Old Man Still running

After work went up AF canyon and ran the Bear Canyon/Pine Hollow loop.   I pushed it pretty hard the entire time and it felt like a tempo run.  It has a huge climb at the beginning, then some nice rollers over the Timpooneke trailhead, and then up and over to Bear Canyon, then a huge descent to end things off.   Did it in 1:20, about 2,000 feet of climbing along the way.  Fun stuff.  With the road still closed above Pine Hollow, no one is on the trails, no bikes, etc.   Solitude....wonderful.

Continuing to train for Bryce 100 next week. At this point the best training is to get as much altitude as possible and learn the course. So, I traveled down to the area and went to run a difficult section between miles 16 and 26 with about 4,000 feet of climbing. I started just after dawn at the Proctor Canyon aid station location. The first climb was very nice, friendly switch backs, reaching up to 8600 feet. It then descended down to 8000 feet but I just couldn't figure out where the trail went from there. I wasted about an hour going up a rough trail that eventually disappeared. I back tracked, tried again and failed. So I headed back, clear up to 8600 feet where I had an internet connection. Now I had the course description and realized that I had to descend further to 7700 feet, to Camp Eli. Well, I decided to try again and this time went the right way. I refilled my water bottles at Camp Eli and started the next climb. This one was rough, no switch-backs. When it opened up there was a trail junction in no sign and of course I took the wrong way but later was convinced that I was heading the wrong way and again returned. From then on I ran it right and got to the top at 9200 feet. I probably had run an extra five miles. I ran along the rim top for another four miles and then returned. The return trip was fast because I knew the trail well now. I ran into some Forest Service guys to trailwork to prepare the rough climb for next week. They were doing a fantastic job. It was a wonderful day and I got some good altitude training.  I'm really glad I ran this section.  Even if it is marked well, I will know what to expect and should be able to push it hard.

I got the OK to spend the night here, had some nice sleep and hit the trail again in the morning.  This time I wanted to run the first miles of the course.  The start of the course runs on the Thunder Mountain trail, very popular with mountain bikers.  It rolls in and out of draws at 8300 feet for the first four miles and then descends with spectacular views of Red Rock Canyon.  It descends in the canyon and I ran among all the hoodoos.  It was amazing.  Once I hit the Desert View trail, I decided to run a loop and took the trail to Red Canyon, the canyon that contains the highway that goes up to Bryce.  Along it is a nice paved trail all the way up.   I ran up hard and within a mile of the top found an old wagon road heading into the wilderness toward the ridges containing the Thunder Mountain trail.  So I really winged it.  The road disappeared so I just climbed up to one of the red ridges and ran it toward the north.  It was cool to be running where probably no one had been before.  Along the way I discovered a small arch, very cool.  No sign that humans had been there.   After a couple miles I eventually ran into the Thunder Mountain trail, now with many bikers on it.   Just a couple miles to go, I reached my car.   Great weekend, with 52 miles of running over the two days, most of it above 8,000 feet.   I really look forward to next Friday.