Inspired by the likes of fellow Salomon West Vancouver Ambassador Solana Klassen, I’ve decided to start doing monthly training recaps in hopes that some might find it interesting, if not a little educational, and possibly even useful. It’s already mid-February, but better late than never, right?

2013 was a huge year for me; my first full season on the trails since making my move from road to trail running last year. I met a ton of great people, finished some great races, and ran in some pretty incredible places. Most importantly, I managed to stay healthy and injury free which never happened while I was running road.

As I look ahead to 2014, I figured I should take a moment to reflect.

They say you achieve peak physical performance at the age of 27. When I turned 27 (5 years ago today, in fact) I didn’t feel like I was at the peak of much.

I had been casually ‘jogging’ and going to the gym, as most people eventually find themselves doing at some point in their 20’s, but never with any consistency. I never thought that just a few years later I would be calling myself a trail and ultra distance runner.

I figured it was time to pause and take a quick look back at the last year or so in trail running as I complete my journey from road to trail; from marathon to ultra.