Archive for the ‘Trail Running’ Category

I’m on day 3 of my new smoke free life and even thought the stress has been a little high today, the benefits have started to amaze me already. Went out to Big Springs Hollow to do my favorite 8k or 5 mile loop with Sam my German Shepard. I usually finish the loop in about 72 minutes but today when I looked down at my watch I had done it in only 61 minutes, that is an 11 minute faster run time than my normal time!

From what I understand the carbon monoxide has now left my blood stream and tissue and is now being replaced by oxygen. The oxygen is working on faster cell recovery, so when I push it over a hill my recovery time is faster. This is not only showing up in the run itself but after the run I notice that I’m less tired and recover from the run much faster than when I smoked!

I also have noticed that I’m sweating less on the run now, I use to just pour it on uncontrollably but on this past run I was pretty dry when I got back. Again I would think that the oxygen is playing a big part in that. My lungs are clearing out and I can now take a deep breath without hacking all over the place, still hurts just a little but that should get better soon.

Length: About 9 miles out and back
Difficulty: Strenuous
Description: At 11928 feet, Nebo is the highest of the Wasatch peaks. (It is some 179 feet higher than the more famous Mt Timpanogos.)

This started out as a trail run but soon it became evident that the elevation was going to slow me down fast! The first few miles went just fine but soon Sam and I were going up some of the steepest switchbacks I have ever seen. This mountain is tall at 11928 feet, Nebo is the highest of the Wasatch peaks but is worth the hell you get in climbing it. As I moved up the switchbacks along the ridge I kept wondering just where this trail was going and what peek I was headed for. Along the way I saw some pretty cool things from a Big Horn Sheep to Eagle and lot’s of deer. This run/hike took a lot out of me and kept me wondering if I wasn’t in over my head. The air started to thin out and my heart rate shot up and was pounding away in my chest. If you watch the video I’m pushing for the summit and you can see how incredibly steep it is!

When I finely reach the top it was an amazing moment, I took a moment to open the box that is there and read some of the past entries and even wrote my own. It took me 2:45 min to reach the top and about 2 hours down, on the way down I was able to run on most the trail but the upper shale area is pretty tricky and I had to take my time and be careful.

I did get video and for more check out my Video Blog.

Being a former fat boy gives me the right to tell the truth. Last two days I have been running the 8k loop at Big Springs Hollow up Provo Canyon. Today Bubby went with me, he is 15 and wants to loose weight and get in shape. I have ran with him before in the past and he can do it but he seems to be playing the mind game with letting yourself quit! If you run you know it takes time to develop a running style or pace and you also learn how warm up works and when you pass through it. Taking theses things into account will help you pace yourself for a run. Sometimes the run is longer and you need to work your pace and style to reserve power for the last half of your run.

Bubby is still pretty new at this and it will take a few dozen runs to start to understand it and use it to your advantage. He did push harder today than he did in our last run together. Along the way I was trying to talk to him about what was happening and why, the best ways to deal with lactic acid buildup from a steep long uphill drag. How to pound your legs and shack it out of the muscle fiber as you move over the top of the hill. He is young and probably did not understand a lot of what I said but he did seem to do better today and did the 8k loop in about 76 minutes.

He says he want’s to run the Park City Mini-Trail Series 15k on August 14, 2010 that happens to be on my birthday! I will try to push him to do a double 8k and we will see if he can run with me in the 15k.

Video was taken at Big Springs Hollow on 7-15-2010 trail running with Sam & Jack.

I spent the last two nights Trail running the 8k loop at Big Springs in South Fork Canyon up Provo Canyon. This is always a good solid run and the last few days I have been doing a little after hours fun. I have been so busy with work that I haven’t been able to get out till after dark. Running in the dark is a little different, I have a headlight on but it tends to light up the wildlife’s eyes and gets a little spooky when you are jogging through the woods late at night. The only thing that seems to help is the music I have blasting in my ears, that seems to take my mind off the things that go bump in the night.

Tends to be a bit cooler at night also, it got down to about 55 the first night but I was up there after 1:00 am. You seem to forget about the cold fast after the first 6 min of pounding the trail with your feet. Sam my German Shepard went with me both times and she is doing better on her trail killing problem.

you tend to see all kinds of crazy stuff at night, your eyes play tricks on you with the shadows. At one point we are coming down through a big wide open meadow and Sam gets all worked up over something big moving on our right. I could see it’s eyes glowing orange and they were about 12 feet off the ground, had to be a moose looking us over. Gets pretty darn spooky at times but I think that is part of the fun!

This started off a bit rough as I was late getting out of Utah Valley and around the mountain for the Park City Mini-Trail Series 10k and as I pulled in I saw the runners pounding the trail to the start of the 10k. Now most places will not let you run late but theses people are different, they quickly got me signed up and on the trail!

High Five to  R.U.N. Events for putting on such a well organized event with a friendly atmosphere and wonderful trail layout, the trail posting and aid stations were very well placed and easy to navigate.

The next 8 min I got into my pace, I was about 5 min behind the end of the pack and was thinking to myself “No one is going to pass me if I’m in last place” but about 10 min in around the first aid station I saw the end of the pack and they were walking! I could see 3 people headed up the hill so I started to pound the hill out passing them. With 3 behind me now I was in the race a little more and could see more people in front of me. I cleared them pretty quick and headed down a rocky slope where I passed number 7 as we headed up to the next aid station. There I passed 8 and turned down the single track for a nice quick run to the bottom.

Number 9 came in the grassy track at the bottom and I could see 10 and 11 a young girl and her mother and they gave me a run for my money, I tried to caught them for about a mile before I passed them. Number 12 came right before the down hill to the last aid station and she was going strong. The rest of the run was just keeping my pace so no one caught up with me. There were 2 runners in front of me about 100 yards but they held there ground and never let me get close.

So I caught up and passed 12 runners to finish with a time of about 1 hour 10 min, not bad for a 10k usually I do 8k in 1:15 but that is alone with no one to pass you. In the raffle after the run I won Free Entry into the next 15k Race on August 14th my birthday, what a great gift! I’m going to go register right now and see if I can get there on time.

My wonderful wife did get video so check it out and for more videos try my Video Blog.