The sun is up, the air is fresh, the stone is old

December 22, 2024

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Location:

Logan,UT,USA

Member Since:

Dec 15, 2009

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

PRs after age 40:

5k 15:15 Running of the Leopards.

8k 22:21 Alta Death Dash

10k 33:02 Des News

Half Marathon 1:10 Timp Half

Marathon 2:32 Ogden

First solo R2R2R Bass Trails Grand Canyon

First R2R2R Grand Canyon Toroweap Overlook

Short-Term Running Goals:

Not be fat all year

Long-Term Running Goals:

Smell the dirt, feel the mountain, taste the wind.

Personal:

"Our legs are tight, our feet are flying, and we are gliding over the roll of the land. The sun is up, the air is fresh, the stone is old, and we are free and at peace. The clock has stopped because another time has taken over." C. Bowden

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Miles:	This week:	0.00	Month:	0.00	Year:	0.00

Mon, Mar 19, 2012

Easy Miles	Marathon Pace Miles	Threshold Miles	VO2 Max Miles	Total Distance
18.70	0.00	10.00	0.00	28.70

Wow, what a Monday! Early am workout at the gym, 10 miles on the treadmill at 5:35 pace. Just about 100% effort this morning to do that, just killed me. But I think it could be the fastest treadmill tempo I've survived. I'll have to look back on some workouts. Then worked on putting a new engine in the boat until noon so I could feel like I "worked" today.

Since we got 6 inches of new, surprise powder last night I took out the xcountry skis and scoped out mountain routes to do for the rest of the day. I settled on trying to reach Naomi Peak, the highest point around Cache County at 10,000 feet. I'll update later when I have more time and can pull off times and points from the GPS, but this was the best ski trip I've had in a while! I kept up a fast tempo going up, crossing two ranges to meet up with the Tony Grove trail, no breaks until hitting the 7 mile lake at 8,000 feet. Pure virgin snow, first tracks all the way up! From Tony Grove I had to make some decisions since it was snowing, but decided to do the remaining 2.2 miles and 2,000 foot climb to the peak. Just about froze above the 9,000 foot level. This was the longest xcountry ski trip for me in 5 years.

Such an amazing trail and good workout. I am still on such a high from this incredible country. Pretty awesome to keep the heartrate and tempo up for that long as well. No way I could have held that for a long run.

Night Sleep Time: 0.00	Nap Time: 0.00	Total Sleep Time: 0.00	Weight: 0.00	Calories: 0.00

Comments

From Jake K on Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 08:45:58 from 155.100.226.54

Great day Steve. Awesome tempo, and your afternoon adventure sounds really cool!

From jtshad on Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 09:02:50 from 69.20.183.178

Sounds like a fun day.

From Rob Murphy on Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 09:22:26 from 205.127.70.66

I'm just going to stop reading your blog. It makes my paltry efforts at training seem so week.

From Steve on Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 10:29:25 from 66.87.126.138

Rob, I couldn't even sleep last night I was on such a high from that trail, or maybe it was all the Mt Dew I had when I got back. I was pretty dehydrated.

Seriously though, I dropped life for a day to do it. I am so far behind. Reading your blog reminded me of what I should have been doing. I have missed so many races and training though this year for family schedules and such. I just took the chance. I think a lot about Dennis S comment to me last spring," You're good enough you should be taking this serious and scheduling life a bit around your sport, instead of the other way around". Makes you smile. Try scheduling your 10 year old around your running...

From Jake K on Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 10:34:45 from 155.100.226.54

That's the ultimate challenge of balance... something everyone who is really good at running (but also is diverse enough to enjoy other forms of recreation) has to figure out.

I think you gotta have cycles - if its all running 365 days/year, repeat, repeat, repeat, you risk burnout.

Andrea and I have already scheduled in some fun vacations in July/August to just run/hike/bike for fun... knowing that a little mental break from hard training and competition (especially for me) will be beneficial.

From jtshad on Wed, Mar 21, 2012 at 09:07:22 from 204.134.132.225

I do think you take the sport seriously, but also realize that there are other bigger priorities in life (KIDS!, work, church) that you must put first. Not many can make a living off of running but can have a lot of fun and challenge from it.

From Steve on Wed, Mar 21, 2012 at 09:48:38 from 66.87.127.114

I like both of those comments. Gives me a lot to think about. To be honest, the sport is more about recreation than anything else for me.

But occasionally I get serious with it, or race, spend time with, or admire those who excell at it. A person who makes the sacrifices necessary to set a new standard at anything is rare. There is a serious need in our world for people with the drive to be exceptional. Hard to put in words unless you have experienced it, but almost everything that most people spend 90% of their lives doing can be taken away in an instant. That moment when you start again, you see what really matters. I agree, Jeff, those things you mention define our purpose. But the neat thing is, occasionally someone sees how to fulfill their purpose and inspire the rest of us with what they do beyond that.

Every now and then I like to have a little bit of that feeling myself.. :-)

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