Summit junkie!

Weights at the gym for an hour. My back is still bothering me, but it has improved a lot in the last week, so I just used lighter weights and made sure I didn't lift anything with my back. It felt good working up a sweat again.

View Benchmark solo:

It has been a week since I have done any running, in part because of my back, but also because I spent last week in Disneyland/California Adventure and at the beach in So Cal. I was a little worried about this run, but I had to get out and get back into my routine.

It was very cold out there today, but it felt good for most of the run. My legs were a little heavy and I felt sluggish most of the way up, but I did manage to grind all the way to the summit running all but the steepest climb on the Maple Hollow connector trail.

The summit was windy and cold, so I didn't stay long at all. I did get into a really good groove on the way down and the last two miles were at an 8:00 pace.

View Benchmark peak solo:

After work I hit Ann's trail in Draper for a run up to the top of VB. I actually felt much better than yesterday and I was cruising up at a good pace. About a half mile in I saw a dude on a mountain bike behind me, so I decided to pick up my pace and see if I could keep him from passing me on the long steady climb.Just before the 2 mile mark the trail flattens out and he finally passed. As he went by he asked me if I was Karl Meltzer and he was serious. Haha. I power hiked the steep Maple Hollow connector trail and after that I ran the rest of the way to the top. 

I saw a lot of wildlife out there today and I startled a couple of deer just before the summit. I hit the summit 4 minutes faster than yesterday and I was happy about that. I only stayed a few seconds on top because I needed to get home. There is a drinking fountain at the Maple Hollow trailhead and it is still running, so I filled my bottle on the way down. The rest of the run was much colder as the sun was going down, but I still felt comfortable the whole time out there. It was a very relaxing run.

Highland/Alpine loop solo:

I only had an hour to run so I did my Highland loop (Alpine Hwy north to Kohlers, west to 6000 W. in Highland- back home) from my house. The weather was just about perfect with sunny skies and mild temps, but from the start I knew this run was going to be a struggle. I had just eaten about 30 minutes earlier and my stomach was pretty POd at me from the get go. For some reason running on the road is just a lot harder for me than the trails and it seems like more of a chore. I did enjoy the run, but it was tough. The last 3 miles were into a headwind and I was happy to be done.