Kendall

Good to be outdoors again. 5.5 on the golf course, .5 on the JRPT. Still quite a bit of snow on the golf course, 10+ inches in spots. Wet, sloppy snow but great to out. Several hundred geese out in the west fields.

Found a 4 point mile deer antler shed next to the golf trail--I was very excited about that.

Silver Lake AF Canyon.

Third attempt at Silver Lake. First time up this winter I didn't have snowshoes and no one had been on the trail past Silver Lake Flat so I scrapped it. Second time I got a late start and halfway up ran out of sunlight and had to turn back. Today, however, I got it.

Started at Tibblefork, up the snow packed road to Silver Lake Flat (<3.5 mi).

Warm day, ended up in sleaveless shirt and shorts and was still warm. At the trailhead to Silver Lake I noticed no fresh tracks but a faint packed trail still visible. First mile, no problems other than punching through occasionally, dropping past my knees into the soft snow. After a mile the trail faided to one faint snowshoe track barely visible heading up, straight up the ridge rather than following the main trail just visible off to the east. This is where the fun started.

Hiking in only shorts and my Brooks Cascadias (meaning I should have had snowshoes, boots, pants and or gaiters) I headed up the ridge, more swimming than hiking, as the snow was often well past waist deep. It was difficult to stay on top and punching though every few steps meant digging oneself out and on four different occasions I lost my shoe struggling to get out and had to dig down several feet to retrieve it.

 The absurdity of the situation did not escape me. I had failed on two previous attempts to get to the lake and was determined to get there today, besides my belief on two separate occasions that I only needed to get over the next ridge to find it. After climbing a third steep section straight up the ridge line in waist deep snow, I made it to Silver Lake-spectacular views!

The sun had just dipped below the ridge and it immediately started getting cold. One positive thought though was that at least it would be easier going down as I had already created the post-holes--nope! As the snow began to freeze the sharp edges of the deep holes created on the way up (you guessed it--and have probably been there) cut into my ankles, shins and even as high as my knees and thighs cutting the already tender skin raw from the hike up. As my legs would crash through and against the frozen sides, I began to leave a visible and obvious trail of blood in each hole, often sending splattered blood trails along the sides and on top of the snow.

By the time I reached the bottom, each step breaking through the crust sent incredibly sharp pains into my shins. The edges of the snow by this time felt more like glass cutting into me rather than the soft snow I experienced on the way up. I lost my shoe twice more heading down deep in the snow and had to dig it back out, emptying it each time and putting the stupid thing back on my frozen foot. For a stretch there, I began to think I might be in one of those "I shouldn't have survived," shows-- I was just waiting for a random blizzard to roll in.

Anyway, eventually made it down back to Silver Lake Flat and slowly began a run, picking up the pace, and eventually warming up the last three miles before getting back safely to my truck just before dark. What an adventure and an incredibly stupid thing. Loved every minute of it...not so much the bleeding all over the snow part but the rest was great.

Morning after...

Took about 3 miles to get warmed up but then legs felt pretty good for the final 5 miles. Avg pace 7:30 after extended warm up.

Legs look like I've got some nasty disease, cuts all scabbed over from Saturday's run.

Another sluggish start. Took a little less than 3 miles to get into a rhythm then 6 miles at 7:20 mm avg pace. 1 mile cool down.

Slow start. After 2 miles picked up the pace to 7:30 mm for a mile, next 3 at 6:56 mm, last mile at 6:15, 1 mile cool down.

From back door at work on to the golf course and back. What a difference a week makes to the snow-pack. Snow is virtually gone. Last week 1-1.5 ft of snow on the north end, today virtually gone. Some help from Golf course maintenance guys who have been out with the Bobcat clearing the paths in preparation for opening. A few golfers out, even with light rain.

Windy, raining in the morning so I scrapped my plan to run the loop and jumped on the treadmill again--probably for the last time this season with the exception of some occasional speed-work.

Planned on doing 26. Started with 3 mile warm-up, then the remainder of the run at 8 mph (7:30mm), with 3 mile cool-down.

13.1 @ 1:42 / 26.2 @ 3:18 then kept going using 3 mile cool-down until hitting 30.

Legs felt surprising good today after Saturday's long run. The trend seems to be that the first day back from a big one goes fine, the second is worse and the third worse yet before I start to feel better. I guess we'll see.

This week tapering just a bit in preparation for the Buffalo 50 coming up a week from Saturday. I don't want to underestimate the 50 even though I have no regrets not doing the 100 this year--just can't do the laps. (At least not this year.) I've made the mistake in the past of thinking "its just 50" and then getting hammered by the distance. 50 is still a dang long way, its finding the right, and quicker, pace at that distance in compared to the hundred. Hoping for a good day.

Little bit of speedwork tonight. Slow start, as predicted, but got things moving.

2 mile warm-up then 8 x 400 (6.24, 6.39, 5.57, 5.57, 5.57, 5.57, 5.49, 5.30 with .15 walk/jog in-between.)

My shoes smell awful.

3 slow miles to warm-up, 5 middle miles at 7:25 avg pace, 2.5 jog. Legs felt good tonight.

Was going to take the day off but wound up doing a quick 5. Started with a 1.5 mile warm up then avg'd 7mm, 6:45 mm, 630 mm, 1.5 mile cool down.

5 quick miles--wanted to get at least 6 but ran out of time before family dinner.

1 mile warm-up, mile 2 @ 7:30, mi 3 @ 6:40, mile 4 @ 6:20, .5 @ 6:00, .5 mi cool-down.

Wash face, hair, throw on clothes...bang! right on time for dinner.

I got my butt kicked today. Ran in the foothills of PG (hiked rather). 1,800 ft elevation in first 2.5 miles and from there it was survival mode--ended up with 10. I'm hoping this was (is) my one piss-poor performance of the month. Extremely weak and slow. I red-lined it right out of the gate and that could have added to the poor performance. I need to eat better and put on a few lbs. Strong cool head-wind coming back. Nice day (weather-wise) and dry trails. Anxious to get up higher.

A little running though the streets this evening. Highlight was running around Mt. Timpanogos temple at dusk. Beautiful day.

1 mile warm-up, 2 mile at 7:30mm, 1.5 mile at 7mm, .5 slow-down. Felt a bit weak and winded for such a short work out.

Quick 2 miles to shake-out the legs. Racing (running) on Saturday.

Hats-off and good luck to the 100 mile group who started at noon today in the snow and wind up on Antelope Island. We should have some good tales to tell from that group.

Great day on the Island. Surprisingly, NO SNOW but cold and windy. 6th running of the Buffalo--for me, 5-50's, 1-100. Time 7:50:16 (PR by 19 minutes)

Congrats to all the FRB'ers who all did extremely well today. Nice to meet RAD and Neasts.

For all the build-up and concern about the weather, Antelope Island seemed to have missed the snow that every other race dealt with on this Saturday--cold and windy, YES.

Fast start this morning--felt fast and light on my feet. Typically, this is a bad omen. Seems that when I feel great in the first few miles of a race, I'm only minutes away from falling apart. While I had my struggles late in the day, I felt really good through the Ranch (32ish). I need to figure out a better way to keep ahead of my calorie intake after 30. All in all a good day and pleased with my time even with a couple of slow aid station stops near the end.

Goals for the race were to best my 2009 PR of 8:09. I like to print and have my goals with me while racing. It helps keep me on-task and focused. As stupid as it sounds, sometimes it’s easy to forget that you’re racing out on the trails. Goals help as a reminder, “oh yea, this is a race.”

I printed and carried by actual run times from 2009 hoping to at least match but preferably to go under the 8 hour mark.

START TO ELEPHANT HEAD #1 (5.58 MILES): For all the stressing about the weather due to a high probability of snow on Saturday coupled with the previous day’s storm, the morning was clear, cold but it wasn’t snowing. I had expected both snow in the air and snow on the ground. I felt a little better for the 100 milers who started the previous day (running through the night) seeing that the snow for the most part had past them by—although the wind and had was certainly a factor. The storm had gone south of the island and conditions were perfect, albeit cold and a bit breezy (in the teens with wind chill).

Almost missed the start as I had gone back to the truck to grab the over-sized can of kidney beans for Jim’s (RD) buffalo stew. I heard him counting down and came a ‘runnin. Started fairly fast for me and felt really good—light on my feet and fresh legs (good taper).

RUNNING TIME: 53 MINUTES / 2 MIN FASTER THAN ’09

ELEPHANT HEAD #2/#3 (8 MILES): Without stopping at Elephant Head I continued to do the short out and back section. While there’s the option to do this section before or after the larger loop, I prefer to do the out-and-back first. Grabbed my sticker, after some hesitation at an Ice Cream Cone and then a Guitar sticker, I grabbed a Purple Heart sticker (proof that I was there) and headed back. I stopped only long enough to drop my headlamp in my drop bag and continued on. I moved really well down the valley, somewhere in the low 6-6:30 mm range and still feeling really good. I was reminded of my first ultra back in 2008 heading down this same valley with a full-moon setting in the west over the Great Salt Lake—I’ll never forget that scene. I passed quite a few runners on the trip down and most of them latched back on to me as we headed up the switch-backs. After the first set and heading toward the second set I realized I was pushing myself harder than I wanted to and pulled off letting the group by. It was too early to be pushing the pace and I didn’t want the mental and physical stress of being pushed. I like running my own race. I gained 7 more minutes in this section now up by 9 min over my 2009 pace and if the time would hold I was exactly at the 8 hour mark. RUNNING TIME: 2:18 / MILE 13.58 / 9 MIN AHEAD OF ’09.

ELEPHANT HEAD #3 TO START (5.57 MILES): Stopping at Elephant Head before heading down, I grabbed a couple of GU’s and refilled my water and headed out—a quick stop. I moved down the hill quickly and started back up at a good pace. I knew I was faster this year as typically the 50K runners come crashing down the hill at this point. I made the turn heading back to the start just as the 50K group came around the corner on the ridge above. I felt good knowing I was making good time and was still moving well.

RUNNING TIME: 2:56 / MILE 19.15 / 12 MINUTES AHEAD OF ‘09

START TO LOWER FRARY (5.19 MILES): Ran through the start area and up the road without a stop, thought I heard some of the 100 miler finishers shout out my name—always a nice lift. Up the road and down to the fence for the short out-and-back to the point. On my way back from the point I was surprised to see Phil Lowry on this section on his second loop (mile 71+/-) of his 100 mile start—a bit slow for Phil. (I later learned that  Phil had DNF’d the night before, gone home and went to bed, promptly got up, UN-DNF’d, drove back to the island and finished the second lap of his 100 mile run in a respectable of 28:41—CLASSIC! Only in an ultra. Not far behind me and chasing were Sarah McClosky (1^st overall Woman) and Amie Blackham (2^nd). Heading past White Rocks I ran into Crockett just finishing the last 7 miles of his 100. He ended up going sub 24 hours at 23:11 on the day. Heading south with the wind at my back I moved though this section really well. Typically this long flat section seems to drag but today the time passed quickly, aided by the cool breeze. RUNNING TIME: 4:06 / MILE 27.34 / 13 MINUTES AHEAD OF ‘09

LOWER FRARY TO RANCH AND BACK (11.1 MILES): Coming in to Frary I started feeling the effects too few calories. I’d been GU’ing up every 25-30 but was falling behind. I grabbed a few more GU and decided to drop my Ultraspire vest and go with a handheld hoping that would give me a little boost. At the Ranch, I was definitely fading. I grabbed 2 quarters of a PBJ and half of a banana and headed right out. The calories helped but I was dragging. With the wind now coming right at me I slowed considerably, trying to maintain a 9’ish mm pace. Such a crazy section, while relatively flat I really struggle in this section, seems slightly uphill—both ways.  I still maintained position, was passed only once but also didn’t pass anyone running in about 13^th place.

RUNNING TOTAL: 5:52 / MILE 38.51 / 20 AHEAD OF 2009 GOAL TIME

LOWER FRARY TO FINISH (11.5 MILES): Terrible aid station stop at Lower Frary (5 min) messing around with gear, clothing and trying to located some S-Caps and something to eat and/or drink. Finally got out there and just tried to focus on maintaining pace. Halfway to White Rocks had to take a bathroom break and nearly got passed by Sarah. With her on my heals it motivated me to keep in going and after a mile or so I had dropped her—unexpectedly. I Plotted along until finally reaching the fence and the White Rocks Bay aid station where I grabbed a Coke and headed out for the last 6 miles. I moved well down to Bridger Bay continuing without a stop. I passed a couple of 100 mile guys just coming in—both moving really well. I knew at this point I would get my sub 8 hour goal and possibly sub 7:50. I picked up the pace for the last two miles running somewhere in the 7:30 mm range coming under the banner in 7:50:16. I lost a minute in this last section over my 2009 run and really struggled the last 18. Need to figure out a way to get more calories late in the race. Overall very pleased and a PR by 19 minutes.

RUNNING TOTAL: 7:50:16 / MILE 50 / 19 MINUTES AHEAD OF 2009 TIME (9 MIN BETTER THAN GOAL)

A mile and a half is all I could muster on this old tired body.

6 easy miles.  Feeling much better.

Kept pace slow. Still tired lungs.

Coming back. 2 mile warm up.  2 miles at 8 mm, 2 miles at 7:30 mm, 1.5 miles at 7 mm. .5  cool down.

Kept it fairly slow, legs and body still feeling effects of yesterday's faster run.