After a couple of months of base building, official training kicks off this week! I am excited and nervous and on some level humbled to take on this opportunity.
Luke and I spent some time running the Bonneville Shoreline trail on Saturday. This trail is affectionately referred to locally as the "BoSho" and skirts the Salt Lake Valley. Ages ago the Salt Lake Valley was under water. Literally. The ancient Lake Bonneville covered nearly 20,000 square miles. The lake receded but is responsible for much of the landscape that we currently enjoy in Utah. There are plans for the BoSho to one day span some 280 miles from the Idaho border to Nephi, Utah.
The nice thing about the BoSho is that it is close and convenient and is a nice way to rack up some miles on the rolling trail. The rough thing is that it gets crowded! Mountain bikers, hikers, dog walkers and runners all enjoy what the trail has to offer. A lot of "bike right" can be heard while on the trail. The crowds do bring a cool vibe and really do speak to the active nature of the city. In all a great place to be.
I have been having more and more "Wasatch nights". Wasatch nights are nights that I go to bed at a reasonable hour with great intentions of getting a good night sleep. I then lay in bed for up to 2 hours going through all of my thoughts about this race. They are centered on nutrition, weather, aid station splits, pace, pacers, finishing etc. etc. It is literally exhausting which in and of it's self is probably good training.
While training, I look forward to summitting the peaks of the Wasatch several times. I love summitting. There are days when faced with adversity in the valley that I look at the peaks of the Wasatch and say to myself "If I can get to the top of that thing..." Summitting those peaks gives me confidence that I can do more with my life in the valley.
You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know.”
― René Daumal
Thanks to my younger brother Brian for sharing this quote with me. Brian will serve as one of my pacers in September.
Happy trails!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Salomon Speedcross 3 CS
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a sucker for flashy shoes. Well, if I were grading simply on that criteria alone, these shoes would get an 11 out of 10. Fortunately, their functionality goes just as far.
I was in need of a good winter/spring shoe and was lucky enough to come across these hot little numbers. I had used Yak Trax Pros for a year or so when the trail called for a little more traction than my daily trainers could provide. My main complaint about the Yak Trax is that they attracted mud and snow to the bottom of the shoe over the course of a run. I would suddenly find myself three inches taller and still slipping a little.
The Salomon Speedcross 3 CS was the answer to my dilemma. These shoes are definitely the workhorse of the Salomon lineup. They sport a ridiculously aggressive tread. They are like monster trucks on your feet. I found myself powering up and down mud and snow packed hills with ease.
From what I gather, the Salomon Speedcross 3 CS have a 9mm heel to toe drop (quite a bit more than I am used to). They have a surprisingly good amount of cushion and have a great toe guard for those nasty rocks and roots that have a tendency to sneak up on you.
The CS in the shoe name stands for Climashield. It is a water resistant, breathable membrane that is built into the shoe upper. It has kept my feet dry and warm. On numerous runs, I have gone out of my way to fully submerge the shoe in puddles and still stayed relatively dry.
Salomon shoes incorporate a unique quick lace system. You do not tie the laces together but rather cinch them down with a simple pull of the lace tab. The tab is then stored in the pocket built into the tongue. It took me a while to get used to the system, but I must admit I am a fan now. The shoe seems to hug and wrap around my foot.
I only have two small dislikes of the shoe. First, the toe box is a little narrow for my feet although I have noticed it has loosened the more miles I put on them. Secondly, I feel a little "top heavy" in the shoe. By "top heavy" I mean the base of the shoe feels a little narrow. I have caught myself a few times slightly rolling my ankles on the downhill and feeling slightly disconnected with the trail. It has helped me with over striding and keeping my feet under my body though.
Overall, I am a huge fan of the Salomon Speedcross 3 CS. Although I would not want to wear these shoes on hard packed trails for a 20+ mile run, they serve their purpose as a sort of speciality shoe that is an aggressive, trail eating monster.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Running South of the Border
Due to distance of my latest run this report is almost unnecessary. I report only because it is something that was out of my normal scope of practice. Plus ALL runs are cool.
This last week I had the chance to go to Cancun, Mexico for a little rest and relaxation. I am not much for world traveling but the thought of sun and sand sounded nice. A suit for a dinner that I had to attend, couple pairs of shorts, a swimsuit, flip flops and my running gear and I was set!
I had grand plans. Wake up early, run down to the ruins, run from Telum to the beach, down the beach and finish off with a nice dip in the warm Caribbean water. At least that was the plan. As we pulled into town, Federalis lined the road armed with machine guns. Not the most comforting spectacle! There were several people that suggested/warned us that we not go out alone.Reports of violence coupled with those warnings caused those grand plans to go away and the back up plan to be put in place. Insert frowny face emoticon here. :(
So I did the best I could with what I had. I ran all over the resort that we were staying at. Up and down a hall, a few stairs, out onto a "jungle path" down to the "beach" back down the main entrance road and back. In all, it was about two miles. What a rip off?!?
The Jungle path.
As in all runs, even the two mile variety, I was able to experience some cool things. Seeing Iguanas is not something you get to see on the trails of the Wasatch. The beach is always nice too. Sarah (my wife) and I ran great together and the humidity made me feel as though I had run much farther.
Sarah stops for a mid run pic.
I am happy to report that I am back in the States and excited to be chased by bears and cougars rather than Federalis and drug dealers.
On a side note, thank you to those readers of this blog and your comments on and off forum. It is great to know that there are people out there who share in our interest and love of running and our pursuit of ultra running. I imagine that while I am at mile 67 or 81 or 99 and feel tired and ready to throw in the towel that I will recall on your love and support and pull through.
Happy trails.
This last week I had the chance to go to Cancun, Mexico for a little rest and relaxation. I am not much for world traveling but the thought of sun and sand sounded nice. A suit for a dinner that I had to attend, couple pairs of shorts, a swimsuit, flip flops and my running gear and I was set!
I had grand plans. Wake up early, run down to the ruins, run from Telum to the beach, down the beach and finish off with a nice dip in the warm Caribbean water. At least that was the plan. As we pulled into town, Federalis lined the road armed with machine guns. Not the most comforting spectacle! There were several people that suggested/warned us that we not go out alone.Reports of violence coupled with those warnings caused those grand plans to go away and the back up plan to be put in place. Insert frowny face emoticon here. :(
So I did the best I could with what I had. I ran all over the resort that we were staying at. Up and down a hall, a few stairs, out onto a "jungle path" down to the "beach" back down the main entrance road and back. In all, it was about two miles. What a rip off?!?
The Jungle path.
As in all runs, even the two mile variety, I was able to experience some cool things. Seeing Iguanas is not something you get to see on the trails of the Wasatch. The beach is always nice too. Sarah (my wife) and I ran great together and the humidity made me feel as though I had run much farther.
Sarah stops for a mid run pic.
I am happy to report that I am back in the States and excited to be chased by bears and cougars rather than Federalis and drug dealers.
On a side note, thank you to those readers of this blog and your comments on and off forum. It is great to know that there are people out there who share in our interest and love of running and our pursuit of ultra running. I imagine that while I am at mile 67 or 81 or 99 and feel tired and ready to throw in the towel that I will recall on your love and support and pull through.
Happy trails.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
UNBREAKABLE
"Unbreakable" is an amazing documentary that gives you an inside look at the 2010 Western States Endurance Run. The film follows the daily lives, training regiments and race day action of 4 of the world's elite ultra runners, Geoff Roes, Anton Krupicka, Hal Koerner and Killian Jornet. It also gives the viewer some insight as to where this unbelievable sport began through ultra running pioneer Gordy Ainsleigh's eyes.
In 1974, Gordy Ainsleigh was the first to run the course of the Western States Endurance Run. At the time, the trail was used only by horses participating in the 24-hour Western States Trail Ride. When his horse went lame prior to the race, Ainsleigh decided he would run the torturous 100 miles (160 km) of mountain trail from the Squaw Valley Ski Resort to Auburn, California, rather than look for another horse to ride. Ainsleigh completed the 'equestrian race' without a horse, in 23 hours and 47 minutes. This was the beginning of the Western States Endurance Run, and the beginning of the modern sport of ultradistance trail running.
A special viewing is being presented by some local stud runners at Brewvies Cinema Pub (21 and older) on Thursday, March 21st. Brewvies is located at 677 South 200 West, Salt Lake City, Utah. Tickets are $7 at the door or visit mrc-ultra.blogspot.com to purchase tickets in advance. Hope to see you there.
"Unbreakable" is an amazing documentary that gives you an inside look at the 2010 Western States Endurance Run. The film follows the daily lives, training regiments and race day action of 4 of the world's elite ultra runners, Geoff Roes, Anton Krupicka, Hal Koerner and Killian Jornet. It also gives the viewer some insight as to where this unbelievable sport began through ultra running pioneer Gordy Ainsleigh's eyes.
In 1974, Gordy Ainsleigh was the first to run the course of the Western States Endurance Run. At the time, the trail was used only by horses participating in the 24-hour Western States Trail Ride. When his horse went lame prior to the race, Ainsleigh decided he would run the torturous 100 miles (160 km) of mountain trail from the Squaw Valley Ski Resort to Auburn, California, rather than look for another horse to ride. Ainsleigh completed the 'equestrian race' without a horse, in 23 hours and 47 minutes. This was the beginning of the Western States Endurance Run, and the beginning of the modern sport of ultradistance trail running.
A special viewing is being presented by some local stud runners at Brewvies Cinema Pub (21 and older) on Thursday, March 21st. Brewvies is located at 677 South 200 West, Salt Lake City, Utah. Tickets are $7 at the door or visit mrc-ultra.blogspot.com to purchase tickets in advance. Hope to see you there.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
WEEKEND IN THE SNOW!!!!!!!!
We received two good storms this week, dumping about 3-4 feet of snow in the mountains. Seems there were only two options...........stay home and sulk in my sorrow that spring has been put on hold or get my butt out and enjoy natures playground.
Saturday, Mark and I dove into an epic day of snowshoeing. We hit the Mill D trail head in Big Cottonwood canyon at 11am. Our destination was Lake Blanche. I have always loved this trail because it is where I proposed to April. We slogged our way up the trail for about a mile and a half. At that point everyone else that had ventured up had turned around. We came across a couple still upward bound, Brian from New York and his co worker Jen from Salt Lake City. We continued on with them, each taking turns breaking new snow for the others to follow. Absolutely mind boggling the workout you get trail busting through 4 feet of virgin powder. Even with snowshoes on, we would sink in a good 2 feet each step. We stopped at Lake Blanche for a quick breather and then headed back down. All said and done; 4 hours, 3300 feet elevation gain, 6 miles and amazing memories.
We received two good storms this week, dumping about 3-4 feet of snow in the mountains. Seems there were only two options...........stay home and sulk in my sorrow that spring has been put on hold or get my butt out and enjoy natures playground.
Saturday, Mark and I dove into an epic day of snowshoeing. We hit the Mill D trail head in Big Cottonwood canyon at 11am. Our destination was Lake Blanche. I have always loved this trail because it is where I proposed to April. We slogged our way up the trail for about a mile and a half. At that point everyone else that had ventured up had turned around. We came across a couple still upward bound, Brian from New York and his co worker Jen from Salt Lake City. We continued on with them, each taking turns breaking new snow for the others to follow. Absolutely mind boggling the workout you get trail busting through 4 feet of virgin powder. Even with snowshoes on, we would sink in a good 2 feet each step. We stopped at Lake Blanche for a quick breather and then headed back down. All said and done; 4 hours, 3300 feet elevation gain, 6 miles and amazing memories.
Mark and I at Lake Blanche
Mark AKA Bulldog putting in some hard work
Winter solitude
Sunday, I did a Mount Olympus saddle hike. Mount Oly is my favorite hike/run and I consider it my "home mountain". It is 3 miles up to the saddle with 3,700 feet of elevation gain. I thought the south facing mountain would have lost most of its snow by today. I was sorely mistaken. The first mile and a half were wet and muddy, but from there on out it was snow packed.
The trail going up
3 feet post holes
I came across this cool memorial photo someone had left this weekend. It was especially moving to me because I have told April that when my days are done, I want a little something of me left on Oly.
It was a slow hike up to the top, but the bluebird day and breathtaking views made it all worth it. I am so lucky to have this playground as my backyard.
View looking into Big Cottonwood canyon
View of Salt Lake Valley
Mount Olympus saddle
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