b3b-4de9-8486-62496c3bd2c6_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Sunrise near Shipwreck Beach</figcaption></figure></div><p><br><br>I&#8217;m in Kauai right now, on the southern side of the island in Poipu at Shipwreck Beach, looking out over the Pacific Ocean. Sitting here late on a Saturday night, watching people enjoy themselves felt like my own little moment of joy. Let me tell you what I saw because it was pretty amazing. In the distance, cliff jumpers were leaping into a rough ocean. My older self worried about their safety, but my younger self wanted to run up and check it out. Nearby, a small group of surfers were riding 4-5 foot waves that kept pushing them back onto the beach. They seemed less risky than the jumpers, for sure. Michelle was standing ankle-deep in the water, staring out at what she called the &#8220;edge of the world.&#8221; A professional photographer was taking glamour shots of a young couple, and another was capturing a family with a toddler, using the endless ocean and the famous cliff as their backdrop. I also noticed two people wandering around the beach near one of the photographers, completely unaware they were photo bombing the scene. There were still many beachgoers doing their thing, but it wasn&#8217;t overcrowded. Up on another cliff, the condominiums held more people like me, enjoying everything happening in that small slice of the world.<br><em>It&#8217;s great to just sit quietly, take in the world around you, and enjoy the moment.</em><br><br></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading mountain snail's journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 2/15/2026-2/21/2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[Another week of easy running as I work on healing my leg.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-2152026-2212026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-2152026-2212026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 18:30:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Odg7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F325abc9f-5172-4b2f-95bc-a17473e28c85_2756x3674.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="image-gallery-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;gallery&quot;:{&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/325abc9f-5172-4b2f-95bc-a17473e28c85_2756x3674.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d1089aae-e1df-4b30-8d04-6ec1cd9063a5_2448x3264.jpeg&quot;}],&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;staticGalleryImage&quot;:{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/75055ae1-709d-4765-93ad-3f7c629c2cff_1456x720.png&quot;}},&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true}"></div><p><br>Another week of easy running as I work on healing my leg. The weather was tough, with the most snow we&#8217;ve had this season, but I enjoy the challenge of running in snow. It also makes me slow down on the rocky terrain. I&#8217;ll be out of town from Friday to Sunday, so I&#8217;ll need to find creative ways to fit in a few miles.</p><ul><li><p>Step Count for the week: 172,240</p></li><li><p>Miles: 43 miles</p></li><li><p>Time: 7hrs 18min</p></li><li><p>Elevation: 5,243ft</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><p><br><em><strong>Sunday, February 15, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 17.93 mi</p><p>Moving Time 2:59:39</p><p>Pace 10:01 /mi</p><p>Elevation 2,315 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 140bpm</p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Monday, February 16, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 11.25 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:44:01</p><p>Pace 9:14 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,441 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 145bpm</p><p></p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Tuesday, February 17, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Off<br></p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Wednesday, February 18, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 5.82 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:07:59</p><p>Pace 11:40 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,040 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 130bpm</p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Thursday, February 19, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Off</p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Friday, February 20, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Off</p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Saturday, February 21, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Road Run<br>Distance 8.07 mi<br>Moving Time 1:12:46<br>Pace 9:01 /mi<br>Elevation 82 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 118bpm</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><div class="native-video-embed" data-component-name="VideoPlaceholder" data-attrs="{&quot;mediaUploadId&quot;:&quot;5f95302a-4b10-4fbb-8cf1-c71ed27d56b0&quot;,&quot;duration&quot;:null}"></div><p>Running on snowy, rocky terrain isn't for everyone, but it's one of my favorite activities. It feels especially peaceful on familiar trails, and it forces me to slow down and focus, knowing there are rocks hidden beneath the snow. Many wonder why anyone would enjoy or endure this, but surprisingly, it's not as difficult as it appears. My familiar trails seem new again, providing a brief sense of novelty and increasing the challenge. This activity helps build resilience, reminding me that when things go wrong, I've faced similar situations before and shouldn't worry because it's just not going my way. </p><p><em>Build up that callus to withstand tougher times.</em></p><p>Sorry for the brief post this week; I just wasn&#8217;t really feeling up to it.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading mountain snail's journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 2/8/2026-2/14/2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[Not much to report this week regarding my progress, except that my left leg is improving and feels about 80% normal.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-282026-2142026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-282026-2142026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 19:21:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/23739cf3-f1d7-4b5a-84eb-4e8af4159958_1280x960.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="image-gallery-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;gallery&quot;:{&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ccbfe7c1-5284-4c25-b243-48fab44755e5_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/138033d0-a088-47df-9fb3-147580dda273_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;}],&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;staticGalleryImage&quot;:{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/dc6aec7b-2828-4379-9123-8594997de3b3_1456x720.png&quot;}},&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true}"></div><p><br>Not much to report this week regarding my progress, except that my left leg is improving and feels about 70% normal. I can confirm that using the Tiger Balm patches for 16 hours each day has helped significantly in restoring my leg's strength. Fingers crossed. I might avoid the gym for a while and instead use light girly dumbbells at home for some gentle leg workouts, rather than lifting heavy weights. I took the first part of the week off and did some faster, shorter runs at the end of the week because I felt like moving more quickly for some reason.</p><ul><li><p>Step Count for the week: 168,457</p></li><li><p>Miles: 31 miles</p></li><li><p>Time: 4hrs 42min</p></li><li><p>Elevation: 4,193ft</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><p><br><em><strong>Sunday, February 8, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Off</p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Monday, February 9, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Off</p><p></p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Tuesday, February 10, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Off<br></p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Wednesday, February 11, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Off</p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Thursday, February 12, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Road Run<br>Distance 7.50 mi<br>Moving Time 59:33<br>Pace 7:56 /mi<br>Elevation 761 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 145bpm</p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Friday, February 13, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Road Run<br>Distance 9.75 mi<br>Moving Time 1:28:24<br>Pace 9:04 /mi<br>Elevation 1,143 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 131bpm</p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Saturday, February 14, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Trail Run<br>Distance 13.32 mi<br>Moving Time 2:12:00<br>Pace 9:54 /mi<br>Elevation 2,392 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 145bpm</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><p></p><div class="image-gallery-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;gallery&quot;:{&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a1a6318f-3c0d-47e9-9ee4-694d8d736d51_5712x4284.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/00777e9d-193d-4a2f-b6d1-f3e3ba273b54_1280x960.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3d74f253-6c16-482d-84ca-947f3bdf0fbb_1280x960.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/db4626bb-86ef-451e-bf73-67edc0e93518_1280x960.jpeg&quot;}],&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;staticGalleryImage&quot;:{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/778b15c4-32db-4aa9-b29a-dd82fcc3ada2_1456x1456.png&quot;}},&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true}"></div><p>With Valentine's Day yesterday, I wanted to share something that shows my love, even though I tend to be on the stoic side and rarely show my emotions to others, including those I truly care about. We all have someone in the world who is our true love, but we have to seek them out. Some of us lose that love, and others have it taken away. Yet, I am one of those who was given a second chance in life to find love again. Even though Michelle and I may seem like opposites on the surface&#8212;me being stoic and reserved, and her showing more emotion than I ever could&#8212;our differences work because they balance each other. She often says she loves me or compliments me on what I do or how I look, while I struggle to express how I feel about her or to give her the praise she deserves. I&#8217;m not completely terrible at it, because I do hold Michelle in my heart in ways she knows my love for her, and I listen to her input. Still, I find it hard to always act on that input for her. Our differences are actually key to how we get along and grow, especially given that we didn&#8217;t even know each other existed in this world at first. Being together these past few years has changed us for the better. I bring my discipline and calmness in difficult situations, while Michelle offers her opinions on areas where I could improve. It&#8217;s funny sometimes to see her reaction when she hears stories from my past&#8212;about my days as a binge drinker and how I was sometimes mean to others before she knew me. She looks at me differently now because I&#8217;ve worked on becoming a better person, compared to my younger self who hadn&#8217;t figured things out yet&#8212;like all of us. I&#8217;m not saying I&#8217;m perfect now, but it&#8217;s definitely easier to be around me these days. Michelle and I are still a work in progress, but we each day grow closer rather than grow apart, as so many relationships do when they follow a path that doesn&#8217;t nurture love.</p><p><em>Always strive for a second chance, even if you feel you don&#8217;t deserve it.</em></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading mountain snail's journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 2/1/2026-2/7/2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[My left leg swelled up this week from an overuse injury I noticed last week.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-212026-272026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-212026-272026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 18:30:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!9i2c!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff653d769-afe7-4881-8d9d-a51f2b796320_3072x4096.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div class="image-gallery-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;gallery&quot;:{&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f653d769-afe7-4881-8d9d-a51f2b796320_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f51d4d2b-3661-417e-9311-b8b54e911431_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;}],&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Felt like the Blazer this week.&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;staticGalleryImage&quot;:{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c9c10762-8ea9-4ecc-ba80-1247c580c04a_1456x720.png&quot;}},&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true}"></div><p><br>My left leg swelled up this week from an overuse injury I noticed last week. I was planning to run closer to 100 miles this week since I had time off from work, but my left lower leg had other plans. I ran 19 miles both days last weekend and experienced about a 3 on the pain scale, but it didn&#8217;t get worse. On Monday, I did a speed workout in the hills that was my fastest on one of my usual loops, and I still felt pretty good, with some soreness. I went to the gym and ran around the Marina on Tuesday, but I noticed my leg pain had increased to about a 5 on the scale. When I woke up very early Wednesday, that pain became intense&#8212;approaching an 8-9&#8212;and I noticed a noticeable bulge on my left shin. It was a crushing realization that I would need time off to heal, even though I wanted to keep pushing towards my weekly goal. I took the following three days off and went for a run on Saturday. During my slow run on Saturday, the pain came in waves as I ran just under 14 miles with my heavy pack, which carried extra water, food, a beacon, and my sticks in case things went wrong. I&#8217;m still deciding whether to take a week off from running to heal, since I walk 60-70 miles a week for work, which is more than most. </p><ul><li><p>Step Count for the week: 124,838</p></li><li><p>Miles: 56 miles</p></li><li><p>Time: 10hrs 06min</p></li><li><p>Elevation: 8,301ft</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><p><br><em><strong>Sunday, February 1, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Trail Run<br>Distance 19.03 mi<br>Moving Time 3:53:36<br>Pace 12:16 /mi<br>Elevation 3,668 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 133bpm</p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Monday, February 2, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Trail Run - Speed</p><p>Distance 11.16 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:40:18</p><p>Pace 8:59 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,942 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 147bpm</p><p></p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Tuesday, February 3, 2026</strong></em></p><p>Abs, Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings, Abductors, Adductors</p><ul><li><p>Exercises:</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat<br>&#8226; Machine Abduction<br>&#8226; Machine Adduction<br>&#8226; Machine Leg Press<br>&#8226; Machine Seated Crunch<br>&#8226; Plate-Loaded Hip Thrust Belt Supported<br>&#8226; Seated Leg Curl<br>&#8226; Smith Machine Squat</p></li></ul><ul><li><p>Road Run<br>Distance 12.06 mi<br>Moving Time 1:41:52<br>Pace 8:27 /mi<br>Elevation 233 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 135bpm<br></p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Wednesday, February 4, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Off</p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Thursday, February 5, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Off</p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Friday, February 6, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Off</p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Saturday, February 7, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Trail Run<br>Distance 13.85 mi<br>Moving Time 2:40:58<br>Pace 11:37 /mi<br>Elevation 2,457 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 138bpm</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><p></p><p>I received a speeding ticket on Sunday that I fully deserved. I was on the Vista Blvd onramp heading westbound on I-80 and saw that the interstate traffic was tightly packed, with cars following each other about 10-15 feet apart. A car was merging in front of me at around 50-55 mph. As I tried to merge, no one was giving way, so I sped past the slow-moving car in front of me, acting like a NASCAR driver. That&#8217;s when I noticed a Highway Patrol car while going fairly fast. He pulled me over and asked the usual, &#8220;You know why I pulled you over.&#8221; I responded honestly, &#8220;I know what I did, and I was driving like a fucking idiot to merge onto the freeway when no one was letting me in.&#8221; My move was probably reckless enough to warrant a ride in his backseat. However, since I owned up to my actions instead of blaming others, he let me go with only a 1-10 mph over the speed limit ticket, which was a relief.</p><p><em>It&#8217;s positive to recognize my frustration with others, which is something I constantly struggle with. Even though I understand, I frustrate those around me in the same way. Being humbled by my poor actions.</em></p><p>However, there's a second part to this story. While I was frustrated about the speeding ticket, I shrugged it off as just a minor citation. As I exited the off-ramp for McCarran Blvd and received my ticket from the NHP officer, I noticed a woman dressed in revealing clothes frantically waving her arms, trying to stop cars, shouting, and picking up trash along the highway. She seemed to have some mental health issues, but she was dangerously close to the fast-moving traffic, risking her safety. Once the officer finished issuing my ticket, he needed to attend to that situation next.</p><p>I looked back at this, thinking, what if that moment hadn&#8217;t happened with me getting a speeding ticket&#8212;does that lady get run over and killed? </p><p><em>Things happen for a reason, sometimes even if they don&#8217;t go your way.</em><br></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading mountain snail's journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 1/25/2026-1/31/2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[Suffered a minor setback with an overuse injury this week.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-1252026-1312026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-1252026-1312026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 18:30:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zayu!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62f5e3bb-b201-4304-a18b-44b107e588d4_3072x4096.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zayu!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62f5e3bb-b201-4304-a18b-44b107e588d4_3072x4096.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zayu!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62f5e3bb-b201-4304-a18b-44b107e588d4_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zayu!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62f5e3bb-b201-4304-a18b-44b107e588d4_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zayu!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62f5e3bb-b201-4304-a18b-44b107e588d4_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zayu!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62f5e3bb-b201-4304-a18b-44b107e588d4_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zayu!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62f5e3bb-b201-4304-a18b-44b107e588d4_3072x4096.jpeg" width="1456" height="1941" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/62f5e3bb-b201-4304-a18b-44b107e588d4_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1941,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2015012,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/i/186441460?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62f5e3bb-b201-4304-a18b-44b107e588d4_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zayu!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62f5e3bb-b201-4304-a18b-44b107e588d4_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zayu!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62f5e3bb-b201-4304-a18b-44b107e588d4_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zayu!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62f5e3bb-b201-4304-a18b-44b107e588d4_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Zayu!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62f5e3bb-b201-4304-a18b-44b107e588d4_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><br><br>Suffered a minor setback with an overuse injury this week. I strained my tibialis anterior, which is on the outside of the front of the leg. It feels very similar to a shin splint and definitely makes pushing off my foot, especially on the uphills, difficult. I think it flared up on Monday at the gym, feeling like a 3-4 on the pain scale, and worsened after Tuesday&#8217;s run. I woke up Wednesday morning at a 7-8 pain level and decided to take the next two days off from running. I pushed a 19-mile run on Saturday, with my left leg feeling pretty good during the run, but it did make me noticeably slower; it didn&#8217;t get worse. Next week, I hope to approach 100 miles of running, fingers crossed.</p><ul><li><p>Step Count for the week: 221,998</p></li><li><p>Miles: 65 miles</p></li><li><p>Time: 11hrs 21min</p></li><li><p>Elevation: 8,806ft</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><p><br><em><strong>Sunday, January 25, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Trail Run<br>Distance 20.45 mi<br>Moving Time 3:30:33<br>Pace 10:18 /mi<br>Elevation 2,792 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 130bpm</p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Monday, January 26, 2026</strong></em><br>Abs, Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, Abductors, Adductors</p><ul><li><p>Exercises:</p><p>&#8226; Back Squat</p><p>&#8226; Calf Press on Leg Press</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat</p><p>&#8226; Leg Press</p><p>&#8226; Machine Abduction</p><p>&#8226; Machine Adduction</p><p>&#8226; Machine Seated Crunch</p><p>&#8226; Plate-Loaded Hip Thrust Belt Supported</p><p>&#8226; Plate-Loaded Seated Calf Raise</p><p>&#8226; Seated Leg Curl</p></li><li><p>Road Run</p><p>Distance 9.92 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:21:46</p><p>Pace 8:15 /mi</p><p>Elevation 194 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 132bpm</p><p></p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Tuesday, January 27, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Trail Run<br>Distance 9.32 mi<br>Moving Time 1:39:24<br>Pace 10:40 /mi<br>Elevation 1,604 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 131bpm<br></p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Wednesday, January 28, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Off</p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Thursday, January 29, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Off</p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Friday, January 30, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Trail Run<br>Distance 6.35 mi<br>Moving Time 1:05:48<br>Pace 10:22 /mi<br>Elevation 932 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 128bpm</p></li></ul><p><em><strong>Saturday, January 31, 2026</strong></em></p><ul><li><p>Trail Run<br>Distance 18.97 mi<br>Moving Time 3:30:46<br>Pace 11:06 /mi<br>Elevation 3,284 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 138bpm</p></li></ul><div><hr></div><p></p><div class="image-gallery-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;gallery&quot;:{&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d97934d2-e7b3-46a4-95b0-da5883b2ac1d_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ceb981db-3384-4527-a82f-b142c6e26836_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;}],&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;staticGalleryImage&quot;:{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f2e705b0-562d-4cbe-8dbd-0603cb12d70d_1456x720.png&quot;}},&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true}"></div><p>After visiting the gym, I enjoy running a few laps around Sparks Marina. I always stop by Johnny&#8217;s remembrance plaque at the military memorial there. I had the pleasure of working with Johnny and sharing a tractor with him for two years. He was such a kind person who would go out of his way for others, and you could tell if he liked you because he&#8217;d give you a special nickname. My nickname was Kramer from the Seinfeld TV show, though I never quite understood why it was given to me&#8212;it was probably because of my Energizer-bunny vibe! Johnny is also one of the reasons I&#8217;m lucky enough to be with my wonderful girlfriend, Michelle, who some might say we&#8217;re a bit of an odd couple. She played a big part in getting Johnny&#8217;s plaque placed at the Marina so everyone could remember what a great person he was. Hays even made it onto her refrigerator, which she only reserves for the most important people in her life. Recently, I&#8217;ve also been lucky enough to receive a special spot on her refrigerator wall where she keeps her most meaningful things.</p><p>Always remember the important people who touch you through life.<br><br></p><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading mountain snail's journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 1/18/2026-1/24/2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[I purchased an affordable tool to help stretch my hip flexors for recovery, and it seems to be reducing the pain I occasionally experience.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-1182026-1242026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-1182026-1242026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 25 Jan 2026 18:30:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4R0O!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50dd248d-b90b-477d-a5aa-813031ecc69e_3072x4096.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4R0O!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50dd248d-b90b-477d-a5aa-813031ecc69e_3072x4096.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4R0O!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50dd248d-b90b-477d-a5aa-813031ecc69e_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4R0O!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50dd248d-b90b-477d-a5aa-813031ecc69e_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4R0O!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50dd248d-b90b-477d-a5aa-813031ecc69e_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4R0O!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50dd248d-b90b-477d-a5aa-813031ecc69e_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4R0O!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50dd248d-b90b-477d-a5aa-813031ecc69e_3072x4096.jpeg" width="1456" height="1941" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/50dd248d-b90b-477d-a5aa-813031ecc69e_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1941,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2771753,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/i/185561596?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50dd248d-b90b-477d-a5aa-813031ecc69e_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4R0O!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50dd248d-b90b-477d-a5aa-813031ecc69e_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4R0O!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50dd248d-b90b-477d-a5aa-813031ecc69e_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4R0O!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50dd248d-b90b-477d-a5aa-813031ecc69e_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4R0O!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F50dd248d-b90b-477d-a5aa-813031ecc69e_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><br><br>I purchased an affordable tool to help stretch my hip flexors for recovery, and it seems to be reducing the pain I occasionally experience. Interestingly, I also notice I feel stronger during my runs, though I can&#8217;t quite explain why since I haven&#8217;t observed any performance improvements. On Sunday, I completed a longer, slower run with minimal discomfort afterward, possibly because I increased my carbohydrate intake during the run. On Thursday, I did a hill repeat session that really challenged me, pushing as hard as I&#8217;ve ever sprinted. I got in about 53 miles this week and will be doing my first hard week the first week of February.<br>Step Count for the week: 200,635</p><div><hr></div><p><br>Sunday, January 11, 2026<br>&#8226; Trail Run<br>Distance 17.64 mi<br>Moving Time 3:18:34<br>Pace 11:15 /mi<br>Elevation 3,241 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 133bpm<br>Monday, January 12, 2026<br>&#8226; Off<br>Tuesday, January 13, 2026<br>&#8226; Trail Run<br>Distance 9.58 mi<br>Moving Time 1:39:42<br>Pace 10:24 /mi<br>Elevation 1,736 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 129bpm<br>Wednesday, January 14, 2026<br>&#8226; Trail Run<br>Distance 10.41 mi<br>Moving Time 1:48:40<br>Pace 10:26 /mi<br>Elevation 1,785 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 125bpm<br>Thursday, January 15, 2026<br>&#8226; Trail Run<br>Distance 7.56 mi<br>Moving Time 1:10:24<br>Pace 9:19 /mi<br>Elevation 1,257 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 142bpm<br>Hill Repeats<br>Friday, January 16, 2026<br>&#8226; Off<br>Saturday, January 17, 2026<br>&#8226; Trail Run<br>Distance 7.76 mi<br>Moving Time 1:16:05<br>Pace 9:48 /mi<br>Elevation 1,250 ft<br>Avg Heart Rate 131bpm</p><div><hr></div><p><br>On Friday, I visited my dad and had a serious talk about his recent behavior, which has been somewhat childish. He believes he can&#8217;t handle basic tasks like paying bills or asking me to plug in his cell phone charger, even though it&#8217;s right beside him. This confuses me because, despite his declining health, he should still be able to manage some simple tasks, since his mind remains active. He&#8217;s starting to expect everyone&#8212;even me&#8212;to do everything for him, but I don&#8217;t think giving up on life is the answer, especially when he can still walk. His condition has gotten better, yet he acts as if he needs constant help, which he doesn&#8217;t. Moreover, he&#8217;s been speaking harshly to my mother, who has endured much due to his past addictions that have contributed to his current state.  <br>Don&#8217;t give up because it&#8217;s harder.<br></p><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading mountain snail's journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 1/11/2026-1/17/2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[Intensified my running by adding a few extra miles.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-1112026-1172026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-1112026-1172026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 18 Jan 2026 18:30:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!APxr!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcac36fff-5f8c-46f9-acc5-ab07825837c6_3072x4096.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="image-gallery-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;gallery&quot;:{&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/cac36fff-5f8c-46f9-acc5-ab07825837c6_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;}],&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;staticGalleryImage&quot;:{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/cac36fff-5f8c-46f9-acc5-ab07825837c6_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;}},&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true}"></div><p></p><p>Intensified my running by adding a few extra miles. I will gradually increase my miles over the next couple of weeks, heading toward those challenging 100-mile weeks of fun. I will be doing fewer gym workouts due to time constraints and unexpected family responsibilities related to my dad&#8217;s health issues.</p><p>I will be sharing small life events and thoughts here on Substack for those who choose to follow my journey, because they went out of their way to do so. I will try to post a little something at the end of each weekly calendar for everyone to read.</p><p>Step Count for the week: 194,578</p><h4><em><strong>Sunday, January 11, 2026</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 15.25 mi</p><p>Moving Time 2:19:39</p><p>Pace 10:32 /mi</p><p>Elevation 2,303 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 131bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Monday, January 12, 2026</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Road Run</p><p>Distance 6.18 mi</p><p>Moving Time 49:22</p><p>Pace 7:59 /mi</p><p>Elevation 164 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 125bpm</p></li><li><p>Abs, Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings, Calves</p><p>Exercises:</p><p>&#8226; Calf Press on Leg Press</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat</p><p>&#8226; Leg Extension</p><p>&#8226; Leg Press</p><p>&#8226; Machine Glute Kickback</p><p>&#8226; Machine Seated Crunch</p><p>&#8226; Plate-Loaded Hip Thrust Belt Supported</p><p>&#8226; Plate-Loaded Seated Calf Raise</p><p>&#8226; Seated Leg Curl</p><p>&#8226; Smith Machine Squat</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Tuesday, January 13, 2026</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 6.63 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:08:13</p><p>Pace 10:17 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,027 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 124bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Wednesday, January 14, 2026</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Off</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Thursday, January 15, 2026</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 7.27 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:09:01</p><p>Pace 9:30 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,194 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 132bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Friday, January 16, 2026</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Road Run</p><p>Distance 10.59 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:37:23</p><p>Pace 9:12 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,132 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 120bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Saturday, January 17, 2026</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p><strong>Abs, Chest, Shoulders, Triceps</strong></p><p>Exercises:<br>&#8226; Arnold Press<br>&#8226; Cable Crossover Fly<br>&#8226; Dumbbell Incline Bench Press<br>&#8226; Dumbbell Lateral Raise<br>&#8226; Dumbbell Skullcrusher<br>&#8226; Machine Seated Crunch<br>&#8226; Single Arm Dumbbell Tricep Extension</p></li><li><p>Road Run</p><p>Distance 6.17 mi</p><p>Moving Time 49:11</p><p>Pace 7:58 /mi</p><p>Elevation 112 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 135bpm</p></li></ul><p>On Tuesday, after visiting my dad at Renown Hospital, I was driving along Mill Street and had a moment of reflection. I was behind a school bus full of elementary-aged kids, and they started waving at me from the back. Without really thinking, I waved back to them, and then it turned into a waving game all the way down Mill Street between us until I took the on-ramp for 395 south. As I kept driving back to my parents&#8217; house to care for the animals, I thought about those kids being young and just starting out in life, just as I had just left my dad, who is nearing the end of his. It&#8217;s these small moments that impact all of us, but sometimes we don&#8217;t pause to enjoy them or learn from them. </p><p>Memento Mori.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Mountain Snail&#8217;s journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 1/4/2026-1/10/2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s been a fairly smooth week, mostly dealing with the usual challenges that come as our parents age and health concerns grow.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-142026-1102026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-142026-1102026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 11 Jan 2026 18:30:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!tX1Y!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2164fc3a-1cca-4c87-88d8-bd4bf392c1e8_2905x3874.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="image-gallery-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;gallery&quot;:{&quot;images&quot;:[{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2164fc3a-1cca-4c87-88d8-bd4bf392c1e8_2905x3874.jpeg&quot;},{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f8fb4047-55e1-4cca-b8ff-fa2d7d4638d0_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;}],&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;staticGalleryImage&quot;:{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/76626cc3-fe76-4706-9dc3-7057a999ef18_1456x720.png&quot;}},&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true}"></div><p></p><p>It&#8217;s been a fairly smooth week, mostly dealing with the usual challenges that come as our parents age and health concerns grow. My dad&#8217;s unhealthy decisions are finally catching up with him, which has meant I&#8217;ve been taking on more responsibilities, and I&#8217;ll need to adjust my priorities with that moving forward. Plus, on Friday at work, I misstepped on my left foot, making running a bit uncomfortable. But it&#8217;s nothing serious at the moment&#8212;just a common bump in the road for me, even if it&#8217;s a bit frustrating. </p><p>Step Count for the week: 169,298</p><h4><em><strong>Sunday, January 4, 2026</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Off</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Monday, January 5, 2026</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Road Run</p><p>Distance 10.16 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:21:25</p><p>Pace 8:01 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,076 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 147bpm</p><p>intervals</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Tuesday, January 6, 2026</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p><strong>Off</strong></p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Wednesday, January 7, 2026</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 7.35 mi</p><p>Moving Time 58:38</p><p>Pace 7:58 /mi</p><p>Elevation 676 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 144bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Thursday, January 8, 2026</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 5.13 mi</p><p>Moving Time 57:37</p><p>Pace 11:13 /mi</p><p>Elevation 830 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 126bpm</p><p>Snow Spikes</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Friday, January 9, 2026</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Off</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Saturday, January 10, 2026</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 8.84 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:40:49</p><p>Pace 11:24 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,601 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 119bpm</p><div class="native-video-embed" data-component-name="VideoPlaceholder" data-attrs="{&quot;mediaUploadId&quot;:&quot;26b3d686-a730-4561-91bc-4c574ae1083a&quot;,&quot;duration&quot;:null}"></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Mountain Snail&#8217;s journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 12/28/2025-1/3/2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[Just an ordinary week with nothing particularly exciting to share.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-12282028-132026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-12282028-132026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 04 Jan 2026 18:30:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iENM!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fced49562-32ba-4212-8475-ac30ef96b053_3072x4096.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iENM!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fced49562-32ba-4212-8475-ac30ef96b053_3072x4096.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iENM!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fced49562-32ba-4212-8475-ac30ef96b053_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iENM!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fced49562-32ba-4212-8475-ac30ef96b053_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iENM!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fced49562-32ba-4212-8475-ac30ef96b053_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iENM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fced49562-32ba-4212-8475-ac30ef96b053_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iENM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fced49562-32ba-4212-8475-ac30ef96b053_3072x4096.jpeg" width="1456" height="1941" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ced49562-32ba-4212-8475-ac30ef96b053_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1941,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:3716112,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/i/183199621?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fced49562-32ba-4212-8475-ac30ef96b053_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iENM!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fced49562-32ba-4212-8475-ac30ef96b053_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iENM!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fced49562-32ba-4212-8475-ac30ef96b053_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iENM!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fced49562-32ba-4212-8475-ac30ef96b053_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iENM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fced49562-32ba-4212-8475-ac30ef96b053_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>Just an ordinary week with nothing particularly exciting to share. I&#8217;m looking forward to gradually spending more time on my feet with some road running, especially since the rain is expected to fuck up my trails.</p><p>Step Count for the week: 128,284</p><h4><em><strong>Sunday, December 28, 2025</strong></em></h4><p>Abs, Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings, Calves</p><ul><li><p>Exercises:<br>&#8226; Calf Press on Leg Press<br>&#8226; Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat<br>&#8226; Dumbbell Lunge<br>&#8226; Leg Extension<br>&#8226; Leg Press<br>&#8226; Machine Glute Kickback<br>&#8226; Machine Seated Crunch<br>&#8226; Plate-Loaded Hip Thrust Belt Supported<br>&#8226; Plate-Loaded Seated Calf Raise<br>&#8226; Seated Leg Curl<br>&#8226; Smith Machine Squat</p></li><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 5.78 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:01:13</p><p>Pace 10:35 /mi</p><p>Elevation 850 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 138bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Monday, December 29, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 6.89 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:06:43</p><p>Pace 9:40 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,207 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 137bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Tuesday, December 30, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p><strong>Off</strong></p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Wednesday, December 31, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 7.46 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:19:42</p><p>Pace 10:41 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,375 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 127bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Thursday, December 1, 2026</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Road Run</p><p>Distance 9.41 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:19:13</p><p>Pace 8:25 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,040 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 137bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Friday, December 2, 2026</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 5.63 mi</p><p>Moving Time 55:59</p><p>Pace 9:56 /mi</p><p>Elevation 896 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 133bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Saturday, December 3, 2026</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Off</p><div class="native-video-embed" data-component-name="VideoPlaceholder" data-attrs="{&quot;mediaUploadId&quot;:&quot;c5c7d410-87ec-400d-b377-5744069d8a8c&quot;,&quot;duration&quot;:null}"></div><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Mountain Snail&#8217;s journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 12/21-12/27/2025]]></title><description><![CDATA[Another week battling a brutal sinus cold.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-1221-12272025</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-1221-12272025</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 28 Dec 2025 18:30:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/b539f115-4f6f-4c20-8a95-97a0eb400bc1_300x300.webp" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-18m!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b5e7a5d-0967-4ace-9d8c-453fd157e759_1755x2489.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-18m!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b5e7a5d-0967-4ace-9d8c-453fd157e759_1755x2489.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-18m!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b5e7a5d-0967-4ace-9d8c-453fd157e759_1755x2489.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-18m!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b5e7a5d-0967-4ace-9d8c-453fd157e759_1755x2489.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-18m!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b5e7a5d-0967-4ace-9d8c-453fd157e759_1755x2489.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-18m!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b5e7a5d-0967-4ace-9d8c-453fd157e759_1755x2489.jpeg" width="1755" height="2489" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3b5e7a5d-0967-4ace-9d8c-453fd157e759_1755x2489.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:2489,&quot;width&quot;:1755,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1941737,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/i/182733696?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0ce5d202-12ed-42a8-8618-789add4c60fd_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-18m!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b5e7a5d-0967-4ace-9d8c-453fd157e759_1755x2489.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-18m!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b5e7a5d-0967-4ace-9d8c-453fd157e759_1755x2489.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-18m!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b5e7a5d-0967-4ace-9d8c-453fd157e759_1755x2489.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-18m!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3b5e7a5d-0967-4ace-9d8c-453fd157e759_1755x2489.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>Another week battling a brutal sinus cold. The picture above shows what my snot rockets looked like over the past two weeks. I was able to fit in some intervals on Monday, road running, and a speed run on the trails on Saturday to avoid the ground from turning into sticky mud as it thawed. I'm really hopeful that I&#8217;m almost done with this sinus infection or pneumonia&#8212;I&#8217;ve got my fingers crossed. After the holidays, I plan to gradually increase my miles, probably doing more road running since I find it quicker than trail runs, even though I prefer trail runs.</p><p>Step Count for the week: 108,986</p><h4><em><strong>Sunday, December 21, 2025</strong></em></h4><p>Abs, Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Quads, Calves</p><ul><li><p>Exercises:<br>&#8226; Arnold Press<br>&#8226; Cable Cross-Body Tricep Extension<br>&#8226; Cable Crossover Fly<br>&#8226; Calf Press on Leg Press<br>&#8226; Dumbbell Incline Bench Press<br>&#8226; Dumbbell Incline Fly<br>&#8226; Dumbbell Lateral Raise Seated<br>&#8226; Dumbbell Tricep Extension<br>&#8226; Leg Press<br>&#8226; Machine Seated Crunch</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Monday, December 22, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Road Run</p><p>Distance 8.30 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:08:37</p><p>Pace 8:16 /mi</p><p>Elevation 863 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 148bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Tuesday, December 23, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p><strong>Sick Day</strong></p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Wednesday, December 24, 2025</strong></em></h4><p>Abs, Chest, Back, Biceps, Shoulders, Quads</p><ul><li><p>Exercises:</p><p>&#8226; Cable Face Pull</p><p>&#8226; Cable Row Wide Grip</p><p>&#8226; Close-Grip EZ Bar Curl</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat</p><p>&#8226; Hammer Curls</p><p>&#8226; Machine Chest Fly</p><p>&#8226; Machine Reverse Fly</p><p>&#8226; Machine Seated Crunch</p><p>&#8226; Straight Arm Pulldown</p><p>&#8226; V Bar Pulldown</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Thursday, December 25, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p><strong>Christmas</strong></p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Friday, December 26, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Road Run</p><p>Distance 7.53 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:04:55</p><p>Pace 8:37 /mi</p><p>Elevation 870 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 138bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Saturday, December 27, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 5.87 mi</p><p>Moving Time 54:02</p><p>Pace 9:12 /mi</p><p>Elevation 984 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 151bpm</p><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Mountain Snail&#8217;s journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 12/14-12/20/2025]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was dealing with a head cold this week, which made even small tasks feel challenging.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-1214-12202025</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-1214-12202025</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 21 Dec 2025 18:39:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j6hy!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe84d811-46f7-465c-8a8c-bd6ed55b7439_4032x3024.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j6hy!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe84d811-46f7-465c-8a8c-bd6ed55b7439_4032x3024.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j6hy!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe84d811-46f7-465c-8a8c-bd6ed55b7439_4032x3024.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j6hy!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe84d811-46f7-465c-8a8c-bd6ed55b7439_4032x3024.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j6hy!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe84d811-46f7-465c-8a8c-bd6ed55b7439_4032x3024.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j6hy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe84d811-46f7-465c-8a8c-bd6ed55b7439_4032x3024.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j6hy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe84d811-46f7-465c-8a8c-bd6ed55b7439_4032x3024.jpeg" width="1456" height="1941" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/be84d811-46f7-465c-8a8c-bd6ed55b7439_4032x3024.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1941,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1239936,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/i/182189973?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe84d811-46f7-465c-8a8c-bd6ed55b7439_4032x3024.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j6hy!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe84d811-46f7-465c-8a8c-bd6ed55b7439_4032x3024.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j6hy!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe84d811-46f7-465c-8a8c-bd6ed55b7439_4032x3024.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j6hy!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe84d811-46f7-465c-8a8c-bd6ed55b7439_4032x3024.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!j6hy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe84d811-46f7-465c-8a8c-bd6ed55b7439_4032x3024.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>I was dealing with a head cold this week, which made even small tasks feel challenging. I chose to rest for a few days, but still managed to go to work. My runs included some speed intervals, and I look forward to doing more of these in the coming months. Weeks like this can be a bit draining because of the low productivity, but overall, it&#8217;s just a temporary setback. </p><p>Step Count for the week: 124,348</p><h4><em><strong>Sunday, December 14, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p><strong>Abs, Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings, Calves</strong></p><p>Exercises:</p><p>&#8226; Back Squat</p><p>&#8226; Calf Press on Leg Press</p><p>&#8226; Crunches</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Goblet Squat</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Lunge</p><p>&#8226; Leg Press</p><p>&#8226; Machine Glute Kickback</p><p>&#8226; Plate-Loaded Hip Thrust Belt Supported</p><p>&#8226; Plate-Loaded Seated Calf Raise</p><p>&#8226; Seated Leg Curl</p><p>&#8226; Smith Machine Squat</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Monday, December 15, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 6.22 mi</p><p>Moving Time 57:16</p><p>Pace 9:12 /mi</p><p>Elevation 804 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 138bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Tuesday, December 16, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p><strong>Sick Day</strong></p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Wednesday, December 17, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p><strong>Sick Day</strong></p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Thursday, December 18, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p><strong>Sick Day</strong></p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Friday, December 19, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p><strong>Sick Day</strong></p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Saturday, December 20, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 5.79 mi</p><p>Moving Time 58:37</p><p>Pace 10:07 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,083 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 135bpm</p><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading mountain snail's journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 12/6-12/13/2025]]></title><description><![CDATA[This week, I increased my mileage to 44 miles.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-126-12132025</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-126-12132025</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 14 Dec 2025 18:30:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!idTm!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdfa5a05c-1c91-4ec9-8c7a-8d382e97f0e6_1231x1438.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!idTm!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdfa5a05c-1c91-4ec9-8c7a-8d382e97f0e6_1231x1438.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!idTm!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdfa5a05c-1c91-4ec9-8c7a-8d382e97f0e6_1231x1438.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!idTm!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdfa5a05c-1c91-4ec9-8c7a-8d382e97f0e6_1231x1438.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!idTm!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdfa5a05c-1c91-4ec9-8c7a-8d382e97f0e6_1231x1438.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!idTm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdfa5a05c-1c91-4ec9-8c7a-8d382e97f0e6_1231x1438.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!idTm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdfa5a05c-1c91-4ec9-8c7a-8d382e97f0e6_1231x1438.jpeg" width="1231" height="1438" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/dfa5a05c-1c91-4ec9-8c7a-8d382e97f0e6_1231x1438.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1438,&quot;width&quot;:1231,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:446617,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/i/181548358?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdfa5a05c-1c91-4ec9-8c7a-8d382e97f0e6_1231x1438.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!idTm!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdfa5a05c-1c91-4ec9-8c7a-8d382e97f0e6_1231x1438.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!idTm!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdfa5a05c-1c91-4ec9-8c7a-8d382e97f0e6_1231x1438.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!idTm!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdfa5a05c-1c91-4ec9-8c7a-8d382e97f0e6_1231x1438.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!idTm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdfa5a05c-1c91-4ec9-8c7a-8d382e97f0e6_1231x1438.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>This week, I increased my mileage to 44 miles. Tuesday night was rough because poor sleep from inhaling dust at work made breathing difficult all night. As a result, Wednesday&#8217;s run was particularly challenging and highlighted how crucial sleep is to my performance. On Monday, I completed moving out and in with Michelle, so I took that day off. See you next week.</p><p>Step Count for the week: 181,585</p><h4><em><strong>Sunday, December 7, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 7.05 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:07:58</p><p>Pace 9:38 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,670 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 151bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Monday, December 8, 2025</strong></em></h4><p>Day off</p><h4><em><strong>Tuesday, December 9, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p><strong>Abs, Chest, Shoulders, Triceps</strong></p><p>Exercises:<br>&#8226; Barbell Incline Bench Press<br>&#8226; Cable Front Raise<br>&#8226; Cable Rope Tricep Extension<br>&#8226; Decline Crunch<br>&#8226; Dumbbell Lateral Raise Seated<br>&#8226; Dumbbell Skullcrusher<br>&#8226; Mid Cable Crossover Fly</p></li><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 7.0 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:11:34</p><p>Pace 10:13 /mi</p><p>Elevation 878 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 130bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Wednesday, December 10, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 9.13 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:44:06</p><p>Pace 11:24 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,206 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 130bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Thursday, December 11, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 10.46 mi</p><p>Moving Time 2:01:50</p><p>Pace 11:38 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,350 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 126bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Friday, December 12, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Abs, Back, Biceps, Shoulders, Trapezius</p><p>Exercises:</p><p>&#8226; Assisted Pull up</p><p>&#8226; Cable Face Pull</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Shrug</p><p>&#8226; EZ Bar Curl</p><p>&#8226; Machine Seated Crunch</p><p>&#8226; Single Arm Lat Pulldown</p><p>&#8226; V Bar Pulldown</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Saturday, December 13, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 10.51 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:57:31</p><p>Pace 11:11 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,382 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 128bpm</p><p></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading mountain snail's journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 11/30-12/6/2025]]></title><description><![CDATA[This week, I covered about 24 miles across four short runs.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-1130-1262025</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-1130-1262025</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 07 Dec 2025 18:31:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RRYF!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd98795af-a300-487b-874a-f621f40b087d_3072x3748.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RRYF!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd98795af-a300-487b-874a-f621f40b087d_3072x3748.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RRYF!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd98795af-a300-487b-874a-f621f40b087d_3072x3748.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RRYF!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd98795af-a300-487b-874a-f621f40b087d_3072x3748.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RRYF!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd98795af-a300-487b-874a-f621f40b087d_3072x3748.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RRYF!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd98795af-a300-487b-874a-f621f40b087d_3072x3748.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RRYF!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd98795af-a300-487b-874a-f621f40b087d_3072x3748.jpeg" width="3072" height="3748" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d98795af-a300-487b-874a-f621f40b087d_3072x3748.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:3748,&quot;width&quot;:3072,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:4525417,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/i/180907815?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F19e70047-87b7-44a8-9ba4-f1b323184592_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RRYF!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd98795af-a300-487b-874a-f621f40b087d_3072x3748.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RRYF!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd98795af-a300-487b-874a-f621f40b087d_3072x3748.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RRYF!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd98795af-a300-487b-874a-f621f40b087d_3072x3748.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RRYF!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd98795af-a300-487b-874a-f621f40b087d_3072x3748.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>This week, I covered about 24 miles across four short runs. My right hip is giving me some trouble, but I&#8217;m optimistic that stretching will help, even though it&#8217;s not my favorite thing. On the bright side, I made it to the gym five times, focusing on a solid mix of lifting exercises. I also managed to be more active at work! The highlight was my fast run on Friday, where I hit my 50k pace&#8212;such a thrill to dive back into some speed work! Overall, it&#8217;s been a productive week!</p><p>Step Count for the week: 154,190</p><h4><em><strong>Sunday, November 30, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Abs, Back, Biceps, Shoulders, Trapezius</p><p>Exercises:</p><p>&#8226; Behind-the-Back Cable Bicep Curl</p><p>&#8226; Cable Face Pull</p><p>&#8226; Cable Row</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Upright Row</p><p>&#8226; Incline Dumbbell Curl</p><p>&#8226; Machine Seated Crunch</p><p>&#8226; Reverse Grip Pulldown</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Monday, December 1, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Abs, Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, Abductors</p><p>Exercises:</p><p>&#8226; Calf Press on Leg Press</p><p>&#8226; Decline Crunch</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Goblet Squat</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Lunge</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift</p><p>&#8226; Leg Press</p><p>&#8226; Machine Abduction</p></li><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 6.40 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:03:43</p><p>Pace 9:57 /mi</p><p>Elevation 853 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 136bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Tuesday, December 2, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Abs, Chest, Shoulders, Triceps</p><p>Exercises:</p><p>&#8226; Cable Front Raise</p><p>&#8226; Decline Crunch</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Fly</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Incline Bench Press</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Lateral Raise Seated</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Skullcrusher</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Tricep Extension</p></li><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 4.25 mi</p><p>Moving Time 44:28</p><p>Pace 10:27 /mi</p><p>Elevation 781 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 128bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Wednesday, December 3, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 7.76 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:23:28</p><p>Pace 10:45 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,558 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 125bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Thursday, December 4, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Back, Biceps, Shoulders, Trapezius</p><p>Exercises:</p><p>&#8226; Bicep Curl to Shoulder Press</p><p>&#8226; Cable Face Pull</p><p>&#8226; Cable Shrug</p><p>&#8226; Reverse Grip Pulldown</p><p>&#8226; Single Arm Lat Pulldown</p><p>&#8226; Waiter Curls</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Friday, December 5, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 5.18 mi</p><p>Moving Time 45:00</p><p>Pace 8:43 /mi</p><p>Elevation 807 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 142bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Saturday, December 6, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Quads, Hamstrings, Calves</p><p>Exercises:</p><p>&#8226; Back Squat</p><p>&#8226; Calf Press on Leg Press</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift</p><p>&#8226; Leg Extension</p><p>&#8226; Leg Press</p><p>&#8226; Reverse Dumbbell Lunge</p><p>&#8226; Seated Leg Curl</p><p>&#8226; Standing Kettlebell Calf Raise</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Q2Xc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F553cf779-015f-42c7-ada8-6a63f4306206_2448x3264.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Q2Xc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F553cf779-015f-42c7-ada8-6a63f4306206_2448x3264.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Q2Xc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F553cf779-015f-42c7-ada8-6a63f4306206_2448x3264.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Q2Xc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F553cf779-015f-42c7-ada8-6a63f4306206_2448x3264.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Q2Xc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F553cf779-015f-42c7-ada8-6a63f4306206_2448x3264.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Q2Xc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F553cf779-015f-42c7-ada8-6a63f4306206_2448x3264.jpeg" width="2448" height="3264" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Q2Xc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F553cf779-015f-42c7-ada8-6a63f4306206_2448x3264.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Q2Xc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F553cf779-015f-42c7-ada8-6a63f4306206_2448x3264.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Q2Xc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F553cf779-015f-42c7-ada8-6a63f4306206_2448x3264.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Q2Xc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F553cf779-015f-42c7-ada8-6a63f4306206_2448x3264.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" 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Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Training Log 11/23-29/2025]]></title><description><![CDATA[This week, I increased my mileage to 42 miles, but I did less overall at the gym.]]></description><link>https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-1123-292025</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.mountainsnail.run/p/training-log-1123-292025</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[mountain_snail]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 30 Nov 2025 18:31:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uxb2!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6280d438-46e8-40db-881a-088d98502588_3072x4096.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uxb2!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6280d438-46e8-40db-881a-088d98502588_3072x4096.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uxb2!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6280d438-46e8-40db-881a-088d98502588_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uxb2!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6280d438-46e8-40db-881a-088d98502588_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uxb2!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6280d438-46e8-40db-881a-088d98502588_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uxb2!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6280d438-46e8-40db-881a-088d98502588_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uxb2!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6280d438-46e8-40db-881a-088d98502588_3072x4096.jpeg" width="1456" height="1941" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6280d438-46e8-40db-881a-088d98502588_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1941,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:20000656,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.mountainsnail.run/i/180271454?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6280d438-46e8-40db-881a-088d98502588_3072x4096.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uxb2!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6280d438-46e8-40db-881a-088d98502588_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uxb2!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6280d438-46e8-40db-881a-088d98502588_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uxb2!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6280d438-46e8-40db-881a-088d98502588_3072x4096.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uxb2!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6280d438-46e8-40db-881a-088d98502588_3072x4096.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>This week, I increased my mileage to 42 miles, but I did less overall at the gym. All my runs were slow and more adventurous as I adjusted to my new backyard. The weather was dry and generally pleasant, except for the cold starts before the sun was fully up. I plan to add a weekly step count starting this week because I think it will be interesting to see it increase over the months, especially since I walk a little at work.</p><p>Step Count for the week: 147,757</p><h4><em><strong>Sunday, November 23, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Super Sunday legs- Abs, Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings, Calves</p><p>Workout completed in 80 minutes</p><p>Exercises:</p><p>&#8226; Calf Press on Leg Press</p><p>&#8226; Decline Crunch</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Goblet Squat</p><p>&#8226; Leg Extension</p><p>&#8226; Leg Press</p><p>&#8226; Machine Glute Kickback</p><p>&#8226; Plate-Loaded Hip Thrust Belt Supported</p><p>&#8226; Plate-Loaded Seated Calf Raise</p><p>&#8226; Seated Leg Curl</p><p>&#8226; Smith Machine Squat</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Monday, November 24, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 6.50 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:10:46</p><p>Pace 10:53 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,496 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 132bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Tuesday, November 25, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Back, Shoulders, Biceps, Abs</p><p>Workout completed in 48 minutes</p><p>Exercises:</p><p>&#8226; Cable Row</p><p>&#8226; Straight Arm Pulldown</p><p>&#8226; Cable Face Pull</p><p>&#8226; Cable Double Arm Bayesian Curl</p><p>&#8226; EZ Bar Curl</p><p>&#8226; Assisted Pull-up</p><p>&#8226; Decline Crunch</p></li><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 6.71 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:10:12</p><p>Pace 10:27 /mi</p><p>Elevation 984 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 131bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Wednesday, November 26, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Abs, Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, Abductors, Adductors</p><p>Workout completed in 57 minutes</p><p>Exercises:</p><p>&#8226; Cable Hip Adduction</p><p>&#8226; Cable Torso Rotation</p><p>&#8226; Decline Crunch</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Calf Raise</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Lunge</p><p>&#8226; Machine Abduction</p><p>&#8226; Machine Adduction</p><p>&#8226; Seated Leg Curl</p></li><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 6.63 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:08:07</p><p>Pace 10:16 /mi</p><p>Elevation 928 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 127bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Thursday, November 27, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 8.71 mi</p><p>Moving Time 1:43:20</p><p>Pace 11:51 /mi</p><p>Elevation 1,680 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 125bpm</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Friday, November 28, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Chest, Shoulders, Triceps</p><p>Workout completed in 50 minutes</p><p>Exercises:</p><p>&#8226; Cable Front Raise</p><p>&#8226; Cable Rope Tricep Extension</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Bench Press</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Lateral Raise Seated</p><p>&#8226; Dumbbell Tricep Extension</p><p>&#8226; Smith Machine Incline Bench Press</p></li></ul><h4><em><strong>Saturday, November 29, 2025</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p>Trail Run</p><p>Distance 13.20 mi</p><p>Moving Time 2:34:56</p><p>Pace 11:44 /mi</p><p>Elevation 2,398 ft</p><p>Avg Heart Rate 120bpm</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rQ8Q!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdd287deb-2204-4246-86a0-cc5f456ed54c_3072x4096.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rQ8Q!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdd287deb-2204-4246-86a0-cc5f456ed54c_3072x4096.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rQ8Q!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdd287deb-2204-4246-86a0-cc5f456ed54c_3072x4096.jpeg 848w, 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