Zion 100 Race Report

Well, let’s just say that things went well and according to plan for awhile then…..umm….not so much. So pull up a chair....this is a long one!


The trek to Virgin was pretty uneventful, made it to check in, grabbed some food at a cool little trading post then went into Springdale to check into my room (thanks to my awesome sister for hooking me up!). Once at the room I got everything laid out and ready so when the alarm went off at 4 am all I had to do was get dressed and drive back to Virgin for the start. Looking at the weather report I knew Friday would be tough but I really had no doubt I would finish if I played my cards right. The plan was to get out a little quicker than normal to log some solid miles before the heat hit. Once the sun started to cook me I knew I could go a bit slower then rally in the evening and morning. Solid game plan……check. I had all my ducks in a row and drop bags laid out, split cards looked good and even a bit conservative I thought. From here I would turn off the lights and hit the hay.

The alarm went off right at 4 am and I got up and started to get ready- shower, breakfast, pack the car and I was on the way to run the first ever Zion 100. At the start we weighed in and the RD went over the course and how hot it was going to get. There about 120 runner and about 20-25 first time 100 milers. I got to see a few familiar faces and meet a few more. Once the countdown started it was game time! GO! We took off up the road and headed for some ATV trails heading towards the Smith Mesa. There were a couple of miles of windy up and down hills that led to the trek up to the top. We started up Flying Monkey Trail and had a rather good climb for about 1.1 miles. There was a section with a rope and a nice single file line- first one to the top gets a $100 (Congrats to Jay Aldous for the $100 and a pretty amazing 1st place finish). Once on top we ran on a dirt road for about 15 miles. Around 7.2 miles in I came around a corner and sure enough, there was a flying Monkey (more of an Ape but who cares, it was pretty cool).

There is a Flying Monkey!

I hit the first aid station in good shape and was moving pretty good. I felt I could have even pushed a bit harder and still been okay but decided to keep it calm. I was about the 20th person through. I got to run with Mike Place and Dan Widerburg for a bit and it always nice to run with familiar faces. The road was long and dry and felt like it would never end. I still was moving along fairly well heading in to AS #2 around 18.5 miles. Once here you finally get off the road and start on a pretty crazy trail with rope and ledges and rocks and a small waterfall- it was my favorite part of the course (that I saw anyway).

Once through that section its back to a dirt/rocky road with no cover and the temps were really picking up.

Some rare shade....for about 30 yards.

Well this looks a little warm and dry...

 I slowed a bit to be sure to make it through the heat of the day and came through AS #3 about Mile 27. I got refueled, stood under the mister and took off. This next section was more brutal- 4 miles on road/pavement downhill – YUCK! After those 4 tough asphalt miles we hung a right and worked our way on some more ATV trails. I started to slow a bit more here and could tell I had not taken in enough calories to this point. I had hydrated well and got my electrolytes but because of the heat and my drop bags cooking in the sun, my EFS LS was super runny and very warm…a.k.a. really tough to get down. The heat was starting to get to me and any type of food or calories was just not agreeing with the heat and my stomach. I finally stumbled into AS #4 at the highway (mile 35) and picked up my first pacer- Shawn. This was a longer stop than I wanted but I was trying to get my temperature down a bit and take in a few calories. Far as time goes, I was ahead of my splits and under a sub 26 hour finish.

Shawn and I took off through the DAMN DESERT. I could feel my stomach turning, my energy starting to slide and the heat starting to kick my ass. Those that know me know I HATE HEAT! Hate it. Anything over 80 degrees is horrible. So over the next few miles I kept asking Shawn and myself- “What the hell was I thinking?- This is the son of a bitchin DESERT!” We both would laugh and meander along.

The sweet, sweet desert...

 This proved to be a tough section on me and I lost a bit of time. Shawn had bought a small spray bottle and would shoot me with water every so often which definitely helped. We finally reached AS #5 at mile 42 and I told her I needed to really gather myself, eat something…anything to get some energy for the climb ahead. We were there and watching people come through in bad shape. The heat was really getting to people and the fact the AS ran out of ice proved to be even more troublesome for many. I finally got up and we marched on.

Thinking WTH?

About mile 45.5 we hit a water only AS right before the big climb to Gooseberry Mesa. Here it was- the most daunting part of the course (besides the heat or so we thought). As I walked over to the cattle trough a guy was yelling at me not to drink it…really? I may be a little slow minded but come on. Shawn and I giggled about that and headed out. There I was the base of the climb. It was a bugger and turned out to be steeper than advertised. It was a beast!

The Climb

 A little over a mile to the top and we did it- not before encountering our first snake though. Once we hit the top there was a small station set up offering electrolyte slushies…man were those ever tasty!

Having a slushie on Gooseberry Mesa

 We followed the rocky windy trail over to Gooseberry Mesa AS- (Mile 51.5 and 52.5). I was there a bit and noticed I was behind my splits but mentioned to Shawn that the toughest part of the course was over and I thought I could rally and make up some time. My stomach still wasn’t 100% but with the night creeping in and the temps dropping I liked my chances. We grabbed our headlamps and headed out. Our night clothes were at the next AS- Mile 62.75 so we had about 10 miles to go to get there.

Here is where everything went wrong. We followed the course best we could. The marking were not real visible and there were no glow sticks, lights, balloons anything. We followed white dots on the rocks and a few transparent pink ribbons. We got off course 4-5 times through here but quickly turned and got back on track after Shawn would go ahead and scout it out. We were literally a few feet from the edge of the Mesa and a 2000’+ drop- Shawn and I laughed about that a lot but I think that helped us cope with it. I probably hit my lowest point here and had to stop and lay on a rock for about 5 or so minutes. The energy was zapped but I was still trying to nip the old LS flask much to the disagreement of my stomach. We were less than one mile from the next AS (so we thought) when we ran into 3-4 lost runners. They were absolutely frantic. They had been lost for over 4 hours. Once we got together and tried to assure them they were now on the right trail we came across multiple different markings and then another group of about 5-6 other runners…LOST. We all huddled together and looked a map that one of the guys had on him. We decided where we needed to go next. After about 25 more minutes of this, we ran into 2 more runners….you guessed it- LOST! They thought they knew where they were as well so we all started out. We wandered around a bit longer and I kept thinking- we have gone too far, we should have hit it by now. The wind was picking up and the temps were dropping. Shawn and I only had our run shirts and shorts- no gloves, sleeves, jackets, beanie…basically nothing warm. A while later we had found the trail again but something wasn’t right……wait- we see headlamps coming right at us. We asked where they were coming from and they told us- “Gooseberry AS”- WHAT? We were heading back to Mile 52.5…this proved to be huge blow to us. There we gathered and thought of our next plan. We could turn around and go another 8 or so miles and try and find the next AS but since it hadn’t been located in over 7 hours I didn’t think our odds were good. Most were out of food and water and it was really starting to get cold. A group of 5 of us huddled together to come up with the next game plan. Here is where I thought long and hard and really knew there was only one “smart” choice. I battled inside my own head for a few minutes but it seemed like eternity. If I do the “smart” thing, I would DNF and my race was over. If I chose option #2, I would be risking more I thought. Listen, I hate to fail. I know nobody likes to fail but I HATE to fail! It eats at me. It makes me questions myself more than normal. It makes me sick. With all this going through my head, I leaned towards Shawn and quietly told her I decided it would be best to head back to Mile 52- Gooseberry and call it. She knew it was the right choice as well but I think she wanted me to decide since it was my race. She helped every step of the way up to this point and it was my decision. We told the other 3 and 2 of them decided they would try again to find that AS. One person, Martin from San Jose, decided to come with us. After about 30 minutes and MORE searching in the dark and taking a few more wrong turns we found the AS. It was time to drop. The way over there I was lagging behind a bit- partly because of a couple bad blisters but the other part was I was in a bad place mentally and I wanted to be alone. I was disappointed with myself, angry, hurt, upset, discouraged, saddened and just plain mad. We were out there for over 6 hours and ended right back where we started. We finally talked the HAM radio guy to let us sit in the truck to try and keep warm, he offered a jacket, blanket and even offered one of us a chance to share his sleeping bag in the back of the truck…I will let you guess who the lucky lady….errr I mean person was. The 3 of us (not the radio guy) piled into the front of the truck and waited for someone to come get us. Shawn and Martin slept a bit but I just couldn’t sleep. I kept replaying everything through my head and couldn’t get over the disappointment and also wondered if the others were safe.

When morning broke, someone came to get us and we headed back to the start/finish. We found out we were really no where even close to finding that AS and that there were over 30 people that got lost. Some ended up on the highway wandering around, some showed up at the wrong AS and many just dropped like I did.

Overall, this will take some time to get over. I still feel like I made the right choice but I am still having a difficult time of wondering what if. Even though the trail was poorly marked through a few parts of the race and the area we got lost was not marked well for night time, I still recommend the race to those who like desert, heat and something different. Matt (RD) and his group really did put on a great race. It was the first year but I have been to many other races that could learn a lot from the Zion 100. I have no doubt that next year things will be different and better than ever. The volunteers, runners, RD, sponsors…everyone was extremely nice……even the radio operator that offered to cuddle. It’s unfortunate of to what happened and I really don’t blame anyone. I guess it is part of racing. Sure there are plenty of what if’s but I am trying to convince myself that what if’s are just that and nothing I can do now. I am excited to get back on the trail. Maybe I am just not a 100 mile runner. I still have another 100 miler this year- Wasatch, and I am hoping to PR it again and go sub?????? but until then I still have some beauties on my schedule.

Huge thanks to Shawn for helping me get as far as I did. I made it to Mile 52 and it only took me 73 miles to do it. HA! And Jim, I am very sorry you drove all that way and didn’t even get to pace. I am extremely humbled by all the support I got leading up to the race: the calls, the voicemails, the texts, the facebook comments…everything. Truly humbling and I definitely feel like a lucky guy. As I type this I am still scratching at the Cedar Gnat bites all over my legs and wondering if I will go back next year. I am not one to make excuses though….I just didn’t get it done this time.

Congrats to all the people who not only finished down there but those who toed the line. Now the healing process begins…..physical and mental.

Zion 100- Pre-Race

 

 

Well, the time is finally here. The much anticipated Zion 100. Actually, it did sneak up on me- I could use another month to get ready to be honest. The training has been pretty good. I got in some early season longer runs/races to hopefully help. I started Pilates and Power Plate and feel relatively strong. HOWEVER- being this is the first year of the Zion 100, I am a little very nervous. There is nothing to go off far as splits and general times between AS. The heat is looking a little frightening and then there is the course. I have never run in Zion before. There will definitely be a few sleepless nights this week.

 

On the flip side, the RD seems to have thought of everything! They are shuttling pacers to and from AS, the start/finish is the same location, the buckles for 100 mile finishers (hopefully I will be on the list) are made of materials found in Zion, the race shirts look slick, the course sounds like it will be marked well- they even have helium balloons with lights in them that will float in the air. I really am looking forward to the race and something a bit different to run on. I just hate to see things like this as course info-

 

Mile 45: The hardest hill of the race climbing to the top of Gooseberry Mesa. You’ll ascend around 1,500 feet in less than a mile. It is rocky and steep, and there is a high probability that your lungs will feel like they are filling with molten lava. I’d plan on hiking this section.

 

Yippee!!!! I can’t tell you how excited I am for that! The photos and talk of rattle snakes and mountain lions make me feel warm and fuzzy too.

 

I have entered three 100 mile races: Wasatch 100 (twice)-2 finishes and the SwanCrest 100 (DNF), so my experience isn’t a strong point. My goal is to finish, it’s early in the year and it isn’t my focus race so I want to make sure I do it right. Saying that, I am a little on the competitive side with myself. Not other runners or the course or even time….just me. I expect maybe more than I should from myself. I realize that training is the key and I am solely responsible for that but you never know- ANYTHING can happen during a 100 mile race. Those that have run one know of all the adversity you can encounter but the 2 factors that always have me concerned: stomach issues and heat. I HATE HEAT! I have tried (a couple times) to embrace it but it just sucks. Far as the stomach goes, that is an ongoing battle of wit and luck. Some days I think I have it dialed in and when I do- BAM! - it turns and so does the race. Since I am an old dude though, I am trying to dial in the mental game. I feel like I am a pretty mentally strong person and let’s face it- at the end of the day this could very well be our biggest strength or weakness.

 

Whatever happens in Zion.... happens. I can control some things and there are things I cannot. I don’t feel ready and even if I had more time to train I am sure I would feel the same way. It is what it is and it is too late now for me to do anything to get ready. So, time to embrace it and hope it embraces me back. I hope by the end of the week there will be another blog post of elation and triumph. I hope to come away with a PR while I am at it (sub 29:46- not stout but a PR is a PR). So whoever reads this post, send me some positive vibes, I am gonna need them.
A few of my favorite race mantras/sayings/whatever you wanna call them:

• No excuses, No Regrets- Leave Nothing. (Manners)
• Take chances. (BFish)
• Today is a crossroad where everything you want will collide with everything standing in your way.
• I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul. -W.E. Henley
• I am powerful beyond measure.
• Bring it home empty.
• This is what you came for.
• Strength and courage.
• Be the hero in you own life's story.
• Take it!
• I will soar on wings like an eagle, I will run and not grow weary.- Isaiah 40:31
• I'm all in!
• Get out there and see who you are.

If you do read this and have a few more....please post them.

 

Here is a link to the race: https://zion100.wordpress.com/

Here is a link that was sent out of some course recon: http://www.fastcory.com/2012/05/zion-100-course-guide.html

Here is a link if you wanna track me- I am bib #563: http://ultralive.net/zion100/webcast.php

 

Buffalo Run 50 mile Race Report

Whew- glad this one finally ended. I have never felt this bad after a race...any race! More on that later though. Since Moab a month ago I have been battling shin issues. I have been to therapy, I have taken time off, I have had fantastic training runs and I have had very poor runs a missed a few all together. Needless to say I was heading into this race with very little to no momentum. I had thought of dropping down to the 50k or even the 25k and a few thoughts of dropping out of the race all together but with the race schedule I have lined up, I thought I might as well give it a go. Ultra Running is a choice, you do not have to run, you do not have to prove anything, you can do whatever you want. Yes, I have been less than 100%. Yes I have been struggling but when you toe the line- all excuses go out the door. YOU chose to be there and if you let those excuses inhabit your thoughts then you are setting yourself up for a DNF. I was taught long ago that if you start something like this it is by your own choice and no matter how it turns out, you decided to be there.
As I drove out to the island I had those all too familiar butterflies after all its race day. I parked the car and started to slowly get things in order. I decided on 2 dropbags- one at White Rock and one at Lower Frary (passed through there twice). I carried one UltrAspire handheld and an UltrAspire Fusion MBS belt (it holds 2- 8 ounce flasks). In the handheld I carried water and in my flasks I carried 4 oz of EFS liquid shot and one scoop of EFS electrolyte mix. Over the past year this has proven to be my fuel of choice.
After I got all prettied up I walked over the the tent to drop off my bags and see some friends to wish them luck. It was a beautiful morning and the temps were perfect (that would later change).
When Jim said GO- we went. To my surprise I felt pretty good. My goal was to go out a little slower on the initial climb and make sure I didn't use up too much. Well, I ran all the way to Lone Tree and was feeling pretty good. Once we hit Elephant Head the sun was up and things looked amazing. It was pretty uneventful until about mile 19 when we hit White Rock AS and the HUMR crew. It was great to see more familiarr faces. I was in and out pretty quick and just getting prepared for the long haul to the ranch. On the way to the ranch I could feel the temps climbing. I do not do well it heat and it was about to show.  After Lower Frary where i switched out a couple flasks, the front runners started coming back. It was nice to see some of the speedy bastards- Bj, Bryce, Corey and Ryan. I ran near Curtis for a good portion and saw him and Dan at the Ranch. The heat was really starting to get to me and I had a few doubts how this was going to turn out. The shins were aching and I was "just off". I tried to stay with Dan and Curtis and piggy back on their pace but right before Lower Frary I hit a wall. I had the pleasure of seeing Breein, Forrest and Shawn which helped perk me up a bit. At Lower Frary, Erik Storheim dumped a big bucket of cold water on me and I was hoping this would do the trick. I left Lower Frary in a walk and had no desire to run. I was sore and hot and just didn't want to be out there anymore. I managed to get the legs going and trot along. The last 10 miles were very uneventful but I tried to make a goal of not letting anyone pass me. I was hoping to finish under 9 hours and when I saw I had no chance I lost alot of motivation. I think I could have easily gone under 10 hours but I just didn't have the drive. I tried to think back to Wasatch 2011 and that finish but it wasn't going to happen today. I really don't know why I couldn't get things going and over the last 8 or so miles I just thought about the rest of the year and where to go from here. As I trotted down the long gravel road and up the small climb to the finish- thanks for that Jim :) - I was never so happy to see a finish line. I didn't look up at all as I came down the chute, part because I was tired and a big part because I was so disappointed.
Finish in 10:07 good enough for 45th place and well off my goal. I did PR the 50 mile distance for me but this makes 2 races and 2 disappointing times.
After the race I had to go to my car and lay down for 30 minutes to try and compose myself. I was feeling horrible....okay I really felt worse than that.
My thought know go to what's next. Part of me thinks I just need to shut it down until I get my shins healthy but the other part doesn't want to lose any fitness either. Regardless of what I decide to do there are a few things are are obvious. I hope to work on those things after the sting on the race wears off.

A huge thanks you to all the volunteers and people who make this race happen. This was my first ever trail race 7 years ago and still a favorite! Thanks Jim.
Major kudos to Bryce, Bj, Cory, Ryan,Shane, Curtis, Nick, Lindsay and Harrison.
A special "Atta Boy" to Larry Adams for nailing the 100 miler!!!!!
Forrest and Breein- way to go! First ever 50 milers and did it in style. Breein damn near passed me too.....
Thanks to the family for making it to the finish to see a tired and wore out guy cross the finish line!
It was great to see all the familiar faces a the race- look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Moab Red Hot 55k Report

Photo: Compliments of UltrAspire

The first race of the year! It finally arrived and I was very excited to get out of town and head down to the red rocks. I left work Friday afternoon just in time to get to the packet pick up. We arrived at Eddy McStiffs as they were cleaning up the check in. Grabbed my goodie bag then walked over to eat a late night pre-race meal. Before I sat down I was approached and got to say hello to some great folks from UltrAspire. We chatted a bit and I sat down for dinner. I ordered the usual pre-race IPA and decided to go with the vegetarian lasagna. After dinner, Jim and I headed over to the hotel to get settled and ready for the next day’s festivities. Moab Red Hot is not just a race but a party. The quicker you get to the finish the quicker you get to have fun.


I tossed and turned all night long, apparently the lasagna just didn’t agree with me. When the alarm finally went off I was still in bad shape. Not only was I worried about a week’s worth of shin splints but now my stomach wasn’t being friendly. I tried to take care of that issue before we left to the start but no luck. Showing up to the start line in Moab is always a joyous occasion. So many familiar faces that you haven’t seen since the fall are all there with grins from ear to ear. I wandered around a bit saying hello and found my place at the start line. The thought was to go out at a decent clip and see if I could get myself to throw up. When the RD said GO, we were off. After about 20 yards I realized that taking first place wasn’t going to happen. After about 30 yards I realized a podium spot was just out of reach too. Dang! Oh well, time to find a rhythm and go. The first 20 miles were pretty uneventful. I locked into a solid pace and though at times it was just a bit faster than I wanted, I wanted to treat this as a long training run but also take a few chances. About mile 21-22 is when the grind up the red rock starts and ironically is when my shin splints kicked in for the first time. I looked at my watch and knew I was primed to go sub 6 which was my goal. I have run this race 3 other times and knew the downhill starting about mile 26 was a point where I always made up time. SPOILER ALERT! - This year would be different. The red rock was bringing me to my knees with pain in my shins. By the time I hit the downhill I was in bad shape. I could not take the pounding on my favorite part of the course. I knew I needed some things to change if I would hit my goal. For the next 4-5 miles I became a slave to my watch. I looked down continually and tried to do math in my head to predict my finish time. It wasn’t until I knew that a sub 6 was out of reach that I quite looking. For about a mile or so I was a little bummed but that soon passed when I started to think about the year I had in store. Was this my goal race? No. Was this going to determine my season? No. Was this race going to set the tone for 2012? No. SO I decided to cruise in and play an all too familiar game. Near the end of a race I like to watch the runner in front of me. If they turn around to check where I am, when that happens the game begins. When I see that, I tell myself- pass them. So there are races when I hope they don’t turn cause I don’t want to go faster but today I needed the fun. Well it happened to only 3-4 people but it worked. I came through the finish line in 6:17- 43 minutes faster than last year but 17 minutes short of my goal. This tells me 2 things- training is getting better and I still have a long way to go. Luckily I get to train with some of the best people I know so it’s easy to get out the door. Overall I consider Moab a success- a good place to start. I already look forward to next year on the Red Rock. Congrats to all my friends on their day. It was great to see so many people I know. I am already looking forward to the Buffalo Run 50 miler in a few short weeks. As for the shin splints- there still there but if I ever ran pain free I may be in too much shock to run.

As for some details…. I used my amazing UltrAspire Isomeric Pocket handheld bottle to carry straight water (it was a balmy 60+ degrees during this one). For nutrition I used First Endurance Liquid Shot mixed with EFS drink and water. I combine 3 ounces of liquid shot with one scoop of EFS powder and top off the 10 oz flask with water- PERFECT! My energy and hydration were spot on all day. No issues at all. After the race and before the beer I chugged down a bottle of Ultragen-cappucino style!

Photo compliments of UltrAspire

My dad and why I run

The few of you that stop by and read this blog are here for stuff about my running. Well this post will do 2 things:


1- Talk about a great man

2- Explain a major reason why I run

February 19th, 2005- my relationship with my father changed. It has taken me 7 years to figure that out but I figured it out on my last run. When my dad passed away unexpectedly 7 years ago, it could not have come at a worse time. Not that any time is good for something like this but the fact my daughter was due to arrive was only 3 short weeks away. He was so excited to see his grand-daughter and the months leading up to that he spoke of it often. So his passing 3 weeks before Aspen’s birth was devastating! I wanted to mourn but the excitement of her birth was building for months. I was trying to be strong for many reasons and I never grieved properly. Well fast forward to this year- it wasn’t until recently that I figured out that I hadn’t “lost” my dad but I realized our relationship had only changed. I have never “lost” my dad, he has always been there-everyday. Just like any relationship, it takes work. It is never a one sided deal and there is always compromise. It’s about being there for each other and bringing out each other’s best. It may be more complicated now but that’s what makes it so strong. There are no more hugs or high 5’s, kisses on the forehead or pats on the butt. But there are still conversations, moments of pride and sadness and lessons learned. I have tried to take the best from my dad and not focus on anything negative. He wasn’t the perfect man but the example he set was a way for me to learn. We may spend more time together now than ever and trust me it’s quality time. I still miss the feel of his rough hands and unshaven face, how course his full head of hair was when I gave him hug and the sound of his voice. I miss them but I have not forgotten them, I have not lost him. Dad, thank you- thank you for the lessons you still teach me and thank you for instilling that little bit of grit that gets me through the tough times.

Why do I run? I get asked that question more times than I care to count. Why do you run so far? Why do you run in bad weather? Why do you run so fast (okay maybe not that one). Why do you, why do you, why do you…..? I guess it is a valid question. I never enjoyed running. It didn’t appeal to me. If you threw a soccer ball out on the grass I could run forever! Running to get somewhere never really appealed to me. About 7-8 years ago, I had the privilege of watching a close friend run the Katcina Mosa 100k then the Wasatch 100. It sure didn’t make sense and I was asking all the “why do you” questions. What the hell was Scott Jaime thinking? (Ironically enough, my dad thinks the world of Scott, so coincidence?) What the hell were all the other people thinking? After hanging around the Big Mountain aid station at Wasatch I thought it would be cool to pace him the following year- whatever pacing was anyway. The next year I paced him and though I am sure I wasn’t the ideal pacer, I was hooked (little did I know).

Since then I have been slowly and very inconsistently running. I have run a few ultras and too few training runs. It is on those mountain trails I have noticed I have become closer to my dad. It may have not been the initial reason or maybe even the only reason but it sure is a big reason. My dad loved the outdoors and I grew up appreciating them. Being in the mountains reminds me of the time I spent with my dad, learning to fish, learning to set up a tent, learning to start a fire without a match and how to cook a gourmet mountain meal. So when I don’t have the desire to get out the door or lace up my shoes, I try to remind myself that it is an opportunity to spend time with my dad. It’s up to me if I lose him or not……

Its been 7 years dad- I Love you dad and I am grateful for our relationship.

Training Week Feb. 6th-12th

Monday 6th- Did some core strength training. Miles 0


Tuesday 7th- Just me and Bj out on the trails and stretched it just a bit. Miles 9

Wednesday 8th- Hot the kettle bells for strength workout. Miles 0
Thursday 9th- Got out for a solid 12 miles on the BST. Great conditions and felt pretty strong throughout. Miles 12.

Friday 10th- Off- Family night. Miles 0


Saturday 11th- Argh- Got talked into running around Willard Bay today. Well, it didn’t take much talking but chances are I will not be doing this one again. For 18.25 miles there was a whopping 27’ of vertical! So basically ran around on a gravel dike. Saw 4 bald eagles, ducks, swans and one curious skunk. Miles 18.25


Sunday 12th- It was my 8 year wedding Anniversary so today was about no running. Miles 0

Still got around the 40 mile mark. The goal heading forward is to increase the mileage just a bit for a few weeks. Next week is Moab Red Hot 55k. I am better prepared this year but still not sure how I am going to race it. May try and go hard till I burn out or just might take it easy. Most likely I will run how I want to run most races and go to how I feel. Either way, I am looking forward to hitting the red rock in Moab but really hoping the weather is better this year.

Weekly Miles- 39.25

Training week Jan. 30th- Feb 5th

Whew- 2 weeks off make things rough. Started 2012 feeling good and being consistent while slowly building an early base then BOOM! - Sickness sets in. I had to take 2 weeks off and that made me a bit grumpy but good news is that I am back running and had a solid week.


Monday 30th- Did some core strength training. Miles 0

Tuesday 31st- First run in 2 weeks and boy I could tell. Legs felt blah and all the stuff in my head and chest made it tough to breathe. Last day of January and wanted at least 150 but only ended with 100- which is good for me. Miles 7.5

Wednesday 1st- Hot the kettle bells for strength workout. Miles 0

Thursday 2nd- My daughter Sami turned 15 today- Yikes! Still managed a run. Felt really good for the most part. Miles 11.

Friday 3rd- Off- Family night. Miles 0

Saturday 4th- Today I made it out to Antelope Island for the Buffalo Training run. Plan was to do 15-18 for me so I didn’t do too much too fast after being off for 2 weeks. Legs felt good and the weather was incredible. Ran out to the ranch (almost got there) didn’t want to do too many and headed back. Fell in behind Bj and he made me pay for running with him. Pushed it back to the car and managed to see 4 coyotes and some trophy deer. Great, great run with many fantastic people. Wasatch 100 draw was today and I got in! 3 for 3-!!!! Miles 21.5

Sunday 5th- Superbowl Sunday so I took off and cooked chicken wings ALL DAY! Miles 0

Got in more miles this week that I wanted to but the body felt pretty good. Legs were a bit sore after Saturday but shin and back felt great. Got into Wasatch and Moab is only 2 weeks away. Finished January with 100 miles. 50 short of my goal but after 2 weeks off, I will take it. Goal for February is 170.

Weekly Miles- 40