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In preparation for The GDR I had mainly been running snow roads. To further prepare for my upcoming race I had brought my fully packed running vest with me, not thinking I’d need any of it but just to feel the weight of it again for the first time in months. I’d become frustrated trying to get around my kitchen on crutches; getting up the stairs and showered became my big task for the day. Each day I’d tell myself I was going to leave the house and wind up getting as far as the back porch.

For the last year and a half I have been plotting my return to Zion. Wait, what? Isn’t this about Joshua Tree? Let me set the background story

These trails are maintained by the Waterbury Area Trail Association, a branch of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association, VMBA. The keynote speaker for the symposium was Luis Benitez, the Director of Colorado’s Outdoor Recreation Industry Office. In New York state outdoor recreation contributes $3.6 billion in state and local taxes. As stated in the Outdoor Industry Association’s report America’s public lands and waterways are the backbone of our outdoor recreation economy.

Up until last month I barely even felt like running. My only goal when I discovered the race was to finish, earning me needed points toward Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc 2018. In the days following the Ultra Trail Hurricana I found myself daydreaming about running. When race day photos were uploaded I noticed something familiar in them; could it be, a distant sparkle, my mojo?