| Sat, Jul 18, 2009 | ||
| Race: | Battle at Big Springs (4.82 Miles) 00:41:29, Place overall: 26, Place in age division: 5 | |
| Slow miles | Fast miles | Total Distance |
| 3.50 | 1.82 | 5.32 |
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Enoch and I got there so early that I think we even beat the race organizers. We parked up at the top and walked down to the packet pick-up after sitting in the car for 10 minutes. Then we did a total of about 1/2 mile warm-up just running up and down the park road and then up the dirt road to the starting line. The race started about 10 minutes late, which is still 20 minutes better then their last race. Oddly enough, they had the start of the race running down the dirt road for .2 mile and then abruptly back up the steep road. So of course everyone just took off to try and stay ahead of the forming dust cloud. My knee felt good during the warm-up and on the first downhill start, so I decided I would run a normal race and see how it turned out, knowing that if I even felt a twinge, I would back off. While I had a number of problems during this race, my knee would not be one of them. I'm actually in this picture, near the front of the big pack, in gray.
After the quick downhill you were uphill for a solid mile +. On that first uphill I felt good and pushed the pace, staying in the top 15 runners. It was all runnable, which I did, and was able to pass several people on the hill. As we topped that section we moved into a slight uphill section through long meadow of long grass. While beautiful, I was starting to have trouble with my breathing. At first I thought it was because of my lack of training, but then as the nasty stitch in my side started to set in on mile 2 I realized that it was more directly related to my HORRIBLE diet the last week or so. I thought for sure that stitch would be my downfall. In the middle of 3 I was torn between having to stop to let it die down or just vomit. Neither one appealed to me, so I just kept pushing.
After cresting the summit at Big Springs you had to choose one of two options, left over a bridge or right through the stream. I don't think anyone even saw the trail to the bridge. The girl and guy in front of me must not be experienced trail runners because they were both tip-toeing through the stream at its shallowest point. I ran straight through the middle, passing the girl immediately and the guy shortly after. Then we settled into the downhill. I know I am strong on the downhill, especially if it requires any technical running, which it did for the first mile. During this mile I even put a little distance between myself and four runners behind me. But within the last mile to the finish the trail smoothed out and the four of them flew by me. I thought I must be running around a 7:30 mile, but I looked down at my watch and saw 6:40. I was shocked. They must have all passed me at about 5:30 pace. Unreal. We ended on the grass in the park, something I really don't like running on. Luckily, it was only for 100 yards or so. 5th in my age division and 26th overall. Not too shabby for the number of competitors and the fact that I haven't been training for sprint races. As usual, I didn't win anything in the raffle, but enjoyed the snacks and drinks. I made a few new friends and just really had a great time overall. I think these guys put on a fantastic race series and I plan to run all three next year. Splits: 9:26, 9:56, 10:01 (all uphill), 6:47, 6:25 (.82) Ave Pace - 8:36 min/mile | ||
Monday, July 20, 2009
Battle at Big Springs
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Bordering on Injured
I've decided to only run one more weekday this week and then participate in my 5 mile trail race on Saturday. I don't think I'll run it hard, but instead just use it as a nice training run. Then after that I feel like I need to take a couple of weeks off. I'll cross-train with some swimming and stationary bike, but other than that, no running. The good side is that it will give me some time to climb with friends and maybe even get in a round of golf. Wish me luck.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Day to Day
Even with the good mileage this week I was still able to fit in some other activities. Along with climbing Grandeur on Monday, I went bouldering on Wednesday and Friday. It has been a while since I last climbed, so it was really nice to get out with friends. Surprisingly, I was still pretty strong. I didn't try anything difficult, but I did send several V4s and V5s. More than anything it was just nice to spend time with friends that I haven't seen in a while. I think we'll get out a couple more times this week.
Training will be pretty easy this week as I have a 8k trail race on Saturday that has some pretty serious climbing in it. I'm hoping to do even better than the last race I did in this series. And even more importantly, I am hoping to win something good in the raffle. No matter what, it will be a lot of fun.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Grandeur Peak
It was slow moving as my mom was not used to the steepness of the trail or the altitude, but she hung in there. She has been on a low-carb diet which doesn't give her very many calories, so finding any kind of energy was tough. She was also low on salt for the kind of heat we were hiking in. At the upper saddle, just before the last push to the top, she decided to stop there as we were dangerously close to our time limit (we needed to be home by 6pm), so T and I ran/hiked to the summit, snapped a few pics and raced back down the trail.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Lake Mountain 50k
| Thu, Jul 02, 2009 | ||
| Race: | Lake Mountain 50k (30.8 Miles) 05:39:00, Place overall: 2, Place in age division: 1 | |
| Slow miles | Fast miles | Total Distance |
| 26.80 | 4.00 | 30.80 |
5:39:00 - Why do I love running? I love it because it is about me. I love running because I can push myself harder physically and mentally then I ever have before. I love running because I can run in a place I have never been before and farther than I have ever gone (by a lot). I love running because even though it wasn't a race and there was no crowd, no finisher medals or t-shirts, and even though I had to walk at times during the last 5 miles, I still finsihed running. I love running because even though I finished alone on a dusty road in the middle of nowhere I still threw my arms up in victory and pumped my fist with success. Today I won. I won. I didn't beat thousands of people on the roads of a major city, today I won against myself. I won against fatique and negative mental strain. I won becuase I refused to quit when every part of my body was telling me to stop. Today I beat pain, heat, dust, and exhaustion. I love running becuase I don't have to be #1 out of thousands to know that I can win. I love running because we all can win just by getting out there every day and putting one foot in front of the other. Today I ran my first 50k and my first marathon. Prior to today the farthest I had run was 20 miles (and only twice). I met Crockett at 4am in Saratoga Springs. We drove up through The Ranches and parked on the back side of Lake Mountain. We started by heading into a canyon in the dark that winds up through the foothills and over onto the west side of the mountain, just in time to watch the sun begin to lighten the sky. The lake and lights of the city were beautiful and the run was pleasant.
We weren't pushing the pace and enjoyed socializing for about the first 6 miles. After that we headed south and ran through casual rolling hills at the base of the mountain. I got a bit ahead of Davy and remained there until we got to the top of Enoch Pass, our highest point of the run.
After a quick potty break we blazed down the dirt road for another 4 miles or so until we met up with Redwood Rd on the south end of Lake Mountain. Here Davy had cached water and food for us to replenish. This was mile 16, the half way point.
After a rather long break (maybe just under 10 minutes) we ran down Redwood for almost a mile and then turned West to head around the south side of the mountain. This resulted in a long, steady climb up Soldier Pass. Near the top of the pass Davy made us detour down a less traveled road which turned into really cool single-track that ended with us on the east side of the mountain, at about mile 22. I was pleased with how much of the uphill to Soldier Pass I was able to run and was able to keep up with Davy on the way down. Man, he is fast and steady. When we hit the dirt road we had 8 miles left. All flat, all straight. Holy cow! I was able to keep a steady 10:30 to 11:00 min/mile pace until about mile 25 and then things got really hard for me. The heat and hills had taken their toll and I was getting tired. I walked for about 3 minutes and then started into a process of running for 8 minutes at an 11 min/mile pace and then walking 3 to 5 minutes before starting up again. As we passed Eagle Mountain we got onto a paved road for about a quarter of a mile. It was here that my ITB really started to get inflamed and while I still could maintain my regiment, I was struggling a bit more. I even stopped at someone's house, knocked on the door, and asked if they could fill my water bottle, as I was dangerously low (even though I only had a mile left). I walked a little more and then when I got back on dirt started into my last run again. Davy had already finished and was walking back to make sure I was ok. I passed him as he was sending emails on his phone and was able to finish the last 200m by myself. I finished 10 minutes after him. It was a very special moment for me as I knew I had done something that has been a goal for a while now. Thank you very much Mr. Crockett for hanging in there with me and for showing me such a cool route. I can't think of a better partner to have done my first Ultra with. Thank you. And thank you to everyone who showed a vote of confidence. This was an amazing experience. A few days rest for the ITB and then back to training. I've got other (maybe not bigger) fish to fry! Here is the elevation chart for the run. I think we gained a total of about 2800 vertical feet.
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Monday, June 15, 2009
Wahsatch Steeplechase: June 13, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009 Race: Wahsatch Steeplechase 16.33 miles, 3500 ft elevation gain (in the first 7 miles) 2:57:02 (unofficial) - We had great weather considering the threat of ran and lightning that was out there. I got to Memory Grove at about 5:05am and sat in my car for about 10 minutes before venturing down to the starting area. I was one of the first people there, so I was in no hurry. I quickly ran into Craig from Lehi and we got checked in. Not long after Matt from Bountiful showed up and the three of us prepped for the race. I didn't warm up much, just some stretching and about a tenth of a mile to find a bush to relieve myself.
The race started promptly at 6am. I immediately found myself near the back of the 300 racers and decided I better make a bit of a move or going up the trail would be awfully slow. I'll detail the rest of the race mile by mile. Mile 1 (8:52)- paved road and onto the single-track. I probably passed about 50 runners on the road and another 10 on the trail during this mile. I felt really strong going up hill. Mile 2 (11:41)- there were some steeper climbs and thanks to several people in front of me I had to walk certain sections even though I didn't want to. I just couldn't get around people like I wanted to.
Mile 3 (9:57) - the trail passes Morris Meadow. I've run this section so I was familiar with it. Nice inclines that really were't bad. Mile 4 (10:31)- Slower section up to and past Twin Peaks. I was able to pass several people in this section. For the next several miles I would leap frog with about 4 different runners. Mile 5 (11:36)- Working up to the big hill. Mile 6 (13:09)- the final ridgeline up to the base of Little Black Mountain. I was actually pretty tired at this point. I had taken lots of photos and video though. I'm a dork.
Mile 7 (23:14)- this may be the steepest and longest sustained hill I've run to this point. All walking, all painful, all very tiring. I knew about the false summit, so I wasn't surprised when I got to the top of it and knew I had a little ways to go.
Mile 8 (18:12)- This included the rocky ridgeline on top of the mountain. It was slow going for me only because I had to wait for people to climb down the cliffs. Most of the drops were 6 - 8 ft. I jumped down all of them to everyones surprise. In fact, on the last one I got impatient and just jumped over one of the guys who was downclimbing. He thought it was great.
Mile 9 - (11:12)- Making our way down Smuggler's Gap was a mess. It was still a little muddy from yesterday's storm and you couldn't see your feet half the time because the trail was so overgrown. They had ropes set to use as braces to go down, but I didn't use them . . . . and paid for it. I slipped on landed on my butt, hitting my arm on a rock. I ended up with several large scrapes and two deep puncture wounds. Over the next several miles blood would pour down my arm. This would pay off in the long run, but we'll get to that.
Mile 10 (8:32)- back on flatter ground, but still on the trail. We soon came to the road and things picked up after this. Mile 11 (7:06)- City Creek canyon road. I was moving pretty good and passing people who were cramping or hurt. I felt bad, but not bad enough to stop. I did offer a salt pill to one guy and then realized I had dropped it along the trail. So sorry fella. Mile 12 (7:15)- more road. Mile 13 (7:56)- back onto the trail that parallels the road. You had to slow down just because it was narrow running. I was getting a little tired, but felt good overall. Mile 14 (7:53)- more trail. Mile 15 (8:33)- there were some uphills in here I didn't like at all. They just made me tired. Mile 16 (8:18)- back on the road and coming to the bottom of City Creek. I started to get a nasty stitch in my side and it was really slowing me down. Mile 17 .33 miles (8:57)- here is where my world crashed to a hault. My legs were still strong and my cardio solid, but the stitch in my side had turned into a full-on cramp and I could barely breath. Not only could I not run, but I was just plain getting mad. 6 people passed me and only because of something so stupid as a cramp in my side. I had been drinking a ton of water, I had eaten two gels, and taken two salt pills (one within the last 40 minutes). I actually had to walk for a short distance twice in these last 3 tenths of a mile. I was able to muster just enough of a run to cross the finish line in good form. But I probably lost two minutes overall due to all of that. I still came in under 3 hours, which was my goal so I am very happy overall. As it turns out, the race director and his daughter saw my blood and vehemently suggested I DO NOT wash it off until they award the Bloodiest Runner award. As it turns out, I WON! Hahahaha. They then threw a bunch of gear out into the crowd. I caught a small backpack made by Black Diamond, a BD LED lantern, and a pair of socks. So awesome!
It was really great to be there with Craig and Matt. I didn't get to see Craigfinish, but Matt came in about 12 minutes after me, looking strong as ever. I also got to meet Fritz (who I feel horrible about not being able to talk to longer, I was focused on the awards being given out). I also got to meet Mark who is a fellow FRB member. It was a fantastic run in great conditions. My legs feel fine and I'm ready to start tackling longer races, I think. I can't wait to start training for something harder. I have created and posted a video on youtube. Click HERE. |
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Sapper Joe 30k 5/23/09
| Sat, May 23, 2009 | |
| Race: Sapper Joe (19.93 Miles) 03:19:47, Place overall: 4 Total Distance 19.93 | |
3:19:47 - I went to Lehi and stayed at my mom's last night with my family. We stayed up late, as usual, doing whatever. I didn't end up going to bed until almost midnight. I was then up before my alarm at 4:15am. Needless to say, I did not prepare appropriately in the sleep area. I got to on base and to the start building at about 5:20am (I sat in the car and stayed warm for 10 minutes). Once in there I found a nice chair to relax in. Five minutes later Davy came and found me and we chatted for a few minutes. That was really nice, by the way. Thanks Davy, that made me feel quite a bit more comfortable. I was really nervous. After a quick race introduction we all moved outside to the start line and promptly at 6:05am the cannon went off and so did we. I stayed relatively near the front of the pack, but watched as the elites went off way ahead. Within a block Mojo had found me and we chatted for the next mile or so, until we broke from the main road and headed for the first big hill. It was then that I lost Mojo and didn't see him the rest of the race. I'll spend the rest of the report listing by mile, where relavent. Mile 1 - 9:05 Mile 2 - 11:30 Our first monster hill that we had to walk. There was a person standing on top of the hill holding a $50 bill for the first person to get there. I was not even close.
Mile 3 - 10:23 More hills. I was actually able to run a few of these. I was a social butterfly for the first 4 miles. Sorry to anyone I annoyed with my chattiness. I was just having fun. Mile 4 - 18:10 The last of the monster hills that had to be walked. We finished this mile just before getting to the summit and heading back down the other side.
Mile 5 - 9:49 The finish of the big hill and down the other side. This is where I passed a few people and started to break free on my own.
Mile 6 - 8:24 First Aide Station. Davy was there to welcome me, a little surprised by my position. I was surprised too. I was giddy at how much fun I was having. The army people were making fun of me, for good reason. This was the out and back portion, so as I made my way back to the 30k trail I was able to encourage about 10 other runners. Mile 7 - 10:08 The next several miles just wound up and down and around to Aide Station 2. Mile 8 - 10:05 Mile 9 - 9:32 Mile 10 - 8:48 Mile 11 - 14:47 Aide Station 2. I stopped a little longer here to fix my right shoe and take a photo with my Army buds.
Mile 12 - 12:27 This was a big single track hill that had to be hiked. It was the only single track on the course and was grossly overgrown. Who cares, it was super fun. Mile 13 - 11:07 Back on the main dirt road and heading up to the top of the last big mountain. A fair amount of walking mixed with running, photos, and taking video. I'm such a dork. Mile 14 - 8:44 Summitted the last by hill and made my way down to the final aide station. Mile 15 - 8:53 Aide Station 3. I tried to call my wife to tell her to hurry up because I was going to get to the finish quicker than expected. I borrowed a phone from an Army guy, but couldn't get a signal. Oh, well. Scarfed two more pieces of watermelon and headed down that final hill. Mile 16 - 7:28 All downhill from here. I still felt great and enjoyed it from here on out. I was lonely though. Hadn't talked to anyone or even seen anyone since Aide Station 1. Mile 17 - 7:32 Mile 18 - 7:47 Ran into Davy running up to the 3rd aide station. He was nice enough to turn around and run about a quarter mile with me back down. It was nice to chat and really motivated me to push to the finish. Once again, thanks Davy. Mile 19 - 7:56 I can see the base from here. I was so excited.
Mile 20 - 7:12 Cruised to the finish line. My family was walking to the finish line just as I crossed. I was in awe of the fact that I did so well. Not only did I beat my goal time by 11 minutes, but I came in 4th place. Holy cow. 4th place people! I never would have guessed.
I spent the next 20 minutes eating fruit, taking photos, and cheering people to the finish. It was a fantastic race; beautiful, challenging, and ridiculously fun. Thanks to Davy and Mojo for taking the time to chat with me. It's nice to make new friends and have someone to talk to. I can't wait to try again next year, except I'll go for the 50k. Ave Pace - 10:01/mile |
