Hit the Dusty Trail

Ran to work and back after atking a few days off.  I would have been running but work conspired against me.  Maybe just as well as I was sore after the race last Saturday.

Didn't quite get the actual 13 miles.  About 1.5 miles from home I heard a honk and someone yell at me.  It was my wife and son in his truck.  They asked if I wanted a ride home and I told my wife I would always take a ride from a hot babe in a good looking truck. 

Looking forward to the 39 miles I'm planning on running Friday.  Should be a good time.

Did an easy trail run.  Went up Strong's canyon since I've never been up there.  Didn't realize that there's a hidden canyon with no trail that I could see.  Interesting.

Went on a run from Upper Big Water in Millcreek Canyon to the Homestaed resort in Midway.  When we started there was three of us, Meghan, Jeff and myself.  I don't know how many runners we saw that we knew between Upper Big Water and Brighton, but it was a bunch.  You'd have thought there was a race going on.

Saw a bunch of fellow ultrarunners at the Brighton store.  Picked up another person, Kim, at Brighton.  She wanted to go with us to the Homestead.  Also met with Julie, but she was just going to the top of Catherine's Pass and back down.  Met Sarah at the top of Catherine's.  She came up from the Alta side.  From there the five of us headed for the Homestead.  Sarah, Kim, and Jeff were faster than Meghan and I so we decided to take a short cut down Sandy Baker Pass rather than go around Mill Peak and down the Dive and Plunge.  The other three took the long way.  Meghan and I finally made it to the Homestead around 4:30 and had time to go into Heber for burgers before everyone else finished.  All of us had a great time.  The course was in great shape although there was a fair amount of snow on the way up to Point Supreme.  Plenty of nice clear cold stream water.  The scenery was incredible as it usually is.

The weather looked a little threatening on the trek past Brighton, but the clouds eventually went away.  The trail from Catherine's to the Honestead was pretty quiet.  Saw a few dirt bikes, couple of equestrians, but no runners or mountain bikers at all.  Felt great the entire time.  Had no problems with the altitude and running at 10,000'.  For Meghan and I it was a great last long run before we run Tahoe Rim 100 in two weeks.

Did some crosstraining by making homemade peach ice cream, working on the barn and doing some driveway bowling with my son, my wife, and my son's friend.  the people we bought our house from left behind 9 bowling pins, and three bowling balls.  We set them up in the driveway and had a good time knocking them down.  The endurance event ended with fireworks at dark.  Good times.

Did a short run up the trail that goes up North Ogden Canyon.  I hadn't been up this trail before.  Gains about 1200' in 2.5 miles, so not too bad a climb.  Ends up at the North Ogden divide trailhead.

Went for an easy run from Fernwood picnic area south along the BST.  Nice and warm.

Ran to work and back. 

Ran from 22nd street south after work.  Very warm, shoud have brought two bottles along but i survived.

Ran from Rainbow Gardens south on the BST.  Started around 8:15pm and finished just as it was getting dark.  My car was the last one in the lot.  The trail is nice and quiet at that time of day.  No bikes, very few hikers, sunset happening across the lake.

Ran from 22nd street.  Went with a  guy who runs my race every year and happened to be in town on business.  It was kind of nice to share one of my favorite trails with someone else.

I decided that I'm going green for my trip to Tahoe this weekend.  I made reservations on Amtrak to take the train rather than drive my car by myself.  The cost is the same and I have a friend that is running the same race who's picking me up at the train station in Reno and dropping me off for the trip back.  All I ahve to do is drive the 4.5 miles to the Ogden train stations, get on Frontrunner, and switch to Amtrak Thursday night.  I love riding trains and it's time for a new adventure.

Ran a last run before Saturday's race.  so far the taper is going pretty good.  I felt pretty strong today, the run was really easy, even in the noontime heat.  I'm taking the train (Amtrak) to Reno for the race.  the RT price is the same as what i would spend on gas driving there, plus A friend is picking me up there and we're driving to Carson City.  Haven't been on Amtrak in quite a few years, so it should be a good time.  I love riding on trains. 

I've written a race report that can be read once I post it to my blog. www.ultrajim.blogspot.com

Bottom line, not quite the time I was hoping for, but also not a key race this year. The weather was perfect for me (a little warm for everyone else). I felt pretty good the entire race although I did get a few blisters. Great race, fantastic and beautiful course. Well organized, great aid (including beer). Very deceiving course, not as much vertical as other mountain courses but with a 56% finish rate, it's tougher than it looks.

Ahh, good to be back on the trails.  Just a short little run to see how the legs and feet are recovering.  Seem to be recovering just fine.  Legs are still a little sore, but nothing that prevents me from resuming full on training.  My son actually went with me on his bike and trash talked me the entire time.  I just ran up hills and he had to get off his bike and walk.  His Dad is in a little better shape than he is.  It was fun.

Went up the mountainside from Fernwood.  Decided I needed some hill work, so climbed about 2500' in 3.25 miles.  that ws enough given that I'm still a little tired from the race last Saturday.

Ran to the train station this morning and realized that it was a Saturday schedule due to Pioneer day.  would have had to wait for over 30 minutes for the next train.  One of the guys I work with showed up and we ended up driving in to work.  Guess I'll have to look at this afternoon's schedule before I leave.

The run home was ok.  Not too bad as far as heat.  BTW, I've got a Tahoe Rim race report posted at www.ultrajim.blogspot.com

North Ogden Divide to the top of Ben Lomond Peak and a little beyond.  Perfect day for it.  Got sunburned some.  Still snow up there.  Lots of people making the hike up.

Did an easy run at lunch except I tried a new speed workout that I read about in Trail Runner magazine.  20 seconds flat out, 10 seconds rest, repeat 8 times.  Beginners do that once a week, more advanced runners can do it more often.  I figure I'll try it 2-3 times a week and see what happens.  After the first one I thought this isn't so bad.  Right after that thought I had to start running again.  After you get stopped from one interval, you ahve about 5-6 seconds of rest then it's off again.  I was glad when I was done.

In Boston on business so I took the opportunity to run around the back bay area.  This morning I ran past that bastion of Engineering, MIT.  Warm and muggy.

Did another run around the back bay area of Boston.  This time I went by Haavaard.  Lots of people out running the paths or rowing on the St. Charles river.

Just another trail run on my favorite local trail.  Nice hot afternoon.  Probably in the mid 90's.