Summit junkie!

Had a nice run after I put the kids to bed. I am scheduled to run the Provo River half this Saturday (my first race) so I need to have a good workout today and tomorrow and then I'll take it easy the rest of the week. I also signed up for the Provo full marathon on September 12th. I know I am not ready for it yet, but I know I can do it. I'm not expecting to break any time records... just finish.

No run today. Saving my legs for the Wasatch Crest tomorrow. Went to the gym and lifted for 40 minutes (upper body/core) I had a great workout.

Ran the Wasatch Crest trail with Jun before work. The sunrise from on top of Scott Hill (aka Puke Hill) was fantastic. I started to get a stitch in my side that bothered me on all of the uphill climbing and then for a few miles on the flat trail, but by time we started heading for the lake it was gone.  Jun was much faster than I was and waited for me until we hit Desolation Lake and then he took off fast for the trailhead. It was a perfect morning.

Finished in 1:52

Took the dog out for a walk, but got tired of wrestling her so I only got a mile in.

Morning hike/run before work with my friend Matt. We were supposed to climb in LCC, but about halfway up the canyon we could see lightning strikes, so we decided to try BCC because it looked a lot clearer over there. We had to settle for something small in case we needed to bail because of the weather. Matt wanted to try a new route, so we started on the Butler Fk trail and after a few minutes took a trail on the left side that heads straight up the south face. The trail is steep and after about a half mile peters out and it is all bush from there. We decide it is a great route if you are in search of cannabis, make-out lairs, aspen sap or thick bush, but not the best for hiking. Made the summit and had a quick decent on the standard route back to Butler and made it to work on time.  

Provo River Half- My first race in almost 20 years and had an amazing experience. Had to wait for an hour in the cold before the start and the lines for the port-o-potties were sooo looooong. Good thing there was some good thick bush cover. The start of the race was truly an unforgettable experience and it was incredible to be there at that moment. I had a huge adrenaline rush that carried me for the first 4-5 miles. I started out about mid pack and quickly passed several people in the first few miles, although he super fast goats passed me. After a few miles everyone kind of spread out and I found a nice comfortable pace. I'm not sure what my splits were, but I thought I was making good time and feeling great.

The path ran right under Bridal Vail Falls and that was just awesome! I really enjoyed the course and the scenery was fantastic. I only stopped once for about 30 seconds to use the bathroom and other than that I didn't stop the rest of the way.

I hit a little wall between miles 10-11. I still felt pretty good, but my legs were tired and no matter how hard i tried I couldn't make myself go faster. every time I would get passed by someone I would try and keep up with them, but my body said no. Around mile 12 I heard someone call my name and it was a friend from my neighborhood that was cheering everyone on. When I noticed all of the people watching I got another nice rush of adrenaline and the thought of finishing really made me forget my legs and I think my fastest mile was the last one.

Crossing the finish line (1:49) felt so good and I actually felt better than I thought I would. My legs were sore, but overall I was feeling great and not even close to as bad as I have felt on some of my longer hikes over peaks. It was an incredible experience and I am looking forward to my first marathon on 9/12, even though I know that one is going to kill me.