Like the canyon

Sweet Malan's run tonight with some Boulder Field trail add on.  Trail up Malan's was as good as it's been all winter.  Nobody out but me and The Ghost, but he was on his way out so I had the place to my self.  Wore my heart rate moniter for the first time ever on a run up Malan's. Interesting that keeping a run going at a reasonable pace was right at my aerobic threshold.  Kept it right at 150 plus or minus a few beats.  It did spike up to 158 on the two really steep sections, but came back in line quickly.  Felt great, legs, and mind feeling back to 100% recovered.  Peaked out just as the sun dropped to the horizon.  High clouds out west made for some sweet alpenglow, turned everything blazing orange and faded to a sweet pink, absolutely beautiful watching the peaks change colors like that. Even the air around me seemd to be glowing.  Nights like this is why I love to run.  

2700 vert, 7 miles total. 

If last nights run run was the reason I love to run, tonight's run was a sharp contrast to that.  7 miles of the worst trail conditons I have run in all winter on the BST from 27th.  Decided to give the north side one more day to melt out, wrong choice.  Slushy, half melted out mashed potatoes nightmare.  Got it done, don't wanna do it again. 

On another note, just read an email that the Xterra Trail Run Nationals are coming to my local trails.  Suhweet! Half marathon starting and ending at Snowbasin.  Open to anyone, no qualifier, so tear it up withthe best of the best if you're up for it. I wont be running as it's the weekend of the Bear 100, but will be cool to have it here. 

Nice little run on the BST north.  Snow is mostly gone and the mud is minimal.  Felt great on the way out, ran into the go fastie Jon S at the turn around and we ran back togerther.  Nice to chat about up coming races.  Great run, legs and body feeling great.  Guessing 8 or 9 miles around an hour and a half or so.

BST North side again. More snow, more mud, more explatives dropped.  Ran into Phil and Kasey, lots of folk out these days, seems most runs end up in a good 10 minutes chat session at some point which is great.  Ran a new little loop, a high trail above the bridge around Jump Off canyon, short, but pretty cool, nice to mix it up.  A little more running in circles here and there netted me 10 miles, 1600 vert or so. 

AM: Another sweet day on the sticks.  2 laps on the front side of Snowbasin.  Pretty cool to step in your skis at the top of Mt Allen and clik out 4500 vertical feet later at the 27th street trailhead. 

PM: Nice and easy 5 miles or so on the trails.

Best day running of 2011 so far. Well, Red Hot was fun, but today just had a great vibe.  Big training run on Antelope Island that I think half the FRB'ers in the area and many other trail runners showed up to. At least 100 people out on the trails, runners everywhere it was awesome. 

I started with the 8:00 AM group and settled in with Ogden runners Aric, Jon and BJ, we cruised easy the first couple of miles cracking on each other and goofing off.  My goal for the day was to ru na moderate paced, even effort for the day.  After the first couple of miles I settled into that rythmn and cruised along.  Unfortunately it left me running a different pace than most everyone else so I spent most of the day solo. 

Finished the first campground loop just behind Crockett and a guy named Mike.  I hung out for a bit to re-group with the O-town runners.  As we were leaving for the 25K loop the FRB crew pulled in.  Perfect timing except that we left a little in front of them and never saw them until the end.  Though I thought for sure Jun, Dorsimus and Brian would come flying by at any moment. 

My legs felt tired and heavy, maybe from the skiing, but my pace was right where I wanted all day.  Felt good around 7:30 on the flats and ranged in the mid-8's on the more technical sections and moderate hills, wtih some 10-11 min paced stuff on someof the longer hills. Effort was moderate and steady.  I kept a run going through everything and didn't stop or walk once on the 25K loop, plus Elephant head loop, which I ran at the end. Last year it was optional in the 50 mile to do Elephant Head at the begining or end of the 25K loop, I think I will run it first again, felt hard after the long switchback climb.

Good to hang out for an hour or so after with some great guys. Ultrajim, Crocket, Aric, Jon and BJ are laugh a minute, freaking hilarious, through Jun in the mix and it's wet your pants funny.  Now I understand some of Scott W's incontinence issues (kidding Scott) HA! 

25.1 miles, 8:46 pace, 2300 vert.

Week: about 64 miles, vert 8000ish