Believe to Achieve

So.....I awoke this morning at 6:36am  after a scenic drive to our remote camping area in Heber (yesterday afternoon), nice campfire dinner with roasted marshmallows (too many to count) to start my first day of ALITITUDE training.  Oh yah baby!!!  it was 94 degrees in PG but 69 degrees when we got there at 3:45 pm yesterday.  Well I was a BIT off on the elevation--  I just downloaded my garmin and I was camping at 9510 FT !!!  YUP UP THERE.    So I go the way grandpa (father in law) said to go and where Troy and I briefly 4 wheeled yesterday and I ran until 5.5 miles.  HELLLLO !! It is like I have altitude reserve training for just 5 miles because turning around and running back UP and DOWN was like sucking through a straw.  I stopped for a total of 2 min 9 seconds.  Once for pottying once for "holy moly give me some relief here" moment.  I sure could have used my water belt.  I keep forgetting to plan for water.  I just run without.  Oh yah there is only DIRT and ROCKS to run on. I ran without music and put my garmin in "hide" mode except for mile splits.  I am telling you this was an intense run!!  Ending on a  1 mile steep incline at 9500 feet is intense.  Total elevation gain on run 1298 ft.  Elevation start 9343 ft.  Highest elevation 9893 ft.  Tomorrow I run shorter but HIGHER.  AP for 11 miles = 9:20.  Nothing too fast, no heart attacks out in the wilderness alone.  SO VERY BEAUTIFUL.  I was envisoning myself running the Wasatch Back 100.  At least then I would have water/fuel and a few friends along the way.    btw-- I awoke again with a sore throat. OUCH.  But I ran through it.  I think it is allergies-- all the smoke from the campfire not helping.  Even my left ear feels full of fluid.  FINISHED THIS DAY OFF WITH a FOUR HOUR 4-wheeler ADVENTURE ride with my daughter Courtney on the back and Amber with Grandpa and Brooke with Troy.  OH MY quite the bumpy ride in parts.  MY THUMB GOT A GREAT WORKOUT holding down the gas!!   4 HOURS!!!