Epic 30 miler with Cody and our new trail running buddy Mike. We have been wanting to do this route for years, but today was the day we finally put it together. My only regret is that I'm woefully out of shape. Planning a wedding and doing all the stuff to lead up to it, and then getting hitched is hard work, and doesn't leave much time for running. (Oh, yeah, that's the big news in my life right now...Cody can no longer razz me about being single and never dating, because I was lucky enough to marry my sweetheart, Jenny, on the 28th of this month. Totally worth being undertrained because of only sporadic training for the past 6 months. Sorry, Cody.) Anyway, so we started off up High Creek Canyon (near Richmond, UT). This was my first run of any consequence at all in probably 2 1/2 weeks, so I immediately felt like it was going to be a long day, but I already knew that and ignored the feeling. After 3 miles of boring dirt roads, we finally got to the trail head and started the real run. Today was the perfect day to do this run. It was a little warm and humid due to the thunderstorms that have been blowing through the area every few days, but it wasn't too bad and it was just a beautiful day otherwise. Everything up High Creek was green and lush, and there were wildflowers everywhere once we passed the beaver pond and got to the higher elevations. We took our time and paused to take a few snapshots and video clips and enjoy the scenery. We decided that High Creek Canyon is not unlike the El Vaquero Loco course, and that's why we like it so much. Presently, we reached High Creek Lake and stopped to soak our hats in the icy water. It was windy on the lake, but we knew that once we crossed Naomi Peak and the spine of the mountains it would get hot and sunny. We climbed to the saddle and began the ascent up to the peak, and I could feel a little fatigue set in, as well as feeling the elevation, but it wasn't too bad. We stopped at the top for a bite to eat and some more photos before bombing the technical downhill into Tony Grove. There, we stopped for a potty break and more soaking of clothing in the lake while the lady ranger and visitors gave us strange looks. Running out through the campground, one astute mother told her awe-struck children, "Look! Those are REAL runners!" Yes, ma'am, yes we are. At this point, my lack of training began to take its toll. We were roughly at the halfway point, but I had absolutely no energy in my legs for the uphill slog out of TG to Coldwater Spring. Cody was nice and stopped a few times to let me catch up, and Mike stayed back to keep me going, but I was really feeling the fatigue. Nothing really hurt, I just had no strength. We passed some other trail runners going the other way about half a mile or so before the spring, and paused to chat and catch our breath (at least me). They came from Cottonwood Canyon, and were heading to Franklin Basin via Tony Grove. We didn't think to catch names or phone numbers, but they looked pretty legit sporting Ultraspire gear and Cascadia shoes. Anyway, we finally reached the spring, and Cody and Mike filled their empty packs. My pack holds a whopping 3 liters, so I was only half empty and decided to stick it out to the next water stop at the top of Green Canyon. I took a few handfuls out of the spring though, and the water was awesome, though I could only stand a few swallows before my hands felt numb from the cold water. Delicious. We forged ahead and things began to get pretty dicey weather-wise. We had heard a lot of thunder coming up out of TG, and were a little concerned about that, but luckily the thunder stopped only to be replaced by a downpour. I was secretly welcoming the cooling rain though, as I knew it was a hot day otherwise. Shortly, we were soaked to the skin and stopped under one of the last available trees before the Seven Sisters to wait out the storm and eat some food. It was a good thing, as it even hailed for a few moments. I had been downing fruit snacks along with my usual granola bars in order to keep my brain stocked with sugar, as I had been reading about that on iRunFar, and it seemed to be working. Fruit snacks are my new favorite race food. All the properties of Shot Bloks (minus electrolytes which I get from other sources anyway), but they are easier to eat and taste a billion times better, especially when you've been eating them for awhile. I gradually began to have a little more energy to run, and not running uphill helped too. That didn't last long. Before I knew it, we were staring straight up the first of the Seven Sisters--small peaks along a very long ridge before you get to Green Canyon. They really aren't that big or intimidating, but there are seven of them (at least!) and at mile 20 of a monster trail run when you haven't been training like you should, it's a tall order. Cody and Mike tried to be nice and wait for me for awhile, but I was pretty deep in the fatigue and pain cave so they ditched me eventually, figuring I'd find my way just fine without them. Good friends! ;) But really, I was fine, and I didn't want to slow them down anyway. I had never run this section, but I knew the area well enough and where we were going that there was no danger of getting lost. All I had to do was keep climbing these accursed peaks over and over. Finally, I rounded the last of the small peaks and found Cody and Mike had decided to have mercy and wait for me. They had taken the "scenic route" around the last peak, and lost some time so I was only back 2 minutes or so according to them. I told them I was going to opt out of tagging the peak of Mt. Elmer (a short out and back), and that I'd just go on ahead and wait for them to catch up. They agreed and went on ahead. I had been downing fruit snacks (good thing I brought so many) and an S-cap or two, and once I came around to the far side of Mt. Elmer I actually began to feel pretty good. I paused to attempt some photos of them on top of the peak, and then began the descent down to Green Canyon. I began to feel better and better, and more and more positive about the run and actually started to enjoy myself again. I figured this was good mental practice for the Bear--learning how to overcome low points. With my renewed vigor, my speed also increased. Pretty soon, I was going fast enough that I wasn't sure Cody and Mike would be able to catch me. I'd been going at least half an hour without them, maybe more (my Garmin battery had died...poopy). So I eased off the accelerator and just kinda had fun until I could see them behind me. Soon they caught up to me, and right about this time my plantaris issue started flaring up (recurring injury due to undertraining and then doing a big run...kinda like this! :P), so I told them to go past and I'd meet them at the spring. I had to slow down a lot for the steep parts, as it hurt to run downhill. I caught up with some horseback riders who were buttsliding down a technical switchback into the bottom of the canyon, and I was content to walk behind for a bit so as not to spook the horses and to rest my leg. Soon we got to the spring and Cody and Mike were waiting there. They had put 10 minutes on me in a mile. But I filled up my pack which had only just run dry and told them to go ahead and that I would be able to run better when the terrain smoothed out a bit in the main part of the canyon. I wasn't able to run as well as I'd hoped when the grade did lessen, so I ended up doing a lot of jog-walking. It was HOT. And I was getting into a less than chipper mood. I just wanted to be done. And I didn't want them to have to wait for me at the bottom forever. Fortunately, I forgot that they would also probably slow down, so instead of being waiting an hour they were only there for around 30 minutes. All in all, this was a really great run. I am not too worried about the injury, as I know what it is and how to address it (consistent training, hamstring exercises). The scenery was as good as it gets in Logan, and it was good company with both Cody and Mike. I finished in roughly 7 hours for 30 miles, so not bad for being in sorry shape. 7:00:00 (14:00/mi.)
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