Back At It

Started the new year off right with a summit of Grandeur.  I did the west face route then back down.  I should've planned a little better and done the full loop, but didn't have any nutrition with me, other than the brownie the ladies at the summit gave me.  It tasted pretty darn good after a tough hike to the top.  The quads were definitely feeling it on the way down.  Ah, the joys of getting back to training.

Got out with a group today that included Jun, Dorsimus, Scott, Matt VH, Steam8, and Lily.  We did the Ann's Trail loop starting at the the Red Rock trailhead in Draper.  Had lots of up and down variation and was really good for my tired legs today.  Hung out in the back of the group and took it easy most the time, other than a few mad dashs here and there with jun and Dorsimus.  Check out jun's blog for some cool pics of the run.

Went to the JRP because I knew it would be a tough day on the legs today.  My quads are absolutely destroyed from the last two days on the trails.  Guess that happens when you slack for too long, so now I've gotta work on building my strength back up.

With that said, I ran in the Altras again today focusing on form.  My right calf that bothered me last week stiffened up within a half mile, but loosened up as I continued on.  Legs felt hammered the entire way but the effort didn't feel too difficult, if that makes any sense at all?!  Maybe a better way to put it is that I was really sore with every step, but it wasn't difficult to push myself along. 

I woke up at 4:30 this morning for some stupid reason, so rather than sitting in bed for a few hours or watching TV, I decided to go to the gym.  I went with the sole intention of just lifting some weights, but watching the pathetic people on the treadmills gave me a little motivation... So of course, I jumped on!  I cranked up the incline and pace at what felt like manageable levels and ran for 30 minutes.  After back-to-back days in the Instincts, my legs are now officially destroyed and I need to take a day off... It probably won't happen though because I'm in love with running again.

Got out in this ridonkulous weather we're enjoying and ran View Benchmark after work.  The car read 49 degrees when I got out to run.  I wore a light jacket though since I knew that I wouldn't be in the sun much on this one.  I dressed about perfect which is always a bonus. 

The only time I've been on this trail was with Jun when there was about 50 feet of visibility, so I had no idea where I was going.  I made a few wrong turns on the way up and one on the way down, but nothing too serious.  The beauty of the trails out there is that you really can't get lost, even when you don't have any idea where you're going.  Turned out to be a really awesome run on a gorgeous day.

MattVH sent out an email a few days ago looking for some good training runs to go on in the next few months in preparation for his first 100 mile race.  Since his race is at Antelope Island, the group had hoped to make it out there to train.  However, recent reports of snow out there changed our plans, myself, MattVH, Jun, and Scott all headed to Lake Mountain for a circumnavigation.  We started at the south end and worked our way around clockwise.  The temps were chilly, but I believe we all dressed appropriately so there were no issues being too cold with a 7:30am start. 

I have no problem sleeping before races since I feel like I've trained well.  However, I slept terribly last night since I hadn't run more than 16 miles at a time since the Bear 100 in September.  Events in my life have really stolen my motivation to run long distances in recent months and I felt completely unprepared to tackle what was in front of me.  I was surprised however, to feel pretty good for the most part.

At about mile 10 my left ankle started getting sore.  I knew this was happening because of my lack of training.  When I'm in training mode and putting together solid weeks, my ankles are able to prepare for the damage that uneven terrain provides.  However, since I've been recently working on transitioning into a better shoe for me, I had to jump into my old "long run shoes" for this one and I paid for it.  Having only run in these shoes 3 times since September, I knew I'd be pretty hammered by the end of the day.

 What I didn't expect was to have solid energy all day long.  From about mile 21 to 26, Craig was really pushing the pace and leading us out.  I hung close for awhile, but had to stop to take Ibuprofen for the ankle... it was getting too much to bear.  I found out about 6 miles later that I had dropped my camera here when I took my pack off.  See ya later camera!  Good thing it was almost 7 years old and I was already planning on buying a new one this year.  All the more excuse now to get a new one now.  I also had two more unplanned stops, but I ran all the uphills and got to the high point of the course just two minutes back of Craig.  Craig is a beast on the hills right now, so I felt pretty good about getting there so close to him.

After waiting for Matt and Scott to arrive, we then took off downhill.  I hung just behind Craig and Matt for about a mile, but the ankle started to revolt on the constant downhill and I had to dial it down.  After another unplanned stop, I decided to run to the finish with Scott since the ankle hated me.  His hamstrings were really tight, so between the two of us, we were pretty pathetic.  We arrived at the finish 12 minutes or so behind Craig and Matt.

All in all, I felt solid basically all day long.  Guess I can't expect perfect results when I haven't put in the training, though.  It was encouraging to know that with a little work I can be back in shape to throw down some good results this year.

Terrible.  Felt like the ankle was ready, but it's not.  Could've gone the 8 or 10 I was planning but I'm proud of myself for turning around.  Looks like I'm relegated to the elliptical for a few more days.

First run in almost 3 weeks.  Yikes!  Decided to take it easy and just ran on the JRP.  Figured with the lottery for Wasatch, I needed some good karma so I made sure to get out today.  The bad news is that I felt the ankle every step of the way, but the good news is it never got worse.  Guess it's time to suck it up and get back to training.  I'll start next week with some miles on the JRP, then hopefully by week's end I'll have enough confidence in the ankle to get back on the trails.

I also decided today that I'm out for the Buffalo Run... Just don't have enough time to train in order to put up a good performance.  I'm not too sad about it honestly.  Figure I'll put my money to better use somewhere else.

Had almost zero time so I had to bust my butt to even get 2 in.  Ran the first half mile at warmup pace, then ran 6:00 flat followed by a cooldown.  Figured if I can't get quantity I might as well get quality.

Ankle hurt but surprise, surprise... When I strike with perfect form I can hardly feel it.  Looks like this injury is gonna force me into proper foot striking.  Definitely not complaining but the mileage will have to stay low for a bit.  I'm ok with that I guess.

Easy 5 at the JRP.  Calves a bit tight towards the end but that's to be expected.  Ankle held up ok.  Wish I could run more but I need to be patient.

Did the 10K route on the BST from Hidden Valley Park.  First time wearing the Lone Peaks and I must say, I love them!  Ankle was sore afterwards, but it seems to be recovering more quickly after each run.  Gonna try to run at least 4 days next week and see how things hold up.

Easy 8 at the JRP.  Ankle is doing just ok.  I can feel it slightly when I run but then it seems to get really sore once I'm finished.  I'm so frustrated.  Looks like I'll be paying the doctor a visit this week.  Argh.

After another week off the ankle I thought I'd try to get out for some short miles.  Ankle felt strong the first two then it started to break down.  Instead of continuing, I decided to ditch my shoes and do some barefoot running at the park for about 10 minutes.  I think I'll try doing this every day for the short term to see how it goes.

Wasn't able to get into the doc this week because the ex has my insurance card and I wasn't able to meet up with her til Friday night.  Calling on Monday to make an appt.

15 minutes at the park doing some barefoot work.  This is much more enjoyable than I ever thought it would be.  The muscles in the bottom of my feet are starting to feel it... and I like it!

3 miles on the treadmill followed by 1 mile of barefoot.  Did the barefoot session outside at the park and I'm sure I looked like a total idot since it was snowing outside.  Sure was fun though.  Appointment with an ankle specialist on Thursday so I'm hoping to get things sorted out.  Plan on running Wednesday evening and Thursday morning just so it's nice and sore when I visit :)

I failed to get out last night due only to laziness.  So I got up early and hit the treadmill for a half hour.  Got 3 miles with some vert and actually sweated for the first time in weeks.  Did some weights as well.

Seeing the doctor this afternoon to see what the deal with my ankle is.  I'm sure he'll just tell me to use an insert with arch support (which I actually have been doing this week) or to stop running.  I stopped for 3 weeks after the injury and it did NOTHING.  I feel like running a bit has helped it.  The only reason I'm seeing a doctor in the first place is to make sure there's no structural damage.  If that's the case, then I guess stopping for awhile would be best.  Crossing my fingers that's not the case because my motivation is shot as it is... Being sidelined again would absolutely crush me.

My doctor visit went EXACTLY as I thought... No major structural damage and I'm officially cleared to start training again.  I just need to make sure I stay under the pain threshold.  Could be interesting.  What will be even more interesting is where I'm gonna find the motivation to get out the door and run long again.  I have absolutely no desire at the moment.

Since I was cleared by the doctor last week to run, I just haven't had any motivation to get out.  When I got an email from Jun earlier in the week saying the boys were heading out to Antelope Island for a run, I knew it's what I needed to get mojo back.

I met up with Dorsimus, Scott, and Jun out on the island.  They were planning on doing a 50K and I was only planning on 15 or so since my ankle is still only about 70%.  We all basically stuck together for the first few miles and we all ran Lone Tree Hill.  My endurance felt great all day long, but my fitness was off.  That climb up the hill took it out of me.  I don't think I ever recovered from it.  However, I continued to push through the switchbacks.  Dorsimus was on my heels the whole way so he really kept me moving.

Once I hit the top of the switchbacks though, I had something happen that I've never experienced while running before... cramps!  Now I completely understand why it's such a big deal when people encounter them while running.  It was no fun, but it only happened a couple times on the way back.

Once we reached Elephant Head I said goodbye to the boys (who went on to finish their 50K) and I headed back to the car.  I took it nice and easy on the way back and just enjoyed being able to run again.  I love running out on the island.

I'm really proud of myself for knowing my limits today and sticking to it.  I wanted so badly to put in some more miles with the fellas, but I knew it probably wasn't a smart idea.  Looking forward to easing back into training the next couple weeks before ramping back up to where I should be right now.

Met up with my friend Scott and ran at the JRP.  He was running late so I ran a warm-up mile prior to meeting up with him.  We then did our 10K route.  Lots of good conversation to help pass the time and it was exactly what I needed today.  Weather was perfect... Probably 70 degrees or so.

Feeling like I'm starting to get back into a groove.  My ankle held up extremely well today and I didn't feel any weird twinges or pain at all... A great sign!  Hoping to put in at least 4 days this week then get back on track in the coming weeks.  Things are finally looking up!

I was really hoping to run yesterday but I ended up having a crazy busy day and wasn't able to get out.  Such is life.  So today I went and ran the BST in Draper out to the Gasline Trail, then up Ghost Falls and down Corner Canyon road.  Fairly muddy near the top of Ghost Falls but wasn't nearly as bad as I had imagined based on reports from others earlier in the week.

Still feeling a bit winded when I push it too hard, but my fitness is coming back, slowly.  Ankle felt good for the most part but was definitely sore afterward due to all the instability from the mud and what not.  My right IT band felt tight when I was coming down Corner Canyon road so I eased off just to make sure I didn't do any damage that would sideline me.  All these little things ya gotta be careful of when starting to train again!

All in all, a really great outing on a beautiful 70 degree day.

Did an out-and-back on the JRP before the weather started getting too nasty.  The wind was horrible, but it seems like it has been for the last week so no big deal.  I was hoping to get something a little longer in, but things are just too busy right now.  I guess I could wake up earlier, but that's no fun.

I'm moving this next Thursday so next week could be really interesting.  Plus adjusting to a new place and a new routine could make for some really inconsistent training.  On the other hand, it may be just what I need to get out and explore some new territory.  I'm also crewing my dad at the Buffalo Run 50 miler on Saturday, so I may get an opportunity to run a few miles out there.  We'll see what the week brings but I'll be so happy once it's over!

I didn't run yesterday due to time constraints.  It's a good thing though because I'm trying to slowly build back up so as to not get injured.  Too late.  My ankle is still only about 80% but it's to the point where I'm not worried about it any more.  However, after my run at the BST last week I noticed my right IT Band starting to tighten up.  It didn't bother me too much but I knew I'd have to watch it.   Well about 2 miles into my run today it came back, a little harder this time.  I went home and rolled it out good, but I can tell it's going to bother me a bit. 

I won't run again til Saturday just to give it some rest.  I'm ok with that since I'm moving on Thursday anyway.  I'm hoping to pace my dad out at the Antelope Island 50 miler... Well see how it feels then.

Paced my dad from The Ranch to the finish at the Buffalo Run 50 miler.  Huge congrats to him for sticking it out and finishing after dealing with some major issues early on!  I'm so proud of him and had such a great time spending some hours with him on the trail.

My ankle held up really well and my IT Band didn't give me any problems.  It's still tight, but I'm keeping a close eye on it and taking care of it.  I'm hoping to slowly start picking up the mileage this next week.  I'm gonna take a few days off then hopefully start running again on Tuesday, just to make sure I'm fully recovered.  I'll probably shoot for 30 - 35 miles this week and slowly start increasing from there.

I completely failed at getting out this last week.  I stayed late at work every day, then between moving into the new place and cleaning out the old, I had no time to myself.  So I made sure to get out today.  Did the Ghost Falls route on the BST since I only had about 2 hours. 

Everything felt ok til on the way back my IT band started acting up a little bit again.  I think this next week I'm going to run on the flats to make sure things don't flare up any more.  I really need to get back at it before I start going crazy... More crazy that is.

Ran around exploring the new hood.  I do like that the area is so open and I don't have to deal with very many traffic lights.  Ankle seems to be getting stronger with every run.  IT Band still buggin me but I think I'll continue to run through it til it gets better; unless it gets worse.  Currently foam rolling about 6 times a day and starting a cycle of ibuprofen.  Hoping for the best.

The goal was an hour and I accomplished that at the JRP.  IT Band didn't bug too much on the run, but when I stopped to walk around and cool off before jumping into my car it started screaming at me.  I guess I'm taking tomorrow off to make sure I don't aggravate it too much.

Didn't get out til late today but I wasn't going to miss my run.  All I wanted was a half hour to see how things are feeling before I do a long-ish run on Saturday.  Things turned out pretty good, just a little knee pain.  My last mile was at 6:30 pace which is the fastest I've been able to go in several months, so that was fun. 

Looking for at least 14 on Saturday so I can round out the week with 30, which was my goal coming into this week.  I won't be afraid to shut it down early though if things go south.

Didn't make my goal of 14 for the day.  Things felt really good until about 3 miles in then my knee just progressively got worse, and finally came to the point where I knew I had to shut 'er down.  Frustrating to say the least.

Went to the gym this morning and all the eliptical machines were taken, and not a single treadmill was being used.  Uh, when does that ever happen???  So I hit the treadmill and did a half hour of intervals.  Made sure to keep it short and sweet so as to not aggravate the knee.  It didn't bother me one bit today but it's definitely still tight.  Band is still snapping over my knee occasionally when I walk.  Also did a circuit of weights.

Pathetic run at the JRP.  Knee seems fine til about mile 3 then all hell breaks loose.  Strength training and eliptical only until this clears up.  Zion's looks unlikely and Squaw Peak is now in jeopardy too.

Mill B North trail.  Told myself I was just going for a hike to see where the snow line is at.  Of course, I dressed for a run and took a handheld so I'm sure you can guess how "hiking" went.  Got about two miles up before I hit major snow.  No other foot steps much past where the snow started, so I just went off memory of the trail.  Turns out my memory is pretty good since I found the trail 3 times in spots where the snow was melted down.  

My legs started getting shredded from post-holing in the crunchy snow and I had already taken the only gel I had, so I decided I'd turn around once my watch said 2500' of vert.  I forgot how tiring it is working through snow.  I eventually hit my mark and turned around.  The run down in the snow was painful on the shins since I was post-holing with every step, at times almost up to my waist.  I'm not gonna lie though, it was an absolute blast!

I bombed the descent pretty hard, but with about a mile to go I started feeling the knee flaring up a bit so I took it easy.  However, I was able to run the entire 3 miles down so that's encouraging.  Lots of hikers out and I got plenty of stunned looks.  The combination of shorty-shorts, pasty white legs, and the huge smile on my face probably scared some people.

At the advice of Bryce, I scheduled an ART session for Monday.  Crossing my fingers that I can get this ITBS under control.

First run since starting A.R.T therapy.  Sessions have gone well and the IT Band is definitely loosening up.  Was hoping for a pain free run and didn't quite get it.  Things never got to the point where I couldn't run, but there was a dull pain starting around the magic 3 mile mark.

A little discouraged since I'd hoped things would go perfectly.  I'll continue to run this week and hope for the best.

Mill B North.  Got up to about 8500 feet and the fog in the air was crystallizing.  Was really cool to see.  Started hearing lots of loud booms.  Not sure if it was thunder or dynamite, but didn't want to get stuck in the freezing temps in shorts and a jacket, so I turned around. 

Knee started acting up with about a mile to go.  Not quite sure what to do from here.  Keep running I guess?!

Over the weekend went down to Zion to help Jun with his Zion Double Traverse attempt; a total of 96 miles and over 20K’ of vert.  I committed to helping him out even though I've been on the disabled list since January.  First a bum ankle, then some IT Band problems have put me in the worst shape of my running career.  I'd run a grand total of 34 miles in the 5 weeks leading up to Zion.  Did I think I could do an entire single traverse of 48 miles?  You bet I did; as long as the knee would hold up.  Yeah, I'm officially an idiot!

At the advice of Bryce, I started going to A.R.T. sessions 3 weeks ago for my knee.  These sessions have really helped me regain some elasticity in my IT Band and assisted in getting back into running form.  I’ve also been doing a ton of hip strengthening exercises to assist in recovery.  However, as of the day we left for Zion, my IT Band was still snapping over my knee.  I was extremely worried about how my run would go.

Five of us ended up going down; myself, Scott, Matt, MattVH, and Jun.  Matt and I would run with Craig the first half, and then VH and Scott would run with him the second half.  Normally this would be the perfect game plan, but I was not even close to being in shape for this type of run and Matt was on the tail end of a virus.  After dropping Matt within the first two miles, Craig and I worked through the next few together.

The reality of my situation became apparent after about 5 miles though.  Craig was running strong and he absolutely buried me into the ground.  I eventually lost sight of him, so I decided to make a push to catch him.  However, in the heat of the moment I missed a turn.  In all honesty, I might have the absolute worst sense of direction of any human being on the planet!  I looked over maps before the trip and noted key corners, but in the thick of it I just completely blew it!  I ran up a narrow canyon, crossing back and forth over the creek.  I kept looking for the distinct shoe print of the Altra Lone Peaks that Craig was wearing, but with so much water it was almost impossible to make anything out, so I continued on.  I eventually hit a dead end so I turned around and went up another canyon.  The walls continued to get narrower and I eventually came to a waterfall with a wall behind it.  Foiled again!  I decided I was in the wrong place.  Duh!

I ran back to the last spot where I saw another trail intersecting.  I ran back and forth along this 1.5 mile section for the next hour.  I had no regard for myself as I was in a complete panic.  Looking for Craig’s shoe print was now impossible since I was wearing Lone Peaks as well and I’d covered every inch of ground in this section.  I was running through the creek in spots and even got up to my waist in water at one point.  It was on… my mind was the epitome of full blown chaos!  Eventually, I stopped for a few minutes to gather my thoughts.  My next move was to start running back and forth across the bottom of the canyon until I found someone.  Eventually, I ran into some hikers who gave me directions and I finally made it out.  By the time I found the trail again, I had lost about 2 hours and 20 minutes.  I was now 4 hours into my “run” and I’d been out of water for more than an hour, just as it was starting to get hot.  I was so physically, emotionally, and mentally drained that I just started crying like a little girl. 

I’d like to be clear about one thing here; I was not panicked because I was scared for my life or scared of being alone out there.  I’m experienced with survival in the outdoors so those types of thoughts never crossed my mind.  I was panicked because I didn’t want to be the jerk that blew it for Craig.  I also didn’t want to make my friends – or even worse, Search & Rescue – have to come find me because I was an idiot.

It took everything in my power to get back.  My worry now was that the crew would need to move on to Craig’s next checkpoint and that I’d have to hitch a ride or something.  I pushed as hard as I could possibly go.  Coming into Hop Valley it had now been over 2 hours since I’d had water and it was starting to get hot.  There wasn’t a reliable water source, but I knew I had to drink so I drank out of a very unsafe water source.  I’ll choose stomach issues for a few days over heatstroke any time!

Once I got to within a mile and a half of the trailhead, some ladies on horseback came along on the trail.  They immediately asked “Are you Josh?”  I was so relieved to see them and they had some water and granola bars for me.  The best part was they had a phone and called my crew.  The boys were literally one minute away from taking off.  Scott was on his way to meet me and I eventually made it back safe.

I was pissed off at myself more than anything.  I really wanted to complete the whole traverse, but it clearly became out of the question.  I should have ran the back half with Craig instead of trying to keep up with him when he was fresh.  In all honesty though, it was probably a blessing in disguise.  My IT Band didn’t bother me at all on this run and going any further than I did could have done some major damage.  I’m glad I didn’t go back out.

I spent the majority of the rest of my trip helping Matt crew.  We had a lot of fun even though we made some really poor decisions along the way, like trying to drive up the canyon in the van and getting pulled over by a ranger.  Stupid!

All in all, a fun experience, even though I don’t want a repeat of getting lost like that again.  It would have been so much more fun being lost (did I really just say that?) had I not had a deadline to meet.  I don’t ever wish to experience full blown panic like that again, that’s for sure!  Next time I do something like this I’ll take either a map, or make sure to memorize one before I go out.

Ended up with somewhere between 25 and 28 miles, so I'm calling it 26.  I'm so excited that my knee held up and even more excited that I get to actually start running again!

For details about how the other boys trip went, go check out their blogs.  Their write-ups are in so much detail that I won't even try to replicate their experiences.  Huge congrats to Mr. Lloyd for completing the double crossing!  What an amazing feat!

Legs feel just about recovered from my "effort" over the weekend.  My soleus and achilles in both legs were stiff as a board on Sunday, but I've been walking around quite a bit and things have loosened up tremendously.

After two hours of tuning and fixing the intonation on my guitar last night, I was mentally drained so I passed out early.  Stupid Floyd Rose tremolos!  I woke up early though which meant it was time to hit the gym.  Did some hill intervals for about 40 minutes and I was sweating like a pig.  I'm sure the ladies down wind of me were disgusted by my stench.  That's what they get for not even breaking a sweat and having to smell their own filth.  Ha!  I felt really good though, just some slight fatigue left from Zion.

Another ART session after work today.  Hoping this will be my last PT visit.  I'll be incorporating massage into my regimen for post-race recovery, but I don't want to have to go back because of injury.

Went with Jun and Dorsimus to mark the course for the HOMM trail half marathon.  We parked the car at the end of the trail and the race director drove us up to the start.  I've never run the area before, but it was outstanding.  Wish I was able to run the actual race because the course is fantastic!  Unfortunately, with about a mile to go I wiped out... HARD!  I immediately got up and started running again because I didn't want to stiffen up.  I made it out alive.

When I got home I cleaned up really good.  I ended up pulling a few rocks out of my hand and knee and I've got some nice "trail rash".  The worst is my knee; completely swollen and a 3/4 inch gash that goes all the way to the bone.  I'm gonna be sore for a few days.

This area is outstanding!  I was kinda bummed when I moved to West Jordan because I would be so much farther from the Wasatch range.  However, after running in the Oquirrhs, I'm really looking forward to spending my summer exploring out there.

1650 ascent
3600 descent

Got out for my first run since the crash 3 weeks back.  Decided to tag along with my dad who was looking for a 3 hour effort or so.  Ended up going up to Butler Fork, tagging Gobbler's Knob, bushwacking down the side of the mountain and finishing on the Butler Fork loop.

Knee held up well, but the downhills felt like someone was tapping their knuckles against a bruised bone with each step.  Painful, but bearable... I'll take it over not being able to run.  Beautiful morning out!

Five around the hood.  No big deal.  Trying to get back on track, but forcing myself to ease into things and play it smart so I don't do anything stupid again.  I think I'll try to run every other day for the next week or so, then slowly get back into training mode.

As a side note, I completely suffered in the heat.  It's not even that hot but I was miserable.  Ugh!

Went into this one underhydrated and low on calories.  Wanted to simulate a late race death march... Success.  Not a good time though!  96 degrees and crazy wind does not equal fun.  After a complete failure last week I'm hoping to get back on the wagon with a few good runs this week.  Hoping for at least 4 days, maybe 5 if I feel up to it.

Got bored at work and had some clothes in my car, so I took off for a lunch run.  Did this one sort of backwards today... Had my bacon cheeseburger and Pepsi prior to my run, instead of after.  No issues and obviously had great energy throughout.

Got out with Jun and Scott for a night run.  We started just after 9pm on the Coyote Hollow trailhead in Draper and did a fanstatic loop, which included a run to the top of View Benchmark and a descent on the Eagle Crest trail, which I've never run on before.  I forget how much fun it is running with people, and especially running at night.

Scott's headlamp crapped out on the way down... Actually, it was never that bright to begin with.  I ended up tailing him close on the way down so he had a little bit of light and didn't fall on his face.  We made it out successfully... No falls!

My fitness sucks right now.  I was huffing and puffing on the way up to VB and actually ended up hiking two of the steeper sections.  I always run every step of that trail so I was a little bummed.  I realize that it'll take a few weeks to get things back in order.  After all, I've basically been injured since January, with a few runs here and there in between.  Patience is key, which unfortunately - when it comes to running - I lack almost entirely.

Looks like we're gonna start doing these night runs once a week or so.  Super stoked on that!

Woke up and decided to skip work and hit the trail.  Did the Desolation Lake loop in easily my slowest (solo) time ever.  Felt absolutely miserable for the first two hours, then things slowly started getting better.  At one point I even dropped in the middle of the trail and layed down for almost 10 minutes.  I promised myself I wasn't going to quit though and that my reward would be a Costa Vida pork burrito.  That thing motivated me during the whole run, which made it that much better when I ate it.

When I dropped down into the Millcreek side, ash from the fires was falling from the sky.  It was really crazy to see.  Made for a pretty memorable run.  Was definitely worked at the end of the run, but I slowly feel like I'm getting some of my climbing legs back.

7 around the hood.  Felt like putting in a hard effort so I made sure to take a water bottle this time.  Didn't suffer too much in the 90 degree weather.  A little posterior tib soreness post-run, but felt pretty good other than that.  Hoping to get my butt in gear and start getting up early for some runs at least twice a week.  First test coming tomorrow morning.

AM: Fail.  I got home early last night in order to get up for a run... Then laid awake til 1 am.  Sheesh!  Needless to say I didn't get out.  Will get out for a shake out run on lunch or after work, then an early am run with the crew tomorrow.

PM: Easy 3 around the neighborhood to loosen things up.  Big morning tomorrow so I'm hoping to go to bed early!  Yeah, right.

Had to wake my sorry butt up at 3:00 am for this one.  I live out west of Airport 2, so any trip to the canyon is a haul.  Not to mention the fact that I had to get ready for work since I don't have a shower at my office, and I wouldn't have time to go home first.  If you're wondering, the answer is yes... I'm sitting in my filth for the rest of the work day!  Can you say wet wipe shower?

So after meeting at the Park N Ride, Craig, Scott, Mark, and I headed up to Albion Basin.  We climbed up the Cecret Lake trail then proceeded to tag Sugarloaf, Baldy, and Hidden Peak in succession.  I let the boys go tag the AF Twins since I'm a baby and I'm DEATHLY afraid of heights!  I actually fell 30 feet out of a tree when I was 14 and got really broken up, so I don't feel like such a huge wuss, just a little one.  Still, I really wish I was able to do some of those exposed climbs, but I'd just freeze up and put other people in danger, so I don't.  I'll just live through pictures instead.

After watching the boys traverse the ridge from atop Hidden Peak, I descended down Peruvian so I could get a few extra miles in.  Ended up back at the car about 40 minutes ahead of the boys, which is actually better than I thought.

Excellent day out and really enjoyed getting out with some good buds.

Met my dad at the Butler Fork trailhead at 7am and we headed to the Gobbler's summit.  After coming back down, at Baker Pass I turned on the jets and bombed the downhill on the Bowman trail til I hit the Terraces.  Turned around and met my dad on the trail, then we did the route in reverse.

I've done this run a few times in past years and I always forget how miserably long that climb on Bowman is.  It's something like 4.5 miles long with around 3,700' of vert.  Seems never ending; especially in the heat!  Definitely good training though, which is why I end up doing it every year.  I was on tired legs, but this run was definitely what I needed to get back into the groove.

Butler Fork to Gobblers, then back.  Nothing really worth reporting other than I pushed hard, felt ok, and enjoyed a nice day out on the trails.

I fully intend on writing a full post about this adventure later on my personal blog.  You should check out Scott's post on this run if you want some details.

Went up to run the Utah Triple Crown with jun and Scott while jun was attempting the FKT.  Scott and I got turned around below Gunsight Pass when a thunderstorm rolled in, but jun was able to complete the route in a new FKT.  Congrats to him!  I had a great time getting out and running with friends. 

I'm thinking about making another attempt at this route when everyong goes up to run Quest For Kings next month.  The only way I'd attempt it again is if I had friends somewhere on the mountain just in case I ran into some trouble.  Gilbert is remote and dying alone up there doesn't sound like too much fun.

Went up with my dad to run the American Fork loop portion of Speedgoat.  After making our way up the canyon on the most horrendous 4-wheeling trail ever, we finally arrived at the campground.  We had a little trouble route finding at the bottom of the canyon, so we ended up heading up Mary Ellen Gulch.  Once at the top we did some exploring, then went up to the the pass that looks over into Snowbird, then descended back down.

At the bottom of the canyon we decided that between the long run, the route finding, and the terrible trail back to the main canyon road, we were just going to stop.  Still ended up getting some great vert and seeing the terrible downhill portion of the course... Which was our main objective in the first place.

Just a run around the neighborhood streets.  Did not feel well at all (see below), but felt like I had to get a run in because my week has been shambles, at best.

My legs felt pretty good after the Triple Crown attempt last Thursday, but my run up Mary Ellen on Saturday was tough.  The legs just felt heavy and unresponsive the whole time.  I was a little bit sore on Sunday, so I decided to take the day off and do a nice mountain run on Monday after work.

Fast forward to Monday around 10:30 am... I'm sitting at my desk and I start feeling some pressure in my chest.  Thought maybe a cold or something was coming on, but it continued to get worse and worse.  I started getting a little shaky and my blood pressure started going up slowly, but I continued on with my work and took a lunch break around noon with some friends.  At the restaurant my friends can tell I'm not doing well so they start asking me questions (they're both moms), which eventually leads to them taking me to the ER.  I avoid going to the doctor whenever possible, but I was trusting their judgment.

When I get to the ER things continued to get worse.  I started to panic and my resting heart rate was around 120 or so.  I'm sweating, shaking, and feeling miserable.  Next thing I know I'm hooked up to an EKG, getting X-Rays, and having blood drawn.  So now I'm thinking I'm having a heart attack!  Seriously???  Diagnosis... Anxiety attack.  I told the nurse that I wasn't doing anything at the time that would've triggered something like that, but she said that's not usually how anxiety attacks happen.  She said it was most likely caused by lots of things pent up, and finally released by something miniscule.  Go figure... In the last 3 months I got divorced, moved, have been given more responsibility at work, been dealing with injury, getting little sleep, not eating right, stressing about Speedgoat and Wasatch, and I'm now in a new relationship with someone who lives 40 minutes away and has two kids (I don't have kids).  I guess that's a lot to deal with, even for someone like myself who's generally pretty even keel.

After some medication, an IV, and about 3.5 hours in the ER they released me.  The medication they sent me home with has left me feeling FLAT and low on energy.  I don't feel happy, sad, excited, or depressed... Just feeling kinda meh.  I realize some people may need it, but living your life on anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication would suck.  Luckily, I'm taking my last dose tonight (Wednesday) and I'm hoping I can bounce back pretty quickly.  The mountains are calling my name and I'm gonna see how my body reacts tomorrow when I head up the canyon.

I needed to build some confidence back because I've been feeling really defeated since Monday's little episode.  Went up to Mill B South and did the Lake Blanche trail.  When I'm in good shape I'm able to run every step of this trail, and that was the goal for today.  While at times I felt like I was barely moving, I accomplished my goal and ran every step.  Round trip was only about 8 minutes slower than usual too, so that's pretty encouraging.  That means my downhill legs are just about back.

Now if I could just lose this extra 7 or so pounds I'm carrying, I'd be right back in the game.  My focus for the next week: Diet.  Well, and more running of course!

Grandeur fun run loop.  Original plan was to get out and do two loops, but I was so slow on the first loop that I didn't think I'd have time to get a second one in.  Plus my legs were feeling pretty hammered, so I decided to only do the one loop.  I'm fine with my decision though.  I want my legs to feel rested for Speedgoat next weekend.

While I know I'm not quite where I'd like to be in terms of speed and fitness, I know I can put up a better time than I did two years ago which was 7:43.  I'd really like to aim for the 7 hour mark.  Regardless, it will be a great training run for Wasatch.

Went out to get my legs moving fast, so I turned to my usual 5 mile loop around the neighborhood.  Averaged about a 6:45 pace for the first 4 miles then my Del Taco lunch came back to haunt me.  Ducked off into my neighborhood at the first entrance and could barely walk.  I wasn't going to make it home!  I contemplated using a window well of an unfinished house until I spotted a honeybucket.  I've never been more excited to see one of those in my life.

Butler Fork loop.  When I got to the trailhead it was raining.  It was looking like I was in for a long day!  Eventually though, the rain dissipated and it was quite nice out. 

The rain made for an interesting morning.  The weight from the rainwater caused the plants to droop over onto the trail.  This means I stayed soaked from the waist down the entire run.  It also means that I got into LOTS of stinging nettle.  Lots of wildlife sightings too!  Saw at least 10 hummingbirds, which I almost never see on this trail.  Kicked up 30 or so pine hens, which is always a treat because your heart skips a beat when they fly up after almost stepping on them.  Also ran into 2 bull moose which is always cool.

Then I get to the end of the trail and I spotted my dad standing there.  I guess he went up into Mill A and figured that I had gone out for the loop so he waited for me.  I don't think he was waiting more than 5 minutes because he was still steaming from his run.  We seem to randomly run into each other on this trail at least twice a year.

I probably won't run again until Speedgoat, unless I get really bored or something.  Looking forward to running a race again after 10 months.  Sheesh!

Super frustrated with how my day went.  Didn't have my usual climbing gear from the start.  Oh well.  Guess I can't expect a great race when I've been plagued with injuries and only able to put in focused training for the 5 weeks leading up to the race.  Still bummed though.  Full report on my personal blog HERE.

Left work early and got out with Jun for my first summit of Timp for the year.  I told him that my expectations weren't too high since my legs were still feeling heavy from Saturday's race, so he let me lead out.  My legs felt ok on the climb, all things considered.  Apparently we were ahead of Jun's PR pace a couple miles into the run.  Eventually though, I started feeling fatigued which was to be expected. 

About half way up the mountain I told Craig to lead to show me the exact route he takes through some of the switchbacks.  I've always taken the main trail the whole way and it know it's not the most efficient.  After we got up into the top basin, Craig put the hammer down on the steep switchbacks below the saddle.  I still just don't have that gear back on the steep stuff.  Craig waited for a few seconds at the saddle and I pushed it hard and eventually caught him about a hundred yards past the saddle.  But I was spent... Breathing hard, legs hurting, you name it.

We pushed it up to the summit to get in under two hours and my heart rate was maxed the whole way up from trying to catch Craig earlier.  It was painful, but we made it.  1:57:50... Craig was about 30 seconds ahead of that.  This was my first time going under two hours so I know I could cut off about 10 minutes on a day when my legs aren't so heavy.

The descent was long and painful.  My legs ached, felt hollow, and just plain hurt the whole way down.  It was not fun!  Craig was dealing with some nausea, so between the two of us we were a sorry bunch.  Time down was absolutely pedestrian... Something like 1:31.  Still had fun out there though.  How can you NOT have fun on that mountain?

BTW, the Timpooneke trailhead is closing for a month starting August 5th.  If you want to get this route in, best do it in the next few days.  Details HERE.

I've been a slacker the last few days, but I really wanted to get all the soreness out of my legs heading into this week.  Mission accomplished.  Hit my 5 mile route in the hood today.  Nothing out of the ordinary to report.

Got lots of big stuff coming up in the next few weeks.  First up... King's Peak on Saturday with the boys.  I may get ambitious and try for the Triple Crown again after getting shut out some weeks back.

Quest For King's Marathon.  Scott and I actually ended up doing the Triple Crown.  Lots of fun out there even though Gilbert Peak worked us over.  Full report can be found HERE.

Legs have felt great since the Triple Crown, but my feet have been torn up a bit with blisters.  Wanted to run Monday but my feet haven't felt ready til today.

Butler Fork to Gobbler's and back.

Lunch run around the streets near my work.

Had an extremely late night Friday due to circumstances out of my control.  So instead, I decided to do my run on Sunday.  Woke up and hung around the house for awhile before deciding to get off my butt.  Sun was out in full force and it was already hot when I started.

Did the Desolation loop starting from Mill D.  Not fast, but not slow; just right.  Legs are feeling good these days and fairly rested.  Actually, maybe a little too rested for the training cycle I should be in.  SHOULD being the key word, because I'm having trouble balancing life and running right now.  Oh well, I feel blessed to even have the opportunity to make it out and run, so I'll take what I can get.  Hopefully I can bang out a good week this week so I can feel a bit more confidence leading up to Wasatch.

Went out with the intention to get the Butler Fork loop.  However, a momma moose and her calf thwarted my plans about 3/4 of a mile into the run.  They were bottlenecked on the trail and I didn't really see a good way to get around them.  So, I went back to the turnoff for Dog Lake and headed up in that direction.  Ran the whole way to the lake and was blasted tired when I got there.  Took a nice stroll around the lake and got some calories in me.  I didn't feel like running into the moose (meece???) again, so rather than doing a counter-clockwise loop, I just turned around and went back down the way I came.

Easy 5 around the friendly neighborhood streets.

I was supposed to go hunting with my dad this morning, so I took the day off.  He ended up having some work stuff come up, so rather than sit around all day I drove up to the Uintas.  Spent some time hiking around a few different lakes and doing some fishing.  Fishing wasn't terribly hot, but it was just nice to get out to one of my favorite areas on the planet!

Took today off to get in my last long run before the big dance in two weeks.  Went up to my usual spot at Butler Fork and spent some hours running around up there.  I was looking to get 6 hours, but had some stuff come up so I was only able to get in a little over 4.  I'm perfectly fine with that since I've got a run with an old friend planned for tomorrow morning.  The run went well and energy was good throughout.  Feeling as ready as I'm gonna get for Wasatch!

Got out with my dad and my friend Scott.  We decided to run Mill D to the ridge, then run to Scott's tower and back.  Nice day to get out and do this route because I was working on tired legs.  I was happy with how my body responded for the most part.

The one thing that frustrated me a little bit was my left foot.  On Wednesday this last week I pulled a muscle in it when I was out chasing my dogs around.  Thursday it was feeling much better and it only bothered me a little bit towards the end of my run yesterday.  It really started bothering me today on the second half of the run... Never really got worse though, so that's good news I guess.  Luckily, I have all my training behind me now and I can take the next few days off to let this thing heal up.

Since I didn't get out on Saturday as planned due to crazy lightning storms, I felt like I needed an easy run up in the canyon.  Decided on Mill D up to Desolation Lake and back.  Run went pretty much as expected and I tried not to push things too hard, although I always end up going harder than I want to on these tapering runs.  Oh well.  Race day is nearing and I'm feeling confident that I'll be able to achieve the goals I've set for myself.  Either way, I'll be having a blast out there!

Full report can be found here: http://ohtheaftermath.blogspot.com/2012/09/wasatch-100-2012.html

I intentionally made myself take 2 weeks off after Wasatch to make sure I was fully recovered.  Luckily, the recovery seems to have gone well.  I'll do a few shorter runs like this the next couple days, then I'm pacing my dad the last 50 of The Bear 100 this weekend... Stoked to be there while he runs his first hundred!  Should be fun. 

Assuming I come out unscathed, I'll sign up for Pony Express 50.  While I'm an ok mountain runner, I'm much better on the flat stuff so that race suits me well.

Had the opportunity to pace my dad the back half of his first hundred, The Bear 100.  He'll be the first person to tell you that he's not a very fast runner, but the dude can hike for sure so this race suited his strengths.  He went into the race thinking a 32 hour finish was possible if all the stars aligned.  I'll let him tell the story of his incredible experience out there.  You can check it out HERE.

15 at the JRP.  The goal was to run a consistent pace throughout, and hopefully be able to negative split on the way back.  Mission accomplished.

Been having some pain in a metatarsal on my left foot.  I think it's just bruising, but I'm taking a few days off just to be sure.  If all is well in a few days, I'll sign up for the Pony Express 50.

Easy run just to see how things are holding up.  My foot felt ok, but definitely still some soreness there.  I'm pretty sure if I run 50 miles on Friday it will be detrimental in the long run, so I'm not running.  I'd want to put up a good performance and I just don't quite feel ready to do that anyway.  Kinda bummed, but I think it will be beneficial in the long run.  I don't want to risk being injured for months on end again.

I had some time tonight to reflect on what's next and I'm not really sure where I'm headed.  I definitely want to maintain a nice base throughout the winter to avoid an early season injury again next.  It would certainly be nice to have an event to look forward to in the next few months though.  Suggestions?