Summit junkie!

Signing up for this marathon 3 weeks after the Wasatch 100 was probably not the smartest thing I have ever done, but I was really excited to go down to St. George to run this race. I love the atmosphere and it is always fun to see and chat with other runners. I stayed with my friends Robb Bladen and Cody Haycock the night before at Cody's condo and I didn't get much sleep. We were up at 4:20 and out the door at 5:00. Robb had a hook up with a friend that is a volunteer and he gave us a ride up to the start. It was nice not to have to go wait for the bus. We got there 45 min before the start and we looked for the shortest POP line we could find which was pretty far from the start. By time we got out the gun went off. We hoped to be as close to the start as we could, but we ended up being 6 minutes behind the gun in a huge crowd that was not moving fast.

The first few miles were frustrating because we were stuck in the massive crowd that was not moving fast. This cost us at least a few minutes of time trying to move around and we actually ran a lot of the first two miles off the road in the dirt trying to get through. We passed Smooth and Toby and said hello at some point in there. :) After a few miles it thinned out just enough that we were finally able to pass much easier and we spent the next few miles at about a 7:15 pace passing several runners. We were laughing and joking the whole time and having a lot of fun. I decided to carry my handheld water bottle, so that I could stay hydrated and I am glad I had it. I also noticed an annoying stitch in my side that would dog me for at least 10 more miles.

At mile 5 I took a gel and the temps still seemed really good to me and we kept up the 7:00-7:20 pace to Veyo. So far I was feeling really good, but going up the hill Cody asked me for an S-Cap, so I got one for all three of us and then while I was putting them back into the pocket on my bottle the guys put a small distance on me. I tried to catch them going up the hill, but they picked up their pace and I wasn't able to keep up. At the top of the hill I picked up my pace to try and keep up but I never saw them again. I turned on my ipod and ran alone the rest of the way.

At about mile 10 I noticed that my legs were very fatigued. Not only were they tired, but they hurt a lot. This is not normal for me 10 miles into a run and I knew it was going to be a total grind the rest of the way. I had been hoping to run a 3:30, but I started to think that maybe it wouldn't happen for me. I made up my mind that I was going to run as hard as I could no matter what and see what happened.

I loved having my handheld bottle. It allowed me to run through every aid station and I never stopped to walk once the whole race. I would just take off the lid and then grab 2-3 cups of water to dump in at each aid station. Sometimes it was frustrating because the small cups would only be about 1/3 full, but usually I could get what I needed without slowing down too much. Last year I wasted so much time walking through the aid stations to drink. I also think it helped me to be better hydrated, although my stomach was sloshing quite a bit and it was annoying.

From about mile 15 on my legs hurt really bad. They have never ached like that during a run before. I kept noticing my pace getting worse and each time I really had to push to keep it down. It was tough. The worst part is by mile 18 after most of the hills my legs were so wrecked that I couldn't push the downhills at all. I don't think this marathon is easy at all.

When we finally started to make our way out of the canyon I was relieved that this was almost over, but at the same time I was dreading the last 3-4 miles. Luckily the heat never bothered me the whole race. I have been running in much hotter temps all summer so I never felt like it was bad. I knew my 3:30 wasn't possible, but I still wanted to give it everything I had and I am happy with the way I finished. I kept a solid pace in the 8's the last 3 miles. I didn't enjoy anything about the last 3 and I think they are as tough as any miles I have ever run. I wanted the race to be over. I just wanted to be done and I kept thinking I am never doing this race again. Ever.

When I finally made the last turn and saw the finish I was a little demoralized because it looked so much farther than I had remembered it from last year. I did pick up my pace and just grinded to the finish. When I stopped the pain in my legs was severe. I somehow made it over to the grass where I crashed behind two girls and rolled around in pain for about 10 minutes. Then I heard someone say "Hey Kelli, how did you do?" and I looked up to see I had been lying right behind Kelli and another blogger (can't remember her name). Kelli was so nice and went and got me two Diet Coke's and offered to go get me whatever I wanted. What a life saver!!! Thanks Kelli! Not only were my legs really hurting, but now my stomach was feeling sick and the Coke really helped to settle it. I could not have walked over there myself. After about 30 minutes I could finally stand, but it really hurt. My legs didn't even hurt this much after Wasatch.

I did PR by 10 minutes, but I can't say that I am happy with that at all. I know I can run faster and that is frustrating, but I can't blame anyone but myself for the lack of marathon training that I have done this year. I did have a great time though and got to see a lot of bloggers. Congrats to everyone for finishing. Congrats to Rad who was sicker than a dog and still gutted out a finish. I really am not sure if I like the SGM. I'll have to think about it for a while.

50 minutes in the gym lifting weights. I worked my upper body/core. One of my friends brought a medicine ball and we did some new core/arms stuff that really worked me. My legs are still a little sore from the marathon, but they are feeling a lot better today, so I'll probably hit the elliptical later.

Solo Mt. Wire. I was hoping to beat the storm that is moving into the Wasatch front and at the trailhead it was warm with not much wind. I wanted to just do a nice and easy recovery climb, but I was feeling really good and I ended up running a lot more than I had planned. My quads have a touch of soreness, but other than that my legs feel pretty good. I think climbing Wire is perfect for recovery.

 There was a girl ahead of me and I caught up and passed her just before the first saddle. Some dark clouds were moving in and the wind started to pick up, so I picked up my pace and pushed it where I could.By time I reached the last saddle it was raining and blowing and the darker clouds were getting closer. Just before I got to the first towers the wind became fierce and the temperature had dropped 20+ degrees from the start, so I put on an extra long sleeve shirt as I ran up the summit ridge. The only positive is the wind was at my back and it made the final push a lot easier.

 I reached the summit in 42 minutes and didn't even stop. I just turned around to head down and got blasted by the wind. It was really blowing and now there was sleet mixed in. I ran for about 10 seconds and couldn't take the pounding any more, plus I couldn't even get in a breath, so I had to turn my head to breathe and then used both hands to protect my face from the stinging sleet. I just started laughing. Once I was off the summit ridge the wind calmed down a little, but the rain picked up and just got progressively worse the rest of the way down. I had a few annoying rocks in my shoes, but I didn't want to stop and mess with them, so I just ran all the way down. I was completely soaked at the finish. Total time 1:10

Weights at the gym for an hour (Chest, shoulders, arms, lats). I worked out with some friends and had a really good session.

I didn't get a chance to run until late, so I ended up on the treadmill for the first time in about 4 months. It was awful. I had no energy and my legs were a bit heavy, but more than anything I just loathe the TM. It is very hard for me to run on it.

I had a very busy day going to football games and family parties, so once again I had to settle for the TM. My legs felt better, but I still didn't enjoy it.

Solo Mt. Wire

I wanted to get up early and run Lake Mountain, but I wasn't feeling it this morning, so I decided to do Wire instead. No wind at the start and temps were almost perfect. It took me a few minutes to get going fast because I was messing with my ipod, but as soon as I got the tunes going I picked up my pace. I passed a girl that was running/hiking and as soon as the ridge came into view I could see someone almost to the first saddle, so I decided to push harder to catch them.

I ran as much as I could and when my heart rate would get really high I would switch to a power hike. I was slowly making up ground on the person ahead of me, but I could tell that they were moving pretty fast as well.

At the second saddle I was just a few minutes back, so I knew I would catch them, but I could now see that the person was running every step. I ran/power hiked up to the towers and now I was only about 20 seconds behind. It looked like an older lady, but she was moving well. I ran the ridge and could have passed her, but decided to hang back and reached the summit a few steps after her. My time was just a few seconds over 40 minutes. I had hoped to go under 40, but just missed it. We chatted for a few minutes and she was the nicest lady named Fran, my new hero. She looks to be about 70, but is in tremendous shape and she says she runs Wire a few times per week. I love her already. She normally runs up there a little later than I do, but we were both surprised we hadn't seen each other before. After a few minutes I wished her well and took off down the mountain. The run down was fun and my total time was 1:09

PM- Weights at the gym for 50 minutes. I worked chest and arms with some friends and then worked my shoulders, lats and core on my own.

Sweet run on the Draper Bosho with Jun, Dorsimus and Brent. We had a really fun run just chatting away and enjoying the nice temps. At times we went very casual and then other times Jun put his foot on the gas and charged ahead. Mostly though it was a nice pace and I really enjoyed it. The fall colors were outstanding on the mountain side. My legs were a bit tired after the finish but I felt very good.

Mt. Wire with Jun and MattVS. Peak #60 for the year.

It was cold and breezy at the trailhead when we started at 5:50 this morning. Jun and VS took off fast and I was content not to blow my wad right out of the gate. After it was pretty clear that I wouldn't be running right with them I spent a minute finding some good music on the ipod and settled into a good pace. I wasn't too far back, but Jun was pushing it a bit. By time we reached the ridge I was at least a minute back and by time I got to the first saddle Jun was easily a few minutes ahead with VS just behind him.

At the second saddle Jun was about half way up the final slope and VS was still a few minutes ahead of me. I had a decent pace, but I wasn't pushing as hard as I should have been. Lazy! At the towers the boys passed me on their way down and I finally reached the top just after 46 minutes. I was slow going down. I took my time and made sure I didn't fall. I was very surprised that I couldn't see the guys when I was heading down the steep ridge to the first saddle. I saw a light below that was stopped and I figured it was VS taking a break, but it turned out to be a random hiker that I passed just after the first saddle.

The run down was fun but not fast. I was content to take it easy and enjoy the run. Jun waited for me to make sure I wasn't attacked by a cougar, but we didn't see any older ladies up there today. Jun was flying down and just missed coming in less than one hour round trip. That is FAST.

I woke up early to get in a workout at the gym before work. I worked my upper body/core. My triceps and delts were still slightly sore from Monday which was surprising, so I took it easy on them.

Grandeur Peak loop with Jun, Dorsimus and MattVS.

This is one of my favorite training runs. I met the guys at 7:00 am at the west ridge trailhead. Well, I met Jun and Dors, but Matt was nowhere to be found. His car was there so we speculated about where he was and after about 10 minutes we decided to start and he came running down the trail. Dealing with a case of insomnia he decided to get up early and do a lap to the summit and then meet us for round two. Awesome.

It was pretty windy to start and after about 10 minutes it was calm and warm as we made our way up the ridge. Jun went out a little faster and I spent most of the time on the way up with Dors with Matt not far behind. We reached the summit in 1:11 and took a break to snap some pics and I had a gel. Jun had to go back down because of time constraints, but we continued on down the Church Fork trail to the Pipeline. The fall colors are at a peak right now and the trail was absolutely unreal. Stunning views in every direction. We ran the Pipeline at a pretty casual pace and at Rattlesnake Gulch Matt and I decided to go down to the canyon road instead of up and over the saddle following the Grandeur Fun Run trail. MattVS looked a little disappointed that we weren't going up. Come on Matt, you already had almost 7K in elevation gain on the day. He is definitely a vert whore (one of the reasons I love the guy). 

The run down Rattlesnake was fast and fun, but unfortunately we didn't see the Millcreek flasher to the dismay of everyone. We ran down the canyon road and then back to our car at a pretty decent pace. It was an incredible morning.

Weights at the gym for an hour.

I had a really good workout. I spent about half the time lifting with friends and we did some new stuff that worked me pretty good. My friend brought his big ball (medicine) again and we worked with that for a while. My favorite exercise is getting across from each other on the mat and then you throw the ball to the other guy and then do a push up. As you come up you catch the ball and then bounce it back. We did this for about 10 minutes total and my arms were wrecked.

4 miles on the TM after I got my kids to bed. The first 3 were at 8:fortyish and the last mile I did at 6:30 to mix it up.

I ran 5 on the track at the gym. I was going to take it easy, but after the first mile at an 8:40 pace I picked it up and ran the next 4 miles in 30:35. I was feeling really good and wanted to keep going, but I decided to save my legs for Friday. I'll be pacing MattVS at the Pony Express 50 for 25-35 miles, so I want to make sure I am fresh.

Good luck to all of my friends that will be running out there.

Weights at the gym. Worked upper body/core.

Pacing/crewing MatthewVH at the Pony Express 50.

I had an incredible time pacing Matt on his first ultra marathon. I got to the start about 40 minutes early and had a fun time chatting with Matt, Dorsimus, Jim Kern, Scott and Kelli, Jsh, Seth Wold and others. I would be crewing for at least the first 15 miles with Matt's dad and then pacing for the last half of the race.

Matt and Seth went out fast and when we drove by at the 2 mile point they already had a pretty good lead on everyone else. I was worried that he was going out too fast and after a brief talk from the car he seemed to be feeling good, but I was still a little concerned. The next 20 miles were a lot of fun. I brought Matt's dad up to speed on what he would need and where everything was and how he would probably want it. We would meet Matt about every 4 miles and make sure he had everything that he needed. Not only was Matt running strong and smooth, but we got into a good routine so he didn't have to slow down much while we gave him hydration and fuel.

I thought about jumping out to run at Simpson Springs, but Matt was still looking strong and I didn't want to break his rhythm and there would be plenty of miles left to help pace. Britta Hanel was starting to catch up and was probably only about 1/4 of a mile back when we approached Simpson, but Matt ran the hill strong and put a little more distance on her. We wouldn't see her again for almost 30 more miles. Things were going so well that I started to think that maybe I would just help crew, but I knew that the long straight stretch would be a grind, so I wanted to help take Matt's mind off of it because I thought he would probably start to get fatigued, so I decided to get out to run at mile 21.

After a few miles I could tell he was slowing a bit, but he still looked pretty good and was in second place without anyone even close to threatening at that point. He hit the marathon in 3:42 and was still feeling and looking strong. We passed Smooth and I chatted with her for a few minutes. She looked great and was all smiles. The approach to Dugway Pass starts to get steep and it was here that we noticed a guy in an orange shirt moving well about 1/4 of a mile back. We started to limit our time at our aid stops and we pushed it pretty hard up the hills. Both of us put on our ipods to see if that would help. We held him off for about 4-5 miles, but on the steepest section climbing to the pass he was only about 100 yards back. I ran ahead to the crew car to get Matt some water and a bagel so he wouldn't have to stop. We did make pretty good time on the climb, but the orange shirt guy kept coming.

At the top of the pass Matt let out a primal scream and I told him we needed to bomb it down the other side. His dad was there with some Coke and after a quick drink we started running down. I tried to push the pace, but I could tell he was getting fatigued and for good reason, he was almost 40 miles in and had been pushing it pretty hard the whole time. I tried to tell Matt not to worry about the other runners. I could tell it was bothering him when he got passed, which is good, but at the same time I didn't want it to demoralize him. He was running an incredible race. Orange shirt guy finally passed us about a half mile down on the other side of the pass. He was a really nice guy that eventually finished in 2nd place and he looked strong.

We grinded out a few more miles and I was surprised to see Davy just ahead. I figured he was either having an off day or that he had to deal with some race issues. We finally passed him about mile 42 while he took a rest stop and within a half mile I could see Britta moving in on us again. She was looking strong and fresh and passed us running about an 8:00 min mile pace. We were both shocked at how good she looked. Matt's wife and kids showed up and I think it was a real boost for him. I think they came at the perfect time because I noticed an extra bounce in his step and his energy seemed to be picked up as well.

The last 5 miles were very hard. My legs/hips/IT bands had become very fatigued and my energy was also down. I realized that I had not been paying enough attention to my own energy, so I tried to cram in as much food and salt as I could, but I was losing my appetite. The usual jokes weren't as funny as they normally are and it was just plain tough. Matt continued to grind away and never complained about anything.

The .75 out and back at the finish it the worst part of the whole race. About half way down I stopped to pee and Matt got out in front and there was no way I was going to catch him, so I didn't go all the way to the turnaround spot and I was ok with that. Running in the last half mile was actually fun. We were joking and laughing and the last .2 Matt actually picked it up a lot and ran hard and fast into the finish. I wouldn't have expected anything less. His time was 8:30 and he took 4th place, pretty incredible for his first ultra. His wife, kids and dad were there to greet him and it was amazing to see. I am just glad that I was able to experience a part of it with him. I'll never forget the experience.

Lifted at the gym for an hour (upper body/core). I had an excellent workout. I felt great and strong and it was probably the best day I have had in months lifting. My legs aren't sore at all, so I'll get back at it tomorrow.

3 miles on the TM to stretch my legs. I noticed some soreness in my right IT band, so I rolled and rubbed it out pretty good after I was done.

I ran 5 miles at the gym. AP: 8:15. I intended on taking it easy, but I got into a good rhythm and sped up after the first mile. I felt really good, but I can tell there is still some slight fatigue in my legs, so I stopped at 5.

Weights and core workout at the gym for 50 minutes. Acorn's 100 pull ups inspired me to see how many I could do. The sets went something like this:

15 25 22 14 9 6 7 6 5 5 4

I also did several while holding the handles and lifting my knees up to my chest. I would turn my legs to the left and then to the right. My friend taught me this and it really works your core.

Another good one is to pull yourself up so your head is above the bar with the inside of your arms facing you. Hold for 20 seconds and then do 3 quick pull ups and then try and hold above the bar as long as you can. If you can do 3 more pull ups. This really works your core and biceps. I did 4-5 sets.

I also worked my lats hard.

Solo Mt. Wire

I wanted to get some elevation gain today, so I ran up Wire. I could tell there was still some fatigue in my legs, so I took it easy on the way up hiking the steep sections. A few times I pushed it hard to get my heart rate up, but for the most part it was an easy ascent. After the second saddle the wind picked up and it was pretty cold on the summit ridge. I reached the summit in 48:00 and took a few minutes to take in the views that were incredible as always.

The run down was slow and easy and I passed two hikers on their way up. The cold wind kept blowing most of the way down. Total time 1:23. Slow.

5 miles running on the TM. I ran easy for the first 3 and then picked it up for the final two.

Lake Mountain summit run with my dog:

I wanted a good mountain run that I could get up and down quickly and be home fairly early, so Lake was the perfect choice. I took my dog along for the fun. I started just after sunrise and I figured I would see a few hunters because it was the last day of the deer hunt in Utah. There were more cars than usual at the parking area. Actually there are never other cars, so I knew there were people already up there probably on 4 wheelers.

I ran the first mile and then settled into a nice run/hike the rest of the way up. I would hike the steepest sections and then run everything else. I passed several hunters on 4 wheelers and most of them looked at me like I was nuts. They were all bundled up in thick heavy coats and warm gear and I had on a long sleeve shirt and shorts. I made pretty good time and reached the summit in a sweaty 1:07. I took a gel and checked out the amazing views for a few minutes and then ran back down.

The run down is my favorite part and I love running fast down this mountain. It gives me an adrenaline rush every time. I took it easier on the steep rocky sections, but I was able to move fast the last 3 miles. Total time was 1:45.

I got home just in time to have a nice breakfast with my family. It was a perfect morning.