Manners 2012

January 9-15th/ Training

2012-01-16T12:46:00.002-07:00

Another pretty decent week of training.

Monday 9th – Strength training- core and legs. Miles 0

Tuesday 10th- Got in the usual 8 mile run on the BST north of Rainbow. Solid run, no tight back, no shin issues. Ran hard and felt strong. Miles- 8

Wednesday 11th- Kettle Bell and abs work. Miles 0

Thursday 12th- Met at Rainbow Gardens with the plan to go north. This was my best run on the section that I can remember. Felt strong throughout and tried to push the pace most of the time. Shins and back felt great. Miles 8

Friday 13th- Rest day. Actually went to a Murder Mystery.

Saturday 14th- Met 12 others at 22nd St TH and planned on doing 20 miles. Headed south over towards Bues then came back to 22nd to refuel. Picked up 3 more people and headed North as the sun came out. Today I incorporated my hydration and nutrition I will use for racing to make sure I am getting it dialed in. It worked well for Wasatch so for long runs I will do it to be ready for races. Once we arrived back to the parking lot after the 20 miles we had a little party. Great run felt pretty solid. Glad I get the opportunity to run with such amazing people! Miles 20.

Sunday 14th- A little recovery run today. Got in 6 and felt okay. Legs were a little tired from yesterdays 20 but for mid January I felt great. Miles 6.

Weekly Miles- 42

Pretty good week overall. Tried to push the pace a bit and hammer the hills when I could. For mid-January I feel a lot further along than any other year. The goal now is to keep it up. I will probably keep my mileage around the 40-45 mile mark for a few more weeks and then get in a bigger week or 2 before Moab. I have the Kahtoola Snowshoe 25k on January 28th but haven’t been on snow shoes yet.

Saturday I also registered for the San Juan Solstice 50 in June. I will get the pleasure of toeing the line with some friends from Colorado and my training pals- Breein, Shawn, Bj and Jon.

Be A Hill Seeker

2012-01-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

Most of us try to avoid hills but what's so good about flat?
Think about it: flat tires, flat hair and flat lining.
Life happens on the hills.
They're opportunities to prove to yourself that
you're stronger than you ever imagined. If you never
attempt the ascent, you'll never know the thrill of flying
down the other side......

1st Week of January- 1st through the 8th

2012-01-09T09:52:00.002-07:00

Start of the January 1st run- Aric and Jon lovin Forrest!

Sunday January 1st- Had a great run- "12 for 12". Had 12 great people meet to run 12 miles to welcome in the New Year. Started at 22nd St TH and ran south to Bues and back. Miles- 12
Monday January 2nd- Met at Rainbow Gardens and we headed North along the BST- shin splints were acting pretty upset but ran hard. Miles- 8
Tuesday January 3rd- Took day off to rest shins. Miles 0
Wednesday January 4th- Shins still pretty beat, went in to Sean Wayne for some A.R.T. and ASTYM treatment. Miles- 0
Thursday January 5th- Met at Rainbow Gardens and headed North. Great turn out. Back was stiff for the first 3 miles. Rolled my ankle REALLY good on the way back back to car. Hobbled in from there. Miles- 8
Friday January 6th- Day off to care for ankle and shins...not fun. Miles - 0
Saturday January 7th- SNOW! Met at 22nd St TH with a plan to do 18 miles. Started South then came back and headed North. At the turnaround- Breein, Shawn. and myself saw a black bear perched up high on the mountain. Probably the same one that has been spotted for the last year. Pretty cool. Miles -19
Sunday January 8th- Legs were a little tired so I stayed in and did ab and leg workout.
Weekly Miles- 47
Overall it was a decent week. Struggling a bit with sore shins and tight back. Not how I wanted to start the year. Trying to be smart so the shin issue will go away but I really need to keep the mileage up. Big races on tap. Great runs on Sundays to book end the week. Low mileage during the week.

Snow Patrol- Jon, Shawn, Breein and Forrest (photo by ME)

Here comes 2012

2012-01-04T10:33:00.001-07:00

Finally a post.

2011 is over and 2012 has begun. 2011 started out pretty disappointing, got better, then more disappointment, then BAM- Wasatch 100 then shut it down for family time.

From January to late March I struggled with a hip and abdominal injury that wouldn’t go away. In early April we got that fixed before I went down the Grand Canyon for a R2R2R crossing. It ate me for lunch but I did it (I will be heading back this year to try and find some of the dignity I left near the bottom).

After my GC adventure the year went stale. No real racing other than the Pocatello 50 (I did the 20 miler) in May and the RD duties the remainder of the summer. For my 40th b-day I was nursing a separated shoulder I suffered while glissading down from Ben Lomond Peak. I sat out July and hit the trails HARD in August to get ready for the Wasatch 100. That race made the entire year worth it! I hit my goal of a sub 30 hour finish in a painful fashion. Little did I know that race would be what set me up for 2012.

After Wasatch I paced 40 miles at the Bear and then hit California for 2 weeks with the family. Not only did I spend some quality time with my family but it helped me step back from reality (life, work, running, etc) and re- charge and re-focus. That trip was a game changer- except for the 10+ pounds I put back on with all the eating and no exercise.

When I got back in November I started my own resolutions a few months early. I put together more of a structured running plan (a first) and really worked on consistency. Through the holidays I stayed to task and was discipline enough to keep putting in the work. As the New Year approached I got excited of what could be in 2012.

As I began throwing my race schedule together I put some things first- family and my own trail series I direct here in Northern Utah. After the dust settled and I lost out on the Hardrock and Western States draw my schedule started coming together (to the right you will see my current schedule for 2012). I really have my fingers crossed for Wasatch and I am still trying to figure out June (Big Horn 100, Black Hills 100 or San Juan Solstice 50) and August (Waldo 100k?).

This year there will be weekly posts of training and since I am not a huge mileage runner I hope to do no less than 40 per week and vary between 40-70. The miles will be quality miles and I will focus on the things I hate- hills, climbing and speed. With all this comes the need to drop that damn weight but if I do it right I will hopefully be where I want to be come late April. Being a middle of the pack runner, there are times I wonder what I could do if I really pushed the training. Juggling it with family and work are tough for everyone so the need to improve comes with consistency and focus. I don't want to lose the reason I do this so I am going to keep it all in perspective. I run for fun, for friendships, for health and for me. I have started a running club for 2012 and with the help of all these great people I know 2012 will be special in so many ways. I hope to use this blog not only for my friends to make fun of me but a way to hold myself to task and add some accountability so I can't hide or make excuses (yuck!).

So here is to 2012! I hope to see many new faces on the trails and be more committed than ever to those things are most important to me

Wasatch 100 2011 Race Report

2011-09-13T11:42:00.006-06:00

(The best game face I have)

Read all about it! Wasatch 100 2011 is in the books. It took me a few days to finish up the report because I needed it to sink in. Not sure it has still but if I wait too long I may forgot some good schtuff. This report may be a little lengthy but it is my blog so I can do what I want…right? Okay, we agree and now we can move on.

Leading up to the race I was pretty nervous. I wasn’t feeling very confident for a few reasons. One- I had to take off the month of July due to my separated shoulder. Two- I DNF’d at the Swan Crest 100 in July of 2010 and not sure I recovered mentally from that. Three- I hadn’t run longer than 47 miles since my Grand Canyon Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim slog in April. August proved to be a great month of training- probably my best month ever. I got in some quality running, great hiking and lost 20 pounds. The days leading up to the start I made sure I was getting all my plans in order and my gear ready. I didn’t want to share my goals too widely because I didn’t want the added pressure. I didn’t post on my blog for the same reasons.

As my wife and I drove to the 5 am start time I began to process some things and discuss something that had been on my mind for a few days. I had been receiving quite a few texts, emails, phone calls and post on Facebook and Twitter wishing me luck. The reason it was consuming my thoughts was because some were from people I have never met and some from people that I haven’t seen in years. For so many people to take the time out of their day to send a quick little- “Good Luck” or “we’ll be following online” was pretty moving. I was actually very surprised and must admit it felt pretty nice. So thank you to everyone who help lift my spirits. As I parked and got ready for the start, memories of my 2008 Wasatch came rushing back. It was all too familiar and it sure hadn’t seemed like 3 years ago. I saw some friends and we all exchanged our well wishes. I joined the herd and awaited the start.

3-2-1 and we were off. I knew we had to cover some trail before it filed down to a conga line and we would begin our climb after Fernwood. I knew I wanted to get out a little quicker so I could make better time up to the top and through Chinscaper. The climb was pretty slow and go with so many people lining the mountainside. The wind was picking up but the temps were already into the 70’s. After the climb up Chinscraper we hit some very overgrown singletrack. The late snow melt made it nearly impossible for the trail to get worked on before the race and it made it a bit slower for me.

I got into Francis Peak about 30 minutes faster than 2008 and was feeling good. I got the pleasure of meeting Jeff from PA and ran with him for 4-5 miles. It was his first hundred miler (Jeff finished in 32 hours!- great job!). As I approached Francis Peak I hear a familiar voice yell out- “come on Manners”. Huh? Who was up here? None other than Mr. Rick Robinson- the guru of ultra crewing. Rick knows more about Ultras than most of the runners. He has been crewing his son-in-law for years at some of the greatest ultras in the US. He had my drop bag laid out and reminded me to make sure I was eating. It was such a mental lift to see him. It was only 20 miles into the race but man was it much needed. Rick got me out of there pretty quick and I was on my way to the Bountiful B. This has some pretty amazing views but I don’t care for a few of its climbs. I arrived at the “B” ahead of my 2008 times but I wasn’t about to look at my splits yet. I was in and out of there pretty quick. After I left the “B” my focus shifted from running to finding a nice little spot in the woods to take care of some business. Little did I know I would need to take care of business a whopping 13 times over the next 75 miles. Sure made for a long(er) day!

It was pretty uneventful through the next few sections other than finding some nice hidden spots in the woods. I felt good and my legs seemed to be in good shape. The only issues I was having was with my left big toe. Earlier in the race on some very over grown single track I decided to go back to my soccer days apparently as I tried to kick a 20+ pound rock. It felt like my big toe just exploded but I was pretty apprehensive to look. Uphill and flat sections it felt fine but going down was pretty painful. Lucky for me the last 75 miles there was almost no downhill…..HA!

(Weighing in at Big Mountain)

When I pulled into Big Mountain I felt good. I got to see my family and this is where I picked up my first pacer- Alicia. This was also the first weigh in on the course. The scale showed I was down 10 pounds after 39.4 miles. The volunteers barked at me to start eating more or they would make me. My nutrition and hydration had been spot on all day so I really didn’t want to mess with that in any way. My crew took great care of me and had me back on the course in no time. I shared some thoughts with Alicia to make sure we were on the same page. She did AWESOME. Over the next 2 sections I felt fantastic! I ran pretty hard and felt great.

(Kids giving me love before I left Big Mtn)

Pulling into Lamb’s I was running strong and the legs were working like a charm. As I came up the hill I saw my next pacer- Breein and she was all smiles. I went through the weigh in and was down 2 more pounds (12 total after 53 miles). I leapt off the scale and tried to get lost in the crowd so they wouldn’t say anything. Breein got me all taken care of for the next section and my wife and kids got me fueled and motivated. Alicia did such a great job over those 2 sections. Her first pacing duties and she definitely earned and “A” from me!

(Pacer exchange- Breein (L) Alicia (R)- Alicia doing a Popeye impression)

Breein did an amazing job getting me up over Bear Ass Pass and into Millcreek. She made sure we kept a pretty good pace and she kept my mind occupied. I was starting to feel a little heavier in the legs but not bad considering. Once we hit the road to Millcreek I walked. My toe was killing after a nice downhill section from the pass and it felt like I developed a good blister on my heal. Breein was very patient with me as we continued to walk up the longest road on the planet!

Once into Millcreek I decided to sit down and take care of a few things. Up to this point I had tried to get in and out of the aid stations fairly quick. I changed my socks (my left big toe was sticking out and looked pretty sweet!). It also revealed a nice blood blister on my left heal as well. Since both my pacers are nurses- yep certified nurses- they took care of my blister and patched me back up. Melony did a great job of making sure I got my socks changed (Sami and her actually cleaned my feet) and got my cold weather stuff for the night ahead. I could of swore I was an Indy car at points of this race- it was awesome! Mentally I think I started to shift here as well. My legs were starting to get more tired, the trip to the port-o-johns and the woods were really taking their toll and my feet were starting to show signs of going south. My wife and kids gave me words of encouragement and parted by saying- “see you at the finish tomorrow”…..bitter sweet for me- seeing them at the finish- sweet, the fact it wouldn’t be until “tomorrow”- bitter!

(Sitting at Millcreek while Melony and Sami clean my nasty feet-fantastic smile and hair—eh?)

Breein was still with me as we made the trudge to Brighton. I wanted to run but it just didn’t feel like a good idea. Going into the race I had a real vague game plan- run when you can and when you can’t….don’t. Breein was a champ as she literally pulled me to Deso Lake and then up to Scotts Pass and down to Brighton. The descent to Brighton was on the road but we actually made pretty good time and it was just a beautiful night out! We pulled into “the morgue” and I must say I felt 1000% better than 2008. In 2008 I spent over 1 hour 30 minutes in a race induced coma before I got up and crawled to the finish. This time was different. My stomach was starting to go but man I was happy to be there and be able to function on my own. I thanked Breein for all she did (which was a ton) and said hello to the man that was going to get me to the finish- Larry. Larry answered the call to show up at Brighton in the wee morning hours and get me to the finish.

As we left Brighton I told Larry it may take me awhile from here since things were starting to rally against me. He got me up to Catherine’s Pass before we went down the nasty section to Ant Knolls. At Ant Knolls I grabbed a pancake with nothing on it to hopefully serve as a sponge in my stomach. I was hoping it could settle everything going on in there. The grind out of Ant Knolls…SUCKS! Poor Larry is training for the Bear 100 in a couple weeks and thought he was getting in a nice 25 mile run…surprise Larry- we were hiking. I couldn’t gather the zest to get my legs going. I wanted to run but just didn’t have the energy. The sun came up and we both had our heads on a swivel looking at how the sunrise kissed the mountains. Ahh---this is life I thought until I realized what the hell I was doing and how far I still had to go. The calming thought for me at this point was I was confident I would at least finish. That was a good feeling. At Pole Line my stomach was worse. I was starting to feel more nauseous and knew my goal of a sub 30 was gone but my back up plan was sub 32. After all, it took me 34 hours and 51 minutes in 2008 so a sub 32 is definitely an improvement. Here Larry handed me a ginger chew. I have seen them and heard great things about them but I hate ginger. I thought I might as well give it a shot. I sucked on it for a good 45 minutes and by damn if that little sucker didn’t calm my stomach. SA-WEET- tasted nasty but worked. It was still slow and go and I kept apologizing to Larry- he wanted to run and I just couldn’t. I think I was now in survival mode. We hit Rock Springs and I sat down for a minute to gather a little composure before we went out on the nastiest, scariest and most intimidating part of the course…for me at least. The last miles of the Wasatch 100 has quite a reputation and in 2008 it lived up to it with me and crushed me!

I wish I could put into words the last 12-13 miles but there is no way I could do it justice. As Larry and I approached the plunge and dive I started doing some math in my head. I looked at my split card and Rock Springs and saw just how far off I had gotten for a sub 30 (my goal). I accepted a sub 32 but then I started to think a sub 31 was in the cards. Here is where I really feel my dad came into to play major role. I lost my dad 7 years ago and he never got to see me run. I wasn’t that crazy in the head….. yet. As I approached that nasty descent a thought came in…..what if I tried to get to Pot Bottom fast as I could and then see where I was with 7 miles to go? I told myself to pull up a recliner in the pain cave cause I was going to have to get “really comfortable at being uncomfortable” (obviously not my saying but it s spot on). I knew I was going to have to endure some major aches and pains this next section, maybe more than I have ever felt before. I took a leap of faith and was off. I was pushing the red line for most of this section and I kept looking down at my watch. I was passing people through here and they all looked shocked. I had my head down and had one thing on my mind. I kept thinking about my goal- sub 30 and how truly close I was. What if I never run Wasatch again, what if I never get this close again, what if, what if, what if….. I kept repeating all the neat little mantras I could. Partly for motivation but also to keep my mind off how much I hurt:

Why are you here?

Can I give more…YES!

Go out there and see who you are?

Before I knew it I was at Pot Bottom. I looked at my watch- 9:13 am. Yikes, I had 1 hour and 45 minutes to cover 7 miles. Looking at that you would just think- no problem. Heck a 12 minute a mile pace is 1 hour 24 minutes. I can do that. Reality check- I had already run 93 miles and the last 6 were absolutely brutal. The next section isn’t much easier on the quads or jacked up feet. I refilled my bottle and told the guy I needed to go. He asked- “you going for a sub 30.” I replied- “gonna try”- he said- “think you can do it, you gotta go hard.” I said- “we will know within the next 2 hours.”

I really felt I had my life passing through my mind here. So many people have helped me get to this place and now it was up to me. I thought of my family and everything they need to put up with, my pacers who took time from their family and lives to come and aid a friend, all the well wishers who took time from their lives to shoot me some encouragement, past experiences of pain and triumph, my training friends who helped me get to the start line and lastly…ME. I wanted this. I really wanted this. More than ever I wanted this. It was my chance to prove a little something to myself. My chance to put my one and only DNF to rest. My chance to erase some negativity if only for awhile. I made a commitment to myself that right then and there I was going to hurt more than anyone else to go sub 30. It was time to attack the course that crushed me 3 years ago.

Well, I DID IT! Final section 1 hour 30 minutes. I crossed the finish line in 29:46.30. I covered the last 2 sections in 3 hours and 10 minutes. My kids came sprinting over to me and all the pain was gone if only for a moment, I heard people cheering but I never looked up. I was talking to my last and final pacer of the day- my dad.

I realize that it was a trail race. I realize it took me 29 +hours (but not 30 :)). I realize I came through in 76th place. I realize I was 9+ hours slower than 1st place. But I PR'd it by 5 hours! I also realize I learned something from it and after all, isn’t that why we do it?

I want to congratulate all the people who toed the line and especially my friends who ran it- BJ Burlison (sub 30) - his 1st ever 100 miler, this kid has talent and I was so happy to see him already finished. Jim Skaggs- Mr. 2011 Grand Slammer!

Thanks to my pacers- Alicia, Breein and Larry. I couldn't have done it without you 3. You were all so amazing!!!! Thanks to everyone who cheered me on from where ever you are. Thanks to everyone who believed in me even when I didn't. And to my family- there is nothing more I can say that hasn’t been said. This was for you- our team! I know I am truly a lucky guy. Not sure why or how but I am so thankful to be surrounded by such amazing people. Pride filled me after the race not just for the time but because I am proud to know all of you and call you my friends...thank you............

Gathering my composure at the finish line (above)

(At the finish line. Never thought I could feel that good after 100 miles of Heaven and Hell!)

Ahh….the material reward!

Wasatch 100 2011- Pre-race

2011-09-06T12:24:00.002-06:00

Tick-tock, tick-tock…Wasatch 100 is here! This is the 2nd time I will be toeing the line for this monster. In 2008 I got lucky enough to draw out for Wasatch and it became my first ever 100 mile race. Many people couldn’t believe I chose Wasatch to be my first 100. Looking back now I wouldn’t have it any other way. You see, I only put in for the lottery- Wasatch actually picked me! People were saying- “why don’t you do an easier one for experience.” I think- why don’t I experience a hard one for my first?

Well 2008 didn’t go exactly according to any plan I could muster up but I did finish, I did learn a lot. I finished in a time of 34:51. Not fast, not pretty but a finish but I got to spend a lot of time with this guy- too much time in his opinion I am sure. Sure I was flirting with a 36 hour cut-off but there times I was flirting with a DNF too. The experience made me stronger and I believe a better person. Here is my post race report from 2008- WASATCH 2008

Now onto 2011! I was lucky enough to be selected again by this beast of a course in February and it has given me plenty of time to train. Training was going well until July 3rd when someone pushed me down the snowy peak of Ben Lomond and I did a Tomahawk Chop and separated my shoulder. Who pushed me you asked…..well me! I sat out nearly all of July and actually got back to running earlier than the doctor advised me. August has been the best training month of my short running life and I have enjoyed it to the max. I changed my diet and dropped 20 pounds and feel pretty strong. I am heading into Wasatch with expectations because that it who I am and who I have always been. I have never been speedy and most likely never will be but when I run these races, I try not to be competitive but rather accept where I am at and what I am doing. Some say it is you vs. the mountain or the other runners or the clock. I have fallen into the thinking that it is me AND the mountain. I get the opportunity like so many others to smell and see things that most people do not. I get to experience nature, I get to experience pain and I get to experience exhilaration! I never enjoyed running…never. Now through running I am a better person. Sometimes I am like most, I hate to get up early and run, I don’t enjoy the Utah summer heat while slogging out a 20 mile run through the mountains but at the end of the day I can say I have NEVER regretted a run. Even July 3rd on top of Ben Lomond, I didn’t regret it. Running has given me the chance to meet some of the most amazing people and visit some truly remarkable places.

So just a few days out from Wasatch, what am I thinking? Well I am thinking way to MUCH! I just keep trying to remind myself to enjoy the journey. I know there will be highs and lows, pain, suffering, steep climbs, rapid descents and darkness but I also know there will be trees, wonderful people, beautiful single track, animals, family, friends and of course THE FINISH LINE! We always ask ourselves if we are truly ready. The answer is very simple…no. Maybe for the exception of this time…. Am I ready, Yes- I am ready for a 100 mile journey no more- no less. I will be bib #124 for those at home who want to follow along here.

No matter what happens on Friday and Saturday I am confident I will be a better person after it is over. I have the support of my beautiful family, wonderful friends, running mates, world class pacers and I get to feel closer to my dad.

Good Luck to everyone running Wasatch this weekend. I hope we can share a smile before and after the race. Remember to have fun and enjoy the journey!

Wait- what is my expectation or goal? Well, we can share that next time……

It's almost time

2011-09-06T10:51:00.002-06:00

Yes, it has been over a month since my last post but I have been too busy training. Stay tuned for a pre-Wasatch post....

The Big 4-0

2011-07-11T11:12:00.000-06:00

Well, I am now the big 4-0! Not sure what all the commotion is about though. Maybe when I turn 50 it will be more of a shock. When people have asked what it felt like to be 40 my answer has been- "Just puts me in a new age group for races."
I had a great day of a solid breakfast, visit with my mommy and a night out with my wife. She surprised me with dinner at Joe's Crab Shack followed by an RSL game (which they won 2-0) then a night up in Park City. Fantastic day for sure.
Didn't do anything EPIC like I wanted but oh well. I guess having a shoulder in a sling really limits what an old man can do....

Shoulder Follow up

2011-07-06T14:21:00.000-06:00

Well, got back from the Orthopedic and no surgery is needed...whew! I suffered a mild shoulder separation and a Grade II injury to the AC joint as well as trauma to the meniscus. I go back in 4 weeks to make sure the meniscus starts to heal properly. In the meantime I am out for 2 more weeks with no running so I need to get my road bike on the trainer in the basement. I was told I should feel pain for at least 6 weeks though....great. The ETA to resume running in the 24th of July which gives me 6 weeks until the Wasatch 100. Not sure how that will go but I guess we will find out.

Appointment with the Ortho

2011-07-05T13:48:00.000-06:00

So for the week after Western States I was able to get some decent running in. Did a few nice shorter runs before a group of 8 decided to head up to Ben Lomond Peak for the first time this year. The west facing slope looks good but we knew there was still lots of snow to be had. We all met bright and early Sunday morning and headed up. It was pretty uneventful with a few small snow patches then as we were running we heard an all too familiar noise......

Mr. Great Basin Rattler

After seeing this fella we were on full alert! Less than a mile later Curtis made another discovery..

Mr. Rubber Boa

The run was getting very exciting with the animals ..errr....snakes. I do not like snakes and I really really really do not like the kind that rattle and bite. A few more miles and we were interrupted by a low hovering helicopter which was up there looking at the mountain goats. Our fear was by the time we got to those they would be gone and scattered but when we reached the saddle before the Peak, we saw about 30 scattered across the mountain side. Our first trip to the peak was was becoming more and more memorable.

Our goal off in the distance- 9800'

As we left the saddle and started the grind to the top it became very apparent that it was going to take some serious hiking to get through all the snow. After about 400+' of slogging up the snow we got to the ridge and took the rocks to the top.

Almost there....

Once at the top we stood around a snapped some nice photos before we would head back down.

Proof I made it ...whew!

Now the fun begins. The first 3 decided to go down on there back sides and sled to the bottom of the snow field. I was next and decided to get in some glissading. I have done it a thousand times but today was a little different. About half way down I was gaining speed and getting wobbly so I thought I better fall back on my butt to finish the decent. Well, a second can make a huge difference- instead of falling on my ass, I TOMAHAWK CHOPPED! Head and shoulder first plunged into the snow and it was an all out yard sale. I dropped the video camera (I got this on tape) and my hat came off. After I slowly slid to a stop, I hiked back up to grab my camera and hat and finish the rest on my butt.
Apparently I hit hard enough to separate my shoulder. Damn, that hurt. Running 7+ slow miles to the car and my head was filled with thoughts and ways to tolerate the pain.
There is an appointment scheduled with an Ortho on Wednesday and I get to see the extent of the damage. Asked it I would glissade again, I replied..."oh ya!". After all ....stuff happens.
Details to follow but in the meantime, please keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best. I will try and post my video. I got it up on facebook for now....

Catching up and Western States 100

2011-06-28T15:23:00.000-06:00

Well it's obvious by now that I have been AWOL for quite some time. The out pouring of emails, text messages, facebook comments and letters (yes old school letters) have been too much to handle. So I am back with a post. Frankly, I really don't ever have too much to write about. I work, I am a father, I am a husband, I am an ass (wait- that's a whole nother blog) and yes I run. Perspective have reared its ugly head lately and I am figuring out where I fit in with running or where running fits in with me. I would love to run 5-6 days a week, I really would. I just can't find the time. Maybe it's a cop out but I really would like to run more. Not necessarily to do better in races but to just be able to run more consistently without nagging issues and a better recovery. I love to hit the trails and explore.I enjoy running solo but I also really enjoy running with all my trail buddies. So I find myself in a great situation. So I am going to try a little something new, even if only for awhile. I am going to try and post regularly even if it is just a line or 2. Besides what I listed above I am very fortunate to be a Race Director of the Northern Utah Trail Series or N.U.T.S. and I am the Team Director for the Pearl Izumi Ultra Running Team. Both of those take a lot more time than I imagined but both are very rewarding. So in not so short- look forward to more posts.....both of you. Now onto Western States...............
Western States in dubbed the "Super Bowl" of Ultra Running. I say- to each his own. Why the race does draw amazing talent and is set in some beautiful country after being there, it's not for me. Too many people and too much hype. Again I say- to each his own. I can see though why people do follow it and fall in love with it. It is a magnificent event. Hell if I paid almost $400 for something I better as hell like it and that doesn't count expenses. Like I say- to each his own. Okay- off my soap box.
I had the pleasure and privilege of staying with some truly inspiring and amazing people while I was at Western. I got to rub elbows with some of the best trail runners in the WORLD- not to mention they are better people than they are runners....sorry but you are. There were PI team members, new friends, their families and existing friends. Let's just say that over the past weekend, I really felt truly blessed! Yes blessed. I have so many quality people around me that I just hope it rubs off one day.
I witnessed some truly amazing things from truly amazing people. Whether it was Nick Clark busting out a 3rd place finish or Timothy Olson killing it in his 2nd 100 ever for 6th place or Scott Jaime showing why he will always be one of the greatest people I will ever know or Jim Skaggs nailing the first of his 4 100- milers for the Grand Slam or the beautiful friends and family that travel from all over to support them. What I got to be apart of was very inspiring and jaw dropping. I met new friends with Nick, Bobby, Jake and Cassie. Thank you to everyone who made the weekend beautiful and help make this world a better place.
Now, I need to go run because I do have some goals of my own......just gotta remember who I am

It's April

2011-04-12T13:33:00.000-06:00

April is already here and that means that the race schedule is getting in full swing. I had to drop out and not run the Buffalo Run due to hip and groin injuries. Dealing with them for over 4 months has been pretty discouraging but finding the right PT and going to A.R.T. Massage have proven successful.
To celebrate, this weekend I will be traveling down the do the Grand Canyon R2R2R. This has been on the bucket list ever since I heard about it. I will be going down with 10 other great people I share the trail with from time to time. That is the reason for the picture change on my blog. Krissy Moehl sent it to me this morning to get me ready to go. I am not looking to get it done quick but rather take a little time and as many pictures as I can. After the Grand Canyon I get a few weeks to get ready for Granduer Peak then Timp Trail Marathon then Pocatello (20 miler) the the mighty Squaw Peak. I hope to get to SP50 in better shape than I have ever been. Obviously I have some nice runs the 3 weekends leading up to it so they will not be focused on too much. More less great training with great people on some kick ass trails.
It's April and time to turn the next corner.....
Hope everyone is gearing up for another solid year on the trails.

What am I doing?

2011-03-23T14:21:00.000-06:00

So maybe I am not cut out for this long running gig. When I start to get some solid training in and get more confident about my running, bad things happen. For the last 3+ months I have been struggling with a groin and ab injury. Last Saturday I went out for a 18 mile run and the last 3 were very painful. I got into a new Dr and was told I have a "rectus abdominis strain" My first comment was - "no Doc, it hurts in the front not the rear." He said that the strain in my lower ab was causing my groin problem as well. Apparently it is a pretty common injury but if not treated properly, it can become a major issue. He sent me PT so I asked around a found a PT that deals with athletes. The last few I went to are more used to helping older non active people recover from surgery and I am thinking I have a different mindset than that.
So the Buffalo Run is out for this weekend which is a major blow. I have run it 5 out of 5 years and now my streak will end. The decision came mainly due to the pain and further injury but also because if I can get it fixed I can still focus on June through September.
I guess this is yet another hurdle and hopefully it will not set me back more than a few weeks.
I will be out on the island Saturday so if you see me, say hello.
I will update my progress and hope to not miss much time or any on the trails.

Hey a new post

2011-03-14T14:38:00.000-06:00

So many happenings and no time so the blog takes the hit. After Moab things just got busier and busier. I took off a few days after the race to Colorado for the Pearl Izumi Ultra Team Summit. The weekend was a blast, spending time with some great people. PI is really gung ho on the trail scene right now and being able to sit with their product managers to see some new gear and hear their visions was exciting! The team is loaded with talent and quality individuals. Me, well I just soaked it all in!
I have been running as well believe it or not- swimming too. Problem is the groin and ab injury that slowed me down in December is back. Not sure what to think about it. I can get out on runs from 8-10 miles and feel pretty decent but anything longer right now is a little painful. So heading into the Buffalo Run it looks like I will drop from the 50 mile to the 50k. This really bums me out since I was looking forward to running 50. I have done the 25k all 5 years and have resisted running the 50k because I just do not like looped courses. I guess I will have to wait and see though.
Until then I will continue to get some quality running in as well as hitting the pool a bit.
Looking forward to some sunny weather and I am tossing around running the Grand Mesa 100 miler in July.

Moab Red Hot 55k Race Report

2011-02-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

Me crossing finish line: Video by Jim Skaggs

Took awhile to write a report for this one. Not that I didn't want to but rather I hadn't wrapped my brain about what I really wanted to say. I guess the first thing that comes to mind is that I did not meet my goal. I wanted to run a sub 6:30 but not on this day. I ran a 7:00.56- 30 minutes longer than hoped. So now- to the race.
Woke up nice and early to make sure I was all stretched out and ready to go. I have fallen into a ritual stretching routine that helps me feel pretty loose and ready to roll from the start. I made my way down the hall to meet Jim Skaggs and his wife who graciously hauled me to the start so my wife and kids could sleep in. At the start the old race juices started flowing. The wind was really blowing and I could tell it was going to be one of those unpredictable weather days. As I meandered around at the start to see some faces and give some - "good lucks" I started to remember how I was probably not quite ready for 34 miles. Once we took off I fell into a nice comfortable pace and knew that the first 17ish miles were pretty runnable and I wanted to make sure I kept a good pace. After all my longest run to this point was 18 miles so at about 20 anything could happen. I felt pretty solid up to about miles 19-20 at that point my groin and hip flexor really started to stiffen up. As we rolled through aid stations I could see a group of runners that I would most likely flip flop with the rest of the day. I decided to take it easy over all the red rock up and downs and try not to aggravate the groin anymore more and then try to push to the end.
At one of the aid stations while I was fumbling with some gels I hit a button on my watch and essentially turned of my chrono. A few miles later I realized it wasn't on so I had no idea what my time was. Once I hit the last little climb on the course I decided to go for broke. I knew I had about 4-5 miles until the finish and I knew it was runnable so I told myself to go for it. I went through the first mile basically getting a stride going and finding the best way to run with a stiff groin. Once I figured it our I picked it up even more. I actually felt good and got my breathing in synch so the last couple miles were really enjoyable. If it wasn't for the head wind all day long I know the times would have been much better across the board- mine included. So after I crossed the line there was definitely a few moments of disappointment but after seeing my family I realized it was time for a much needed family vacation in Moab.
Overall I realize where I am for the year and though my time was slow, I really can't expect too much more unless I want to put a heck of a lot more into it. The first 19 were great and the last 4 felt solid. So that in between part needs to go. One thing for sure is I love the trails. They may not love me as much but they will.
One special thing about race day that stayed in my thoughts- my dad. He passed away 6 years ago to the day of the race. I really felt I was spending some quality time with him and my thoughts. He never got to see me run the trails (he passed before I even started) but I know he would have loved the stories of the places I have been. Although I was slow and missed my goal, the time with him was priceless.
Miss ya pops!

Pre- Moab Red Hot 55k

2011-02-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

I will be traveling down to Moab tomorrow for the Moab Red Hot 55k on Saturday. I will be going with some mixed emotions. I am very excited to get out of town with the family and see some familiar faces as well....that's the good news. The other side is pretty nervous. I have been building up nicely for a decent run through the red rocks when I got sick a week ago. I lost not only some training and fitness but some confidence as well. I have been able to get out on a couple small trail runs and boy did I not feel the goods. So now I am shifting my mind set for a good "day on my feet". Makes it rough to know I felt good about my training leading in only to get side tracked by a darn bug. Needless to say this will be my longest run of the year and I am going to try and keep my mind right and not get to "into" it where I end up pushing to hard and suffering for along time. I was looking forward to this race for some time but I may need to go play out my hand and re group for the Buffalo Run 50 next month.
Should be an interesting day to say the least!

Come on man!

2011-02-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

Well after a great week (Wasatch 100 lottery) and solid 18 mile run I fell victim to the nasty bug going around. I woke up last Sunday after feeling great about my 18 miler and started feeling sick. Little did I know it would last an entire week! It is now 8 days later and I still feel a bit of it hanging on but definitely feel like I am out of the woods. So with just over 5 days until the Moab Red Hot 55k I feel less than ready. I don't know how losing an entire week will play out but I can tell it hit my confidence. I will most certainly get out on the trails over the next few days to try and get some legs back but I am not sure how much it will help. I guess I just will need to slug it out on the red rocks. The weather looks to be wet and cold too. Perfect!
On a side note and a positive one at that- Saturday the 12th was my 7 year wedding anniversary!!! I did manage to drag my sorry ass out of bed in order to take my wife out and even got some skiing in with her the next day. Happy Anniversary Melony! Thank you for your patience!!!!!

2011 is shaping up nicely.

2011-02-07T09:44:00.001-07:00

Looking beat at Lamb's Canyon (only halfway)

Well, the lottery Gods were on my side...or were they? Saturday morning after a solid 18 mile run with Les, I got a text saying- "you're in". WOW, 2 for 2 in the Wasatch lottery. I got selected in 2008 and that was my first 100 miler and a true eye opener. This year I will be returning with some lofty goals for me.
In 2008, despite have the best pacer you could ask for I stumbled across the finish line in a time of 34:51. Not exactly pretty and not what I was hoping for but I did finish. I was under prepared and maybe bit off a bit more than I could chew. You can read about that race HERE.

Here I am crossing the line in 2008.

So for 2011 the goal is to go sub 30. That means cutting off 5 hours!! Can I do it? Why not?
So with 2011 shaping up it is time for me to shape up. Big goals means big commitment. 2008 was a great learning experience and now it is time to apply what I learned to 2011.
Also a congrats to everyone else who will be lining up this year for the Wasatch 100!

January 2011

2011-02-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

So I made it through the first month of the year with some decent running. Limited at the first of the year with a minor injury but feeling pretty solid now. The race plans are taking shape and in less than 1 week I get to learn my fate for the Wasatch 100. January 2011 was my most productive January ever far as running goes. I feel good and even though I am not where I would like to be for Moab in a couple weeks I keep trying to remind myself that it is not the focus for the year. Moab has always been a way for me and my family to get away and help shake our "cabin fever". It is a fun race and generally run without a lot of the white stuff. February is now officially under way and the goal is to get to March with a lot more miles and at least 5 less pounds. Baby steps I say!
So here's to February.
P.S. Tomorrow my beautiful daughter Samantha turns 14! Oh crap. The boys may be able to run faster away from me but they sure as hell would out run me.

Ultra Runner vs. Ironman

2011-01-27T10:59:00.001-07:00

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/8279147/

Island Training Run

2011-01-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

On top of Elephant Head

I was able to get out onto the Island today for a training run. The plan was the 25k course but due to some post holing we cut it short and just did 12 miles. We did run up the Elephant Head which was pretty cool. I got to see owls, coyotes, antelope an buffalo. There was a good 15 people out for the run- some familiar faces and some new ones. The best news of the day was that my abs only had minor discomfort. I was expecting worse but they held out pretty well which is good news seeing it is about a month until Moab. I really tried to push the last 4-5 miles and felt pretty good maintaining a solid pace.
This year I am really going to try and document my running with pictures and video. Here are just a few below.

A few of the runners on top of Elephant head

My ugly mug at Elephant Head

2011 is here- ready or not.

2011-01-06T14:52:00.000-07:00

This will be the first post for 2011. It will also serve as the post I will come back to read at the end of 2011. Why? Well, let's call it a post that will hold me to my goals. Every year I jot down some things I want to do for the year- not resolutions just a nice 12 month "To Do List".
2010 was definitely not what I hoped but that all falls on my shoulders. So the 2011 "To Do List" here will consist of running goals. I like to keep these to myself so everyone doesn't know if I succeeded of failed. After careful thinking I am going to announce to the world- or to the 2 or 3 people that read this my plans and goals.
2010 never lived up to my expectations for so many reasons but at the end of the day I could have done more. 2011 will be aggressive and to be honest makes me a little nervous. I truly believe I can get things done but it will not be easy. Maybe that's why I want to do it. Who likes easy? Let's use 2011 as a year to test limits. We are all so much more capable of what we do but many of us are afraid to come up short or fail. Count me as part of that group. Failure is the real "F" word to me. 2010 gave me the "F" word in the way of the SwanCrest 100. These 2 days in July have truly haunted me with my running. It was an amazing experience and a real must do event. The people are fantastic and the scenery is something I cannot give justice in words. Never the less I "F"ailed at what I set out to do.
2011 is going to be ~~EPIC~~ or insert a word less used over the past year.
I am looking forward to the challenge and must admit I am actually pretty exited. I have been training very minimal over the past month and have been going to PT to ensure I get off on the right feet.
So 2011 is here and here are my goals. Maybe lofty but what the hell.......

Moab Red Hot 50k- run in less than 6:30 (this may be the toughest for me being a month away)
Buffalo Run 50 mile- run a sub 10:30
Complete the Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim
Squaw Peak 50- sub 11:30
Get into Wasatch and go sub 28- I control only the time- getting in is another story (if I don't get in I will change it but do a different 100 miler)
Finish the year with over 2000 miles
Be down 20 pounds

Alright- these are not maybe lofty goals for most people but they sure are for me.

Motivation Monday

2010-12-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

Well back again for another Monday pep talk. I could really use one right now. I have been sick for a week and can't see it getting much better. I have been unable to do anything workout related and besides being sick, I am frustrated and feeling fat.
So here's to a recovery of sorts and I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!!!
Now on with some Motivation.....

It requires more courage to suffer than to die. - Napolean Bonaparte

What worries you, masters you. - Haddon W. Robinson

What great thing would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? - Robert Schuller

Motivation Monday

2010-12-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

I know everyone is looking forward to my Motivation Mondays so here is another installment- if you haven't noticed, December's motivation is about "COURAGE".

"Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened."- Billy Graham

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear."- Ambrose Redmoon

"Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow that talent to the dark place where it leads."- Erica Jong

And lastly-
"If you're careful enough, nothing bad or good will ever happen to you." -Ashleigh Brilliant

Nice Saturday stroll

2010-12-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

Got out on a great little trail run on Saturday with Jim, Jon, Bj and Forest. Weather was great and the trail was fantastic. Ran the BST north of Rainbow for a round trip total of 11 miles. Bj and Jon set the pace and I just tried to keep up. Major problem going on is a sore groin. I think I tweaked it a few weeks back playing indoor soccer and it just hasn't come around. The first 4-5 miles it wasn't bad but after 7 miles it got tough. Sore and tight! Not sure what to do at this point. I feel good and want to keep my training going so I don't have to start over but not sure how long I need to heal. I definitely don't want this thing to linger. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Legs are feeling strong but the groin is slowing me down.
So I started a new idea for Mondays- Motivation Monday. This is actually more for me than anything. I am STILL struggling with my DNF at the Swancrest 100 way back in July. I really can't shake it and it feels like this added weight on my shoulders- and I really can't afford more added weight. I never thought it would be so challenging mentally to get over it. I am finding it hard not to think about on my runs. I want to use it for motivation but now it appears it is quite the opposite.
Update: my diet and core training is going well. I have lost 15 pounds and feel stronger in the core. This is a good mental boost. I do the cooking and being on a diet my family at times gets short changed on some good chow, the other night y daughter said to me "Dad- we are not on diets." I told her that soon as I lost my winter weight I would change it a bit for them (we are all eating healthy now). She said- " Dad it is barely winter and you are not gaining winter weight," my response- "Honey I am talking about losing my winter weight from 2007 still."

2011 and the big 4-0

2010-12-06T13:49:00.000-07:00

So, I am hoping for a little help/inspiration/idea for 2011. I want to do something cool/different for my 40th b-day. The optimal idea would be run the Hardrock 100 but I did not do a qualifier last year so that is my bad and bums me out- big time (not that I would have gotten in or finished).
So that leaves me to find something to commemorate the day. My birthday in July 9th and falls on a Saturday so that could make things easier. I have a few ideas and hoping that if anyone does in fact read this they could throw out some ideas. I would like it running based since that's what I enjoy but it is no way tied down to that.
Well, here are just a few ideas: (please chime in)-
- Do the Zion Traverse
- Go to Hardrock and pace
- Run through the Uinta mtns...i.e Kings Peak, etc
- Find a 100 mile trail race
- Just sleep in (who am I kidding)
- Drink 40 beers
- Run 40 miles somewhere (this is done all the time)
These are a few to get things rolling.

Motivation Monday

2010-12-06T13:37:00.000-07:00

Well it's been another week and time for Motivation Monday. Last week I got in some quality miles and stayed true to my diet and workout plans. Its been about 6 weeks and I am really starting to notice a difference. Gearing up for 2011 and really keeping my fingers crossed for a birth into the Wasatch 100!!!!
Enough about me...here you go!

I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.- Harper Lee in To Kill a Mockingbird (my favorite all time book by the way)

Courage is very important. Like a muscle, it is strengthened by use.- Ruth Gordon

And to finish this week off.....
Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality. - Richter Abend

Island Run

2010-12-04T13:25:00.002-07:00

Well I got out on the island today- Antelope Island. Once a month there is a training run for the Buffalo Run and today was 13 miles. We ran from the start/finish and did the White Rock loop then after that we went north. This was my first time going north on the island and I loved the trail!!! We were able to see buffalo, huge deer and coyotes. The weather was decent and there was a solid group of about 12 people.
All in all it was a nice 13 mile run with a little soreness. I have been playing some indoor soccer and aggravated the groin. This run was definitely testing it. Won't be playing this week to rest the groin but plan on getting in quite a few more miles for the week.
It felt great to get back out and put in some quality miles with quality people. I am feeling pretty good heading into 2011. Losing some damn weight (finally) and gettting stronger.

Motivation Monday

2010-11-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

Back at it for week #2. I have got some decent running in but my focus is still losing a little weight and working on core and strength. Feeling pretty good so far and I will be increasing mileage.
Here is some more motivation:
Cowards die many times before their deaths. The valiant never taste death but once.- Julius Caesar
Either life entails courage, or it ceases to be life.- E.M. Forster
Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.- C.S. Lewis
and now a favorite of mine- it means many things in such a small little bombshell.
- Take chances!- B. Fish

There you have it for your motivation Monday. Enjoy!!!!

Motivation Monday

2010-11-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

A new feature will be launched right here every Monday. Winter is tough to stay motivated for me when it comes to running. I would rather be skiing, sledding, making a snowman, playing Wii and hanging out with my family rather than being on a treadmill or outside in frigid temps. So here is my own attempt to stay motivated for the winter months.
If you have some, leave a comment.
From Wikipedia:

Motivation- is the driving force which causes us to achieve goals. Motivation is said to be intrinsic or extrinsic. The term is generally used for humans but, theoretically, it can also be used to describe the causes for animal behavior as well.

So let it begin............
"You'll never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have." -Unknown
"Don't defer your life, chase your passions" -Unknown
"Push your limits" -Unknown
"No excuses, no regrets, Leave Nothing" - Manners

Just a sampling

Back to bloggin'

2010-11-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought it would be so tough to keep up on a blog? Not me. Not enough hours in the day or maybe not enough interesting stuff to write about. Starting to put my race schedule together (on the right side here) for 2011 and set some goals. Had a great summer of taking up Race Directing and volunteering at local events and some time in between for running.
Got out yesterday for a nice 11 mile run in the rain and snow. Still dirt beneath the feet but can see the snow taking over up high. I am going to try and get out on a few more dirt runs then hit the slopes and throw on the yaktrax for some running. Got a good thing going and just want to keep it up.
Next race on tap will be the Moab Red Hot 50k- great way to break out of town to some red rocks in February.
See you on the trails!

A little mojo can go along way...I hope!

2010-09-13T13:47:00.000-06:00

Well, I didn't get to pace at the Wasatch 100 over the weekend but that's okay. I had the opportunity to hang out at Lamb's Aid Station for a few hours and then go to the finish. Saw lots of friends and made a few more. Most importantly though I got that feeling back. It wasn't anything I did- at least that day. As I was sitting their at the finish with my wife and 5 year old daughter Aspen, I had lots of emotions and memories flooding my mind. It was their 2 years ago I finished my first and only 100 miler. It really felt like yesterday. Those amazing athletes helped me get it back. From overall winner Nick Clark (Team PI-Smith- had to throw that in, Darcy won for the women's- Team PI-Smith too- SWEEP!) to the individuals who dnf'd. The courage it takes to compete in a 100 miler is really the key. As John Wayne put it- "Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway." The relationships formed on the trail, that's what it is about for so many. I know I have got to know some of the better people in my life through trail running. So as I sat watching and observing, talking to friends and runners alike- I got that itch to do run. Not just go out for a nice run but really RUN!
So Sunday morning I hit the trail with Jim Skaggs and we went for a 8 mile trail run nice and early. I felt great! Out of shape a bit but great none the less. So I hope I can ride this good feeling for awhile. Gonna take a little time to get back into it but that's okay by me.
Congrats to all those at the Wasatch 100 this weekend and thanks!

Wasatch 100 2010

2010-09-10T10:00:00.000-06:00

Today kicks off the Wasatch 100 and I have to admit- I am a little jealous I am not running it. This was my first 100 miler 2 years ago. I got the finish- thanks to my friend Scott Jaime- but it wasn't pretty. Wasatch will always hold a firm place in my running resume. It was my first 100 and it is in my backyard. I will do it again one day but I wanted to run a few other 100's first. I tried Swancrest this year and well- that didn't work out at all. Since that dreary day (and a half) I can honestly say I haven't had that "spunk" to really run. I have ran a couple races and went on some great training runs but I just don't feel back. I have definitely lost some fitness and even my wife is hounding me to run- I know crazy right?
Well today I get the privilege of pacing from Lamb's Canyon to Brighton (22ish miles). I paced a good portion of this last year for Christian Johnson and this year I get to pace Kelly Bradbury.
So, when I woke up this morning a weird thing happened for me- I was looking forward and excited to run. I actually have been feeling butterflies and I am not even racing. Maybe this is a sign of things turning around or maybe it is a sign of a bad dinner last night. I really hope things are turning cause I miss time on the trails with my friends and those special runs solo. I love running in the fall so today will tell me a lot. I never thought that a DNF would turn me like this. I thought I would be more driven and determined but I haven't had that emotion.
Well, here is to the Wasatch 100- CHEERS! Good Luck to all my friends running- here is to all of your success, whatever that might be.

Trying to get back on the horse

2010-08-26T21:16:00.000-06:00

Well, it has been a rough few weeks since the DNF in Montana. I took a few days off to get feeling better physically but mentally isn't doing as well. I have been training and getting some good running in as well as race directing. Last week I ran the Skyline Marathon. It is a great first year trail race on some nice singletrack. I was hoping that the race would get my engine sparking again but still nothing. The run went well and I actually felt pretty decent. I tried to push in a few spots I normally would have taken it easy on. I thought this would help determine the rest of my year for racing. The plan was to run the GTR 50 then hit the Bear 100 for some redemption and get that taste of DNF out of my mouth, then hit the Mtn View Trail 1/2 and finish with the inagural 100k on Antelope Island. After the race last weekend I came away with= "I am done for the year- racing/races." Just don't have that fire that get me excited to test myself. Part of me thinks if I do the Bear (which I have wanted to do now for 3 years) and fail again then I may never get back on the horse. The Swancrest 100 really took something out of me/from me. I can't put a finger on it and I know it "happens to everyone" but damn!
So as I sit here- I am thinking of doing the GTR Trail Marathon and go from there. I really do want to run the Bear but really don't have any confidence at all. I am also hoping that getting this on paper/computer will help me deal with it better and rally a bit.
Funny thing is my wife and kids really want me to run the Bear. How crazy is that??? I am always trying to sell the races to them and it's work but not this time......man- happened in Montana or was it the Twilight Zone!?

SwanCrest 100 Report- DNF

2010-08-02T13:32:00.000-06:00

I am going with 2 versions of the Swan Crest 100 race report. One will be short and sweet and the second will be longer with some details.

Report #1- Short and Sweet

I DNF’d at mile 68.7. No injuries, no bears- just feel like shit now mentally, not too bad physically.

Report #2- Long with some details.

First and foremost I can’t say enough about what Brad and the Swan Crest gang pulled off for their first year. This was a truly amazing event and experience. Great time had by all and came away with a few more trail friends. In my opinion this is a must do race.

To the race- the pre race meeting took place at Hammer Nutrition headquarters in Whitefish, MT. From the check in you could see the Swan Crest mountain range. The basic overview- “look down there as far as you can see then follow the ridgeline to here- that’s pretty much it- 100 miles.” Ya right! Don’t forget to go up then down then up then down then over some trees then under some trees the around some trees and don’t forget that the huckleberries are starting to come on so bears are an issue. Hmmm, easy enough? After watching the “what to do if Bears attack” video, we mingled a bit then left to get some shut eye.

Woke up at 4 am Friday morning (thank Brad the RD for letting me crash on his floor) in order to get ready to meet the shuttle bus to the start an hour away in Swan Crest. Loaded the Hammer Nutrition van with about 10 other suckers and we were off. As we took the drive it was fun to hear so many ultra stories from around the country. Out of the 10 runners in the van I believe there were 6 states represented. Sure made me even more intimidated hearing all the experience knowing this was my 2nd 100 ever- Wasatch 2008 as the first. The bus unloaded and we had about 30 minutes until the start. There were 44 runners in the inaugural race and I felt very lucky to be one of them. As the race started we headed out for a few miles on a road before we took a turn up an old dirt road. Unbeknownst to me this was about the only true runable section with any distance to think of. After about 10 miles we can to the first aid station and I was feeling pretty good. It was early but I just felt great. After we left there we had about 9 miles to Napa Point Aid Station through some crazy and fun trail/bushwhacking. The single-track started and it was gorgeous! Take away the stinging nettle and the fact the growth was head high and you couldn’t see your feet- this was great. We were warned that this section was overgrown and to be on the lookout for bears. After about 100 yards we came across our first bear crap on the day- right in the middle of the trail. Wow, starting to hit home now. After we “saw a clearing” I thought we might be able to push a bit but no dice. There was at least one mile of avalanche debris and it was tough. There was no trail to speak of and you literally had to hop over, on and around some crazy intense deadfall. When we finally left the debris field I notice my bib number was ripped clean off my shorts. We got back to a trail and headed up which would turn into a common theme for the day. More miles and more bear scats latter we found our way to Napa Point. There would be a small out and back section here to get us on our way for the next 25 miles before another aid station. Going into Napa Point I was about 10 or 11 back from the front and still feeling pretty good but like the saying goes- “if you are feeling good in an ultra- don’t worry it will change soon enough” and it did!

The next 25 miles pretty much set the tone for the rest of my race. We were essentially on the ridgeline of the mountains and it was hot. When we passed through a burn section the temps seem to rise by 10 degrees. We came upon the first clear run off and I filled up my pack and bottle and trekked forward. I thought if I keep hitting these until Six Mile AS (#3) then I would be in great shape but after a while I started to realize that I was going to be in trouble with my hydration unless we found another creek soon. I didn’t find one soon enough and I was dry! Nothing for almost 2 hours. No water, gel, calories, food, electrolytes…AN YTHING! I could feel the energy slowly dwindle and my mouth and throat got really dry. As people passed they too were dry and we shared some glares but we knew there was nothing we could do but hope for a creek. I started to cramp everywhere. By the time we hit the next creek for water I was in a bad place. I just kept one foot in front of the other and finally made it to Six Mile. Once there I got some coke and tried to find something to eat but my stomach didn’t want anything. I sat for about 20 minutes trying to get my wits and I must say without a few individuals from the volunteer crew this stop may have lasted a lot longer. From here we had to go straight up to a peak 1.5 mile away and grab a playing card and jet back down. The way up was not bad and once we hit the top, I got an instance shot of adrenaline. The views were incredible! I grabbed my 8 of hearts and hauled ass back to the aid station. I made some good time and before I knew it I was at the aid station and ready to leave before dark. I caught up with another guy and we slowly plodded to Quintokken AS. It was starting to get dark and the footing was getting sketchy. We made a turn down a long trail with some overgrowth and we say a shadow coming towards us. We both stopped and went for the bear spray. As the figure got closer we started making noise and yelling but we got no response- then I heard a familiar sound of trekking poles. It was a runner who had been lost for a couples hours with no water and no light source. He was an older gentleman and he was in bad shape. He had no idea where he was and was heading the wrong way. He wanted to go back to the last aid station since he said he missed it but with his condition he wasn’t going to make it in the dark. I told him to come with us to AS #5 and not to worry about the race. He reluctantly agreed so I handed him my headlamp and pulled out a small handheld flashlight for me. This took a long time. It was hard to keep him moving and making sure he got across a couple river crossing. When we hit the aid station, Brad the RD was there so I told him about the situation. Due to all the circumstances they made sure he didn’t go any farther and his race was done. I sat with him at the fire to make sure he was okay and we exchanged some very kind words. It was great to see him the next day and he even introduced me to his daughter and granddaughter who were there. At AS #5 I met back up with Jim and he waited for me to get some food and we headed out for the next 16 miles in the dark. This was pretty slow and go section, we stopped a few times to enjoy the night and even caught about 10 minutes of shut eye. It was great to be back on the trail with a familiar and coherent person. A few miles out of Broken Leg aid station we heard a large crashing in the bush and we both froze. Not sure what it was I made more noise and we slowly and cautiously kept going in the dark. We finally hit Broken Leg and we were done. We probably wouldn’t have made the next cut off and we both agreed that going 5 more miles to Strawberry was not the right choice. I couldn’t believe I just DNF’d. As disappointed as I was I had no idea it would only get worse. We sat in the aid station for about an hour before we got a ride to the finish. After a shower and seeing the sun, things started to set in. As I watched the few finishers come across- 20 out of 44 finished, I was starting to get more and more disappointed. I was hesitant to call my wife and kids since I felt I failed and let them down. Even as I write this and relive those moments, I am disappointed. 68.7 miles out of 100 wasn’t my goal. No words can explain the race and I am left with some great moments but an empty feeling as well. I know people DNF and many are the ones I look up to in this gig but to finally have it happen to me- that’s different right? Not sure how I am gonna rebound or how long it will take but I know I will be go back next year to see if I can finish that beast. There were many experienced 100 mile runners there and the consensus was pretty much the same- this is one tough son of a bitch. There were some Wasatch finishers there (myself included) and we all seem to think that this was harder. It was remote, you had to take maps, bear spray and be willing to not run most of the course. It didn’t have the elevation as some of those tougher races- about 22,000’ but all you did was go up then go down and repeat…A LOT.

The race and local are beautiful. This race is a true gem and the first 100 miler in Montana. Hats off to everyone there and the local folks were very gracious. This is not a race for everyone and maybe not even me but if you want a true test- this will give it to you.

So bottom line- DNF. No excuses and no blames. I just didn’t get it done. Next up??? Maybe the Grand Teton 50 then shut it down for the year. Thought about doing the Bear but I am thinking I may just pace or crew.

Swan Crest 100 or bust!

2010-07-26T12:11:00.000-06:00

So the time is almost here. My 2nd ever 100 mile trail race. I did the Wasatch 100 in 2008 and was put on my knees by course. Luckily for me I had an amazing crew and the best pacer you can find- Mr. Jaime. Looking back now I feel pretty fortunate to have all those people in my corner. It's hard to imagine what Scott went through that LOOOOOOOOONG day on the trail. 60 miles at a turtle pace. I appreciate it even more the more I run. I remember thinking that one day I wanted to try and 100 miler with no crew or pacer just to see if I could do it. Well.....fast forward to NOW!
I was hoping to have another 100 miler or 10 under my belt before I attempted such a thing but circumstances are what they are and going up to Montana I will be going SOLO. If you get a minute, check out the race info HERE. So 100 miles through grizzly bear country solo? I read it and thought what the hell but now I think WTF? Am I an idiot? Well okay, I am but seriously. I need to carry a can of bear spray the entire race, pre- race briefing has a video that is mandatory to watch on what to do in a bear encounter. There are only 49 runners and aide stations spread out -some 25 mile apart. The course markings well, let's say minimal to be nice. It will be an adventure. Am I ready- of course not.
My wife asked me what were my expectations. Well, to live and go under 36 hours. Simple right?
I had a more than tough month of June but July has been great. Being the co-RD for the NUTS races has taken it's toll on me but I still find time to do some nice running. Whatever happens on Friday and Saturday this week will be a great experience and one that will hopefully make me a stronger runner and human being. Maybe it is just what I need to re-charge and re-focus. I am planning on doing the Bear 100 in September so hopefully it will help me for that.
So after all my rambling I can honestly say I am very excited.....nervous....excited......nervous....excited......scared to death!
Whatever I am, one thing is for sure- I am not sane!

Well that's a good 31 miler!

2010-07-10T22:36:00.029-06:00

Well I wanted to get in a good run for a b-day gift for myself. The old saying of running your age in miles may be true but I thought with the elevation in this one it was the same- (31 miles + 8500' of climb = 39- you see 31 +8 in 39). Nailed it! Here is the GPS of the day- BOOM!
So Jim and I started a the North Ogden Divide Parking lot at 6 am for a day of adventure. We left the lot a few minutes after 6 and began. The switchbacks were pretty un-eventful and we just power hiked and walked most of it. I felt pretty good and less labored than years past. This was the first time to the Peak for 2010 with hopefully more to come. A few miles after the switchbacks we were joined by Bj.....Here:

After Bj showed up, Jim and I knew we had to pick up the pace for the fast guy. We got to the base of the peak and made decent time up. We only saw one mountain goat and that was from a distance. When we hit the top there were a couple of people already there- one being Bj's father in law- Forest. He started a bit earlier to meet Bj up there. We then ran towards Willard Peak and Inspiration Point. As we got closer to Willard Peak we started to see all the mountain goats- BAM!

I am thinking we saw close about 50 but there very easily could have been more. They seemed to be everywhere! It was incredible. They are truly magnificent animals. We all stood awe struck and a bit jealous by their mountain skills. We weren't sure where to go from here so we just followed this guy:

He was right on the trail as if to say- "let's go fellas." We made it around one more turn which ended up being exactly 10 miles from the divide. There we turned around- summited BL Peak again and bombed down the parking lot to reload with water.

From the divide parking lot we took off for Lewis Peak. It was getting hot and the climb from the parking lot was actually pretty brutal. I noticed I was sweating like a hog. I stayed on top of the nutrition for the day and felt pretty good. We hit the peak and stayed for a few before starting our journey back down. It was a bit slower for me in a few parts but I managed to rally a little to join the guys for our last little quad buster.

All in all it was an amazing day on the trail. Lots of vert and some quality miles with some quality people. Trail running has been a great hobby/passion since my days on the soccer field. It's personally challenging but can be oh so rewarding. I will probably never be a fast little goat but I look at it this way- If I pay $150 dollar for a 100 mile race and finish in 30 hours and the winner pays $150 and finishes in 20 hours then I paid less per mile...right??? Well, that's how I will look at it for now.

Logan Peak Trail Race

2010-07-06T13:45:00.000-06:00

Well, it took awhile but it's time to write up a quick report.
Let's see- I am trying to remember what happened on that day, it's been 10 days or so and I am getting old. Got up really early and met Jim so we could car pool up to Logan. We checked in and I got a good stretch in thanks to Joel. I have been having issues with my lower back again and with this race starting a climb for the first 4+ miles I wanted to get it worked on. Once the race started I just tucked in with Jim and Joel and knew it would be a 6+ hour day. I ran this race a couple years ago and got a time of 6:30. I wasn't sure how today would work out since I used June as a taper month (more on that later). As we went up the grind, I noticed it was a pretty casual pace. I wasn't overly concerned knowing what was in store later on. Once we left the first aid station it opens up abit through the front side of the mountain. This is were I was feeling good. I took off on a pretty good pace and it felt great so I just decided to keep it until it felt labored. Missing SP50 earlier in the month was still in my mind and I knew my training wasn't were it needed to be but I thought this would prove to be a good training run with good vert and good miles. The way up the peak was slow and go with some uphill running here and there but it was too early to take many chances with my fitness. It was a slog up to the peak but once there it was time to do some glissading with snow running mixed in. This felt great and really got my juices flowing. Over the next few miles I passed about 6 or 7 people until we hit the 2nd to last aid station. From here you take a fire road for a few miles then you hit the jackpot. Going across the fire road I felt like crap. I knew I should be running but the legs didn't respond. Once I hit the turn for the downhill I got a bit excited. Downhill doesn't always feel good on the knees and quads but this was some of the prettiest single track there is to offer. I picked up my pace and started to let gravity and beauty take over. Unfortunately this section in short lived and then you start a few minor hills before you wrap around the front side and join back up to the dry creek trail.
The last 4 miles are relentless. It gets pretty technical and you know that walking really isn't an option. I caught up to Jim during this section and ran down before I was rudely sent to the ground by a cow. Yep and damn cow! Out of the corner of my eye (while navigating the jagged rocks on the downhill) a cow appeared out of the bushes and soon as I looked up my toe caught a rock. I was going too fast to catch myself so I had no choice but to give in to gravity again and I hit a rock HARD then slid on my side and back for a few feet before coming to a stop. I assessed the situation as I lay there and I was bruised and cut but never heard a snap so I figure I was good to go. My vest was ripp3ed up and my quad had a gnarly knot in it but considering what could have happened I was pretty pleased. The knot in the quad slowed me a bit but I coasted to the finish in 6:10- good enough for 34th. I was pretty pleased with the time considering all that has been going on. Beat my old time by 20 minutes.
Logan Peak is a fantastic race and Bruce and company do a great job. Definitely a race I expect to go sub 6 on next year.
The last week or so I have gotten in some good mileage and some vertical and things are starting to calm down. Next up is the NUTS 1/2 marathon which I will be RD'ing. Kinda sucks I cant run it. It's a great course.

SP50- Preview....DNS

2010-06-04T08:49:00.001-06:00

Well after a long drawn out process I have opted not to run Squaw Peak. While I was in Pocatello last week my mother fell and she has been in the hospital for a week. 2 surgeries later she is still in pretty bad shape up there. I went on a run last night to clear my head and see if I was going to run but I have made the decision not to. Pretty tough call, one I am sure that I will regret from time to time. I have been dreaming and training for my 4th running of Squaw since last June but the proper training and mind set over the past week has left me little in the tank so to say.
I want to wish everyone good luck at one of my favorite races. I really wish I was toeing the line with you all. Have a great time and I hope to see many of you on the trails!

Pocatello 50

2010-06-01T12:49:00.004-06:00

Holy Schleet Batman!
First- hats off to Jared and Ryan and the countless volunteers who make this race possible. What a great course and overall race. The start/finish is perfect!

Okay here we go. I ran the Pokey 50 last year as a member of a 3 person relay. I was lucky enough to draw the 3rd section- which is listed as the toughest leg. This year I ran the 1st section which is considered the “medium toughest” section- the 2nd leg being the easiest. I got in late the night before the race and slept under a pop up canopy with Buffalo Run RD –Jim Skaggs. IT was a sleepless night for me with the wind whipping the canopy walls all night long.

When morning broke I got up and assessed what I was going to wear. The weather was calmer and the clouds were grey but overall the start was pretty nice. I opted for some short shorts, short sleeve race shirt, visor and light windbreaker. From the start we took off down the road and my pace felt relaxed but I couldn’t get a handle on my breathing- it felt forced and labored. I wanted to push myself seeing I was only going 16 miles and knew this would be a great run to prep me for Squaw Peak. I was going to take off my wind shell but soon as I reached for the zipper, I felt a few drops of rain. I thought what the hell and took it off anyway and tied it on my waist. A few more miles into the gradual climb I came around a point and the wind hit me right it the face. WOW! Immediately I reached for my shell and threw it back on. Good thing to because the rain started to pick up. By this time I was running some absolutely stunning single track. I didn’t mind the rain and the mud wasn’t too bad yet. As we started a little decent to the first aid station, the trail got really slick. I got into a line of about 8 or 9 runners and no one could stay up. People were slipping, falling and using the grass and trees close by as emergency turn out lanes. One guy started flailing about and before I could stop he punched my right in the mouth. As uncomfortable as it felt it was kind of funny.

When we hit the first aid station I decided not even to slow down. Once off the service road it turned into some nicer slippery single track. Good thing I didn’t know what I was about to encounter or I may have stopped at the first aid station and stayed. As I looked u ahead I saw “the climb”. There was no trail only a few markers spread going up the mountain. This climb was a real b$#&%! Not only was it pretty steep and no trail but the wind starting picking up - few times it knocked me sideways a bit. The next 60 minutes may have been the longest of my life. I was in short shorts, visor and windbreaker carrying a water bottle which for me sounds about right but I had no idea there would be 40-50 mph winds coupled with sleet the size of BB’s. I let out some primal screams a few times due to the cold and pain I felt when those damn BB’s hit me. My ears were frozen my fingers looked like sausage links and well my skull was frozen- yes Skull. My hair was frozen and I was cold but I have never felt a frozen skull- it hurt like hell! Once on top I took a deep sigh of relief and followed a few people ahead of me only to find out they were lost in the white out. Not good! There were about 10-12 of us wandering around and I was scoping out who may be the first person we would eat. After about 20-30 minutes we found the trail and it took me a good mile to mile and a half to really start to feel like I was running and by that time it was a muddy slip-n-slide. On the decent I went down pretty hard on my stomach (superman style) and got up covered in mud. A few cuts but I was okay. There was a small creek crossing the trail so I decided to lay in it to clean up. It worked and it wasn’t nearly as cold as the top of the mountain. Once we hit a little firmer trail I took off. I felt pretty strong heading into City Creek and my time was 3:40. I figured the time on the mountain cost me at least 30 minutes so I was pretty pleased with the time.

When I got back to Mink Creek I was pretty bummed to see my canopy had blown over and my stuff was soaked- sleeping bag, clothes, bag- everything! DAMN! Right then I remembered I had an extra bag of clothes in the car. Sweet! Once I got cleaned up (thanks Matt and Brandy) I helped around mink Creek and was told the race was cancelled. The weather was just too bad. They absolutely made the right choice! My 2nd leg runner Greg- crushed it! He topped his time from last year by 2 hours!!!! Incredible! Great job Greg! Next year I get #2- right? Unfortunately Matt (3rd leg) was unable to run and this would have been his first experience into trail running. Keep running Matt! Good friend Scott Jaime was leading the race by 5-10 minutes heading into the last leg- I think there would have been a new CR. Great job Jaime!

To top off an already dismal day, when I called home to check in I found out my mom was about to go in for surgery. While I was gone she fell and broke her hip. I got right home and didn’t get to spend too much time talking to people but hopefully I will see you all around this year. Next up Squaw Peak 50!

Timp Trail Marathon

2010-05-24T12:51:00.002-06:00

I’ve heard that you learn something new in every race. Well, this was one of those races.

I had to get up at 3 am and meet Jim at his house about 4 am. We drove down to Provo for the inaugural Timp Trail Marathon. All the way down it was raining pretty hard and the outside temps were around 40 degrees. I think we kept testing each other to see if one of us would back out so the other could follow but no dice. We arrived at the start to check in and grab our bib. It was still coming down and the runners were all gathering under the pavilion. After some pre-race instructions we all head to the start line for the 6 am gun.

We were off, we started up right away but it was runnable. It was on fire road and gravel so it was actually a nice start considering what we were about to encounter. As we came around the mountain to see the light of Provo, we saw a trail sign to turn and go down. Well about ¼ of the way down I looked up to see almost all the front runners coming back up. I immediately put on the brakes and turned around. We had taken a wrong turn. The sign was there for later in the race- about mile 25. As we got back on track, the fire road soon turned into a slog through sticky mud. The rain had taken its toll already and the course was muddy. Going through the first aid station I felt pretty good. I had a good couple weeks of training and never backed off going into this one. My legs were a bit tired but I was hoping this would all pay off later in the year. About 6 miles in I went to take a drink for my hydration vest and only got air- what the hell? I had 2 liters 6 mile ago and sure wasn’t drinking that much. As I stripped the vest off my back I realized how saturated my shorts were- especially in the back. DAMN! My hydration bladder had a seam leak. Well, I decided it was to be a long day!

When we started our first real climbing around mile 11, I noticed myself sweating much more and using a lot more energy. This wasn’t good. It turned slow and go for awhile and when the trail became runnable again it was the kind of mud that takes your shoes off. I ran with Jim Skaggs a majority of the day and lucky for me he let me takes little nips off his water. It wasn’t enough but it was something. As we headed up the most beautiful section I have seen in a long time I could feel a bonk coming on. No water which meant no way to wash down some gel. I was literally running on empty. I took a few drinks from the creeks (keeping my fingers crossed still) but I really had no choice. Every add station I hit I threw down potato chips and water praying it would get me to the next aid station.

We got to run through some amazing country and when we started our first decent, I was flying- way too fast for me but I was in a groove. I slipped and fell a few times but no damage, I was essentially mud glissading. After the last aide station we still had one or two short but decent climbs and then it was a bomb downhill. By the time I hit the downhill my calves were really ceasing up. They were screaming! The last 5 miles I just took off. I looked down and saw I was clocking about an 8 and sub 8 mile but had no desire to slow. As I neared the finish, I saw my niece and wife who had hiked up the trail to see when I would be heading down. They gave me that last little surge and I finished under 6:20- well 6:19 was my time.

Looking back at all the rain, mud, snow, nutrition and hydration issues- I feel pretty good about the day. I kept reminding myself I am getting ready for Squaw and this race was incredible! I enjoyed everything about the race itself- trails, scenery, start/finish, volunteers, RD and all. I definitely recommend this race to anyone. Don’t let the marathon distance fool you. This is one tough mutha!

So what I learned to day was- check your gear! If I would have noticed the leak the morning of or night before, I like my chances of a top 20 spot. As I sit, 33rd. Great day on the trails and a good one for my confidence heading into the last 2 weeks.

A few days of running

2010-05-07T13:37:00.000-06:00

Playing a little catch up here. After the hill repeats on Monday I needed a day off. Tuesday was nice to just relax and do some things around the house and hit my girls soccer game.
Wednesday I met Joel at Rainbow and could tell my legs were still a bit heavy. We made a easy pace up out of Rainbow and took Indian Trail just to the Hidden Valley turn out. Once there, we went back down and took the BST to "look out rock". The pace as a little off the normal due to both of us not having much in the legs. We turned back to Rainbow and I tried to push myself just a little bit. My legs were not responding well and I kept trying to tell myself I would loosen up. No dice!
Before we headed down to Rainbow, a couple young guys came flyin down the trail- BJ and John. First I had met either one of them but they had a real nice pace going. We invited them to join us in the future but not sure if this old man could keep up.
Lots of solid runners here in the Ogden area.
Thursday- I took off work to re-landscape the frontyard. After 8 hours of hauling river rock and mulch, planting trees, bushes and plants and the clean up I was gassed! Decided I wouldn't run since the body was sore and tired. I took a shower about 6:20 and sent Jim a text to see if he was running- Yep, he was. DAMN! I told my wife I was going and she gave me "the look"(she thought I was nuts).
Met Jim at Rainbow and we had a nice run on the north side. Solid pace but not rushed. Legs felt a bit better.
Wednesday= 6-7 miles
Thursday= 6-7 miles
I want to wish my wife GOOD LUCK tomorrow in her first ever race! She will be running the Run with Flock 5k. Have fun Melony! I am very proud of you.

Hill repeats

2010-05-03T22:21:00.014-06:00

First off- I never run on Mondays and I hate running up hills.
So today is Monday and I did hill repeats (for the first time).
After good Sat and Sun runs, I always take Monday off. most the time to recover and also it is always a long day at work and I need to spend some family time. Well today was a tough day at work so I thought I would join Joel and Jim for some hill repeats to burn off some stream.
When I showed up at 5:30- Joel was there with Phil Lowry. After some pleasantries, we were off.
We started at 27th St trail head and the route is .54 miles up then back down again. The grade is runnable but for me- not easy. I figured I would do one or 2 then head home. When we got back down to do another, Joel had to leave and Jim showed to join us. Phil also decided to go explore the trails. So Jim and I went out again.
Long story short I did 4 sets. My legs were still cooked from the weekend and I actually felt pretty good about the running. I am going to try and do this at least once a week and add a trip or 2 each time.
Solid workout.

Solid Weekend

2010-05-02T12:46:00.000-06:00

Got in 2 quality days on the trail.

(I love our trails!)

Started off Saturday morning with Joel on the BST. We had decided to make our way up Malan's for a little elevation and check out the trail. We hadn't plan to go to far but we saw some tracks in the fresh snow (yep it was snowing on May 1st) along with paw prints so we figured whoever was ahead we had to know. Who is crazy enough to be up that early running in the snow with a dog or 2? As we hit the overlook we saw- Cory, John, Matt and Brett with their dogs. We paused a bit to talk then we all took off down to the trail head. When we hit the BST we ran north back towards Rainbow and dropped Joel off and went out for a few more miles. When I finally split off the group to head back it started to really rain. By the time I hit the car I was soaked but man it felt good! 3 hours on the trail....

(Matt, Cory, Molly, John, Brett and Joel)

Sunday was a little rougher. I got up and boy was my body tired. I sure wasn't feeling like hitting the trail and since I was going solo I had nothing to make me go. I am glad I finally got out the door and I headed over to North Ogden Pass to hit the trail and go north. When I started I knew it would be a short run. My legs were heavy, sore and tired. I guess Saturday took its toll on me. I decided to go to the "2nd gate" which is a little over 2 miles and then head back. When I hit the gate I was still not feeling great but a friend told me -"training on tired legs is good for ya." Well, my legs were tired so I decided to go to the "3rd gate". After some running and a steep, short climb I hit the gate I talked myself to go to the next gate. I really started to feel better and running pretty strong. I charged the hills and did more coasting on the way down. I hot the "4th gate" and was turning around when I thought- "what the hell"- I took off to go a bit more to the next gate. On the way back I really pushed. I felt pretty good and could feel the heaviness in my legs but I was determined to push to the finish. When I got back to the car I looked at my watch and I turned in my fastest time for this section. SAA-WEET!
Man, it felt good to run so strong on tired legs. I am starting to think this is all paying off. I need to hit some long runs coming up to really get time on my feet but I feel more confident now that I ever have.
I am looking forward to a solid week!

Solid run

2010-04-29T14:38:00.000-06:00

Last night I met Joel and Jim at Rainbow Gardens for a nice little trail run. We left Rainbow and went up to the BST. Good pace all the way to the fire road without stopping. If I would have been alone I would have yelled once I hit the top- legs were burning and pumped I didn't break stride. From there we hit the newest section on this side to keep us off the fire road. We had a real nice pace and when we turned around we picked up Tom Remkes and his dogs.
The way back had a pretty wicked little pace and we pushed the climbs and hammered the descents.
Legs felt great and I can feel things starting to click. Achilles is pretty much a non-issue from a performance standpoint. Still have a little bump back there (the Achilles).
Looking forward to a snowy run tonight.

Busy times.

2010-04-28T10:07:00.003-06:00

Been a bit and trying to get back to it. I have put in some nice miles and feel pretty strong. Found a great new training run (for me) and getting out regularly. My race schedule is coming together just adding the Timp Trail Marathon, Pocatello 50 relay and maybe a couple more. With this I have been doing the Team PI-Smith site and stuff as well.
A big project underway is the Northern Utah Trail Series or N.U.T.S.. This has proven to be a huge task and about a 1-1 1/2 years worth of ideas and thoughts flowing into a month or 2 of start time. It has been an eye opening experience dealing with the USFS, County, City and other entities. The good news is we got permitted and are under way for the first race- BST Trail Half Marathon on July 17th. Registration will hope to open on May 1st.
I am hoping to stay on top of the blogging thing and balance everything else.
Side note, my wife Melony just registered for her 1st race! The Run with the Flock 5k TRAIL race on May 8th. Woo-Hoo!
Good Luck and have fun!!!!!

What is "Manjo?"

2010-04-07T09:21:00.002-06:00

From Wikipedia
Mojo: (African American culture), a magical charm bag used in hoodoo.
: the sexual charm used by Austin Powers
: (comics)- a supervillian in various Marvel Comics publications
From Merriam-Webster
mojo: probably of African origin; akin to Fulani moco'o medicine man
: a magic spell, hex, or charm; broadly: magical powers- works his mojo on the tennis court

So here is some background on the word mojo
While I was running on Antelope Island for the Buffalo Run, I thought about race strategy and conversations I have had on the trail. I wanted to take chances and see what I could do at the end. "THE END"- well in every race you hear about people "digging down" to get a little more to make it to the finish for a win, a PR or just to be done. I always like to think I can always dig down and find a little somethin- somethin or "mojo".
During Buffalo Run I decided to make "mojo" my own. So I came up with "MANJO".
It will be my (Manners) magical powers or charm. It will be my own bag of hoodoo. Athletes, especially runners have mantra's so MANJO will be part of my mantra. When I need to find a little more I will rely on my "bag" of hoodoo or magical powers- let's face it, it isn't like Austin Powers, I have no sexual charm!

Buffalo Run 2010- report

2010-03-29T09:39:00.004-06:00

What a great day on the island! Well I decided to drop down the 25k. I had to decide if I wanted to race/run a 25k or if I wanted to finish a 50k. I opted to see what I could do in the 25k. Since the last 2 weeks I didn't get good training in I wasn't sure what to expect on the course. On the drive out to the island I turned off the radio and phone and just thought in silence. The plan was to go out and just enjoy the day and see some old friends. Once I got to the start, the plan changed. I decided to push hard for the first 5 miles and see how I felt. Since this race starts and goes up gradually 600+ feet I immediately thought my plan was ruined. I just do not go up well at all. To my surprise I did alright and felt decent so I kept chugging along. My pace was comfortable but not too slow and as I settled into it I found it was easier than I thought. I hit the first aid station and was looking forward to the 2 mile downhill. I just let gravity take control and try to keep my fat butt upright. Worked again! Hit the bottom and knew the long switchbacks were in play. I opted to run this as much as I could knowing I had some miles to go after the climb was over. As I neared the top I got a pat on the back from a familiar face- Greg Norrander. Great guy and it gave me a little boost (thanks Greg). He was in the 50k and looking strong! When I got to the top, Jared Campbell (5ok) passed me and I decided to run with him for awhile until he dropped me at the next gradual climb. After that we hit a fun little single track that winds around, up and down until you hit Elephant again. Once there I thought I had an outside chance at my PR. This was my 5th year running the 25k and I remember my favorite ultra quote- "Take chances" (Brian Fisher). I thought- what the hell! After I left Elephant Head I was ready to redline it until I puked or passed out. I was hoping to pass out cause I hate puking. Running through the little valley and heading up the quick steep climb I knew from that point to the finish would test me. I can usually dig down and find some "manjo" (more on that later) to finish pretty strong. All I could think about was "Take Chances"! I felt if I pushed hard I really could get my PR. Well, I ran hard as I could and kept telling myself it would be over soon. As I headed down the to the finish I kept glancing at my watch and knew redlining may be cutting it close so I tried to find another gear. As I hit the fence line I heard some familiar voices as well as saw some smiling faces. I crossed in 2:31:26 which was my PR by over 3 minutes. Not huge but for a guy like me, it was pretty cool.
It felt good to run the race the way I did considering my poor training. I was there just in time to see my good friend Scott Jaime finish the 50 mile. Read about that HERE. As I was on my way over to some Buffalo Stew I saw Nick Clark who just set the CR for the 50k. Read about that HERE.
Meandering around the finish area I got to meet some new people and catch up with some old friends. Maybe this is why I run these races. I will rack this up to a very successful day on all fronts. Congrats to all who ran, volunteered and supported. A BIG thank you to RD Jim Skaggs- a great guy, great RD and good friend. Thanks for putting on such a great race. Once again the race received rave reviews all around. I recommend this race to anyone and everyone! It sure is attracting some solid runners and a large number to boot.
Read more about "manjo" is my next post and remember- Take Chances!

Buffalo Run 2010

2010-03-24T08:52:00.002-06:00

The 2010 Buffalo Run is here. Always a fun early season race on a fun course. I signed up for the 50 mile but have been battling some little niggles over the past 3+ weeks. Haven't posted much since not much is going on. Definitely been running but groin and calf have been issues. Running on all the white stuff and its instability has caused the problems so I have spent a lot of time on the roads. I will drop down to either the 50k or 25k depending on the next 2 days.
During all this I have been working on the Northern Utah Trail Series and we FINALLY got approval. They gave us one for sure race to prove our worth and then more to follow.
So mark your calendars for July 17th! N.U.T.S. will be holding a trail half marathon on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail in Ogden. The course is beautiful and a first for our area.

Team Pearl Izumi-Smith Summit

2010-02-23T14:50:00.004-07:00

Well after some mediocre training this past week, I am off to Colorado for the team summit. All the athletes and sponsors will be in Boulder for a couple days of product testing, design info, feedback, education, running, sharing a few beers and some stories of the trail but more importantly the Team "Balls of Fury" Table Tennis competition.
I am looking forward to spending some time with not only great athletes but amazing people. This will be my Disneyland trip!!!

William Wayne Manning

2010-02-19T13:48:00.005-07:00

5 years ago today I lost my dad. It is something we all go through- losing a parent or close loved one. Not a day goes by I do not think about him. It's funny, sometimes the thoughts I have are ones brought on by something I say or do. I have a lot of my dad in me. Not all his traits and characteristics but many key ones. He taught me my love for athletics. He taught me to fish, set up a tent and drive. He taught me love for the outdoors. He pushed me to be the best I could be at the sport for whatever season we were in. He taught me to be on time or early, never late. There are many things I can take away from my dad that make me proud. There are things I can take away that are not things I agree with or understand either. He taught me nobody is perfect even if in my eyes they were. It wasn't until he dropped me off for college in Oregon until I truly seen him cry. He was my best friend. My coach. My dad.
I doubt he would ever understand the running I do now. He passed before I picked up my new hobby. It was always soccer and baseball. He would think I was crazy- which I'm sure I am to a degree. The crazy thing about running is I feel closer to him at those times than any other. Being outside in the mountains gaining elevation- I get closer. I know he is with me, he always will be. When I race, I carry a spent gun casing from his funeral- he is always there when I need the pick me up. I was presented with the flag and I can honestly say- that is the greatest honor I have felt and made me more proud than ever. He served in the Air Force and the Navy.
He did have his short-comings and so do I. He had his strengths- and I like to think I have a set of those as well. I am glad you got to meet Melony and Sami. You passed 2 weeks before my 1st daughter was born. I like to think you met somewhere along the way. Aspen will know her grandpa through my stories and my voice.
Dad, I love you and miss you. Thanks for showing me my passions. I hope to one day be the kind of father that you were. It may have been rough at times but as I grow older, I understand more. Thanks for hitting the trails with me and pushing me farther. Thanks for showing me it's not okay to stop short of the goal. Thanks for showing me that if you want something you go and get it and not wait for it.
You left too early and I may never understand why. I may still have days where I am angry. I may always feel like I could have been there more for you in your final years. One thing for sure, you made me a better person by all your traits- good and bad. We all need to make decisions and I am glad you taught me how to make those- good or bad. Most of all I hope you are looking down on me and feel proud of what I have become.
R.I.P. Dad- your little boy- Aric

Moab Red Hot 50k Report

2010-02-17T09:58:00.003-07:00

My family and I headed down to Moab for the annual Moab Red Hot races. I felt lucky to go down since the day before the race was my 6 year anniversary being married to my very supportive and beautiful wife. I registered for the 33k and had been waffling with the idea of doing the 50k. The night before we left I decided to stick to the 33k and packed accordingly. I only took what I would need for the 33k so I couldn't change my mind at the last minute. Once we got down there we drove over to Eddie McStiff's for check-in. I stood in the 33k line and told them my name---I wasn't on the list. They checked the 50k list and there I was. So, I decided to just do the 50k. Why not?

After check-in we got a table and enjoyed the "runner's special". Athletes started piling in to check-in and I got the chance to see some familiar faces and good friends. This helped make it official- I was back. Sitting out since June of 2009 was tough and I started to get those butterflies in the tummy.

We went back to the hotel and I got my stuff ready while the family hit the hotel pool. I didn't sleep well- partly due to excitement as well as nerves.

Race morning was a balmy 14 degrees. The race kicked off at 8 am and it was cold. You could see all the runners trying to figure out what to wear. I opted for shorts, shirt and a long sleeve. When the race started I settled into a pretty comfortable pace knowing it was going to be a long day. We hit the incline right off the start and there was no dirt to be found. Snow everywhere. Combined with the slickrock, there were quite a few falls all along the course. About 5miles in we started our next little climb and the snow was easily mid shin deep for close to 4 miles. This made it tough. I felt good up to the 20 mile mark and was pleased with my pace. The sun was out now and the temps were rising. I shed the long sleeve and just had my short sleeve to work with. As i hit the 2nd to last aide station, I started to feel the heat a abit and needed to get more fluids. I pulled into the aide station to fill my bottles and get out. Problem: they ran out of water. Damn! The next aide station was close to 6+ miles away and I was already behind in the fluids. Some runners shared some choice words and a group of us left the aide station. I was no more than 100 yards out and started to cramp up. First my right calf then my left. Perfect. We were starting a nice downhill section on slickrock and I had to walk a majority of it. Unfortunately for me, I was forced to walk a real good chunk from here. I stopped a couple times and gobbled down some snow but it didn't help much. I kept reminding myself that I just wasn't "born to tun". A mountain biker came by and I was only about a 1/4 mile from the aide station so I asked him if he had seen it and how much farther. He replied- "about 2.5 miles to 3", my face sunk. He mentioned due to the trail conditions they couldn't make it to the original location. Well that was just perfect I thought. When I finally made it to the last aide station, they were out of water as well. By this point I wanted it to all be over. A rush of adrenaline/anger kicked in and I took off to the finish. I would be curious to know my actual pace to the finish cause I felt like I was movin.

When I got to the line, the clock read 7:24. I was relieved to be done but pissed at my time. I was hoping for at least an hour off that.

All in all, I got time on my feet and got to run with some great people. We got in a quality family vacation and hopefully it helped me more for the Buffalo Run 50 miler in March.

When you go that slow in races they do have an award. Here it is below.....kissin a camel on Valentines Day!

Moab Red Hot- Pre-race

2010-02-10T11:54:00.004-07:00

So in a couple days I will be running my first race since Squaw Peak last June. I am truly excited. I really look forward to getting back out there with all the other athletes and running through the Red rocks of Moab. With the winter training I have put in I am looking forward to running this again. I ran it 2 years ago and had a great time. It will be nice having a change of scenery and a mini vacation with the family. I have toyed with the idea of upping to the 50k but I think I will stick to the 33k. Still early in the year for me and I feel comfortable with my Achilles going 33k. I am not going to put a time on this race or a prediction. I am going to try and run it how I feel and push maybe more than I normally would. Use this as a solid trainer for my 50 miler next month on Antelope Island.
My race schedule is really firming up. I wanted to run two 100-milers this year- one being the Bear 100 and after Hardrock denial (whew!) I just sent my stuff in for the Swan Crest 100 in Montana. Looks like an exciting and beautiful course and the fact you need to carry bear spray for the entire race or get DQ'd seems interesting. I think the key will be to try and stay close to a runner or 2 and if all hell breaks loose with a grizzly- start tripping people.....HA!
Well, I hope to see some familiar faces in Moab this weekend and have a few beers to catch up on the ultra life!
Man, I am excited............

A good January

2010-02-02T14:47:00.003-07:00

While my posts were few and far between, I did get some good miles in this month. January is a month I have NEVER gone far. Low miles and excuses. Well this January I am happy to say I did 145 miles. Not to bad to start the year. Not as many as most but for me and being January, I am very happy. I am hoping to get over 200 for February and stay above that for awhile. Getting the Achilles injury under control, I didn't want to push to hard to fast but I feel very comfortable with this. I got in some speedwork, weight training and cross training which didn't compute to the miles but definitely helped with overall fitness.
Hopefully February will stay injury free. I am really looking forward to the race in Moab. It looks like I will do the 33k. I toyed with the idea of the 50k but decided to make sure I am up to it (Achilles). I don't want to take any chances.
Side note, the Hard Rock lottery is this weekend and like a fool I put in. It's on my birthday so what the hell. The hope was to NOT get in but rather build up some tickets for the future. Problem is I am batting .500 with lotteries (Wasatch 100 2008-in Western States 2010- nope)so this could help or hurt the average.
While you are here, check out the contest HERE.

Pounding Pavement

2010-01-25T11:36:00.002-07:00

Well its been a couple weeks since my last post and I can honestly say I have run more miles on the pavement this year (25 days worth) than all of last year combined! Man, I hate the road. I have been getting in the hills as much as possible but snow and time restraints have forced me to the road. With my iPod in tow, I have been able to pound out some solid miles all the while thinking about the paved sections at Squaw Peak I love so much (insert sarcasm). In a few weeks my family and I will be heading to Moab for the Red Hot. I signed up for the 33k and have been flirting with the idea of the 50k but can't decide if I am ready for it. I do know I am ready to get out of town for a vacation with the family. I hope to see some familiar faces in Moab as well as some damn dirt!
So the question is 50k or 33k...hmmmmm

Solid week and a view on the Wasatch

2010-01-11T11:18:00.006-07:00

Had a great week of running. Mixed in road and trail and finished with 22 miles up Farmington Canyon (4500' of climbing) to the towers and took a few shots on the Wasatch 100 course.

The week felt pretty good with little to no issues. Saturday I decided to hit an icy spot on the trail and land on the big right cheek. Bruised the ego but that was that.

Sunday I had a tough run. Got a few pictures to show. The header on my blog is from the towers in Farmington. Truly beautiful! I just saw a report that the air quality in Northern Utah is the worst in the nation. DAMN! We are finally first at something and it is bad air quality.

Well, here is a picture to prove it.

For the week I got in 50 miles on the button which is a good week for a guy like me. Hoping to build on it a bit. This week I will be doing some speed work. Ha-ha...me and speed have never been close friends.One thing I did to end the week is find dirt. It is January in the Wasatch mtns at 9500'. Sure felt nice to see some dry dirt.

And one last photo- here is the Maintenance shed aide station local on the Wasatch 100 course. Looks different than the last time I was there.

2010 is under way

2010-01-06T08:50:00.002-07:00

So last year was basically a wash. Learned a few things and it also looks like my Achilles is finally ready. I am getting some solid training in and I have registered for some great races. I may have figured out a great balance between family, work and running too. Being the Director for the Pearl Izumi-Smith Endurance Team really takes up a lot more time than anticipated but I have got to meet some amazing people and great athletes. SO let's just say 2010 is rolling and rolling fast!
So what does 2010 hold? Good question. I can plan the best I possible can but we all know that is never how it works out. For example, I just found out my chocolate lab (Trout) needs knee surgery- that's $1500 right off the top, plus the 4 new tires ($600)- oh and the bill I just got from the hospital for my daughter who was sick ($2300). So a few days into the New Year and I am $4400 light in the wallet ...errrr back account.
How do you plan for that? Well you don't. So now I am just trying to accept the good fortune and re-arrange my race and travel schedule.
So here is the plan for 2010- Feb- Moab Red Hot 50k, March -Buffalo Run 50 mile, April- Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim (i hope), May is free, June- Squaw Peak 50, Logan Peak Trail run, July- put in for Hardrock (i hope i don't get in this year), possible SpeedGoat 50k, August- El Vaquero Loco, Sept- Grand Teton Race and The Bear 100, Oct- Mtn View race on the Island and that should do it. There are a few more I would "like" to do though. i.e. Timp Trail Marathon (May), Big Horn (June) and Trans Rockies but that is out of my price range.
I feel pretty good about the year and my main goal is to stay healthy, get fit(ter) and enjoy my time on the trails. I really missed it last year.
So there are my plans- oh wait, I am in the process of putting together a local trail series here in Northern Utah (keeping my fingers crossed for USFS approval).
2010 will be a busy year but after missing 80% of 2009, I welcome it.
I hope everyone has a great 2010, stays healthy but most of all- enjoys their time doing whatever it is you do. Here is a great quote I heard not too long ago.
"Keep doing what you're doing until you can't do it anymore."

No such thing as bad weather

2009-12-30T15:48:00.002-07:00

Gotta love that quote from Bill Bowerman. Got out today before work and hit the BST with Jim Skaggs. The original plan was to run on the island but we thought with the weather we should hit the mountain. Not only did we hit the mountain but some gnarly snowstorm stopped by to join us. We headed north from Rainbow Gardens and trudged up to the service road. The snow was deep. Mainly always above the ankle but some spots were easy mid shin. The fresh powder was light and beatiful but what laid beneath that was bumpy and crunchy. We looked like a couple drunk runners for most of the time. We got a great quad workout and a solid memory to boot.
Guess it's time to get some fast runs in on the dreadmill or road.
So my goal is to do the same thing I have done the last 2 years (haven't run long enough to make a long tradition)- run on the last day and first day of the year. Last year I was in Texas- 70 degrees and in shorts hitting some nice trails in Farmersville. This year will likely bring road and dreadmill. Either way, I am running and running pain free. Yep....pain free.

'Sounds like you're serious"

2009-12-16T23:06:00.002-07:00

I heard this the other day at work and haven't wrapped my brain around it yet.
The last few years I have been trying to break into running. I always disliked running. I played soccer my entire life at all levels and with that came A LOT of running. I just never liked running just to run. I tried a couple times but there was no appeal, no lure, no enjoyment. That changed at the Wasatch 100 in 2005. My first real exposure to trail/ultra running. I was there to see a good friend who was running. I remember pulling into the aide station and looking around thinking- "what the hell?" Who were these people. Many had on Hawaiian flowered button up shirts, ringing cowbells and sitting around talking and cutting up small pieces of fruit and PB & J's. To know me is to understand I do not do well in crowds. I dislike crowds. I will not go to a movie unless I know it will not be crowded. Opening nights....forget about it. I enjoy people but I struggle to communicate at times. If I know you well that's another story.
So there I was waiting for a runner to come down from the mountain. Sitting, waiting and of course people watching (a new found hobby). Next thing I hear is cowbells and yelling- "RUNNER!". I turn and sure enough it's "my guy". I got goosebumps. This was cooool! Well, the next few years I tried and tried but nothing really seemed to work. I picked brains, read books, read magazines, surfed blogs (a new found hobby...might seek help for this addiction) and bugged the crap out of friends, co-workers and family. I started to enjoy the trails, my new friends, races and RUNNING????Yep running. I even went back to run the Wasatch 100 as my first 100 miler (finished but struggled mightily). Last year I suffered and Achilles injury and things just never panned out. I was lucky to finally get the help I needed and feel good now but there was still something missing. So I sat down and brainstormed. What was it?
The first answer was easy, the second not so much. I enjoyed the trails. I wanted to run. I started to feel a yearning to be on the trails but just never made it over the hump. Don't get me wrong, I have never had visions of winning or running a 6 minute or 7 minute pace but I wanted to see what I could do. I never left a race thinking- "that was the best I can do." So here are the 2 answers I came up with:
1- Lose some damn weight. I am not obese by any means but overweight-YES. Hard to swallow a bit of that though and had too many excuses.
2- Train proper- get a coach.

Well, I am bound and determined to lose some weight, maybe even obsessed with it. It plays a role in more than just running. I was fit and lean most of my life and this is kinda new for me so it has even been hard to talk about. And proper training. I know I probably do too many junk miles. So now I have Lisa Smith-Batchen kicking my butt daily! I have been on a training schedule for 4 weeks and LOVE IT! It is hard as hell for me but I enjoy the mix and times and goals. All that is left is me. I need to step up and take more accountability. So throwing this out on my blog is another way to be accountable. Put up or shut up!
So after all this rambling- it's up to me....bottom line.
I am really excited and look forward to see what I really am capable of if I give it a fair shot.
Hiring a coach, passing up the donut tray.....So am I serious?
Damn right!

Ouch-Sweet!

2009-12-16T22:27:00.002-07:00

Today was a tough day of training. I had to go 20 minutes as a warm up then 2 minutes at a 5k pace then 3 easy minutes and repeat for 1 hour then the last 10 minutes I did 1 minute 5k pace and 1 minute easy. I have NEVER done this one before and I was gassed! I did this on the dreadmill and was pretty intimidated before I started. My easy pace was level 6 (10 minute pace) and my 5k pace was level 9. To my surprised I really enjoyed the workout. It was hard but different. I felt as if I had a reason for the madness. I completed my workout and felt fantastic. Hard to believe but I love my training program. I gets me excited knowing what I need to do and when. I am looking forward to see what I can do and maybe even surprise myself a bit.

On the road again

2009-12-12T10:54:00.002-07:00

Today was a rare occasion. We got hit a huge snowstorm so the trails were tough to handle so I ventured off on a ROAD RUN. YIKES! I really hate running on the roads...bad. It was snowing pretty hard and and the fresh snow was really soft. I found that with the conditions the way they were....it was an amazing run. I was scheduled to go out for 1- 1.5 hours and I hit 1 hour 20 minutes pretty easy. Some spots were tough trying to navigate cars and snow to my mid-shin but when I got back home I felt great! I am hoping to get on the road more in order to get the running in I need. The trails should be pretty deep and I am sure I will still get out but the road today was very convenient and I got in a solid run.

Frosty or Cold? Damn cold

2009-12-08T21:16:00.001-07:00

Today was a tad bit chilly. I am in Colorado and ran the Coyote Ridge trail with Scott Jaime. This is his home course and its a great one. We bundled up, left the house and the -5 degree temps were chilling to the bone. The loop we did was about 11 miles. I mixed in some 4/1 running meaning 4 easy minutes and pushed for 1. I did this for about 50 minutes. Combined with the cold- the 4+ inches of snow on the trail made it slow and go for me. I think Scott went as slow as he could without walking in order for me to keep up. I got a very solid workout in and now look forward to running the loop when it is warm and dry.

Did close to 11 miles- well maybe 10.5 in about 1:55.

Great run with a great friend.

More Snow on the Island and no WS100 for me.

2009-12-05T13:23:00.002-07:00

Had a great run on the Island today. Went out to the island at 8 am to meet. About 10 people showed. The weather was cold and windy to start and before we knew it..snow and quite a bit of it. We ended up with about 8 miles which is right according to my schedule. Got some good grinding uphill and rolling trail. Lots of buffalo out today. I really am enjoying time on the island. Different terrain and scenery. Tomorrow will be yoga followed by more running.
Looking forward to getting my next 2 weeks of training though.
Side note- as expected I didn't get into Western States. It appears only 3 people from Utah got in.
What's with that? Loads of people fro Cali are coming to Utah and they only let us have 3?
Come on!

Circuit, Reps and Sets

2009-12-04T20:19:00.000-07:00

Well, hit the gym for more weights. Still a little sore but in a good way. Started with the elliptical then hit the circuit. Training is going solid and I really feel like I am settling into a routine. Tomorrow is a run on Antelope Island so I am hoping for some good weather.
Update: Achilles is good! Still some swelling but little to no pain.
Tomorrow is the Western States 100 lottery. I put in for it. I am sure I won't get in but hey...I am trying.

Ouch and Easy...

2009-12-03T21:24:00.002-07:00

Wow, I was a sore SOB today. My shoulders and chest didn't function so well. Trying to wash my hair this morning was a chore. I took it fairly easy with the weights knowing I was just getting into it but still........
Today was an easy run at 1 hour and 20 minutes followed by sit-ups, push-ups, jump rope and wall sits. I felt fairly good but could tell I was still sore. Even after Ultragen I was sore and tight. Even though I did lift with my legs, they didn't feel too bad today.
Tomorrow- elliptical and more weights. Man am I looking forward to running Saturday and Sunday!

Hittin the weights

2009-12-02T21:20:00.001-07:00

Well, today was a first. My training program called for some time on the stair master followed by a serious training circuit with weights. I haven't touched weights in years- now I know why. After my circuit training I felt weak. My body was tired and felt like jello. My new training schedule is really focused and I am trying to get there. Just having that accountability is huge.
So Thursday is a easy 1:20 run with a few exercises at home followed by more weights on Friday....yippee! I just hope by Friday I can lift my arms!

Moon light run

2009-12-01T21:06:00.002-07:00

Got a text about 5 pm from Jim letting me know he was running at 6 pm. I was supposed to get an hour easy run in tonight and dreading a treadmill run. Looking up on my way home I noticed a full moon. Oh ya! I busted home got my gear and took off to meet him.
Tonight was a pretty cool run. I used my new Pearl Izumi Fuel XC trail shoes- all I can say is HELL YA! Those babies are for real. Right out of the box. Jim, myself and Tom (from Mississippi) took the BST north. On the way out we had headlamps glowing and held a nice sturdy pace. On the way back- no headlamps- the moon lit our way. This may have been the best I felt in over 3 months. Went about 6.5 miles is all but a combination on my new favorite shoe, great people to share the trail with, the weather (clear and fairly warm) and running at night by moon light in the mountains was unmatched.
I am staying good to form on my training program and feeling great!

On the Shoreline

2009-11-28T11:00:00.003-07:00

Met Joel and Jim at 6 am for a nice 10 miler on the Bonneville Shoreline. Great morning- brisk but not windy. Hit a few ice patches on the trail that definitely slowed us but all in all it was a great morning. We discussed our plans for a Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim assault in April which really gets me excited. We talked about home brews- Jim is a current home brew master- which helped me make my new Christmas wish list.
The Achilles feels good and being on the trails is therapeutic. Got to kick it up a notch for 2010.
December is right around the corner so that means cross-training....err skiing. Sweet!

Earned the Bird!

2009-11-26T19:59:00.006-07:00

Okay, I am back. Been quite some time. I have been running though. I finally graduated from PT with the Achilles and it seems like it is holding up. Got a real structured training plan (accountability). Just got over a nasty cold so now its time to get moving.

Big plans for 2010 and that is just around the corner. BUT first let's start with a Turkey Day run.

Met my good training buddy Joel this morning at 5 am. Our plans were to hit Ben Lomond Peak one more time for 2009. It was about 20 degrees but windy. BRRRRRRR..... cold. We turned on the headlamps and took off. Right before sunrise I looked over for a brief second and saw a couple silhouettes....MOOSE- there were 3 (2 bulls and a cow)...SWEET! We left Bullwinkle and preceded to the Peak. It was a pretty tough jaunt with slow on the trail- not just any snow but super fine powdery stuff that you just couldn't get a feel for. We hit the base of the peak and it got nasty. We trudged up the snow face and b-lined for the ridge in order to get some solid traction. Then is was rock hopping to the top. We signed the book and headed back down.

We couldn't have asked for a better day. 16 miles and 4000'. Said good bye to the Peak for now.

Went back home and prepared a fine feast for the family.

So- what am I thankful for? Where to begin. FAMILY- without my family NOTHING is possible. I love you all so very much- you 3 girls make me very proud! Thanks for all your patience with me, I am trying.....

Friends- all of you. My life long ones to my new ones. My running buddies- without you I would be even heavier than I am now.

All in all, I have much to be thankful for. I really hope I keep these thoughts with me always.

Friday will be a day of rest then out for a Saturday and Sunday jaunt.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

I'm back and look forward to you online friendships.

Cheers!

Volunteering at Mtn View Trail Half Marathon

2009-10-21T14:52:00.003-06:00

This past weekend I was able to help out at the 1st annual Mountain View Trail Half Marathon on Antelope Island. Jim Skaggs is the RD and if you have ever run the Buffalo Run (50m,50k,25k) then you know it will be a good one. 120 runners showed for the first ever race and the weather was perfect. I need to admit I was real jealous I was not able to run but it was the right decision. Training has been good lately and just trying to build a base before December hits and I ramp it up. Just being at the race really got my juices flowing and it was needed. 2009 has been a long long year and I am ready to put it behind me and gear up for 2010.

Finally- Hope has a name....

2009-10-12T14:08:00.002-06:00

ASTYM- That's it!
So after I traveled to Colorado to see my good friend Scott and attempt to help him on the trail and one week later I paced Christian from Upper Big Water to Brighton during the Wasatch 100- I needed to get some answers. It has been over 1 year of total frustration. I have tried different Dr.'s, PT's and podiatrists..hell I even tried Acupuncture and I am terrified of needles. Nothing. Some days I felt good others felt horrible. I went to a new Dr after pacing at Wasatch. I went in, got an ultrasound and x-rays and Dr Blackham said. "I can get you back in 3-6 months". Sounds like a long time unless you have already wasted a full year. I said I will do whatever you want. He prescribed to wear Nitro glycerin patches on my injured Achilles and sent me to do ASTYM twice a week for 6-12 weeks along with stretches and I had to sleep with a crazy looking boot on. After the first treatment of ASTYM I was already feeling better and the swelling was going down. It has been 4 weeks and I ran on the trails Saturday for the first time....PAIN FREE!
Anyone out there with lingering injuries, especially the Achilles. I recommend ASTYM. I feel like I am on my way back and have a solid game plan. Time to build a base and look forward to running as opposed to look forward to icing.....

A new plan and a little hope.

2009-09-16T14:34:00.003-06:00

Today marks a new day. After ONE YEAR of suffering from my Achilles injury- seeing 4 doctors, 1 physical therapist, 1 acupuncturist, 1 podiatrist and countless recommendations- I think I have found my guy.....Dr Jason Blackham! I was referred to him by a couple great local running girls. I went to see him this morning and when I finally got in, he sent me for some x-rays. When I got back he came in to show me the results (my heart was pounding a bit I must admit). As we reviewed the x-rays he showed me 2 bone spurs - one on my heal and one on the front. Now, the only time I hear bone spur it is usually followed by surgery, shaving, break, etc. I asked him if I needed any surgery to which he replied "nah, I don't think so- they are in good spots as long as they don't cause any pain." SWEET! I felt a bit relieved. The x-ray itself showed other problems too but thankfully they happened years ago in my soccer days. It appears I may have had a few fractures and of course many ankle sprains. We then proceeded for the ultra sound. This was my first ultra sound in which I wasn't looking for a heart beat or a gender. He showed me my "good" Achilles first and then the bad one. I am happy to report- no tears, just lots of inflammation. He graded it as mild- more great news. Dr. Blackham said he could most likely get me better within 3-6 months. Whew! It has been a year since this has hanging on so what's another 6 months?
So, how will it get better? Well, I go to pick up some Nitro patches, do some eccentric exercises, stretching, I get to wear a ski boot replica to bed and last but not least ASTYM. He did inform me that ASTYM will hurt like hell and my leg will look like hell, it will feel worse before it gets better. Not sure I like that. While I do ASTYM, no NSAIDS either. So I called and got my first appointment for Monday- twice a week for 3 weeks then once a week for a few more. The doc said I can do some light running and just keep an eye on the pain. Is this all good news. ABSOLUTELY! I now feel like there is a plan in place and my doc said he had a similar injury- did I mention he was a college runner who still runs a 2:50 marathon?
So long, long, long story short...baby steps but no reason to think I will not be ready for Moab Red Hot 50k. It's on the books as well as a few other surprises.....

Side note- congrats go out to Scott Jaime for finishing the Colorado Trail in fine fashion. Way to go Fast One, damn proud of ya! Next congrats to all the Wasatch 100 participants that "toed the line" last weekend. You all should be proud to get to the start. A special congrats to Christian Johnson. I had the pleasure of pacing Christian from Upper Big Water to Brighton and he was smokin'! It was great to share the trail with yet another great person and athlete. Thanks Christian for letting me tag along.
Good Luck to those that will run the Bear 100 next week. I really wish I could be there but maybe next year.

Acupuncture and more schtuff

2009-09-09T09:45:00.004-06:00

Alright- I am desperate now. I am absolutely terrified of needles yet tomorrow I will head over to an Acupuncturist for a exam. It has been an extremely disappointing year and it isn't looking up. I had some goals and races I really wanted to do but I knew I wouldn't be able to do them without really walking a thin line towards a major injury. It is hard to be competitive and running with an injury like this. In my early years playing soccer I would have taken some NSAIDS with Dr. Pepper and just plodded along. Now- not so much. It is only September and I haven't raced since June. I have run some pretty great training runs but always to limp back home. So 2010? Man, I sure hope so.
Last weekend I was able to get over to Leadville, Colorado and help a good friend with his assault on the Colorado Trail and this weekend I get to share the trail with another very talented runner- Christian Johnson- as he takes on the Wasatch 100 (I just hope I can keep up). It is bitter sweet, last year Wasatch was my first 100 miler and the section I am pacing- Big Water to Brighton- was my "beast". Go get em Christian!!!! And a big ggod Luck to Tom, Kacey, Josh and Corky! Bring it home and enjoy the adventure.
Last night was a very big night for me. I took my 4 year old daughter to get her 1st pair of soccer shin guards and cleats. WOW! Those of you that know me well know that soccer wasn't just a part of my life but actually was my life for along time. Pure passion and my first love. Seeing my 4 year old get all excited just made me so happy. Tonight is her first practice and Saturday her first game. Go get em Aspen- daddy is right here!

An Epic adventure is underway!!!

2009-09-02T15:13:00.004-06:00

As I type this, I am very excited to be getting ready to go to Leadville on Friday to help a friend. Scott Jaime has started his Colorado Trail adventure. Bright and early this morning he hit the trail and in 11 days he will reach Durango. I will arrive in Leadville at May Queen on Friday night to welcome Scott. We then leave at 6 am to cover 34.5 miles. Sunday we wake and head out for a 41.3 mile day. From here I will play it by ear (or legs). I would love to hit the trail Sunday with him for another 35.1 miles but not sure these legs can go. At any rate, Scott will finish this on his 40th birthday. I am just excited to be apart of something this big.
Good Luck Fast Eddy!!! You can follow him HERE via his blog and SPOT.
As for me- the summer has proved to be a tough one. After Squaw I was pretty broken down and discouraged. Dealt with injury but have hopefully regained a little momentum to end the year strong. I have bigger plans for 2010 and hopefully can achieve some goals.
What's next for me? Well, I am fortunate enough to get to share the trail with Christian Johnson at Wasatch. I will be pacing him from Upper Big Water to Brighton. It will be nice to see this course in a new light. When I ran it last year it was my low point of the race.
I was really hoping to do the Bear this year but may have to wait until 2010.

It's been awhile now...

2009-07-31T13:49:00.002-06:00

Just catching up. Been off for quite some time to deal with injuries and life. Back in the swing with a different mind set. Really missed running and missed training partners more. I am hoping to be ready to go for the Grand Teton Races in September. I should at least be able to do the Trail Marathon but would really like to tackle the 50. I had hopes of doing El Vaquero Loco in mid August but it doesn't seem realistic but they do have a 25k.

Squaw Peak 50- 2009 report

2009-06-08T17:13:00.007-06:00

Well, it just wasn't my day. I know anything can happen in a race but I was sure hoping for more. I got to the start in time this year which was a plus. I dropped off my drop bags and began to focus on my 3rd running of the race. Once again my goal was 11:30 and I really thought I could do this. To put it in perspective, the winner finished in 8:05.

I lined up next to my buddy Phil and the race began. I wanted to get off the bike path ahead of a lot of runners in order to be in good shape at the beginning on the dirt trail and climb. I settled in behind Tom and Kacey. As we hit the dirt I felt like I put myself in a good spot not to get stuck behind too many people on the first climb. After a stop to take care of a wardrobe malfunction I was off again. I decided not to look at my split card until AS #6. I didn't want to put any added pressure on myself and just wanted to run according to how comfortable I felt. I felt strong early on and just tried to keep on top of my nutrition. I was hoping for a little cooler temps and even a little sprinkle during the day but no luck. I came into AS #5 and knew I needed to run Hobble Creek road in order to have a realistic shot at my goal. In the two prior years I walked almost if not all of the road. I HATE running on roads! I ran about 90% of it this year and was pleased with the effort. I got to AS#6 and checked my split card for the first time. I was 2 minutes off my projected pace. At that point I was psyched. Last year I felt I had a great second half of the course and looked forward to getting it on again. I left 6 and about 15-20 minutes later, all hell broke loose. It started with my Achilles. It felt great all day and I hadn't even thought about it but I got some good pain and then what I would describe as "spasms". I sat on a rock to assess what was going on. I rubbed my Achilles for about 5 minutes and began to push up the dirt road. Out of nowhere my stomach turned south. I decided to walk ab it to see if I could gather myself. I knew by going this slow I would need to push somewhere else along the way. I hit AS#7 and still wasn't feeling that great. I looked forward to leaving 7 because I love this section of the course. Fortunately/unfortunately it lasted long enough this year to enjoy it. I came into 8 and knew I couldn't stay long. I grabbed my drop bag, reloaded and off I went. After the endless climb I got into a little groove and ran the single track do the bottom of Windy Pass. It looked like a death march up the mountain and I was next. Half way up I came across a guy who decided 2- 10 ounce water bottles were going to be enough for him. SURPRISE- it wasn't. He was in pretty bad shape so I gave him some of mine and kept on going. As I was going through the bowl on Windy there was another guy just shivering on the side of the trail. I gave him my gloves and arm warmers in hopes that would help. As I got into AS #9 a few other runners already notified the volunteers about the dude shivering on the mountain so they grabbed a blanket and went after him (I hope he was okay, I never heard anymore about him- you can keep the clothes though). I left 9 knowing my goal was out of reach and could only think about my wife and kids waiting for me to show up at 10. Poor family waited along time. I bombed down the mountain and before I got to 10 I saw my 2 kids and my sister. What a rush! I then saw my wife who took pictures of her ego broken husband. I limped into 10 and spent a few minutes with the family before heading down the final 3+ miles of road. I HATE road! With about a mile and a half to go, my wife jumped out of the car and paced me the rest of the way. Boy did that ever help. Without her I wouldn't have gotten my PR. I would have probably walked it in-Thanks honey! As like the 2 years past, I met my 2 beautiful girls and we crossed the line together. 12:26:44. YIKES! Not real happy about it but hey- what can I do about it now. Overall I am disappointed in the result. Yes I got a PR but my time was less than stellar. No excuses- I just didn't have it on this day. My littlest one said' "what took you so long", my response- "it just wasn't daddy's day". No excuses, the mountain beat me down.

It was great to see so many friends and family at the finish. I feel so lucky to be surrounded by so many great people. Thank you all for your support and friendship. Congrats to all those who ran- too many people to mention. Congrats to Corky Esquivel for a PR of 13 hours- good luck at Wasatch this September. A huge congrats to Scott Jaime- 1st place in 8:05 and 8th fastest time ever. Way to go Fast Eddy! You deserve it!

It's too early to break down what went wrong/right but I am sure I will figure some things out. Prediction for 2010- under 11 hours! No question. Squaw Peak is already my focus race for next year. Race results are not up yet but I will post the link soon.

Hey- did anyone else get cut to hell on all the over growth?

Squaw Peak 50 Preview

2009-06-03T09:09:00.004-06:00

Well the time is here- Squaw Peak 2009- my first focus race. I think of it as my favorite because this is where I was able to cross the finish line in 2007 holding one daughter and running holding hands with the other (photo). My wife was at the finish with a huge smile and a much needed hug. We did it! From there a tradition was born. Seeing my 3 girls at the finish with huge smiles more than made it all worth it. To have them tell you they are proud of you will always bring a tear to my eye and make the pounding in my legs go away- only if for a moment.

This will be my 3rd running and takes me back to my 1st 50 miler. My first year 2007, it was hot and I don't like heat. Last year 2008, it snowed and rained half the day which was welcomed. This year, it looks like scattered thunderstorms and a high around 70....PERFECT! My training leading up to the race has been better than years past. I got a late start on training due to my Achilles but it seems to be accepting of my running. I have gotten some great longs runs and more vertical than the past as well. I was on a run yesterday with Joel and Cory to give the legs a spin and it was funny thinking how much I enjoy trail running but sure can tell when the races are close. In 2007 I just wanted to finish, that's it. I remember the joy of crossing the finish line in a whopping 14:27. Time didn't matter. 2008 I wanted a 12 hour finish (time mattered) crossed the line in 12:44. Rumor was the times were almost 1 hour slower due to the weather but in my book it was 12:44. I missed my goal but was still pretty pleased with how I felt. It was a truly EPIC race. This year I have a goal. Attainable- sure. Putting a time on my race really makes me nervous. Running to finish makes me feel a little better. My goal for 2009......(drumroll).......11:30. Now lets put that in perspective. I believe the winner will go sub 9. That makes me at least 2.5 hours off the leader. Crazy to think how amazing these athletes are. In my mind I know where I need to make up some time from last year but doing it is another thing. I need to "take chances" (thanks Fish). As many know, anything can happen no the course. 50 miles is 50 miles for everyone. Nutrition, hydration, weather, pace, injury and attitude all play factors in the run. I hope most of those come together for me.

The race is sure to be competitive. There are some great athletes toeing the line: Christian Johnson, Erik Storheim, Brian Beckstead, Kevin Shilling, Leland Barker and Scott Jaime to name a few (sorry I know I left out many others). It will be great standing at the start with some great people but I am looking forward to being there next to Fast Eddy. He paced me back in 2007 and was vital to me finishing. There will be a lot of my training friends there as well: Joel, Cory, Phil, Matt, Kacey, Shane, Tom, Jaime and Ron. Good Luck to all of you and thanks for letting me share those training runs with you! Should be a great day in the mountains and sure beats yard work.

Again-GOOD LUCK to everyone and see you all at the finish line!

How sweet it is.

2009-05-29T15:32:00.004-06:00

This post has more to do with my daughter Sami than anything else. I am so proud of her! She sometimes is reluctant to try new things are is very timid. She decided last week to try out for soccer all-stars. She gets nervous with soccer because she thinks its "my thing" and says she doesn't want to "embarrass" me. I let her make her own choices on soccer and try to encourage her to do what she wants to do instead of push her along the way. After try-outs she felt she didn't make it. Well- I got a call from the coach and said Sami had indeed made the all-star team! YES! I was so excited to tell her. When I finally let her know, she shrieked and jumped around like a little girl (wait, she is a little girl) I was pretty emotional too. Watching my kids succeed is the ultimate feeling. Congratulations Sami, I am so very proud of you. Looks like there will be a couple races I may miss due to some tournaments but hey- its worth it!

On a side note, I ran with a group and we went up to Ben Lomond Peak. LOTS of snow and lots of throbbing legs. Got up to 9700' and 16 miles. Probably my last climb until Squaw. Epic run being in the clouds and glissading one last time this year.

CONGRATS SAMI!

Pocatello 50

2009-05-27T11:55:00.004-06:00

Finally, a race report and back on my blog. First- this is a must do race for everyone! Whether you do the 50 or the 2 or 3 person relay. Put this race on your to do list and you will not be disappointed. Jared Campbell, Ryan McDermott and company put on a first class race with some beautiful trails. To all the Pocatello locals, THANK YOU! You all have a nice backyard.

Now, I did the 3 person relay with Phil (Ogden, UT) and Greg (Dillon, Montana). Phil did the 1st leg (16.9 miles 4500' gain, 5150' loss), Greg the 2nd (15.6 miles 3600' gain 2950' loss) and I was lucky enough to do the 3rd. Getting up at 4 am and not running until 2:30 pm makes for a tough day. I guess it can be like crewing and pacing rolled into one. Phil and Greg both did awesome in some tough terrain and conditions. It was hot and challenging. When Greg came into the end of the 2nd leg, I was less than ready to go. I wasn't sure what the course had in mind for me but I did see the thunder storm roll in. Knowing I was going to be on top of Scout Mtn (elev. 8600+ feet) I wanted to get up and down as quick as possible. My leg was 19.3 miles with 5580' of gain and 5580' of loss. The trail to the top took me awhile. I got the first aid station in 1:10 but after that it was slow and go. Once on top of Scout, it was time for some glissading. My plan was to stay upright on my feet and do the best I could but gravity and poor glissading skills ruined that plan. I slipped and feel on my ass and it was game on. I was cruising down the mountain and giggling like a school girl when over to my left noticed the trail- oops I was going too far down. I dug my feet into to the snow in hopes of stopping and it launched me close to 10 feet in the air down the mountain onto my back and moving again. I finally came to a stop (a little scared but still laughing) picked up my gear (had a small yard sale) and found the trail. From there it is about 4 miles of sweet and quad pounding downhill. As I hit the last aid station I got the pleasure of meeting Greg Norrander who takes amazing race photos. After a small delay there we went down the road for about a mile and then started a climb of 600'. That doesn't sound like much but it felt like pure hell. After the climb it was down again to the finish. I did my leg in 4:47 which wasn't too good but crossing the finish and seeing my relay buddies was pretty cool. Team time 13:24 but more important a great day on the trail with some great people. Thanks to Greg and Phil for letting me run with them and spending the day. I got to hang out with Bryon Powell for a bit and listen to his summer plans. (Bryon-wear those socks with pride, those racing stripes will make you faster...promise)

Again- way to go Pocatello 50 race organizers, volunteers, runners and all. Great race and a priceless time. See full results HERE.

Malan's Run

2009-05-19T13:13:00.003-06:00

Left Rainbow at 6 am with Joel, Brian Beckstead and Shane Martin. The plan was to run over to waterfall canyon then come back and go up to Malan's and return to Rainbow. After the weekend I wasn't sure how my legs would feel and seeing Brian and Shane in the parking lot made them buckle. These guys are solid runners and both are great guys too. It was a good pace and the temps were perfect. We hit Malan's and Brian and Shane took off. Joel and I followed and met them at the overlook. From there it was fast (for me anyway). We bombed down Malan's and didn't stop till we hit the car. Another solid 10 miles and some vertical 3000+. It is great to run with these guys and sometimes a little intimidating. Overall, I feel good and after the back to back weekend I was pleasantly surprised how my legs responded. Thursday will be a easier 9 miles and then off to the Pocatello 50 to run the relay with a couple of friends.

Got that outta the way

2009-05-18T13:14:00.002-06:00

This weekend was marked on my calendar for a nice back to back. Leading up to Squaw Peak last year I got out for some great training runs during the same time frame and felt it was the most beneficial so I wanted to try and replicate it a bit this year.
Friday night/Saturday morning= I met Cory, Matt, John and Leland at Rainbow Gardens at 11:00 pm for a solid run. The temps were great and once again I was the slowest guy in the group. We ran over the Bues parking lot and on the way back we went up to Malan's. This was the first and possibly last time I was on Malan's (lookout before the basin) at 2:35 am. After we left Malan's we all were pretty beat except for Matt who probably could have gone for another 15+ miles. Total distance was 18 miles and over 4000' of elevation. Total time was 4.5 hours.
Sunday= I met Joel and we drove up to Wheeler Creek for a nice 20 mile run. We headed up Wheelers and it was cold. Just my PI short sleeve shirt and shorts, no glove, no sleeves. We hit Art Nord and headed up to Maples and then to the Ogden Overlook for more vertical. From there we headed over to Snowbasin and it started to really heat up. We hit the lodge for a re-fill then took the upper Green Pond trail and winded down to the road. We crossed over and hit the trail down to icebox. Icebox was fantastic. Such a beautiful section of trail there. The heat really took its toll on me and reminded me I needed some heat training before Squaw or I will be in trouble. We reached the car with 19 miles and 4730' of elevation. Almost 20 but I will take it.
For the weekend= 37 miles 9 hours on my feet, 9000' of elevation, heat and some beat legs. I feel good about this heading into the week. This weeks goal is Tuesday run (maybe Malan's) then easy Thursday with the Pocatello 50 on Saturday (17 mile leg). Squaw is 2 weeks away.....

Nice little spin

2009-05-14T16:09:00.002-06:00

Got out this morning at 6am with Cory for a nice little run. I wasn't sure if the weather was going to hold but it did. Cory mentioned he was pretty low on energy so I got lucky that I didn't have to red line all day just to say close. We started at Rainbow and went to the "gate" over by WSU. Not sure the exact distance- maybe around 9?
Solid run before heading out for 2 long back to backs this weekend. I am hoping to get close to 50 miles. We'll see.....

Time for some vertical

2009-05-12T15:23:00.002-06:00

Well- I have found a new love- Malan's Basin. What spectacular views! I met Joel at 6 am and we left Rainbow and headed up Malan's. The weather was perfect, the trail were welcoming and the views were inspiring. Did 7.5 mile with 3174 feet of climbing. WOW! This is a better climb than Indian and once on top, the trail are endless. There is still some snow a bit higher up but there are lots of possibilities.
On the way back down, we ran into Brian Beckstead. Brian is a super strong runner and it was great to finally meet him in person. He ran back down with us and we tried to entice him in to some early morning runs with us.
Overall it was a great morning. This is a run I will get in at least once a week for a bit and throw in Indian. The plan is to run solid Thursday and go LONG Saturday and Sunday. The Ogden Marathon in Saturday morning so the trails should be fairly clear for a good 25 miler.

The reason I do this.

2009-05-10T13:14:00.002-06:00

Sweeeeeet! Today was it. A great ending to a decent week of training. I met Joel at Rainbow and we drove up to the Wheeler Creek trail head. I have never been up there this early due to snow but we thought we would give it a shot. From the trail head to Art Nord it felt so different. The trees were so bare it seemed really open. We hit Art Nord campground and turned to head up to Maples campground. This part of the trail was tricky. Quite a bit of water and mud and the creeks were raging! The views were incredible up until we almost hit Maples and BAM- Snowbasin was staring at us with the sun hitting the snowy peaks- WOW! Between all the quakies, beaver ponds, snow capped mountains and the smell of the foliage- I couldn't have asked for any more. After Maples we went across to Green Pond via Snowbasin. We ran into a lot of snow at this point. Once across the resort it was a fast pace through Green Pond. The next back to Art Nord was painfully hard. The trail was extremely rutted and difficult to run on. I rolled my ankles at least 5 times and was starting to get a little pissy. Once we hit Art Nord we bombed back down Wheeler to the car. 16 miles but more importantly I cleansed my soul.
For the week I totalled 46 miles. Once again 4 short of my goal but I did get some good running in and over all feel pretty good. The Achilles is still and issue and at times makes me concerned as to what my race season will turn out to be.
On a side note (but more important than my other ramblings) I want to wish my wife and Happy Mothers Day. Without her NONE of this would be possible. I love you!

Tough times turn good

2009-05-09T10:05:00.002-06:00

Got up early for a 6 am run. Got a text at 5 am that one person wasn't going to be there. I tried to talk myself into going back to bed but it didn't happen. I drove to Rainbow Gardens- once there- I could not believe how cold it was. The wind was howling and the parking lot was empty. I waited for about 15 minutes for someone else to show or really talk myself out of running....well neither of those happened either. I got out of the car and began my climb south. The good part of the cold temps and the wind was it made me keep running, had to stay warm somehow. The run south was pretty uneventful except for the fact my legs didn't want to go. When I finally reach WSU I felt my legs coming around a bit. The way back to the car was a different story. The legs were good and the weather was ideal. Got back to the car with a total of 12 miles. I felt great considering I kept talking myself into running. Ready for a good run Sunday to finish a good week.

Well time to start going up

2009-05-07T14:19:00.002-06:00

My alarm went off at 3:45 am and I thought it was a cruel joke. I wasn't going fishing, it wasn't race day- nope just another training run. Met Joel, Cory, John Woj and Matt at the Skyline trail head and we headed out in the dark. My first time running with a headlamp since Wasatch. It brought back some good and bad memories. Temps were perfect and the lungs felt great. After a few miles we hit the Indian Trail. I wasn't sure what to think once we got there. I really need to start doing some serious climbing but I was nervous about the Achilles. I just keep replaying what all the Dr.'s told me- "Avoid doing hills". That was months ago but since the Achilles isn't healed (not heeled) I wasn't too sure about what was going to happen. I trotted up a little ways then backed it back down to a power hike. Legs felt tired and seemed to swell right before my eyes. Achilles stayed in check with minor to no discomfort. Huge mental boost! Went up near the half way point turned back and bombed down the hill. Oh ya- I haven't bombed down a hill for awhile either and my quads were screaming. The rest of the way back to the car felt a little sluggish. My legs were pretty tired. They felt like they were going to pop out of the skin. Note to self: better get up the mountains or Windy Pass will make you cry!
All in all, great early morning run before work. Totalled 9 miles. Ready for Saturday and Sunday.

A true give and take relationship.....

2009-05-05T12:48:00.002-06:00

While running, I often times have clear thinking (like most). Today was a perfect example. I started to analyze my lifestyle since taking up trail running. As I processed the last 3 years, I came to the conclusion that it is a true "give and take" relationship. You see, the mountain gives it to me on nearly every training run, I mean really gives it to me. Breaks me down, spits me out and yet I come back for more. Why? Well so I can take it back on race day. The more the mountain give me, the more I can take back on race day. Similar to a pay day. You work for say- 2 weeks and after 2 grueling weeks, you get a pay check= your earnings. Well, trail running for ME is no different. Some days you really don't feel like training but you still drag yourself out the door to get it done. The more times you don't get out the door, you are going to suffer more. The more you get out the door, the better "payday" you will have. I believe at times I think too much. I do it in life and I am sure I do it on the trails. I think to myself- how can I go faster, am I training right, do I need more mileage...... Well, maybe I just need to get out and run. Let the mountain "give" it to me. Absorb and take what it will throw at me and come race day, celebrate it, take it back.

I really do love mornings.

2009-05-05T12:45:00.003-06:00

So I got up nice and early to join Joel and Cory for quick run before work. I really think these Tuesday and Thursday morning runs are going to be a big help for the upcoming Squaw Peak race. Joel and Cory will either kill me or make sure I am ready. The weather was great- slight rain, minor to no wind and great temps. Left Rainbow and headed south towards WSU then back to Rainbow- 9 miles total. Felt good and the Achilles let me go at a good little pace.

That peaceful easy feelin'

2009-05-04T10:13:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was one of those runs. You've had them. The body and mind feel good (after warming up). The trail seems soft and forgiving. The weather had a mist of rain with NO WIND and the temp are comfortable. You own the trail.
Well yesterday was that day. Did a solid 12 mile effort and finished off with a mile at 7 minute pace and a 1/2 mile at 6:40 pace. Always wondered what it was like to go that fast. Sure felt close to my sprints back in the college soccer days. I have never been fast but I felt like it for a mile and a half yesterday. Training is going decent for Squaw and ready to keep picking it up.
Basically- my training and my effort/success is based around my Achilles. Not out of the woods yet.

Great run with side effects?

2009-04-30T11:08:00.002-06:00

Got up early today and ran with Joel and Cory along the BST north and got in a solid 12-13 miles. Great morning! The spring run off is flowing down all the canyons and the smells and sites are great- not to mention the trail is fabulous! I am changing my work schedule a bit in order to make these morning runs with these guys. They really push me and I hurt but when its done, I feel great!
Now- the real issue! My Achilles is absolutely PIST! It isn't in a good mood at all. It is swollen and SORE! I iced it immediately took some NSAID's and man it is fighting back. What does this mean? I thought I was good to go with minor pain but wow!
Well, Saturday and Sunday will be another back to back long runs if the Achilles can keep me upright. 5 weeks until Squaw and counting. Gotta step it up!

Here we go again...

2009-04-27T14:01:00.002-06:00

The weekend has come and gone with me coming up short on the miles I wanted. On top of that, as I sit here and type, my Achilles has some weird pain. Yesterday I got out on a run with Cory Johnson, Joel and John Woj for 123 nice miles at varying paces. The weather held out for our run with only a couple minutes of a snow skiff. I came up 7 miles short of 50 this week so now I need to get it done this week. Only a few weeks until Squaw. My Achilles has a strange pain in it today. I can usually feel tightness and being a little sore but today it feels different. Maybe it was trying to keep up with Cory yesterday of too much lifting and tweaking moving my mom on Saturday. Who knows.
This weeks plan- Tuesday-run, Wednesday -swim, Thursday-run, Saturday run and Sunday-run. Really need to hit at least 50 miles.
Any recommendations for an ice/gel pack for my Achilles? I can't seem to find one anywhere so now I need to go into cyber-world.

Lazy days

2009-04-24T10:51:00.002-06:00

I am not doing a good job of keeping up with the blog but oh well. I got in 2 solid runs this week so far and look forward to an early Saturday run before Sami's soccer game and moving my mom. Sunday, I will again awake with the roosters and head out. My goal is to get 30 miles in those 2 days which will bring my total for the week to 50. Next week will call for more miles and I just got my schedule changed at work to accommodate early Thursday morning runs before work. Pinched in every week I will spend one day in the pool. Not too far before Squaw Peak and as of right now don't feel good about hitting my goal. The Achilles has flared a bit this week and I felt more on my Wednesday 10 mile run but no sharp pains.

It's April...right?

2009-04-15T20:19:00.004-06:00

April 15th- Tax Day. What a better way to celebrate paying our beloved government than SKIING. I gave some money to Uncle Sam to pass on to the unfortunate MULTI BILLION DOLLAR companies that are struggling and threw a little bit toward Earl Holding too. I took off work and played hookie with my wife and we headed up to Snowbasin to what will most likely be the last time I ski for awhile. To our surprise it was AMAZING! The snow was soft and there was fresh powder everywhere. Throw in the fact that there was no one on the mountain and you have yourself a little piece of heaven. Every run was making fresh tracks. There were a couple spots that were deeper than knee powder! There was a slight snowfall and the sun played peak-a-boo most of the day. 2 days ago I was running in the mountains with 65 degree temps and today I was skiing mid-season snow. Here in Utah we take our knocks but we got a good thing going here. Hell- add the recent change to liquor laws and poof, here we go!

I will count today as quad burning cross training and tomorrow I will throw on the trail shoes for some single track. What a week!

Back at it

2009-04-13T23:28:00.003-06:00

As planned, I got out tonight on what felt like very weak legs. Went from Rainbow and headed north on the BST. Great evening for a run. This may have been the best weather of the year. There were alot of people on the trails, mostly bikers. Pace was slower than normal and just didn't feel it but what do you expect after a lazy week. Wednesday I will get in my last day of skiing for the year even though we still have tons of snow a the resorts. I will still get out Thursday night, Saturday (time depending on Sami's first soccer game of the year) and Sunday.

Before the run tonight I came home to a surprise. SOCKS! Not just any socks but the most comfortable socks around- oh and they look fantastic too! You decide. I even have some for purchase. Why green, why racing stripes...WHY NOT? I have some on right now. They go with absolutely everything and sure to make you faster!

Week Review

2009-04-13T09:39:00.003-06:00

Well not the week I had originally planned and now I have to pay for it both mentally and physically. I went on a run Wed but it only totalled 9 miles. Saturday I got all my trail work done for the Bear in September which is nice but didn't get out on Easter. So a whopping 9 miles for the week. Physically it sucks but it probably stings more mentally. It's good for me to post on here even when I am naughty because that stings too and really makes not want to be a slacker again. I will get out today in the mountains, a couple days of swimming and 3 more days of running.

I am also starting to put the finishing touches on my race schedule and jotting down my training for a few weeks at a time. Last week is lost and it sucks but this week will be much needed. If it wasn't for my personal life, this running thing would sure be easier!

Who's the rabbit?

The sun was out.

2009-04-05T12:21:00.002-06:00

A great morning for a little back to back run. Met a group (Anthony, Kacey, Mike, Frank and Dr. Rocco and his dog) @ 8 am at Rainbow. The wind was really blowing and it was tough to figure out what to wear. I opted for shorts and was glad I did. The first bit of the run was a little chilly but it didn't take long for the sun to come over the mountain and heat things up. Today we went north on BST and headed further towards North Ogden Pass. Great group of runners with all abilities. Kacey, being a very solid runner, led most of the way and the rest of us just fell in. The trails are just in incredible shape and with the sun starting to participate a little more, it made for a fantastic run. All in all we did around 12 miles. I feel pretty fortunate to have such great people to run with. Still not good at meeting new people but trail running has sure helped. It really is hard to find better people than the ones you share the trails with....
Overall the body felt pretty good and now it is time to increase the mileage a bit. Squaw Peak is 9 weeks away and getting closer. Mentally I think I feel good enough about my Achilles to go forward. Considering the limited amount of running this year, I feel stronger than last year at this time. Being new to the whole running thing I think I need some structure from a "real" runner. I got a few goals this year and honestly not sure if the training I am doing is making me better or just maintaining what I have. I think having a better plan with someone who knows running could really help me attain my goals- not of winning anything but just seeing what I can do. So.......Any takers?

Good Morning!

2009-04-04T12:16:00.002-06:00

What a morning for a run. I met Joel at rainbow gardens around 6:30 am. it was a little eerie since the weather in the parking lot was calm. I wore tights for the first time in my life and it wasn't as bad as I thought. We headed south along the BST and headed over towards Weber State. The trail was in pretty good shape all the way. We came across one patch of ice but it was only 40 yards long. The temps were great as we slowly could see some storm clouds roll in. We hit around 9-10 miles at a comfortable pace. Great run followed by a very productive day.
The Achilles seems to be responding well to the trails. Still a dull ache every once in awhile but overall I am feeling pretty good.

Buffalo Run 25k 2009- 2:45

2009-03-30T18:58:00.009-06:00

Whew! What a day. Taking advice from a good friend and more than experienced ultra runner- I decided not to be a slave to the watch. What a crazy yet rewarding experience. Having not run more than 10 miles this year I knew it would be an adventure but hey that's why I do this anyway right. Got to the island about 40 minutes early to make sure I knew what to wear. All I really took was my Pearl Izumi sleeves with the standard shorts, shirt, socks, shoes and of course Smith sunglasses (great plug there). It was a beautiful morning. I headed over to the start and ran into Anthony and Mike wandering around with the crowd. Jim (RD) announced to get to the start. As we listened to the count down I made a quick adjustment to the iPod when all the sudden... GO! Oh crap- I got off to a slow start and knew I blew my chance of winning this race so I settled into a comfortable pace. The course was changed from the last few years, from the start we headed up a hill. I wasn't ready for any climbing yet even if it wasn't a typical mountain climb. I knew this would test the Achilles out of the gate. Mentally I was feeling great, I came to lone tree with out breaking my pace but this had a steeper section and I had to walk it a bit. I hit the aide station just in time to see my buddy Phil undressing down to his underwear- man was I outta there! After the aid station there is a nice little decent and every year I get after it all the way down. Its a fun section before you start the switchbacks. Not knowing exactly how my legs would respond to the climb at the start I figured I should power hike the switchbacks as well as run. I took a camera with me this year knowing I wasn't going to have the legs to just go for 3 hours but I also decided I didn't want to get out of my groove in any way so the camera stayed tucked away.

At the top of the switchbacks I settled in with a group of about 5 runners and just tried to keep pace. We made it back around to the aide station and I knew this was new territory for the year mileage wise. Not knowing how long I had been on the course was strange and although I knew about what mile I was I figured my legs would really slow down here. I kept on moving and just hoped for the best. As the finish got closer my legs were heavy but I was in a little rhythm so I didn't want to slow. From the top of the mountain I could see the finish and the runners in front of me. This is where my competitive juices kicked in. When the person in front of me would turn to see where they were, I took it as a challenge. From the top of the mountain to the finish I probably passed close to 8 people. Not that I was blazing but having my winter weight still and gravity- I flew down the mountain. I came to the finish and finally saw the time- 2:45. The goal was sub 3 so for that I felt good. The Achilles held up and overall I was pretty happy. I finished 61 out of 201 and 17th in my age group. Being my first race of the year and my longest run of the year, I felt good. Sometimes its tough to sit at the finish knowing I finished 61st when there are so many runners there but in the end I am there for challenge and the experience. I have some goals but none are to win. Maybe some day I will put on my own race and not open registration so I can win it.

A great big THANK YOU to everyone that made the race possible. Jim Skaggs just raises the bar every year. I have run all 4 years of the race and let me tell you, they have all been fantastic! I saw a lot of familiar faces and met many others. All in all it was a beautiful day! My family and I hung out after my race for about 3 hours and just took it all in. Maybe that's why I run these things......

More snow? What the.......? (7.2 miles)

2009-03-26T09:15:00.005-06:00

I planned on getting a good run in before Buffalo Saturday and knew the weather wasn't going to cooperate. Lucky for me I committed to go with 3 others so I had to be there. When we left Rainbow Gardens it was wet. Slushy snow/rain fell so I threw on my Pearl Izumi Seek WRX trail shoes. Let me tell you, these fellas stood up to the test! As we climbed to get to BST, we noticed the snow getting fluffier and lighter. It was perfect. The mountain was covered with snow all but our nice little single track. It was a beautiful run with lots of stops to take in the views. It was a very inspiring run and it was a day I felt thankful to be able to be up there.

The Achilles seems to be handling the mileage and trail pretty well. We did the out and back of 7.2 miles which seemed to be perfect. I have my first race of the year Saturday, Buffalo Run 25k. I am about as ready as I can be and really look forward to see some familiar faces. The run is just a bonus at this point. A week ago I wasn't even sure I was going to run but now I feel more confident I can finish the race and remain healthy. Good Luck to those of you at Buffalo and I hope to see you all. Cheers!

I may be back (to back). (9.6 miles)

2009-03-22T19:08:00.002-06:00

Well, woke up after yesterdays run and the Achilles was in pretty decent shape. No real swelling, no real stiffness. Signs= good. I got to run with another great group of people- Phil, Anthony, Mike, Hal and Kacey. We met at Rainbow Gardens and decided to head north. The weather was cold and we had that damn canyon wind going. Once you leave Rainbow, you get to climb right out of the gate. Its' runnable for sure but I wasn't sure how I would do. My trail legs are not their and my quads felt heavy. I made it up over half way before I decided not to push too hard so I stopped and walked/ran the rest. I have been told that the climbing is where I was going to feel my Achilles ache but surprising it felt great. We went north and right away I knew I was in for a tough go. I just haven't been on the trails and the legs knew it. I kept reminding myself what my good friend Eddy told me- "it's always good to train on tired legs". I knew not to push too hard but I also know it's time to really put in the hard work. (If it was easy, everyone would do it). I survived the run of 9.6 miles and felt really good overall. A back to back of almost 10 miles on the trails, I will take it. Buffalo is only 6 days away. I had high hopes for this race but the plan now is to go out without a watch or GPS and just enjoy it. It's gonna be tough but sitting at home would be tougher.
I plan on taking tomorrow off and hitting the pool Tuesday and running BST Wednesday (with 2 more great friends) and resting up for my first race (I mean run) of the year.
I want to give a quick thank you to everyone who has passed on advice and encouragement for me over the winter. I am not out of the woods yet with the Achilles but just like running an ultra, just keep moving forward.....