Summit junkie!

So here is the long version of my race. Now that I have had a few days to analyze it, it seems quite normal that if you put 5,000+ people together to run 26.2 miles in some heat you are going to see some gross things, and probably some of them pretty grizzly. I’ll just say that as far as grossness goes, I saw it all and felt some of it too: Farmer blows, spit in every nasty form imaginable, pee, lots of pee without regard to the viewing audience. Puke and sweat. Enough sweat to even make Burt proud. I saw worse, but there might be kids reading this, but I digress…

 I arrived in St. George kind of late, and ended up only getting 2.5 hours of sleep, but when I woke up I was actually feeling really good. I was meeting some friends at the Crystal Inn at 4:45, so I ate breakfast, got ready and met up with them in time to catch the bus up to the start. Most of the guys I was with had done this race several times, so they were giving me low down on the course and what to expect and it actually made me a little nervous. When we arrived at the start I went on my own because my friends were all in the elite corral, so I headed over to the looong line at the POP and waited for about 45 minutes for my turn. I should have just found a bush, but what else was I going to do? After my less than one minute stop in the POP it was almost time to start, so I adjusted my gear and took some Cytomax and headed over to the HUGE wall of people waiting to go. I never heard a gun go off, but I heard a loud cheer and then everyone started walking and within about 30 seconds we could jog, although it was really crowded.

The first 7 miles were incredibly fun and I really enjoyed almost everything about them. It wasn’t too hot yet and I was feeling strong. My pace was between 7:20-7:40 for the first 7 miles and I didn’t feel tired at all. I was really starting to think I could have a really good time if I could keep this up and then we hit Veyo and the hill was a bit harder than I thought it would be. My pace slowed a lot busting up that thing and it was tough to keep up a good pace. I decided to take my first gel and at the next aid station I had a gel and a Gatorade. I had to stop to drink it as I walked and I noticed it was a bit tougher getting into my groove starting back up.

About mile 9 I started to feel a hot spot on both of my big toes. I was a little worried that I would get a blister, so I decided to stop for some Vaseline, but I would wait as long as I thought I could. I also noticed I had to pee, so at the next aid station I found what I thought was an open POP. Well, it was open, but to my surprise I was half way in with my pants half way down when I realized there was a guy in there sitting on the toilet. It wasn’t pretty at all let me tell you. The hair, the pasty whiteness, the UGH!!! Ummm lock the door. It was one of those awkward life moments that will forever be seared into my brain. So I quickly jumped out and found another one that was open. I made sure to lock the door. On my way out I grabbed more Gatorade and from that point on I was drinking two cups of Gatorade or water the rest of the way. It was starting to get hot.

I was still feeling really good when I hit mile 13, but I decided to stop to take care of the hot spots, so at the aid station I took a few minutes to rub Vaseline on both toes and I also noticed a big blister forming on one of my other toes, so I took care of that one too. I hated stopping, but if I hadn’t it could have been much worse later in the race. I also had another gel, an S-Cap and some more Gatorade and then took off. I hit my half marathon at 1:45 and I was happy with my time up to that point and hoped I could keep it up.

14-17 I really noticed the heat more. I was sweating a lot and even though I felt pretty good I was slowing down. My pace gradually slowed. There were a few hills to deal with but the one that was really difficult for me was the hill around mile 18. Combined with the heat it was tough. I never stopped to walk once during the race except to grab water, but I was really tempted to at this point. Several runners were walking, but it motivated me to keep pushing.

The rest of the race was just hard. It was hot and now my hamstrings were starting to cramp up. It made every step hurt, but I could still run. I was really looking forward to the downhill at the end of the race, but I couldn’t push it as hard as I would have liked. I saw a lot of people struggling. Some dry heaving, a few that had collapsed and I was thankful that I was at least moving along.

Once we got out of the canyon there were crowds of people there to cheer us on. Normally this gives me a big boost and I can pick up the pace, but not today. It was just hard. The last 3 miles might have been the most difficult I have ever run. My hamstrings were now screaming and my energy was depleted. I tried to push it and at times I could, but it wasn’t what I had hoped for. Somehow when I saw the balloons at the finish I was able to find a boost and I actually picked up my pace considerably and passed several people at the end. My Garmin said I had run 26.3 miles. I got my finishers medal and instantly felt sick. My hammies were cramping bad and I had to go lay down for about 20 minutes. It was torture because I wanted a drink so bad, but couldn’t stand in the line. There was a really nice guy that had two cups of water and offered me one. I felt a little better, but it took about 30 minutes to start feeling good again.

This race was so much fun. It was incredible. Even though it was really hard, I learned a lot and enjoyed almost every minute… well, except for the last hour. I didn’t enjoy that much, but I love putting my body in those types of situations to see how I can respond and I learned a lot. I will definitely be back to do it again. Next time I know I can shave off quite a lot of time, so I am excited for that.

I went to the gym tonight to lift and had a great session working my upper body for an hour. Everything feels really good and my legs are only slightly sore today (quads and hammies). Other than that everything feels really good. I'll probably run or do the elliptial today (Tues).

My legs are feeling really good, except for some slight soreness in my hammies, so I decided to hit the TM to test everything out. I did 3 miles AP 9:45 and everything felt great. Woohoo!

My legs are almost back to 100%. I just have a little soreness in my hamstrings, but other than that everything feels really good. I did manage to get in 40 minutes on the elliptical before bed.

Legs were feeling 100% so I went to the gym and ran on the TM. My splits were 9:40, 8:30. 7:40, 7:20. I think I may have pushed it a bit too much at the end because my hammies got sore again.

I wanted to get out on a trail this morning, so I went up Provo Canyon and ran up to Big Springs and did the race loop. It was a lot of fun and the leaves were spectacular. It felt good to push some up hill.

I worked my abs/core for 40 minutes while watching football, and then after I did 35 min on the elliptical.

Monday = weights at the gym. I got in an hour of upper body/core tonight and it was such a good session. A few guys that I workout with had me working some heavier weights and I am completely worked. Then I came home and got in a fight with a cardboard box while trying to get it into the recycling can. I won (barely), but I hope none of the neighbors were watching.

I'm totally psyched for the Pony Express 50 this Friday. I wanted to get in a quick run to stretch my legs and work up a little sweat, so I hit the gym for 3 easy miles. AP 8:55. I didn't want to push at all so I can stay fresh but it was tough because I just wanted to pick up the pace, but I resisted the urge.

I wanted to get in some cardio without pounding my legs so I did 30 mintes on the elliptical. That's it until Pony Express on Friday. I can't wait.

Wow! What an experience. What a fun race. I completed my first official ultra marathon yesterday running the Pony Express 50. This has been a really fun year so far with a lot of fun crazy adventures and this was probably the best one so far. I had to wake up at 3:30 AM and I only got 3 hours of sleep, but when I woke up I was feeling really good. Two of my best friends, Rob and Greg would be crewing me and then met me at 4:00 at my house and we were on our way. On the drive out I went over my expectations for the race and what I thought I would need from them to reach my goals. They both seemed really excited and it was a lot of fun having them both there with me. Greg was at one time a top 10 runner in high school, while Rob has never really been all that interested in sports or athletic pursuits, but both of them were pumped, which was cool.

We arrived at Lookout Pass about 30 minutes before the race started. This gave me a little bit of time to make final preparations, go over all of my food and hydration needs with my crew and check in and get ready. I started to get a little nervous because you just don’t know how your body is going to respond going further than you ever have before. I thought I was ready and had trained well all year, but you just never know. Luckily I was with two of my my best friends and they were able to lighten the moment a lot. Actually, they made me laugh all day long which really helped.

A few minutes before the start Davy had some words for us and then we were off. There was a woman that went out really fast, and then me, and then the rest of the group seemed to be lagging back a bit. I really didn’t get a chance to meet any of the other runners and I had hoped to meet some on the course, but I was quickly pulling away from most of the pack. It didn’t seem like I was running fast at all and when I checked my pace I was at an 8:30 and I felt totally fine, so I went with it. My original plan had been to run about a 9:00 pace for at least the first 25. After the first mile the woman had opened up a lead on me and I couldn’t even see anyone behind. I was running alone in the dark with a smile on my face. The stars were stunning and I saw a few falling stars. The temperature was cold, but it actually felt really good for running and I didn’t need a warm hat or gloves, although I had on a long sleeved shirt. I told my crew to meet me at mile 3 just in case I felt like I wanted something, and at 2.7 I hadn’t seen them pass me yet, so I was getting a little worried that I would miss them, but they soon arrived and I was feeling so good that I told them to go ahead to mile 4 and to have a gel and some water ready for me.

Probably one of the most annoying things that happened the whole day were two cars that passed us very early on going probably 50 miles per hour. One was a large truck that kicked up so much dust I had to cover my mouth and nose for about a minute. I was really angry at the lack of consideration of these drivers and there may or may not have been a few choice words from my end.

At mile 4 I had my first stop at the car. Actually I didn’t really slop, but grabbed a gel and some water and quickly downed them on my way. They told me that the woman was about 3 minutes ahead of me and I have to admit I wanted to catch her. The guys were really fast getting me what I needed and I have to say that they were phenomenal throughout the race. I could not have had a better crew. Not only did they take care of me and do everything that I asked, but they would jump out of the car every time they saw me and run up and ask what I needed before I got to the car. I told them I would meet them at mile 7 and I was off.

The next 3 miles were really fun. I felt solid and I just listened to the music, looked at the stars and ran. Incredible. I still couldn’t see anyone behind me, so I knew that I would probably not see the other runners for a long time if ever. At mile 7 I actually took another gel and had more water and Rob told me that I was exactly 50 seconds behind the girl. I kind of laughed because he was really getting into it and I reminded him that we still had 43 miles to go and I told them to meet me at mile 10.

The sun was now starting to come up and I could now see the woman that I had been chasing. I was slowly gaining on her and my competitive juices were tempted to push and pass her, but I just held back knowing that I needed to save my legs for later in the race. Just before mile 10 I was right on her heels and both of our crew cars were parked very close to each other. We both stopped for a quick break, and as soon as we started running again I caught her. Her name was Nanette and we talked and ran together for the next 6 miles. This was also her first official ultra, so we talked about our training and what we had done over the summer to get ready and she is a really nice person and it was fun to be running with someone. It sure made the time fly by. She was being crewed by her husband and for the rest of the race he would continue to check on me every time he passed. They were amazing people.

Nanette and I chatted until mile 13 where my crew was waiting for me with a gel and some Cytomax, so I walked while I took them and she kept running. It took me about 5 minutes to catch back up, but eventually we were running together all the way to Simpson Springs. Nanette and I passed 3 of the 100 milers that had started an hour earlier than we had and I was sure that they were just holding back to conserve their energy and legs, but it was still cool to be passing runners that started an hour before we did.

There was a pretty good hill leading up to the springs, and I felt strong the whole way and we never had to stop and walk. At the springs they took our number and Nanette stopped to make some gear adjustments, and I wouldn’t see her again for over 15 miles. I was now leading the pack of the 6:00 AM starters, although I never thought I would win the race because Davy told Jun that some really fast experienced runners were starting at 8:00.

The next several miles were much harder running alone. I continued to pass the 100 mile runners, but I didn’t usually chat with them long. The road was now really flat with a long straight away. I could now see several of the 100 milers and I made it a goal to pass as many of them as I could. Over the next 10 miles I counted 7 more of them that I had passed. I was still feeling really strong, but the sun was now up and it was getting really hot. I had been taking at least one salt pill every hour and now I increased the amounts of fluid that I was drinking as well. I would alternate between Gatorade and water and taking Cytomax every two hours. I was also taking a gel about every 2-3 miles to make sure I was getting enough energy. So far I was feeling really good.

I hit my marathon in 4:34 just as I passed a bloody dead rabbit on the road. The heat was bothering me a little, so at my next crew stop I changed from my black tank to my white one and Greg also put sunscreen on me while I drank some Gatorade. I ate some potato chips and two cookies and I was feeling pretty good. I was wondering when I would see Jun and I was hoping that we would catch me so we could run together, but I hadn’t seen his crew car, so I knew he was still several miles behind.

Miles 28-35 were pretty tough for me. I was feeling really good, but my joints started to hurt and the heat was making it more difficult to want to push. I kept catching myself falling off of my pace and every time it was more difficult to pick it back up. This part of the race was a real grind and it would have really helped to be running with someone as the miles were dragging on a bit. I did get passed by Davy during this section and he was looking strong. We chatted for a few minutes and I actually picked up my pace, but I couldn’t keep up with him and he quickly moved ahead. About 30 minutes later two other guys that started with Jun passed me and I asked about him. They said that they though he was having some issues, so I started to worry about him, but when I went off into the brush for a bathroom stop a few minutes later I finally saw his crew car for the first time, so I knew he wasn’t far behind.

Heading up to Dugway Pass is by far the most challenging part of the course. It is very steep and I found myself hiking for the first time all day. I could have run it, but I could hike it as fast as I would have been able to run, so I decided to give my legs a little break. While heading up the pass I finally saw Jun making his way up from behind. It was great to see him and we talked and joked the rest of the way up to the pass where we both started running at a really good pace. This might have been the most enjoyable part of the race for me. We were over 37 miles and the extra boost from seeing my friend really helped so much. We were actually running pretty fast and passed several runners on the way down and they all commented on how strong we looked. I kept sending my crew ahead because I didn’t want to break our stride, but at mile 43ish I finally had to stop to get a drink and my legs were getting really tight when I stopped, so I had Greg rub them out and after I got back on the road Jun was too far ahead for me to catch. It was a little demoralizing, but I wouldn’t have wanted him to stop. He was looking strong and I wanted him to keep pushing while he was feeling so good. I was hopeful that I could have kept up with him and pushed all the way to the finish, but I just wasn’t strong enough. It did help me so much having him there for those 5-6 miles. I was definitely running faster and stronger while we ran together.

Miles 43-47 were definitely the most difficult of the entire race. It was now very hot, my legs were screaming and pushing any kind of pace resembling quick was out of the question. My crew was stopping every mile for me and I was taking them. I would wash off my face, drink and take gels as the thought of solid food made me want to throw up. I just remember grinding and thinking that I wanted to finish strong, even though my body was telling me otherwise. At mile 46 I sat down for the first time and Rob and Greg both asked me if I was alright. I was fine, but I just finally got tired. The heat was a beast. I also noticed that someone was gaining on me and I thought it was Nanette. It put a smile on my face because the last time I saw her around mile 33 she was really hurting. I was really pulling for her to push hard, but at the same time it motivated me to push harder too. Her husband pulled up next to me and offered me some grapes and I thought I could get them down so I accepted and they tasted so good! It was a real boost.

At mile 47 I had one of the best surprises of the day. Greg hopped out of the car in full running attire and announced he was going to run in with me. I was really excited and hoped that he would make it with me. He hadn’t exercised at all since our trip to Ibapah Peak that was over a year ago. Ironically, we were now in the shadow of Ibapah and I pointed it out to him, as we could see the peak ahead. I told him to just tell me some funny stories to take my mind off of the pain and it worked. The stories really aren't blog appropriate, but they sure took my mind of of things.  My pace picked up and the last 3 were actually much easier than the previous 5 had been. We were now running a sub 10 minute mile pace. It was so fun and helpful to have Greg running in with me.

Even though I knew we had to pass the finish and go a half mile and then turn around, I still wasn’t prepared for the demoralizing feeling. That was by far the most difficult thing for me and I thought about Davy maybe doing that as one last mental hurdle to get over before you get your 50. The last few hundred yards were tough. I was spent and happy I wasn’t doing more miles on this day, although looking back I think I could have pushed it further. When I reached the finish I was elated. I had done it. This was one of my goals for the year and there were certainly times that I doubted myself, but I did it. I hurt everywhere, but it was worth it. I didn’t feel much like eating for a few hours after, so I didn’t get to enjoy the burgers at the finish, but that was ok. Getting the finishers medal was sweet enough. So my first official ultra is in the books and I loved it. I learned so many things about myself on this day and I can’t wait to get back out there and do it again. Also, congrats to Jun and Davy for rocking the 100 and inspiring me for my next big running challenge.

50 minutes lifting (upper bod) at the gym. Legs are feeling really good. Just a touch of soreness.

35 minutes of elliptical and everything feels great.

Legs are pretty much back to normal, so I will be getting out onto some peaks this week for sure. I have really neglected climbing mountains the last month while getting ready for St. George and Pony Express and it's time to get back at it so I can get my goal of 52 peaks this year.

40 minutes on the elliptical after the kids went to bed. Everything feels really good. I was going to hit a peak Thurs morning, but had an issue at work that wouldn't allow it. I'm going to try and get out at some point in the next 24 hours. Anyone want to climb something?

Did 4 on the TM at the gym tonight. My legs felt really good, but I was careful not to push anything at all. The last mile I did feel a touch of soreness in my left hamstring, so I resisted the urge to pick up the pace.

There was a rather large man... ok, he was a fatty... next to me on the TM and every time I pushed up my pace he would push his up as well and look over at me. Ha. I kept thinking I appreciate your grit and determination, but this is a battle you just can't win. He did give a valiant effort though and pushed a lot harder than I thought he could.

AP: 8:40ish

I woke up early this morning to lift at the gym. Spent 45 minutes working my upper body and core and had an excellent workout.

Lunch break run with Jun to the summit of Sugarloaf Peak above Alta. The first thing we noticed when we got out of the car was how cold it was up there and we were both in shorts. The run up to the lake seemed tough for some reason, but my legs felt great. Jun was a champ and ran all the way to the top of the lake, and I had to stop and hike the steeper stuff. From the lake we went west to the saddle between Sugarloaf and Baldy and as soon as we hit the ridge we were blasted with the coldest wind I have felt in a long time. We were not prepared for that and heading up the ridge was torture.

Jun reached the summit first and then came right back down, which was weird and as I passed him he said you will find out why pretty quick and within a few seconds the wind was so cold that it made me numb everywhere. My ears were hurting and it actually made me feel sick, so I turned right back around, spending less than a second on the summit. I think that was my shortest summit stay ever. When I got back to Jun I sat down for a bit behind a bush to block the wind and then we took off back for the saddle.

The run down was fast and Jun really picked up the speed and I couldn't keep up. The last half mile I was doing a little over a 7:00 pace and he was nowhere in sight. Everything felt good and it was fun to open it up on the less technical part of the trail. It took about 30 minutes for all of my digits and appendages to thaw out, but it was worth it. The fall leaves were absolutely phenomenal up there. Probably the best I have ever seen. The Aspens were glowing yellow. It was the perfect way to spend our lunch break. Total time was just over an hour.

40 minutes on the elliptical and 30 minutes working my core/abs while watching football. I guess that would be Sundee Sinning x 2. I love multi-tasking.

Monday = Weights at the gym. I wasn't feeling it tonight and it took me at least 20 minutes to get going. I lifted with a friend of mine and got 50 minutes in, which wasn't enough, so when I got home I broke out my dumbbells and went for another 20 minutes.

I will be climbing Mt. Wire/Red Butte in the morning so I wanted to keep my legs fresh but still get in some cardio, so I went to the gym to run on the TM. I started off at a nice easy pace, but decided I better do some speed work since I haven't done any lately, so after a nice comfy 9:00 mile to warm up I did 8:20, 7:40, and 7:05. The last mile I dropped to a 6:40 pace for half a mile and it almost killed me. I tried to hold it, but I was hurting, so I slowed down for the last half mile. I obviously need some work.

I woke up this morning at 5:00 am and had a message from MatthewVH letting me know he was bailing on Mt. Wire this morning. I looked outside and saw 5 inches of snow, so I figured it was probably a good choice. I took my gear to work anyway hoping that Jun would want to get out and wouldn't you know it he was already planning a run.

We (me, Jun and Dustin) ran the Gully trail starting at 13th East. The trail was mostly covered in snow and slush. The conditions were not ideal, but the temperature was almost perfect. For some reason I was just not feeling it at all today. My legs were heavy, and my energy was low. We ran all the way to the Bell Canyon trail and then went all the way up to the lake and I was lagging behind Jun and Dustin, as they motored up the steep trail.

At the lake we stopped for a break and I ate about 10 snowballs that really hit the spot. So good. Kind of like a sugar free Slurpee (mild pollution flavor). Yum. I decided to turn back because I had a customer appointment that I had to get to and Jun and Dustin ran another .7 to the bridge. When I got back down to the Bell Canyon trailhead my energy was really low, probably because I waited to eat lunch, and the snowballs hadn't kicked in yet :) and my left hamstring was getting sore, so I stopped to take a break, eating more snowballs and stretching.

The run back wasn't fun. My legs felt terrible and my energy just wasn't there. I should have taken a gel or two. With about a half mile to go Jun and Dustin blew by me running fast and strong. I just didn't have it in me to keep up. At the trailhead there was this drunk guy that yelled at me "Hey dude, where is your mojo?" He had both hands in the air. Ha. If it wasn't so funny I may have dropped a few grumpy bombs at him, but instead I just agreed with him. He was right. I didn't have my mojo today. Anyway, he then went on for about 5 minutes telling us about the trophy bucks he saw down there in that there gully, and how nobody ever believes him. Good times.

Weights at the gym for 50 minutes. I worked upper body and core and had the place all to myself for the first 20 minutes. I pushed it really hard and everything feels realy good.

Up early to climb Mt. Wire before work with MatthewVH. Matt was about 20 minutes late this morning, so we decided to skip Red Butte and just hit Mt. Wire. While waiting for Matt I did see Brian, a local runner that is very fond of Matt, but he wasn't interested in chatting with me.

We started running from the start and set a pretty good pace up to where it gets really steep. It was warmer than we thought it would be, so we dumped some clothes behind a bush and then humped the steep stuff. The views of the city were stunning as usual and when we got close to the top the sun started to come up over the peaks to the east and it was pretty cool. I love Wasatch sunrises, but the wind really picked up and it was pretty cold. We hit the top just at 55 minutes and by time I got the the summit I was wishing I had my hat and gloves. We didn't stay up there long. We ran most of the way back, just stopping a few times to take in the views. This was my 6th time on the summit this year. It was a really fun morning.

So it looks like I will be doing the Halloween Half tomorrow. I will be one of the pacers. I am not quite sure yet which group I will be pacing, but it should be fun even if I will be going slow.

I was a pacer for the Halloween Half marathon yesterday. A friend of mine asked me if I wanted to do it as they had some open spots and I thought it sounded like fun, so I ended up pacing the 1:55 group. I really love this course and think that the race could be a great one, however there were several issues that they need to get worked out. First of all I waited in line for about an hour in the cold to get on the bus, and then once we were up there the race didn't start on time and there was a lot of confusion. It seemed like they didn't have enough buses because they were still arriving as the race was starting.

I actually really enjoyed running this race and had a lot of fun, but I was really frustrated because I wanted to go faster and it was tough keeping the pace at 8:47, especially on the downhill. I did get to wear a really cool pacer shirt though and that was fun. :) There were a few people that stayed with us most of the race, but for the most part most of the people either dropped off or went faster. I'm really not sure if I will do this again because I really just wanted to race. It was a lot of fun though hanging out with some of the bloggers and seeing a lot of friends, so that made it a fun morning, and I got a nice hug from Jun.

We came in 3 minutes under our pace, but the course was short. In fact, the mile markers were totally messed the whole race. The race director seemed to think that us Utahns weren't very good pacers because we weren't able to take all of this into account. Haha. I had no idea the course was short and I was going strictly off of my Garmin. I knew the mile markers were totally off. All of the pacers I talked to came in about 3 minutes early.

The worst part of the day though was having to wait in the line for the bus. They only had two buses to take everyone back to University Mall. Lame.