| Location: American Fork,UT,USA Member Since: May 20, 2009 Gender: Male Goal Type: Other Running Accomplishments: 6 100 mile finishes:
Wasatch 100- 2011
Wasatch 100- 2012
Buffalo Run 100- 2013
Bryce 100- 2013
Wasatch 100- 2013
Buffalo Run 100- 2014
100 mile PR- 22:42
Multiple ultra distance adventure runs every year
My running focus has been on ultra running since 2011
Climbed 348 peaks from 2010-2013
Short-Term Running Goals: Race Schedule for 2014:
Buffalo 100 (Goal: 22 hours)
Bighorn 100
Wasatch 100 (Goal: Under 30 hours)
Have less than 20 trail diggers in 2014:
Diggers so far in 2014: 1
Climb 100 peaks in 2014
Peaks climbed so far in 2014: 40 Long-Term Running Goals: 24 hour Wasatch 100 finish Personal: Refuse2quit blog
My adventure blog
Summitpost profile |
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Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 505.12 | Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 213.70 | Montrail XCR Miles: 28.29 | Asics Kahana Miles: 157.66 | Montrail Nitrus Miles: 94.53 | Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 272.64 | Saucony Kinvara Miles: 63.60 |
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Night Sleep Time: 1959.50 | Nap Time: 11.50 | Total Sleep Time: 1971.00 | Weight: 156.61 | Calories: 19800.00 | |
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I can't believe that another year has passed us by again. They go so fast the older you get. I had an amazing 2009, and I am hoping to have an even better 2010. I did accomplish most of my fitness goals, and I made many great memories hiking and running last year. I climbed 31 peaks, ran my first half and full marathons, and met some incredible people along the way. There were several EARLY mornings, but I loved every one of them, and I can't wait for more adventure this year. Wishing everyone the best in 2010.
Oh yeah, I did manage 4 on the TM today. It's not the way I wanted to start out the new year, but it will have to do. |
Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 2500.00 |
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Had a really fun run this morning with Jun and Aaron K. on the BST. We met at 7:00, and Aaron wasn't feeling all that well, so after a few minutes he had to stop and take care of his issues, and Jun and I kept going. The trail was covered in snow, but it wasn't as slick as the last time we ran it because the snow was fresh. After about a mile I also started having issues with my stomach and I had to stop (I'll spare you all of the details) for a few minutes while Jun moved way ahead. After I resolved my issues it took about 5 minutes to catch up to Jun, who had stopped to wait for me. The mountain was completely enveloped in clouds, and the fantastic view we had for the first 20 minutes was gone.
At about mile 3 my knee started to bother me, and when the snow got deeper I actually had to walk a bit because it was hurting. We turned around at mile 4, and then on our way back we ran into Aaron about 3 miles from the cars. He looked a lot better, and he and Jun motored ahead for the rest of the run, while I was much slower. My knee was really sore, and it was really hurting the last mile. I think it was too much up and down on the sledding hill the other day, so I will take it easy for a few days.
It was a really fun run, and the perfect way to start my Saturday. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 2300.00 |
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| | Nice and easy 4 to test the knee, and it felt really good. Maybe it was the fact that I wasn't running in snow and uphill/downhill, or it could have been all of the Ibuprofen I've been eating since the run on Sat. Either way I'm good to go. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 2000.00 |
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Went to the gym and lifted for 45 min (upper body/core). Had a very good workout even though I was in a bad mood. Ran 1 mile on the track after I was done. I tried to go fast, but I am not in very good shape right now. (7:25). At least my side wasn't hurting this time. Updating my profile pic. This is a recent photo with my son.
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 2200.00 |
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| | I am soooo sick of the TM, but I hate running after dark in the winter, so it will have to do. I think I may run over at the gym just to mix things up a bit. I am also going to go climb something this Friday morning I think. got my new snow shoes and want to try them out. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 2100.00 |
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| | I couldn't stand the thought of the TM, so I decided to run the track at the gym instead. I did 6 miles (78 laps) in 49 minutes. It was good to do something different, and I got to watch all of the treadmillers through the glass. It felt like I was having more fun. :) |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 2100.00 |
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I played basketball at the church tonight (and who was saying sledding is dangerous?). It doesn't count for any miles, but it was a good workout anyway. Lots of guys in aging bodies that still think they have it = entertaining. :) I also did 15-20 min of ab work.
Today I am going to climb something. I am thinking about Deaf Smith Peak on the Little Cottonwood ridge. I'm excited to try out my new snowshoes.
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 2000.00 |
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I left work early today to get into the mountains. I wanted to try out my new snowshoes, so my goal was to get to the summit of Deaf Smith Peak, which is on the Little Cottonwood ridge. I have never been up there before, and didn't even know where a trail was. I just planned on finding a good place to start, and head up. I actually found a trailhead in a neighborhood just off of Wasatch Blvd, and it was snow covered right from the start.
There was a packed in trail, so I didn't need the snowshoes, and I tried to move fast because I didn't have a lot of time. By time I reached the ridge I was very sweaty, and having a great workout. I was now above the inversion, and the SL valley looked absolutely disgusting. Luckily, I was above the dirty air. The weather was actually quite nice up there and felt warmer than down in the valley.
The fun really began on the ridge because there was a lot of brush and scrub oak to deal with, and it really slowed me down. I went over a few minor peaks, and I finally could see my goal. The ridge was such a messy bushwhack, and it really was tedious, and I actually ran out of time. I was about 30 minutes from the top, but I didn't have my headlamp, and I had to get home anyway. The views up there were amazing though.
I don't know exactly how far I went, but based on the topo map I am guessing about 5 miles with around 3k elevation gain.
It was a fun workout, and I will definitely be back to hit the summit this year. |
Night Sleep Time: 5.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.50 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 2400.00 |
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| | No running today. My legs are a little sore from yesterday, so I decided to give them a rest. I did however go to the gym today to lift (upper body/core). It was the 'Fitness Fair' at the AF fitness center today, and it was utter stinky chaos. Wow! Lots of people, and it was so stinky in there. haha. Anyway, I guess the gym will be crowded again for a few months untill all of the resolution people drop off. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.50 | Total Sleep Time: 8.50 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 2200.00 |
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One of my goals this year has been to work on my abs/core at least twice per week. The last few months I have started to use a workout ball at the gym, but I haven't really been spending enough time there because I am usually focused on lifting, so I finally broke down and spent 10 bucks on a ball. :) I actually think it will be the best 10 bucks I have spent in a while. Today I did a 40 minute ab/core workout with my new ball, and it was my best ab/core workout that I have ever had. I'm excited to see my progress this year, and being able to do this at home will help me spend more time on these areas. I'm not sure if it will help me run faster, but it might make my tummy tighter.
I also did 4 on the TM. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I decided to run the track at the gym and skip the TM tonight. The gym was insane with twice as many cars as usual for a Monday, and when I couldn't find a parking spot I was kind of irritated. There were a few others running the track, but they were pretty slow. I decided to take Smooths advice and I changed directions every 5 laps. Believe it or not it actually did mix things up just enough to keep it from getting too boring, and I didn't have any pains at all.
At first I was irritated with all of the people there, but as I ran I looked at all of the faces, and everyone was trying so hard. There was one heavier lady that walked the whole time I was on the track, and she was pushing herself as hard as I was, and I changed my attitude about all of these folks. They all just want to improve themselves and get better, and I guess that is what all of us are trying to do, so I did get some inspiration from them. I hope most of them reach their goals.
My time was just around 1 hour.
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Abs are still sore. Had a bad headache when I got home from work, so no working out tonight. I'm sure my body can use the rest. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Went to the gym and lifted (upper body) for 40 minutes. For some reason I was worked after about 20 minutes, but pushed it a little more. I also did 2 miles because I had time, and I finished in just over 14 minutes. I pushed it harder than normal and I really felt in in my calves. I wanted to run more tonight, but ran out of time. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Church ball-
I love playing sports, and basketball is one of my favorites, so it is very hard to not play when I can find a game. I know that church ball might be one of the more risky endeavers that a person can be engaged in, and I guess I will just keep taking my chances.
I had a guy run into me from behind going almost full speed. He was out of control, and I didn't see him coming, so I couldn't brace myself. He plowed into my back, and now my muscles are very tight and sore. I took 800 mg of Ibuprofen, and that helped some, but I am still very stiff. It's my own fault for playing, and I fully expect that sort of thing. I actually love contact, and playing hard, but when people get out of control it bugs me. Anyway!
Highlights of the game in case you're mildly interested:
Number of swear words said under my breath- I'll admit to two
Number of times the game had to be stopped by the officials (term used rather loosely) to chastise teams for poor sportsmanship- Two
Number of fouls I committed- At least 10, but was only called for one :)
Number of times players complained about a bad call- On every whistle
Number of players that had to go out of the game because of bleeding- one
Yes, we won the game :)
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Barely had time to get in 4 on the TM today. Busy week. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Met Jun, Twinkies and Kam at Mueller Park for an early morning run. It was cold and the trail was covered in snow, but it was absolutely beautiful up there, and I loved the trail. It is fairly steep the first mile, but we got into a good groove, and before I knew it we were at Elephant Rock. I didn't have time to keep going because we were having a birthday party for my son who is turning five, and I had a lot to get done. I wanted to at least keep going to mile 4, so that it would give me an even 8 for the day, but the trail after Elephant Rock was not great, and it was a lot more work than I was expecting, so I turned back after about 50 yards.
Running back by myself was fun. I had some great tunes in the iPod, and the views were great. I was in a very good mood the whole time. I got back to the car at 8:53, so it took me about 1:20 to complete the run. I'm not sure how much elevation gain there was up to Elephant Rock, but it was nice and steep the whole way.
What a fun run. I would love to go back and do it again. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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30 minute ab workout while I watched the Jets Chargers game. I love my new ball.
Also took the dog on a 3 mile run because she really needed to get some exercise. It was a lot of fun, but I deserve bonus miles because I had to fight her a lot. She gets so excited and tries to chase every dog and cat we come across. She did only run into me once, so she is getting better. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Had the day off, so we took the kids to a movie (Spy Next Door), and then to my parents for a party for my son. I made it to the gym and lifted for 40 minutes (biceps, triceps, chest, shoulders). My abs were so sore and I could only do about half as many pull ups as normal before I got tired. That ball is great.
I weigh myself after every workout and for the last 3 months I have been within 1-2 lbs every time. Tonight I was 4 lbs higher than I have been in the last 3 months. I'm not sure if it was all of the pizza, Cafe Rio, cake and ice cream over the weekend, but it is just odd that it would spike by 4 lbs after 3 months of being the same weight no matter how much I exercised or ate. I'm very interested to see what the scale says next time. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 161.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Went to the dentist on Tuesday and had some major work done. It was a lot more serious than I had hoped, but I did get a heavy dose of nitrous to make me forget about all of my pain. Not a great day, and felt terrible, so no working out.
Yesterday I still had a terrible headache and the Lortab the dentist gave me knocked me out after work, so no working out for the second day in a row. I can't remember the last time that happened.
Hopefully the rest of the week will be better. I plan on hitting the gym tonight for some lifting and running. I'll update later.
PM- Did 4.5 on the TM. It felt good to actually sweat again. I think I'll hit the gym in the AM to lift. My mouth, jaw and head are killing me. I'm debating Lortab or Ibuprofen. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.50 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 159.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Woke up early and hot the gym before work. Lifted for 45 minutes (chest, arms, core) and had a great workout. I love starting off my Fridays at the gym. My mouth is still hurting, but 3 Ibuprofen for breakfast knocked out the pain.
I weighed myself and I lost the 4 lbs that I mysteriously gained a few days ago. I'm not sure how that happened. I'm going to try and run some on the TM later if I can. Good luck to everyone running races this weekend. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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My wife has a project due for school, so I spent most of the day watching, wrestling, chasing, and otherwise playing with my kids. It was a loooong day, and I was exhausted. All I can say is you stay at home moms work your butts off, and definitely work a lot harder than I do.
My wife was sweet enough to allow me time to get in a good workout, so I did 8 on the TM in 1:11. I was sweating all over and was starving after I finished, so I rewarded myself with a bowl of Crunch Berries.
My wife also picked me up some new trail runners (Asics Kahana's). They aren't Gor-tex like my Montrails, but I think they are more comfortable. I am excited to run in them. She is an angel. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 8.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 9.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 9.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I had a terrible night sleep. My mouth was still hurting, and I woke up to take some ibuprofen around 3:00 AM, then my calf got a knot and woke me up around 4:00 AM, and finally my son got in bed with me and accidentally punched me in the nose around 5:00. Ugh! It was one of those nights.
I did manage to get a 4 mile run in even though I was tired and felt crappy most of the day. I need to have a good week this week because last week was horrible. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 50 minutes at the gym lifting (biceps, triceps, chest, lats). Also did 30 minute core workout while watching TV. I was really tired today, but felt really good at the gym. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.50 | Total Sleep Time: 6.50 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I had another busy day today, and I barely found time to fit in 4 on the TM after the kids were in bed. I really need to get out and climb something or get on a trail. I am supposed to climb Lone Peak this Saturday, so that should add some excitement to my life. I climbed it last winter, and it was one of the scarier adventures of 2009. I'll post a link to some pictures from last years climb.
Lone Peak 2009 |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I just wasn't feeling it at all, but I made myself go to the gym anyway. I ran laps on the track instead of the TM tonight. 6 miles with an average pace of 9:20. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 6.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.50 | Total Sleep Time: 5.50 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Church ball tonight. I had a great workout, but paid for it with a knee to my thigh from a rather large man on the other team. Hopefully it won't bother me to much.
We had to cancel our Lone Peak climb for Saturday because the avalanche danger is just too high right now. We have tentatively moved it to next Friday, so hopefully the conditions will improve.
Now I need something to do on Sat. I'm looking to get out for at least 10 miles in the morning. If anyone wants to get out let me know. |
Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I woke up early this morning to get in my workout before work. I love getting up early on Fridays to lift because it allows me to spend more time with my family on Friday night, and I always feel better when I can get my workout in. I think I will add this to my routine every week.
I was really tired because I stayed up late watching a show on the Discovery channel. I only got 5 hours of sleep, so it was hard getting out of bed, but I am glad I did. the gym was so crowded this morning. I lifted (upper body/core) for 45 minutes and I must have worked hard because I was sweating bad when I quit.
Have a great weekend everyone! |
Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I wanted to get out and do something big today, but I just didn't have time. I spent most of the day playing with my kids while my wife studied. Played some indoor baseball and Rockband on the Wii. The kids kicked my butt.
Got outside for a run at 9:30 and did 5 miles. I hate running in the dark, so I stopped after 5. My pace wasn't very fast. I just wasn't feeling like pushing it at all. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 5.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 9.00 | Nap Time: 0.50 | Total Sleep Time: 9.50 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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30 minutes of ab work with my ball while watching TV.
Also did 4 TM miles. 8:50 pace. I wanted to do something big this weekend, but it just didn't work out. Hopefully this week. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 9.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 9.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went to the gym after the kids were in bed. I spent 30 minutes lifting (biceps, triceps, chest, lats). I was pretty worked after 30 minutes, so I decided to run a few miles on the track. I didn't have a lot of time, so I had to run fast to get in two. First mile was 6:55 and the second was 7:10. I was so tired after, and don't know how some of you keep up a pace like that for several miles. It just shows me how far I have to go if I ever want to be a fast runner. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 2.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I had a terrible nights sleep and woke up at 3:30 AM with a really bad stomachache, and I couldn't fall back asleep. I felt crappy al day with very little energy, and my stomach wasn't 'right' the whole day. I didn't feel like working out at all, but I made myself go do 5 on the TM. 9 min miles, and after I actually felt much better. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 5.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Went to the Jazz game tonight for work, and I ate about two days worth of food during dinner. It was a great game and a lot of fun, but by time I got home and got everyone to bed it was too late to hit the gym, so I did a 30 minute ab workout.
Climbing a peak tomorrow morning before work, so I better get to bed. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I needed to get back into the mountains, so I climbed Mount Van Cott above the U this morning before work. It was a perfect short hike and had about 1200 feet of elevation gain in about a mile and a half. This is a perfect training hike, especially if there is high avalanche danger on the higher peaks. I didn’t know where the trail was, so I went up a gulch that had a faint trail, and ended up busting my hump up to the ridge through some sugary snow. Once I was on the ridge it was quick and easy, although it was a little steep.
I got to enjoy the sunrise from the top over the Wasatch and the entire Salt Lake Valley. I can’t think of a better way to start a day.
It took me a lot of work to finally bag such a little mountain. I took my dog and kids up there on one of the hottest days in the summer of 2009. We had some bad directions, and it took us about an hour of hiking before we ended up in Cepnalopod Gulch. After about 15 minutes heading up the dog wouldn't walk anymore and the kids were crying, so we had to turn back. My kids still call this mountain Mt. Van Hot.
*** PM update: Church ball. Played a good portion of the game and my calves were sore by the end. Fun workout and no injuries.
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I got up early this morning to lift at the gym. Lifted (upper body) for 35 minutes and then I did a mile on the TM because my calves were still sore and I wanted to loosen them up. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 1.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Had a very busy day and didn't get out into the moutnains for a trail run like I had hoped. I was able to find some time for 10 on the TM. Total time 1:24. Not speedy, but it was a great workout and I was dripping with sweat when I was done. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 10.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I wanted to stretch my legs and also get in a few miles because I knew I was going to eat way too much while watching the Super Bowl. I think I ate more last week than any previous week I can remember. I will check the damage on the scale at the gym tonight. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 3.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 9.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 9.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I think I am coming down with a cold. My throat is killing me and I'm starting to cough. I hate getting sick because I lose my energy. I'm hoping it is nothing serious and I'll be over it in a few days.
I went to the gym to lift after I got the kids to bed. Did upper body and some core work. Everything felt really good, and after my workout I wanted to get in a few miles, so I ran two on the track in16:38. I got a stitch in my side after about a mile, and I just pushed through the second one. That usually happens if I run after I lift. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 2.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | After the kids were in bed I went to the gym to sweat all over the TM. I also did 5 miles in just under 45 minutes. This cold has really taken my energy. I better get some sleep and some Emergen C. Everyone seems to be recommending it. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 5.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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What a day! We had a Jazz event at work today, so I went to the arena early and worked a 13 hour day. I actually left the game (Jazz/Lakers) after the 3rd quarter because my head/throat/nose/lungs were all telling me I am sick. I did eat plenty of good food though, so I knew I better hit the TM. I was able to squeeze 3 in on the TM, but I am not sure it was a good thing. I felt so crappy after, and I was slow (10+ min miles). When I got home my wife had bought me some Emergen C (Thanks Smooth and Leslie) and I drank that up and took some Nyquil, so I should be getting to my happy place soon.
My nose is sore and I keep thinking about Kelli and cheap TP :) Good thing my wife buys the good stuff, but the TP at Energy Solutions Arena is CHEAP!! |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 3.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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The Nyquil worked last night and I slept really well. I'm still not feeling great, although it hasn't gotten any worse either. I was very tired after work and I fell asleep while playing with my son and took a 30 minute nap.
After the kids were in bed I went to the gym and my wife did homework. I ran 4 miles on the TM at 8:40, and then I was feeling really tired, so I did one more at 10:00. That last mile was hard because my energy was gone. I hate getting sick.
Time for Nyquil. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 5.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.50 | Total Sleep Time: 6.50 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 45 minute ab/core workout on my ball while watching the winter Olympics opening ceremonies. I also spent about 15 minutes stretching. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Went with Jun to run/climb Lake Mountain by Utah Lake. It was drizzling on the way out there and the mountain was enveloped in clouds, so I wasn't exactly sure what the weather was going to do, but it ended up being pretty nice. The run didn't turn out so well. We got lost trying to find the right road/trail to the top, and ended up running on several muddy, snowy roads/trails. Eventually we came to a steep gully, and we new that we were not in the right place, and it was obvious we were not going to get to the top without a serious bushwhack, and neither of us had any desire for that, so we decided to just get a few miles in on the dirt roads/trails around the mountain.
There were a few sections that were a lot of fun, and others that were tedious with all of the mud and snow. It was very disappointing to see all of the garbage and debris left my rednecks and shooters out there. We saw endless amounts of beer cans, shot gun shells, exploded clay pidgins, and various other discarded items. We also passed a few parties that were shooting, and that always makes me a little nervous.
Even though we didn't get to the top, we had a great time, and the views of the calley below were fantastic. We will be back to bag this baby.
This was the first time I ran in my new trail shoes and they felt really good, although they sure got dirty. |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went to the gym and lifted for 45 minutes (Upper body). I had 25 minutes before closing time, so I ran on the TM at a 9:00 pace. Everything feels really good, except for my nose that is constantly running. I can't shake this cold. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 2.50 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Another boring night on the TM trying not to watch mens figure skating. Wow, some of those outfits were just... wow! 9:20 min miles. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Wife was doing homework, so I hit the TM for 5 miles while watching basketball (9:20 min miles). I was still feeling really good, so I did a 50 minute ab/core workout on my ball while watching the Olympics. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 5.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I played 1:30 of full court basketball with guys from work. We are going to start playing every Thursday, and it will be a great way to get some cardio. I forgot my clothes, so I ended up playing in jeans and my trail runners. Other than that it was a great time.
I had a church ball game at 10:00 tonight, but I fell asleep watching the Olympics, so I missed it. I guess the guy with the feathers took the gold in the figure skating. I had a hard time getting back to sleep after I woke up, so I took some benadryl, and had the weirdest dreams ever. |
Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 1.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I woke up early this morning to lift, and it was tough getting out of bed. I took a Benadryl last night, and it definitely made it harder to find my motor. It seemed like it took at least 30 minutes to shake the cobwebs off. I had a great workout for 40 minutes (upper body/core). I decided that I wasn't going to run, so I can save my legs for tomorrow because Jun and I are planning to climb something and I want to be fresh. As I went upstairs to weigh myself I just couldn't help myself and I ended up on one of the TM's doing a mile (8:30). I'm not quite sure why, but I just couldn't pass it up. I was late or I would have done more.
Have a great weekend everyone. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 1.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Had the best run/hike of the year so far this morning with Jun. My son came into my room last night at 1:30 am barfing all over the carpet, my bed and himself. I had only been asleep for about 30 minutes and with the alarm set for 6:00 I was worried I wouldn't be feeling it today, but I felt great the whole time. We met my friend Matt at the trailhead to Big Beacon (Mt. Wire) at 7:00 this morning and it was COLD. Matt was taking a break from work, and wasn't dressed for hiking, but he is pretty hardcore, so he just came up in his jeans and leather shoes.
The first mile was really cold and the hose on my Camelbak froze and I couldn't get any water. We made good time to the summit hiking fast. We could have run, but we didn't want to leave Matt. We made it to the top in about an hour, and Matt bailed to get back to work. We took a few summit shots, and then decided to go down a different way that would take us over a minor summit and then take us over to the Red Butte summit ridge. The run over to Red Butte was so fun in the well packed snow.
The Red Butte ridge is a little scrambly (not bad) so it slowed us down some and we were soon on the summit while spying several deer (I think we saw at least 50 today). The run down from Red Butte is pretty steep and technical, but a lot of fun. We had a great time and moved really fast down to the saddle, where we decided to take the switchbacks down to the BST.
Once we got back down to the BST it was another couple of miles to the car and by this time it was really hot. My Camelbak finally started working again, and I sucked down some water.
This was an amazing day and I would go back and do that again anytime. The only bad part of the whole hike/run was my nose ran constantly, and I had to keep farmer blowing. Jun was incredibly strong, and considering he ran a marathon+ two days ago it was pretty amazing that he did so well. I will post up some pics and a little video later today.
I just put up a video from our run:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Utah13ers#p/a/u/0/powTZ4q-krs
Here are some photos:
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | My quads were very sore, so I decided to do some work on the elliptical. Did 35 minutes and worked up a good sweat, and it seemed to loosen everything up. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Weights tonight at the gym. Lifted for 40 minutes (upper body) and then I had time, so I did 6 on the TM.
First 3 at 8:30
Second 3 at 9:30
My quads were still kind of sore, but actually feel better after the run. Everything else feels great. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 6.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went to the gym and ran the TM. At first I wasn't really excited about it at all, and decided I would do some nice and easy 9:30 miles. After 2.7 I was feeling a lot better, so I decided to pick up the pace for fun. I did the last 1.3 at a 6:38 pace. I was really tired at the end, but probably could have kept pushing if I wanted to. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 4 nice and easy miles. I also did a core/abs workout after the kids were in bed. My daughter complained though because she said I was grunting and making too much noise. haha. Those ab workouts hurt. I guess that means I was getting some 'burn'. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Got at call at 8:05 begging me to come to the church for a game that was supposed to start at 8:00. They only had 4 players. I made it over there and we got worked. It was a very physical game, and I noticed in the second half that I was dehydrated and since I hadn't stretched, my calves were bothering me too. I played most of the game and I was pretty tired when we finished. My calves are still sore and I stretched them for 15 min when I got home. Off to bed because I'm hitting the gym in 5 hours. |
Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Got up early before work to lift at the gym. Lifted (biceps, triceps, lats, delts, chest) for 40 minutes. It was dead in there this morning. Question for the group: Why do overweight old guys love to walk around naked in locker rooms? Every Friday morning I get hit with two or three terrible visual horror episodes. |
Night Sleep Time: 4.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.50 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I had a really busy day attending a baptism and family parties, so I had to sneak in 4 on the TM. I was hoping to get out and do something fun today, but it just didn't happen. I really want to get out on a trail or climb a peak in the next few days.
9:10 pace |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 9.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 9.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 5 nice and easy. 9:15 pace. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 5.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Lifted (upper body) at the gym for 60 minutes. I was going to try and get in a run, but I was feeling so good and I just lifted until the gym closed. I think I will finally be getting out on a peak on Friday. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. I'm expecting a 12 hour day and I can't wait. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I had a very busy day today, and barely had time to fit in 4 on the TM. I need more excitement in my life right now. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Did a 35 minute ab/core workout while watching TV. Climbing Mount Olympus in the morning and I want my legs to be fresh, so I didn't run. |
Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I climbed Mt. Olympus this morning before work. Our Lone peak trip for tomorrow has been cancelled (again) because of weather, so we decided to do Olympus today instead. I think this is the 5th time this year we have had to cancel, so I am not confident that I will be able to get a winter ascent this year.
We made really good time up to about 7500 feet, and from there we were in snow the rest of the way, which did slow us down. There was quite a bit of ice on the trail where it had been packed in by other hikers, and there were several sections that we really had to take care. The final push after the saddle was fun, and there were a few dicey sections with ice covered boulders to climb over. Nothing extremely serious, but I fall wouldn't be good at all.
It felt good watching all of the slugs monotonously commuting to work on 2-15 and I was grateful I wasn't one of them. There is no better way to start a day then on a peak.
About 5 minutes from the top it started to snow on us, and we arrived on the summit with plenty of snow falling. We didn't stay long on top
The descent was a little eventful, as the trail was very technical with ice in a lot of steep sections. It was very hard to balance and I kept picking up too much speed. I had two falls, and the last one was pretty bad. I scraped up my arm, shoulder, bicep, and my pinky knuckle looks like meatloaf. Maybe I'll post up some pics later of my battle scars.
It was an incredible way to start my day, and we got in over 4,000 feet of elevation gain. It took us about 4 hours to complete the hike. |
Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I woke up this morning to 4+ inches of snow on my driveway, and I was glad we had cancelled the Lone Peak climb. I hit the gym early before work to lift, and I had a very good workout. Did upper body, and my right arm is a bit sore from my fall yesterday. I have a nice bruise on my forearm and a road rash from my shoulder all the way down. I was a little worried about lifting, but didn't have any major pain.
Have a great weekend everyone. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I met Jun at the Capitol building at 6:00 am this morning and after about 5 minutes Twinkies showed up. He was running 33 miles today, while Jun and I were planning on 15. The first mile was up the road to the trailhead up City Creek Canyon. The wind was cold, and my legs were feeling a little sore from the Olympus hike.
The trail was very tough. It was mostly snow with hard slush. It wasn't easy to run at all , but it was fun. It seemed like it was steep forever, and I kept asking Jun when it was going to get flat. Twinkies and Jun were faster than me, and they waited a few times for me to catch up. Both of them looked strong.
We were planning on running all the way to Red Butte and possibly going to the summit, but I ran out of time. At 8:00 I knew I had to turn around because of the time. I was at the base of Mt. Van Cott when I decided to go back. I ran into an older gentleman that I politely asked to tell Jun and Twinkies what I had done, but I guess he forgot or missed them. A little after the Twin Peaks Jun came flying up from behind and we ran together for a few minutes before he turned on the jets.
I had to stop to take a few gels because my energy was gone, and after I was finished Twinkies met up with me. We ran together the rest of the way, and I couldn't believe how fast he was going. He was on mile 22 of his run and I could barely keep up. On the steep sections I almost fell a few times, and I was really trying hard not to because of my sore arm.
Got back to the cars about 9:15 where we had some food and cold drinks, and then said goodbye to Twinkies, who was going to run another 8 miles home. That run was very challenging, and I am really impressed with how he was moving.
It was a perfect day. |
Asics Kahana Miles: 13.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 4.50 | Nap Time: 1.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.50 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | After the kids were in bed I hit the gym to lift (upper body/core). I lifted for 45 minutes and then had some time so I ran two on the TM at 8:30 pace. This will be my Monday routine for the rest of the year, although I may add a few more miles if I have time. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 2.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I had a very busy night. My wife was doing homework, and my kids were wild and crazy, so I had to settle for the TM after I finally got them to bed. 9:05 pace. Nothing exciting.
Something that is kind of interesting to report. If any of you saw this story on KSL about the cougars, this is very close to where Jun Twinkies and I have been hiking/running the last few weeks and we will probably be there again on Saturday. No worries though, there were plenty of deer for them to munch on.
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=9952438
Watch the video
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Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.80 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 4 on the TM after I got the kids to bed. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I got up early this morning and did 3 miles before work. I had a very busy day, and after the kids went to bed I headed over to the gym to lift for an hour (upper body/core). This has not been a good week so far for miles and I need to make up for that in the next few days. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 3.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 159.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Lunch break with Jun for a fun run. We met at the Little Cottonwood Canyon park-n-ride and after a brief look at the Pipeline trail we decided to run up to the lower Bell Canyon reservoir. We ran down LCC road to the trailhead, and then all the way to the lake without stopping to hike. It was a lot of fun and the weather was perfect. The trail was a little muddy, but not too bad. We decided to run around the lake, and then we went all the way back down and to the cars. It was a great time.
Jun wanted to do some climbing so I decided to stay and cool off before heading back to work. I climbed a few bouldering problems and then I had to get back to work, while Jun stayed to do more climbing. The weather was perfect and it was a fun break during the middle of the work day.
Total time for the run: 44:17 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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What a fantastic day! I met Jun and Twinkies at the trailhead for Mt. Wire (Big Beacon) at 6:00 am this morning. It wasn't very cold, but we did have to deal with some wind for the first hour. Twinkies and Jun were total mountain goats today, and I spent the whole time trying to catch them. Mt. Wire is pretty steep, so we ran/hiked our way up, and enjoyed the best sunrise of the year so far about 3/4 of the way up. The sun was coming up over the Wasatch Mountains, and it was very impressive. I stopped for a minute to check out the sun, look at the SL Valley and once again I was reminded why I do this. You just can't beat those views.
We were all talking about cougars, and Jun kept calling "Here kitty kitty". On one of the saddles I noticed a few cougar tracks in the snow, and it kind of made me think for a few minutes about my situation. I was in last place and I seem to recall that cougars will usually go after the lame or slower animals, and since it was breakfast time, I had to keep looking back to make sure I wasn't being followed. I made it to the summit of Wire in about 53 minutes, give or take a minute. We were going pretty fast, especially Jun and Twinkies. After our obligatory summit jumps we headed over to the summit of Red Butte. I was trying to find a good song on the ipod, and I stopped for only a minute and I was waaaay behind.
I had a minor wardrobe malfunction coming down from Red Butte, and the boys were kind enough to wait for me. Once we got down to a saddle, Twinkies lead us down a pretty technical trail and I could not keep up with them. Wow, they were flying.
We headed over to do the Red Butte loop and there were more hills to climb. I was pretty tired by now, and I wasn't enjoying the hills at all. I mean I usually like hills, but these guys like to run fast up them. Feel the BURN! I finally stopped trying to keep up with Jun and Twinkies the last 1.5 miles. My legs were tired and they were still bounding along like they just started.
Finished in about 2:35 (Estimate). It was an amazing morning, and I can't wait to do it again. Thanks for pushing me this morning guys. I loved every minute of it.
Total elevation gain: 3,575. For pictures check out Jun's blog here:
http://jun.fastrunningblog.com/
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.50 | Total Sleep Time: 5.50 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Another busy day. After the kids were in bed I went to the gym to lift. Did upper body (biceps, triceps, chest, lats, shoulders) for 50 minutes and everything felt really good. Then I did 30 minutes of core while watching TV at home.
Planning on doing a long run with Jun on Thursday, so I don't think I am going to do much running before, although I will do a few miles to stretch my legs. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 159.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I had a very busy day today. My wife had a project due for school, so it was pretty hectic getting everything cleaned up and kids to bed. I did manage to fit in some TM miles to stretch my legs. Everything feels really good right now, so hopefully I can get in an ultra distance with Jun on Thursday. I am really excited for our run. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.50 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.50 | Weight: 159.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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What a day! I went for a long run with Crockett and Jun out in the Cedar Valley this morning. I didn't sleep well at all last night, but when I woke up I was excited about the run and I was wide awake even though it was 2:15 AM.
I met Crockett and Jun at 3:00 and we headed out to the Cedar Valley west of Eagle Mountain. We planned on doing 4 loops with a total of 40 miles. My goal was to at least get a marathon, but I really wanted to get an ultra distance if my legs would allow it.
It was pretty cold out and I bundled up, and we were quickly off and running on the first loop. The time seemed to fly by and before I knew it we were in Eagle Mountain. I was only slightly paying attention to our exact route because I was enjoying the good conversation, and that would come back to haunt me later in the morning. Eventually, we ended up back on the dirt road where the cars were and a few minutes later we were there and Jun and I took a two minute break, while Crockett went ahead.
The next loop was pretty long, almost 10 miles. We ran out to Camp Floyd south of Cedar Fort. It was a lot of fun talking and the time really seemed to go quickly. I was feeling really good the whole way, but I did notice that my legs were getting a little tired. Cardio wise I felt really strong.
When we reached camp Floyd we took a quick break and used the bathroom that had to be the warmest public bathroom I have ever been in. It felt good to warm up for a minute.
On the way back to the cars my legs got progressively more tired and I slowly dropped behind Crockett, although I could see his light almost all the way back. Eventually, I came to where the road forks and I turned left and I could no longer see Crockett's light. After I passed the road that we took on the first loop I started to second guess myself because I couldn't see any headlamps. I traveled the right way for a few minutes, but still couldn't see the other guys lights, and then I started to wonder if I really was close to the cars or if I still had a mile or more to go. I went back and forth on whether I should stay on the road (going the right way) or go back to the road. I realized that I hadn't wasn't sure and now I was wishing that I had the map Jun had made for me, but I had neglected to get from him. I was confused and it was dark, and I couldn't see anything except for the lights of Eagle Mountain, and Cedar Fort. I just didn't know which way was right and I was confused, so I second guessed myself and went back to the road I had passed. I started to go down that road for a while and then I thought maybe I just wasn't as close to the cars as I had thought.
When the road started heading south again I knew exactly where I was, but this is where I made the worst decision of the day. I decided to just do the first loop over again instead of going back. I thought to myself that I could remember where we had gone, but when I made it into Eagle mountain I just couldn't remember exactly which road we had taken. I second guessed myself several times, and spent the next hour going up and down multiple roads searching in vain for anything that looked familiar.
This was the worst part of the day for me. It was VERY cold and my water hose was completely frozen. I was really needing some energy and the cold just sapped any reserves that I had. It got light and after searching and moving where I thought the road was, I finally ran into a guy that was outside and asked if he knew where the Pony Express road was. I explained where we had come in, and he knew exactly where I needed to go. I was less than a quarter of a mile from the road, and I was heading in the right direction. It was a great feeling and really lifted my spirits.
When I got back to the car I was sooooo COLD and shivering. I got in my car and turned the heater on high. After a few minutes Crockett showed up and said he had been looking all over for me for the last 40 minutes and I felt really bad that I had caused him to take more time out of his day. Thanks Crockett! It took me at least 30 minutes to warm up and that is when Jun showed up. We ate some snacks and laughed about me getting lost. I can't believe I did that.
I told Jun that my right ITB was a little sore and sitting there in the car for 50 minutes really made my joints and knees stiff. We decided to do the long loop out to Cedar Fort, and the first half mile was very painful for me because I was so stiff. Once I warmed up I got into a little groove, although it was slow and I tried my best to stay with Jun who was about a quarter of a mile ahead.
After about 2.5 miles I could see Jun stop to stretch his ITB and after a few minutes he started coming back to me, so I thought maybe it was really bothering him. I was right. We both decided that it would be best to turn around and not make things worse. Both of us were experiencing some pretty good ITB pain. We ran for a while, but eventually walked a good portion of the way back to the car. It was fun even though we were both sore. We decided that the Redneck beer of choice is Bud Light, with Natural light a close second followed by Busch. There were so many cans out there. What kind of slob just throws their trash on the ground? I don't understand.
We figured that I was at 24 miles and Jun was at 31, I really wanted to get a marathon distance in, so I told Jun I was heading straight for the treadmill, and I did. I did 3 of the most painful treadmill miles of my life. I went slow, but I felt good afterward for at least reaching that goal. I think I probably went at least another mile roaming around Eagle Mountain, but I am not sure exactly how far I went.
It was a really fun day, and I learned some good lessons and actually had a great time despite getting lost. Thanks again Jun and Crockett.
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Asics Kahana Miles: 27.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 3.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 3.00 | Weight: 159.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I went to the gym to lift this morning, and things were crazy over there because of the TRI going on. It was really fun to watch all of the racers (didn't see you Missy). I watched for a few minutes before and after my workout and it really made me want to do one someday. I guess I better learn how to swim more than a 50 yards without dying first.
I lifted for 45 minutes (upper body) and everything feels really good. My legs actually feel great and I only have mild soreness in them, although my right ITB is sore when I go down stairs, so I know I better not push anything for a few more days. I really want to get outside and do something, but I will hold off.
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I really wanted to test my knee because I wasn't feeling any pain, so I did 30 minutes on the elliptical. My knee felt great the whole time, so I pushed it to the max setting to finish the last 10 minutes. Everything feels really good, so I will hopefully get out and do something fun this week. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went to the gym after the kids were in bed and lifted for 40 minutes (upper body). I was feeling really good tonight and benched 10 pounds more than my previous high. It was a lot of fun. Then I did some easy miles on the TM and everything is feeling good. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Busy day and busy evening. I got out on the TM for 3.5 (9 min pace) mostly to stretch my legs. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 3.50 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I climbed South Mountain (Herriman) this morning with Jun. We started hiking just after 6:00 AM and it took us 46 minutes to the top. When we started we could see some eyes staring back at us on the slope, and with all of the cougar talk around here lately we had to wonder, but they ended up just being deer. It was pretty steep and kind of bushwhacky, but not too bad. The summit was cold, and we could see the sun rising in the east while we enjoyed some incredible views from the Apex.
After a couple of silly summit jumps we headed back down a different route. The descent was much easier, as we followed a game trail most of the way, although I did get tagged through the shoe by a cactus. Who knew there were so many (yes there were) cactuses (or would you say cacti?? hmmm) in Herriman?
It was the perfect way to start my day. I'm a little behind on my peak a week challenge for the year, so I need to work on it in the next month. Anyone want to get out on some peaks?
For pics check out Jun's blog.
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Met Jun on my lunch break at the Little Cottonwood park-n-ride. We did the same route that we did last time, down to the Bell Canyon trail and up and around the reservoir, and then back to the park-n-ride. Temps were very comfortable, but we did have a lot of wind. It was a lot of fun though and a great break during the middle of the day.
Our time was around 45 minutes. This run has some great elevation gain and a few good hills running up to the reservoir. I did feel my ITB getting tight at the end, so I need to get off of the hills for a few days. |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I woke up early this morning to lift at the gym. I was really tired and it took a while for me to wake myself up, but the last 20 minutes were really good, and a bonus I didn't see any naked old guys in the locker room. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.50 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I had a very busy day today. I got up early and headed to REI for their annual garage sale. I found some great deals on gear, and picked up some trekking poles, a new shirt and some Montrail trail runners. The trail runners aren't my favorite color (several shades of orange) but I couldn't pass up the deal.
I watched my kids all day while my wife did homework, and then after we put them to bed I did core exercises with my ball for 40 minutes. No miles today. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I woke up early this morning to climb West Mountain, which is the prominent peak south of Utah Lake, West of Payson. I took my one year old dog and this would be her first summit.
We started just after 6:00 and we went straight up the Southeast Ridge on a ATV trail. There was only one switchback up to the ridge and it was very steep! There is just about 2,000 feet of elevation gain on this hike, and most of it is trying to gain the ridge. We took a break to watch the sunrise and snap a few pictures.
Once on the ridge we ran into a herd of sheep and my dog was very interested, so I had to keep a tight leash on her. The final push was steep again, and we finally reached the top in 1:15. We had a quick snack, and then I spent the next 5 minutes trying to time a peak jump. I got a few good pictures and we headed down.
The descent was much quicker, we ran the whole ridge and it was a lot of fun, and we made it back to the car for a total time of two hours. This was a really fun hike and I made it home in time to have breakfast with the family. A great way to start my day. |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I went to the gym and lifted (upper body/core) for an hour tonight. I mixed things up because I feel like I have goten into the same routine for the last few months, and I have noticed I haven't been as sore after my workouts. I added weight to all of my exercises and also changed about half of them up. Where I had been using machines I switched to free weights to do the exercises. It really helped and I was totally worked after an hour. I could definitely feel the difference.
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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My mom had an Easter egg hunt/BBQ tonight and it threw us off, so the kids were late getting into bed, and I only had time for 4 miles on the TM. I didn't feel like working out at all, but I am glad I did because I felt really good after I was done.
This has been a rather boring week, so I thought I would add a link to spice things up. Last week Jun and I put together a photo album of some of our peak jumping pictures from the last few years. Some of them are cool, others are funny, and a few of them look crazy. Check it out if you have a few minutes:
Peak Jumping
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Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Got the kids to bed and went to the gym for some exciting TM miles. I did 4 at an 8:30 pace. My right ITB was slightly tight at the end, so I went home and stretched for 30 minutes. I picked up one of those foam roller-ball-thingies, and I rolled out my ITB, and also did some yoga stretches (thanks Missy and Kelli). |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I woke up early this morning to lift at the gym. It was pretty crowded in there, but I had a great workout. I worked on my chest, arms, shoulders and lats. I felt like I could keep going for a while, but I needed to get into work, so I only lifted for 35 minutes.
I'll be climbing View Benchmark (high point south of Draper) later in the day. I'm not expecting it to be very difficult, but I think the views will be great and I am looking forward to it. If the weather holds I'll be climbing Wire/Red Butte again tomorrow.
Have a great weekend everyone.
**PM update**
Did View Benchmark after work. It took about an hour, and was really fun with excellent views. There was some deep snow near the summit, but nothing serious. FUN!
3 miles and 700 ft elevation gain. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I climbed Mt. Wire today with Matt Van Horn and Twinkies. We started a little after 7:00 AM. The forecast called for snow this morning, but it looked like we would have a nice window that would allow us to get up and back down without any precipitation. Based on the forecast the night before I was fully expecting to be driving to the trailhead in snow, and I was excited when I drove over the Point of the Mountain and I could see that the storm wasn't as big as I was expecting. There were still some threatening clouds, but I knew we would be fine.
Twinkies and I started off running, with Matt hiking. It was cold and windy, but I heated up fast. Once on the ridge, Twinkies took the lead, and Matt was still a good distance behind. The ridge was very windy, and I was very thankful for my windstopper fleece hat and jacket. It took about 30 minutes to negotiate the main ridge and we were pounded by the wind the entire time. It was COLD.
I stopped a few times to shoot some video and pictures, and my hands would be numb within a minute. That ridge is really exposed, and I was feeling bad for Matt because he didn't have a hat on.
Twinkies had a pretty good lead on me, while Matt lagged behind me. When I finally made it to the top I could see that Twinkies had continued on and I don't blame him at all. That was one of the coldest summits I have ever been on in my life. I waited on top for Matt for about 15 minutes until he finally arrived, and I was pretty much numb by then. After a few photos we headed back down the way we came. I knew we would never catch Twinkies, and both of us just wanted to get down as quickly as possible.
We ran/hiked back down and actually made pretty good time, and when we got back to the cars I noticed that Twinkies was already gone. It was a fun morning even though we had to battle the weather. I actually loved almost every minute of it. |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 45 minutes of core on my ball and 15 minutes of stretching. I rolled my ITB and stretched everything else. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 1.00 | Total Sleep Time: 9.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I had another busy night and my routine was thrown off by house guests, but I did manage to get 4.5 on the TM at 8:30 pace. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.50 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I woke up early this morning to lift weights at the gym for 45 minutes before work. I worked my arms, chest, core, shoulders and back. I will probably try and get in some miles later in the day as well. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 4 on the TM. I didn't feel like working out at all, but I forced myself to get in 4 miles. Things have been crazy busy this week, and I am looking forward to a fun trail run with Jun tomorrow (Friday) morning, although I am not looking forward to 3:30 AM start. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | No working out today. I just stretched my legs and ITB for 25 minutes. I wanted to make sure I was fresh for the big trail run tomorow. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I woke up at 3:30 AM this morning to do a trail run with Jun. We met at the Chevron in Draper (South Mountain) at 4:15 and then left my car about a half mile up the road, near where we would be coming down off of the mountain. After we dropped my car we drove to the BST off of Wasatch Blvd. It was cold, but not bad when we arrived and we quickly got our gear ready and headed out.
The first 5 miles were on the BST, and there was a lot less snow than the last time we were on it. There are a lot of ups and downs, and after about 3 miles I could feel my ITB in my right knee getting tight. It has been bothering me ever since our run out in Eagle Mountain. I had to mess with my brace several times, and I could tell when it had fallen down some because my knee would really start to hurt. The morning was incredible, and the views of the valley and the night sky were great.
Heading into Corner Canyon it gets steep, so we did hike a few smaller sections on the steeper snow, and we did sink a little bit in some places, but not bad. The road eventually heads toward Suncrest, and we made our way to some houses, and after a short scramble up a really steep hill we were on the road that would take us right to the railhead to the summit of View Benchmark.
The run on the road was fun, but we did climb a pretty steep hill and my ITB was really sore. We had a great time and the conversation was great. The views were incredible, and we were both giddy about being able to do this amazing run. It was FUN.
We stopped at the trailhead so that I could take a GU, and I nearly gagged. I hate the texture. We also ran into a runner who was going on a short hike with his dog. I doubt he would have even imagined how far we had come, and he took off ahead of us.
The hike to the summit was fun, but my ITB was hurting a lot. The wind had also picked up and it was cold, although it didn't bother me at all. Jun got a pretty good lead on me and made it to the summit about 5 minutes before I did. It was cold and windy on top, so we didn't stay long. Just long enough for me to drop my pants for better access to the knee brace. COLD! I'm glad Jun didn't have his camera.
We descended from the summit, and headed down a nice road/trail on our way to the highest point on the ridge directly behind Draper. I believe this is called South Mountain. The run was hard on me. My knee was hurting and there was some steep up and down. Just before the final climb to South Mountain a herd of deer ran right in front of me on the ridge. It actually startled me for a second. They were close. The last push to the top was steep, and when I reached the summit I could see Jun about a half mile away on the ridge. He had run an out and back to pick up some more miles while he waited for me.
The hike/run back down to my car was steep! It was really hard on my knee, and I was really happy to get back down to the road. From there it was just under a mile back to my car. We had some Gatorade and water and Jun continued on back to his car. I finished with 13 miles and had an amazing day. This was probably the most fun I have ever had on a run. It was challenging, but had a little bit of everything, and it is definitely one I will do again. |
Asics Kahana Miles: 13.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 4.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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My kids were at my moms, so we slept in for the first time in months. It was so nice. I got up and made it to the gym to do some lifting. I lifted for 45 minutes and had a really good workout. I was the only one in the gym for a while, but then this older guy came in to workout with me. He gave me some mild entertainment when he fell asleep on the ab-crunch machine (no lie) for about 15 minutes. It was funny, and I tried hard not to wake him up, but then I finally let the weights on the butterfly machine hit too hard and it startled him awake. Ha. Good times.
Hope everyone has a great weekend! |
Night Sleep Time: 10.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 10.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 30 minutes of ab work with my ball while watching TV. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 1.00 | Total Sleep Time: 9.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I went to the gym to lift after the kids went to bed and I ended up working out with some guys in my neighborhood that lift on Monday nights. We had a great session (working biceps, triceps and chest). I also did several sets of pull-ups since it seems to be all the rage around here lately.
when I got home I stretched and rolled out my ITB. |
Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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7 on the TM while watching the Jazz/Warriors game. Today was very busy. My wife is working on a major project for school, and my kids were very demanding tonight. I'm lucky I was able to sneak in what I did on the TM. These were all nice and easy miles 9:15 pace. I had a good groove and felt like I could have run all night. I just ran out of time.
I also stretched and rolled my ITB again. I am very sore from lifting yesterday, and I think I need to work out with my friends more because their workouts tend to be a little more intense than mine. I'm feeling it.
I had the weirdest dream last night that I was running the Salt Lake Marathon with some friends. The aid stations were all houses in my parents neighborhood, and they were being run by people that live in my current neighborhood. At one of the aid stops they were out of GU so I went searching around on the ground trying to find one that wasn't opened. I finally found one that was open but full, so I ate it. Ha. I also got lost at one point (why am I thinking about Eagle Mountain?) and the race director found me and gave me a map of the course. I finally got back on the right route and found my friends. We only had two miles to go and we were all tired and then... my alarm went off. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 7.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Hit the trail this morning with Jun while all of you were still in bed (4:30 AM). Okay, maybe some of you were up, but I did get up at 3:30 which still seems so wrong.
It was a perfect morning. We did the Mt. Wire/Red Butte run/hike for the 4th time this year. Yeah, it is that good. It was warm and we had a fun time talking all the way up Wire, and made it to the summit in 54 minutes.
After a brief break we ran over to Red Butte where we did run into some snow. There was a hard crust and we did punch through quite a few times, so it was a little slow and tedious. Once on the Red Butte ridge it was a fun run up to the summit. The run down is pretty technical, but once we hit the saddle we cruised at a nice pace back to the car.
Great Day! |
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Night Sleep Time: 4.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I got up early this morning to lift at the gym. I was really tired and sluggish and it was hard to get going. I stayed about 50 minutes and ended up having a decent workout, but I am still trying to recover from waking up at 3:30 AM yesterday. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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This was one of the busiest weekends I have ever had. My wife has an end of term project due for school today (Monday) and we ended up doing a few projects that we weren't planning, so the day just got away from us. I was busy running from one project to the next.
I did manage to sneak in 4 TM miles. I just couldn't bring myself to run on the road. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I had the busiest day of the year so far. My wife was working on her school project all day, and I had to take care of the kids and house. After lunch I gave the kids several options for the rest of the day, and they all wanted to climb a mountain, so I got everyone ready and we headed out to climb View Benchmark. We also decided to take the dog.
The hike was a lot of fun. My son, Alec (5 year old) held my hand most of the time, and I was holding the dog on her leash with the other hand. At times it was diffucult because my dog wanted to pull and bound away, and I had to balance Alec as well. He was so funny and asked me questions the entire time. About every minute he wanted to know how long until we were at the top. There were a few sections that were really muddy, and one near the top that was rather steep, so that provided some challenge with the dog and Alec both latched onto me. It was fun though.
Once the summit was in view the 3 girls got a burst of energy and all took off running to the top. The best part of the day was hearing them all scream WOOHOO, from up there. Alec and I were about 5 minutes behind them and he was also excited to reach the summit, and once up there he wanted me to show him where our house was and also grandmas and several others.
The hike down was a lot faster, and when we were almost back to the car we ran into two other hikers with dogs. My dog was overly excited and I think she scared the other dog owners a bit. She is strong, and looks a little like a pit bull and I think she makes people nervous. She is just playing and excited, but it can appear that she is looking for a fight. I assured them that she was just excited.
We got back to the car with only a few scratches and a lot of mud on the shoes, but otherwise everyone was feeling good. It took us a little over two hours round trip.
The kids were all tired, so we went home and grilled up some steaks and cleaned the house. It was a busy day/weekend, but we had a great time. |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went to the gym after the kids were in bed to lift. I ended up working out with a group of friends and we had a really good session for almost an hour. Worked chest, triceps, shoulders and did several pull ups and push ups. I think I will start working out with this guys every Monday. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I went to the gym last night and then stayed up and watched the Jazz game and I couldn't get to sleep until 1:00 with the alarm set for 5:00. I woke up at 4:59 just in time to turn off my alarm. I was tired. The plan was to meet Jun at 6:00 at the Pipeline trailhead up Millcreek. I left my house a little later than planned, and when I arrived at the first Pipeline trailhead I parked and waited for 5 minutes, but figured they must be higher up. By time I got to the second Pipeline TH I saw a white car there (not Jun's) and I thought it could be them, but nobody was there. I waited for 5 minutes and then decided that the car was probably belonged to Jun's friend, so I headed up. (I only missed them by a minute or two).
After a short run up the trail it forks. I had never been on this portion of the trail before and left said to Grandeur Pk trailhead and the right went to Elbow Fork. I guessed that they had gone up, so I turned right and started heading up the canyon (They went the other way).
The temps were perfect and I had some great music on my iPod and I just enjoyed the morning. It was a fun run with only a few snow patches to cross and a lot of nice elevation gain. When I reached Elbow Fork (2.2 miles) I thought that I would run into Jun and his friend soon, but I wasn't sure if they had continued up the Pipeline, which goes up to Mt Aire or if they had gone up the canyon. I stopped and ate a Powerbar Tangerine gel, had some water and then continued up the Pipeline for about 5 more minutes. I thought that the guys had probably gone the other way, so I decided to just go back down.
The run back to the car was really fun. I had some Bob Marley in the iPod and I kept thinking that Jun was going to come running up behind me, so I looked back several times, but never saw them. The last mile my ITB got a little tight, so I stopped and stretched and it felt a little better. The total time was 1:30 and it was an incredible morning. I will definitely be back again to run more of the Pipeline. |
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Night Sleep Time: 4.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I had to work off the Banbury Cross donuts I ate, so there was no way I was missing a workout today. 4 on the TM. 8:30 pace.
I just signed up for the Sapper Joe 30K on May 29th. I can't wait. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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20 minutes stretching and rolling out my ITB.
50 minutes of ab work. I'm not sure if this was (as Burt would say) an 'ab ripper', but it sure did hurt. Feel the burn. |
Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I just got the weirdest email from some guy wanting me to join his P90X yoga group. He sent me a few pictures of what I can expect if I join. I am very intrigued, but I just don't think this is my thing.
I hit the gym this morning before work and had a really good workout (upper body) for 40 minutes. I have been doing a lot more free weights and less machines lately and have really noticed a difference. Did 75 pull ups. I was worked. |
Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I met Twinkies at the Centerville Peak trailhead at 6:00 AM this morning. Our goal was to climb Centerville Peak, although neither of us had ever been to the top. I finally got my Garmin, and it was fun playing with it all day. The first mile on the watch was an 18:00 mile, but considering the steep grade I am definitely ok with it.
Twinkies was fast and I was constantly trying to keep up with him. We were able to run a lot of the trail, but I had to power hike up the steeper sections. We never could figure out which peak was Centerville (Twinkies I think it was the first knob we passed to the left of the trail). Just after the 3rd mile we were in snow the rest of the way, although it has a hard crust, so we didn't sink at all. I was feeling kind of nauseated and a few times I felt like I was going to lose my breakfast, so I did slow down some for about a mile.
We decided to go all the way up to an un-named peak just under 9,000 feet. The last 500 feet were steep and windy and of course Twinkies beat me to the top. Once on the summit we took some summit jump shots and then Twinkies told me he was going to "bomb it" down and he did. We both ran all the way down and the steep run in the snow off of the summit was the best part of the day for me. I was feeling really good too.
It took me two hours to get to the summit and exactly one hour back to the car. Twinkies met me with about a half mile to go (he had run back up) and it was fun running back the rest of the way. We had an amazing time and it was the perfect way to start my Saturday.
A few pics: Twinkies climbing up the snow slope
Twinkies summit jump-
Me on the summit-
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Asics Kahana Miles: 10.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | My quads were still sore from the run yesterday, so I decided to do 35 minutes on the elliptical and it seemed to help. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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No workout yesterday. It was my daughters birthday, so we took her out to dinner and then she wanted to go bowling, so we didn't get back home until late, so I wasn't able to make it to the gym. That was ok. I ate waaay too much though.
I got up early and hit the gym. I have a few guys giving me some pointers about my workouts, so today I did some power lifting. It was a really good workout and I am definitely feeling it more than normal, so that is good. After I lifted I hit the TM for four easy miles at 8:30 pace.
Notes from the gym: There is this guy that has been there the last few times early and he is trying to push Maakoa, which is one of the many multi-level-marketing companies in Utah pushing energy/anti-oxidant supplements. He approached me during one of my sets and tried to tell me how much more fit I would get and how much better I would feel if I took this product. Inside I was laughing because this guy was the most overweight out of shape looking guy in the gym. haha. Anyway, I took his card and told him I would check it out online. I also saw him stalking 3-4 other guys.
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Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I had an amazing trail run this morning with Jun on the Pipeline trail up Millcreek Canyon. That storm last night was crazy and it must have been really bad up the canyon because there were tree limbs everywhere, and going up the canyon there was a tree that had fallen across the road, and it was barely passable.
We started at 5:15 am with a slight rain, but the trail was dry. The temps were perfect and comfortable. We had a fun time talking and occasionally moving fallen debris off of the trail. We were doing just over a 9:00 pace most of the way. We did have a slight rain/hail/snow most of the way, but it didn't get bad until the last mile. This is a really fun trail with some excellent views of the canyon and the city once you get to Lookout Point.
At Lookout Point we took a break for a few minutes. It was just starting to get light and the views of the valley are excellent. On the way back I kept up with Jun for about a mile, but I had to stop for a bathroom break, and I needed to adjust my brace and I was never able to catch up.
By time I hit the last mile I was wet and the snow was starting to really come down. The trail was now getting muddy, so it wasn't quite as good as earlier in the morning, but it was still pretty awesome. I made it back with a total time of 1:30ish (I forgot to look at my watch because I was so wet) and I was into work on time. This is why I love Utah so much. There aren't many places that you can have that kind of experience so close to civilization. So fun!
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 3 nice and easy on the TM to stretch my legs. They are still a little sore. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I woke up early to lift at the gym. There were very few people there and it was a nice workout. I kept with my new routine of only using free weights, although I did warm up on the machines. I also did 6 rounds of pull-ups.
Pull-ups
-22
-15
-15
-13
-10
-10 |
Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| Race: |
SL Running Co. 5K (3.1 Miles) 00:23:06, Place overall: 32 | |
I signed up for the SL Running Co. 5K to celebrate their new store on 7th East (about 2400 South). The race was free and I thought it would be fun to finally try a 5K. This was only my third race ever and my first 5K. It was definitely different than anything that I have been doing recently and I learned a lot.
I have not been practicing running a 5K distance and especially not fast. I just wanted to run as fast as I could without hitting a wall. I have not been doing any speed work at all and it showed. I did do a short warm up before the race started and I was feeling pretty good.
There were several hundred runners. I am not sure exactly how many, but they filled 1000 spots, although I would estimate about half of that actually showed up. They did give out free Brooks running shirts and they wanted everyone to wear their shirt, so it was kind of cool to see all of the white shirts. The race was an out and back on 6th East behind the store.
I was near the front at the start and I was actually in the top 5 runners for the first .7 miles. I looked at my watch and I was running a 6:00 minute mile, but I was already starting to get tired, so I knew I had to slow down. I ended up running the first mile in 6:50 and I was still in about 10th place.
Mile two was a lot harder and my lack of preparation was showing. I was trying to run fast, but I was tired and wished I had done at least some speed work before attempting to run a fast 5K. At the turn around point I counted 20 runners ahead of me. The next mile was hard and I just tried to keep a steady semi fast pace and not get passed by too many people.
The last .5 I picked it up and was running sub 7, but I couldn't sprint in like I wanted to. This was harder than I thought it would be and I am a little disappointed with my time, but I learned a lot from this race and had a FUN time anyway. I definitely want to do another one and shave at least a minute off of my time.
I finished in 32 place. Not bad, but there were a lot of weekend warriors out there.
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Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 3.90 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.50 | Nap Time: 0.50 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I did 45 minutes on the elliptical and then 30 minutes of ab work with my ball. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I somehow found time to get 6 in on the TM. Nice and easy 9:00 pace. Everything feels really good. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 157.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Up early to lift at the gym. I only had about 35 minutes, but I had a very good workout. Worked upper body and core. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Somehow snuck in 30 minutes on the elliptical. I'm going to bed early because Jun and I will be running/climbing Lake Mountain in the morning.
Also rolled and stretched my ITB. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I had a very busy day. My wife is back in school again and has a class on Tues and Thurs nights, so that means it's all me after work with the kids. I made dinner and got them to bed and I was so tired I took a 30 minute nap. I woke up and managed 30 minutes on the elliptical. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I was thinking about getting up early to climb something this morning, but my gym will be closed for 5 days, so I wanted to make sure I lifted, and I might be climbing Tanners Gulch in Little Cottonwood Canyon tomorrow, so I want my legs to be fresh.
Tanners is a very steep chute that leads to the LCC ridge. From there 4 of the highest and most challenging peaks in the Wasatch can be climbed and I will definitely try and climb at least one of them. I have some friends climbing up there today to check out the conditions and if it looks safe I'll be going. My friends will be climbing all 4 peaks, while I will have to settle for 1-2 because of time. I have a date with my daughter for lunch and a movie.
I did wake up early to hit the gym. It was a typical Friday- Naked old men in the locker room, great lifting session, and a fun run on the TM after lifting. I did 3 nice and slow and then picked up the pace a bit on the last 3. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 6.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I ran/hiked to the top of Lake Mountain this morning with my dog. I was planning on getting up early, but my wife told me to sleep in (6:45). We left a little after 7:00 and my dog was hyped. I think she knows what it means when I let her get up with me in the morning. It took about 20 minutes to drive to the trail and after a few minutes we were off.
Lake Mountain is the large mountain just west of Utah Lake. It is quite big with a long summit ridge and has several radio towers on top. There is a dirt road that goes all the way to the summit, and with a 4X4 or ATV you could drive all the way, but that isn't as fun. We parked right where the dirt starts and the first mile or two were pretty flat and only started to get a little steeper during the end of the second mile.
I noticed 3 guys on mountain bikes right behind us, but after we went around a curve I didn't see them again until we were on the way down. I ran the flatter sections and power hiked when it got steeper. We gained 3100 feet on our way up and had a fantastic time. We passed a few ATVs and I passed one runner coming down that I thought was Davy Crockett (looked like him from 50 yards away), but when he got closer I realized it wasn't.
It took 1:18 to get to the summit and the views were superb of Utah County and the surrounding areas. After spending about 10 minutes trying to get a summit jump photo I took Shyla over to a snow bank where I fed her about 10 snowballs. She loved them and I had a raspberry Hammer gel, and took in the views for a few more minutes.
The descent was a lot of fun. We ran the whole way and got back to the car in 47 minutes for a total time of 2:05. My ITB started to get tight running up the steep stuff, and on the way down I had to stop and put on my brace. It was pretty sore when we finished, but I could have kept running without too much pain.
Once again it was an incredible way to start out my weekend. To all you mothers out there... HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | We had a really good Mothers Day, visiting family and eating waaaaay too much. After the kids were in bed I worked my abs for 40 minutes and did 20 minutes of stretching. I rolled my ITB's and they are both really sore. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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45 minutes on the elliptical after the kids were in bed. I watched the Jazz get destroyed by the Lakers, but I could only take it for so long and I ended up putting on some Survivorman.
I also rolled my ITB and stretched. |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I took yesterday off to rest my legs, and I didn't want to do anything too serious, so I did another 45 on the elliptical. Exactly like Monday.
I also rolled my ITB and stretched.
I will be getting up early tomorrow to lift at the gym and then Friday I am going to climb up Tanners Gulch in Little Cottonwood and hit one of the peaks on the ridge. Next Wed I am probably going to do North Timp via the Cold Fusion Couloir, which is a steep chute on the north face of the mountain. I'm excited to finally hit some sweet Spring mountaineering routes. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I woke up early this morning to lift at the gym and I had a really good workout. I warmed up on the machines for 15 minutes, and then used the free weights for the next 30. Everything felt really good. I had some extra time, so I finished with 4 on the TM at a nice and slow 9:00 pace. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I had a crazy morning. My alarm went off at 3:30 and I was trying to get out of the house by 3:50, but I accidentally spilled a container of spaghetti sauce all over the kitchen tile. D'oh! It took me 10 minutes to clean it up and I was rushing to get out of the door.
I met Trevor and Matt at the Little Cottonwood Park-n-ride at 4:30. Trevor is an avid backcountry skier with over 130 days in this season. He is a really cool guy and was sporting a tye dye shirt and a Hawaiian swim suit over his ski pants. We met Lana at the Tanners slide area parking lot and geared up. The goal was to climb Tanners Gulch and Sunrise Peak.
Tanners is a steep couloir (chute) that has a reputation of being one of the most avalanche prone areas in the Wasatch, so it doesn't get climbed much until May. The conditions looked to be good and Matt had climbed it 5 days before and it was perfect, so he said snowshoes would not be needed. Lana already had them strapped to her pack, so she decided to leave them on.
We started a few minutes before 5:00 and within 10 minutes we were in the gulch heading up the steep snow. It was really cool seeing the headlamps going up the snow and making their way into the gulch.
After about 30 minutes we ran into a huge problem. The snow had a hard crust, but it was only a few inches deep, and below it was much softer, so we started to break through and post-hole. Matt and I were hoping that the conditions would change the higher we went, while Trevor put his skins on his skis, and Lana put on her snowshoes. They quickly started putting distance between us, as we were totally bogged down in the snow. Every step was a struggle as we sank up to our knees and we both cursed under our breath knowing we should have brought the snowshoes.
We took turns breaking the trail and Lana and Trevor got way ahead. After an hour we had only gone .6 miles and I had to laugh at the thought of what our first mile split would be. Eventually we decided that we were not going to make it to the top of the gulch in time to summit, so Matt wanted to turn back because he had to get to work. We went up for 1:40 before we decided to turn back. We called Lana and she was going to keep going for the top and Trevor had picked a different line to ski as he was sinking to his waist in snow and really struggling.
After a tough start we both had a really good glissade (slide on our butts) for a good portion of the way down. When we were almost to the bottom Trevor came gliding down on his skis. He said the conditions only got worse, so he decided to bail too. We ran into pieces of an animal (we think maybe a beaver) that had been a meal for something probably earlier in the night. There was a stomach, some teeth, a piece of a jaw, some hair and blood and that was it. It looked like coyote tracks in the snow. It was kind of gross.
We made it back to the car in 2:31. Lana went all the way to the top and ran into some really spooky conditions with a lot of sugary snow, so she decided to turn back and I think that was the right move.
It was a fun day, but a little disappointing. The only silver lining is that my legs are still pretty fresh, so I can run in the Grandeur Peak Fun Run tomorrow. I will post s few pics and a video later.
Climbing the gulch
Skiing Tanners |
Night Sleep Time: 4.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| Race: |
Grandeur Peak Fun Run (10 Miles) 02:48:09, Place overall: 50 | |
What a fun day! I did the Grandeur Peak Fun Run this morning. It is a free trail race that starts at the Grandeur Peak West Ridge trailhead, goes up and over the peak, down through Church Fork to the Pipeline trail and then over Rattle Snake Gulch and back to the trailhead. This would be my first trail race and I was excited. I got to the parking lot a few minutes before the start and met Twinkies there. I did see a few familiar faces and a lot of serious looking trail runners. I thought I was probably out of my league here, but it was going to be fun to see what I could do.
After writing our names down and waiting for a few minutes the race started with everyone running up the trail. I was in the middle of the pack and very quickly the trail becomes too steep to run. This is one of the steeper trails in the Wasatch and it pretty much goes straight up the mountain. I was doing very well and feeling great power hiking up the trail, passing people along the way and not very many people were passing me, which I thought was a good sign. I figured that this would be the only place on the whole course were I would have any advantage over some of the runners because I have been doing a lot of elevation hiking and running.
We all settled in after about 15 minutes I didn't pass many people and I was only passed a few times before reaching the summit. After I reached the first mile I could still see Twinkies ahead of me and I was surprised because he usually motors up the peaks a lot quicker than I do, so I figured I must not be doing too bad and I was feeling great.
At the 45:00 mark I was hiking with an older guy and his dog that I would see on the trail the rest of the way. He commented that I was doing great and that we were about 15 minutes from the summit. I was hoping to hit the summit in 1:20, so that made me realize that I was going up a lot faster than I thought I would. The summit ridge has some snow, and it did slow us down a little, but it wasn't too serious. I hit the summit at 1:06 and it was easily the quickest ascent of the peak for me. After giving my name to the guys on the summit I headed down quickly. The trail still had a lot of snow and there were a few places that were technical. A guy in front of me fell, although it wasn't anything serious.
I actually motored down pretty well and was feeling really good. Only a few people passed me heading down Church Fork and one of them was Twinkies. I was shocked to see him behind me and found out that he had taken the wrong trail following someone else. He cruised past me and I didn't see him again until the finish. I passed a lady just before the Pipeline trail and then once I hit the Pipeline, the trail flattens out and heads down the canyon. This was the toughest part of the race for me and my pace slowed a lot. I think about 8 people passed me here and I was losing energy.
At Rattlesnake Gulch I stopped to rest and take a Hammer Gel and it almost made me puke, Yuck! I took off my long sleeved shirt and while I was stopped two more people passed me. Heading up the Gulch was tough. It was steep and a little muddy and my energy was down, but after I got to the top I was feeling much better and the rest of the way my energy was really there. Nobody else passed me the rest of the way and I picked up my pace.
I finished in 50th place (not sure how many people there were) but I felt really good and my knee which has been bothering me for two months didn't give me any problems at all. It was only slightly tight and I felt like I could have easily kept going without any issues.
This was a really fun race and I will be back to do it again every year. It was definitely a tough course, but I loved every minute of it. |
Montrail Nitrus Miles: 10.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | My legs are only a little sore after Saturday, but I want to give them another day of rest, so no running today. I went to the gym after my kids went to bed and lifted with some guys from my neighborhood. We had a really good workout. We did upper body/core for 50 minutes. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 159.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | My wife had school tonight, so it was a busy evening getting the kids taken care of, but I did manage some TM miles after they were in bed. I really need to get out for a run, so I'm thinking of hitting the tails at lunch today (Wed). I'm not sure yet what I am going to do, but I am sure it will involve a trail and possibly a peak. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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It's not every day that you have a run-in with a bull moose. I brought my work out clothes to work today hoping to get in a run during my lunch break, but I didn't know where I wanted to go. Jun gave me a great idea to run the Little Cottonwood river trail aka the Temple Quarry Trail. It sounded like a great run and it is only 10 minutes from my office.
The trail follows the river up the canyon for 2.6 miles. The scenery is fantastic and the weather was just about perfect. You really can't beat the views of the canyon walls and river that you get on this trail. The run up was a little slow and I was working the kinks out. It isn't extremely steep, but it is uphill the whole way.
It took me 30:20 to run the 2.6 miles up to the river crossing and I stopped and took a short break. I wanted to run fast on the way down, so I just ran hard and except for a few technical sections I was able to keep up a really good pace.
I was about a mile down and running between a 6:30-7:00 pace and a bull moose jumped out onto the trail about 10 feet in front of me. I didn't even have time to process what was going on, but luckily he took off running going the same direction as I was. I quickly stopped and watched as he ran about 30 yards and then stopped. I was hoping that he wasn't going to come back to confront me, so I waited for a few seconds and then started to slowly walk. At that point he took off running down the trail, and I slowly followed walking for the next 100 yards or so. Talk about an adrenaline rush. I have seen several moose while playing in the outdoors, but I have only had one, well, maybe two other experiences that rivaled this one. It certainly wasn't just an average run.
I made it back down to the car in 18:40 for a total time of 49:00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I bit off a little more than I wanted to chew this morning. The plan was to climb Thaynes peak with my friend Matt. I have never climbed to the summit of this peak before, although I have been on the nearby summits. The peak is just under 10,000 feet, so we knew there would be snow up there, but we both felt like there would be a 'beaten' path to the top.
I set my alarm for 4:30, but my backup alarm was set for 3:30 and I didn't realize it until it woke me up an hour early. I couldn't get back to sleep, and just as I dozed my son woke me up because he needed some loves, then when I dozed again the alarm went off. I wasn't feeling it at all, but I was hoping to get in a groove.
I met Matt at Dans Grocery store by Millcreeek Canyon and it was a quick drive to the Desolation trail. Both of us were feeling sluggish and we slowly made our way up the trail. I made a stupid mistake and left my gaiters in the car. DUMB DUMB! I was just being lazy and it would come back to haunt me. After a mile we were in snow the rest of the way. We followed a gully that got pretty steep, and just as we thought there were bucket steps in the snow, which was good because we didn't bring our snowshoes or ice axes.
It was really slow going and the gully was pretty steep. About 3/4 of the way up the steps stopped, and it was taking us a lot longer than we thought it would. Both of us thought we could climb this peak and get back down in about 3 hours, but we were wrong. The conditions were not good.
The last half mile was slow and painful. It was steep and we were now post-holing to our knees with every step. We took turns breaking trail, but it was bad. Not having my gaiters made it even worse and my boots were getting wet and my feet very cold. I couldn't keep the snow out of them. We were both determined to make it to the top though, so we slogged on and cursed a lot.
We finally made it to the top after 3 hours and the view was fantastic. It was now windy and snowing a little, so we didn't stay long. We dropped down off of the summit to get out of the wind to take a break and I had a Hammer gel and Matt had a sandwich. The long slog back was just horrible. My feet were numb and my shins were getting trashed by the snow while I plunge stepped down. We did have a few glissades, but not as much as we would have liked.
The hike down was pretty uneventful and we made it back to the car for a total time of 4:36. It was a lot more work than I wanted to do today, but we had a really good time anyway.
3K + elevation gain. |
Night Sleep Time: 4.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I woke up early this morning to lift. I was really tired and I almost went back to sleep, but I knew I would feel better if I just dragged myself to the gym. I love Friday mornings because the gym isn't very crowded. I had a great workout working my upper body/core for 50 minutes. My calves are sore from all of the elevation gain (8K feet) in the last 6 days, so no running today.
On a side note: One of our FRB members Burt is in need of a van to transport his rather large family while on a trip to Utah. Can you please help him and his lovely brides out? Thanks.
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Today was just an all around crappy day which is rare for me but it was. I'll spare you the details. I did manage to get in 3 on the TM and 30 minutes of core with my ball. Everything feels really good. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 3.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.50 | Total Sleep Time: 8.50 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I love Sunday morning runs. There are very few cars and people out there in Utah County, so it is very relaxing. This run wasn't all that relaxing though because I took my dog Shyla with me. She needs the exercise and it is good getting her out.
Shyla was so excited to go that she started pulling me right away at a nice 6:30 pace. This was a lot faster than I wanted, so after about 1/4 of a mile I had to pull her back to a comfortable 8:00 pace. She did pull me around quite a bit during the first two miles, but eventually we settled into a nice rhythm.
At two miles I turned around because Shyla was getting tired and I just wanted something pretty easy. Other than Shyla almost eating a Boston Terrier that tried to jump on her, the run back was pretty uneventful. The last mile she was really tired and we slowed down a lot. It was a really fun run and an excellent way to start the day.
Total time 35:20
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Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.30 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went to the gym tonight after I got the kids to bed and lifted for an hour and had a really good session. I warmed up on the machines for 15 min and then spent 20 minutes lifting by myself, followed by 20 minutes with my neighborhood friends and then a 5 minute power lift with the dumbbells. I'm really worked and everything feels good. |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I was supposed to go running with Jun today, but things got really crazy, so I couldn't make it. My wife had school, so I was the boss and it was wild and crazy, but fun. I did manage to grind for 45 minutes on the elliptical and I worked up a nice sweat. I'll be taking it easy for the rest of the week getting ready for the Sapper Joe 30K. |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I went out for a nice and easy run after the kids were in bed. I ran down to the Highland Hwy and then north for almost a mile and then back home. I really don't like running at night, but the temps were perfect.
Total time 25:44 |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I decided to take a rest day yesterday, so my legs will be fresh for Sapper Joe on Sat. I'm just hoping the weather cooperates.
I got to bed late and then I had a terrible night sleep last night. I had just fallen into a deep sleep and my son woke me up, then after I dozed off again the dog woke me up because she had to use the bathroom and I never could get back into a good sleep all night. It was bad. I'm worried about getting enough sleep tonight because I will be getting up early again for the race tomorrow.
I got up early to lift at the gym and I did have a really good workout even though I was tired. I lifted for 45 minutes and did several sets of pull-ups as well.
Have a great weekend everyone and good luck in all of your races. |
Night Sleep Time: 4.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.50 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| Race: |
Sapper Joe 30K (20 Miles) 03:53:20, Place overall: 26 | |
I ran in the Sapper Joe 30K today (yesterday) and had the most amazing experience. The race started at 6:00 AM and I was up by 4:20. I picked up Jun at 5:15 and we headed over to Camp Williams, where it was really cold and windy and we both debated on what we should wear. I decided to wear a long sleeved poly-pro breathable with a short sleeve t-shirt over the top. I figured if I had to shed the long sleeve I could tie it on my waist.
We made it over to the building where everyone was waiting and after a few minutes of laughing with Jun about various things the race director gathered us all for a few words and we were all ready to go. Being there with Jun really calmed my nerves and we were having a great time. It's too bad I couldn't keep up with him once the race started.
After meeting a few bloggers (Faceless Ghost and his wife Catherine) the canon went off and we took off at about an 8:00 pace heading toward Redwood Rd. After crossing under Redwood we came onto the dirt road that would take us into the hills, and after only a few minutes in we were climbing. This would be the theme for most of the day. It didn't take long before Jun picked up his pace... or maybe I took mine down a few notches because of the grade.
The next 20 or so minutes we were steadily making our way up the steep slope and people were still passing each other and settling into their paces. The slope becomes really steep and you have to hike, so I was power hiking every slope and my legs were feeling strong. I passed a lot of people that had passed me on the flatter sections.
After about 30 minutes there was a group of about 10 that stayed pretty close for the next few miles. We would pass each other and then pass back depending on how steep it got. I could see the faster runners already making a lot of distance and Faceless Ghosts shorts (orange) made it easy to pick him out. He was flying. I could also se Jun for a while, but eventually I lost him.
The first 4 miles are all uphill and they are not gentle at all. I was pushing hard the whole time and still feeling really good. About 1/4 of a mile from the top of the Cedar Point summit I flet a little pain in my right ITB, which has bothered me off and on since I ran 20+ miles in Cedar Valley with Crockett and Jun. This was the worst and most scary part of the day. So many things went into my mind. Would I have to quit? No way. Would I have to walk in and be the last to finish? Would it get so bad that I would have to quit to save the rest of my summer? I was scared. At the summit I stopped to stretch it and a girl that had been just behind me passed. We both had passed each other a few times and she took off across the ridge, so I didnt stretch for long.
The descent from Cedar Point is STEEP! The grade was really bad for my knee and as I ran down it was now hurting. I was so mad, but at the same time I started taking it really easy. I slowed down a lot. 3-4 people passed me and I finally pulled 800 mg of Ibuprofen out of my pocket and downed them while still running. I could see the first aid station now and when the grade leveled out I was just hoping my ITB would settle down. The bad thing about this is that it really made me tentative for the next few miles and I slowed down a lot.
At the aid station I was quickly downing a Hammer Gel and another runner knocked my water bottle lid off of the table. It took me a couple of minutes to clean all of the sand out of it and really got me flustered. I wanted to be in and out of there. I also took a pill (Hammer electrolyte) and took off. Well, I wasn't moving fast. I was still worried about my knee.
The next two miles I was slow. I was worried, but my knee actually started feeling better. I think the steep slopes had just been really hard on it and now that it had leveled out (that is relative, this course never levels out) it was feeling better, but I was still so worried about it that I wasn't pushing at all until I saw a guy and woman making up some ground on me and all of the sudden my competitive juices were stronger than my urges to play it safe. I kicked it in and pushed. For the next two miles the guy was on my heels. He was breathing hard and I was enjoying the challenge. I told myself that I didn't want anyone to pass me between aid stations and I held him off until a few hundred yards from the aid station and he passed me. We told each other nice job.
At aid station number two I ate another Hammer gel, took another electrolyte pill and then retied my right shoe because my ankle was getting sore so I loosened it up a bit, and then I took off. From here the course starts to head back to the start/finish. It was a steep slope and had to be hiked. I left before the guy that had passed me, and I was on the heels of another guy that was at the aid station when I got there. I wasn't expecting so many hills on the way back and it seemed like they just kept coming. After about a mile from the second aid station I took another gel while I power hiked up one of the hills and now I could see 3 people gaining on me. One of them (the same guy that passed me just before aid station number two) passed me on one of the flat sections and the other two stayed on my heels until aid station 3. I also had a small rock in each shoe and it was very annoying. I wanted to stop and get them out, but I didn't want anyone else to pass me, so I just pushed as hard as I could and for the most part I was feeling great. My knee wasn't giving me an trouble and that really boosted my spirits.
About 1/4 of a mile before aid station number 3 a woman that had been in my sights and behind me since two miles after aid station one was now pushing hard to pass me. I held her off and then 100 yards before the aid station she went into full sprint mode and passed me. I guess she had set a goal to pick me off before then because I had sped up and was moving fast, but I wasn't going to play the sprint game though.
There were four of us at the aid station and another guy showed up. I took another Hammer gel and electrolyte pill and then started to take off my shirt when the others took off. The lady that past me went first and the other two guys quickly followed, so I didn't take off my shoes and get the rocks out. D'oh! I did change into my short sleeve shirt and it felt a lot better and just as I did another guy and lady showed up and I just bailed fast.
We had 5 miles to go and it was all downhill. My left hamstring had been a little sore all day, and now my calves were sore as well, but otherwise I felt great. I really went fast the next two miles and I was pretty sure I would reach my goal of under 4 hours.
At mile 17 I could see 3 people behind me, a guy in an orange shirt and the guy and woman that I left at the aid station. I was really hurting at this point, but seeing them coming made me keep my pace fast. My calves were burning hard now and my hammy was on fire, but I pushed it and I was happy I was able to push even though my legs were tired.
About mile 18 the orange shirt guy finally passed me and the couple was close behind as well. Just before the last hill of the day the guy passed me. I was right on his heels though and when we hit the hill he stopped to hike and I kept running. I kept running up the hill and I had a burst of energy and I was the only one running. I started thinking that I could pick off some of these guys and I did. I passed 2 more of them on the hill and I was right behind another that started running when he heard me coming from behind. He looked like he was hurting and I picked him off after a few hundred more yards and I finally saw Camp Williams, which lifted my spirits, but I was really hurting.
There were now 3 people right behind me and I was determined not to let them pass. The last mile was really hard and I just pushed as hard as I could. As I entered the base I started really gaining on the orange shirt guy and he kept looking back and then speeding up. With about a hundred yards left I knew I wouldn't catch him and that the 3 behind me wouldn't catch me, so I coasted a little bit because I was spent.
As soon as I crossed the finish line my hammy and my knee both started to hurt. I tried to stretch out my hamstring and then I limped inside to have a drink. Finishing this race felt so good, and I was so happy that I was able to finish strong. I have no idea what place I finished in, but my time would have put me in 14th place last year. I was elated that my ITB didn't give me more trouble. This was a great learning experience for me and I had an amazing time. I think I am hooked on this racing thing. It is just a lot of fun.
**Update**
The results are in and I came in 26th place. I thought I was a little closer to top 20, but they ran a lot faster this year. My two goals coming into the race were to finish in the top 50%, which I did, and also to finish under 4:00, so I am still very happy with my result and am already looking forward to next year. I'm feeling great with only a little soreness in my left hamstring and my right knee.
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Montrail Nitrus Miles: 20.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.50 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | My wife and I went to the gym together this morning to lift. It was fun and I showed her a few different exercises for her arms and she was worked. i worked biceps, triceps, chest, lats, delts and did 5 sets of pull-ups. It was a fun work out. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I am still a touch sore because of the race on Saturday, so I wanted to give my legs some work without abusing them too much, so I did 30 minutes on the elliptical. My plan was to take it easy, but I eventually found myself on the max setting for the last 5 minutes. everything feels great and I could have kept pushing, but I backed off just to be safe.
I think I might be climbing something after work tomorrow as long as everything feels ok. |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Today was pretty busy for me and I didn't get a chance to work out until after my kids were in bed. My legs are completely recovered from Sapper Joe except for some very minor soreness in my right knee. I will probably he in the mountains doing some steep hiking tomorow (today) so I wanted to rest my legs.
I did work my core/abs with the ball for 45 minutes while watching TV and had a really good work out, except my wife told my I was grunting too much. haha. I guess that means I was working hard. |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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My wife and kids were away visiting family today, so I figured I would take advantage of the time to climb something, and my friend Matt and I were going to climb the Sundial Peak up Big Cottonwood, but he cancelled on me. I was having the hardest time deciding where to go, and after I got off work I changed my clothes and still didn't know where I was going. I ended up driving to the trailhead for Mt. Wire because I feel very comfortable doing it solo.
It was very hot and within 10 minutes I was hiking alone and couldn't see anyone else on the trail at all. I took off my shirt to soak up the rays and it felt great. My knee has been a touch sore, so I didn't want to push at all, and I didn't. I made it to the top in 57:00, which isn't bad at all, especially since I wasn't pushing it hard. There was a guy leaving the summit and he was the first person I saw on the hike. I stayed on top for about 15 minutes checking out the views and I decided to head over to bag Red Butte and pick up some more miles because my knee was feeling good.
I ran the ridge over to Red Butte and felt just a tiny bit of soreness in the knee, but nothing serious. I cruised over the ridge and then stopped at the summit for a few minutes to watch an eagle soaring right over the top.
The hike down is steep, so I took it a little slow and then when I got down the the Living Room, which a bunch of furniture made of rocks, I took the trail that heads left down into drainage. Jun and I had run this the last time we were there and it was fun. I ran the whole way down and made decent time. I passed a few hikers coming up and then once I was down I ran on the BST back to the car. I did stop the last 1/4 mile to walk because I didn't want to push it too hard.
This is just what I needed today. Total time: 2:15 |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 6.20 |
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Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I woke up early this morning to lift at the gym and I had a really fun work out for 45 minutes. Worked upper body.
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Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Crazy day, but fun. Did yard work, but also made it over to the gym with the kids for a few hours at the pool, and also mixed in some TM miles. Yeah for sun! |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 158.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Took the fam on an afternoon hike today. I had a few peaks in mind, but we didn't have time for much. We were on our way to the Big Baldy trailhead in Pleasant Grove, but the majority of the kids wanted to go to View Benchmark again, so we turned the car around and went up there. It was HOT.
I ran ahead a lot with the dog, and then I would go back and meet up with the kids. Most of the hills I went up 2-3 times while I waited for them, but it was fun, although I totally wore Shyla out. The heat was killing her.
Made it to the summit in about 40 minutes and the kids played for a while. They found some horny toads and had fun catching and letting them go. The only thing that made my son stop talking about them was falling asleep a few minutes ago (5 hours later). He wants me to take him back up there to sleep over with the toads. ha.
The hike back was fun and we were all hot when we got back to the car, and enjoyed the cold Poweraid in the cooler. It was a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 158.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I went to the gym tonight with Kristina after the kids were in bed. We both had a great lifting session and my arms/chest are worked. I did a new tricep exercise that was awesome and I'll be adding it to my routine. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I had a fun trail run with Jun on the Dimple Dell Rec trail (also known as The Gully). We did this during our lunch break and the weather was near perfect when we started the trail across from Bell Canyon.
The first 3 miles were easy and fun running on a really good trail. I forgot my trail runners, so I was in my Asics running shoes, which felt great and were ok for this trail. When we turned around at 13th East the fun began with a bushwhack to avoid the river, which had come over the trail. My right foot got wet, but nothing serious. After a few minutes of 'Whacking' we found our way to the trail. The only problem was the uphill started to hurt my knee as soon as I started going up. The same issue from Sapper Joe. After struggling for a mile we stopped and Jun had me stretch it out, which actually helped a lot.
I was really taking it easy after the knee pain, and it did feel tight the rest of the way. We had some excellent conversation and both had a blast.
I'm going to do a fairly technical alpine climb tomorrow, and I am really excited. I'll be climbing the Grunge Couloir on North Timpanogos, which is one of the steepest chutes in the Wasatch. My book "The Chuting Gallery" says it is number 3 on the list. What makes this climb even more fun is the fact that there are portions that are like a funnel, getting really narrow. Normally this wouldn't be too much of a worry, but this chute is also known for it's rotten rock that frequently makes deposits of loose rock down the chute. I really like the way the book puts it "The sides are lined with towering, rotting rock walls that send down a constant barrage of buzzing missles." Yes, I'll be wearing a helmet. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 6.12 |
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Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I had an incredible morning climbing the Grunge Couloir on North Timpanogos. This is the chute that goes right up the middle of the two North summits on Timp on the back (East side) of the mountain. The route has about 6K elevation gain, and is definitely one of the most sketchy climbs in the Wasatch, but it was tons of fun. The couloir (chute) is about 1200 feet straight up on steep (up to 62 degrees) snow, and there are plenty of hazards to keep your attention.
The main concern is rock fall. While we were in the chute we saw at least 200 rocks tumbling down at a high rate of speed. Now most of these were small, but if they hit you it would not be good. There is a main runnel with two smaller runnels that funnel the majority of the rock fall right down the chute, so we had to make sure to stay away from them as much as possible, although at times they were unavoidable. The scariest section by far is where the walls of the chute become very narrow (Probably 5-7 feet) and all of the rock fall goes right through that funnel, so you have to cross your fingers and move fast. It was definitely an adrenaline rush, and luckily we made it through without a single rock coming down on us, which is amazing since we saw several before and after.
At the top of the chute the slope is very steep and you have to work your way out trying to avoid some massive cornices. My heart was pumping hard for sure. It took us just over an hour to get through the couloir and then it was a short easy climb to the summit of North Timp. After that we had a super fun glissade on our butts of almost 3000 feet down the Cold Fusion Couloir.
We had an early morning start, meeting at 4:00 AM, and I got just over 2.5 hours of sleep. I am pretty tired. I will post some pics of the climb in the next day or two. |
Night Sleep Time: 2.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 2.50 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I won't be running today because I need to give my knees a break. I will be working my abs/core later though.
Here are a few pics from our climb up the Grunge Couloir from yesterday:
Matt and Dustin looking at our route on the way back down. North Timp is the two peaks on the right, and the Grunge goes right up between them.
This is me heading up to the Grunge. You can see our route right through the two peaks.
This is Matt on our way up the couloir
In the Grunge Couloir. Notice all of the rock fall.
Dustin and Matt on the summit of North Timp.
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Last night I worked my abs for 30 minutes and then I got up ealry this morning to lift at the gym. I had a really good session for 40 minutes working my upper body. I did lose a pound this week and that means I am down two pounds in the last few weeks. That isn't normal for me at all. Have a great weekend everyone. |
Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I wanted to hit the trails for some miles, but the weather was crappy, so I settled for 4 on the TM instead. Yawn. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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My wife had quite a lot of homework this weekend, so I watched the kids a lot and did some house work. Domesticated bliss! I was going to take my dog running up a peak, but the weather was again not great, so I settled for 35 minutes on the elliptical after the kids went to bed.
I posted a trip report for my climb last week if you are interested. The report isn't great, but there are some really good pictures of the route.
The Grunge Couloir |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went to the gym after the kids went to bed and lifted for 40 minutes. I had an excellent workout and I was sweating all over the place when I was done. No running today. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Time 44:30
I wanted to get out on a trail today with Jun at lunch, but both of us had pretty busy days. I had about an hour window, so I cruised over to his office and we got out for a nice 5 miler on the road. We ran into a headwind for a few miles and that wasn't any fun, and it was hot, but other than that it was a lot of fun.
I was only a few minutes late for my lunch appointment after having a shower, changing and driving back to my office, but I was a sweaty mess for the first 10 minutes or so. I thought the cold shower would help, but it wasn't enough. |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I had an incredibly busy day today at work and then when I got home our power was out, and it stayed out until 10:00 last night. I did manage to get away for 4 TM miles in 35 minutes. Everything feels really good.
I also got to meet Burt from the blog today. He is in Utah for the Ragnar and is staying at my family condo in Midway, so I met him to give him the key and make sure he wasn't going to throw any wild parties up there. He seemed pretty harmless :) He is a really nice guy though, despite what some of you bloggers have said about him. I hope he figured out how to log onto the Homestead wireless network (we don't have an internet connection up there). haha. I forgot to tell him about that. I will also throw in that he arrived yesterday when that cold front was moving in and he was definitely freezing his butt off. Welcome to Utah Burt. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I had another busy day. My wife had school, so I was running the show at home all night. haha! Then I had a work issue to resolve until almost midnight. WORST! Somehow I did manage 45 minutes of core/ab work with my ball.
Good luck to all the Ragnar runners. Have a great weekend everyone. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Played in a work softball game this afternoon and had a lot of fun, except I was sharing a glove with the fat guy in the office. SWEAT soaked! Ick!
After work I made it to the gym for a nice lifting session. Worked my upper body for 50 minutes. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Today I reached the half way mark on my goal to climb 52 peaks this year. #26 was definitely memorable. Lily joined Jun and I for a run/hike up Lake Mountain. We met at 6:00 AM this morning and started from the dirt road that leads up Israel Canyon.
The run/hike up was a lot of fun and we had a good conversation and Lily was doing awesome for her first trail run/peak. We made really good time and reached the summit in just over an hour. The views were fantastic and the weather was perfect. After a few peak jumps and pics we headed down. We were able to run the entire way and we had a blast cruising down at a fast pace.
I was feeling really good and my legs felt great pushing the pace, so I did for a while and then Jun caught and passed me. Lily also eventually passed me (she is fast) and then we had a fun run back to the cars. Jun kept going for another 10+ miles which is pretty impressive considering the elevation gain/loss on the trip up to Lake Mt.
It was definitely a fun morning and a memorable way to hit the half way point with my crazy goal.
It was fun meeting all you FRB folks at the BBQ tonight. Thanks for the invite and for putting it on Kelli. |
Montrail Nitrus Miles: 8.48 |
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Night Sleep Time: 4.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.00 | Weight: 155.50 | Calories: 0.00 |
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After working out for 20 days straight (that might be a record for me) I figured I better give my body a break, so I took yesterday (Sunday) off. Isn't that what Sundays are for?? No Sunday Sinner Club for me yesterday. ha.
We rented The Tooth Fairy for the kids, so while they watched that I went to the gym and had a fantastic session working out with some of the neighborhood guys. I worked upper body/core and everything is feeling really good.
I'll be running in Bryce canyon tomorrow, so I may take today off to rest up. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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**Update** I finally downloaded the stats from my Garmin and I was shocked to see 11,500 feet of elevation gain and 12,300 feet of loss for the 37 miles. I know these aren't always accurate, but that would be like climbing Lone Peak twice. I am not as sore as I thought I would be, although my knee still hates stairs. I will lift at the gym tonight and then probably take at least a week off from running. Also, check out this video that Jun put on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG-oqbnvYVc&feature=player_embedded
I will vividly remember yesterday for the rest of my life. Some of the memories will he horrific, while others will make me smile and laugh. I ran my first ultra distance yesterday with Jun in Bryce Canyon National Park. This was an insane idea that Jun had to link up the 3 main trails in the park, which would basically be running from one end of the park to the other. It sounded like an amazing run, and when he first told me about it I was definitely intrigued, although I didn't think I would want to run the whole thing, but after talking more with him about it I really got excited and decided to go for it. Why not?
We traveled down to Panguitch to stay with some of Jun's firends. They were really nice and we spent a few hours hanging out with them and then getting ready for our run. We got the tour of the town, had a lot of laughs and ended with a huge piece of chocolate cake before bed. We got to bed late and I had a hard time sleeping. I finally nodded off about 12:30, but woke up at 3:30 and couldn't get back to sleep until I heard Jun's alarm at 4:30. We got our stuff ready and then Jun's friend drove us to drop off my car at Fairyland Point where we would finish, and then took us all the way to the other end of the park and dropped us off at Rainbow Point. After a few pictures we were off on the Rigg's Spring Loop.
That first loop was just magical. The air was cool, but not cold and the views entering the canyon were stunning. My body was feeling really good and I was excited for this run. The first 5 miles were just a lot of fun. The sun wasn't on us yet and we were running on a beautiful trail surrounded by pine trees with an occasional glimpse of the red rock canyon above. The views got better and better (with a few exceptions) with each step.
Jun was in the lead and had a little bit quicker pace than I did, but when I reached Yovimpa pass I had to stop to take in the views. Wow! Jun was ahead of me nearly the entire run, and he was nice enough to stop and wait for me to catch up. The first few miles of the loop we descended about 1500 feet into the canyon and then we promptly started to gain all of that elevation back before we hit the under the rim trail. This would be the theme for the rest of the day. Climb a steep hill, descend and then do it all over again. I was expecting some elevation gain and loss, but nothing like what we experienced. It was relentless.
About mile 8 I started to feel some tightness in my right knee (ITB). I was worried, but it wasn't hurting yet, so I was still hoping the pain wouldn't get too bad for a while. I actually pushed the pace on some downhill for about a mile and everything was feeling good, but as soon as we started to ascend again, it was hurting. By mile 10 going up or downhill would make my knee hurt. From this point on I had to hike up all of the uphill sections and running up them was just too painful. This is not the place you want to be with ITB pain. It is just not flat at all.
Around mile 11 we finally stopped for our first real break of the day to refill our water at a spring. We treated all of the water we drank with iodine. We used a neutralizer to take away the gross taste, but by the end of the hike I was actually getting used to it. I added some Nuun to my water bottle and then had a gel. Other than my knee I was feeling really good. Jun got ahead of me again on the next section and I didn't see him again for a few miles. There were a lot of downed trees covering the trail and it was pretty clear this area doesn't see a lot of foot traffic. The views were not as good, but I was thankful for the shade. Jun had been waiting for me and I finally caught up to him, and after stopping and taking another gel, I didn't see him again for a few hours.
The next 4-5 miles were really hard for me. My knee was hurting, and each hill that I had to climb and descend added to my misery. Thoughts of bailing early came into my head, but I quickly dismissed them. As long as the pain stayed the same I could make it. I was hiking all of the uphills, and running with a limp on the downhills. I could still run when it was flat, but it just wasn't all that flat. Compounding the difficulty is the beach sand that seemed to be strategically placed by a sadist on all of the uphill climbs. Tough!
At about mile 17 I really hit a low point. I was hot, tired, my Camelbak was bugging my shoulders, my knee hurt and I was alone. The views were impressive, but I was stopping less and less to enjoy them. I just told myself to keep grinding and it would get better. There was a really big hill before Swamp Canyon and at the top the views were just out of this world cool. I stopped to shoot some video and then I ran into jun at Swamp Canyon, which was around the next switchback. I hadn't seen him for about 5 miles and a few hours. He had been waiting there for a while, and seeing him boosted my spirits a lot. I filled up on water, had a gel and Jun gave me an S-cap. Jun stayed with me for about the next 8-9 miles, although he would get ahead of me and then have to wait for me to catch up. I am glad he did. We only saw a few other people on the entire trail and it is remote, rugged, and your mind starts messing with you when you're by yourself. Having him there with me during those breaks really helped a lot. Hills, hills, and more hills. Talk about demoralizing. If you have any hint of ITB pain this trail is a torture chamber. It also started to get really hot now which made things even tougher.
We stopped at yellow creek to fill up our water and it was like an oasis. I was nearly out of water and I knew I was getting dehydrated. I was carrying 70 ounces of water and this would be the fourth time I was filling up. I couldn't get enough water and that was a problem on this trail. I filled up every place that I could and I was drinking it all. It was now really hot and the sun was just beating me up. I didn't know that this would be my last fill up until Bryce Point or I would have had more to drink. I was drinking twice as much now as I had been earlier because of the heat.
I hit my marathon distance a little less than a mile after Yellow Creek and that was the last I would see of Jun until Bryce Point. The next five miles were tough. It was really hot and there wasn't a lot of shade. It seemed like it was all uphill and my knee was really hurting now. I was now hiking everything. I did run a few flat places, but they were not long because it was mostly not flat. I was worried I was going to run out of water because I was drinking so much. I was already dehydrated and hadn't gone pee in about 4 hours. I was sweating a lot and it was incredibly hot. I was looking for a place to take a break and I found a rock to sit on in the shade. After about a minute I realized I was covered in ants that were now biting me and the flies were also swarming and biting too. I ended up just standing up and taking a gel. Another low moment.
With about a mile to go until Bryce Point I was down to the last of my water. I sat down on a rock in the shade and took another gel and swallowed it down with the last drop of warm water in my bottle. I wasn't sure how much further it was to the top. I knew we had at least 5 miles to go, but I wasn't expecting to come up to the top of the rim with 5 miles remaining. I saw an older guy hiking up and from the looks of him I knew that 'civilization' was close. When I saw the cars up there I was confused. I thought we had 5+ miles to go. Jun saw me coming up and met me and then informed me that we did indeed have at least 5 miles to go (I was at mile30.5). I was ok with that though because now I could get some water and the trail actually would be mostly flat from here. Jun had bummed some water off of one of the tourists, and he shared it with me, and I felt much better.
After about a 20 minute break with Jun, he took off running for the car, and I still wasn't sure what I was going to do yet. I was tempted to catch a ride back to the car and rationalized it by telling myself I had completed an ultra distance, but I soon put those thoughts out of my head. I came here to finish the whole thing, so I started hiking fast. Occasionally I was running, but it was painful and all of the tourists were looking at me like what in the world is this guy doing?
At Sunset Point (mile 33) I stopped to use the bathroom. It was the first facility with running water that we had seen all day, and I couldn't pass up filling my water up and taking a dirtbag shower in the sink. It felt so good to wash all of the salt off of my face. I took a long break in the shade and heard a few people comment about my appearance. I ate a Powerbar and my last gel and drank a lot of water. It felt so good and I was completely refreshed.
The next mile I actually ran a little more and I was feeling good. It was so nice to finally be on a flat trail again. At mile 34 I came to a fork in the trail. There was a sign on the trail going right that said: Fairyland Point 5 miles. My heart sank because I thought I only had about two miles to go. The trail on the left said to Fairyland Lookout, so I was confused, but two girls that were hiking up the trail (on the right) told me to take that trail because it went to Fairyland Point and that the left trail ended, so started down the trail. After about a half a mile I realized that I was just dropping too much and that I was on the wrong trail. Jun had mentioned to me that if I started descending back into the canyon I needed to get back to the rim, and I remembered looking at the map at Sunset Point and I knew I needed to go back. Thank goodness it only cost me a mile total because if I had kept going it would have taken me 4 hilly miles to get back instead of two on the flat rim trail.
The final two miles were hard, but I was feeling better than I had been coming out of the canyon, so I was actually in a good mood. I wasn't hot, I was feeling hydrated and my spirits were high. the only bad thing was I had developed a blister on one of my toes that was now nagging me. Normally I would have stopped to take care of it, but I just wanted to get done, so I didn't stop. I ran about 1/4 of the time, but I was mostly hiking because it hurt less.
When I finally saw my car parked I had an incredible feeling. I had done it. Jun came over to congratulate me and after a few high fives and pictures it was time to sit down. What an experience. It was definitely the most difficult thing I have ever done, a total grind. The only real easy part of the whole day was the first 4 miles running downhill. After that it was brutal. I am sure I would have enjoyed it a lot more without the 27 miles of ITB pain though.
I am disappointed that I didn't get to enjoy this trail more. The views really aren't even explainable. They don't look real, they are that good. It is certainly a good challenge for anyone, and I will never forget this day. There was exhilaration, pain, disappointment, laughs, fresh air, views, blood, a lot of sweat (probably gallons) and almost some tears. When we finished yesterday I told Jun there wasn't even a chance I would ever to that again, but today there is some sick part of me that wants to go back and do it again when my knee is right.
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Montrail Nitrus Miles: 37.50 |
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Night Sleep Time: 3.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 3.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I went to the gym to lift tonight after work. I worked my upper body/core for 45 minutes. My core was actually sore (I think from Bryce) so I didn't push too hard. My knee still hurts and there is no way I can run. I may try the elliptical tomorrow just to see what happens. I was also surprised that I gained 1.5 pounds since the Bryce Canyon run. I thought for sure I would have lost a few pounds.
Have a great weekend everyone. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I was still resting my knee, so I settled for 30 minutes of ab/core work with my ball while watching TV. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Still resting my knee but I wanted to get in some kind of workout, so I did about 15 sets of push-ups. I started with 30 each set, but by time I finished I could only do 11. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | This is the first time I have run since Bryce Canyon. I did 3 miles on the TM at my hotel in San Diego. I started with a fast walk, but within 5 minutes I was running. I was slow, but I ran pain free the whole 3. My ITB was a little sore when I finished. I was very happy though that I ran pain free. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 3.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Walked at least 5 miles around the San Diego zoo today with my kids. We had a great day and then I lifted for 45 minutes at the hotel fitness center after they were in bed. I am so tired. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I walked at least 5 miles again at Seaworld. We had a really fun day, and ended eating some authentic Mexican down by the beach. So good! I did 3 miles on the TM back at the hotel. My knee was a tiny bit stiff after, but no pain. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 3.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I spent the day on Mission Beach with my family. We had such a fun time. I was able to take each of my kids out to teach them how to boogie board and they loved it, but the water got a little cold for them, so they wouldn't stay out for long. I spent about 2 hours out there riding the waves and I had an amazing time. I caught some really good waves and they started to get pretty big, so I came in and a few minutes later the lifeguards made everyone come in because of the big waves. I was pretty spent afterward. Boogie boarding is a great workout. We made sand castles, caught sand crabs and even a few oysters that my kids are still playing with.
After we got back and cleaned up I went to the fitness center and did 3 slow miles on the treadmill. Everything feels really good. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 3.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Spent the day that the San Diego Zoo wild animal park. It was hot and everyone was a little cranky from all of the miles we have been putting in at the parks. We had the kids go to bed early and I got in some TM miles. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 3.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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We went back to the zoo this morning to finish seeing everything and it was soooo crowded. We were glad that we saw most of it on Tuesday. After the zoo we went to Mission Beach and it was definitely a party atmosphere down there with a lot of people. We had dinner on the beach and then headed back to the hotel to get packed and ready to leave in the morning.
I did get in 5 on the TM after the kids were in bed. Everything feels really good. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 5.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I hit the gym early this morning to lift and I had an excellent session working my upper body. I worked out really hard since I didn't get in a great session last week and I think I may have worked too hard because I was very nauseated after I finished. It was also a sweat-fest. |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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After the kids went to bed I hit the gym for some TM miles. I did the first two at a 9:00 pace and wasn't feeling great. The next two were at an 8:00 pace and then I wanted to push a little harder just to see how my knee would feel, so I did the last mile at a 6:50 pace. My legs felt great, but the rest of my body didn't like it much. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 6.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Did the Wasatch Crest trail this morning with Jun, Matt and Jason. We had an amazing time. The first mile gets pretty steep and I was feeling pretty good until just before the top of the first hill where my ITB started to get a little stiff. I took a short detour to the top of a minor summit and then met the guys back at the saddle. When we started back up I got a stitch in my side that wasn't fun. but luckily it went away after about a mile. It was a beautiful morning and we were really having a great time. It was so green up there.
At mile 4 I started to fill the blister on my toe that I had from bryce Canyon. It was huge after Bryce and had healed, but the skin just so thin there and I could tell it was getting bad, so I stopped and luckily had some band-aids in my water bottle pocket. I put them on and it helped a lot. It still bothered me the rest of the way, but wasn't too bad.
We took another detour to climb Desolation Peak and that was fun, and we saw a huge healthy buck just below the summit.We took some peak jumping pics and then headed down to the lake, and just past it we saw another 4 deer running through the meadow. It was just unreal how pretty it was in there.
I started to get into a great groove and was doing a 7:40 mile and then we had to stop because a mama moose and two calves were blocking the trail and Jun was getting pretty close with his camera. After a few pics they took off and after that I didn't get into a really good groove the rest of the way.
With about a mile left I tripped on a root and crashed into some rocks, but luckily my water bottle took the brunt of the fall. The last mile was really hard for me because my blister hurt and I actually got another one on the same toe (other foot). I haven't had blisters in years and it is sooo annoying. My ITB did get a little tight at times, and was sore at the end, but I really focused on my form and posture today and I think it helped. Thanks for the tips Aaron and Jun.
We had a great time though and it was a perfect way to start the day. Jun has some cool pics on his blog. check them out. |
Montrail Nitrus Miles: 9.50 |
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Night Sleep Time: 3.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 3.50 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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**Update**
Worked my abs/core at midnight for 30 minutes on my ball. I hung out with some friends from high school that I hadn't seen in a while, so we got home late and I barely had time to squeeze in a work out.
I will be working out later after work, but I wanted to welcome my friend Matt to the blog. I know he won't toot his own horn, so I'll toot it a bit for him.
I have known Matt for 3+ years now and he has been one of my best hiking/climbing partners. We have shared many trails and peaks together, and mostly we have shared a lot of laughs. Going out with Matt is always a fun time.
He is a very modest guy, but don't let that fool you. He has been on the summit of nearly all of the peaks around here, and done some incredibly tough multi-peak ridge runs. He has summitted some of the toughest peaks in winter, and loves difficult spring mountaineering days in the Wasatch.
He is new to running, but I think he will do just fine. He did the Wasatch Crest trail with us yesterday and did awesome. Please welcome him to the blog.
About the only thing that is a little suspect about the guy is that he loves wearing edible underpants on summits. Please tease him about this.
http://matthewvh.fastrunningblog.com/
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Hit the gym this morning to lift and I had a really good session. I worked my upper body. Afterward I stretched and ran a slow mile on the TM because my hammy has been tight for a few days. It seemed to really help a lot.
After we took our kids to the pool for the afternoon and washed our cars, so we definitely got some sun today. Finished it off at the AF Steel Days festivities and fireworks. Sleepy. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 1.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I did the elliptical for an hour today while watching the World Cup final. The last 40 minutes were on the max setting, so it was a really good work out and definitely a sweat-fest.
I also rolled my ITB and stretched for 20 minutes. Everything seems to be feeling pretty good. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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On my way home from work tonight I got a wild hair and wanted to go climb a peak tonight, but I couldn't find anyone to go on short notice, so I decided to go to the gym instead.
I lifted for 50 minutes. I worked my shoulders/delts, lats and chest. It was a really good work out. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I had a really busy day today (yesterday). I was able to find time to get some TM miles after the kids went to bed. I did 5 while watching Deadliest Catch. Everything feels really good.
I also picked up some Brooks Cascadia's for a great deal today and I will be trying them out in the Uintas with Jun on thursday. I will be doing Kings Peak and possibly South Kings while Jun goes for the Triple Crown (highest 3 peaks in Utah). It should be a fun day. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 5.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Kings Peak marathon-
This would be my 7th trip to the summit Kings Peak, which is the highest point in Utah (13,528 feet). It never gets old. I met Jun at his place on Wed at 9:00 PM and after picking up a few snacks from the 7-11 we were off on the close to 3 hour drive to the trailhead. It was fun talking about peaks, runs, and what our strategies would be on our runs in the morning. Jun was going for the Triple Crown (Highest 3 peaks in Utah) and he wanted to set a speed record for getting all three in one day car to car with no camps in between. I really wanted to do the Triple this year, but I knew with my knee issues of late it would not be smart. I also knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with Jun, so even if I wanted to grind through it I wouldn't want him to have to wait several hours for me at the finish.
It was cool at the trailhead, but not as cold as it had been the two previous years. We set up the tent, got our gear ready, and then settled in for a restless 3.5 hours of sleep. I fell asleep pretty fast, but I woke up at about 3:30 to use the bathroom and I never could get back into a good sleep. The alarm went off at 4:30 and I felt pretty good considering the lack of rest.
Jun cooked up some oatmeal that really hit the spot and we got our gear together and we were ready to hit the trail just after 5:00 AM. The temperature was almost perfect. It was cool, but not cold. We settled in to a nice running pace and chatted for the first few miles as we ran. I knew Jun was going for speed, so it wasn't long before he got too far ahead and I wouldn't see him again for about 5 hours.
The run to Elk Horn Crossing was so nice. The temps were good, and I felt great, but my ITB started to get tight between miles 3-4, so I had to take it easy. I would not run any of the steeper sections, so I was alternating between a nice easy running pace and a power hike, depending on the trail. I reached Elk Horn crossing (5.3 miles) in 1:20, which was 35 minutes faster than my previous best time. I took a short break, had a gel and put on my iPod.
The next 3 miles I again alternated from fast hiking to easy running and the views were just impressive. Towering 13, 000 ft. peaks, wild flowers and everything was very green. I really enjoyed this section. I would stop about every half mile to stretch my ITB and take in the views. Once I got to Dollar Lake (about mile 8) I was expecting to start seeing groups of people making their way to the summit because most people that climb Kings use the area for their base camp. I didn't see anyone at all. After about a mile I did see a couple of groups far ahead almost to the Gunsight Pass switchbacks, and my next goal was to pass them. I picked up my pace and ran most of the way to the base of the switchbacks
Just before the switchbacks I stopped to fill up my water bottles in a spring where we normally stop. I used iodine tablets with all of my water to make sure it was purified. After a quick stop I turned my attention to passing the two groups ahead of me. It turns out it was two scout troops, and within 10 minutes I had passed both groups on the switchbacks. They were moving s l o w and they couldn't believe I was running past them. I heard one guy mumble an Oh my Gosh. I am not very fast for a runner, but compared to most arm-chair hikers my pace actually looks quick.
I noticed one solo hiker left to pass, so I pushed to pass him and get up to Gunsight Pass. He kept looking back at me and then started to speed up, so I didn't quite catch him, but we both arrived at Gunsight within seconds of each other. I stopped to take a gel, while he headed down into Painter Basin. It was very windy up there, so I didn't stay long. I started my traverse over to the Gunsight plateau and I noticed that the guy had dropped way down into the basin and now he kept looking back up at me and where I was going. I think he was second guessing his route, because I saw him turn around, but I never did see him again, until I was on my way down from the summit.
The traverse across the plateau is very rocky and lumpy and not easy to run on at all, so I just kept a fast hiking pace. I didn't see anyone in front of me at all. Just before Anderson Pass I did see some hikers that looked totally confused and they came over to talk to me, asking where Kings Peak was. I pointed up to the ridge and the guy just didn't want to believe me. I spent about 5 minutes telling him right where to go and showing him the way, and finally he said "We will just follow you." They had come from the next basin over and had never been in the area before. There was another guy and his 12 year old son that followed us as well.
After about 15 minutes all of the hikers were lagging way behind, but the 12 year old kid stayed with me all the way to the top. I started chatting with him about hiking and mountains and then I asked him how he was in such good shape and he told me he is a runner and runs 5K's. I found out his PR is 20:04 and I told him he was going to be a great runner and to keep it up. It was fun and I shattered my previous PR to the summit, reaching the top in 4:50. I was the first person on the summit for the day, and I had started 8 miles further than all of the Dollar Lake folks. I started to feel fast (I know I am not).
I was seriously debating a trip over to South Kings. I felt really strong, but after hanging out on the summit I started to feel nauseated, which happens every time, so I decided to go back down. On the descent I passed several parties going up and I had a few comments like "You're fast" and "You look like this didn't even faze you." Haha. Again, I know I am not fast. Most of these were scouts and their leaders. I ran into Jun after about 20 minutes and he was kind of in a bad mood. He was tired, but he was making great time. We chatted for a few minutes and then he took off for the top.
I had been feeling really good (other than my knee being tight) the whole day, but the descent from the summit was murder on my knee. It started to hurt. I couldn't push off or land on it hard or it would hurt, so I had to really slow down because going down is just one massive pile of boulders. I was so slow. When I finally got down to the trail I took about a 25 minute break to eat some solid food. So far it had only been gels. I felt really refreshed, but the traverse back over to Gunsight Pass was very slow as I was now being very tentative with my knee and I was much slower than the way up.
I found a spring and filled up my bottles and took another short break, and then I finally saw someone coming up behind me. I couldn't tell if it was Jun, but I figured if it was he was flying. I was really slow coming back, but I was way ahead of him when we passed each other. Once I reached the pass I picked up my pace a lot. It felt so good to be back onto the trail and my knee felt much better. I made pretty good time going down and just before I reached the bottom I saw Jun taking a short cut to avoid the switchbacks. He had passed me and I didn't even know it. He was only about a minute ahead of me, so we both stopped to take a break to put on sunscreen and make some gear adjustments.
We ran together for about 10 minutes, but he passed me and slowly built up a huge lead. After about 10 more minutes I couldn't see him anymore. He still looked pretty fresh and had an excellent pace going. My body felt relatively good, but I was losing steam. The elevation really works you and I was feeling it. Most of the route is above 10,000 feet and you can definitely feel it. It is much harder to get a fast pace going up there. I alternated from running to hiking all the way back to Elk Horn crossing, passing several people that were shocked to see someone running up there. The people I talked to all asked where I came from and what I did and seemed surprised.
At Elk Horn (mile 21) I stopped to fill up my water bottles and have a gel. The bridge that is normally there has been washed out, so you have to cross the river on wet logs. It is easy, but I guarantee a few boy scouts will take a swim crossing it this year. From Elk Horn back to the trailhead always seems really long. I alternated between running and hiking the rest of the way. When the trail was in good shape I ran, if there were a lot of rocks, boulders or hills I hiked. My knee actually started to feel better, but my energy levels were gone. I was hammered.
Jun was waiting for me at the finish and it felt really good to be done. My mileage was exaclty 26.2, which is pretty cool. I finished in 10:40, which is about 3 hours faster than my time from last year. It isn't earth shattering, but I am happy with it. I think I could have easily shaved about an hour off if my knee hadn't been giving me trouble on the descent. It actually took me almost an hour more to come down than it did going up, and believe me it is much easier going down.
The new Brooks Cascadias were soooo good! My feet felt great the whole day and the shoes take a pounding quite well. After all of the rocks, boulders and scree I was expecting them to be more beat up than they were.
We had an amazing time and Jun set a speed record for the Triple Crown. He was fast and strong and it was fun having a front row seat to watch him go. Even though this hike/run/climb has become waaay too crowded I love it. I will be back every year |
Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 26.20 |
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Night Sleep Time: 3.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 3.50 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I went to the gym this morning to lift. I worked my upper body hard for 50 minutes and then did a mile on the TM just to see how everything feels. I don't have any soreness in my legs or knees and I am very happy about that. I could have run several more miles, but I don't want to rush anything and I decided to give my legs a little break.
I weigh myself every time I go to the gym and I was kind of surprised that I weigh the exact same as I did the day before the Kings Peak run. I was expecting to be down a pound or two.
I'll be working my abs/core tonight. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 1.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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We took our kids on a drive on the Alpine Loop to get out of the heat and we ended up doing a couple of small hikes. It was a lot of fun, but still too hot.
CRAZY night. I ended up fitting in 35 min on the elliptical and 25 minutes of core/ab work after the kids were in bed. My legs feel great. No soreness anywhere. |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went to the gym to lift after the kids were in bed. The gym was dead and there were only 4 of us in there for the hour. I worked biceps, triceps, lats, shoulders and chest with my friend Mark for 50+ minutes. |
Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I got out for a nice run after work. It was a super fun run, but sooooo HOT and I was a sweaty mess for sure. I haven't run on the road is such a long time, but I really enjoyed it tonight for some reason. I think I need to do that more often. I had a lot of fun and everything felt great. |
Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 3.30 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I had a really fun morning climbing a couple of peaks above Brighton with MatthewVH. I set my two alarms for 4:25 and when the first one went off I promptly shut them both off and then in a fuzzy fog fell back to sleep. Luckily I woke up 15 minutes later and rushed to get out the door so I wouldn't have to make Matt wait. We were going to climb Kessler Peak, but Matt didn't quite have time for that one, so we decided to climb Mt. Majestic (Clayton Peak) and tag Peak 10,420 while we were in the area.
It was actually really windy when we started at Guardsman's Pass, which was nice because it kept the bugs away, but it was cooler than I expected. We arrived at the pass to an impressive sunrise over the Wasatch. This is a really steep hike and you can't run much of it. We did run the saddles and any place we could, but for the most part it is just straight up. It felt good to get my calves burning and we had a lot of fun.
We met a guy and his dog on the trail and we chatted with him for a while about climbing and peaks, and then Matt and I took a detour to Peak 10,420. It was windy on top and we took some really good peak jumping pics. When we got back to the saddle we ran to Majestic and then had a blast boulder hopping on the ridge up to the top. The views were fantastic!
We stayed up there for about 15 minutes chatting more with our dog friend and taking in the views and then it was a quick descent so we could get into work. We had some great laughs and some excellent views. Wasatch mornings are always the best. |
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Night Sleep Time: 4.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went to the gym and lifted for 50 minutes (upper body/core). There were some new faces at the gym tonight and people watching is always a bonus. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I went and climbed Grandeur Peak with Jun during our lunch break today. It was HOT going up that West Ridge and it seemed like the sun just sapped all of my energy. I started off feeling pretty good, but a little after half a mile Jun cruised past me and I went into the tank. I don't ever remember this ridge being so tough, but it was hot and I was feeling it. I dripped sweat all the way up to the summit where Jun was waiting for me.
Jun wanted to run down into Church Fork, so we bet that I could beat him down to the pay station at the mouth of the canyon. I downed a gel and finished the rest of my water and Jun took off down the trail. I knew I was in trouble because that ridge is not runable. It is steep and loose.
I fell twice on the descent and really bruised my hand on a rock, but I avoided a nasty spill when I tripped on a rock and flew about 3 feet before I caught myself. I ran where I could, but that wasn't much. I got back to the car totally dehydrated and guzzled some hot water that was in the back of my car. I went to pick up Jun and he had indeed beaten me, but that wasn't a surprise. A positive note is I had absolutely no knee pain, and I can't think of a steeper trail, so I was happy about that.
Trip notes:
West Ridge in the sun- I am not a fan
Descending the West ridge- I am not a fan
Bathtub temperature water- I am not a fan
Jun without a shirt- I am a fan
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Montrail Nitrus Miles: 4.55 |
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Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Today was really busy and I ate waaay too much crap. I got home at 11:30 PM and by time we got the kids to bed it was after midnight and I was tired, but I still managed to do 40 minutes of ab/core work with my ball. I was so tired and didn't feel like working out at all, but after I felt really good and was glad I did. |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.50 | Total Sleep Time: 7.50 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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My kids all wanted to watch a movie this afternoon, so I decided to go on a trail run with my dog while they enjoyed the movie. We went to the Grove Creek trail, which is on the south flank of Mahogany Mountain, which is a peak in front of Timpanogos and only about 15 minutes from my house.
The trail gains some really good elevation and at two miles you come to an impressive waterfall that has 3-4 smaller falls and one that is quite big. My quads have been sore since doing the West Ridge of Grandeur, so I wanted to loosen them up a bit and this trail was a great choice. I think the total elevation was about 1500 feet, but that is just a guess.
After a mile and a half Shyla was TIRED and I was dragging her up. I could tell she was hot and eventually we came across a pool of water and she promptly laid down in it, so I let her rest for a few minutes and then I had to almost pull her the rest of the way. Geez, they don't make dogs as tough as they used to. Maybe it was the heat.
When we reached the waterfall Shyla got in the river and laid down again, and I let her rest for a few minutes and cool down. I washed off my face and filled my hat with water and then we headed down. We made much better time, but had to take care along the cliffy sections. I was worried about Shyla running into me and knocking me off my feet (It has happened before), but if it happened here it could be deadly, so on all of the cliffs I just took my time. The trail actually gets quite small in places with some pretty big drop-offs.
I let Shyla stop a final time to lay in the river with a half mile to go, and then we pushed it quick to the parking lot. This is a really fun trail with some awesome views. I will be back again for sure. |
Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 4.20 |
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Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Monday= Weights. I had a really good session at the gym tonight, but the fan wasn't working, so it was incredibly hot in there. I did manage to lift for 50 minutes (upper body) but I figured I would quit when I started dripping sweat all over the bench. Gotta love summer. Gotta love sweat!! |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 4 easy miles on the TM. Everything is feeling really good. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.50 | Total Sleep Time: 5.50 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I had a really busy day today. After work I did yard work until it was dark and then after the kids went to bed I hit the elliptical for 40 minutes. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Bringing sexy back on the Pipeline this morning:
I met MatthewVH at 5:15 AM for a run on the Pipeline trail in Millcreek Canyon. We had an excellent morning. The temperature was almost perfect and we set a nice 9:00 pace. The conversation was good and we talked about some upcoming trips to the Wind Rivers, and of course we talked about Sister Hutchins (a lady Matt home teaches) HAHA!
At lookout Point we stopped to have a gel and take in the views! WOW! My left hamstring was a little tight so I stretched that out for a few minutes and then we headed back up the trail. About half way back I put on my iPod (because Matt stopped talking) and when Bringing Sexy Back came on I had to sing out loud (mostly because it was fun). I was feeling good and at one point stopped to do a little dancing, and I had just finished when 3 ladies came around the corner- whew!
We had a great time. |
Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 9.35 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I fell asleep last night in my clothes watching the news (must have been really tired) and when I woke up at 1:30 AM to get ready for bed I decided I would get up early to lift at the gym.
I was not feeling it this morning. I was really tired and it took about 15 minutes to get going. I did have a good session, but not a great one. Lifted for 45 minutes. |
Night Sleep Time: 7.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.50 | Weight: 155.50 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| Race: |
Big Springs 8K (4.89 Miles) 00:46:06, Place in age division: 2 | |
I had a really fun time running in the Big Springs 8K (Battle at Big Springs) up Provo Canyon yesterday. I had wanted to run in the Gruesome Grizzly as well, but I was still recovering from Bryce Canyon and couldn't make it, but I am glad I didn't miss this one.
I got up there around 7:30 and spent a few minutes getting ready and getting my race packet and I was happy to see fellow FRBer Lily up there. We talked for a bit and it was nice to hang out with someone I knew. I did recognize a lot of people up there, but didn't know a lot of names.
The race was a little late starting, and other than the fact that I had to pee really bad I was feeling pretty good. The first .3 the faster runners separated themselves and and the trail got really steep. I slowed down a lot on the hill and just tired to keep a good pace without burning out. After the initial hill we came into a beautiful meadow and I passed a few runners here, as I picked up my pace.
As soon as we went through the meadow the trail got really steep again and pretty much climbs for the next two miles. I ran most of the hills and I was actually passing some people, so I felt like I was pretty strong, but it was tough. At about mile 2.5 I was really hoping the downhill would come quick because I was really getting tired. The trail flattened out a bit and then there were a few ups and downs before we crossed the stream. I picked off another runner, but I had a guy right on my heels that passed me when I finally had to stop to pee in the bush :)
The last two miles are down hill and I was feeling really good. I was under 7:00 almost the whole way and I actually passed a few more guys. One guy passed me going really fast, but with .5 to go he was doubled over and I passed him again. The finish came a little quicker than expected and I just pushed hard at the end. I was shocked that I came in 2nd place in my age group (30-39) and I feel like I could actually run that course a little faster, so I am excited to go back next year to do it again.
Lily was incredible up there. This was only her second trail run and first trail race and she looked like a pro up there. I only saw her at the start and the finish :) Nice work Lily!
This was a great race and they did an excellent job marking the trail and taking care of the runners. They had a raffle and gave out some of the best gear I have seen for a race. It seemed like about half of the peeps got something. I didn't but that is ok. I had a super-duper time anyway.
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Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 4.89 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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My legs feel great after the trail run yesterday, and I have no soreness in my knee at all. I ate waaay too much crap today, but I did manage 40 minutes on the elliptical.
Have a great week/month everyone. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I went to the gym to lift tonight. I did 3 on the TM just to loosen up my legs, and then I didn't have enough time for a good lifting session. I did lift for 40 minutes, but it was crowded in there and I just wasn't able to work everything I wanted to, so I might go back tomorrow.
I also found out yesterday that I will be running/climbing Gannett Peak (highest peak in Wyoming) on Saturday. It will be 40-44 mles in some of the most scenic terrain in the US. I am really excited about this, but also kind of nervous. It will require us to carry in some climbing gear, so I am still not sure about what shoes to wear and what to carry. I may try crampons on my running shoes. If anyone has any experience with this let me know. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 3.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.50 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went to the gym to finish off my weight work from last night. I spent 20 minutes working my lats, delts and biceps. Then I ran 4 miles on the TM in 34 min. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.50 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I would have liked to get out on some trails this week, but it just didn't happen. Oh well, I will be spending at least 20+ hours on trails in the Wind Rivers on Saturday, so it will all work out. Tonight it was too wet to go outside, plus the hail was HUGE, so I did 3 miles at the gym. My splits were 8:40, 8:10 and 6:40. Pushing the pace on the last mile was fun and I could have held it for another mile, but I want to save my legs for Saturday. I am really getting nervous for Gannett Peak on Saturday. Lack of sleep, fickle weather, long distances from civilization, bugs, rugged and remote country, along with a serious climb make me a little uneasy, but I am confident it will work out. Yesterday when the storm was pounding my house with rain and hail I just couldn't help but think that weather like that is pretty common in the Winds, and what if we are 20 miles out and get blasted in a similar fashion? Not a good thought. It should be a fun adventure though. |
Night Sleep Time: 5.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.50 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went to sleep at 1:00 am and woke up at 6:00 to lift. I want to make sure I am tired, so that I can catch a few ZZZZZ's before our midnight start tonight. I am still debating on whether I want to take trail runners or my hikng boots. There will be a lot of good trail, but a lot of rugged terrain as well. Most of all though I am just worried about crampons on running shoes. I am leaning toward the trail runners. I'm really nervous about this, but excited too. Lifted for 35 minutes, but I didn't want to push anything. |
Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 154.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Gannett Peak videos:
My low point climbing to Bonny Pass at mile 19 and over 12,000 feet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wnjH3N15qU
Reaching Bonny Pass:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFeOahTKt_I
Gannett trip report (long).
Gannett Peak has always been my favorite mountain, well, at least since I first discovered it around 1997. I first reached the summit in 2001 and I'll never forget the chills that ran down my spine the first time I got a good look at it from Scenic Pass. Intimidated would be an understatement. I have heard of a few people doing Gannett in a day, but I thought they were crazy. The shortest route to the peak is 44 miles round trip and that covers some serious elevation over wicked terrain, and climbing the peak is far from a walk up.
Our group consisted of me, MatthewVH, Joe B. and Jake. All of us have a lot of exeperience in the mountains, and have climbed most of the peaks in the Wasatch. Joe had also climbed Gannett before, but did it in 3 days a few years back. It was a really good group and we all had a lot of fun.
We got a hotel in Pinedale on Friday around 6:00 PM. We hoped to get a few hours of sleep before we left for the trail around midnight. A few of us took some sleep aids to try and catch some Z's, but it was tough. It seemed like someone was constantly getting up to use the bathroom or making some other odd noise, but I did get to share a bed with Matt (a highlight :) ). I finally dozed for what seemed like less than an hour when Matt's alarm went off at 11:20. We all got ready and were at the trailhead at 12:30 AM Saturday morning. It was cold, but I didn't put on a jacket because I knew I would heat up quickly. We signed in and headed up the trail. After a few minutes of hiking Matt started to run and the next 11 miles we ran where we could and hiked pretty fast where it was steep. The conversation was good and there were a lot of laughs.
The trail was pretty wet and there were puddles all over. It was a pain and we really had to focus on the trail. Running was really hard in places because of all of the mud, puddles and rocks. The stars were brilliant and I would catch a glimpse when I could, but we were moving most of the time. We did take a few breaks, but only for a minute or two.
At Seneca Lake (mile 10) we cached some food and drinks for the return trip and we all re-applied deet. So far the bugs were not bad, but we knew they probably would be in a few hours. I will never forget our approach to Island Lake (about mile 12). It was still dark, but the first rays of the sun along with the moonlight were spectacular. We could see the shadows of the rocky spires in Titcomb basin and the lake was really cool. Along the lake there is a beach with nice white sand and we stopped there to take a break.
When we finally reached the lower Titcomb basin (mile 13, 5.5 hours in) the sun was just starting to come up and the views were so incredible that it is hard to describe. They are as good as anything anywhere in the world. I was in awe. I made a few videos and we all took some pictures. There are two really big lakes and a few smaller lakes in the Titcomb basin and we made our way around the lakes, while taking in the views. We finally stopped to take a break at the upper Titcomb lake (mile 17) to refill our water and replace some of our energy because we would be climbing up to Bonny Pass over the next two miles. So far I had been taking a gel every hour and an S-Cap every other and I was feeling really good.
The climb to Bonny Pass (12,700) is over 2K in elevation and you do it in about two miles from the upper lake. I was feeling really good and strong for the first mile and I was leading the pack. The climb up to the pass was horrendous! It is a huge pile of loose, steep rock with an occasional snowfield mixed in. There were so many places where you would take a step up only to slide two steps back. It was frustrating and it was on the upper half of this climb where I lost my energy. I have suffered from altitude sickness many times and I was worried that I was getting it. The desire to move is gone and it takes everything to you have just to put one foot in front of the other. Everyone passed me and pretty soon they were all out of sight. I lost sight of Matt on the upper 1/4 of the climb and I was moving very slow. I started to think that I may be done for the day because I knew that once on top of the pass, I still had at least 6 hours of serious climbing to summit Gannett and get back to the pass, and then I would have to hike out 20 more miles to the car. I knew if I didn't start to get back my energy I would not risk going further.
I finally made it to the pass (mile 19.25) and I felt like I was going to puke. I had zero energy and the guys had been waiting for me for at least 25 minutes and they were freezing up there. I felt really bad that I had made them wait, but I was moving as fast as I could. I think it was the lack of sleep, some exhaustion, combined with the altitude making a terrible cocktail of 'feeling like crap'. I was shooting some video as I got to the top and the battery on my camera died, and things were just not looking good. I told the guys that unless I felt better in a few minutes I was not going to make it. They were too cold to wait and I can't blame them at all. I told them I would sit down and try and eat something if I could. Having climbed Gannett before I knew what it would take to reach the summit and then get all the way back out and it just isn't something a sane person should attempt without feeling really good and having energy. Matt gave me a two-way radio so we could communicate and they were gone, headed down to the glacier 1300 feet below.
I sat down in a wind break (a stack of rocks) and just stared at Gannett for a few minutes. The views from Titcomb are spectacular, but I think they are even better from Bonny Pass. The pictures do not do it justice. Unreal. I actually felt worse and now I was getting really cold too. I couldn't eat anything. I ended up sitting there for 45 minutes. I didn't feel any better and now I was freezing and my feet were getting numb, so I knew I had to get down. I was disappointed, but knew it was the right decision. No question about it.
I descended back down the pass slowly and I made sure of every step. The rocks are just loose everywhere. It was bad. I went down about 1,300 feet and took a nice rest on a rock. My appetite came back, so I pulled out a burrito and some taco sauce and ate it fast. Still hungry I ate another and then downed a peanut butter cup. I felt so much better, but climbing Gannett was now out of the question, so I found a rock and decided I would take a nap. I feel asleep for a few minutes, but woke up because I was soooo cold. At that point I just wanted to get down, so I slowly made my way back down into the basin.
I spent the next few hours talking to some groups heading up, and also some time under a big boulder during a lighting/hail storm that moved through. I caught a small cat nap under the boulder and it kept me nice and dry. I slowly hiked about about 5 miles, taking a lot of breaks to chat with other climbers and take in the views. I spent about an hour talking to a few guys we had met on the trail earlier in the day, and I finally decided to stop and wait at one of the lower lakes. I didn't see the guys again until about 5:00 PM. I was shocked when they came up the trail. They all looked shattered and we still had to hike out another 14 miles. They all made it to the summit and I was happy for them. We didn't talk much at all. In fact, we would go an hour without saying a word. They were all hiking really slow and getting out of there was going to take forever. I was actually feeling really good and fresh until we reached our cache at Seneca Lake. After that I just felt really fatigued. My entire body was just plain tired. Luckily my legs didn't hurt at all, but my back was killing me.
The last 5 miles were HELL. I'm sure the other guys felt a lot worse, but we had been at it for almost 24 hours and my pack that I thought felt light at the start was actually feeling like a ton of bricks. My shoulders and back were just on fire. I really didn't think it would ever end, but at about 1:45 AM we finally reached the trailhead. It was over 25 hours and for the other 3 it had been continuous running/hiking or climbing with very few breaks. We were all worked. Jake wanted to get home, so he drove all the way back to SLC (I am not sure how) and we arrived back at Joe's just after 7:00 AM. I will never forget this day as long as I live. I am now beating myself up for not continuing on to the summit, but I know I made the right call. I'll be back to Gannett again, but I doubt I will ever try it again in a day. To the other 3 guys, congrats. Well done. |
Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 38.50 |
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Night Sleep Time: 1.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 1.50 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Everything is feeling really good after the Wind River trip. I hit the gym to lift for 50 minutes (upper body/core) and had a really good session. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I had a really busy day, so I only had time to get in 45 min on the elliptical. My legs are feeling great, so I want to get out and climb something tomorrow. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Kids soccer games after work make for a busy night. I did manage to squeeze in 4 on the TM. 9:30, 9:00, 8:30, 8:00. Everything feels good. Hopefully I can get into the mountains the next few days. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 3.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I had a really fun lunch run with Jun up in Albion Basin. We started down by the guard shack and ran the service road up to the Catherine Pass trailhead, where we continued on up to the pass and then to Sunset Peak. We didn't stay long on top and the run down was really fun as well.
It was a beautiful day and a lot of fun, but the cheese steaks afterward might have been better than the peak. So good! Jun took me to what looked like a dive, but the sandwiches were impressive.
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Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 7.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I had a really fun work out at the gym this morning. I lifted (upper body) and had the weight room all to myself for the first time in ages. It was nice because I was able to grunt and moan freely. 50 minutes and I was worked. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I just didn't have a great weekend. There was a lot going on and I didn't sleep well either. I wanted to get out and do a trail run, but that didn't happen. I did manage 45 min on the elliptical at 10:30 PM.
I also just registered for the TOU marathon. I'm excited. I will also probably be running in St. George. I have a friend that is signed up but doesn't want to run and I'll probably go in his place. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 1.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Mondays are usually weights at the gym, but I was really busy and by time I got home it was too late to make it over there, so I settled for a good ab/core work out with my ball. More grunts and groans, and lots of burn. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I woke up early this morning to run the Provo River Trail before work and it was one of the best mornings of the year. When I got up there it was still dark and the stars were out, so I spent some time stretching and getting warmed up and it is amazing what a little stretching will do for you before a run. I felt amazing. The run was really fun and I got in some good hill work and everything felt great.
I wish I could start off every morning like this. I guess I could if I want to give up some sleep.
**PM update**
Since I missed the gym last night I made up for it tonight and had a nice session. I lifted for 35 minutes (upper body) and had a really good work out. I also loosened up the legs some on the TM. |
Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 4.60 |
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Night Sleep Time: 4.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I ran the Wasatch Crest Trail this morning with Jun and Twinkies. We had a really good run. The weather was just about perfect, and the views did not disappoint. I was a little worried about the amount of gas I had in my tank, but I decided to push it anyway and by time we reached the trailhead my indicator said I had zero miles remaining before I ran out of gas. Ha.
Jun and I didn't use headlamps and after about 15 minutes they weren't needed. Twinkies was nice enough to let us use his light for the fist few minutes. We took a detour to climb Scott Hill and that was a lot of fun. It was a small bushwhack, but a great view from on top. After about 15 summit jumps we headed back down to the trail.
The trail is still so green and lush right now and the entire morning was just enjoyable. At Desolation Lake Twinkies and Jun opened it up a bit and I didn't see them again until the end. My legs felt so good today, probably the best they have ever felt on this trail. I really cruised the last mile. It was fun.
I coasted most of the way down the canyon and made it to 7-11 for some gas. It added a bit of amusement to the day. |
Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 9.40 |
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Night Sleep Time: 4.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Pull ups, chest and lats at the gym. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| Race: |
Quest for Kings marathon (26.2 Miles) 08:29:20, Place overall: 4 | |
I had a really fun day running in the second annual Quest for Kings Marathon. The distance of the race is the same as a typical marathon, but the route to the top isn't even close to typical. The object of the race is basically getting to the summit of Kings Peak (Utah's highest point) and back as fast as you can, regardless of the route taken. There were 4 of us running in this race and I knew there wasn't much of a chance of winning, but my main goal was to get a personal PR for the course, and have a great time in the process.
This would be my eighth time to the summit. The first 4 times I climbed it on multi-day backpacking trips. In 2008 Jun and another friend and I did it for the first time in a day and we thought we were pretty cool, but our time was almost 14 hours. We didn't run at all, but we hiked pretty fast the whole way. In 2009 I did it again and shaved about 30 minutes off of our 2008 time by hiking a little faster. Last month was the first time I have ever tried to run to the top and my time was 10:40. I knew I could run it faster, but I was having some knee pain on the way down so I didn't push it. My goal for the day would be 8 hours. I knew it would be tough, but if things went well I knew it was doable.
I arrived much later than I had planned to the trailhead and I didn't get to sleep until about 2:30. With a 6:00 am start time I figured I would get a few hours of sleep. I woke up at 5:30 and I didn't see any signs of life in Jun's camp, so I went over there to make sure they hadn't left. He said they were going to leave a little later, so I went back to my car to get ready. I was listening to some nut job on AM radio while I ate a banana and a boiled egg and then I forced down a Powerbar gel for the 2X caffeine. I finally got ready by 6:30 and went over to see that Jun and Aaron were just waking up. We chatted for a few minutes and then I rang the cowbell and I was off.
I started running right from the start and everything was feeling good. I had plenty of energy and I got into a really good groove. My goal was to beat the other two guys to Elk Horn Crossing (5.3 miles). They looked like they would be about 10 minutes behind me and I knew they would be faster than I was, but it gave me something to push myself. I also wanted to shave time off of my run from last month and I hit Elk Horn at 1:05, which was 15 minutes faster. I was really happy about that and the other guys hadn't caught me yet. Instead of stopping for a break like I usually do at Elk Horn, I got a gel an S-Cap out of my pack while I walked and ate it on the move. I passed a few hikers while I gulped it down, and then started running again as soon as I was finished.
When I came out into the meadow I saw a few moose off of the trail, so I shot some video and took a few pictures and then kept running. I passed 4 hikers that I saw start at 5:30 and they told me nice job. Running through the meadow I kept looking back, but I didn't see Aaron and Jun. I was still feeling really good and I was definitely moving faster than I had been last month. Around Dollar Lake I finally spotted Jun and Aaron and I kept running instead of waiting for them. I finally stopped after the lake to take some pictured and shoot some video, and they finally caught up to me. I noticed that Jun didn't look like his typical happy self, so I knew something wasn't right. Usually you can't wipe the smile off of his face.
I stayed with the guys until just before Gunsight Pass. We passed several groups of hikers from the lake to the pass. Aaron pushed ahead and I stopped to get water at the spring because I wasn't sure what I would find beyond it. Jun kept going and I didn't see them again until just before the summit. Several of the hikers passed me while I was getting water, so I made a goal of passing all of them on the switchbacks and I passed all but one guy that was going pretty fast. The pass was windy, so I didn't stay long. I passed the fast hiker and two other groups on my way over to the plateau, but while I was scrambling through some boulders I slipped and fell and dropped my water bottle, which rolled off of a cliff and kept going for about 100 feet. I wasn't happy and I had to climb down over some loose boulders to retrieve it. I wasn't happy about that, but quickly got back to where I had fallen and made my way up to the plateau. From this point to Anderson Pass I didn't run much because it is really hard on your knees and legs. There are boulders everywhere and the ground is not very level at all and there isn't a trail. I hiked fast across it though.
Just before Anderson Pass I saw a familiar face. Faceless Ghost was coming down from the summit and it was really good to see him. We chatted for a few minutes and then he headed back down. Even though I didn't spend much time on the trail with the other guys, when I saw them it always lifted my spirits.
I made pretty good time from Anderson Pass to the summit. This section is basically a few million + boulders stacked in a huge pile. I know the route well, and I moved fast scrambling up the boulders to the summit. I passed everyone I saw and about 15 minutes from the top I passed Aaron as he was coming down from the summit. He looked really strong and we chatted for a minute and then he headed down. It was just a few minutes and Jun passed me on the way down as well. He still didn't look like he was enjoying himself and I was worried maybe he was sick. I pushed on to the top and made the summit in 3:50, over an hour faster than my time from last month.
It was so windy on top that my hat nearly blew off into Painter Basin. I tried to take some pictures with my timer, but the wind blew my camera over every time, so I finally just snapped a few shots and went down. I made pretty good time on the way down and didn't stop at all until I reached the pass. There I pulled some food out of my pack and snacked all the way across the plateau.
Back at Gunsight Pass I was still feeling really good, but I needed to make some gear adjustments, so I got into my tank top and put on some sunscreen. I was stopped for about 10 minutes (my longest break of the day) and when I finally got going I was feeling really good. There is some nice downhill trail back to Dollar Lake and I seemed to be making pretty good time, but as soon as I hit the lake and the trail leveled off I lost my energy. It seemed like the run back to Elk Horn from there took forever! I just couldn't find the gear I needed to crank it up. I think it would have helped to be chasing someone or have someone on my tail, but since I was by myself it was tough.
When I finally reached Elk Horn I was at 7:00, so I knew that I would have to push pretty hard to come in under 8:00. I had to stop and purify some water, and for the first mile I was trying to push the pace, but the trail was so annoying with all of the boulders and I never could get into a groove. I found myself hiking a lot more than I had been on the way in and it was tough to make myself run and run fast. With about 3 miles to go I knew I wasn't going to hit my goal of 8 hours, so I set a new goal of finishing in less than 8:30. It kept me going and I even pushed really hard the last mile to hit it. I think the last mile was probably my fastest mile of the day. Everything was feeling really good, but I was just tired. When I finally reached the gate I had just barely made it under 8:30 and I was pretty happy that I had a new PR for the course by over 2 hours.
I know that I can do this faster, but I am not going to worry about that until next year. There are several things that I know I can do better. It was still a fun race and I'll be back every year for it. I was really tired and had a tough time staying awake on the drive home, so I stopped in Wanship and took a two hour nap in a church parking lot.
Congrats to Aaron Kennard who took first place. His time really blows me away. Anyone that has run this course knows how insane that time really is.
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Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 26.20 |
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Night Sleep Time: 3.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 3.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I wasn't feeling well last night, but I forced myself to the gym and I am glad I did. it always makes me feel better. Lifted for 50 minutes. Worked arms, chest, lats, and shoulders. Fun.
My legs aren't sore at all and they feel great after Sat, so I am really feeling good about TOU. I resisted the urge to run on the TM just to give them one more day to recover. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I wanted to get some cardio in and still give my legs another day of rest, so I did 40 minutes on the elliptical while watching some lame TV. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went to the gym to stretch my legs and did 3 miles on the TM. Everything felt really good. 8:40, 7:40, 6:50. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 3.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I had some extra time today, so I decided to climb an un-named peak here in Utah County. It was seriously steep with a lot of loose rock and sand on the trail, without many switchbacks. It was so steep that I couldn't run much of it. It was fun though and the views from the summit were some of the best of the year. I really enjoyed hanging out on top. |
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Night Sleep Time: 4.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.50 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Long day. Tough day. Needed to get to the gym for a work out and it helped a lot. Lifted for 45 min. |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I had a really busy day today with soccer games and family parties. I did manage to sneak in 4 on the TM in 34 min. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I went out for a nice run on the road today. Yes, the road. It has been quite a while since I did any runing that wasn't on a trail or TM. I actually kind of enjoyed it, although there was a stiff head wind on my way back that wasn't fun at all. I just ran from my house down to the N. Alpine Highway 3.5 miles and then back.
56:31 |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 7.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Mondays = weights at the gym. 60 minutes working my upper body and core.
Will be running Timp tomorrow night with Jun. Come join in the fun. |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Jun and I ran Mt. Timpanogos last night and had an excellent time. We met at Kohlers grocery store in Highland just before 10:00 pm and Jun jumped into my car and we headed to the Timpanookee trailhead.
It was cool, but not cold, so I went with a long sleeve synthetic shirt and a synthetic t-shirt on top, which worked great until the summit ridge. I also tied another thicker long sleeve on my waist.
After a few miles we spotted some headlamps about a half mile ahead and we both got excited to have someone to pass. After about 10 minutes we passed two women that were hiking up to ski the glacier in the morning, which we thought was pretty cool.
The run up to the saddle was a lot of fun and we really made good time. Both of us were feeling strong and we both took a few gels on the way to keep up our energy. I did have one fall that was a little below average. I fell right on the same elbow that I fell on at Quest for Kings race, and it was a sharp pain, but went away after a few minutes. Once on the saddle the wind hit us in the face pretty good and I put on my extra shirt. It was cold. It only got colder as we made our way to the summit and by time we were on top (2:15) my hands were numb.
We didn't stay on top long. The run down was fun, but my legs and knees got sore from all of the pounding and I couldn't see all that well, so I wasn't speedy. The trail seemed really good on the way up, but running down it seemed extra rocky and it was hard to get into a good groove. Jun waited for me a lot. At around mile 12 I took another nasty fall and banged up both of my knees. It took me a few minutes of hiking before I could run again, and I wasn't feeling so hot, but the more I ran the less they hurt.
We made it down in just over two hours and the total time was about 4:28, although Jun did wait for me a lot on the descent. I was home and in the shower by 3:30 and in bed about 3:55 AM. The run beat sleeping by a miiiiiiiiiile! |
Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 14.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Jun and I went for a sweet run for lunch today. We started at Alta by the guard shack and ran up the road to the Catherine Pass trailhead, where we continued up to the pass. The weather was perfect and the trail wasn't as crowded as the last time we were up here. It is a really good trail to run and Jun got out in front of me while I worked on some ipod issues, but I caught up to him before the pass.
From the pass we headed up to Mount Tuscarora, where we stopped for a quick break. I had a Hammer gel and then we decided to tag Mt. Wolverine because it is too close to pass up. There are a lot of rocks on the saddle between the two peaks, so it is difficult to run, but we ran where we could. On the summit (1:04) we were greeted by 6-7 ladies that were lounging on top and they probably thought we were weirdos as we did some peak jumping for the camera.
We made much better time on the way down. We went back over Tuscarora and back down to the pass, and then ran fast all the way to the bottom. Actually, Jun ran REALLY fast and I was told by a hiker that I was getting beat (duh). For some reason people love to tell me that on this trail.
Once back to the trailhead we ran fast back to the car. My watch never went over 7:40 and at one point we were running a 5:50 mile pace. It was a lot of fun and the perfect way to spend our lunch break. Back to work.
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Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 8.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I had a really good lifting session at the gym this morning. I worked my upper body and then hopped on the elliptical to stretch my legs. Everything feels really good. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I wanted to rest my legs today because I will probably be running Timp again tomorrow, so I did 50 minutes of ab work. My kids were really entertained listening to me grunt and teased me for the last 20 minutes. My 10 year old daughter told me "Dad, working out isn't supposed to be hard". ha. She has a lot to learn. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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40 minutes of saturated fat
75 minutes of calories
38 minutes of greasy meat
41 minutes of refined sugar
28 minutes of high fructose corn syrup.
33 minutes of artificial flavors
40 minutes of elliptical |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Missed my Monday workout at the gym, so I went tonight ant lifted (chest, shoulders, lats, tri's, bi's). for 45 minutes. I had a really good session and everything feels really good.
Also, due to some unforeseen circumstances, my wife will be going in for surgery next Monday and will need several weeks of recovery. Because of this I don't think I can run in the TOU marathon on the 18th. So, if anyone wants to go qualify me for Boston at the TOU let me know... haha. Kidding. Seriously, if you're interested in running it let me know.
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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We ended up cancelling our climb of the South Ridge of Mt. Superior this mroning because of the threat of lightning. That is one place you wouldn't want to be csaught in a storm. No place to hide and nowhere to bail. Totally exposed. I think we made the right decision.
I still wanted to get in some miles, so after the kids went to bed I went to the gym to run the TM. I wanted to do at least 5 and possibly do some speed work if I felt good. I started out at a 9:00 pace, but after two minutes I pushed it to 8:00 and I was feeling really good, so I went to 7:40. I finished the first mile a little over an 8:00 pace. Miles 2 and 3 were 7:40 and I was feeling so good that I cranked it up to 6:20. After mile 4 I couldn't believe how good I felt, so I pushed it to 6:10 and the TM wouldn't go any higher. I did mile 5 at 6:10 and finished 5 miles in 35:30. That is the fastest 5 mile time I have ever had, so I was pretty happy about that. I know I need a lot of work before St. George. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 5.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I had a really busy day, but after the kids went to bed I did manage to sneak away and get 3.5 on the TM. Not a super fast pace, but good enough to stretch my legs. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 3.50 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went out for a run this morning before work on the pavement. The temps were a bit cool at first, but perfect for running. I had a really fun run and kept up a pretty decent pace the whole time. Total time: 1:08. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 8.60 |
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Night Sleep Time: 4.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.50 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Today was a really busy day. I won't be able to lift on Monday like I usually do, so I made sure to hit the gym this morning before everything got too crazy. 40 minutes of upper body work, some sweat and then off to the first of three soccer games. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 50 minutes on the elliptical while watching football. |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | What a day! I spent the entire day at the hospital with my wife today while she recovers from surgery. Everything went really well. I did sneak out to the gym after the kids were in bed and ran 3.1 in 23:03. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 3.10 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Don't ask me how I found the time to hit the gym today, but I did manage to get over there for a 45 minute lifting session and I had a really good work out. I have been taking care of my wife and everything else since Monday, and I am completely exhausted. |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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What a day! I started at 7:00 am and just sat down for the first time at 10:00 pm. Here are some of the fun activities I got to participate in today: Laundry, grocery shopping, making and cleaning up all of the meals, fetching medication, soccer games, soccer practice, mowing the lawn, running kids to school, picking them up :) and many more. Ha. I kinda want to go back to work so I can have a break.
I also got my new Saucony Kinvara's and I had 45 minutes of free time before I had to pick up my kids from school, so I went on a run in my new shoes. 5 miles in 42:10 and it was so HOT! I tried to keep up a good pace but the sun just sapped my energy, so the last two miles were slow. I also got a stitch in my side that didn't help. The shoes are incredible. I love 'em.
I also found out something that might explain my slower time descending on the Quest for Kings Marathon. I talked to my wife's nurse today and she mentioned that the anti-nausea medication she was taking would knock her out. Well, it is the same thing I took on the summit when I felt some nausea coming on. No wonder I lost my energy around Dollar Lake. I won't do that next year. 3:50 up to the summit and 4:39 going down.
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Saucony Kinvara Miles: 5.20 |
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Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I wanted to go for a longer run today and my Mother-in-law was over to help with my wife, so I decided to get out. The only problem was my run was right during the heat of the day, but I was ok with that.
I turned on my Garmin and my dog started freaking out because usually when I take her out I have it on and she knows what that means, so after a few minutes I decided to take her out for a few miles to warm up. The problem is she shot out of the house like a cannon and it took me a mile just to slow her down. Not only did she want to run fast, but she wanted to chase everything. I think I need to give her a valium before I take her out. After two miles I felt like I had run 4. I was already tired. I took her back home, got a drink and picked up my hand held water bottle and a few gels.
I ran from my house to the Alpine Highway, and then all the way to American Fork Canyon. I stopped at the intersection of the Highland/Alpine Hwy to have a gel and it was HOT. I was sweating so much. Burt would have been proud. The only problem is it slowed me down a lot and I also had a stitch in my side again. I think it is from running about 40 minutes after I ate my lunch. It would come and go and it bothered me the whole way.
The run up to the canyon was fun, but I had a pretty big headwind and it was tough to get any speed at all. I pretty much resigned myself to the fact that this run was not going to be fast, but I was ok with that because I just wanted to get in some good miles on the pavement. At the canyon I turned around and ran back to the Chevron where I had a cold Coke and another gel. I sat in the shade to cool off and it felt great.
I made a detour on the way back to pick up another mile and the last mile ended up being up hill and it almost killed me. SLOW! I was a sweaty mess when I finished, but everything felt great. |
Saucony Kinvara Miles: 14.30 |
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Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | No miles today. It was really busy day, so I settled for 40 minutes of ab work on my ball after the kids were in bed. Actually, the two oldest came in during my work out. Probably to make fun of me. GRUNT! |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I had an awesome morning running Timp with Jun. I love this run. It has to be one of the best trail runs along the Wasatch Front, and I really wanted to get a peak in with some elevation, so I was glad Jun also wanted to do it again. We had to get an early start so that I could get home to get my kids to school, so we met at 2:30 AM at Kohlers in Apline.
We were on the trail before 3:00 and our splits were almost identical to the last time we did it, even though I felt like I was pushing harder. Maybe it was because my calves were a touch sore. They didn't feel sore before the run, but I really felt them on the steep trail going up.
The weather was nearly perfect and I wasn't sweating much at all and it was just an enjoyable pace up to the saddle. The only negative was I felt like I was going to throw up for the first 90 minutes. I ate more breakfast than I usually do, and the boiled egg really wanted to come back up, but I faught the puking urge and luckily after I took a Hammer gel I felt better.
We got blasted by wind at the saddle and it was much colder up there, so I put on my extra shirt and gloves and Jun took off fast. It took me about 25 minutes to reach the summit and it was in the exact time as our last trip. We hung out a bit on top, taking some pics and checking out the views, but we got cold, so we decided to get down quick. Once again Jun was fast to the saddle and I tried to make good time, but I took it easier on all of the steeper sections.
From the saddle down to the cirque was kind of slower, but once we got down there I took a gel (Hammer espresso, not my fav but I wanted the caffeine) and I took off one of my shirts and then we ran down the rest of the way. I was much faster this time and took 15 minutes off of my descent.
Once the sun came up the views were just incredible with all of the Fall colors out and we got back to the car in just over 4 hours total time. It was an incredible morning and worth the lack of sleep. Now I know how Kelli feels and I am not quite sure how she does it every day. Tired! |
Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 14.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 2.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 2.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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First time to the Lehi Legacy Center because AF Fitness Center is closed for the week. Lifted for 50 minutes (upper body).
This week has been much easier than last, as my wife is feeling better every day. I'm kind of getting used to this stay at home mom thing. :) |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I went out for a run after I put the kids in bed. I ran from my house down to AF Main St. all the way to In N Out and then back the other way to Albertsons. Just before Albertsons I hit mile 3 in 23:00. Then I turned North up the Apline Hwy. The hill going up here was by far the most difficult section of the run because it is all up hill for over a mile and it gets really steep. It slowed me down a lot, but I pushed where I could.
I worked on my speed the whole run. Every mile I spent at least two minutes pushing it as hard as I could. Once I reached the top of the hill (1120 N.) I ran a 7:20 on the last mile. It was a really fun run.
Total time: 45:58 |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 5.60 |
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Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I did one hour on the elliptical after I got the kids to bed. It felt really good to stretch out my legs and it was a great cardio workout. I did the last 40 minutes on the max setting. My shirt was soaked in sweat when I finished and I felt so much like Burt I almost took a pic and posted it. |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I went to the gym to lift and had a good session working my upper body. After 40 minutes I decided to get in a few miles on the TM since I was already there.
First 30-40 seconds I walked because I was messing with the new TV remote and then I settled into a nice pace. Finished the first mile in 8:20 and then pushed it to a 7:20 pace for the second. After two miles I was feeling good, so I figured I would see what I would do a 5K in and I pushed hard and finished in 21:45. That seems fast to me, but I wasn't even trying for a fast time and the first half I didn't even run hard. I don't remember doing a 5K any faster than that ever.
Here are some pics from our Timp run from this week. An odd form of peak jumping.
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Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 3.10 |
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Night Sleep Time: 7.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.50 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I ran the same route (down to In N Out) that I did on Wed, although I changed it up slightly. I tried to keep a good pace the whole time and on the steep hill I pushed where I could. It was a really good run and I felt good the whole time. Total time was 47:48 |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 6.10 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I wanted to give my legs a bit of a break today, but I still wanted some cardio, so I did 40 minutes on the elliptical. I also did 30 minutes of core work with my ball. I guess I am now tapering for St. George, although compared to a lot of you on this blog I am always tapering.
My bib # for SGM is 1885. Hopefully I'll get to see some FRB's. I'm really excited for this race. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.50 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Lifting at the gym for 50 minutes. I wanted a good session because I don't plan on lifting for the rest of the week. I worked everything above the waist hard.
I had to laugh when I left because there was this cute young female fitness trainer trying to convince a rather large unkempt fellow that he needed to take Zumba classes. I was eaves dropping on the conversation and when she said it is mostly women that do it he said "Oh I think this is for me". I love to see great sales skills in action. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.50 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | This was my last run before the marathon on Sat. I may get out and stretch my legs for a few miles a few more times, but that is it. I am getting really excited for the race, but also pretty nervous. |
Saucony Kinvara Miles: 5.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 4.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.50 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Quick and easy 2.5 to stretch my legs. I was tempted to keep going, but I want my legs to be fresh on Saturday, so I resisted the urge. I am totally stoked for St. George. I can't wait. I hope to see some of you bloggers down there.
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Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 2.50 |
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 0.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| Race: |
St. George Marathon (26.2 Miles) 03:51:17 | |
So here is the long version of my race. Now that I have had a few days to analyze it, it seems quite normal that if you put 5,000+ people together to run 26.2 miles in some heat you are going to see some gross things, and probably some of them pretty grizzly. I’ll just say that as far as grossness goes, I saw it all and felt some of it too: Farmer blows, spit in every nasty form imaginable, pee, lots of pee without regard to the viewing audience. Puke and sweat. Enough sweat to even make Burt proud. I saw worse, but there might be kids reading this, but I digress…
I arrived in St. George kind of late, and ended up only getting 2.5 hours of sleep, but when I woke up I was actually feeling really good. I was meeting some friends at the Crystal Inn at 4:45, so I ate breakfast, got ready and met up with them in time to catch the bus up to the start. Most of the guys I was with had done this race several times, so they were giving me low down on the course and what to expect and it actually made me a little nervous. When we arrived at the start I went on my own because my friends were all in the elite corral, so I headed over to the looong line at the POP and waited for about 45 minutes for my turn. I should have just found a bush, but what else was I going to do? After my less than one minute stop in the POP it was almost time to start, so I adjusted my gear and took some Cytomax and headed over to the HUGE wall of people waiting to go. I never heard a gun go off, but I heard a loud cheer and then everyone started walking and within about 30 seconds we could jog, although it was really crowded.
The first 7 miles were incredibly fun and I really enjoyed almost everything about them. It wasn’t too hot yet and I was feeling strong. My pace was between 7:20-7:40 for the first 7 miles and I didn’t feel tired at all. I was really starting to think I could have a really good time if I could keep this up and then we hit Veyo and the hill was a bit harder than I thought it would be. My pace slowed a lot busting up that thing and it was tough to keep up a good pace. I decided to take my first gel and at the next aid station I had a gel and a Gatorade. I had to stop to drink it as I walked and I noticed it was a bit tougher getting into my groove starting back up.
About mile 9 I started to feel a hot spot on both of my big toes. I was a little worried that I would get a blister, so I decided to stop for some Vaseline, but I would wait as long as I thought I could. I also noticed I had to pee, so at the next aid station I found what I thought was an open POP. Well, it was open, but to my surprise I was half way in with my pants half way down when I realized there was a guy in there sitting on the toilet. It wasn’t pretty at all let me tell you. The hair, the pasty whiteness, the UGH!!! Ummm lock the door. It was one of those awkward life moments that will forever be seared into my brain. So I quickly jumped out and found another one that was open. I made sure to lock the door. On my way out I grabbed more Gatorade and from that point on I was drinking two cups of Gatorade or water the rest of the way. It was starting to get hot.
I was still feeling really good when I hit mile 13, but I decided to stop to take care of the hot spots, so at the aid station I took a few minutes to rub Vaseline on both toes and I also noticed a big blister forming on one of my other toes, so I took care of that one too. I hated stopping, but if I hadn’t it could have been much worse later in the race. I also had another gel, an S-Cap and some more Gatorade and then took off. I hit my half marathon at 1:45 and I was happy with my time up to that point and hoped I could keep it up.
14-17 I really noticed the heat more. I was sweating a lot and even though I felt pretty good I was slowing down. My pace gradually slowed. There were a few hills to deal with but the one that was really difficult for me was the hill around mile 18. Combined with the heat it was tough. I never stopped to walk once during the race except to grab water, but I was really tempted to at this point. Several runners were walking, but it motivated me to keep pushing.
The rest of the race was just hard. It was hot and now my hamstrings were starting to cramp up. It made every step hurt, but I could still run. I was really looking forward to the downhill at the end of the race, but I couldn’t push it as hard as I would have liked. I saw a lot of people struggling. Some dry heaving, a few that had collapsed and I was thankful that I was at least moving along.
Once we got out of the canyon there were crowds of people there to cheer us on. Normally this gives me a big boost and I can pick up the pace, but not today. It was just hard. The last 3 miles might have been the most difficult I have ever run. My hamstrings were now screaming and my energy was depleted. I tried to push it and at times I could, but it wasn’t what I had hoped for. Somehow when I saw the balloons at the finish I was able to find a boost and I actually picked up my pace considerably and passed several people at the end. My Garmin said I had run 26.3 miles. I got my finishers medal and instantly felt sick. My hammies were cramping bad and I had to go lay down for about 20 minutes. It was torture because I wanted a drink so bad, but couldn’t stand in the line. There was a really nice guy that had two cups of water and offered me one. I felt a little better, but it took about 30 minutes to start feeling good again.
This race was so much fun. It was incredible. Even though it was really hard, I learned a lot and enjoyed almost every minute… well, except for the last hour. I didn’t enjoy that much, but I love putting my body in those types of situations to see how I can respond and I learned a lot. I will definitely be back to do it again. Next time I know I can shave off quite a lot of time, so I am excited for that.
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Saucony Kinvara Miles: 26.20 |
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Night Sleep Time: 2.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 2.50 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I went to the gym tonight to lift and had a great session working my upper body for an hour. Everything feels really good and my legs are only slightly sore today (quads and hammies). Other than that everything feels really good. I'll probably run or do the elliptial today (Tues). |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | My legs are feeling really good, except for some slight soreness in my hammies, so I decided to hit the TM to test everything out. I did 3 miles AP 9:45 and everything felt great. Woohoo! |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 3.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | My legs are almost back to 100%. I just have a little soreness in my hamstrings, but other than that everything feels really good. I did manage to get in 40 minutes on the elliptical before bed. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Legs were feeling 100% so I went to the gym and ran on the TM. My splits were 9:40, 8:30. 7:40, 7:20. I think I may have pushed it a bit too much at the end because my hammies got sore again. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I wanted to get out on a trail this morning, so I went up Provo Canyon and ran up to Big Springs and did the race loop. It was a lot of fun and the leaves were spectacular. It felt good to push some up hill. |
Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 4.80 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I worked my abs/core for 40 minutes while watching football, and then after I did 35 min on the elliptical. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Monday = weights at the gym. I got in an hour of upper body/core tonight and it was such a good session. A few guys that I workout with had me working some heavier weights and I am completely worked. Then I came home and got in a fight with a cardboard box while trying to get it into the recycling can. I won (barely), but I hope none of the neighbors were watching. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I'm totally psyched for the Pony Express 50 this Friday. I wanted to get in a quick run to stretch my legs and work up a little sweat, so I hit the gym for 3 easy miles. AP 8:55. I didn't want to push at all so I can stay fresh but it was tough because I just wanted to pick up the pace, but I resisted the urge. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 3.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I wanted to get in some cardio without pounding my legs so I did 30 mintes on the elliptical. That's it until Pony Express on Friday. I can't wait. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| Race: |
Pony Express 50 (50 Miles) 10:30:00, Place overall: 9 | |
Wow! What an experience. What a fun race. I completed my first official ultra marathon yesterday running the Pony Express 50. This has been a really fun year so far with a lot of fun crazy adventures and this was probably the best one so far. I had to wake up at 3:30 AM and I only got 3 hours of sleep, but when I woke up I was feeling really good. Two of my best friends, Rob and Greg would be crewing me and then met me at 4:00 at my house and we were on our way. On the drive out I went over my expectations for the race and what I thought I would need from them to reach my goals. They both seemed really excited and it was a lot of fun having them both there with me. Greg was at one time a top 10 runner in high school, while Rob has never really been all that interested in sports or athletic pursuits, but both of them were pumped, which was cool.
We arrived at Lookout Pass about 30 minutes before the race started. This gave me a little bit of time to make final preparations, go over all of my food and hydration needs with my crew and check in and get ready. I started to get a little nervous because you just don’t know how your body is going to respond going further than you ever have before. I thought I was ready and had trained well all year, but you just never know. Luckily I was with two of my my best friends and they were able to lighten the moment a lot. Actually, they made me laugh all day long which really helped.
A few minutes before the start Davy had some words for us and then we were off. There was a woman that went out really fast, and then me, and then the rest of the group seemed to be lagging back a bit. I really didn’t get a chance to meet any of the other runners and I had hoped to meet some on the course, but I was quickly pulling away from most of the pack. It didn’t seem like I was running fast at all and when I checked my pace I was at an 8:30 and I felt totally fine, so I went with it. My original plan had been to run about a 9:00 pace for at least the first 25. After the first mile the woman had opened up a lead on me and I couldn’t even see anyone behind. I was running alone in the dark with a smile on my face. The stars were stunning and I saw a few falling stars. The temperature was cold, but it actually felt really good for running and I didn’t need a warm hat or gloves, although I had on a long sleeved shirt. I told my crew to meet me at mile 3 just in case I felt like I wanted something, and at 2.7 I hadn’t seen them pass me yet, so I was getting a little worried that I would miss them, but they soon arrived and I was feeling so good that I told them to go ahead to mile 4 and to have a gel and some water ready for me.
Probably one of the most annoying things that happened the whole day were two cars that passed us very early on going probably 50 miles per hour. One was a large truck that kicked up so much dust I had to cover my mouth and nose for about a minute. I was really angry at the lack of consideration of these drivers and there may or may not have been a few choice words from my end.
At mile 4 I had my first stop at the car. Actually I didn’t really slop, but grabbed a gel and some water and quickly downed them on my way. They told me that the woman was about 3 minutes ahead of me and I have to admit I wanted to catch her. The guys were really fast getting me what I needed and I have to say that they were phenomenal throughout the race. I could not have had a better crew. Not only did they take care of me and do everything that I asked, but they would jump out of the car every time they saw me and run up and ask what I needed before I got to the car. I told them I would meet them at mile 7 and I was off.
The next 3 miles were really fun. I felt solid and I just listened to the music, looked at the stars and ran. Incredible. I still couldn’t see anyone behind me, so I knew that I would probably not see the other runners for a long time if ever. At mile 7 I actually took another gel and had more water and Rob told me that I was exactly 50 seconds behind the girl. I kind of laughed because he was really getting into it and I reminded him that we still had 43 miles to go and I told them to meet me at mile 10.
The sun was now starting to come up and I could now see the woman that I had been chasing. I was slowly gaining on her and my competitive juices were tempted to push and pass her, but I just held back knowing that I needed to save my legs for later in the race. Just before mile 10 I was right on her heels and both of our crew cars were parked very close to each other. We both stopped for a quick break, and as soon as we started running again I caught her. Her name was Nanette and we talked and ran together for the next 6 miles. This was also her first official ultra, so we talked about our training and what we had done over the summer to get ready and she is a really nice person and it was fun to be running with someone. It sure made the time fly by. She was being crewed by her husband and for the rest of the race he would continue to check on me every time he passed. They were amazing people.
Nanette and I chatted until mile 13 where my crew was waiting for me with a gel and some Cytomax, so I walked while I took them and she kept running. It took me about 5 minutes to catch back up, but eventually we were running together all the way to Simpson Springs. Nanette and I passed 3 of the 100 milers that had started an hour earlier than we had and I was sure that they were just holding back to conserve their energy and legs, but it was still cool to be passing runners that started an hour before we did.
There was a pretty good hill leading up to the springs, and I felt strong the whole way and we never had to stop and walk. At the springs they took our number and Nanette stopped to make some gear adjustments, and I wouldn’t see her again for over 15 miles. I was now leading the pack of the 6:00 AM starters, although I never thought I would win the race because Davy told Jun that some really fast experienced runners were starting at 8:00.
The next several miles were much harder running alone. I continued to pass the 100 mile runners, but I didn’t usually chat with them long. The road was now really flat with a long straight away. I could now see several of the 100 milers and I made it a goal to pass as many of them as I could. Over the next 10 miles I counted 7 more of them that I had passed. I was still feeling really strong, but the sun was now up and it was getting really hot. I had been taking at least one salt pill every hour and now I increased the amounts of fluid that I was drinking as well. I would alternate between Gatorade and water and taking Cytomax every two hours. I was also taking a gel about every 2-3 miles to make sure I was getting enough energy. So far I was feeling really good.
I hit my marathon in 4:34 just as I passed a bloody dead rabbit on the road. The heat was bothering me a little, so at my next crew stop I changed from my black tank to my white one and Greg also put sunscreen on me while I drank some Gatorade. I ate some potato chips and two cookies and I was feeling pretty good. I was wondering when I would see Jun and I was hoping that we would catch me so we could run together, but I hadn’t seen his crew car, so I knew he was still several miles behind.
Miles 28-35 were pretty tough for me. I was feeling really good, but my joints started to hurt and the heat was making it more difficult to want to push. I kept catching myself falling off of my pace and every time it was more difficult to pick it back up. This part of the race was a real grind and it would have really helped to be running with someone as the miles were dragging on a bit. I did get passed by Davy during this section and he was looking strong. We chatted for a few minutes and I actually picked up my pace, but I couldn’t keep up with him and he quickly moved ahead. About 30 minutes later two other guys that started with Jun passed me and I asked about him. They said that they though he was having some issues, so I started to worry about him, but when I went off into the brush for a bathroom stop a few minutes later I finally saw his crew car for the first time, so I knew he wasn’t far behind.
Heading up to Dugway Pass is by far the most challenging part of the course. It is very steep and I found myself hiking for the first time all day. I could have run it, but I could hike it as fast as I would have been able to run, so I decided to give my legs a little break. While heading up the pass I finally saw Jun making his way up from behind. It was great to see him and we talked and joked the rest of the way up to the pass where we both started running at a really good pace. This might have been the most enjoyable part of the race for me. We were over 37 miles and the extra boost from seeing my friend really helped so much. We were actually running pretty fast and passed several runners on the way down and they all commented on how strong we looked. I kept sending my crew ahead because I didn’t want to break our stride, but at mile 43ish I finally had to stop to get a drink and my legs were getting really tight when I stopped, so I had Greg rub them out and after I got back on the road Jun was too far ahead for me to catch. It was a little demoralizing, but I wouldn’t have wanted him to stop. He was looking strong and I wanted him to keep pushing while he was feeling so good. I was hopeful that I could have kept up with him and pushed all the way to the finish, but I just wasn’t strong enough. It did help me so much having him there for those 5-6 miles. I was definitely running faster and stronger while we ran together.
Miles 43-47 were definitely the most difficult of the entire race. It was now very hot, my legs were screaming and pushing any kind of pace resembling quick was out of the question. My crew was stopping every mile for me and I was taking them. I would wash off my face, drink and take gels as the thought of solid food made me want to throw up. I just remember grinding and thinking that I wanted to finish strong, even though my body was telling me otherwise. At mile 46 I sat down for the first time and Rob and Greg both asked me if I was alright. I was fine, but I just finally got tired. The heat was a beast. I also noticed that someone was gaining on me and I thought it was Nanette. It put a smile on my face because the last time I saw her around mile 33 she was really hurting. I was really pulling for her to push hard, but at the same time it motivated me to push harder too. Her husband pulled up next to me and offered me some grapes and I thought I could get them down so I accepted and they tasted so good! It was a real boost.
At mile 47 I had one of the best surprises of the day. Greg hopped out of the car in full running attire and announced he was going to run in with me. I was really excited and hoped that he would make it with me. He hadn’t exercised at all since our trip to Ibapah Peak that was over a year ago. Ironically, we were now in the shadow of Ibapah and I pointed it out to him, as we could see the peak ahead. I told him to just tell me some funny stories to take my mind off of the pain and it worked. The stories really aren't blog appropriate, but they sure took my mind of of things. My pace picked up and the last 3 were actually much easier than the previous 5 had been. We were now running a sub 10 minute mile pace. It was so fun and helpful to have Greg running in with me.
Even though I knew we had to pass the finish and go a half mile and then turn around, I still wasn’t prepared for the demoralizing feeling. That was by far the most difficult thing for me and I thought about Davy maybe doing that as one last mental hurdle to get over before you get your 50. The last few hundred yards were tough. I was spent and happy I wasn’t doing more miles on this day, although looking back I think I could have pushed it further. When I reached the finish I was elated. I had done it. This was one of my goals for the year and there were certainly times that I doubted myself, but I did it. I hurt everywhere, but it was worth it. I didn’t feel much like eating for a few hours after, so I didn’t get to enjoy the burgers at the finish, but that was ok. Getting the finishers medal was sweet enough. So my first official ultra is in the books and I loved it. I learned so many things about myself on this day and I can’t wait to get back out there and do it again. Also, congrats to Jun and Davy for rocking the 100 and inspiring me for my next big running challenge. |
Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 50.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 3.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 3.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 50 minutes lifting (upper bod) at the gym. Legs are feeling really good. Just a touch of soreness. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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35 minutes of elliptical and everything feels great.
Legs are pretty much back to normal, so I will be getting out onto some peaks this week for sure. I have really neglected climbing mountains the last month while getting ready for St. George and Pony Express and it's time to get back at it so I can get my goal of 52 peaks this year. |
Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 40 minutes on the elliptical after the kids went to bed. Everything feels really good. I was going to hit a peak Thurs morning, but had an issue at work that wouldn't allow it. I'm going to try and get out at some point in the next 24 hours. Anyone want to climb something? |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Did 4 on the TM at the gym tonight. My legs felt really good, but I was careful not to push anything at all. The last mile I did feel a touch of soreness in my left hamstring, so I resisted the urge to pick up the pace.
There was a rather large man... ok, he was a fatty... next to me on the TM and every time I pushed up my pace he would push his up as well and look over at me. Ha. I kept thinking I appreciate your grit and determination, but this is a battle you just can't win. He did give a valiant effort though and pushed a lot harder than I thought he could.
AP: 8:40ish |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I woke up early this morning to lift at the gym. Spent 45 minutes working my upper body and core and had an excellent workout.
Lunch break run with Jun to the summit of Sugarloaf Peak above Alta. The first thing we noticed when we got out of the car was how cold it was up there and we were both in shorts. The run up to the lake seemed tough for some reason, but my legs felt great. Jun was a champ and ran all the way to the top of the lake, and I had to stop and hike the steeper stuff. From the lake we went west to the saddle between Sugarloaf and Baldy and as soon as we hit the ridge we were blasted with the coldest wind I have felt in a long time. We were not prepared for that and heading up the ridge was torture.
Jun reached the summit first and then came right back down, which was weird and as I passed him he said you will find out why pretty quick and within a few seconds the wind was so cold that it made me numb everywhere. My ears were hurting and it actually made me feel sick, so I turned right back around, spending less than a second on the summit. I think that was my shortest summit stay ever. When I got back to Jun I sat down for a bit behind a bush to block the wind and then we took off back for the saddle.
The run down was fast and Jun really picked up the speed and I couldn't keep up. The last half mile I was doing a little over a 7:00 pace and he was nowhere in sight. Everything felt good and it was fun to open it up on the less technical part of the trail. It took about 30 minutes for all of my digits and appendages to thaw out, but it was worth it. The fall leaves were absolutely phenomenal up there. Probably the best I have ever seen. The Aspens were glowing yellow. It was the perfect way to spend our lunch break. Total time was just over an hour. |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 40 minutes on the elliptical and 30 minutes working my core/abs while watching football. I guess that would be Sundee Sinning x 2. I love multi-tasking. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Monday = Weights at the gym. I wasn't feeling it tonight and it took me at least 20 minutes to get going. I lifted with a friend of mine and got 50 minutes in, which wasn't enough, so when I got home I broke out my dumbbells and went for another 20 minutes. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I will be climbing Mt. Wire/Red Butte in the morning so I wanted to keep my legs fresh but still get in some cardio, so I went to the gym to run on the TM. I started off at a nice easy pace, but decided I better do some speed work since I haven't done any lately, so after a nice comfy 9:00 mile to warm up I did 8:20, 7:40, and 7:05. The last mile I dropped to a 6:40 pace for half a mile and it almost killed me. I tried to hold it, but I was hurting, so I slowed down for the last half mile. I obviously need some work. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I woke up this morning at 5:00 am and had a message from MatthewVH letting me know he was bailing on Mt. Wire this morning. I looked outside and saw 5 inches of snow, so I figured it was probably a good choice. I took my gear to work anyway hoping that Jun would want to get out and wouldn't you know it he was already planning a run.
We (me, Jun and Dustin) ran the Gully trail starting at 13th East. The trail was mostly covered in snow and slush. The conditions were not ideal, but the temperature was almost perfect. For some reason I was just not feeling it at all today. My legs were heavy, and my energy was low. We ran all the way to the Bell Canyon trail and then went all the way up to the lake and I was lagging behind Jun and Dustin, as they motored up the steep trail.
At the lake we stopped for a break and I ate about 10 snowballs that really hit the spot. So good. Kind of like a sugar free Slurpee (mild pollution flavor). Yum. I decided to turn back because I had a customer appointment that I had to get to and Jun and Dustin ran another .7 to the bridge. When I got back down to the Bell Canyon trailhead my energy was really low, probably because I waited to eat lunch, and the snowballs hadn't kicked in yet :) and my left hamstring was getting sore, so I stopped to take a break, eating more snowballs and stretching.
The run back wasn't fun. My legs felt terrible and my energy just wasn't there. I should have taken a gel or two. With about a half mile to go Jun and Dustin blew by me running fast and strong. I just didn't have it in me to keep up. At the trailhead there was this drunk guy that yelled at me "Hey dude, where is your mojo?" He had both hands in the air. Ha. If it wasn't so funny I may have dropped a few grumpy bombs at him, but instead I just agreed with him. He was right. I didn't have my mojo today. Anyway, he then went on for about 5 minutes telling us about the trophy bucks he saw down there in that there gully, and how nobody ever believes him. Good times. |
Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 8.60 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Weights at the gym for 50 minutes. I worked upper body and core and had the place all to myself for the first 20 minutes. I pushed it really hard and everything feels realy good. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Up early to climb Mt. Wire before work with MatthewVH. Matt was about 20 minutes late this morning, so we decided to skip Red Butte and just hit Mt. Wire. While waiting for Matt I did see Brian, a local runner that is very fond of Matt, but he wasn't interested in chatting with me.
We started running from the start and set a pretty good pace up to where it gets really steep. It was warmer than we thought it would be, so we dumped some clothes behind a bush and then humped the steep stuff. The views of the city were stunning as usual and when we got close to the top the sun started to come up over the peaks to the east and it was pretty cool. I love Wasatch sunrises, but the wind really picked up and it was pretty cold. We hit the top just at 55 minutes and by time I got the the summit I was wishing I had my hat and gloves. We didn't stay up there long. We ran most of the way back, just stopping a few times to take in the views. This was my 6th time on the summit this year. It was a really fun morning.
So it looks like I will be doing the Halloween Half tomorrow. I will be one of the pacers. I am not quite sure yet which group I will be pacing, but it should be fun even if I will be going slow. |
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Night Sleep Time: 4.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I was a pacer for the Halloween Half marathon yesterday. A friend of mine asked me if I wanted to do it as they had some open spots and I thought it sounded like fun, so I ended up pacing the 1:55 group. I really love this course and think that the race could be a great one, however there were several issues that they need to get worked out. First of all I waited in line for about an hour in the cold to get on the bus, and then once we were up there the race didn't start on time and there was a lot of confusion. It seemed like they didn't have enough buses because they were still arriving as the race was starting.
I actually really enjoyed running this race and had a lot of fun, but I was really frustrated because I wanted to go faster and it was tough keeping the pace at 8:47, especially on the downhill. I did get to wear a really cool pacer shirt though and that was fun. :) There were a few people that stayed with us most of the race, but for the most part most of the people either dropped off or went faster. I'm really not sure if I will do this again because I really just wanted to race. It was a lot of fun though hanging out with some of the bloggers and seeing a lot of friends, so that made it a fun morning, and I got a nice hug from Jun.
We came in 3 minutes under our pace, but the course was short. In fact, the mile markers were totally messed the whole race. The race director seemed to think that us Utahns weren't very good pacers because we weren't able to take all of this into account. Haha. I had no idea the course was short and I was going strictly off of my Garmin. I knew the mile markers were totally off. All of the pacers I talked to came in about 3 minutes early.
The worst part of the day though was having to wait in the line for the bus. They only had two buses to take everyone back to University Mall. Lame. |
Saucony Kinvara Miles: 12.90 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went to the gym to lift tonight and it must have been stinky adolescent night. There were several teenagers in there and believe me it was rank. It took me a few minutes to shake off the bad vibes and get into my workout. I lifted for 50 minutes and had a great workout with some of my friends. My left calf is a touch sore from Sat, but otherwise I am feeling really good. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 35 min on the elliptical to stretch my legs and get some cardio. I'll be running Wire/Red Butte again tomorrow morning. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Did the Mt. Wire/Red Butte summit run this morning with MatthewVH. We met at 6:00 am at the Mt. Wire trailhead and ran up to where the ridge gets steep. From there it was a hike up the steep ridge. Matt wasn't feeling it this morning and had a lack of energy, and I noticed he wasn't his usual self. I saw a couple of shooting stars and the views on this mountain are always good of the city. Once we got close to the summit the wind really picked up and it was cold. We made it up in 53:00 which was two minutes faster than last week. On top I gave Matt a gel and that seemed to help with his energy.
We had time so we ran the ridge over to the summit of Red Butte just as the sun was rising. It was pretty windy on the ridge, but not as bad as it had been on Mt. Wire. The run down from Red Butte was fun and we didn't push the pace. The arch in my left foot was a touch sore, so I was totally ok with the slower pace. The run in was fun and the temps were almost perfect. Total time: 1:48. |
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Night Sleep Time: 4.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.50 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I usually lift on Fridees, but since I was getting up to go run Malan's peak in the morning I wanted to get to the gym and get in some lifting. I had a really good session and the gym wasn't even stinky this time. 50 minutes of upper body/core work. There were only 5 of us in there. good times. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I love mornings like this. Jun, Dorsimus and I met Bryce in Ogden to run Malan's Peak. I have wanted to get up there for about 6 months now, and when Bryce posted up some pics the other day it really made me want to hit it. We started just after 6:30 and the trail is fairly steep, gaining 2200 ft in just over two miles. Jun was leading with a pretty good pace and after a mile it got really steep and it was a lot of hiking with an occasional run where we could. Bryce got out in front with Jun close behind and Dorsimus and I were a few minutes back. I was feeling a bit sick that last mile and could have easily puked if I thought about it too much.
Bryce topped out first, then Jun and Dorsimus and I hit the summit together a few minutes after. What a view! We hung out on top for about 20 minutes talking and taking a few pictures. It was cold up there and as soon as it got a little light we headed down. Jun was flying down today with the others close behind. It was a really steep trail, but a ton of fun. I will definitely start doing this peak a few times per year. We had so much fun that we are thinking of going back early next week to hit Ben Lomond and Willard peaks. This was the perfect start to my Friday. |
Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 4.40 |
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Night Sleep Time: 4.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.50 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I had a really busy day that ended with a massive headache. I did manage to get in 30 minutes of core/ab work though. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I wasn't able to work out until 11:00 pm and I was tired (sleepy). According to my body it was midnight. I hit the elliptical for 40 minutes while watching some bad TV. Nothing exciting, but I did get in some good sweat. |
Night Sleep Time: 7.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.50 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went to the gym after the kids went to bed for some lifting. I wasn't feeling it for the first half, but found my groove and had a decent session. 50 minutes working everything above the waist. My core was still quite sore from Sat. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.50 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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After the kids were in bed I went to the gym and played with the TM for 4 miles. 8:40, 7:40, 7:10 and 6:35. The last mile was tough and my left hammy got a bit tight.
After the gym I went to the church to play basketball with the fellas. Played for 1:30 and had a really good time. It was the first time I have played in 6 months and my basketball shoes felt like cement bricks. How did Air Jordan dunk in these things? I guess I'm getting too used to my running shoes. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Mt. Wire is quickly becoming my mountain of choice for getting in a fast steep workout. It is only 15 minutes away from work, has some nice elevation gain and incredible views. I decided that I would go bag it on my lunch break today instead of getting up early. When I started the sun was out and it was actually quite warm. After about 5 minutes I shed my long sleeve shirt and I was getting hot. I could see a dark cloud building from the west, but it didn't look bad at all.
I ran the first mile of the trail. It is steep, but once you get to the ridge it gets a lot steeper and I slowed to a quick hike. I pushed it all the way up to the top. I was feeling really good today, so I just tried to get up fast. I made it to the summit in 47:00, which is about 6 minutes faster than my previous best time. I didn't stay long on top because it was getting much colder. The wind had picked up and the sun was now covered with the dark cloud and a tiny bit of snow started to fall. It is amazing the difference 45 minutes can make. The descent was windy and cold and I ran fast to get down.
Once I got off of the steep stuff I ran between an 8:30-7:30 pace back to the car, finishing in 1:14, which is my fastest time up and back. I only passed one lady about 1/4 of a mile from the trailhead, but other than that I had the place to myself. So fun!
***PM Update***
I hit the gym tonight for 45 minutes of lifting. Worked biceps, lats, and delts and did several sets of pull ups. |
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Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | Birthday party for my 9 year old daughter tonight. Craaaaaazy!! 8 wild girls running wild. We finally got the house cleaned and I made it on the elliptical for 40 minutes. I'll be running Mount Wire again tomorrow morning. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I woke up early to run Mt. Wire again with MatthewVH. While driving to the trailhead it was snowing, and clouds were enveloping the Wasatch Front. I was thinking that maybe we would have some bad weather to deal with, but I wasn't too worried. Matt was waiting for me at the trailhead and it was just getting light when we started. It was cold, but not windy, so it actually felt pretty good.
We started out with a fast hike and I told Matt to just set the pace and go with what felt comfortable for him. He started running after a few minutes and we kept a nice easy pace up to the ridge. After a few minutes we stopped for a bathroom break and what a view we had of the whole valley. We saw some deer on the saddle and then we saw some coming through the gully to the North and there was a really big one moving through and within a minute we saw two bow hunters stalking it. We watched them for a few minutes and both kind of hoped the deer would get away, which it did. Matt said he wasn't in the mood to watch a kill that early in the AM.
The hike up the ridge to the summit was fun. We just talked about future plans and peaks we wanted to climb and what we wanted to get done next year. We made it to the top in 56:00, which was 9 min slower than my solo climb two days ago. It was pretty cold on top, but no wind and clouds were slowly starting to cover the summit. After a few summit shots we bolted back down, running the entire way to the bottom. It was a nice easy pace that allowed us to talk and we had a great time.
Best part of the day was running into Matt's friend Brian near the bottom. Brian has always admired Matt and it was fun to see him light up like a Christmas tree when he saw him. It made me smile. It was a fun morning.
Matt and I are tentatively planning on climbing Wire 5+ times the day after Thanksgiving if any of you might want to join let me know. It will be 20+ miles with some good elevation gain. |
Montrail Nitrus Miles: 4.50 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.50 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 40 minutes on the elliptical while watching some bad TV. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I have a Utah Jazz event tonight for work, so I won't be able to hit the gym, so I got up early this morning to get in my Monday lifting session. Worked my upper body for 50 minutes and then did one mile on the TM (7:15) to loosen up my legs. |
Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 1.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I ran/climbed Mt. Wire again today with Jun and Dorsimus during my lunch break. I was supposed to meet them at the trailhead at 11:45, but they were a little late coming from Red Butte, where they had started. It was really windy at the trailhead and started to rain pretty hard, but I could see the dark clouds moving fast to the east, so I knew it would blow over quick. When they finally arrived we waited in Jun's car for about 5 minutes and then when it stopped raining we headed up.
We made really good time up to the ridge and from there it is a power hike to the top. The wind was absolutely punishing today up on the ridge. It was cold and blowing hard and I was thinking I should have brought my hat to cover my ears. We never stopped at all and just pushed a nice quick pace all the way up. It didn't seem like we were going as fast as I did a few days ago, but we beat my time by two minutes arriving on top in 45:00.
It was really cold on the summit and the wind was bad, so we didn't even get a chance to talk and Jun blew by me and started heading down the gully on the west side. I assumed they were going to run back to Matt's car and I decided to just head back down the way we came up. I ran the whole way and the wind was not quite as bad on the way down. I made it back to the car in 1:12 and the other guys actually just did a loop back to the trailhead and met me back at the car after a few more minutes. It was a really fun day out there minus the wind. |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went to the gym after the kids were in bed and did 6 on the TM. AP 8:40. Nice and easy. My legs feel really good. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 6.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went to the gym after the kids were in bed and lifted (upper body) for 50 minutes. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I was supposed to go on a trail run in the mountains this morning, but when I woke up at 5:00 am the wind was blowing so hard and I just didn't want to deal with that, so I went back to bed.
I ended up going for a run outside on the pavement for the first time since the Halloween Half. I took my dog Shyla with me and she was so stoked to go that she pulled me hard right from the start. The first half mile was a 6:30 pace. At least I warmed up fast. Eventually she settled down a bit which made it much easier on me.
I ran from my house to 6000 W. and ran all the way to Alpine crossing the Alpine hwy. At 4 miles I turned around and went back. The temperature was almost perfect for running, but on the way back the winds really picked up and I was running back into the wind the rest of the way.
It was a nice run and I actually enjoyed it a lot, although I should get bonus miles for having to fight Shyla the whole time. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 8.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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50 minutes of elliptical after the kids were in bed.
MatthewVH and I are still planning on climbing Mt. Wire multiple times on Friday if anyone is still interested. All of the snow will definitely make it more challenging, and the running conditions will not be great, but there should be a path all the way to the top to follow. If you want to join us for any part of it let me know and I can give you more details on what to expect. |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Mondays = lifting. I went to the gym and lifted for an hour. Worked chest, arms, lats and shoulders. A friend of mine showed me some really cool exercises on the pull up bar and after doing those my arms were worked. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I left work early because of the epic storm that was supposed to roll in and I decided to hit the gym early. I was hoping for a longer run on the TM, but my tummy was a-rumblin' and started to get quite upset, so I had to quit before I wanted to. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 5.30 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 1.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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50 minutes of elliptical while catching up on my Office episodes.
Is that White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor you're wearing? |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I went to the gym to get in a workout before I ate 5000 calories. It was packed in there, but I had a good session working my upper body for an hour.
Hope everyone had a great holiday. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Last year on Black Friday MatthewVH and I climbed Upper Bells Peak to work off our Thanksgiving fat and we had a much better time than all of those shoppers wrestling over discounts. At least we thought so. We had been talking about doing multiple ascents of Mt. Wire for quite a while, and figured this would be the perfect day. The storms that came through earlier in the week changed the conditions dramatically, bringing in a lot of snow that would change this from a hike/run on a nice trail, to deep snow and below freezing temps. We talked about doing something else, but decided to just go for it and have a great time.
The route we would be taking to the summit is just over 4 miles with about 2200 feet of elevation gain. It is pretty steep and last week I climbed it car to car in 1:12, but the conditions were completely different when we arrived at the trailhead. There was snow covering the entire trail. Matt and I were joined by our friends Michael and Judy, who are both local mountaineering vets. Because of the cold and snow we looked like a group about to climb Mt. Rainier and not something as simple as Wire. The temperature was a balmy 10 when we started. I had been debating on what shoes to wear and had to settle for my Gortex hiking boots in order to keep my feet dry. I did however bring along a few pairs of trail runners just in case I thought they would work.
Summit #1: The first climb was started just as it was starting to get light. It was bitter cold, but after only a few minutes I was plenty warm. I wore a Windstopper fleece vest, jacket and hat, gloves, two long sleeve shirts and a short sleeve poly-pro shirt. A few people had already been up since the last storm, so we were able to follow their tracks, but there was still plenty of snow. We hiked fast to the ridge and from there the real slog started. Hiking in the snow is much more exhausting than on a trail and I started to get warm really fast. At the saddle Matt stopped for a wardrobe adjustment and I lead the way with Judy behind me and then Michael behind her. We chatted the whole way up about peaks we wanted to climb and various adventures that we wanted to tackle in 2011. There was no wind at all and the sun just started coming up over the peaks to the east as we reached the first towers. I made it to the top first in 1:03, with Judy right behind. Michael was a few minutes behind and then Matt about 5 minutes later. We took a group photo and then quickly headed down. We could kind of jog on the descent, but had to take it easy on the steeper sections because it was icy. I was first back to the car with Matt and Judy right behind. Total time 1:37. We took about a 10 minute break, eating some snacks and hydrating. I took a gel and ate a granola bar.
Summit #2: The other 3 took off before I was ready and it took me about 3 minutes to finish my gear adjustments and snacks. I took off my fleece jacket. It was still cold, but I felt great. It took me a mile to catch up with Michael and I passed him on the way up the ridge. I started to get really hot, so I took off one of my long sleeves and now I was only wearing a short sleeve, long sleeve and my vest on top. About half way up I unzipped the vest. This was one of the longest parts of the day for me because I was by myself and didn't have my ipod on, so the time seemed to drag a bit. I was still feeling really good and didn't have any soreness at all. My legs felt great. I never did quite catch up to Judy and Matt and they reached the summit a few minutes before me (1:06) with Michael a few minutes after me. I took a gel and we took another group photo and didn't stay on top very long. We went as quick as we could given the conditions and the trail was slowly getting more packed in, which made things a bit easier. The sun was now out and I was really warming up on the descent. We got back to the cars and took another break. I took off my vest, took a gel and ate more snacks. I also drank quite a lot of Gatorade and took an S-cap. Michael and Judy left first with Matt and I about 5 minutes behind.
Summit #3: This was the most difficult climb of the day for both Matt and me. It was now hot. Well, the temperature was still below freezing, but with the sun out and reflecting off of the snow, I was hot. I shed one of my long sleeve shirts and now I was only wearing one short and one long sleeve shirt with the sleeves pulled up. It was a total slog. My legs started to get tired, I was sweating a lot and we both slowed down. Luckily we talked the whole way up which made it somewhat bearable, but both of us had doubts about making it up five times. Judy and Michael were on the summit waiting for us and I arrived a few minutes before Matt, as he really slowed down on the final push. Total time up was 1:15. We took a group photo, I took another gel chased by a snowball and we headed down. I felt a lot better on the way down and got my energy back. Back at the car I took more salt, drank more Gatorade and ate two boiled eggs, a gel and a candy bar. I was feeling a lot better. This time Judy Matt and Michael all left about 5 minutes before I did, as I was taking my time eating to make sure I got back my energy.
Summit #4: It took me a mile to catch up to Matt, but he was listening to his ipod. I was kind of hoping we could chat, but I didn't want to bother him. He was singing out loud and using his trekking pole as a guitar. I was feeling much better on this climb and I finally passed him on the final push to the top. Judy and Michael were several minutes ahead, and I was surprised when I reached the top and found out I had made it one minute faster than they had (1:18). We were all pretty tired at this point and Judy and Michael told me they were not going for a 5th summit. I was sure that I would keep going because I still felt really strong and when Mat got to the summit he told me he had no plans on stopping now. We took our final group photo of the day and after I had a gel we headed down. It had cooled off a little bit on the way down and I knew that the last trip up would be colder. My feet were starting to hurt and my boots felt very heavy, so I decided I was going to change into my Brooks Cascadia's even if they made my feet wet. The last mile was the first time all day I started to hurt. At the bottom we decided to take a long break to eat and hydrate. I made a sandwich, drank more Gatorade and I had to get into the car and turn the heat on because I couldn't get my gaitors off. The strap was frozen solid, so I had to thaw it out. I hadn't felt cold in such a long time and it seemed weird, but this was a reminder that it was still below freezing out there. After about 10 minutes I was able to get my boots off and they were HEAVY! They had started soaking up water and they were bricks. I couldn't believe I had been hauling them up that mountain. The Cascadia's were pure heaven on my feet.
Summit #5: This was the best I had felt since summit climb number one. My feet were feeling so good, my energy was great and I wasn't hurting anywhere. I couldn't believe how good I felt and I pushed the pace a bit. Matt kept up and we had fun talking and joking all the way up. The sun started to go down and the temperature dropped a lot. I still wasn't feeling cold, but if we had stopped for more than a minute we would have felt it. This was definitely the most fun I had all day. I thought for sure I would be dragging and hurting on that final climb, but I felt as good as I had all day. The trail was now packed in and my feet stayed dry and were warm all the way up. I got to the summit a few minutes before Matt and took in the incredible views as the sun had just set. It was awesome and I still felt great. My Garmin died on that final summit, so I didn't get exact miles for the day, but it was somewhere around 20. I actually felt like I could have done a few more, but I knew that wasn't going to happen on this day. The descent was fun and Matt and I joked and laughed the whole way down. We finally got back to the car at 6:00 pm, almost exactly 11 hours after we started. I couldn't believe how good I felt.
The total elevation gain for the day was between 10,500 - 11,000 feet in 20 miles. With dry conditions this could be done much faster and we would like to try this in the summer to see how many more we can get. This was definitely one of the best adventures of the year, and I also reached my goal of getting 52 peaks for the year, which made it just a bit sweeter.
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Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 50 minutes on the elliptical while re-watching the Utah BYU football game. I was at the game on Sat and froze my butt off. I did get a big hug from a large strange man though after Utah blocked the kick, which helped. |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I went to lift in the middle of the day today and almost had the gym to myself which was nice because I could grunt as much as I wanted to. I had a really good session. Lifted for 55 minutes.
Also ran the stairs to work out a bit of soreness in my claves and then hit the TM for some slow (AP 8:40) miles. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 3.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I hit the gym for some TM fun. It was pretty crowded in there and I got the last TM. I had a great run and everything feels really good. I did the first mile at 9:00 pace, 2-5 were between 7:20-7:40 and then the final mile was at an 8:00. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 6.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I knew I would be climbing Grandeur Peak in the morning, so I didn't want to do too much, but I still wanted to stretch out my legs and get some cardio, so I did 35 min on the elliptical. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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What an incredible morning! I woke up 5 minutes before my alarm at 3:40 am this morning and met MatthewVH at the Grandeur Peak trailhead at 4:30. It was pretty cold when we started out, but once we got going I heated up fast. The trail was completely covered in snow. Luckily, there were some steps we could climb up in from previous hikers, but the snow really slows you down.
Matt lead the way and pushed a decent pace and as we got higher up the views continued to get better. There was a light fog down in the valley and with all of the lights it just looked surreal down there. It was really cool. There was very little wind this morning, which isn't typical on the west ridge, but Matt did find the windiest place on the whole ridge to stop for a potty break. I took a gel (Hammer espresso) and had a drink and I had to zip up my vest to block the wind. That was the only time the whole day I got cold. From here the trail was pretty icy in places and the packed snow was frozen solid, so we had to take care not to slip and it also slowed us down. At this point we also could see a planet in the east that was as bright as any planet I have ever seen before. It was huge.
We were about 4/5 of the way to the top and Matt told me that he had to go back down in 15 minutes. I told him to push and we did, but after 15 minutes we were about 5 minutes from the top. We were now on the summit ridge breaking trail in crotch deep snow. We were not moving fast at all and snow shoes would have really helped, but it would not have been worth it to carry them up there. What noramally would have taken about 5 minutes took us 20, but we pushed to the top where we spent about a second each.
The views were absolutely amazing up there this morning. I was thinking that the only sunrise I had seen with better views this year was in Titcomb Basin in the Wind Rivers. It was that good. The colors in the sky, the snow covered terrain and the misty fog down in the valley were just incredible. That is why I love Utah. It doesn't get much better than this.
The descent was pretty fast, but I did slip on the ice and fell twice because we were moving pretty fast. I was wishing I had taken my trekking poles. We made it back down in about 35 minutes. What an amazing morning.
Here are a few photos. The first is Matt just below the summit (you can see the moon and that planet) and the second is on our way back down.
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Night Sleep Time: 4.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I hit the gym to lift for an hour. Upper body. Great session. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I wanted to get up early and run Lake Mountain, but I got home late last night and didn't get to bed until early this morning, so I didn't wake up early, but I still wanted to run on a trail, so I went up there anyway. I didn't have as much time as I would need to get to the summit, but I figured I would push as hard as I could before I had to turn around.
I parked right at the start of the dirt road. There was a little bit of mud, but it wasn't too bad. After about a half mile there were a few small sections that were a little more muddy, but nothing serious. Just a I hit the first mile the snow started. It was so warm out and I stripped down to my short sleeved shirt and felt great. I was in snow the rest of the way and I tried to run as much as I could, even though it gets pretty steep. There is a nice track from some 4X4 vehicles and the trail is runnable even in the snow. I was able to get 3 miles up before I had to turn around, so I was about a mile from the top. I stopped and took a quick gel and then ran pretty fast back to the car. I pushed it pretty good in some sections, but it was tough where there was mud. This is a really good winter training run and I will be back for sure. Oh the views up there were great, but the air in the SL valley is just sick!
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Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 6.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I hit the gym to lift (upper body) and had a really good session for an hour. My back was a little stiff, but other than that everything feels good. |
Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I did a really fun run up to the summit of Lake Mountain with Jun this morning. The trail was pretty hard and frozen, so there wasn't any mud to deal with, but once we hit the snow it was pretty icy in sections and I knew the run down would be a bit dodgy. We hiked up the steeper slopes and made it to the top in 1:15. The views were fantastic across the lake and looking over to Timp. It was cold on top, but not as windy as I thought it might be. I took a gel and had a drink and then we ran down.
Jun took off pretty fast and I held back a bit because I was worried about the ice. There was a thin layer of snow with solid ice below on a lot of the tracks, so I didn't want to fall. I did slip a few times, but I was able to avoid going down, although Jun wasn't quite as lucky. He made it back down about 5 minutes before I did. What a fun morning. I love that run.
3000+ vert |
Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 8.40 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 4 on the TM. I didn't want to do too much because I wanted to give my legs a bit of a rest after two trips to Lake Mt. this week. The first mile was at 9:00 and my legs felt so heavy. They weren't really sore during the day, but I was feeling it now. By the end of mile two (8:40) I was feeling a little better so I pushed it to a 7:40 pace for mile 3 and then by the end of that one my legs felt great so I did the final mile at 6:53. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I went to the gym and lifted for 45 minutes, focusing on lats, back and chest. My friend bailed on climbing Grandeur on Friday because he is getting sick. I might try and get out Sat morning. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 3 on the TM. AP 8:40. Legs felt really heavy. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 3.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 0.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 0.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | No Grandeur this morning. I hit the gym in the afternoon for 4 easy miles on the TM. My legs were still feeling heavy and I never got into a good groove, so I kept it at an 8:30 pace. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | This was one of the best runs of the year because I was able to do it with my kids. My daughter Emma (12) wanted me to take her running and after I told her yes everyone including the dog wanted to come, so we made it a family adventure. The first mile was mostly with Emma and Amelia (10) right with me while I tried to slow the dog down. We just ran down 1120 N. to Hunter Park and back to the house. My son Alec (5) even tagged along and ran most of the first mile. Amelia and I finished in 9:50 and everyone wanted to keep going, so we ended up doing 2 miles together. I would run ahead about 100 yards and then turn around and run back to everyone and then repeat. The kids all ended up with 2 miles and they were tired, so I took them home and did another lap to the park and back. The kids had a blast, so I think we will do this every weekend. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 3.20 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.50 | Total Sleep Time: 8.50 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I have to go get some work done at the dentist later and I am not sure that I will be feeling up for my usual Monday workout, so I decided I better get up early and get it done. I woke up with a sore throat and a stuffed up nose and didn't sleep all that well, but I went anyway.
I lifted for 45 minutes and had a really good workout. I'm glad I got up. |
Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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A friend of mine that I lift with at the gym wanted to get out and climb a peak with me, so I thought Lake Mountain would be a good choice to hit before work. We started at 5:50 am. It was cool, but not cold and we ran for the first mile and then Nate wanted to stop and hike because it was getting steeper. There was a little bit less snow up there this week and we had a nice fast hiking pace all the way to the top. We made it in 1:17 which was two minutes slower than Jun and I last week.
The sun was just coming up on the summit and it was incredible. It was a little windy, so we ducked behind the summit house to take a gel and have a drink and then after checking out the views for a few more minutes we ran down.
There was still quite a bit of ice to deal with and I slipped a few times, but never went down. Nate stayed with me for the first two miles, but when we came out of the snow and I felt really good, so I pushed the pace (6:45) for the last two miles. I finished in 1:55 and waited 5-10 minutes for Nate to get back.
3K+ vert |
Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 8.40 |
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Night Sleep Time: 4.50 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.50 | Weight: 155.50 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | I had a very busy day, but I did manage to hit the TM for 3 miles. I didn't feel as sluggish as I thought I might, but I only had time for 3 miles. AP 8:30. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 3.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 5.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 5.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Weights at the gym for 50 minutes. Worked upper body/core. |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 3 on the TM even though I felt like crap. I actually felt a little better after the run. I did have the pleasure of getting a wellness physical today. They said I was healthy and there was nothing wrong with me, although as Fletch said, it certainly wasn't from a lack of looking. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 3.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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To the gym at 8:30 this morning and it was packed. I got the last of the 9 TM's. Ran 5 at a nice and easy 8:40 pace after doing the first mile at 9:00. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 5.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 155.50 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 40 minutes on the elliptical and 35 minutes of ab/core work. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 155.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I went to the gym and lifted for an hour (upper body/core). |
Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | In Vegas for a few days. I did 4 on the TM at the hotel gym. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Still in Vegas. I went down to the hotel fitness center at 8:00 am and all 5 of the TM's were being used by walkers, so I jumped on the elliptical for 15 minutes and then once a TM opened up I ran 4 miles. I also walked about 3-4 miles around the strip today. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 7.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 7.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Still in Vegas. I woke up early and couldn't sleep, so I hit the fitness center to get in my workout. I lifted for 45 minutes and then ran 6 on the TM because I knew everyone would still be asleep back in the room. Sweaty!!
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Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 6.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone had a great holiday with family and friends.
I did an hour on the elliptical today while watching Dexter.
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Night Sleep Time: 9.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 9.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I wanted to get to the gym last night to lift, but I started putting my Christmas present together (a new TM) and it ended up being a bigger project than I thought. I finally got to sleep around 1:00 am and then I was up at 5:00 to meet Jun and MatthewVH in Lehi to climb Lake Mountain.
We started a little late. It was cold and the trail was basically frozen, and we started off at a slow pace to warm up. After about a mile we were hiking the rest of the way. Jun and I pulled ahead and Matt who has been spending the holidays eating fat and resting was lagging a bit behind. We waited for him once to catch up, but we had to push it some because I had to get into work. The conditions were near perfect this morning with a nice 4X4 track almost all the way to the top without much ice. Jun and I talked about our plans for 2011 and the time flew by.
The last 1/4 of a mile before the summit the 4X4 tracks stopped and Jun and I took turns breaking the trail in the knee deep snow on the steeper slope leading to the summit. It really slowed us down, but it wasn't too bad. Once on top it was COLD and the views were stunning in every direction, with a blanket of fog in the valleys below it reminded me of climbing peaks in the Cascades with the typical cloud caps. Incredible! You have to work for views like these. I choked down a frozen gel and had some of my slushy water and then we headed down.
Matt was just making his way up the deep snow, but turned around because of time. Once we were back on the 4X4 track I stopped to take care of a wardrobe issue and Matt and Jun took off and I didn't see them again until just before I got back to the cars.
The run down was just heaven. So much fun! This is why I run. I had a smile on my face and was just giddy. I felt great and just enjoyed running down the hard packed snow track while taking in the views. We finished in just over two hours which isn't too bad considering the conditions, and Matt kept up a great pace the whole way too.
3100 ft of vert. |
Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 8.40 |
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Night Sleep Time: 4.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 4.00 | Weight: 156.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | An hour in the gym lifting (upper body/core). There were only two of us in there tonight, so it was a great session. |
Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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| | 4 miles on my new TM. I love it. I would have kept going, but I didn't have time. |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 6.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 6.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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I did two hours of shoveling ice off of my driveway. That should count for something. We had a pretty busy day, so I had to run on the TM before leaving for our New Years party. Without the home TM I would not have run today.
HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! |
Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 4.00 |
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Night Sleep Time: 8.00 | Nap Time: 0.00 | Total Sleep Time: 8.00 | Weight: 157.00 | Calories: 0.00 |
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Asics Gel-1150 Miles: 505.12 | Asics Gel Panthera Miles: 213.70 | Montrail XCR Miles: 28.29 | Asics Kahana Miles: 157.66 | Montrail Nitrus Miles: 94.53 | Brooks Cascadia 4 Miles: 272.64 | Saucony Kinvara Miles: 63.60 |
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Night Sleep Time: 1959.50 | Nap Time: 11.50 | Total Sleep Time: 1971.00 | Weight: 156.61 | Calories: 19800.00 | |
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