Summit junkie!

Ave Twin Peaks with MattW:

First summit in 2014 and we picked a fantastic day to be above the cruddy inversion. We put it in cruise control most of the way and just enjoyed good conversation and some laughs. I did hit some solid ice and took a spill about a mile in and landed on my hip hard, but nothing serious. On top we spent more time than usual taking in the views and enjoying the warm temps. It was incredible up there today.

American Fork Canyon with Je10 and CraigL:

This might have been the best run of the winter so far. I was supposed to lie and say how bad it sucked so we can keep the masses off of that incredible track, but I can't lie, it was phenomenal. The only negative at all was the weather and it was negative. I think it was around 0 degrees when we started and it only got colder as we climbed up the trail. The road we ran on has been groomed by snowmobiles and it was very smooth to run on. This is almost a perfect run because there is a lot of elevation gain, but you can run just about all of it. We ended up very high in the mountains on the other side of Alta/Snowbird ski resorts and the views were SAWEEET! We had to do a tricky stream crossing and up near our turnaround spot the temps were sooooo cold and when the wind gusts came through it was bone chilling, but we were all still smiling and laughing the whole time.

The run down was at times fast, but I really enjoyed pushing it a little and it seemed like we were back down to the cars quicker than I expected. Please do not (all 3 of you that read my blog) spray about how incredible this track is. If the word gets out it will start looking like the City Creek BST.

Weights at the gym for an hour with Kristina. She kicked my butt. I wussed out and wanted to stop after 45 minutes, but she shamed me into continuing, but finally I had enough and went upstairs to watch the TV in the cardio room.

Ave Twin Peaks with Je10, CraigL, MattW and Tara:

Fun group! It seemed balmy this morning compared to our run on Sunday. Je10 and Craig motored ahead most of the morning while Tara, Matt and I kept a more rational pace and enjoyed some good conversation all the way up. We never pushed it very hard, but on the way back we picked it up a bit. I took a nice digger after slipping on the ice and Matt couldn't stop laughing. It wasn't very graceful. It was a really good time with great friends. I guess I better get some new goals for 2014.

Insanity class at the gym. It was me and 10 ladies. It was insaaaaaaaaane!

View Benchmark with CraigL:

I met Craig at the trailhead on Vintage View at 5:45 AM. It was warmer than it has been the last few days, but very windy for the first mile. There was fresh snow on the trail, but a bike with one of those fat tires had been through and put in a small track that we used up to the Connector trail. From there we put in our own tracks and then when we hit the VB trail there was a decent track up to the ridge and then from there we were breaking trail up to the summit.

There was a thick fog in Utah County that stopped at the point of the mountain and it was really cool to see that thick soup covering the valley with the lights showing through. It was kind of surreal and looked like something you would see on a movie and then if you looked north the Salt Lake Valley was all lit up and clear. We were pretty slow out there because of the conditions, but it was a great workout and a fun morning.

Lake Mountain with Je10:

I love early Sunday morning runs. Je10 and I had a blast running up Lake Mt. The weather forecast was ominous the night before, but it ended up being decent most of the way. We had a really good run/hike/chat and kept up a decent pace until about 1/4 of a mile before the saddle where the snow got deeper and we slowed down a little. The wind was also picking up and I knew the final push was going to be gusty.

From the saddle to the top was horrendous. The wind was howling and blowing snow across the slope. We were post-holing in thigh deep snow at times and then it would be so windblown that there was almost nothing. Eventually we got off the 'trail' and just went straight up the windblown slope. It reminded me of Everest with the wind and snow and we didn't spend a lot of time on top. I tried to get my camera to take some video, but my phone shut down, but I did snap a few pics.

The run down was fast (for me) and fun. We did 2-3 sub 7 miles and we even raced for a few hundred yards. :) Je10 is FAST! Lucky for me she waited for me and we ran back to the car together. Fun!

Weights at the gym for an hour with Kristina. I spent about 15 minutes in the crossfit room with some friends doing some crossfitty crap. I'm tired, so I guess it was good.

BST from I Street with MattW:

It was soooooo nice out there today. Wow. Matt has been dealing with some back pain, so we decided not to hit any peaks or run too fast. We just did a fun 3.5 miles out and then back on the BST from I Street. This run was just about perfect.

Ave Twin peaks with MVH, Craig and MattW:

5:30 AM start at the Capitol building. This was a really fun group and we had a great time. Matt is nursing a sore back, so we weren't speedy, but that's ok. The trail was pretty icy so we all wore micro-spikes and they were a big help.

Squaw Peak with CraigL and NateY:

I've lived down in the bubble (Utah County) for 12 years now and I can't believe I have never summited Squaw Peak. I deserve a big kick in the nuggets for that one. Craig and I met Nate at 5:45 at the Rock Canyon trailhead. The first half mile was a sheet of pure ice, so it is a good thing we brought spikes. The boys had a pretty good pace running up the steep hill and I tucked in behind them while they chatted away. After about 1.5 miles we took a left turn and wound our way up the back side of the mountain on a very steep, but well packed trail. Spikes were pretty essential and Je10 we saw cougar tracks. :)

About 3 miles in the full moon came into view as we popped out into an incredible meadow. We could see Timp, Cascade and Provo Peaks behind us and the valley floor below and everything was lit up by the bright moon in the northern sky. The last half mile we wound our way up the back side of the peak and topped out in about 1:10. Wow! That is a fantastic view. If you live down in the bubble you need to hit this one.

We picked up the pace and had a really fun run back to the cars. The spikes gave me more confidence and I ran faster than I normally would on the slick snow. As it got light the views of the canyon were sweet. I really enjoyed that trail and I will definitely be back.

I just completed my 2013 recap. Run on over (pun intended) to the Refuse2quit blog to check it out:

http://www.refuse2quit.com/2014/01/2013-year-in-review-by-scott-wesemann.html

Ave Twin Peaks from I Street with MattW:

Shorts, t-shirts, sun and blue sky. It was a pretty amazing day out there above the valley crud. We weren't super fast, but had a very fun run to the top of the Ave Twins.

Tibble Fork with CraigL:

We did this run a few weeks ago with Je10 and had an incredible run, but today Craig wasn't feeling great, so it was a bit slower, but I still enjoyed every mile. On the way up Craig wasn't as chatty as he usually is and we hiked a few times so he could take some gel and try and get out of his funk. We went up 6 miles and then decided to turn around. We got high enough to see Devil's Castle and it looked absolutely stunning. Going down was more fun as Craig felt a little better and we talked all the way back to the car. It was bitter cold up high, but it heated up the last few miles. This is a really fun track and I'm sure we'll hit it again in a week or two.

Weights at the gym for 50 minutes working my upper body and core with Kristina.

Ave Twin Peaks with MattW from I Street.

Once again we had a blue sky, fresh air, shorts and t-shirts were all we needed. As my grandma would say it was a lovely run. It was a tad icy and a bit muddy, but nothing serious. We met a really talkative dude on the summit that was blabbering on about political crap. I enjoyed it. It was a fun run down and a pretty awesome day.

Ave Twins with Je10:

We had a really good run from the state capitol building up to the Ave Twin Peaks. The air down in the valley was disgusting, but as we climbed higher the winds picked up and by time we hit the summit we could see the mucky crap blowing out of the valley. It was actually pretty cool to watch.

The lower section of trail was solid ice in places and I took a digger, but not a digger. We both put on spikes and wore them the rest of the run.

Hidden Peak from Tibble Fork with Je10, Neasts, Craig and Leslie:

This was one of the best runs I have done all winter. We have been running this route from Tibble Fork for a few weeks now and earlier in the week some of the group had tried to go all the way to Hidden Peak, but they couldn't get up the final steep slopes because they didn't have micro-spikes. We started around 9:00 PM in the dark and ran the graded snow covered road for 9 miles into Mineral Basin. The bottom half of the road isn't in very great shape because of all of the snowmobile traffic, but it isn't too bad. There are just a lot of moguls and bumps, but the last half is phenomenal.

We kept a pretty good running pace up hill all the way up to Larry's Hole which is a lift area on Snowbird property in Mineral Basin. The snow making machines were on and there was a shack there with two Snowbird employees that seemed rather shocked to see us there. They told us that we could go all the way to the peak if we wanted, so we all put on our micro-spikes and took a very direct route straight up the steep slope. After a few minutes the angle of the slope became steep and I was a little worried that we were going to run into some solid ice, but it never got too bad. It was just a touch sketchy. :) We ended up in a gully that we ascended and eventually ran into the track that had been graded by a snowcat just near the summit and we jumped on that for the final few switchbacks to the top. WOW! What a view. Hitting an 11K ft. peak in the middle of the winter is quite a rush and I felt a surge of adrenaline that prompted some high fives and hugs.

On the summit there is a ski patrol shack and thankfully it was open. The lights, water and heat were on, but nobody was in the main room, so we helped ourselves to some water, the toilets and the much needed heat. We took a group photo, grabbed some calories and then it was back out into the cold. We took the snowcat track all the way back down to Larry's Hole because we did not want to get back on that steep slope to go down, plus the running was much better. It was a blast running fast down the track and within minutes we were back down to the Larry's shack looking back up at the peak.

From there a few of the crew went sliding down on their butts and Leslie broke out a sled that she had hauled up the mountain and she took a few really long runs down. It looked like fun, but I wasn't in the mood for any butt busting, so I just ran down. The run back down to the car was fun. We were all pretty tired and the last few miles were tough, but we got it done. What an adventure!

Weights at the gym with Kristina for an hour working my upper body/core. Meathead.

View Benchmark with Je10 and Craig:

We ran from Ann's trail via Vintage View. The trail was actually in decent shape with only a little bit of ice, but it was very runnable. We had a very solid run up to the peak without stopping much and then had a good cruise down.

Ave Twin Peaks with Tara, CraigL and Toly:

We met at the Capitol building at 5:30 this morning and it was pretty warm out and as we ran up City Creek Canyon and got out of the muck it heated up even more. I probably should have shed my jacket, but I didn't want to stop and mess with it. I wasn't feeling all that great this morning. No energy. Luckily Tara was nice and hung back with me while the other two blasted up to the top.

I wore my micro-spikes most of the way because there was still ice on the trail, but there was a lot of dirt too and it was kind of annoying having them on. I never felt great, but it was still fun to get out with good friends and get in some miles.

5 at the gym and then an hour of church ball where I fell on my arse and sprained my ankle. CHURCHBALL!!!

Lake Mountain double with several Wasatch Mt. Wranglers:

Rad posted this run on the WMW page and it sounded like fun, so I joined the early group at 5:00 AM for round one up to the summit and back. I ran about 95% of the first lap with Jennilyn, Neasts and Zac, with Cherri, Matt, Craig and Brent a little ways behind us. We werent really fast because of the new snow, but the effort was good. We had a nice chat all the way up. Above the saddle the top of the mountain was enveloped in a really cold and wet cloud. The temperature dropped like a rocket and visibility was really bad, so when we got to the summit I was totally turned around.

I ran down pretty fast with Jennilyn and we made really good time until she slipped on the ice and fell with about 50 yards to go. We were the first to get back to the cars where we met about 10 others that were going to go up for their first lap. We waited for the rest of the crew to get down and while I was in my car getting a quick bite to eat the group left, so I hurried and downed two stinger waffles and some Gatorade, so I could get going. I was about two minutes behind the main group and I never caught back up to them. After about 5 minutes I caught up to Rad and the two of us ran/hiked the rest of the way up and back together. We had a really good chat and I enjoyed the climb, except for the rednecks on 4-wheelers that kept going back and forth blowing their exhaust in our faces and turning up the track. UGH! We both threw a few choice words under our breath, but it was also pretty funny too.

We didn't stay long at the top and took it much easier on the way back down, but we still had a decent pace all the way back to the cars. It was a really fun morning.

Weights at the gym for an hour, working my upper body.

Ave Twin Peaks from I Street solo:

It was a lot colder than I thought it would be out there, but wasn't terrible. I had some really good music on the iPod and just had a really fun cruise up the mountain. That is until I got attacked by a couple of huge poodles that were jumping up on my very aggressively. I was about to punch one of them in the face and the owner finally yelled at them, but never said sorry. ??? Up on the ridge there was a cold breeze and I ran as much of it as I could, but this snow recently is so powdery and doesn't pack in at all, so there was a lot of sliding around. I hit the peaks, checked my email and then cruised back down. I went the longer way back to the car to get more distance and really enjoyed it.

Ave Twin Peaks from I Street solo:

The sun wasn't out today and it was a touch cooler than yesterday but otherwise the run was very similar, although I ran a little faster today. The trail conditions aren't great, but passable up high on the ridge and that slowed me some. I think I finished about 15 minutes faster than yesterday because I didn't take as many breaks and I only stayed on the summit for about 20 seconds.

Highland Alpine loop solo:

It was a crazy week and I was busier than ever. I barely had time to run this loop from my house.

Highland Alpine loop from my house:

I took advantage of a small window of good weather on this very wet Sunday. I had to shed my jacket after mile two because it was so warm. Blasted some good ol hits from the eighties on my ipod and got it done.

Ave Twins from I Street with MattW:

This run was weird. We started with sun and warm temps and finished with cold weather, snow and sleet. We both wore shorts and felt great until we popped out onto the ridge. We have been taking a slightly longer route to the Twins from the BST and I really like it because there is more running. The summit ridge and peaks were COLD, so we weren't up there long. The view was great though with no inversion or gunky air. We were both pretty cold when we got off the ridge and then the snow started falling for the last 10 minutes and it was crazy becuse the rest of the valley was pretty clear without clouds. The trail was extremely sloppy today. Slush and mud.

Ave Twins and City Creek Canyon run with Tara, MattW, MVH, Craig and Jennilyn:

This was a very fun group and we had a sweet run up to the Ave Twin Peaks. Oh wait, it was sweet after we made it through the first half mile of really icy conditions on the trail. At one point I had to hang onto Matt Williams as he assisted me over the solid ice. We enjoyed some really good chatting and laughs and hit the peaks where we enjoyed the view and a few more laughs. On the run back down I broke out my spikes and let Tara wear them until we hit the real icy stuff and then she kindly gave me one back and we both made it all the way down without ending up on our butts. I'm not sure how we did it. I was planning on a double with Jennilyn, but she didn't want to go back up the choppy trail, so after changing my shoes and eating some chocolate chip cookies, we took off back up the road.

The run up the canyon road was actually a lot of fun and we held a steady running pace about 5 miles up. The road wasn't plowed beyond that point and the track in the snow was really bad, so we just turned around and ran back down the canyon to the cars. We had some good conversation and had a great time.

#YOLO #Wheelhouse #prostateexam #summitpee #seethroughtights

Weights at the gym for an hour and hit booty bootcamp after.

Highland loop solo:

I left the house with the weather calm and the temperature warm. About two miles in the wind picked up and when I hit the Murdock Canal trail a huge limb was ripped from a tree and landed a few feet off of the trail about 20 yards in front of me. I fought the strong wind all the way to 6000 W. and then went south to get out of it.

The Wedge overlook at the San Rafael Swell group run:

This is the third year in a row that we have done this run. Two years ago it was just me, MattW, CraigL and MVH, but today we had 18 awesome folks with us to tackle the Wedge. The trail conditions were nearly perfect and the temps were mild.

We ran in a large group to the aid stop at mile 9 and then Jennilyn and Craig put some distance on everyone else. I ran from that point to mile 27 with Chris Pope, Trent P. and MattW. We had a really good time telling stories and talking about ultra running. I felt great all day. My legs were strong and my energy excellent.

At mile 27 Jennilyn was laying on the side of the trail not feeling well. She has been suffering with some stomach flu for a few days and it caught up with her. She is one tough cookie, so I knew she must be feeling like crap. I gave her a Tylenol which seemed to help and Matt and I walked with her for about a mile until she felt better. We ran it in taking a short cut that ended up cutting off a few miles, but that was ok with all of us. At the finish we had a BBQ and hung out as the rest of the crew came in. It was an excellent adventure.

Booty bootcamp with Kristina:

Kristina was hit with the H1N1 virus and has been knocked out pretty hard for 2-3 weeks and this was her first time back at the gym. She was sluggish, but pushed through like a champ. We worked arms, legs and core and also did several rounds of sprints. My legs were a bit sore, but warmed up nicely.

Draper/Corner Canyon trails with Jennilyn, Craig and Jacob:

Excellent run this morning with a fun crew. The temps were cool at first, but after a few minutes I felt great the rest of the run. The trails were mostly dry (except going up Ghost Falls) and it was fun running on some dirt. That's almost 40 miles of dirt this week. Awesome.

PM: Weights at the gym for 45 minutes working my upper bod/core and booty boot camp with Kristina after working core, arms and sprints.

Ave Twins from the Capitol with CraigL, MattW, LeslieH and ZacM.

We had a really fun run up to the Twins. It was cool and breezy to start, but after a few minutes I felt really good the rest of the way. The sun is definitely coming up earlier and it was the first time this year we weren't using headlamps up to the summits. We held a really good pace on the way down.

PM: Back to City Creek Canyon with MattW and ZacM. We ran 3 miles up the canyon on the trail and then back on the road. It was so nice out and we were all in shorts and t-shirts. I was pretty depleted at the finish.

Slow 4 from home to shake out the legs.

View Benchmark solo:

Shorts, t-shirt, blue sky and some nice vertical smile. The trail was pretty sloppy in places, so the effort was a lot tougher than the miles/vert.

Corner Canyon with CraigL and Jennilyn:

I was up at 4:15 AM to meet the crew at 5:00 AM in Draper for a really fun run on dry trails in Corner Canyon. We started at the equestrian park, went up to the BST and then all the way to Willow Park and back. Up Ghost Falls and then back to Canyon Hollow. The trails were 99% dry and the temps were very warm. It got a touch windy for a mile or two, but not bad. Great morning.

Draper BST with Jennilyn:

Other than taking two diggers on the trail it was a phenomenal day on the trails. Perfect weatrher, good company and a really fun run. We took the BST from Willow Park to the top of Ghost Falls. Down Ghost to the Rattler trail and back over to the BST and back to the park. I'll have a big day on Friday and then I'll slowly dial back my training before the Buffalo 100 in March.

Antelope Island training run with Craig, MattW, MVH, Jennilyn, Cherri, Zac, Aaron:

We had a really fun training run out on the island. With the weather forecast looking iffy we thought we were going to get pounded with wind and rain, but luckily it held off and the first 19 mile loop (Buffalo 100/50) was incredible. The temps were perfect and it wasn't windy at all. We had some really good conversation and only had to mess with the Buffalo on the trail once. I ran with just about everyone for a time and really enjoyed it. With about a mile left it started to rain and by time we made it back to the cars it was coming down pretty hard.

We took a break to eat and get rehydrated and then we went back around Buffalo Point. It was now raining, a little windier and I felt slightly bonky, but it passed quickly. We went around the point and down the road on the east side and then back up to the summit of Buffalo Point. That was a tough climb on tired legs. From the point we ran back down the road and back to the 50/100 mile course next to the fence where we ran in back to the cars. We had planned on doing up to 40 miles, but the rain started coming down really hard and the wind picked up, so we decided to bail. It was just shy of 1:00 AM in the morning, so I was ok with the call.

It was an incredible run with good friends and now I'm really stoked for the Buffalo 100 in 3 weeks.

Weights at the gym for an hour with Kristina. Worked.

City Creek Canyon with MattW:

It was windy and rainy for a good portion of the day, but we hit it at just the right time. The rain burned off and we had a fun run 3.5 miles up the canyon. We ran a pretty quick pace all the way back down to the cars.

PM Boot camp at the gym. Worked arms, legs, core and ran sprints.

City Creek Canyon with Tara:

We slept in and met at the Capitol building at 5:45 AM run 5 miles up and then back down City Creek Canyon. The weather was nice and the conversation was great all the way up and back down. I even got to see Tara call in a couple of wild turkeys (true story). She has talent. :) It was a really fun run and a perfect way to start the day.

#turkeywhisperer #nosummitpee #yolo #wheelhouse

City Creek Canyon with MattW:

We ran the trail that is next to the canyon road and then went up to the comminication towers overlooking Bountiful and SLC. Great views. Noboby else on the trails and we had a great time. I love this trail because it is very runnable, but provides a great climb.

Highland Alpine loop with a few extra mixed in:

I didn't have a lot of time today, so the best way to get my miles was to run from my front door. I really enjoyed the run, but was nearly hit by two cars. Both of the drivers were not paying attention and if I had not been I would have been hit. I really think running on the road is far more dangerous than the trails. Anyway, I did the loop and then wanted some extra miles, so I ran west past the irrigation pond that is about a half mile west of my home and turned around after about a mile.

Weights at the gym. I felt like poo, but finally came around about the time I finished. Blah.

City Creek Canyon with MattW:

We were going to hit the trails, but they were a bit moist (don't ya just love the word moist?) so we cruised up the road 3 miles and back. My taper for the Buffalo 100 next week has officially started.

City Creek Canyon to the communication towers with Craig, MattW and Tara:

We met at the Capitol building at 5:45 and there was a very cold wind that we had to run into for the first mile. When we reached the canyon it was ok until we crested the ridge. I really love this route. We ran the entire way uphill and I really enjoyed it. Great friends and a really fun run.

3 easy at the gym.

Corner Canyon with Craig:

Taper run on some really good trails in corner canyon.

Mt. Wire with Jennilyn: Finished with Craig and then met je10 at the zoo for a nice hike up Wire. First summit in a few weeks.

AM- Met Jennilyn for a nice and easy run in the Dimple Dell gully before work. Easy easy run. Legs feel really good.

PM- Weights at the gym for an hour.

Tomorrow I'll be running the Antelope Island Buffalo 100. I crashed and burned running this last year and I'm looking for some redemtion. It's time to run.

Buffalo Run 100:

My best 100 miler to date. I had no significant issues to deal with the entire 100 miles. I was able to keep a running pace most of the way and was very happy with the finish. You can find the report here: Race report

Weights at the gym for an hour. My legs and core were very sore from the 100, but everything loosened up after the workout.

Booty bootcamp at the gym. Too sore to run. Walked and did core and lifting.

2 very easy miles. Legs feel really good, but I have a spot on the bottom of my foot that is still sore.

Mt. Wire with Jennilyn:

First real test of my foot and legs. Slow going up, but felt pretty good. We went down the hollow and my foot didn't bother me until we got back on the BST. It is still sore.

AM: Grandeur Peak attempt with Jennilyn. We met at the West Ridge trailhead. It dumped several inches of fresh snow on the trail and it was a total SLOG! There was no track and the snow was a very fine powder, so I slipped a lot and it was very tedious work. At about 1:20 we still had at least 30-40 minutes to the summit and we were out of time, so we cruised back to Einstein's for warm drinks and bagels.

PM: Weights at the gym for an hour. Really solid workout. This was my best session in the last few months. I was totally worked.

Booty bootcamp at the gym with Kristina:

I ran sprints and ladders and my foot felt ok in the new Altra Olympus. Also worked my core.

Mt. Wire with Jennilyn and MattW:

It had been snowing earlier in the day, but when we hit the trail the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. There was fresh snow on the trail, but unlike Grandeur on Monday it was heavy and packed in really well, so it wasn't a big deal. We had a really fun time laughing and climbing all the way up. We went down the hollow and it was a total mess in there. Mud, slush and running water. Sloppy! We had fun though and laughed a lot. I slipped several times and Matt and J-lyn really enjoyed the variety of expletives flying from my mouth. This was one of those runs that makes you smile for a while.

Mt. Wire with ZacM, Craig and MattW:

Fun early morning before work. Met the fellas at the zoo and we had a really fun run/hike up to the summit. Lower on the Mt is was breezy and quite cold, but as we ascended it warmed up. Excellent sunrise. Went down the hollow. It was much better than yesterday.

At my hotel in southern Cal. Also lifted for 30 minutes.

Hotel TM in SoCal late at night.

Hotel in SoCal. I have had a sore spot on the bottom of my foot since the Buffalo 100 and it seems to have calmed down a lot. I've been wearing the Hoka's and Altra Olympus for max cushion.

Ave Twins solo:

Beautiful day on the BST up to the twins. I had my iPod shuffling through my Depeche Mode playlist. Great day.

PM: Weights at the gym for an hour, working my upper body and core.

View Benchmark with Jennilyn and Craig:

Early morning run with a great group. We made a good push to the top and I was pretty worked getting up the last 1/4 mile. Hit the very end of an impressive sunrise. Windy on top. We held a quick pace back to the cars.

BST tower run with Tara:

From the Capitol we went up City Creek Canyon to the towers. I was not feeling it and felt sluggish and slow on the way up. At the top we dropped down into the N. Salt Lake side, but didn't go all the way to the park because of time. Tara led out on the way back and pushed a much faster pace and I actually felt better going faster. Fun!

Ave Twins from I Street with Zac and MattW:

Other than the wind this was a perfect run. It was breezy from the start and WINDY on the summit, but we had a great time.

Ave Twins solo:

It was a perfect day to be out on the trails. It was slightly cold and breezy on top, but not bad.

PM: Weights at the gym with Kristina for an hour working my upper body.

Mt. Olympus with Craig, Zac and Matt:

It was pretty warm and windy at the start and with a storm moving in later in the day we would be hitting the top before the worst of it hit the peak. We had a really fun time hiking up the big steep hill, running where we could. Craig and Zac took a short detour to climb a rocky ridge leading the to the saddle while Matt and I stayed on the main trail. At the saddle it was cold and windy. We made good time through the chute and all hit the top about the same time. After a few pics we quickly made out way back down. The other guys ran fast and I had to take it easy on the steep technical sections because I was wearing the Altra Olympus. I did not want to fall or sprain an ankle.

Ave Twin Peaks with Matt and Jennilyn:

It was a really fun run up to the Twins from I Street. We had a great time chatting and laughing and really enjoyed the day. It was windy and cool on top again. I had to stop and make a few phone calls and we had to go down the short way because of time. Great day.

My IT bands and quads were sore from Oly, so I did an easy relaxing run to shake them out and they felt much better.

Ensign-Dude Peak ridge run with Jennilyn and Matt:

This run was was chock full of awesome. We started at 5:00 AM at the Ensign Peak trailhead. We made quick work of Ensign and surprised a couple on top that looked to be engaging in their own summit workout. We didn't stay long and made the traverse over to City Creek peak, going over a few knolls along the way. From there we ran the long ridge over to Dude, joking, laughing and having a great time.

The sun came up as we made our way up the last few hills to Dude. On top we took some pics and kept on going. There were two more peaks that we hit going over the ridge. There were a few scrambly sections and it was a lot of fun. At the saddle above Rudy's Flat we looked for the trail that would take us back down into City Creek. After about 10 minutes we finally settled on what looked to be a game trail and we hoped would the the 'trail' we were looking for.

After about 5 minutes that trail petered out and we ended up bushwhacking our way down a creek bed. Eventually the creek had water and it was steep tough terrain. We found a moose rack and another animal skeleton in the water. This was some rugged tough country that rarely sees humans. After what seemed like an hour of working our way down we finally found the trail. What a relief. From there it was an easy run to City Creek Canyon, where we ran the road until we could pick up the trail.

This 'run' was a total blast. We covered some incredible terrain and had some pretty sweet views along the way.

View Benchmark solo

From Vintage View. I was the only person on the trail today. I had a really good time thinking and enjoying the trail until about the 1.5 mark when the mud started. It was bad for about a mile, but above the connector trail I only hit mud on the steep ramp before the summit ridge.

The wind picked up and blew hard the last 1.4 to the top. It was so cold that by time I hit the summit and made it back down my hands and ears were numb. It was one of the coldest sumits I've been on. Part of the problem was I was in shorts and didn't have gloves. It was a pretty fun day overall though.

PM: An hour of weights at the gym with Kristina. There was a druggy in there acting weird and the fuzz had to come remove him.

View Benchmark with CraigL and Jennilyn:

We had a very enjoyable run up to the summit chatting and laughing. The weather was balmy compared to yesterday. Ran a little faster than yesterday up and down. Good day.

PM: Bootcamp at the gym with Kristina. Hiit, core and sprints.

Mount Wire with Jennilyn and Jenny:

It was a perfect day for a mountain run. Jennilyn met me at the trailhead after just putting up the womens FKT on the summit route. She was up in 34 minutes. Amazing! We took it a little slower and enjoyed the climb. Down the Hollow and back on the BST.

Little Cottonwood quarry trail with CraigL:

Lunch run. It was a perfect day for a trail run. The weather was excellent and the trail did not disappoint. Craig pushed the pace all the way up and down. It was a really good training run. We finished in just under an hour.

PM: Bootcamp with Kristina. Hiit, core and sprints. LEGS.

Ave Twins and Little Black Mountain with Jennilyn:

What an incredible day! Once we got on the upper BST we didn't see another soul until we were on our way back down. We hit the Twins and then went up Little Black, which is one of my favorite peaks in the Wasatch. There is a nice scramble near the top that adds some spice. It was a blast with excellent company.

View Benchmark solo:

I was the only person out on the trails for a really fun run up to VB from Ann's/Vintage View. I didn't have much time, so I just tagged the summit and turned around.

PM: Weights at the gym for an hour with Kristina.

Ave Twins with MattW:

The forecast called for showers, but we beat the storm. It was hot and sunny when we started, but some clouds moved in and by time we hit the summit it had cooled off, but still felt great. About 30 minutes after we finished it was raining pretty hard.

City Creek Canyon with MattW:

It rained most of the day, so we just ran up the canyon road to avoid the messy trails.

Mount Wire double with Craig, MattW, Jennilyn and Zac:

We had hoped to do Olympus this morning, but opeted for a double Wire because of the snow. We actually had some snow on Wire, but the trail was pretty clear, so nothing to worry about. We had a really fun group.

After 5 years of posting on the good ol' FRB it is time to move on. When I first started running I loved this site. I have made many friends and shared a lot of fantastic memories from some great people here, but most of those friends have also moved on. I'm pretty sure there are only two or three people out there that read this anyway, so it won't be a big loss, but I have started using Strava, so if you are there come and find me or reach out on facebook or twitter. It's been purdy darn fun, but it's time to move on.

Happy running (and climbing).