Summit junkie!

Jun invited me to do a group run this morning on Ann's trail in Draper, but I wanted to get a few more miles, so MattV and I met early at 6:30 to run View Benchmark before we met the group. It was cold when we started, but we warmed up quickly as we gained elevation on Ann's. We had a really fun time talking and laughing and we made it to the summit of VB in exactly an hour which included a few pit stops. It was windy and cold and we didn't stay long. The run down was fun. We kept a steady pace and only had to slow down to move over the icy sections. One summit and 8 miles in the bag and we headed to Chevron to meet the group. We ended up on the Red Rock trail and ran a loop on Ann's. We all just chatted the whole time and enjoyed the views as we gained elevation. It was a really fun run with some great friends. First summit of 2012. I guess I need to come up with a new goal now.

Draper BST with Jun and Dors

What a fun run on a perfect trail in shorts and t-shirts. It felt like early October out there today and we had a really good time. We chatted for about the first 3/4 of a mile and then Jun put some distance on us. I tried keeping him in my sights until we hit 3 miles where we took a short break. On our way up the steep road I was hanging with Jun and my legs felt really good, but then he decided to push it and really put some distance on me to the 4 mile turnaround.

On the way back Jun and I talked for a little over a mile and then again he picked up the pace. I felt really good until about a mile to go and my legs started to feel some fatigue. The weather was almost perfect for running and I really enjoyed it out there today.

PM: 50 minutes at the gym lifting (upper body/core).

Dude Peak attempt with Jun:

Jun and I wanted to run to Dude Peak, which is on the north ridge above City Creek Canyon. To get there we started on the BST at the base of City Creek and turned left toward ensign Peak. MattV and I ran this last week and I really love the trail. It is a steady climb up to the ridge where there are several bumps that have radio towers on them that you can see from Salt Lake and Davis County. We took a slightly different route than Matt and I and went straight up the hill instead of taking the longer more gradual approach. I'm not sure it saved any time, but it was fun going up a different way, plus we got to top out on a few minor hills (not quite summits).

When we passed the radio towers Dude peak looked really far away and after about 20 minutes of running it didn't seem to be getting any closer. We soon realized that we were not going to have time to make it all the way to the summit, but we didn't care. We were running in shorts, t-shirts and enjoyng the warm sun. We decided to take the more gradual route on the descent and we had a fun time chatting the whole way. I did start to feel slightly bonky, so I downed a gel and then 30 minutes later I took another one because I could tell my energy was low.

The run down was a lot of fun. Once we hit the single track Jun took off at a blistering pace and I couldn't keep him in my sights. This is a tough run and I can't wait to get back and hit Dude when we have more time. Check out Jun's blog for some sweet pics.

Solo run up Mt. Wire.

I wanted to get out and enjoy the weather, but I didn't want to pound my legs too much, so I did a solo run/hike up Wire at a very easy pace. The temps were perfect and I really enjoyed being out there today, but I didn't push it hard at all. 50 minutes to the top and very slow back to the car. My legs felt really good though after I finished.

Another incredible run up to View Benchmark via Ann's trail with Jun and Dorsimus today. I was going to take the day off, but when Jun told me that he was going running it sounded like fun and since my legs felt really good I figured there was no reason not to go. The air was clean up above the inversion, the sky was blue and it was a perfect day to be out on the trails. I reached the summit in 46ish minutes and we enjoyed the view and chatted for a few minutes and then braved the steep icy sections on the way down. The last few miles were a lot of fun just cruising at a faster pace and chatting the whole way down.

Weights at the gym. No big woop.