Running Fun!

Quite a bit of happenings since the Spartan Race.

One cool thing is I got a Sony Action Cam!

That's right, soon you will be inundated with badly-or-not-at-all-edited running videos!

YES!

But first some pictures from running with the Tuesday Morning group and updates from the Family Campout with the In-Laws!

Up Holbrook Canyon

Over the 4th of July Weekend we went up to the Little Deer Creek Campground, just West over the mountain from Deer Creek Reservoir and Soldier Hollow. Nice cozy campground with beautiful dirt roads and trails... the only downside being the majority of users of this area are ATV and RZR side-by-sides. Noisy noisy!

Went on a 3.2ish mile run with the guys in the heat of the day after Independence day.

Running in the HEAT

Then the next morning before breakfast and camp cleanup, we went on a run with everybody that wanted to! (most of the siblings and some spouses... like me!) I went 5 miles with Steve, I think the majority of the rest of 'em went 3.5. My amazing Kakes went 4, but she's awesome.

Cooler Morning Runs

Running Beauties!

Along with the pictures - I got a few videos on the morning run... Lets see if it lets me share them from Google + photo albums:

NOPE! I'll see if I can figure it out.

I definitely need to find a good economical editor so I can make these into cool events!

A week ago Monday Matt and I decided to go to a local fun run - thinking it was just a fun group run.

Much to our surprise it was an 'official' fun-run-RACE - The Butler Bolt!

Starting at the Butler Fork Trailhead in Big Cottonwood Canyon (which is a gorgeous area, if you've never been up there - what are you doing?! Get up there!) you run up to Dog Lake and back down to the Mill D trailhead - about 5 miles.

There was even a finisher medal! Great run - well organized and a lot of fun!

Matt beat me by TWO SECONDS! Cut in front of me at the very last second!

I got my revenge at the 2013 Farmington Festival Days Flag Rock Run though!!

Last year I was 11th place overall at the Flag Rock Run, right behind Matt. This year I was 12th place, but I improved my time by 3 minutes AND I beat Matt by one minute - so I'm okay with that.

I think that had we started with some of our friends who finished a bit faster - we probably would have been part of that pull. As it was we started a bit slower so we were behind them the whole time. Great race! A bit over 7 miles total.

This morning I made it up with the Davis County Crew. We ran along the BST up in Kaysville up to Adam's Canyon where we took this fabulous picture

Then we continued along the BST to Fernwood, then turned around and came back for almost 9.5 miles. I was tired!!

This Friday night I might be doing the Millcreek 50k... which is a semi-organized 'fun run' all over up in Millcreek Canyon. THIS is the map of last years run - this year it is basically the same, but backwards - so we start going up Grandeur (although not from Church Fork like the map says) and finish at Big Water.

Quite a few of those trails I've never done before... and this would definitely be the hardest over 30 miles I've ever done... So I'm a bit nervous - we'll see if I even do it!

Utah Spartan Beast 2013

Last Fall I conquered and became a Tough Mudder.

Saturday June 29th I became a Spartan Beast.

I'm not going to do a comparison on the two right now... The thoughts about that are still somewhat percolating around in my brain...

'Percolating' is a weird word... and quite possibly isn't appropriate in this situation.

Utah's 2013 Spartan Beast was held up at Soldier Hollow where we've done the majority of Mud Races we've taken part in. My beautiful wife and I had formed an elite team of PIRATE NINJAS to take on this Beast of a challenge.

This was definitely the most coverage we've seen of that area! We went all over that place to fit our twelve miles in!

Anyway - enough text. PICTURES!

I definitely had a blast.

Eventually I'll write a post about my thoughts on Tough Mudder vs Spartan Beast... but for now this is good. I'm already behind!