Old Man Still running

Reindeer 5K

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Location:

Saratoga Springs,UT,

Member Since:

Jan 31, 2008

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Local Elite

Running Accomplishments:

2016 Finished 12 100-milers during the year.  86 career 100-mile finishes, 9th in the world.   First person to do 6 consecutive summits of Mount Timpanogos.  Won Crooked Road 24-hour race. Achieved the 5th, 6th, and 8th fastest 100-mile times in the world for runners age 57+ for the year.

2013  First person to bag the six highest Wasatch peaks in one day. First and only person to do a Kings Peak double (highest peak in Utah).  I've now accomplished it four times. 

2010 - Overall first place Across the Years 48-hour run (187 miles), Overall first place Pony Express Traill 100.

2009 - Utah State Grand Masters 5K champion (Road Runners Club of America).  National 100-mile Grand Masters Champion (Road Runners Club of America). USATF 100-mile National Champion for age 50-54.

2006 - Set record of five consecutive Timpanogos Summits ("A record for the criminally insane")  See: http://www.crockettclan.org/blog/?p=42

2007 - Summited 7 Utah 13-ers in one day.  See: http://www.crockettclan.org/blog/?p=14 

Only person to have finished nine different 100-mile races in Utah: Wasatch, Bear, Moab, Pony Express Trail, Buffalo Run, Salt Flats, Bryce, Monument Valley, Capitol Reef.

PRs - all accomplished when over 50 years old

5K - 19:51 - 2010 Run to Walk 5K

10K - 42:04 - 2010 Smile Center

1/2 Marathon: 1:29:13 - 2011 Utah Valley

Marathon - 3:23:43 - 2010 Ogden Marathon

50K - 4:38 - 2010 Across the Years split

50-mile - 8:07 - 2010 Across the Years split

100K - 10:49 - 2010 Across The Years split

12-hours 67.1 miles - 2010 Across The Years split

100-mile 19:40 - 2011 Across the Years split

24-hours 117.8 miles - 2011 Across the Years split

48-hours 187.033 miles - 2010 Across the Years

Long-Term Running Goals:

I would like to keep running ultras into my 60s. 

Personal:

Details at: http://www.crockettclan.org/ultras/ultracrockett.pdf Married with six kids and six grandchildren.  Started running at the age of 46 in 2004.  My first race since Junior High days was a 50K. I skipped the shorter road stuff and went straight to ultramarathons.  I started as a back-of-the packer, but have progressed to a top-10-percent ultra finisher.  Wish I would have started running at a much earlier age.  Have had several articles published in national running magazines.  Check out my running adventure blog at www.crockettclan.org/blog

Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Total Distance
101.00
Total Distance
11.00

Pushed myself out into the cold at 3:50 a.m. and did a 11-mile loop on dirt roads and motorcycle trails south of the Ranches in Eagle Mountain.   This route typically takes me about two hours.   The stars were really glowing in the moonless sky.   It is a great way to start the morning, but getting pretty chilly.

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Total Distance
13.00

13 wimpy treadmill miles at the Saratoga Springs rec center.

Comments(2)
Total Distance
18.00

Got up at 3:40 a.m., intending to wimp out on a warm treadmill again, but saw the temperature was 41 degrees without a wind, so I dressed warmer and headed out into the cold.   I ran an 11-mile loop I will frequently run in the early mornings.   From my home, I run up Grandview Road, past the gravel pits, south of the Church Farm, and climb the ridge to the west.   I then run northerly on a dirt road that eventually takes me up to a pass by some powerlines and I now am on a ridge above the Ranches in Eagle Mountain.   I then run along a motorcycle trail to the east the is very fun, giving me a great view of the lights of homes in the Ranches.  I then descend down to some homes that are in the far northeast section of the Ranches.  Finally, I complete my loop by running  on a dirt road west of the Church farm and join up again with the east/west dirt road that runs south of the Church Farm.  This takes me back home.   If I push the pace, I can complete this run in two hours.   That is what I did this morning.   I was pleased that I didn't wimp out on the treadmill.

Also ran 7 miles on the indoor track at the Lehi Legacy Center after work.   Got dizzy after 56 laps.   I'm just trying to get a little used to running on a track in preparation for Across the Years 24-hour run on Dec 30.   I'll be running on a custom 0.5K track there.

Comments(4)
Total Distance
20.00

Starting at 4:00 a.m. I ran 12 wimpy, but fast, treadmill miles while listening to Mike and Mike in the morning.  Snow flakes were floating down outside.

After work I ran another 8 miles at the Lehi Legacy Center indoor track.   I ran steady 8 minute miles for 64 minutes.   It is easy to keep a constant pace because each lap is 1/8th mile.   It was a good run, it felt very easy.   I've never done two-a-days before, seeing how this works to get a higher mileage week.  So far, so good.   On Wednesday I did roll an ankle pretty bad, descending fast down a rocky ridge, but it didn't swell.  In the past just continuing to run through a tender ankle has seemed to work.  So far, so good.

Comments(2)
Total Distance
17.00

It was 23 degrees out this morning, so I again chose to stay indoors and ran 15 miles on the treadmill.  

Two miles running with the dog.

Comments(3)
Race: Reindeer 5K (3.1 Miles) 00:20:30, Place overall: 1, Place in age division: 1
Total Distance
22.00

This morning I had planned to go to Antelope Island to do a training run with ultrajim, but I wimped out.   Before going to bed, I saw the temperature was already below 30 and after five days in a row of getting up at 3:40 a.m., I thought I deserved some rest.   So instead, I had a nice, rare, 10 hours of sleep.   I decided to support a little neighborhood 5K that started in Saratoga Hills, called the Reindeer Run.

When I arrived, everyone started to "give me the business," making fun of my 100-mile distance running, and doing a 5K.   Its pretty funny, but embarassing. (See my ultrarunning blog at www.crockettclan.org/blog )  What is strange, is all these neighborhood runners live within one mile of me, but I've never run with any of them.  It isn't that I'm anti-social, it is instead because I rarely run on roads, and rarely during the day.   I see them as I'm driving in the car here and there, but they never see me running.   I tried to explain where I normally run, which is up in the foothills trails far away from the housing developments.

The race began, and a bunch of kids sprinted ahead.   After about a block, I caught up and pushed ahead.  I was then confused, "Huh, where are the other runners?"   Had I taken a wrong turn?   At the next turn, I looked behind and saw a woman runner in blue following behind.   This was odd, I was in first place.   OK, no super fast runners today.   I realized I could probably push this to victory.  I was confused at a couple turns, stopped and saw that the woman runner in blue was still following me, so I just went on.  My first mile was cranked out in about 6:15 or so.  I wasn't pushing too hard, but extending my lead a little.  

The route turned onto Parkway Boulevard that runs through my development, within yards of my house.   As I reached the half-way point, my wife drove by and waved as she was on her way to the vet with our dog, to get shots.   I looked behind me several times and could see the runner in blue was hanging with me but my lead was still extending.

It was a beautiful clear sunny morning as we ran along the shore of expansive Utah Lake.  The sun was very low, just peeking over the mountains far to the east, shining in my eyes.

The final mile was the toughest, with a hill at the end.   I've run this hill hundreds of times, as it is the route that takes me up to the foothills.   I pushed it hard and cruised into the finish at the park to cheers, in first place at 20:30.

I stayed around to greet the other runners and tried to get to know them a bit.   Most knew who I was.   I really do need to get to know the recreational runners in the neighborhood.   We need far more runners in Saratoga Springs.

It was a fun little race.   My lungs were a little burned out by the fast pace and freezing cold morning air.

PM

I capped off a 100-mile training week with a wonderful afternoon 18-mile run.    I ran on dirt roads and trails that I usually do in the dark, running from my home, winding through hills and ridges, out into Cedar Valley (Eagle Mountain), and then running up to Unity Pass, and then home through the dirt roads and motorcycle trails.  As I ran, I listened to the SEC football championship, Florida vs. Alabama.  Rather than wasting time in front of the TV, why not be out on the trail!

After all the boring flat miles this week, I was thrilled to be back on the trails.   I just cannot understand how the runners on this blog tolerate all the miles on roads and tracks.   They have a level of mental toughness that I just can't comprehend.   I felt so much enjoyment as I bounded on the rolling roads and trails, taking in all the eye candy along the way:  Expansive farm fields, hills and trees, occassional shooters (who I avoided), and wonderful snow capped mountains.

As I hit a single-track section, my legs seemed like they were shouting with excitement to me as I pushed them to a crazy wreckless pace, weaving through the trees and bouncing up and down on the trail.   I was pleased to see a couple pair of footprints that were not mine.  This month I have seen a few on these trails that seem to be my secret running playground.  I'm glad some trail runners from Eagle Mountain are discovering these hidden motorcycle trails.   Still, there are long sections that I have never seen any other foot prints.

My pace was easy, about 10-minute miles, but the run would not be "easy" for a road runner.  The surface is uneaven, and there were some nice short steep climbs along the way.   From Unity Pass, for the last six miles, I really kicked it into gear and turned 7-8 minute miles, even in some very technical sections.  I wanted to whoop with joy as I cruised down with speed through the most technical decent down a rocky ridge.   I was pleased that the ankle that I rolled earlier in the week was no problem to me.

As I neared my home, descending heading east down from the foothills, I noticed an amazing effect that I had never noticed before.   The shadow of the sunset was extending across Utah Lake toward the Wasatch Mountains to the east.   As the angle of light became very low, the sun reflected off windows of homes over ten miles away in Cedar Hills, Pleasant Grove, Lindon, Orem and Provo.   These bright reflections caused wonderful streaks of light to reflect off of the expansive Utah Lake (in the shadow of Lake Mountain), extending for miles across the lake.   It was amazing.  I never had noticed this wonder before.  The effect only last for a few minutes and the angles have to be precise to see it.

My 18-mile run was completed in less than three hours.   I ended the run excited and energized.   My running batteries had been recharged by getting off the roads.   This was the first time I had ever done a 100-mile training week.   I've run 100 miles or more in a week when I run a race, but I've never trained this much in a week.  It was an interesting experiment.   I came out of it great.  No injury, no soreness, no stiffness, nothing.   About 65 of these miles were before sunrise, while my family was still asleep.

I look forward to another good running week, next week.   I never train on Sundays, so I look forward to a nice rest tomorrow.

Comments(2)
Total Distance
101.00
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