I'm back! This was my first solid week of training since week 12.

• 14 hours, 44 minutes

• 63.9 miles

• 11,388 ft D+

I ran six days in a row, including back-to-back long runs yesterday and today. Wednesday I ran through some groin twinges and didn't seem to do any more damage, this inspired me to try a bit of tempo running on Thursday and Friday. Feeling fine on Saturday morning, I went out for a 25-mile hike on the snow-covered Quad Rock course. I took poles to give my weak adductor a break on descents and this seemed to be a good choice. I saved myself from slipping and falling several times and felt fine at the end of the day. Today I went out for a more simple run, two trips up and down Towers Trail, the wide and mostly dry highway to the top of Horsetooth Open Space. I hiked and ran up at a pretty good pace and tested my leg on the descents. I didn't set any new personal records running downhill, but I have a lot more confidence. My plan for the next 3 weeks is to not hurt myself again, repair and grow some muscle cells. I think I'll be almost 100% at Quad Rock.

Milner Mountain (6,881 ft) from the Horsetooth Open Space South Ridge Trail

In the plan, week 15 was a rest week. I feel like I've been resting for three weeks now, waiting for my leg to get better. The numbers below do not include the time I spent in the saddle Sunday on a long mountain bike ride.

• 3 hours, 19 minutes

• 13 miles

• 1217 ft D +

I don't have much to say, except that I'm happy about my solid training earlier in the season, grateful for pretty good sleep and nutrition lately, and hopeful that I'll be able to run this week and tune up for a 50-mile race in less than fours weeks.

I am cautiously optimistic about getting some apricot fruit this year from my five year-old tree. It is loaded with flower buds and there's no cold weather in the six day forecast. Our recent snowstorm wasn't very cold, the flower buds were still dormant and wrapped up tight, and the tree wasn't damaged at all by the weight of snow.

Fort Collins is USDA zone 5b, marginal for apricots because of high likelihood of frost after the buds begin to break. The buds on my tree are entering their most vulnerable stages right now. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center projects a greater than 50% chance for anomalously warm weather here in April, so these buds have a good shot at surviving and becoming flowers and fruit.

I'm on my way back to full health, but still not running very much. Here are the number for week 14 (of 19).

• 6 hours, 8 minutes

• 24.6 miles

• 4446 ft D+

Walking fast and hiking uphill feels fine, but I still feel a few twinges when trying to run downhill. Weather and injury have set me back in a big way. I only got about 30% of my planned training volume in over the past 3 weeks. Lining up for Quad Rock is still my plan and I'm optimistic about finishing and having fun even if I don't get a new personal best.

Snow is sticking around in the shade on Towers Trail