Why the Wasatch?

Why do you want to do that? Is the FAQ I get when I tell people that I put in the lottery for the Wasatch 100 trail endurance race. I am not sure that it can’t be answered without a long descriptive psycho analysis of me and who I am and what makes me tick. The easy answer is either I don’t know or as Sir Edmund Hillary once said in reference to his pursuit of summiting Everest “because it’s there”. The best analogy for me is that from the Jack London classic “Call of the Wild”. The lead character, a dog, “Buck” lives in sunny, easy, restful and relaxing California. He is stolen away and becomes an Alaskan sled dog. As time progresses he hears the call of the wild and recognizes that deep within his soul that it has always been there. The book, my favorite of all time, ends with “Buck” joining a wolf pack and ultimately returning to his heritage, his roots.

I have run a good part of my life. When I was young I ran all the time. As I developed into a wrestler, I ran. My goal was to be able to outlast my opponent on the mat so I ran to increase endurance. I once took 4th place in a church mini-marathon. I recall it being a 5K but it had several GREAT runners in it. I often remember that day as a great accomplishment. I served an LDS mission, got out of shape and for a while abandoned running. A content married life and 3 kids only added to me getting out of shape. (I could actually say that I got in shapes…round)
I had wanted to run and did a few around the blocks now and then. In May of 2006 I ran the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, a 5k, without training and more importantly without stopping to walk. (I need to note that I did this to honor the life of my sister-in-law Meagan. Had it not been for my thoughts of her I probably would have walked) it was the kick-start that I was looking for. I turned the around the blocks into a mile. The miles increased and before I knew it I was running races of distance again. In all I have completed 5 marathons and several other ½ marathons, team relays, 5K, 10K and even a few triathlons. Like “Buck” I felt that I was doing something that I loved, something that was inside me.

I give this history not to boast or even establish credibility but to note that if I can be in the position that I am in, YOU CAN TOO!

Luke and I have decided to chronicle our pursuit of completing the Wasatch 100. We do this for several reasons. 1- Is so that family and friends can follow in the journey. When I heard that I was in the race I had an immediate sense of responsibility to all of those that have supported me along the way. I hope to keep you all updated as WE go. 2- I hope that this will serve as a good journal. 3- Therapy! I need to get my feelings on paper. Often when I have a thought, I will write it out to sort through my real feelings. I imagine that it will get personal at points, be funny, have time lapses and probably not get read but in the end I simply hope it helps.

So here we go! I hope you enjoy the trails, mileage and cheese with us.