Summit junkie!

View Benchmark solo:

I really needed some mental therapy today and it is amazing what a trail run in the Fall will do for your soul. Perfect temps and the views were downright stunning. No iPod, just me and the trail. I ran into Brent after a half mile and we chatted for about 5 minutes, but otherwise it was just me on the trail enjoying the bright fall colors that actually seemed better than Sunday. I ran the entire way to the summit and then took a few minutes to soak up the views. On the way down it started to rain slightly and it actually felt good. I had a really good run down and only saw one dude on a bike, but otherwise I had the place to myself. It was just what I needed.

Highland Alpine loop solo:

I haven't done much raod running the last few months and I didn't have a lot of time, so this was my best option. I felt sluggish for the first half, but I was able to get into a decent groove on the back half.

Highland Alpine loop with add on:

I did the same loop as yesterday, but added on an extra two at the end. I felt better out there and felt like I was running faster, but hit mile 7 only a minute faster then yesterday. The weather was about as good as it gets.

Weights at the gym for an hour. Great session working my upper body/core.

View Benchmark the long way with Craig:

Craig was doing a 20 miler from his house up to VB via Ann's and then down Canyon Hollow and back, so I decided to join him for a chunk of that. I met him in Draper and we ran up to the lower connector trail that goes up to Ann's off of Vintage View. From there we ran the 'regular' route up to the peak. The leaves just aren't as good as last week, but the temps and trail were just about perfect and it was a great run. We ran back down to the VB trailhead and from there Craig took the Eagle Crest trail and I went back down Ann's.

The run down was tougher than it should have been. My energy was very low and I really needed some food, so it was a bit of a slog, but I grinded it out. Overall this was a really fun run. I needed it.

Craig running down on the VB trail:

Did the Insanity class at the gym. I was the only guy there. It was insane.

Good circuit workout at home with Kristina. Worked upper body, legs and core.

View Benchmark solo:

After work I hit Ann's trail for a nice cruise up VB. The air was crisp and I had the place to myself. I felt really good and pushed a good pace up and back.

Lake Mountain with Craig:

I love early morning Sunday runs. I usually run on Sunday mornings with Craig or solo and we had a really fun run up to Lake Mt. The temps were cool and we beat the storm that was slowly moving over the Wasatch Front. We didn't push it on the way up, but still hit the top in a respectable 1:08. We hung out on the summit for a few minutes enjoying the view and then had a fun run down discussing some possible adventure runs. The perfect way to start my day.

Weights at the gym for an hour working my upper body/core.

I went to boot camp at the gym with Kristina. We did an hour of weights and cardio circuits. Great sweat.

Running on the track at the gym: I'm not a fan. That said sometimes it is necessary when it gets dark so early. I am also not a fan of running on the roads in the dark, so I opted for the track. I do end up running faster on the track than I do on the trails, so I guess I can count this as speed work. :)

Ave Twin Peaks with Mark K:

I was meeting Mark at the Ave Twins trailhead, but I wanted a few extra miles, so I parked at the Capitol building and ran to the TH to meet Mark. Mark and I had a really fun run for about 3 miles before he had to turn around. From there I was on my own up to the summit and back down.

It was a fantastic day outside and one of those days that make running in the Fall awesome. The temps were so nice and the trail was in perfect condition. I cruised up to the top of both peaks where I took a break to take in the view (never gets old) and have a gel.

The run down was a blast. I found a gear that felt good and stayed with it all the way back down. By time I hit the pavement I was pretty tired and hungry, so that last mile was a bit of a slog, but I got it done.

My wife had surgery on her foot on Friday, so my weekend was rather crazy to say the least. I found a few free minutes to get out on a run, so I decided to make the most of my time. I ran fast. I decided that I would get a good enough workout if I ran some tempo miles and I was right. At times I was running low 7s and at others I was sprinting. It felt good and when I finished I was totally whiped out and covered in sweat. I need to run fast more often.

Weights at the gym working my upper body/core for an hour. I hit it hard and had an excellent session.

Boot camp at the gym with my 8 year old son, Alec. Since the Mrs. is down with a bad wheel I picked up a new partner for the gym. We did sprints, core and weights.

Ben Lomond and Willard Peaks with CraigL and Je10:

What a fantastic run! That was easily one of the top 2-3 early morning wake up runs of the year. I have wanted to bag these peaks for a long time, but I've put them off for years because of the extra two hour drive needed to get up there and back. The 3:00 am wakeup was definitely worth it for these incredible peaks.

I enjoyed everything about this run. Je10 had run a super-fast 100K 4 days earlier and Craig a marathon on Monday, so I figured that we would be moving slower than normal, but Je10 was a machine. We ran nearly all the way to the top of Ben Lomond and I was really impressed with her pace. She is tough! We hit the top just as the sun was coming up and had some sweet views in every direction. Both of these peaks dominate the skyline in North Ogden and we could see all the way to Mount Nebo about 100 miles away to the south. Incredible.

I was expecting the ridge over to Willard to be loose and rocky, but it was really runnable all the way. There is a bit of a scramble up to Willard and we did take some time with route finding just to make sure we were hitting the right peak, but eventually we topped out on the highest point in Weber County and enjoyed the spectacular view. 360 degrees of awesome. After a few pics we went back the way we came.

This is one of the best mountain running routes I have been on in the Wasatch. It has it all. Sweet views, runnable trail, cool summits, excellent ridge running and a lot of wildlife. We got up close and personal with 3 moose and some mountain goats. I will definitely be back to tag these two peaks again. I'll probably make it a yearly trek. With great friends and a fantastic route the run could not have been better.

View Benchmark + sub peak:

After work I hit VB via Ann's from Vintage View. This is one of my favorite times to run VB because I'm usually the only one on the trail. The temps were near perfect and I really enjoyed the run. When I got higher on the VB trail the wind really picked up and it was cold, but I never had to put on my long sleeve. I just played some sweet tunes and enjoyed the solitude.

Weights at the gym for an hour working my upper body/core. The gym was really stinky tonight. Smelled like clams mixed with BO.

After working with the meatheads I hit the track for some fast miles. I ran the first 4 at 7:30ish pace and then the last two at about 7:00. Yeah, that is fast for me. I actually enjoyed it.

Mt. Wire X 2 with Je10 and CragL:

Started lap one with Je10. We didn't push it very hard and enjoyed a nice chat all the way up. The mountain was enveloped with clouds, but there were a few windows where you could see some hints of the valley below. The summit ridge and peak were pretty cold, so we didn't stay up there long. Down George's Hollow. It was snowy, rocky and slippery on the way down, so I went pretty slow. We had a great chat and I really enjoyed lap #1.

We got down to the trailhead and Craig was supposed to meet me there, but he was running late, so I left to get a quick bite to eat and met him about 40 minutes later where we started lap #2. We didn't push the pace very hard, but we still hit the summit in 45 minutes. The clouds had all burned off and the views were much better up there this time, but it was more windy and a lot colder, so we didn't even stop. We went back down George's Hollow, but took a different trail that took us over into Red Butte where we ran the Red Butte loop. It was a bit muddy in a few spots and we certainly weren't fast, but eventually we made our way back to the BST and then back to the trailhead. It was a really fun day with good friends on the trails.

I walked about 4 miles with my son Alec and his friend trick-or-treating. I had a blast making them run from house to house and cracking the whip. He came home with 7 lbs of candy for his efforts. Great time.