Summit junkie!

Weights at the gym. Great session with some good friends. 

Lake Mountain 50K (Circumnavigation of Lake Mountain) with Jun, Jsh and MattVS

Matt wanted to get in a long run to prep for his 100 mile race in March, so we got some of the fellas together and decided that the Lake Mt. 50K course would be the perfect option. We started out a little after 7:00 am and it was downright COLD. The car said 15 degrees and while everyone got their things together I tried stretching and dancing a bit to keep warm and it took a mile or two to start feeling good. Almost right out of the gate we started to climb up to Soldier Pass and we kept up a pretty decent running pace all the way up. The views from the pass were stunning and we were the only humans within several miles in all directions. After that we dropped down into the Cedar Valley where we could see the fog hovering eerily  and waiting for us to enter. As usual we were laughing and joking and the miles were clicking by.

When we got lower into the valley it became quite apparent that the temps had dropped significantly and we all felt it. We were dressed appropriately, but we all had to make a concerted effort to keep the water moving in our hydration tubes or they would freeze within minutes. Jun actually had to mess with his for several minutes after it froze up. At about mile 6 I took off a glove to take a gel and my hand was so frozen that it became totally numb and I couldn't even open a zip lock bag. The gels also were almost solid and became a little more difficult to swallow, but as long as we kept moving we were all fine. There was a fine layer of frost covering all of the bushes and brush and we all started to accumulate it on our facial hair as well, but we were having a great time.

 The dirt road we were on eventually takes you into the edge of Eagle Mountain and after a short stint on some pavement we were back on the trail that would take us around the north end of the mountain. We stopped here to take a break and at that point the trail seemed to be numerous rolling hills the rest of the way. At about mile 17 I noticed that my hamstrings were a little tight and I would try and stretch them out whenever we stopped. At mile 19 we had a cache of food and drinks and we took about a 15 minute break to eat and replenish our energy. I was feeling really good except for my hammies. They were still tight.

 The next 6 miles were pretty tough for me. I usually really enjoy hills, especially on a long run like that, but they were really hurting me and the farther I went the tighter my hamstrings got. It wasn't terrible, but it definitely slowed me some. It was one hill after another as we made our way south on the east side of the mountain. Eventually we topped out on Enoch pass with about 6 miles to go. I had been behind Matt on the way to the pass and he was running really strong up every hill and I was impressed with his toughness.

Running downhill was such a relief for me and my legs felt instantly better. I did have some fatigue, but my hamstrings were no longer hurting and it was nice to be able to run under a 9:00 pace, however I still wasn't keeping up with the other guys and Matt and Jun took off at a blistering pace which was very impressive considering we were over 26 miles in. I settled into a 9:00 pace for the next 3 miles and I was pretty content with that. Eventually I caught up to Josh who had stopped to take a break and we ran in the last couple of miles together. His ankle was hurting and my legs were quite fatigued, so we went pretty slow. Those were some tough miles, but it felt really good to finish. Check out Jun's blog for some really good pictures.

My wife and kids were watching some sort of 'chick' show that I had no interest in, so I went downstairs to watch the Jazz Lakers game on the TM. 4 slow miles while watching Kobe hoist up shot after shot. While running my legs felt ok, but as soon as I stopped they got a little stiff, but nothing to worry about.

Weights at the gym for 40 minutes. I tried to get out for a run today, but I wasn't able to get out.

Malan's Peak solo:

I had to visit a customer in Ogden today, so after my appointment I decided to take my lunch break running to the top of Malan's Peak. I did this run about a year ago with Jun, Dorsimus and Bryce and loved it, so I was excited to get back up there. I started at the 27th Street trailhead and parked my car in the neighborhood below. The trail was completely snow covered, but it was very well packed in all the way to the top.

I tried to run as much as possible on the way up, but my calves were pretty tight, so I did power hike some of the steeper sections. It was really cold and the sun doesn't hit the switchbacks much. I warmed up quickly though and had a fun time working the switchbacks all the way to the top where I ran into an older guy that was on his way down.

I stayed on top for about 15 minutes responding to some work emails until my hands became numb. I took a gel and then had a really fun run all the way down. I was wearing my Altra Lone Peaks and they are incredible in the snow. I didn't slip once and even ran the steeper sections faster than I normally would because they grip so well in the snow. I really need to hit this peak often. It is a ton O' fun.

View Benchmark via Ann's with Rob B.

My good friend Rob texted me yesterday to see if I wanted to do a trail run with him this morning and I'm always up for a good trail run, so we met in Draper to do View Benchmark. Rob runs mostly on pavement and he was excited to get in some trail miles. The wind was blowing pretty hard and I was a little worried about what the summit would be like, but we were dressed for the cold. 

We had a really good time and just chatted the whole way up. Rob really enjoyed the trail and the views. There was packed snow covering most of the trail with a few icy sections, but it wasn't bad. Rob actually did really well and pushed it hard on some of the hills. We hit the summit in 49 minutes and it was windy, but not as bad as I thought it would be. We stayed on top for about 10 minutes taking in the views and Rob took a few photos.

The run down was a lot of fun. I let Rob lead and he pushed the pace wherever he could, although he twisted his ankle after slipping on some ice. The last two miles were at a 8:00 pace and it was really enjoyable and my legs felt solid the whole day.I should also mention that I wore the Altra Lone Peaks again and they were awesome! I think I am finally getting used to the zero drop.

Total time including all breaks 1:31.