Summit junkie!

Climbed Mount Wire (Big Beacon) with Matthew Van Horn. 4 miles with 2k feet of elevation gain.

30 min on the elliptical while watching Survivorman. Nice workout.

Rest day

Played soccer for 90 minutes. Estimating 2 miles at full speed.

40 min on the elliptical

hiked/ran to the summit of Perkins Peak. We started in East Canyon and went over several 'bumps' on the ridge, including Dale Peak and ended up on Perkins, whick overlooks the SL Valley. Beautiful day, but a total bushwhack!! About 1/3 of the hike was through scrub oak. With Jun, Enoch and Matt Van Horn.

30 min on the elliptical after the kids went to bed.

Hiked/ran to the top of Mahogany Mountain with Matthew Van Horn above Alpine (9,001 ft). The first few miles is a good trail, but the last 2 are a total bushwhack! It was steep getting up to the ridge. Lots of snow on top and the views of Utah Valley and Timp were stunning! 4,500 feet of elevation fain and 9 miles. Fun day.

40 min on the elliptical right before bed.

Cardio day off. Worked out in the gym for 45 minutes. worked upper body. Felt really good.

Did 40 minutes on the elliptical while watching 'Deadliest Catch' after a looong day at work. Felt really good.

30 minutes on the elliptical while watching The Office.

40 min on the elliptical (20 resistance) while watching NBA playoffs. Felt really good.

Did 3 miles and 3,000 vertical feet climbing to the top of Tanners Gulch in Little Cottonwood Canyon. It was beautiful up there. We were on snow most of the way.

Did 30 minutes on the elliptical before bed

Did 6 miles on the elliptical before I went to bed. I doubt it was actually 6 miles, but that is what the machine said :-) Went for 45 min.

Lifted at the gym for 40 minutes (chest, lats, core) and then I had a nice run on the track for about 25 minutes. Did 3 miles, but went too fast because I didn't want this guy to pass me :-) He passed me three times and I didn't want him to do it again.

Played soccer for two hours with my friends and had an excellent workout. I'm not exactly sure how many miles I ran, but I know it was at least two at a very fast pace.

Had a nice 3 mile run/hike to the top of Red Butte Peak above the University of Utah. The weather was perfect, although it did start to drizzle near the summit. My partner almost stepped on a rattlesnake on the way down. This is a fun and adventurous hike with 1,500 feet of elevation gain.

Went out for a run last night with the intention of doing 5-6 miles, but the weather was perfect and after 6 I was feeling great, so I kept going. Did 11 miles which I think is the longest I have ever run. My time was 1:45, but I wasn’t trying to go fast at all. I am excited though because I felt like I could have kept going for 3-4 more miles. It was a perfect night.

Did 30 minutes on the elliptical while watching The Deadliest Catch. My right knee is a bit sore from the long run on Thursday, but overall I felt really good.

Weight day. I only got 30 minutes at the gym because I was busy hanging ceiling fans and my sis-in-law went into labor, so we had to go pick up her kids. Busy day. Did upper body and worked hard for 30 minutes. Cardio rest day.

Did 30 minutes on the elliptical while I watched "Rachel Getting Married". The show was ok, but the workout was great. I pushed hard and worked up a nice sweat.

Went out for a 4 mile run. I wanted to push and see how fast I could do it, but I didn't want to push too hard, so the first mile I took it easy, but fast. Mile two really picked up and then mile three I was going hard most of the way. I did hit a bit of a wall on the up hill portion of mile 4, but I pushed through it and ended up doing 4 miles in 32 minutes. I felt great, although my right calf was getting sore. I probably didn't stretch enough.

Climbed the north peak of Timpanogos via the Cold Fusion couloir. What an amazing route this was. The approach was 5 miles and then the chute was 3,000 verticle feet straight up on consolidated snow and it took about 3 hours to get to the summit. The views from the top were outstanding. We had a nice glissade down, although it was a little scary. It was hard to keep the slide controlled because it was so steep, but nothing too dangerous. Total elevation gain for the day was 4,800 ft.What a day!

My friend just added a trip report for the hike:

http://middletowndreamer.blogspot.com/

Did 30 minutes on the elliptical and it felt good to stretch out the legs after my hike yesterday.

Did the Beatout hike today that included 4 Wasatch summits, 13 miles and 5,000 feet of elevation gain. This was an incredible hike, run, scramble and climb. It took us 11 hours and was a lot of fun.

After 25 miles in the mountains and over 10K elevation gain in the last few days I needed something easy on the legs, so I did 30 minutes on the elliptical.

Did 30 minutes on the elliptical. Leaving for Cali in the AM, so no time for a long run.

Ran the stairs in my hotel (100 stories) for 30 minutes and then had a nice cool down making laps around my hotel. Great workout.

Did 30 minutes on the elliptical at my hotel.

Did 30 minutes on the elliptical after I got back from California. Looking froward to getting back outside.

Did 5 miles outside and it felt great. The weather was perfect and I hardly broke a sweat.

I wanted to push hard for the first two miles and finished in just over 14 minutes in the pouring rain. I decided to take it easy for the last two, so I could cool off and finished in about 20 minutes, so my total time was 34:00.

Took a day off to rest my legs. I went to the gym and lifted and I was so tired. Did upper body and core and I was feeling very weak. I had to workout at home last week and missed the gym and I could feel the difference.

Played soccer for 90 minutes and I was running the whole time. I'm not sure of the exact distance, but I would say at least 3 miles. It was a great workout and I was really tired afterward.

Did 4 miles in 36:15. I wanted to keep going, but my partner that was supposed to join me after 4 bailed. It was a great night though with perfect conditions.

4 mile run tonight in 36:50. I wasn't feeling it at all and had to pump some Green Day into my iPod on the last mile to get me going.

Did several short hikes in Zion National Park, including the Emerald Pools loop (2.7). It was a great day in an amazing place.

Did 3 easy miles to warm up and then I was feeling good, so mile 4 I went hard and finished in 7:34 and then I slowed up on mile 5 and finished in 9:38. The total time was about 46 minutes.

I usually do weights (upper body) every Monday and today I decided I would run home from the gym after I was done lifting. My workout was great and I lifted for 45 minutes, but my run didn't go so well though. For the first time ever I had a terrible stitch in my left side and it dogged me the whole way home. It got a little better about the last .5 but it didn't go completely away and it really slowed me down. Oh well, at least I got two miles in.

Wasn't feeling it tonight but went 4 anyway. I think I finished in about 40 minutes, but I didn't time myself.

It was pouring rain outside, so I decided to run on the elliptical, which I did for 30 min. I really want to get out and run a long distance soon. Maybe this weekend.

Did 5 miles with Kristina and had a great run. She is much slower, but I didn't mind and we had a fun time with perfect temps.

Had an incredible morning. Hiked/ran to the summit of Reynolds peak up Big Cottonwood canyon. I have never seen the canyon this lush and green and it was spectacular. The air was fresh and clean and we didn't see anyone else on the trail. We left the trailhead at 5:30 AM and reached the summit at 6:45 AM with a break at Dog Lake to have a snack and take a few photos. We left the summit at 7:11 AM and reached the trailhead at 7:50 AM.

Total elevation gain was 2,182

Had a very busy weekend and baely had time to get 30 minutes on the elliptical.

Did weights at the gym tonight. Did the following:

- 70 pull-ups

- 9 sets bench press: 220 lbs (3 times) 100 lbs (13 times)

- Lat pulls: 6 sets, 170 lbs

- Tricep pulls: 7 sets 140 lbs

- Bicep curls: 10 sets 60 lbs

- Butterflys: 10 sets 140 lbs

- Shoulder press: 6 sets 160 lbs

- Leg lifts/pull up bar (core): 5 sets, 10 reps

Hiked/ran/scrambled to the summit of Mt. Olympus. Left the trailhead at 9:00 PM and reached the summit just after 11:00. We had a nice break on top and watched the city lights, although it was much cooler up there with a slight breeze. The hike down was really cool with several interesting bugs and critters on the trail, including a small tarantula. We got back to the trailhead at 1:30 and I was home and in bed by 2:30 AM. It was a great night with over 4,000 feet of elevation gain.

Had a very busy day and just had enough time to manage a 30 minute workout on the elliptical before bed. I hate days like this.

My legs are still a little sore from the Olympus hike, so I decided to run the elliptical and ran for 60 minutes. The machine said I did almost 10 miles, but I think it was actually around 6. It was a great workout with over 35 minutes on maximum resistance.

Had a very fun run/hike with Jun and Enoch above Alta ski resort. We started at the upper parking area and then continued on to the trailhead to Cecret Lake and then continued on to the lake, which was still frozen. There is still a lot of snow and below Mt. Baldy I headed back down and had to bushwhack some and slid down a few hard snow fields. It was a fun morning.

This has been a great year so far getting into the mountains. I have only missed a few weeks (when I was out of town). The last 8 days I was able to get out 3 times and make two fun summits with over 8,000 feet of elevation gain. Since we won't be doing Kings Peak thi week I am hoping to climb the Cottonwood ridge on Friday, which will be over 7K elevation gain and take me over 8 summits.

 Hiked to the summit of Frary Peak (the highest point on Antelope Island) and it was a perfect way to start the week. This has to be one of the most scenic hikes in the state and it is remarkable that this kind of environment is so close to the Wasatch front and hardly gets any notice.  It definitely doesn’t feel like anything else I have been on in the area and the views and scenery were incredible. I did this hike with Kristina and we took our time taking photos, watching buffalo, and takin’ in the views.  Incredible vistas on top and I think one of the best views anywhere.  I’ll be back again and again.

Cardio rest day. I went to the gym and lifted (upper body) for 45 minutes. I was feeling a litle sluggish and my legs were stiff, so I decided to give them a break.

This was a CRAZY day and I didn't even have time to think about working out until 11:00 PM. By that time I was very cranky and decided to do an hour on the elliptical and after I did I felt much better.

I went for a run tonight and I just wasn’t feeling it at all. I was sluggish from the beginning and I could never really find my rhythm and I kept waiting to start feeling better, but it just never happened. On mile 4 I started to feel a little better, but I was still sluggish and I really picked up my pace, but it wasn’t anything great. Total time was 43 minutes.

Had an incredible day hiking up Broads Fork and on the Cottonwood Ridge. We had planned on hiking across the entire Cottonwood Ridge, but after we reached the first summit (Broads Fork East Twin) thick black storm clouds started to roll in, so we decided the entire ridge traverse was probably out. We ascended via the Robinsons Variation, which was a fun alternative to the standard route up the Twins. It was quite challenging with a lot of loose wet scree and we had to climb through some sketchy cliffs to get onto the ridge. I think I found a cougar or bobcat den, although the cat was nowhere to be found. It did smell horribly like animal urine though.

The ridge heading up to the first twin is exposed in places and required some fun scrambling with only a few difficult sections. The ridge from the West twin back to the saddle does have one section of cliffs that we had to descent and although the climbing was easy it was severely exposed.

After arriving at the base of Sunrise Peak the clouds had not blown off at all, so we decided to have a nice glissade that cut off about 1000 feet of the descent. It was a fun day with over 5,000 feet of elevation gain and took us just over 9 hours.

On my hike on Friday I started coughing  and have had some fluid in my lungs for the last few days and I have had very little energy and I think that might be why I have been feeling sluggish. I went out just to keep my legs fresh and I took my new dog out for the first time. She was all over the place and I think I should get bonus miles for all of the effort it took to battle her. By mile 3 we found a good rhythm and it was much better.

Did weights at the gym tonight (upper body) for 45 minutes and then ran home after my workout. I didn't feel all that great or I would have kept running.

Ran the Wasatch Crest trail with Jun and Enoch this morning and had the BEST sunrise of the year on the top of Scott Hill. The moon was full above all of the spectacular Wasatch Peaks with an amazing alpenglow to the west, and the sky was lit up with oranges and reds with the sun rising in the east.  The trail was incredible with wildflowers and everything is so green because of all of the June rain. It was a fantastic day.  I finished the route in 1:41 after Jun and just before Enoch.

We did have some significant elevation gain at the start of the trail and my lungs were definitely feeling it with this cough I have had, but once we hit the downhill it was fun and much easier.

Another note: I don’t think you have truly lived until you have had a ‘dirt bag’ shower in the sink at the Big Cottonwood Park-n-ride and the free soap actually smells nice.

Went golfing today at Thanksgiving Pt. and it took us 5 hours to do 18 holes. I was pretty tired after, but I went to the gym and lifted for 30 minutes anyway.

Climbed Little Water Peak this morning with my friend Matt. We started at 5:30 AM and had a nice hike up to the lake, although Matt wasn't feeling well. From the lake it is a bushwhack for about a mile to the summit and we went through one of the most beautiful aspen forests I have ever seen. It was so green and didn't seem real. The view from the top is fantastic and Matt had a grand idea that we would just head south and bushwhack down to the trail coming from Desolation Lake. It ended up being horrific and we got into thick stinging nettle and both fell a few times on the steep terrain. Once we were back on the trail we ran back to the trailhead and it was a lot of fun despite the route finding challenges. (Total 6 miles)

** Updated later***

Ran 3 more miles with Kristina and the dog. I felt really good and could have gone for a while, but Kristina was done after 3. It was a perfect night.

Took the dog out for a mile and then I did 30 minutes on the elliptical. It was a very busy day and it was nice to do something easy on the knees today.

Went to the gym and lifted (upper body) and then took the dog out for a nice 3 mile run.

No working out today. I worked and then spent 8 hours driving to Colorado.

Did 5 miles in Colorado.

On vacation in Colorado and managed to get in 3 miles.

Still in Colorado. I had access to a nice weight room today, so I took advantage and had a nice upper body workout for 40 minutes.

Still on vacation and got in 4 good miles today. I love Colorado and may move there at some point.

Spent the day driving back from Colorado, but I was able to do 30 minutes on the elliptical before I went to bed.

Went to the gym and lifted weights (upper body) for 40 minutes. I was going to go for a run, but I just didn't have time last night.

I wanted to get out for a long run tonight, but I was very busy and didn't get my kids to bed until 10:45, so after they were down I got in 5 miles.

I went out for a nice run tonight, although the sun was up and it was hot for the first few miles. I wanted to push and see how fast I could go doing 5 miles since I haven't tried to go hard for a while. The first 3 miles were really difficult and I had a small stitch in my side that was really bad the first and last half miles. I was surprised to see that I did the 3 miles in just over 20 minutes. I took a quick break and then did two more miles in 17 minutes. The last mile was uphill and I was a lot slower than the first 4.

Total time: 37:35

Up at 4:00 am this morning to climb the Honeycomb Cliffs above Brighton with my friend Matt. It was dark when we started on the Silver Lake trail and both of us were feeling a bit sluggish, but we power hiked at a pretty good pace. We stopped at the upper lake to take some pictures of the sunrise and then we pushed up to the summit. It was an amazing view and a perfect morning. I think I am also going to go bag a summit after work, but I'm not sure where or what I am doing yet.

The website on the internet said the hike was 6 miles, but it sure didn't feel like it.

Update: After work I went back up to Brighton and climbed Clayton Peak (Mt. Majestic) 10,721 ft. The temps were in the 70's and it was a great way to get out of the heat. I'm really looking forward to doing the entire Brighton ridge run soon, hitting all of the peaks (8 named) above the resort.

Got in 3 after the kids went to bed. Busy day.

Took my kids and dog on a hike to Mt. Van Cott today. It was HOT outside and I think I almost killed them. After 2 hours they were all red faced and tired and wanted to keep taking breaks to drink, and the dog didn't want to go anymore, so we didn't make it to the summit. I think I need to make them all (including the dog) a little more hardcore. It was fun though. It took us just under 3 hours.

I usually lift weights on Monday and tonight I decided to run to the gym. It was hot out and I felt sluggish for the first mile and when I got to the gym I was really sweaty, so I felt bad getting on the machines sweating all over them, so I took a quick break to dry off. Lifted for 40 minutes (upper body/core) and I was only sweating a little on the machines. :) I ran home and once again got a stitch in my side. That is 3 times I have run home from the gym and each time I have had the stitch, so I am pretty sure I am getting it because I am running so quickly after lifting. I pushed throuh it though and it was a great workout.

Spent the day in Yellowstone park with my family and I had a nice run from my hotel (Comfort Inn) to the park entrance and back and then I completed it again. The temps were cool and comfortable and it was a nice run. The streets were very quiet after 10:00 pm. Fun run.

Did a 3 mile hike in Yellowstone and had a great day touring the park. I also got in a nice run after the kids were in bed in West Yellowstone.

Stayed in Idaho Falls and had a really fun run after everyone was in bed. Ran from the hotel down to the falls and around the town and back. I had to drive the route to get the milage. I also spent the day in Jackson Hole and got a good look at the Grand Teton and it really got be excited for my climb on August 29th.

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.

My feet (below the ankels) are still sore, so I can't get any miles today, so I lifted for an hour (upper body). I hope my feet feel better by the end of the week because I am climbing a remote desert peak with over 5k in elevation gain.

My ankles are still sore from the race on Saturday, but I can't stand not getting any cardio, so I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and I also did 30 minutes of weights (core, lats and shoulders). I also got a little cramp in my calf last night and I'm a little worried about it because I am climbing a peak in a few days with almost 6K elevation gain in 7 miles. I need to drink more water. I have noticed that I have not been drinking enough water when I get them.

I'm trying to take it easy this week, so I did 3 after everyone was in bed. My legs feel pretty good but I don't want to push it. I really need to get out next week for a long run and see how I do.

I had a very busy day today and just had time to sneak in 3 miles before bed. My ankles are feeling much better.

What a day! Climbed Ibapah Peak with my friend Greg. Ibapah is about 50 miles south of Wendover and is the highest peak in Juab county at over 12,000 feet. It took us over 4 hours to get to the trailhead and we started hiking just after 9:00 AM. Greg has not been on a peak in almost 18 years. He has been on a diet for the last two weeks and lost over 15 lbs and says he needs to lose about 30 more. He hasn't been exercising at all, so hauling him up this beast would certainly be a challenge.

The peak climbs about 6k in elevation and there are very few switch backs. We had to go pretty slow and take a lot of breaks, but it was fun and we had a great time. About 400 verticle feet and a 1/4 mile from the top Greg hit the wall and could not get his heart rate down. He was having some minor chest pains and said he couldn't go anymore, so after a rest break he was feeling a little better and he wanted me to go on without him, so  I quickly climbed the remaining 400 to tag the summit. The view was AMAZING and I made a quick descent back to the saddle where Greg was waiting for me.

He was feeling much better and the hike back to the trailhead took us 3.5 hours, while the hike to the summit took around 7. I was proud of Greg for pushing as hard as he did and he couldn't stop talking about how much he loved the experience, so it was a successful day for sure. We didn't see another soul all day and the remote solitude was incredible.

I wasn't all that sore after the hike yesterday, so I decided to run 5 after everyone was in bed. I had a very good workout and wasn't sore at all when I finished.

I usually lift weights every Monday and I also weigh myslef at the gym. I have lost a total of 8 lbs in the last 6 months and I don't think I'm losing fat. I have noticed some of my shirts fitting a lot more loose these days and I am wondreing if I need to eat more. I don't mind losing the fat, but I think I'm burning muscle.

I had a nice upper body and core workout for 45 minutes. I thought about running after, but decided to give my legs a rest. I am going to get out for a long run at some point this week. I just don't know what and when yet.

Did 18 holes at thanksgiving Pt. with a customer and I think I walked/ran at least 2 miles chasing my balls. The weather was perfect and we had a great time. I did get 4 miles in on the elliptical (40 minutes, machine said 7.5 miles) before bed while watching 'High Stakes Poker'. I had the max setting on for the last 25 minutes and it was a great workout.

Took the dog out for a run tonight. I was planning on going 5-6 miles, but running wih my dog is hard work and by mile 3 my hip was sore because I had to constantly try and keep her from knocking me over and I was running and looking down a lot. It was horrible, so I decided to stop at 3 miles. My time was 22:30, but I have no idea what the splits were.

I had a very interesting run last night and thought for sure I was going to have to dust off my karate skills that I put on the shelf circa 1989. Haha. First of all about a mile into my run I had two big dogs run out at me in the dark and I thought for sure they were going to bite me, but they ended up being rather friendly and then followed me for the next mile. I was laughing because I had left my dog home and one of these dogs kept running into my legs and almost knocking me over. It was rather annoying and I was thinking “Who just lets their dogs roam around unleashed?” come on people. After about a mile one of the dogs stopped to sniff something and I thought this is my chance, so I picked up the speed and made a turn down a busy street in Highland. I was about 100 yards ahead now and I saw both of them running to catch up. I thought about hiding, but then thought it might be funny to see how long they would follow me. Once they turned the corner there is a huge horse property and they quickly became more interested in the horses and let me go.

After I left the dogs my left arch started hurting, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to run very far. About a mile from home I had two jerks on a motorcycle flipping me off and yelling obscenities at me for no reason. I started to mentally brush up on round house… well, okay I also thought to myself I could easily outrun these fatties and they drove off anyway.

Speaking of fatties, I decided to post a picture of myself before I started running in January 2009. I know I am no Mr. Universe, but I think I did have some muscle tone at the time and now it is slowly disappearing, but I digress.

Did 4 while the kids watched a movie. I'm not going to run tomorrow because Sunday night I'm heading to the Uintas to climb Kings Peak (highest peak in Utah 13,528 ft), South Kings and possibly one other 13,000 foot peak if we can beat the weather. Our plan is to leave around midnight and hopefully reach the summit by 6:00 AM, and then head over to South Kings Peak, the second highest peak in Utah. If the weather looks ok we will also try and bag another 13er in the area if we feel up to it. We will do at least 27.6 miles, but might end up doing 30+ depending on where we go.

I was going to do a long run today and then cancelled it because of my plans to do Kings Peak on Monday. Well, it looks like Kings is out because of bad weather, so I'm mad I didn't go for a long run this morning. I went to the gym and lifted for 45 minutes and then took the kids to the pool. Fun day.

Our hike to Kings was on again, off again all day and we finally decided to cancel it because of the weather. We will try again next Monday. I got in 4 miles after I got the kids to bed. That seems to be the routine lately, and it wasn't the way I wanted to start the week.

Had a very nice run tonight. The weather was perfect and I really enjoyed it. My right ankle and my left arch started to get a little sore on the 5th mile, but I don't think it is anything serious. I ran a 3 mile loop in my neighborhood twice and I think the first loop was a lot faster. My total time was 45 minutes, but I have no idea what my splits were.

Such a busy day. worked late, and had 3 soccer games, including one I coached to attend. I didn't even have a chance to run until after 10:00. I hate running that late, so I did 40 minutes on the elliptical just to blow off some steam. Terrible week so far.

Went to bed at 1:00 am and was up at 5:30 so I could hit the gym because I'm taking my wife out for her birthday tonight, and I wanted to get in a workout. I lifted for 45 minutes (upper body/core). I didn't want to run too much because I am doing a long run down Little Cottonwood tomorrow, so I ran one mile at a fast pace and I felt like crap. I never feel good running after I lift and I felt nauseated for the next few hours. I'm tired, but I think a 32 ounce Diet Coke should take it all away.

Mile time: 6:37

Ran down Little Cottonwood Canyon this morning. It was sooo much fun! The weather was perfect and it was very enjoyable. When we got to the bottom we did 5 more miles. It was a great way to finish off an average week.

My ITB was getting a little sore at the end and I am a little worried about it on the full marathon in two weeks. Cardio wise I felt great the whole day and could have done a lot more.

Total time: 2:03

My calves and quads were sore all day from my run on Saturday, so I stretched multiple times, and took the stairs instead of the elevator at work... PAIN! I haven't been this sore in a while, but I don't hurt as much as I did after the Provo River half. I can tolerate being sore.

I knew I wanted to stretch my legs so I took the dog out again. Mistake! I had to fight her the whole time, and I am seriously considering obedience training. After the first mile I decided I had enough, so I took her home and ran on the elliptical for 40 minutes. My legs actually felt better after my workout.

I had to get out and run off all of the Mexican food I ate today. I had a nice run and my legs felt much better. My ITB did get a touch sore on the last mile, but no pain at all.

I am planning on climbing Kings peak this Friday, but I have been watching the forecast and it does look unsettled, so I may have to cancel again for the 3rd week in a row. I may just go for it and take my chances because the weather is really going to change in a few weeks. My partner is not sure about going, so I may go solo. Anyone want to give it a try with me?? Jun??

I'm staying off of my legs to keep them fresh for Kings Peak on Friday. I did go to the gym and lift (upper body/core) for 40 minutes. I'm still planning on leaving for Kings early in the AM tomorrow. Hopefully the wether will cooperate and I will be able to climb South Kings (second highest in Utah) as well.

What a day! It didn't start out the way I wanted, but I had a great time anyway. I took my kids to the Utah football game on Thursday night and by time I got home and got my stuff together I was in bed at 11:50 with the alarm set for 1:25 AM. It took me about 10 minutes to fall asleep and then I had a wrong number call me at 1:15 AM, so I got a little over a hour of sleep.

It took me 3 hours to drive to the trailhead to meet my friend and we were off hiking just at 5:00 AM. We made great time and were at Gunsight Pass in just over 3 hours. My left ITB was hurting a little bit already, so I took some Ibuprofen and we had our first break at the pass.

We good time over to Anderson Pass as well and my ITB pain subsided some. At the pass we took a short break and then headed up to Kings Peak, the highest point in the state of Utah. There were some threatening clouds building, but nothing serious yet.

After about 15 minutes I hit the wall and the lack of sleep + the altitude nearly brought me to my knees. I was totally exhausted and felt terrible. I slowed down considerably and about 5 minutes from the top I sat down to get my heart rate down and I fell asleep within a minute. I heard someone coming down from the top and that woke me back up and I had a little burst of energy that got me up there. This was my 6th time on the summit and it felt great. I laid on the summit rock and actually fell asleep again for about 20 minutes, and was awakened by some thunder far off in the distance.

I attempted a 'peak jump', and that was a mistake that made my ITB start hurting really bad. We tried to go fast back down to Anderson Pass, but I was lacking energy and my ITB was killing me, so it was slow. I felt a little better going back to Gunsight, but my ITB was still sore. More ibuprofen at the pass and then the long slog out was really really hard. My knee hurt and the lack of sleep was really felt.

The last few miles I was in a trance like state and kind of fell asleep while I was hiking, only to be startled back awake when I would pass someone hiking in.

The ice cold drinks in the cooler were fantastic and I downed a Red-Bull to help keep me awake. It was an amazing day! I'll be back.

I went up American Fork canyon with my family and had a great day getting out of the heat. Did some fly fishing, fire tending and even a little rock climbing, although the rock up AF canyon is horrible.

I did make it to the gym and did 40 minutes of lifting (upper body and core). I am trying to stay off of my feet as much as possible to rest my ITB. I'm still not quite sure what to do to get ready for the marathon this Sat. I want to get in some cardio without working my knee too much. Any suggestions would be great (if anyone is even reading this :-) )

I have been tapering off my activity this week in preparation for the race on Saturday, so I did 3 easy miles tonight. I stretched my ITB for about 10 minutes before and then iced it afterward and it didn’t hurt at all. I will be stretching and icing it for the rest of the week, and hopefully it won’t give me any issues on Saturday. That is the only thing I am really nervous about. I know I will probably be slow, but I am totally fine with that, as long as I finish.

3 easy miles and then ice on the knee. I'm not sure if I will run tomorrow, but I think I will take Friday off. I'm really nervous about Saturday.

I decided to stay off of my legs tonight, so I went to the gym and lifted for 40 minutes. Now I'll ice my knee and get to bed early.

26.2 finished. I guess I need some new goals now. :-) I have always wanted to run a marathon, but never really gave it much serious thought until I joined this blog 4 months ago. When I joined the blog my goals were to run a 1/2 marathon, and eventually one day do a full as well. I never would have imagined that 4 months later I would have completed both of these goals. I know that my training has not been the best, and with my recent ITB pain I was just hoping to finish. It was an amazing experience.

Now for the race report.

The start of the race is the exact same as the Provo River half, and it runs the same course out of the canyon. We boarded the bus at Utah Lake State park and then drove up the canyon. It was really cold up there, and I was glad that they started the race right away, although I was next in line at the port-o-pottie when they announced one minute to start. I quickly used the bathroom, and threw my clothes into a sack to load into the back of a truck. The quick start was nice because I didn't have time to get nervous.

I was running with my friends Michael and Amy and we all quickly made our way over to the starting line, and within 30 seconds the race started. We started off with a pretty good pace, but we were not going as fast as I did on the half. There wasn't as much adrenaline this time. I'm not sure if it was because there was not as many people or what, but I was dragging just a bit, and it was COLD. After about 2 miles I was warmed up, but my knee was already starting to hurt some because of the steep downhill. I was wearing a brace above my knee and it did feel a little weird, but it didn't seem to be helping with the ITB pain. Amy has been having issues with her foot for a few weeks and she was obviously in pain as well.

By mile 4 my knee was really hurting and we stopped at Nunns Park to use the bathroom. I was trying to adjust the brace, but it never did seem to get comfortable. From here the trail runs down the Provo River trail and goes right under Bridal Vail Falls. Amy's foot was really hurting and at mile 7 she had to call it quits for the day. I felt really bad for her. Michael and I continued on and he pulled ahead. This was by far the worst part of the race for me. From mile 7-13 my ITB was hurting like crazy and I stopped several times to try and adjust the brace, but nothing seemed to help. Several runners passed me and it was seriously demoralizing, and the doubt really started to creep in. I figured that I would just go as far as I could and see what happened. I tried not to think about quitting and just told myself to get to mile 13 and from there I could fight through anything. It was hard, maybe the hardest thing I have ever had to push through.

I finally found an adjustment on the brace that felt ok, and even though it was still really hurting, I could run. I didn't adjust it again the rest of the way. I think that was around mile 10. Once I got out of the canyon we hit the 13.1 sign and after about 10 minutes I noticed that my knee pain was not as severe. The downhill had just been punishing me. I actually got a little spring in my step, and even though my ITB was still hurting, it was nothing compared to the canyon experience.

Over the next 5 miles I was running almost always alone. I did pick off a few runners here and there, but mostly I just tried ignore the pain and keep on pushing. I told myself if I can just get to mile 20 I'll make it. The course wasn't marked all that well, and I did get a little lost a few times, but nothing serious. My knee was still hurting, but now it seemed that both of my legs and feet were hurting from the knees down. It was hard, but I was also having fun.

From mile 20-26 I just pushed my body even though it was telling me to quit. There were 3 guys that kept coming up to pass me and every time I would push hard so that they wouldn't. When I stopped at the last aid station at mile 23 they were right on my tail, so I took a quick break and headed out fast. The last 3 miles really hurt, but there was no way I was going to stop. In fact, the few times that I did stop to grab a drink or eat some gu my knee wouls start to lock up on me. As long as I was running it seemed to be alright, even though it hurt.

The last half mile gave me a burst of adrenaline as I saw all of the people at the finish line and several people were yelling good job, and way to go. It seemed to really help. I looked at what I thought was the finish line and I wasn't totally sure until I passed the 26.2 sign. There was a guy that took my tag and congratulated me. I had done it and it felt great. Once I stopped and took a few minutes to catch my breath and have a drink my knee locked up and it has been hard to walk since, but I don't care. I had a great time, and I'm already looking forward to my next race. Thanks to everyone on this board for inspiring me and for your words of encouragement. I didn't break any records today, but I did accomplish my goal. I finished.

My knee is still very sore, so I went to the gym and lifted (upper body/core) for 30 minutes. I'm hoping I see some improvement soon, so I can do something. I know I need to take it easy for a few weeks.

My knee is still very sore and it is still waking me up in the middle of the night. I'm getting very frustrated because I can't do anything. I will hit the gym tomorrow for sure and do something though.

Went to the gym and lifted for 30 minutes and then rode the bike for 15. My knee didn't hurt at all on the bike, but it is still sore when I walk, and it did wake me up again in the middle of the night. This has been the worst workout week of the year for me.

I did it! I actually got out for 3 miles today. I wore a brace on my knee and took it slow. There was a little pain there, but nothing serious. I iced it right after and now it is feeling good. I think I will try again tomorrow, unless it is really sore. Woohoo!

3 miles after I put the kids to bed. My knee is finally coming around a bit, even though it is still waking me up every night hurting. I think it is getting a little better every day. Last week was by far the worst workout week of the year for me, and it is driving me nuts. This is my favorite time of the year to be in the mountains and I haven't been at all for two weeks now. I have already had to pass up some invitations to get out because of my knee, and I'm just hoping it will get better this week.

It was cold and windy tonight. Fall is definitely here. I got out and ran after the kids went to bed. My knee started to hurt pretty fast, so I didn't push it at all. Did 3 easy miles and then iced my knee. I also wore the brace to bed for the first time last night and I think it really helped. My knee has been getting so sore at night because I bend it when I sleep and then it locks up. The brace really helped. I'm taking it slow this week for sure.

2 miles today. My knee was a little sore, so I didn't want to push it. My gym is closed until Thursday, so I need to do something without putting too much pressure on my knee.

I went up my stairs tonight for the first time since the race without any pain in my knee. It seems to be feeling much better, and I am not going to push it. I did take Jun's advice and did some pushups and worked out at home with a dumbbell that I have. I worked out for about 50 minutes while I watched some really bad TV.

I'm really excited that my knee seems to be doing much better. I think I'll wait until next week to really test it though.

I wanted to hit the gym tonight, but I ended up golfing 18 holes at Thanksgiving Pt. for work, and I got home late. I actually tested out my knee a little on the golf course chasing my balls al over the rough. I think I walked about 2-3 miles and my knee felt really good, although it did get a touch sore on the back nine whenever I went up and down any hills. It was a perfect day out there. Iced my knee when I got home and it is getting better.

I woke up early this morning and hit the gym for 40 minutes. Lifted weights (upper body/core). My knee is feeling much better, although it is still waking me up at least once every night hurting. Whenever it gets bent for more than an hour it locks up and hurts. Once I get it straightened out the pain goes away within about 30 seconds, but it is annoying.

Took the dog on a walk and then also went on a two mile walk with the kids. The knee is getting better.

Went on a 2 mile hike up Big Cottonwood Canyon with my kids. had a great time and the leaves are looking really good right now. I love this time of year in the mountains. Did an easy 3 miles after the kids were in bed to test out my knee. It felt really good, although at times I did have a small pain, but nothing serious. I will still take it relatively easy this week.

Went to the gym and lifted for an hour, and had a great workout. Staying off the legs.

3 miles on the treadmill. My knee is finally coming around. I barely felt any pain at all, just a little soreness, but it faded pretty quick. I'm not going to push it at all for a few weeks.

3 miles on the treadmill. My knee is still a little sore, so I am taking it slow for the next few weeks.

Had a work party today that ended with a 2.5 hour flag football game. I decided to play, even though my knee has been a little sore. It felt pretty good when we started, and I figured I could quit at any time. I also planned on taking it slow, but after I caught my first pass the adrenaline kicked in and I pushed it hard. It was a lot of fun, and I probably did push too hard. My knee was really sore at the end, but I had been running at almost full speed, so I felt pretty good about it. It was also very fun to see some of the guys in the office nearly come to blows because everyone was so competitive. Oh yeah, it was supposed to be flag football, but it quickly evolved into full on tackle, and I now have several bruises, but that's alright. I had to burn off all of the BBQ I ate at the party.

My knee actually felt really good today, which shocked me because of the football game yesterday. I had absolutely no pain in my knee this evening, so I decided to go for a short easy run. I did feel a small amount of pain on the last mile, so I decided to quit. I am happy though that my knee is coming around. This is the furthest I have run since the marathon 3 weeks ago.

Did an easy 3 tonight after the kids went to bed. My knee is feeling good and I have no pain. I think I will take it easy for 3-4 more days and then test it out later next week.

30 minutes of lifting (arms and chest) while listening to LDS conf. Motab just doesn't seem to get the juices flowing like some on my iPod, but maybe I was edified, so the trade off was worth it.

Went to the gym and lifted for 30 minutes (core, lats, shoulders) and then I ran 4 miles on the treadmill.

Golfed 18 holes at Thanksgiving Point. We had a great time, although I did tweak my knee a bit looking for balls, but nothing serious. I took the dog out and got in a mile before it got dark, and it was COLD.

Did 3 on the treadmill tonight. This is the best that my knee has felt since the marathon. No pain at all today. Woohoo!

Decided to run a little harder tonight to test my knee, and I really felt it at the end. It was sore, but didn't hurt too much. I am definitely not 100%, but it feels good enough to keep working out, so I will keep taking it slow. I am going to get into the mountains this weekend to climb something. It was been waaay too long. I am also interested to see how my knee feels with some elevation gain.

Went to the gym and lifted for 35 minutes (arms, chest). I wasn't feeling all that great today, and didn't have a lot or energy. I think I am going to get out for an early morning hike tomorrow to test out my knee. I haven't climbed anything since Kings Peak on 9/4/09.

My first 'real' test on my knee since the marathon. I climbed Big Baldy peak near Timpanogos. It is just under 9,000 feet, but looks like a small foothill next to Timp. Did over 3k elevation gain in 3.5 miles, so it was a great test. I wore my brace and used trekking poles, and on the ascent my knee felt fine, although it was a little tight and just a touch sore. The summit was COLD, but the views were fantastic. The downhill was definitely harder on my knee and I could feel a slight pain, although nothing serious. It was also a tad tight and stiff. I think the poles helped a lot. It felt really good to get out finally, and I think my knee is imporving every day. It is still not 100%, but I will just take it easy for at least another month.

3 easy miles on the TM. My calves are SORE! I'm going to get back into the mountains later in the week for sure. I am getting soft. At least my knee is feeling a lot better. It is not sore at all.

Nice and easy 3 on the TM. My calves are still sore, but my knee is improving, so I won't complain.

Hit the gym for a nice workout. Lifted for 40 minutes (chest, arms, lats and shoulders). No running today.

Golfed 18 at Thanksgiving Pt for work and had a great time. The weather was perfect. I did also manage to do 4 on the TM, and all body parts are feeling great. No complaints. This has been a really good week and I think I am getting closer to 100%.

Did 4 easy miles on the TM while watching college football. Nothing hurts. I'm still going to wait at least a week to do anything serious, although I will be climbing Mount Olympus this week.

4 easy miles on the TM. It is getting old, but I can do it without pain, so I'll keep doing it to stay in shape.

Did an hour of weights at the gym with some friends in my neighborhood. It was a great night, and I had a really good workout. Did arms, chest, lats, and shoulders. Also did 15 min of core.

4 miles on the TM. No pain at all in my knee. I will be testing it out this week for sure.

4 easy miles on the TM. It's easy, but it makes me sweat, gets my heart beating, and doesn't make anything hurt.

Ate like crap today, so I had to get on the TM for four easy miles. Total time 36 min.

Did a short two mile hike with the fam, and then did another 3 on the TM later in the day. I really wanted to climb something, but it just didn't work out today.

No miles today, however I did make it to the gym tonight to lift for 40 minutes, and I had a fantastic workout. Did upper body and core. I had to burn off the pizza and cake that I ate at the Halloween party tonight.

I decided that I wanted to test out my knee tonight, so I went for 80 minutes on the TM, which is the most I have done since the marathon. My knee felt great and no soreness after, so I think I am good to go and test it on something more difficult. I'm sick of the TM.

4 easy miles on the TM again. Broken record.

Five Guys burger for lunch, and a Banbury Cross donut for dessert... FAT! Did 4 miles on the TM again. I will get out this weekend. This was one of the busiest weeks I have ever had. Not much time to get out and do anything. Bla.

Went to the gym and lifted for 40 minutes (upper body, core). Had a really good workout. No running today.

Another easy 4 on the TM. I also went on a hard run with my dog, and really pushed it. No pain at all in the knee.

Went to the gym and lifted for 40 minutes. Had a great workout. No running today. I will be climbing something in the Wasatch on Wednesday. Can't wait.

I finally got back into the mountains today, climbing the Obelisk, which is the highest point on the Hogum Divide, in Little Cottonwood Canyon. There was a lot of snow too deal with, but we didn't use crampons or snowshoes. We started up a steep gully on the North East side, but the snow had a weak layer covering some rock hard snow, so we moved over to the rocks and scrambled up to the summit. The summit has a realy cool pinnacle that is about 10 feet high, and we climbed up to the top, which is only about 2X2 feet. I stood up, but the wind was blowing hard, so I quickly sat down. The views up there were fantastic, and the round trip hiking time was about 6 hours. My knee didn't hurt at all, so I am really excited about that. It has been a perfect day.

4 miles up (3,200 feet of elevation gain)

I was out at the Jazz game until 11:30 for work, and I ate so much bad food, so I wanted to get up early for a workout. I got up an hour early and hit the gym. Lifted for 45 minutes, and felt really good. Maybe it was the Red Bull for breakfast. That stuff is SICK!!

4 easy miles on the TM. I also took the dog out for a mile.

4 easy miles on the TM again. Everything feels really good, so I will probably get out and test my knee this week on something more difficult.

Went to the gym and lifted for an hour. Did upper body and core, and had a great workout.

I played basketball tonight for the first time in months. I played full court for two hours, and my knee felt great. I am pretty confident that it is 100% or close to it, so I am very happy about that. The only thing left to do is try a long run and see how it holds up.

5 miles on the TM after the kids went to bed. What a busy day.

Had to work off the Olive garden so I did 4 easy miles on the TM. I'm gonna try to get out into the mountains this weekend, but the weather isn't looking good right now.

Went to the gym and lifted for 45 minutes (upper body and core). I had some pain in my lower back, so I took it easy the rest of the day.

We had a very busy weekend with two birthday parties for my daughter, so I didn't have much time to do anything but the TM. Had a great workout though.

Easy miles on the TM.

This week has been crazy busy, and I barely had time to fit in some miles on the TM. I was in the office for 11 hours today, so I feel good about just getting a workout.

Went to the gym and lifted for 45 minutes (upper body/core) and had a great workout. Then I decided to run the track instead of the treadmill. I got in 2 miles, and everything felt great. I was VERY slow, but at least I got off of that dang TM. Now I just need a good run outside.

I took two days off from working out for the first time since I ran the marathon in September. I really pushed my body this week, and had a lot less sleep than normal, and I was really dragging, so it probably did me some good. I went on a two mile hike with the fam, and then later I did 3 on the TM.

I did 3 miles today, and I'm not sure what is worse, the treadmill or running in the cold. It is almost too cold to run out there right now. I don't mind the temps, and I heat up quickly, but the cold air really makes my lungs hurt.

I will be getting out to climb somehting big on Friday. We're looking at White or Red Baldy in the Wasatch right now. If anyone wants to join let me know.

Went to the gym and lifted for 45 minutes (upper body/core). I had a great workout, and I wasn’t planning on running, but when I saw my old nemesis running the track my competitive juices started flowing, and I couldn’t resist. I’m sure nobody remembers, but my nemesis is a guy that runs the track at the gym a lot, and he used to pass me all the time, but it made me mad, so no matter how hard he tried I wouldn’t let him, and I think I almost killed myself a few times in the process. Anyway, so he was there running the track, and since I know I am in terrible shape, I wanted to see if I could keep him from passing me. I formulated a plan that I could start right behind him, and then the pressure would be on him and not me. This really seemed to work, and it was funny because after I started running behind him I could tell he immediately picked up the speed, and started to turn around to get a look at where I was. I was hoping that he had been running for a long time, so he would already be tired, but after a few laps we were both almost sprinting. HAHA. I don’t even know this guy. Anyway, after a little over a mile I was completely spent, so I decided to call it a night, satisfied that my nemesis didn’t pass me, and not wanting to give him any satisfaction for passing me, I stopped while I could still breathe. Wow, that almost killed me, and I was still a little shaky 20 minutes later. HA.

3 easy miles on the TM.

4 miles on the TM. I just don't feel like running in the cold.

I have been planning on getting back into the mountains all week, and this was the perfect opportunity to burn off some Thanksgiving calories on a fantastic day. Climbed Upper Bells (Bighorn) peak from Alpine, and had an incredible day. The peak climbs over 5K ft in 5 miles, and it is a great workout. The weather was really good all day, but the last 6-800 feet were cold and windy, and when we got to the top it was just COLD! The wind was strong, and it was bitter up there. I took my glove off to snap a few pictures and my hand went numb in about a minute. We didn't stay long. The views of the Wasatch were fantastic. We could see into Salt Lake, and Utah counties, and most of the major Wasatch peaks. What a view. It was a lot more fun than fighting crowds at Wal Mart :) Hope everyone had a good holiday.  

My mom had my kids last night, so I had a great morning with my wife, and we both went to the gym together, something we don't get to do often. We lifted for 45 minutes (upper body/core) and both had a good workout. My legs are pretty sore from yesterday, so no running today.

*** Later entry***

I decided to run 3 miles on the TM because my quads are so sore, and I wanted to see if I could loosen them up some. It seemed to work, and they are definitely not as sore.

Nothing exciting today. Did 3 easy miles and that's about it. I'm adding a video from my Upper Bells trip from Friday. The views were incredible, but it was so windy and COLD and we didn't stay long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3IDjgEnS9U

What a day! Got home late from work, and my wife is in the middle of her final project for school, so my kids were running wild, and the house was a disaster! Took two hours to clean it up and I was exhausted. After a brief nap I did manage 3 miles on my usual route. When I finally did get to bed at 1:00 AM I couldn't sleep. Ahhhhhhhh!

Went to the gym to lift and had a nice workout. Lifted for 45 minutes, and after I finished I was tempted to jump on the TM and do 3 miles, but I decided to give my legs a rest. The gym nemesis was nowhere to be found.

I was going to run outside today, but I have been so busy lately that the only time I can run is when the sun is down, and it is just way to cold out there right now. I'm not as tough as some of you. I did however make it to the gym and did 4 on the TM. I really need to get outside for a long run though. Anyone want to run a trail this Sat?

I woke up early to go to the gym, and it was super cold. I was thinking you would have to be insane to be running in this, but it looks like I will be running early tomorrow. I hate the cold. Lifted for 45 minutes, and didn't have time to run on the track. Nothing exciting at all from the gym to report.