Like the canyon

Easy 7 on the BST north. 

Slight cold coming on, maybe allergies? Short run chasing my 2 yr old.

Took the Garmin out tonight to clock a route I have been running alot this spring but didn't have hard numbers on distance and climb.  Started at 12th street and ran north on the BST to what I call "dead end." Basically follow the BST until it ends at a small canyon and a stand of trees, run cross country downhill to the service road below, run North until the trail ends, run back to 12th staying on the upper BST trail. Its a perfect run for me, lots and lots of rocky technical sections (keeps the mtn bike rif raff to a minimum) with good up and down. 

Legs have been feeling pretty beat up from all the climbing over the last few weeks, started out nice and easy, ended up feeling good after I warmed up and had great speedy (for me) run.  12.65 miles, 2160 ft climb, 8:40 pace.  8 of the 12 mile-splits were between 8:15 and 7:40, last mile (flat/downhill) was 6:08.  Had a couple of slow miles up the hilly sections and through my first mile and a half warm up.  I feel really good about the speed given the technical trail and moderate effort.  I have really been working on running more relaxed over nasty terrrain, my knee is still only maybe 80% so I find myself running with the brakes on at times, but I finally feel it starting to come together. After 2 weeks of running up 20% + grade climbs most of the hills on this section  of trail are feeling pretty flat :)

YIKES! my wife just let me know a friend of ours has a VIP entry into the Ogden Marathon for me if I want it . . .. I said o.k. only problem is I havent run on pavement on purpose since the Ogden last year where I ran a blistering fast 4:01 ;) I think this one will be a no taper afair, I really dont want to take an easy week at this point.  Should be a good training run and a fun day.   

Totally unremarkable run on the BST.  South to the Beus Canyon TH parking lot and back. Legs heavy today, couldn't get in a rythmn.  12 miles, 9:12 pace, ended up with 1785 vertical. 

Of other note: I saw the legendary local Jaque Glidden out walking on the trail today.  I don't know how old he is, he doesn't look like he has aged a year in the 15 or so I have known him.  You would never guess it to look at him, but the guy is/was quite the hard man.  He held the speed record on the Grand Teton for years and years, something like just over 7 hours round trip, if you've done it in a day, you know how remarkable that is. There are still unrepeated routes in the Canadian Rockies that are Glidden FA's.  He was a professor at Weber State for years and used to issue a challange to any student in his class that if they could be him in a foot race he would give them an automatic A.  He never lost, as far as I know, even as he approached retirement.  Original ultrarunner I guess.  I always get ecited to see him out on the trails, makes me hope I can still be out there looking strong into my 70's or beyond.

Top of 27th to Malan's Peak to BST, to Indian over to Ogden Canyon, down Ogden Canyon to the BST north side, 6 mile out and back on the high trail to BST from Rainbow back to Taylor canyon, hands on knees hiking up to the Malan's overlook and a jerky shuffle back to the car on 27th. Ran 100% of the loop until I got back to Taylor Canyon, heading back up to Malan's overlook the tranny went out and I had no more uphill gear and was reduced to a slow hike.  Nothing left in the tank after that one. Stomache bad all morning for some reason. 19.8 miles, 5640 vert, 4 hours.  Week: 55 miles, 10500 vert.