Summit junkie!

I went to the gym to lift tonight and it must have been stinky adolescent night. There were several teenagers in there and believe me it was rank. It took me a few minutes to shake off the bad vibes and get into my workout. I lifted for 50 minutes and had a great workout with some of my friends. My left calf is a touch sore from Sat, but otherwise I am feeling really good.

35 min on the elliptical to stretch my legs and get some cardio. I'll be running Wire/Red Butte again tomorrow morning.

Did the Mt. Wire/Red Butte summit run this morning with MatthewVH. We met at 6:00 am at the Mt. Wire trailhead and ran up to where the ridge gets steep. From there it was a hike up the steep ridge. Matt wasn't feeling it this morning and had a lack of energy, and I noticed he wasn't his usual self. I saw a couple of shooting stars and the views on this mountain are always good of the city. Once we got close to the summit the wind really picked up and it was cold. We made it up in 53:00 which was two minutes faster than last week. On top I gave Matt a gel and that seemed to help with his energy.

We had time so we ran the ridge over to the summit of Red Butte just as the sun was rising. It was pretty windy on the ridge, but not as bad as it had been on Mt. Wire. The run down from Red Butte was fun and we didn't push the pace. The arch in my left foot was a touch sore, so I was totally ok with the slower pace. The run in was fun and the temps were almost perfect. Total time: 1:48.

I usually lift on Fridees, but since I was getting up to go run Malan's peak in the morning I wanted to get to the gym and get in some lifting. I had a really good session and the gym wasn't even stinky this time. 50 minutes of upper body/core work. There were only 5 of us in there. good times.

I love mornings like this. Jun, Dorsimus and I met Bryce in Ogden to run Malan's Peak. I have wanted to get up there for about 6 months now, and when Bryce posted up some pics the other day it really made me want to hit it. We started just after 6:30 and the trail is fairly steep, gaining 2200 ft in just over two miles. Jun was leading with a pretty good pace and after a mile it got really steep and it was a lot of hiking with an occasional run where we could. Bryce got out in front with Jun close behind and Dorsimus and I were a few minutes back. I was feeling a bit sick that last mile and could have easily puked if I thought about it too much.

Bryce topped out first, then Jun and Dorsimus and I hit the summit together a few minutes after. What a view! We hung out on top for about 20 minutes talking and taking a few pictures. It was cold up there and as soon as it got a little light we headed down. Jun was flying down today with the others close behind. It was a really steep trail, but a ton of fun. I will definitely start doing this peak a few times per year. We had so much fun that we are thinking of going back early next week to hit Ben Lomond and Willard peaks. This was the perfect start to my Friday.

I had a really busy day that ended with a massive headache. I did manage to get in 30 minutes of core/ab work though.  

I wasn't able to work out until 11:00 pm and I was tired (sleepy). According to my body it was midnight. I hit the elliptical for 40 minutes while watching some bad TV. Nothing exciting, but I did get in some good sweat.

I went to the gym after the kids went to bed for some lifting. I wasn't feeling it for the first half, but found my groove and had a decent session. 50 minutes working everything above the waist. My core was still quite sore from Sat.

After the kids were in bed I went to the gym and played with the TM for 4 miles. 8:40, 7:40, 7:10 and 6:35. The last mile was tough and my left hammy got a bit tight.

After the gym I went to the church to play basketball with the fellas. Played for 1:30 and had a really good time. It was the first time I have played in 6 months and my basketball shoes felt like cement bricks. How did Air Jordan dunk in these things? I guess I'm getting too used to my running shoes.

Mt. Wire is quickly becoming my mountain of choice for getting in a fast steep workout. It is only 15 minutes away from work, has some nice elevation gain and incredible views. I decided that I would go bag it on my lunch break today instead of getting up early. When I started the sun was out and it was actually quite warm. After about 5 minutes I shed my long sleeve shirt and I was getting hot. I could see a dark cloud building from the west, but it didn't look bad at all.

I ran the first mile of the trail. It is steep, but once you get to the ridge it gets a lot steeper and I slowed to a quick hike. I pushed it all the way up to the top. I was feeling really good today, so I just tried to get up fast. I made it to the summit in 47:00, which is about 6 minutes faster than my previous best time. I didn't stay long on top because it was getting much colder. The wind had picked up and the sun was now covered with the dark cloud and a tiny bit of snow started to fall. It is amazing the difference 45 minutes can make. The descent was windy and cold and I ran fast to get down.

Once I got off of the steep stuff I ran between an 8:30-7:30 pace back to the car, finishing in 1:14, which is my fastest time up and back. I only passed one lady about 1/4 of a mile from the trailhead, but other than that I had the place to myself. So fun!

***PM Update***

I hit the gym tonight for 45 minutes of lifting. Worked biceps, lats, and delts and did several sets of pull ups.

Birthday party for my 9 year old daughter tonight. Craaaaaazy!! 8 wild girls running wild. We finally got the house cleaned and I made it on the elliptical for 40 minutes. I'll be running Mount Wire again tomorrow morning.

I woke up early to run Mt. Wire again with MatthewVH. While driving to the trailhead it was snowing, and clouds were enveloping the Wasatch Front. I was thinking that maybe we would have some bad weather to deal with, but I wasn't too worried. Matt was waiting for me at the trailhead and it was just getting light when we started. It was cold, but not windy, so it actually felt pretty good.

We started out with a fast hike and I told Matt to just set the pace and go with what felt comfortable for him. He started running after a few minutes and we kept a nice easy pace up to the ridge. After a few minutes we stopped for a bathroom break and what a view we had of the whole valley. We saw some deer on the saddle and then we saw some coming through the gully to the North and there was a really big one moving through and within a minute we saw two bow hunters stalking it. We watched them for a few minutes and both kind of hoped the deer would get away, which it did. Matt said he wasn't in the mood to watch a kill that early in the AM.

The hike up the ridge to the summit was fun. We just talked about future plans and peaks we wanted to climb and what we wanted to get done next year. We made it to the top in 56:00, which was 9 min slower than my solo climb two days ago. It was pretty cold on top, but no wind and clouds were slowly starting to cover the summit. After a few summit shots we bolted back down, running the entire way to the bottom. It was a nice easy pace that allowed us to talk and we had a great time.

Best part of the day was running into Matt's friend Brian near the bottom. Brian has always admired Matt and it was fun to see him light up like a Christmas tree when he saw him. It made me smile. It was a fun morning.

Matt and I are tentatively planning on climbing Wire 5+ times the day after Thanksgiving if any of you might want to join let me know. It will be 20+ miles with some good elevation gain.

40 minutes on the elliptical while watching some bad TV.

I have a Utah Jazz event tonight for work, so I won't be able to hit the gym, so I got up early this morning to get in my Monday lifting session. Worked my upper body for 50 minutes and then did one mile on the TM (7:15) to loosen up my legs.

I ran/climbed Mt. Wire again today with Jun and Dorsimus during my lunch break. I was supposed to meet them at the trailhead at 11:45, but they were a little late coming from Red Butte, where they had started. It was really windy at the trailhead and started to rain pretty hard, but I could see the dark clouds moving fast to the east, so I knew it would blow over quick. When they finally arrived we waited in Jun's car for about 5 minutes and then when it stopped raining we headed up.

We made really good time up to the ridge and from there it is a power hike to the top. The wind was absolutely punishing today up on the ridge. It was cold and blowing hard and I was thinking I should have brought my hat to cover my ears. We never stopped at all and just pushed a nice quick pace all the way up. It didn't seem like we were going as fast as I did a few days ago, but we beat my time by two minutes arriving on top in 45:00.

It was really cold on the summit and the wind was bad, so we didn't even get a chance to talk and Jun blew by me and started heading down the gully on the west side. I assumed they were going to run back to Matt's car and I decided to just head back down the way we came up. I ran the whole way and the wind was not quite as bad on the way down. I made it back to the car in 1:12 and the other guys actually just did a loop back to the trailhead and met me back at the car after a few more minutes. It was a really fun day out there minus the wind.

I went to the gym after the kids were in bed and did 6 on the TM. AP 8:40. Nice and easy. My legs feel really good.

I went to the gym after the kids were in bed and lifted (upper body) for 50 minutes.

I was supposed to go on a trail run in the mountains this morning, but when I woke up at 5:00 am the wind was blowing so hard and I just didn't want to deal with that, so I went back to bed.

I ended up going for a run outside on the pavement for the first time since the Halloween Half. I took my dog Shyla with me and she was so stoked to go that she pulled me hard right from the start. The first half mile was a 6:30 pace. At least I warmed up fast. Eventually she settled down a bit which made it much easier on me.

I ran from my house to 6000 W. and ran all the way to Alpine crossing the Alpine hwy. At 4 miles I turned around and went back. The temperature was almost perfect for running, but on the way back the winds really picked up and I was running back into the wind the rest of the way.

It was a nice run and I actually enjoyed it a lot, although I should get bonus miles for having to fight Shyla the whole time.

50 minutes of elliptical after the kids were in bed.

MatthewVH and I are still planning on climbing Mt. Wire multiple times on Friday if anyone is still interested. All of the snow will definitely make it more challenging, and the running conditions will not be great, but there should be a path all the way to the top to follow. If you want to join us for any part of it let me know and I can give you more details on what to expect.

Mondays = lifting. I went to the gym and lifted for an hour. Worked chest, arms, lats and shoulders. A friend of mine showed me some really cool exercises on the pull up bar and after doing those my arms were worked.

I left work early because of the epic storm that was supposed to roll in and I decided to hit the gym early. I was hoping for a longer run on the TM, but my tummy was a-rumblin' and started to get quite upset, so I had to quit before I wanted to.

50 minutes of elliptical while catching up on my Office episodes.

Is that White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor you're wearing?

I went to the gym to get in a workout before I ate 5000 calories. It was packed in there, but I had a good session working my upper body for an hour.

Hope everyone had a great holiday.

Last year on Black Friday MatthewVH and I climbed Upper Bells Peak to work off our Thanksgiving fat and we had a much better time than all of those shoppers wrestling over discounts. At least we thought so. We had been talking about doing multiple ascents of Mt. Wire for quite a while, and figured this would be the perfect day. The storms that came through earlier in the week changed the conditions dramatically, bringing in a lot of snow that would change this from a hike/run on a nice trail, to deep snow and below freezing temps. We talked about doing something else, but decided to just go for it and have a great time.

The route we would be taking to the summit is just over 4 miles with about 2200 feet of elevation gain. It is pretty steep and last week I climbed it car to car in 1:12, but the conditions were completely different when we arrived at the trailhead. There was snow covering the entire trail. Matt and I were joined by our friends Michael and Judy, who are both local mountaineering vets. Because of the cold and snow we looked like a group about to climb Mt. Rainier and not something as simple as Wire. The temperature was a balmy 10 when we started. I had been debating on what shoes to wear and had to settle for my Gortex hiking boots in order to keep my feet dry. I did however bring along a few pairs of trail runners just in case I thought they would work.

Summit #1: The first climb was started just as it was starting to get light. It was bitter cold, but after only a few minutes I was plenty warm. I wore a Windstopper fleece vest, jacket and hat, gloves, two long sleeve shirts and a short sleeve poly-pro shirt. A few people had already been up since the last storm, so we were able to follow their tracks, but there was still plenty of snow. We hiked fast to the ridge and from there the real slog started. Hiking in the snow is much more exhausting than on a trail and I started to get warm really fast. At the saddle Matt stopped for a wardrobe adjustment and I lead the way with Judy behind me and then Michael behind her. We chatted the whole way up about peaks we wanted to climb and various adventures that we wanted to tackle in 2011. There was no wind at all and the sun just started coming up over the peaks to the east as we reached the first towers. I made it to the top first in 1:03, with Judy right behind. Michael was a few minutes behind and then Matt about 5 minutes later. We took a group photo and then quickly headed down. We could kind of jog on the descent, but had to take it easy on the steeper sections because it was icy. I was first back to the car with Matt and Judy right behind. Total time 1:37. We took about a 10 minute break, eating some snacks and hydrating. I took a gel and ate a granola bar.

Summit #2: The other 3 took off before I was ready and it took me about 3 minutes to finish my gear adjustments and snacks. I took off my fleece jacket. It was still cold, but I felt great. It took me a mile to catch up with Michael and I passed him on the way up the ridge. I started to get really hot, so I took off one of my long sleeves and now I was only wearing a short sleeve, long sleeve and my vest on top. About half way up I unzipped the vest. This was one of the longest parts of the day for me because I was by myself and didn't have my ipod on, so the time seemed to drag a bit. I was still feeling really good and didn't have any soreness at all. My legs felt great. I never did quite catch up to Judy and Matt and they reached the summit a few minutes before me (1:06) with Michael a few minutes after me. I took a gel and we took another group photo and didn't stay on top very long. We went as quick as we could given the conditions and the trail was slowly getting more packed in, which made things a bit easier. The sun was now out and I was really warming up on the descent. We got back to the cars and took another break. I took off my vest, took a gel and ate more snacks. I also drank quite a lot of Gatorade and took an S-cap. Michael and Judy left first with Matt and I about 5 minutes behind.

Summit #3: This was the most difficult climb of the day for both Matt and me. It was now hot. Well, the temperature was still below freezing, but with the sun out and reflecting off of the snow, I was hot. I shed one of my long sleeve shirts and now I was only wearing one short and one long sleeve shirt with the sleeves pulled up. It was a total slog. My legs started to get tired, I was sweating a lot and we both slowed down. Luckily we talked the whole way up which made it somewhat bearable, but both of us had doubts about making it up five times. Judy and Michael were on the summit waiting for us and I arrived a few minutes before Matt, as he really slowed down on the final push. Total time up was 1:15. We took a group photo, I took another gel chased by a snowball and we headed down. I felt a lot better on the way down and got my energy back. Back at the car I took more salt, drank more Gatorade and ate two boiled eggs, a gel and a candy bar. I was feeling a lot better. This time Judy Matt and Michael all left about 5 minutes before I did, as I was taking my time eating to make sure I got back my energy.

Summit #4: It took me a mile to catch up to Matt, but he was listening to his ipod. I was kind of hoping we could chat, but I didn't want to bother him. He was singing out loud and using his trekking pole as a guitar. I was feeling much better on this climb and I finally passed him on the final push to the top. Judy and Michael were several minutes ahead, and I was surprised when I reached the top and found out I had made it one minute faster than they had (1:18). We were all pretty tired at this point and Judy and Michael told me they were not going for a 5th summit. I was sure that I would keep going because I still felt really strong and when Mat got to the summit he told me he had no plans on stopping now. We took our final group photo of the day and after I had a gel we headed down. It had cooled off a little bit on the way down and I knew that the last trip up would be colder. My feet were starting to hurt and my boots felt very heavy, so I decided I was going to change into my Brooks Cascadia's even if they made my feet wet. The last mile was the first time all day I started to hurt. At the bottom we decided to take a long break to eat and hydrate. I made a sandwich, drank more Gatorade and I had to get into the car and turn the heat on because I couldn't get my gaitors off. The strap was frozen solid, so I had to thaw it out. I hadn't felt cold in such a long time and it seemed weird, but this was a reminder that it was still below freezing out there. After about 10 minutes I was able to get my boots off and they were HEAVY! They had started soaking up water and they were bricks. I couldn't believe I had been hauling them up that mountain. The Cascadia's were pure heaven on my feet.

Summit #5: This was the best I had felt since summit climb number one. My feet were feeling so good, my energy was great and I wasn't hurting anywhere. I couldn't believe how good I felt and I pushed the pace a bit. Matt kept up and we had fun talking and joking all the way up. The sun started to go down and the temperature dropped a lot. I still wasn't feeling cold, but if we had stopped for more than a minute we would have felt it. This was definitely the most fun I had all day. I thought for sure I would be dragging and hurting on that final climb, but I felt as good as I had all day. The trail was now packed in and my feet stayed dry and were warm all the way up. I got to the summit a few minutes before Matt and took in the incredible views as the sun had just set. It was awesome and I still felt great. My Garmin died on that final summit, so I didn't get exact miles for the day, but it was somewhere around 20. I actually felt like I could have done a few more, but I knew that wasn't going to happen on this day. The descent was fun and Matt and I joked and laughed the whole way down. We finally got back to the car at 6:00 pm, almost exactly 11 hours after we started. I couldn't believe how good I felt.

The total elevation gain for the day was between 10,500 - 11,000 feet in 20 miles. With dry conditions this could be done much faster and we would like to try this in the summer to see how many more we can get. This was definitely one of the best adventures of the year, and I also reached my goal of getting 52 peaks for the year, which made it just a bit sweeter.

50 minutes on the elliptical while re-watching the Utah BYU football game. I was at the game on Sat and froze my butt off. I did get a big hug from a large strange man though after Utah blocked the kick, which helped.

I went to lift in the middle of the day today and almost had the gym to myself which was nice because I could grunt as much as I wanted to. I had a really good session. Lifted for 55 minutes.

Also ran the stairs to work out a bit of soreness in my claves and then hit the TM for some slow (AP 8:40) miles.

I hit the gym for some TM fun. It was pretty crowded in there and I got the last TM. I had a great run and everything feels really good. I did the first mile at 9:00 pace, 2-5 were between 7:20-7:40 and then the final mile was at an 8:00.