Recovery days are important.  After the huge effort of hiking up Mt. Elbert yesterday, it was a good decision, for me to take a full recovery day today. It was a day of no workouts and very little time on my feet.

After yesterday’s hike, I actually felt quite good when I woke up this morning. The only part of me that was a little sore, was my calf muscles. They were a little tender to touch, but otherwise OK.

Even though I felt good overall, I still think taking a recovery day was wise.  Adding additional stress to my body, after yesterday’s huge effort, would increase my risk of injury.  That is the last thing I need, with my ultramarathon race coming up in three week’s time.

Recovery days while on vacation, allow you go exploring. Today, we visited the former mining town of Winfield.  It is not a true ‘ghost town’, but with only a few summer cabins occupied, it is a shadow of its former self. Back in the 1890’s, it was a town of over 1,500 people, who were seeking riches through mining for silver.

As an endurance athlete, Winfield is better known today, as the halfway point of the famous Leadville 100 trail race.  Who knows, maybe one day I will get to revisit this place, while participating in that amazing race.