Anniversary Fun and Ragnar Trail Snow Basin

First off a little physique comp news - it ain't happening.

Basically the costs (membership, show, fake tans, polygraph) and the pain (ingrown hairs OUCH!) along with the other guy dropping out as well have made it so there really isn't a point for me at this moment. Also I don't think anybody else really cares... so... yeah.

As part of the preparation for that, I have been taking protein after workouts or at night, and I think that has made a big difference, along with actual weights workouts beyond my normal trail runs, BJJ, and Yoga.

I think the workouts and the protein have helped in running, recovery, and BJJ, so I want to try to continue that!

Some Results

We spent a couple of days at the Sundial Lodge at the Canyons Resort in Park City. Beautiful place, and some really nice trails as well. The above picture was from one of the two trail runs we had while we were there. Our first run was a great 7.6 mile run on Friday, then the next morning before check out we had a nice 4.3 mile run.

Here's our video from our trail runs on our Anniversary! (Hi-Def is better!)

We also went swimming for a little bit before the storms chased us away - but I haven't finished that video yet! I wish I had a pool and hot tub after EVERY run - it felt so amazing!

There were some more good morning runs between the Anniversary and the Ragnar Trail Snow Basin - I gotta say I REALLY like the Asics Ard Shorty shorts I have!

Probably the hardest thing about the Ragnar Trail Relay for me - was the two days leading up to it. Every year my company has a HUGE international Convention, so I spent 12 hours on Wednesday and Thursday on my feet on the sole-sucking (ha) floors of the Salt Palace.

I enjoyed my assignment - I got to help people stretch out, work out, and even led a couple of '10 minute' (they turned into 40!!) yoga classes. But it still made for some crazy foot leg and hip soreness!

I was runner number 3, which meant I would be running my first leg on the 'hard' leg, the Red loop. 4.8 miles with a 1200 foot climb in the first 2 miles, then a bombing downhill to the exchange.

Off I go! I love my shorty shorts!

Basically a pretty normal run for me, but just a little bit shorter! Watch tracked me at 4.9 miles in 50:25. Not bad! After that run I felt pretty good, except for some lingering soreness that was the same soreness I had before I ran!

So I tried some tennis ball therapy:

I don't know that it helped too much. My second run was the Yellow loop - 6.3 beautiful night miles that I very much enjoyed. Yellow was my favorite because it was on actual trails more than the dirt access roads. I had a bit of a boost because halfway through somebody caught me. Keeping this guy from catching me sped me up a lot, but he inevitably passed me, and I pushed it to try to catch him, so I had a fast time of 1:02:51. THEN I continued on a second attempt at the red loop when I continued through running with my wife on her late night leg. Total for the night, 11.3 miles in 2 hours and 6 minutes!

Finally the morning came and I ran the Green Loop - the easy leg at Sunrise! My legs were tired and my wife said "So you think you can do this in 30 minutes?" and I said "No way - more like closer to 40!" But once I got moving I decided to push it and see how I could do. 3.6 miles in 32:43... not bad after convention and over 15 miles the night before!

I put together a long video of the relay exchanges - it was a good learning video! Lots of ways to improve.


But here it is

Next up - Experiencing some of the Wasatch 100 course, and my first ascent of Utah's Mount Timpanogos!! (with video)