Okay, after reading about Fiddy’s amazing Wasatch Back run up Guardsman in the Des News and actually seeing the video, all I can say is that 1:07 is completely sick for 7.2 miles and over 3100 feet of elevation gain. Needless to say, very impressed!!! Since I have not run the Ragnar leg for a few years, I was motivated to run both what my team refers to as Ragnar’s Little Sister and The Ragnar legs (both completely vindictive and merciless).
So, I started my journey out with a morning bike ride from Rocky Mountain Middle School in Heber, to Charleston, though Midway, to the Wasatch Mountain State Park Visitor’s Center (thus, leg’s 31-32 of the Wasatch Back). Only at two places did I have to jump off my bike and hop over a few sandbags to wade through a river that had jumped its banks on to the road. When I got to the Visitor’s Center, I could see why the Little Sister Ragnar was 0.4 miles shorter this year; that is, due to flooding there is a detour around the Visitor’s Center so the first 0.4-mile relatively flat stretch (more like 0.25-0.3 of a mile, so there must be a little backtrack on SR 224) up Warm Spring Drive was taken off. Not wanting to take the time to find the 3.2-mile starting line, I just timed myself from the normal 3.6 starting line. Overall, it turned out to be a nice climb that I was able to complete the 7.6 miles in 1:21:45 (10:45 pace). I was able to keep a solid pace all the way up with only a short stop due to a wolf wandering on to the road to look at me then thankfully taking off. I think I could get this under 1:20, but 1:07 is just beyond my understanding. In my book, this run is comparable to a half-marathon (in other words, 7.2 miles + 3000 vertical feet = 13.1 miles)
After taking a short break to down some liquids, I descended to Deer Valley then on to the Park City Trail system where I got completely lost. I was trying to run the final two legs of the Wasatch Back (i.e., legs 35 and 36) to the Park City High School finish line. However, I got off on the wrong trail and what was supposed to be 14.2 miles end up being 15.8 miles of running then a few miles of walking. Thankfully a very nice runner was able to give me excellent directions and let me have some of her water because I was completely out and it was getting really warm. Seriously, I cannot thank that kind runner enough! I was finally able to find PCHS where my awesome dad was waiting to give me a ride home. In summary, one heck of a workout!!!
In addition to the 10.1-mile bike ride from Heber through Midway, I was able to get in 300 sit-ups for my non-running workout.
Five-Minute Plank Challenge: 2:00
Trying-To-Go-Out-Of-My-Way-To-Eat-Healthy Challenge: a serving of peaches
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