Fly on the Wall

Wasatch Steeplechase

Recent EntriesHomeJoin Fast Running Blog Community!PredictorHealthy RecipesFly On The Wall's RacesFind BlogsMileage BoardTop Ten Excuses for Missing a RunTop Ten Training MistakesDiscussion ForumRace Reports Send A Private MessageWeek ViewMonth ViewYear View
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
200820092010201120122013201420152016
15% off for Fast Running Blog members at St. George Running Center!

Location:

Salt Lake City,UT,

Member Since:

Nov 14, 2008

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

50k:  4:59 at Buffalo Run in 2010  (32 miles)

Marathon:  3:01 at St. George in 2009!

Half:  1:29 at Painter's/ St. George in 2009.  1:27 at Salt Lake in 2009 (aided course)

10k: 40:53 Greek Festival 10k at Sugar House park in 2010.

5miles: 32:10 Dam 2 Dam in 2009.  Master's winner.

5k: 20:00:00  19:54 in May 2010.

2008:  Ran the Slam + Boston

I need to update this!

Short-Term Running Goals:

Carpe Diem.

Don't trip over my own feet.

Long-Term Running Goals:

Keep running.

Personal:

1 wife

1 girl child

1 boy child

1 big dog

1 little dog

I'm a geologist for my day job.

Click to donate
to Ukraine's Armed Forces
Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Race: Wasatch Steeplechase (17.5 Miles) 02:41:23, Place overall: 16
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
1.7016.300.000.0018.00

Wasatch Steeplechase.
Short report- I ran up. I ran down. I finished without a frown.


Here are some more details. I fear it sounds a bit self aggrandizing. Sorry.
I love races that are close enough to home that I can jog to the start. :D The crowd at the starting line looked a bit intimidating , a bit like Boston runners but with muscles. I lined up 2 or 3 back and with a "ready, get set, go" we were off. And boy were people moving. I was wondering where the fire was? I guess people were moving out so that they wouldn't get stuck in a traffic jam when the route hit the single track.

Any way it was pretty much just a fun slog up... and up... and up... Then it go steep. Way too steep to think about running. So I walked as fast as I could, huffing and puffing along. Total elevation gain about 4,500 feet.

After a few false summits, the course got rocky and cliffy. At one point they had spotters on the course to assist "runners" who may have needed it. A rope or two were also in place as an added measure of safety? I passed a guy who was pretty much prostrate on the rock and looking a bit tense! I was a bit worried that he might do something unexpected if I startled him as I passed but I told him I was coming, went on around, and all was well. Up until this point I could see a gaggle of runners behind me and a gaggle ahead of me. But as we crossed the ridge line we got spread out and I only saw maybe 7 runners in the next 7ish miles.

From the ridge line the trail drops into Smugglers Gap where volunteers had hiked in supplies for an aid station! :D I downed a cup of some kind of rocket fuel and was on my way down... down... down... Near the top of this descent I passed one runner. This section is described as "2.5 miles of quad-burning, gut-wrenching, knee-breaking downhill on an overgrown, root-infested single-track trail..." I'd add that it was also wet and slick. At least it wasn't raining (and didn't while I was on the course). I made it down this hill with no twisted ankles or other injuries except a very minor rope burn on my hands and neck. There was another rope set up on a particularly steep and slick spot. I didn't see it and almost tripped on it but managed to grab on and use it too control my descent.

Next came a run down City Creek Canyon on much more mellow trail and some paved road. I tried to open it up and let er rip as much as my now very tired legs would allow. With about 5k to go I hit a rock and rolled my ankle. It hurt but was nothing I couldn't run off after a few choice words. I passed about 4 runners on this section. As I approached the finish I was beat and couldn't find the will to pick up the pace even though I thought I would feel much better within 10 minutes of finishing and wish I had kicked it. This proved to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Met Mr. Twinkie and another blogger.  Saw one Fastrunningblog singlet.


0 .84 jog and walk from my house to the starting line. :D

1 8:05 160
2 11:34 168
3 9:33 169
4 10:27 170
5 10:55 167
6 12:12 166
7 20:54 163
8 16:06 163
9 10:11 166
10 7:22 167 pavement
11 6:18 170
12 6:35 170
13 7:32 168
14 7:04 171
15 7:45 169
16 6:43 172
16.31 6:56 176

16.31 Garmin miles, 9:54 average pace, 166 beats per minute average. advertised elevation gain and loss- 9,000 feet.
16th overall (I think) out of 200+ runners (I think results are not yet posted).

0.82 Jog and walk home.

Comments
From jun on Sat, Jun 13, 2009 at 18:32:20 from 71.213.18.126

Hey, fantastic race. You were really moving. Nice job overall. I can't believe how fast you went up Little Black Mountain. I'm impressed. It was good to meet you today. Hope to see you at future races.

From fly on the Wall on Sat, Jun 13, 2009 at 19:26:04 from 166.70.192.189

Why is it the Wahsatch Steeplechase when it is run in the Wasatch Mountains?

From Adam RW on Sat, Jun 13, 2009 at 22:42:23 from 98.202.223.65

Good run and report. You make it sound enticing.

From Jon on Sat, Jun 13, 2009 at 22:47:00 from 75.169.139.27

You did great today- I wish I had met you (I was wearing the FRB singlet). 2:41 is a dang good time.

By the way, I have to add another modification to the downhill section description you put- I don't think they should use the word "trail"- bushwack may be more appropriate.

Wahsatch is an alternate spelling of Wasatch. I think they use it just for fun and to be different.

From Fritz on Sun, Jun 14, 2009 at 00:00:42 from 97.117.43.159

Nice work! I think I missed the rocket fuel but I did get a few hot tamale fruity look alikes (Mike n' Ikes?). Wahsatch is also a name of a ghost town in Summit County.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wahsatch,_Utah

Jon is probably right however.

Hope to meet you at a future race.

From Rhett on Sun, Jun 14, 2009 at 00:05:57 from 216.67.217.252

Nice race Fly. You and Tim are going to have to get together and run a trail race together. Looks like you had a very respectable finish of a very difficult race.

From Kelli on Sun, Jun 14, 2009 at 00:19:10 from 71.219.76.64

Nice job Mr Fly!!! You guys are all nuts!

From Twinkies on Sun, Jun 14, 2009 at 10:13:11 from 67.166.71.60

Thanks for introducing yourself to me. You had a great race. Yes Kelli, we are all nuts, but that's what makes it so fun.

From Kelli on Sun, Jun 14, 2009 at 18:53:04 from 71.219.76.64

Nuts is good, really!

From montelepsy on Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 09:31:12 from 64.203.113.50

Gnarly!

From Teena on Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 12:43:02 from 67.177.20.13

Are humans really suppose to be doing stuff like that!!!????

Have you always been this hardcore Fly? :)

Congrats on a fantastic result in a diehard race!!! :)

From Kathie on Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 12:45:03 from 207.155.176.10

Wow Fly you did great! I am with Rhett you and Tim need to get together for a race.

From MarcE on Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 23:54:15 from 24.155.140.8

If you guys get a chance, go to Jun's blog and checkout his Youtube video (a link is on his Race Report blog). I've got a whole new respect for you mountain/trail runners! Great stuff!

Add Your Comment.
  • Keep it family-safe. No vulgar or profane language. To discourage anonymous comments of cowardly nature, your IP address will be logged and posted next to your comment.
  • Do not respond to another person's comment out of context. If he made the original comment on another page/blog entry, go to that entry and respond there.
  • If all you want to do is contact the blogger and your comment is not connected with this entry and has no relevance to others, send a private message instead.
Only registered users with public blogs are allowed to post comments. Log in with your username and password or create an account and set up a blog.
Debt Reduction Calculator
Featured Announcements
Recent Comments: