Fast Cory

Beginner Trail Run Coming Saturday

2012-02-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

Just a quick reminder about the beginner trail run coming up this Saturday. We'll meet at my house in Hurricane at 9am (email me at coryreese1@hotmail.com for more details) and drive a few minutes to a section of the Jem trail.

We will run around 6 miles. If you've been interested in trying a trail run, this will be a good opportunity to see some amazing scenery on a trail that isn't too intimidating. Here is where we'll be:

On a related note, the Zion 100 Ultramarathon now has a link you can click to volunteer at an aid station for the race or volunteer to be a pacer for a runner! (The Volunteer tab on the top right of their page.) I think it will be an incredible experience to be involved with this inaugural race. Guaranteed fun for all! Be sure to check out www.zion100.com for more info!

50 Miles, Fog, Wind, and Karate Kid

2012-01-30T07:16:00.001-07:00

"My doctor told me that jogging could add years to my life. I think he was right. I feel ten years older already." ~ Milton Berle

Monday, January 23rd 2012: Rest. I wish I ran in the morning. The clouds were unreal. Here is a view from my driveway when I left for work:

Tuesday, January 24th 2012: 20 miles @ 11:58 minutes per mile. I had the chance to run with Mel which was fun. It poured rain the entire day before so there was no way we could do a trail run. It was really foggy when we left our house which made for some cool pictures.

We did a six-mile loop together which took us past an enormous church orchard. The lighting was so perfect that I told her to keep going and I would catch up with her in a minute (or 5) after I stopped to take some photos.

I had planned to do a 20 miler so after we finished our loop I headed out for 14 more miles by myself. It was INSANELY windy. I have only dropped out of a run and called for a ride once. But I considered packing it in early this time.

When I was running into the wind, it felt like running in a swimming pool. My legs were churning but my body wasn't moving. I was getting bombarded by flying tumbleweeds. In fact, I shot a short video clip to show you! The end of the clip was when I really got pounded:

My wife is so awesome. She knew it was freezing cold and blowing like a tornado - so she even drove out to make sure I was okay. And.....she had Taco Bell waiting for me when I got home. I pretty much love her. True love is when you have Taco Bell waiting for someone who gets home with snot in their eyelashes.

Wednesday, January 25th 2012: 9 miles @ 12:06 minutes per mile. I wanted to see how my body would hold up to a longer back-to-back run. My knees were achy at first but surprisingly improved as the miles went by. I did another 4 miles on ~~Satan's Sidewalk~~ the treadmill in the evening.

Thursday, January 26th 2012: Quality time with the dentist. We have a love/hate relationship. I hate his drills, he loves my checkbook.

Friday, January 27th 2012: 6 miles @ 11:25 minutes per mile. By far the hardest part of this run was dragging my carcass out of bed so early in the morning. My body wanted to be in bed still, and I felt like a slug for the whole run.

Saturday, January 28th 2012: 11 miles @ 11:13 minutes per mile. I ran most of Gould’s Rim for the first time which has incredible views of Gooseberry Mesa:

As I was running I suddenly saw a shadow speeding up behind me. In a split second I thought “Oh great, I’m going to be dinner for a mountain lion.” I jerked around while simultaneously screaming like a little girl……and then a guy on a mountain bike sped past me. +1 for embarrassing moment while running.

The route had lots of fun little rollers as well as the funniest trail sign I’ve ever seen:

I barely made it back to my car before the sun went down. This provided me with the perfect lighting to channel my inner Karate Kid:

I was happy to reach my goal of running 50 miles for the week. Granted, my pace was similar to the speed of a walrus after being shot by a tranquilizer gun. But still.

35 of those miles were on the road! I haven’t run that many miles on a road during a week for at least four months. And 4 of the miles were on a dreadmill! I haven’t run that many miles on a treadmill for at least four months. It was a good week.

Next Saturday I’ll be doing a beginner trail run on part of the Jem trail including a secret side trail that has some amazing views overlooking Zion. Probably around 6 miles, probably around 9am. Email me (coryreese1@hotmail.com) if you’re interested!

This Is Inspiration

2012-01-27T07:03:00.002-07:00

I came across some pictures from a trip we made to Hawaii a few years ago. One of the most amazing things I saw in Hawaii was at the airport as we were preparing to fly home.

I stopped in one of the airport stores to buy some candy (shocker) to get me through the long flight. When I got to the checkout counter, I noticed that the cashier was shorter than my child. And then I handed her my candy bars. Immediately I saw that she had no hands. And yet it wasn’t a setback for her at all!

She scanned the candy, took my credit card, swiped it, punched in a few numbers, then handed me my card and the candy. I was mesmerized. She was able to do her job just as quickly and efficiently as someone with two hands could do.

But the thing that stood out to me most was her smile. She was so happy! What seemed to me like a limitation was no limitation for her. She wasn't whining about her challenges or her hard lot in life. She was beaming with joy.

I left the store and walked ten minutes to our terminal. But I couldn’t get this person out of my mind. Our flight was leaving soon, but I didn’t want to forget this amazing lady. I decided to run back to the store. I told her that I was inspired by what she was doing and asked if I could take her picture. Without hesitation she said yes. It’s easy to see the happiness pouring out of her.

I hope I can be more like this lady. I want to turn my weaknesses into strengths. I want to work hard for the things I believe in. I don’t want ANYTHING to hold me back. I want to complain less and smile more.

No more excuses to hold us back from everything we can become!

Balancing Family and Running

2012-01-25T07:12:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I have someone ask how I balance family time with my training for marathons or ultramarathons. Here are my suggestions for balancing family and running:

1) Like most of us, I'm not a professional athlete. I have a full-time job. I'm a husband and father. Those are my priorities for time. But I think it's possible, even with those considerations, to put in the time needed to train for an endurance event.

2) We all have the same number of hours in a day. When something becomes important to you, like running has become to me, you make the time.

3) One of my ultrarunning heroes is my friend Carol Manwaring. One day when I was picking her brain about ultramarathons she said something that has stuck with me: "I think almost anyone could do this if they spent less time on the couch in front of the TV." If you're struggling with finding time to exercise, look into how many hours a day/week you spend in front of the TV.

4) I do most of my training early in the morning or at night when the family is sleeping. That way my running has less impact on the family. If I didn't do races, my kids might not know I'm a runner because I'm usually back from my run by the time they wake up. I've gotten used to functioning on a little less sleep (and a little more Diet Mountain Dew).

5) If possible, get the family involved. Sometimes I'll take the kids to the track with me and we run around together. Sometimes I get the chance to run with my wife which I love (but she won't wake up as early as me).

6) If your training takes you away from family for a few hours, make it up to them. Sometimes I'll say to Mel "Would you mind if I leave for three hours to go run, and then tonight I'll watch the kids while you go out with your sisters?" I have even agreed to go to a chick flick with her after I got back from a Saturday run. Go me.

7) Marry a supportive spouse. Mel is the most supportive, encouraging wife I could ever ask for. I can't tell you how thankful I am to know that she always has my back with the running stuff. I would never be able to be as involved as I am without her support. She rules.

It can be easy to get consumed by training for a big event coming up. In the end though, I think family time has to be the priority. When it comes to family, saying that "Quality time is more important than quantity" is a cop-out. As a therapist, I can attest that quality AND quantity are important for children and a marriage. I try to follow the idea that "No success can compensate for failure in the home."

That's only my $.02 about finding that balance. I'm no expert, but this seems to have worked out for me so far.

Are there other tips you have for balancing family time and running time?

Hypothermia, Suffering, And A Rainbow

2012-01-23T06:47:00.001-07:00

"A man must love something very much if he not only practices it without any hope of fame or money, but even practices it without any hope of doing it well." ~ G. K. Chesterton

Monday, January 16th 2012: 10 miles @ 12:19 per mile. I ran on some trails near Jem. Beautiful. And death-defying. (Just kidding mom. I'm a wuss. It wasn't nearly as scary as it looks.)

Tuesday, January 17th 2012: 3 miles @ 10:09 per mile. I went to a big hill then just ran up and down for three miles. When I got to the top, I had to stand there for a minute trying to coax the molten lava out of my lungs. A peculiar thing happened after two miles. The macaroni and cheese from a few hours earlier started begging to jump back out of my stomach to have a rendezvous with the sidewalk. This hill is hard. Maybe next week I'll have a Hill-Naming Contest.

Wednesday, January 18th 2012: Rest. (If you can call eating a gas station hot dog "rest".)

Thursday, January 19th 2012: 9 miles @ 11:53 per mile. I woke up obscenely early to run before work. No bueno.

Friday, January 20th 2012: Rest.

Saturday, January 21st 2012: 13 miles @ 12:24 per mile. This run was more miserable than listening to an entire Michael Bolton CD. It was raining hard in the morning and I contemplated running 20 miles on the road. Heck, I was even desperate enough to consider (gasp) the treadmill.

But in the end I decided to put on my big boy pants and go to the Diamond Ranch Academy dirt road. It became an outright downpour and I was quickly soaked. The wind was blowing like crazy. If my parents had seen me out there, they would have slapped me. The dirt around here is terrible when wet. It quickly turns into an inch of modeling clay on the bottom of your shoes.

After a few hours of running a funny thing happened. This van pulled up and drove next to me while I was running. The guy rolled down the window and said "Are you okay?" I told him I was fine. The lady next to him seemed very concerned. She asked me twice if they could give me a ride. I reassured them a few more times that I was okay before they drove away. That was nice of them. And funny. Here is what the road looked like:

I've told you before that I like to run by myself. But I had a partner join me for this run. His first name is Hypo and his last name is Thermia. And I must say, Mr. Thermia is a punk. My clothes were drenched to the core and I was shivering. Every cell of my body was miserable.

But here's the thing: that's why we train!!!! Our training is what teaches our body how to handle difficult situations. It builds us up mentally and physically. We can call on that during a race and we will be prepared. I think that's the purpose of training: teaching our body that it's okay to suffer a little.

And then something incredible happened......the rain let up! There was even a glimmer of sunlight!

Suddenly all that misery was repaid as a beautiful rainbow stretched across the sky.

The storm broke and blue skies appeared. I saw an incredible view of Gooseberry Mesa from Gould's Rim which I had never run before.

So in the end I ran 35 miles for the week. I hoped to be higher, but these were some pretty hard miles so I'm happy with how it went. I drained the hot water heater a few times this week trying to thaw out after running.

Celebrity Sighting

2012-01-22T09:27:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few of the random events from the past week:

On Wednesday I was so crazy busy at work all day and didn't have time to stop and eat lunch. Finally at 3:30pm I had a five minute break. Barely enough time to run across the street and get a gas station hot dog. (Just the thought makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit.)

Hot dogs have a special ability to corrupt the taste buds. That taste stays in your mouth for hours, despite how much Diet Mountain Dew you drink or how much gum you chew.

If Wheaties are indeed the breakfast of champions, gas station hot dogs are the lunch of champions. Research shows that eating three gas station hot dogs per week will cut your marathon time by seven minutes.

Later that night Kylee and I went on a walk and saw an amazing sunset:

I stayed outside for a little while later and the sunset got even more psychedelic:

Saturday night the whole fam went to the Dixie State College basketball game and had a blast. We got to sit behind this guy who kept us laughing all night:

We also had the honor of having Cee Lo Green officiate the basketball game! What a privilege to have someone with such television and pop music fame gracing us with his presence.

If, by some crazy fluke, this really isn't Cee Lo Green, it is at least his twin brother. Now get out there and eat your hot dogs!

Newspaper Article About My 100 Miler

2012-01-18T06:52:00.000-07:00

Last month The Spectrum Newspaper wrote a story about my 100 miler. I felt a little sheepish when writer Garrett Faylor called to do the interview. I didn't tell him my little secret that there are much more talented athletes around. He summarized the whole experience so well and really seemed to catch the vibe of the ultramarathon. Here is his story:

Reese Exceeds Realm Of Ordinary

Ultra is typified as to go above and beyond what is ordinary. For many people, running a 26.2 marathon might fall into the extraordinary category. Cory Reese, a 33-year-old man, from Hurricane, got into running the same way many folks have - by watching others do it.

After reading a newspaper article and seeing photos of the St. George Marathon, Reese decided a marathon was something he wanted to try. Three years and a dozen marathons later, Reese finished a 100-mile ultramarathon in November, and has leapfrogged the zone of ordinary into the realm of the extraordinary.

An ultramarathon is considered to be anything above the standard 26.2 miles, and are usually 50 to 100 milers. "26.2 is an arbitrary number. People think that the body will explode at 26.2," Reese said. "A big part of ultra is realizing that we're capable of more than we know."

Reese spent a significant number of weeks training, amassing upwards of 75 miles. Unlike marathon training where runners will normally peak within a few miles of their 26.2 target, Reese said that his longest run totaled 35 miles, leaving him 65 to go and a lot to think about.

"It's a hard hobby to explain," said Reese. "You're pushing yourself mentally, physically, pounding your body. One hundred miles is really pure stupidity." Reese was not the only one lured by the challenge.

The Javelina Jundred 100-mile Endurance Run in Fountain Hills, Arizona attracted almost 400 people to sign up. Nearly 300 made it to the starting line, and only about half of those runners reached the finish line. For Reese, and presumably many others, it wasn't pushing himself that was most difficult, but holding back when he thought he could go faster. "In a marathon, you're running fast the whole time. In an ultra, you never run fast, you have to conserve," he said.

As the race wore down Reese's mind played tricks on him. He hallucinated the sight of an upcoming aid station. And while he was happy to wind through the red sand desert unscathed by tarantulas, coyotes and rattlesnakes, one of his most treasured sights was finding a real, unimagined aid station. "You can't run that far without eating or replacing calories," Reese said.

Another big difference between marathons and ultras: bean burritos, Mountain Dew and Oreos replaced Gatorade and protein bars. "The aid stations were like a Costco," Reese said, still rejoyceful. "I loved the pumpkin pie."

Reese said another benefit of the race was that the looping path allowed for runners to interact. Novices were able to cross paths with elite runners and everybody helped cheer on one another. "With the marathon, you have so much support. With ultras, sometimes it's you and just you for hours," Reese said.

Unlike the St. George Marathon, with school bands and families lining the streets chanting and cheering, Reese's hundred-miler ended quietly, with a few high fives and a belt buckle that reads: 100-Mile Finisher.

My Body Is 70% Chex Muddy Buddies

2012-01-16T07:36:00.002-07:00

"If you can't fly, then run.
If you can't run, then walk.
If you can't walk, then crawl.
But whatever you do, keep moving."
~Martin Luther King, Jr.

I think Martin Luther King, Jr. could have run an ultramarathon.

Monday, January 9th 2012: 3 miles @ 11:29 pace. I don't remember anything about this run. I may have still been asleep.

Tuesday, January 10th 2012: 3.6 miles @ 10:00 pace. Right as I walked out my front door, my friends Mandie and Jess were running by. Generally I'd rather run by myself but I couldn't pass up going with these guys. I knew I'd be laughing the whole time. I particularly enjoyed Mandie's story about her child dropping a 4-letter swear word at church.

Wednesday, January 11th 2012: 14 miles @ 13:27 pace. This was the first time I've ever run on Gooseberry Mesa. (HERE is a good map and directions.) Let me tell you something amigo: those were a challenging 14 miles. In case you think I'm trying to blow smoke up your skirt, notice the "EXTREME DIFFICULTY" sign here:

I did most of my run on the south rim. The first few miles were alright, but the scenery really improved when the trail came to the edge of the mesa.

Many of the miles are on slick rock with no sign of a trail. Fortunately a path is very well-marked with dots of white spray paint. They are fairly close together and are easy to follow. Here is a picture of one of the markings:

It was a bit windy up there. (And by "a bit windy" I mean "I think I just saw a low-flying locomotive.") Finally I arrived at The Point and the view was spectacular.

My apologies to any co-workers who may be reading, and now have a mental image of what I look like wearing tights. Sorry about that.

If you're considering jumping off a cliff (which I certainly considered last week after hearing about the Hostess bankruptcy), this would be the place to go.

Thursday, January 12th 2012: 6 miles @ 11:14 pace. I felt like I could have gone longer but it was way past my bedtime and I had to get up early the next morning for work.

Friday, January 13th 2012: Rest.

Saturday, January 14th 2012: 17.5 miles @ 12:17 pace. I felt really good for the first half but started to drag on the way back. My legs felt like they were out of juice. Maybe it's because I far exceeded the Surgeon General's Warning about how much Chex Muddy Buddies a human should consume in one week.

I ran on the Warner Valley dirt road and caught the sunrise lighting up the red mountains in the background.

On my way home I stopped at Burger King and bought two chicken sandwiches. They were completely unhealthy and utterly delicious. This was an amazing post-run meal.

Do the rest of you guys crave junk food after a run?

Chex Muddy Buddies: great food, or the greatest food ever?

My Picture In Ultrarunning Magazine!

2012-01-11T07:06:00.001-07:00

I have some exciting news! I have a half-page feature of a picture that I took at the Javelina Jundred 100 miler in the new issue of Ultrarunning Magazine!

I've been sitting on this little secret for a month now. I knew a picture was going to be in the magazine, but to actually see the page was really cool. This is the first time I've had a picture in a national publication.

You can read the article HERE. I also heard some bad news today: Hostess filed for bankruptcy! I may need someone to talk me down from the edge. Start buying some Twinkies peeps!

My Failed Attempt To Be A Hippie

2012-01-09T06:49:00.001-07:00

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'" ~ Peter Maher

I was off work on Monday, January 2nd and got in an early 10 miler @ 13:17 per mile that morning. I found an off-shoot of the Jem Trail that I had never run before. The views were beyond words. I got goosebumps. I can't wait to go back here.

Later in the day I took the offspring to the park. We had a blast playing Monster Tag (I know, I hadn't heard of it before either). I laughed so hard that my stomach hurt and my eyes were watering. We had so much fun. As we were leaving we took a picture together. Correction: we took 3 pictures together. The first time we were all on the ground. But on the third try I got one of my favorite pictures ever:

I also shaved after my failed attempt to become a granola-loving, tree-hugging, hippie with a long flowing beard. Don't you know? To become an elite ultra runner, you must have a long beard and long, flowing hair similar to Jesus. (Just kidding. Mostly.) I think I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not meant to have a Burt Reynolds moustache. (Pardon me while I go cry in the corner for a minute.)

On Wednesday, January 4th I did 12 miles @ 12:37 minutes per mile on the Prospector Trail in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. I had never run here before and the scenery was so beautiful.

My favorite part was when I turned off Prospector to the Church Rocks Trail. The trail was moderately technical and I climbed a total of 2048 feet during the run. I had a bit of difficulty finding my way on some slick rock sections so I added my contribution to the other trail markers out there.

In the month of October I ran 270 miles. I could do a 12 miler in my sleep. But after taking it easy the last few months I have lost some fitness and endurance so now a 12 miler has me crying Uncle.

Friday, January 6th I woke up early and ran 3 miles on the road before work. After work Mel took the kids shopping so I figured I'd take advantage of a few free hours to head out again. It was starting to get dark so I packed my headlight and headed back to an area near Sheep's Bridge.

I finished 8 miles and 1050 feet ascent @ 11:59 per mile. I had so much fun. When the sun is setting it really lights up the red rocks. I had to keep stopping to get pictures of the moon.

My knees are starting to feel much better, but endurance still leaves a little to be desired. I think I'm moving in the right direction though.

I must admit, even though the sunset was beautiful, I wasn't very excited to have the sun go down.

I'm not a huge fan of trail running in the dark with all the twists and turns, rocks, and uneven surfaces. I also get a little creeped out being in the middle of nowhere by myself, worried that I am going to become dinner for a jaguar.

But I made it home safe. A jaguar didn't eat me. Heck, a jaguar didn't even lick me.

Have you ever gotten lost while running?
I've gotten twisted around on trails a few times but nothing too major.

Anybody else had failed attempts at growing facial hair?
I wish I could grow a fat handlebar 'stache.

2011 Year In Review

2012-01-03T06:49:00.000-07:00

I am quite certain that 2011 was pretty much the most awesome year ever. Except for that time I was in an airport when Gloria Estefan came on the overhead radio system and there was no way to escape. I had to listen to the whole song. That wasn't awesome.

In 2011, running took me to places I never could have imagined. If you had told me at the first of the year that in 11 months I would be throwing up a cheese sandwich after just running a 100 miler, I would have said you were positively nuts. But, in fact, I did run a 100 miler in November. And then threw up a cheese sandwich. Here is my Running Year In Review (HERE is our Family Year In Review). Click on any of the links for the whole story and pictures.

January: Mel and I flew to ~~sunny~~ freezing California on a whim to run the Southern California Half Marathon. Our hotel room smelled worse than an overflowing septic system. A few weeks later we ran the St. George Half Marathon together where some hooligans crashed our starting line picture:

February: The wife and I ran the Dogtown Half Marathon together. I was dared to wear a sassy sequin hat during the race. Challenge accepted. Real men wear sequins.

February was also the month where my writing got a bump from an article on Runners World Online. And so began my quest for a respectable jumping picture.

March: Easily the craziest month of the year. The day we were supposed to leave for my first 50 mile race Mel fell and broke her elbows which required surgery. So instead of doing the race, I ran 50 miles on my own. I started running in the middle of the night to finish 24 miles then went right to the Sand Hollow Marathon to run the last 26. I also got my favorite race picture ever:

Even though I ran 50 miles, my conscience will only let me count it as a marathon since it wasn't an official 50. Jackson completed a kids race that day and ran the last mile with me. It meant a lot to have Mel waiting at the finish line. Looking back now, I can smile at this picture which looks like we all got hit by a bus.

April: A week or two before the Red Mountain 50k my knees threw a big temper tantrum. That was the first time I ever thought "Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't do this race." In retrospect I, um, shouldn't have done the race. Running an ultramarathon on already-crappy-knees didn't help matters. I felt a huge sense of accomplishment making it to the finish line, but learned a valuable lesson that I need to listen to my body better.

May: Mel and I had a blast volunteering as Catchers at the finish line of the St. George Ironman. I helped some incredible people after they crossed the finish line, including an awesome lady who ran the marathon in Crocs!

I also ran the Ogden Marathon. Knees were still working on feeling better, and I finished the marathon a comfortable (cough, cough) 18 minutes before the cutoff. Thankfully there is a Hostess store across the street from the finish line. Cupcakes make everything all better.

June: I ran the Utah Valley Marathon which was super hot. An Otter Pop at an aid station may have saved my life.

July: Another year at the Bryce Canyon Half Marathon. I also ran the Deseret News Marathon for the first time. Toward the end of the race you run on the street with Utah's largest parade, the Days Of '47 Parade. I loved that section and gave a High Five to every single person I saw:

August: I ran the Moonlight Half Marathon then the South Valley Half Marathon the next week. I ran next to a guy who looked identical to Yanni.

September: I had trained hard and was expecting to crush my 4:25 marathon PR at the Top Of Utah Marathon. And in fact I did crush my PR! If by "crush" you mean 1 minute. Yep. All my hard training got me a PR by one sissy minute.

It was a bittersweet PR, I wanted to be faster. It was after that race that I decided speed isn't my thing, I was going to go for distance. And I signed up for my first 100 miler.

October: Ran the hometown St. George Marathon, one of my favorites. I felt really honored that they used one of my pictures for the marathon poster for the second year in a row:

November: And now we reach the big enchilada. The You're-Going-To-Throw-Up-A-Cheese-Sandwich-After-This-One race. The 100 miler...the Javelina Jundred. Usually my writing is laced with plenty of sarcasm, but I'm being truthful when I say that this really was a life-changing experience.

This race was by far the hardest thing I have ever done. This was the best pain I've ever felt. This was the most fun I've ever had in a race. This is one of my happiest achievements. I will always cherish the belt buckle I earned at the finish line. (HERE is the full report.)

December: I threw a half marathon party complete with 50 good friends, lots of laughs, and a hefty supply of junk food.

When all is said and done, I did at least a half marathon each month, and finished the year with
7: Half Marathons
6: Full Marathons
1: 50k
1: 100 miler
I learned so much this year as a result of my training, racing, and running adventures. I could not have asked for anything more. I feel so, so thankful. I can't wait to see what is in store for 2012!

An Amazing Run

2011-12-29T06:28:00.001-07:00

Out of all the miles I've ran on dirt, many of them were on the Warner Valley dirt road. I've come to know every twist and turn and it is one of my favorite spots in the world to run. I hadn't been there in a few months since the Javelina Jundred and was anxious to go back.

So yesterday I made the trip ("trip" = 10 minutes away). During the drive I stopped to take a picture of an incredible sunrise above Molly's Nipple. I caught myself saying out loud "Wow, that is amazing!"

I arrived at the dirt road and started running. I wasn't dressed warm enough and the cold was stinging. My fingers were so cold that I think if I had tapped them on the ground they would have cracked off. I was pleading with the sun to come up.

After a few miles I reached a cattle guard. It was surrounded by an Insane Cow Posse, including one with horns that looked mean. He acted like he was daring me to cross the cattle guard so him and his bovine friends could trample me. I apologized for all his friends I had eaten between the buns of Big Macs.

I was relieved when the cows ran away after I crossed the cattle guard. I was feeling ambitious and decided I'd try a jumping picture. This is as close as I can get to doing the splits without causing permanent damage:

The total ascent during my run was 1062 feet but it is gradual and not technical at all. At one point the sun popped out from behind the clouds and completely lit up the red rock mountains surrounding me. Pictures don't do justice to how beautiful it was.

I ended up running 10 miles averaging a 12:13 minute mile. It's no Usain Bolt, but considering that I haven't done much running since the 100 miler, the 12:13 minute miles felt like a speed workout. For much of the run I did a 2/1 run/walk schedule. It's what my knees would allow, and I was so happy with how I felt afterward. I feel like I'm finally finishing up my recovery from the ultra and I'm so excited to start building my fitness and endurance again. It was an amazing run.

When I got home, I got a warm welcome from Ace. Just in case I needed another excuse to shower, here it is:

Updated Pictures And A Flying Monkey

2011-12-26T07:12:00.001-07:00

I am far behind in posting because of the holidays and the half marathon last week. I felt proud to award this medal to finishers. Here is a comparison of the St. George Half Marathon medal to the medal from my "race":

On December 21st I set out again to find the Flying Monkey Trail going up Smith Mesa for the fourth time. Good news - I finally found it! I spent two hours running/hiking. I planned to take some pictures to show directions to the trail but when I got to the bottom I could not see the trail I had just hiked up. All you see is this:

There actually is a trail here which was actually very easy to follow. I climbed more than 700 feet in .6 of a mile. Of course the views were sweet.

I am petrified of heights (not to mention narrow trails that hug the edge of cliffs). I was pleasantly surprised that even though I was up high, there weren't any really scary parts that made me want to start crying.

A few days later on December 23rd I ran 6 miles on the lower Jem Trail. This was the first time since the Javelina Jundred that my knees have felt decent. Holy Sweet Mother Mary, it was so cold that morning. I was very thankful when the sun started to come up. The little ponds around the area were frozen.

I felt like a frozen slab of meat with mittens but it was such a beautiful day. I don't like being that cold, but I had to remind myself that at least the cold temps kept me from having to dodge rattlesnakes. Here is a different view of Smith Mesa where I found the Monkey a few days earlier:

I realized I forgot to show you a few pictures from an earlier attempt on December 14th to find Flying Monkey. These were an amazing two hours out on the trails. Seeing the moon set over the mesa was incredible. Every time I'm out here I get so excited for the Zion 100 since all these trails are part of the course.

There hadn't been hardly any precipitation in the area, but even the slightest bit turns the dirt into clay that packs onto your shoes. It felt like a dumbbell was strapped to each of my shoes. No bueno.

Early morning on Christmas Eve my brother-in-law Matt took me on the Chinle Trail in Zion that I'm embarrassed to say I'd never done before. I'd guess we hiked/ran around 8 miles of the trail.

It was a well-kept trail surrounded by petrified wood and amazing scenery. I will definitely be back on this trail again soon.

Over the last two weeks I have fallen off the wagon with junk food (that is, if I was ever on the wagon in the first place). With all the cookies, cake, chocolates, candy, and fudge on the break room table at work, I treat myself to a stomach ache multiple times a day.

And what glorious stomach aches they were. One brave man dared to bring in fruit to share with the staff. I laughed hard when I co-worker jokingly said "Who does he think he is? The Grinch?" I'm not willing to give up my Diet Mt. Dew, but I am going to work harder on decreasing my cookie intake a bit this coming week.

"The only way to define your limits is by going beyond them." ~ Arthur Clarke

The Opposite Of Self-Control

2011-12-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

I have lots of real pictures coming soon, but in the mean time.......

We got a bag of Muddy Buddies for a neighbor gift (thank you Petersons!). They looked good so I thought I'd eat a few while I was reading. And then suddenly I looked down and my bag was empty! I was royally ticked off that some jerk would come and steal Muddy Buddies from me while I was reading. I pity the fool who messes with my Muddy Buddies.

Then I noticed my messy hands and crumbs down my shirt. Woops.

And all the fudge that was sitting on the table in the breakroom at work? Don't even get me started.

My Slightly-Too-Revealing Christmas Letter

2011-12-21T06:52:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from the Reese family! We have had an incredible year full of crazy things we couldn’t have predicted in a million years. No, really. The only thing that would have been less predictable would be Celine Dion showing up at our front door asking to sing us Christmas songs. (I would have told her thanks, but no thanks.)

Kylee: She has really loved being in second grade. She has taken off in piano and had fun doing dance this year with Danica. If Kylee could only do one thing for the rest of her life, it would be riding her bike. Recently she asked if I would split a peanut butter bar with her. When she broke it in half, she asked if I wanted the bigger piece or the smaller piece. I told her she could decide. She said “I’ll take the bigger piece so that you can stay healthy.” She is missing her two front teeth which is basically the cutest thing you will ever see.

Danica: She has had a blast in third grade with her teacher Mr. Clay (aka the Brad Pitt of Hurricane Elementary School. Okay. I’ve never heard anyone refer to him as that, I’m just saying. The kids adore him.) In February she got very sick and was diagnosed with rheumatic fever which her doctor said he hasn’t seen in 35 years. She will need a fatty penicillin shot regularly for many more years. This can damage heart valves but thankfully her heart tests have been coming out good. She was in the community musical Seusical this summer and her performance as a Who Girl was worthy of a Tony Award.

Jackson: He has become a piano guru and is now playing in church. He excels in school and recently won the Hoop Shoot Contest for the school and now moves on to regionals. He knows every obscure stat imaginable about every sport. I’m hoping he’ll hook me up with basketball tickets when he works for ESPN. He was ecstatic in September when we added a new member to the family: a boxer dog named Ace who takes up more of Jackson’s bed than Jackson.

Melanie: And the award for Craziest Year Imaginable goes to……Melanie Reese! In March she fell in our house and broke both (yes amigo, BOTH) of her elbows. FYI: you can do pretty much nothing with two broken elbows. I joked with her that if she ever got sassy I would put her dinner in a blender and she could drink it with a straw. (She never got sassy.) For about a week she was completely dependent on people for everything from eating to scratching her nose, but started improving after having surgery. She went on a family church trip back east over the summer and we ran the St. George Marathon together in October.

Me: My tooth extraction a few weeks ago suddenly seems like a ride on the back of a unicorn through a field of tulips when thinking about what Mel went through. I am enjoying life as a dialysis social worker. I had fun getting more involved with running, and ran 16 half marathons, full marathons, or ultramarathons this year. I got daring and went for the whole enchilada in November: I ran a 100 mile race called the Javelina Jundred. It took 29 hours to finish this little excursion and I promptly threw up on my shoes afterward. (Sorry, too much information for a Christmas card?)

In typical Reese Christmas card style, I thought I’d share a few journal entries with you:

Monday, March 28th 2011
After Mel broke her elbows I took the whole week off work to help take care of Mel and the kids and the house. Mel had a doctor’s appointment that morning. When we walked in a few people said to her “Oh boy, I’ve heard about you!” when they saw her arms wrapped up. When we stopped at the store afterward a few random strangers said “Oh boy, I’ve heard about you!” Apparently she was the talk of the town. After school Dani had her appointment to get her penicillin shot. She was not thrilled. She said “I hate that shot! It feels like getting a rattle snake bite!”

Saturday, April 2nd 2011
Jackson participated in the SHAC Triathlon. He was really excited, and wanted to do the Beginner instead of the Kids triathlon. He was in line at the pool before the start of the race and said “Dad, where are all the kids?” And….there weren’t any. He was surrounded by adults. I’m sure that made him feel a little nervous.

At the awards ceremony afterward the announcer said “We only had one male in the 10 and under age bracket. I give this kid mad props for doing the race!” And then she announced Jackson’s name! He got to go on the stage and get a medal and $15 gift card. We were so proud of him. It was a really fun experience.

Sunday, April 3rd 2011
Lazy day watching conference. Mel had a big accomplishment – she got herself dressed – all by herself! Considering how things had been going, this was really cool. I was very happy for her. It has been hard to see her struggling with even the simplest of daily tasks.

Tuesday, April 5th 2011
Kylee is the Spotlight of the Week in school so we made a poster board for her and she filled out some questions about herself. On Favorite Thing To Do With Dad she wrote “Go on bike rides with him.” On Favorite Thing To Do With Mom she wrote “Help her eat.” We thought that was funny. (The kids really have been good about helping out since she isn’t able to do anything.)

May 12, 2011
Mel left work a little early so she woke me up early in the morning and said “You have a problem upstairs.” I went up and Jackson was sitting there watching TV and there were two piles of barf on the floor. It was yucky and smelly. We’re not sure why he threw up, but he felt fine the whole day Monday. We kept him home from school because we didn’t know if he had the flu, but he didn’t have any problems after that. Jackson – if you’re reading this when you’re older, remember to be nice to your dad because I scrubbed your chunky throw up out of the carpet.

September 8, 2011
Mel gave me a haircut that night and ran the clippers up my entire head before realizing that she didn’t have the attachment on so she went right down to the scalp. I would have been really angry if it wasn’t so funny. We went over to Renee’s house and she did the best she could to repair the damage but I still look ridiculous. I forgive her though. I guess you get what you pay for.

October 25, 2011
Mel said that a lady was coming over to pick up some Scentsy. So when I heard someone knock on the door I went to answer it. It was this lady maybe in her 50s and she said “Is Melanie here? Is she….your mom?” I’m sure she felt a little sheepish when I told her I’d go get my wife.

December 2, 2011
Danica admitted that she snuck out of her room a few nights ago to sleep on the couch because she didn’t want to sleep in her room. She said she fell asleep on the recliner but it was too uncomfortable so she moved to the couch. She fell asleep on the couch but woke up after slipping onto the floor. So she moved to the love seat. Yep. She fell on the floor again. So she decided to just go back to her bed.

We are so thankful for all of our blessings as a family and we’re grateful for such wonderful extended family and friends. We hope you have an amazing New Year! (And we hope Celine Dion won’t show up at your door offering to sing.) Love, The Reese Gang

Hostess Half Marathon 2011

2011-12-18T09:02:00.001-07:00

My love for Hostess runs deep. Last year I decided to organize a little fun run called the Hostess Half Marathon where crazies run 13 miles while eating a Hostess product at each of the five aid stations. We had such a good time last year that I decided to do it again.
This was our kitchen table the night before the race. You can not fathom what an incredibly tempting problem this was to be surrounded by Twinkies.

The morning of the race was chilly but it warmed up as we started moving and increasing our body fat content. At the starting line I saw Andrea, Alicia, and Craig who were sporting some SWEET homemade shirts. (Craig went on to win the Torpedo Twinkie Award - fastest race finisher - with a smoking time of 1 hour 21 minutes!)

The thing I like best about this "race" is that it's more like a neighborhood fun run with lots of laughing and good food. I didn't advertise at all, I just told a few neighbors and we ended up having quite a crew.

At each aid station, a volunteer marked our hand to verify that we had eaten the Hostess product. I heard someone say they were worried about eating something every two miles. I think everything at the aid stations looked so delicious that I had trouble choosing which one to eat.

By the look of things, it doesn't appear that my friends Shane and Alex were too concerned about the race requirements:

I ran with Mel the whole time which was so fun. At one point she said "Look behind us." I saw this awesome scenery with runners on the horizon. One of my favorite pictures:

It is an out-and-back course so it was fun to see people after they had turned around to head toward the finish line. Here is Jason, Logan, Dustin, and Lyle after having one too many Hostess products:

This was not the first time I have seen Cherie catching some air:

Will and my brother Kenny also got in on the Air Jordan action:

I just wouldn't feel good about myself if I didn't attempt a jumping picture during a race. I passed the camera off to Mel and she snapped this. (I apologize for how closely I resemble a really nerdy cheerleader. Certainly not the first time.)

The volunteers for this race were so amazing. I can't thank them enough. At the turn-around aid station Melissa and Nicole were helping out. They even had a Christmas tree and some Christmas music bumpin'. A+ for creativity!

I had so much fun during the last half of the race running with Mel, Shane, Alex, June, Braydon, and Micah. Remember how we got a mark on our hand each time we ate a Hostess product? We needed to have a total of 5. Check out Micah's hand! He as 12 (yes, 12!) marks on his hand! He won the Hostess With The Mostest Award (person who eats the most Hostess products). It was so funny to run with him and watch him try to not throw up enormous quantities of Twinkies.

I had so much fun at the "race". It combined three things I love: hanging out with friends, running, and eating junk food. Here is me and Mel sporting our fat bling:

I was so happy with how the medals turned out. They are big and they look good enough to eat. Check out Amber's race report for more pictures I missed. Thanks to all the volunteers and runners who showed up to make the Hostess Half Marathon so much fun!

Progression Of A 100 Miler

2011-12-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

Exactly one month ago I had just finished my first 100 miler, the Javelina Jundred. (Coincidentally one month ago my toenails hurt so bad that it was hard to sleep.)

One cool thing about this race was the fact that it is run in seven loops (the first six are 15.4 miles each and the last lap is 9 miles). My sister and official crew photographer had a great idea: she took a picture of how I looked after each lap. Crazy bug eyes are apparent in all pictures, though I look noticeably more like a zombie after 29 hours of running on lap seven. Here is the progression of my 100 miler:

Lap One (mile 15.4)

Lap Two (mile 30.8)

Lap Three (mile 46.2)

Lap Four (mile 61.6)

Lap Five (mile 77)

Lap Six (mile 92.4)

Lap Seven (mile 101.4)

Notice the cheese sandwich on my knee. That thing didn't stay in my stomach for too long after I ate it. Grrrross.

You've Got To See This

2011-12-13T06:27:00.000-07:00

My friend Steven Sharp Nelson is a brilliant cello player. I had him play on my last two piano CDs and was constantly amazed at his skills. He seriously is brilliant.

His newest video was posted only one week ago and already has nearly 2 million (MILLION!) views. It is basically awesome. You ought to check it out:

On The Verge Of A Crisis

2011-12-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

"It's not the races you enter that count. It's your runs in training and sticking with it. It's how you adjust to injury and how you recover that makes you a good runner." ~ Dave Hladysh

Our family is on the verge of a crisis. Our washing machine passed on to Washing Machine Heaven almost two weeks ago. Home Depot is not feeling the same urgency we are to do laundry. Our floor is now a layer of dirty clothes. Our children are about to become the stinky kids at school that you always hated sitting by. Please rescue us Home Depot. We promise we won't put anymore Chapstick in the washing machine. Helllllllllp!

On Monday I attempted a run. I woke up early and put on layer after layer of clothing. I started running and it was bitter cold and blowing like a hurricane (no accident that I live in a city named Hurricane). I made it one mile before realizing that this was possibly the dumbest thing ever and nobody with more than seven brain cells should be out running in this condition. I have barely more than seven brain cells so I went home. Fail.

On Wednesday I ran 11.2 miles on some beautiful trails. But in good conscience I can't really call this one a run. I hiked way more than I ran. Although my camera happened to catch this nerdy-looking runner heading down the trail:

It was cold and windy. My muscles felt tight, kind of like Laffy Taffy that just came out of the refrigerator. Don't you hate when you get a case of Laffy Taffy Legs? I snapped this picture at the end. What I lack in speed and athletic ability, I make up for in self-timer skillz.

It was the anniversary of the attack at Pearl Harbor. We went there last year and I snapped this photo inside the memorial:

Saturday was a little 3 mile jaunt through the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. This trail is exactly one mile from my house. In the hundreds and hundreds of miles I have run on trails I have never, ever seen another runner. I've seen maybe 10 mountain bikers over the last few years but never another runner. Until Saturday! In passing, I didn't tell her that our washing machine was broken so I was wearing dirty running clothes.

Did you watch the Biggest Loser marathon? Although I don't think it's wise to jump from morbidly obese to marathon in 5 months, I loved watching the show. I was so impressed, especially with the last finishers who took more than 10 hours. I have a tender spot in my heart for the slow runners (probably because I relate to them so much). Major props to them, and anyone else who uses a marathon as their goal to get in shape!

101 Things - Secrets Revealed

2011-12-08T06:46:00.000-07:00

1. I desperately want to go to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field.
2. I would give anything to be able to grow a moustache like Burt Reynolds.
3. Words can’t describe how much I hate airplanes.
4. My kids have complained that I take too many pictures of them.
5. My library card is used often. I’m usually reading 3-4 books at any given time.
6. My heart is broken every year by the Utah Jazz.
7. I’ve met George Bush (the old one) and Gordon B. Hinckley.
8. Our shih tzu is morbidly obese.
9. I have a bad reputation for passing out when I get my blood drawn.
10. Kids + pouring a gallon of milk on cereal = recipe for disaster. I still love them anyway.

11. I enjoy Letterman, Survivor, and Colbert.
12. I am proud of being frugal and thrifty.
13. I’ve never met a kind of candy I didn’t like.
14. Except for the color, my hair resembles a Chia Pet.
15. My car traps odors. You can smell a Big Mac for a week.
16. I have a sweet tooth that would put Willy Wonka to shame.
17. I have never seen any Star Wars, Rocky, or Harry Potter movies.
18. I think the name “Herb” is funny. I wouldn’t mind having that as my nickname.
19. The scent of seafood makes me want to upchuck.
20. While I respect their abilities, I detest music by Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Pat Benetar, Gloria Estefan, or Santana.
21. Dentists were created by the devil.
22. I have no doubt that I could eat my weight in pumpkin pie.
23. For the most part, politicians make my blood boil.
24. I would love to be the director of a Gospel choir in the Deep South. Not that I can sing. Nor have I ever directed a choir.
25. Once I sprained my ankle and instinctively said words I shouldn’t have said in front of people I shouldn’t have said them.
26. Is it a requirement for figure skaters to wear sequins? How depressing. If I’m ever having a bad day at work, I will remind myself “At least you don’t have to wear sequins.”
27. 101 is a lot of things.
28. I wish my car had sirens I could turn on when someone is driving really slow in the fast lane.
29. My children can recite lines from Napoleon Dynamite.
30. I can recite lines from Napoleon Dynamite.
31. One of my biggest fears is getting old.
32. I married a patient, forgiving, selfless, compassionate person.
33. I have a firm belief that Cream of Mushroom Soup is over-used in the culinary world which is a shame because it’s pretty yucky.
34. I haven’t ever used alcohol, cigarettes, or heroin.
35. I am very picky when it comes to buying shoes.
36. I have never, and will never own a cat.
37. I like to listen to ESPN Radio on my way to work.
38. I can be bribed to do anything with cupcakes.
39. My wife often forgets to change the lint trap on the clothes dryer. So when I change it, it looks like a kitchen rug.
40. OneRepublic makes some incredible music.
41. I take a daily multi-vitamin, Glucosamine, and fish oil capsules.
42. I’m trying to be like Jesus. Sometimes the closest I get is owning a pair of sandals.
43. Now that I have run 100 miles, I believe I can accomplish anything I put my mind to.
44. I wish spinach tasted like churros.
45. When I was younger, my brother and I would sneak out of the house at night, ride our bikes to the grocery store, and buy ice cream.
46. I get predictably grumpy when I am tired.
47. The temperature in my office is either Sauna or Meat Locker. I prefer Meat Locker.
48. When I die, I don’t want to have a funeral. I want everyone to have a party and have fun and laugh and eat lots of junk food. And possibly hire a stand-up comedian for one of the speakers.
49. I learned from experience that my car isn’t built to drive up snow-covered hills.
50. I kind of like the Buttered Popcorn flavored Jelly Belly Beans.
51. I think my wife Melanie is a babe.
52. With my life, I am much more interested in quality than quantity.
53. A mouse lost its life in my desk drawer at work. It was grrrrrrross.
54. I like to surround myself with people who have a good sense of humor and don’t take things too seriously.
55. I feel guilty when I drink regular soda instead of diet.
56. I have never broken a bone.
57. My brother and sister are ambitious.
58. I wish I could play the cello. I’d listen to myself all day and never leave the house.
59. I wish I could make rolls as good as elementary school cafeterias.
60. I have LOTS of female in-laws that live close by. There is nothing worse than hearing about certain times of the month.
61. I am an eternal optimist.
62. I once got my mouth washed out with soap for calling my brother stupid.
63. I’m sorry I called you stupid. You are much, much smarter than me.
64. Note to self: Ivory Soap doesn’t taste nearly as good as it smells.
65. I am a photography nerd.
66. Among the phone numbers I have saved in my phone: Domino’s Pizza, Café Rio, and the Piano Gallery.
67. My chemistry teacher in high school drank more Mountain Dew than should be legal for a human being to consume.
68. The people I work with are very, very smart.
69. Church sometimes makes me sleepy.
70. I would like to meet Bruce Springsteen, Lance Armstrong, and David Letterman. And ultrarunning freak of nature Karl Meltzer. (Karl - I'm going to be in Salt Lake over New Years. Call me.)
71. A rain storm is the best smell in the whole world.
72. I admire people who are humble, thankful, giving, and appreciative.
73. Banana bread, pumpkin pie shakes, and toffee are scrumptious.
74. I am positive that I was a first grade teacher in my past life. I LOVE going to help at the elementary school.
75. Our dog likes to tip over garbage cans and make a big mess of the garbage. He is lucky to be alive.
76. Sleep apnea makes me stop breathing a couple hundred times a night so I’ve slept with a CPAP for lots of years. I loathe my CPAP.
77. Anyone with sleep apnea needs their spouse to make baked goods including cake and pie at least once per week.
78. As a kid, I liked Alf, Silver Spoons, The Wonder Years, Mr. Belvedere, Small Wonder, and Charles In Charge.
79. I survived two winters in Wyoming. (I’ll pause a moment and let you finish your applause.)
80. In my high school anatomy class we dissected a cat. A cat!
81. Running is contagious.
82. I nearly needed a clean pair of britches a few years ago during a particularly bumpy flight into St. George. If friends weren’t with me, I would have kissed the ground when we finally landed.
83. Without my contacts in, I am as blind as an NBA referee.
84. It bothers me when my girls listen to music from Mama Mia. This is the reason ear plugs were invented.
85. I have an in-law who likes to use the phrase “Quite frankly…” to begin many sentences. Quite frankly, it always brings a smile to my face.
86. My sassy and funny sister-in-law Rachel uses the phrase “Y’ain’t” which is always very funny. I’m going to try to use that in my vocabulary more often. “Kids – y’ain’t gonna get none of my Mike & Ike’s so stop asking!”
87. Why don’t children understand the concept of sleeping in?
88. My wife thrives on telling me gross things that she does while working as a nurse at the hospital.
89. I wouldn’t mind being Nacho Libre.
90. I have three pieces of toast and hot chocolate for breakfast on my way to work every day.
91. My knees often don’t cooperate.
92. Maybe it’s because I eat three pieces of toast everyday for breakfast.
93. I don’t understand the appeal of CSI, vampire movies, or Red Lobster.
94. Beagles have a loud, and very funny bark.
95. My memory leaves a lot to be desired.
96. Sometimes I have a problem with laughing during the prayer.
97. Getting a root canal is the next closest thing to being struck by lightning.
98. Mel’s family is so tight-knit that they sometimes discuss their bowel movements with each other. That's when I leave the room.
99. I firmly believe that figure skating would be so much more enjoyable to watch if everyone wasn’t wearing sequins.
100. Does it make me less of a man if I admit that I don’t mind Taylor Swift’s music?
101. I think if I let my hair grow out, it would look like I French-kissed a light socket.

I Blame The Peanut Butter Bars

2011-12-05T06:51:00.000-07:00

"26 miles 385 yards is where racing ends and ludicrous extremes begin."
- from "Runner's World"

I sincerely wish spinach tasted like churros. That would make it so much easier to eat healthy! I'm trying to eat a decent amount of fruits and vegetables to counteract all the peanut butter bars and cookies I've been eating this week which have caused my diminishing fitness.

This week I went on my first real run since the Javelina Jundred three weeks ago. The ol' knees are still a bit tender so I'm easing back slowly. A good chunk of my first run on Wednesday was more of a power hike. I'd guess I went 9-10 miles but don't know for sure since I didn't wear my Garmin. (I went about a month without wearing a Garmin watch. Glorious!)

I took a new path near the Jem trail that I can't believe I've never explored before. I've run past it a churroillian times put never ran it before. So many trails around here are spectacular but I believe this was the most spectacular-est trail I've ever been on (which happens to be part of the Zion 100 course).

I came up over this little hill and suddenly a view of Zion National Park opened up right before me:

I stopped for about 10 minutes just soaking in the view. Trust me when I tell you that pictures don't do it justice. I thought about how fortunate I am to be surrounded by a network of amazing desert trails. With scenery like this, its hard not to be drawn to the dirt.

Wednesday night Jackson competed in the Basketball Hoop Shoot contest for the school. All the students who entered had two rounds to see who could make the most free throws. And Jackson won! He won this basketball and now moves on to regionals. So proud of him.

Saturday morning I met Matt Gunn for the first time, race director of the Zion 100. He was showing a group of runners some of the course for the race in May. Usually I prefer to run by myself but it helped to have him there to describe some of the course directions to us:

Windchill as we started was 26 degrees. I realized that I have certainly lost some of my fitness over the last three weeks since the 100 miler. After a mile I was sweating like a dog in a sauna. I far exceeded the FDA's guidelines on How Much A Person Should Be Sweating In 26 Degree Temps. It felt like I was coming back to running after sitting on the couch for three weeks eating peanut butter bars. (Oh.....wait.....)

We did the trail leading to the top of Gooseberry Mesa. I was anxious to see what the hardest part of the course was like. The website describes the climb as "brutal" ascending more than 1,500 feet in less than one mile. This little hill was just the appetizer:

The views going up were actually amazing enough to take my mind off the fact that my lungs were filling with molten lava inside my chest.

I decided (okay, my knees decided) that I'd head back a little before reaching the peak. The rest of the group did about 18 miles but my total was 7. A hard-earned 7. This run/hike was a good boost psychologically because I like to know the worst of what I'm in for. And actually, the worst wasn't horrible. The trail was pretty good and if you take it slow it's definitely manageable. I was actually slower going down than up just to make sure my footing was okay. (Notice the frost forming on my hat. Temperature certainly felt cooler 1000 feet up.)

I'd like to tell you that chocolate will find its way to my stomach less frequently this week. But my sweet wife just made another pan of peanut butter bars. And I lack self-control when they are sitting there in front of me. And I lack the self-control to tell her not to make them. I think I'm set for another good week.

Do you love or loathe your Garmin watch?
I want to wear mine less so I can get better at listening to my body instead of worrying about pace.

Do you like running in the cold?
As long as my head and hands are warm I love the cooler weather.

Is junk food your friend during the holidays?
My blood is starting to clog with oatmeal from all the no-bake cookies I've eaten.

My Ultramarathon Training Plan

2011-11-30T06:28:00.001-07:00

When I was preparing for my first marathon I was a little overwhelmed with how many different marathon training plans there were. Unfortunately it's quite the opposite for ultramarathons. I found some stuff for 50 milers (here is information on the plan I used), but almost nothing for 100 milers. (With the exception of www.ultrunr.com which is loaded with very useful information. I read everything on this site multiple times.)

I think I've figured out why there is so little information about ultra training plans. 1) There just aren't as many people who blog or write about this topic since fewer people do these races. 2) Most ultrarunners I talked to are much less ridged about their training. For many, their training plan is simply "Run as much as I can" (or want to) to gradually build miles. 3) Cliche as it may sound, there is no "right" training plan for ultras. Everyone is different and a plan should be tailored to individual strengths, weaknesses, and the race course.

I found two training plans for 100 milers. THIS one seemed unreasonable knowing I'm more injury-prone with high mileage. I think that many miles would have had me on the injury reserve, and I believe it would be very challenging if you still want to have a job and family. Plus....with running, sometimes less is more. Then there is THIS one which seemed more realistic so this is what I built my training off of.

In all my searching, I never found a training history where someone said "This is what I did in the months leading up to the race and it seemed to work." I wish I had something like that. So I made my own.

Here is what my training looked like for the four months leading up to the Javelina Jundred. I did some biking occasionally on the days I didn't run. And you'll see the 26.2 miles when I ran a full marathon or 13.1 when I ran a half.

This plan isn't going to help you set a course record. But that wasn't my intent in signing up for a 100 miler. My goal wasn't to go fast, my goal was TO FINISH. This training plan helped me do just that in a race that only has a 50% finisher rate.

Running one 100 miler is far from being an expert on the art of ultramarathons, but here are some tips that I gathered along the way which I think are critical for training:

Race-Specific Training
Study your target race and it's course. If the course is rocky, find some rocky trails to train on. If you're race may be hot, get lots of miles in the heat to prepare. I try to run on trails whenever possible, but at the very least, almost all your long runs should be on trails. It's important to train your feet, ankles, and knees how to adjust to different terrain and rocks. I've had lots of minor ankle rolls that were no big deal since my ankles have gotten stronger. Before running trails, these would have been major black and blue ankle sprains.

Practice Walking
An experienced ultrarunner told me that a 100 miler isn't a race, it's a test of patience. Expect to be walking 40-50 miles. I think that's true. I have incorporated frequent walk breaks into all my training runs. What works for me is running for 5 minutes then walking for about 1 minute. Some people run for 25 minutes then walk 5. It works out to be about the same. Frequent walk breaks have completely changed my running. They help me finish runs feeling strong and I recover faster. In training and racing, start walk breaks right from the beginning. If you start doing walk breaks after you start feeling tired, you're too late. Just ask Jeff Galloway.

Long Runs
These were definitely the most crucial parts of training. I treat each long run as an experiment. I experiment with hydration, nutrition, calorie replacement, run/walk breaks, electrolyte replacement, etc. Long runs help teach your mind how to deal with pain. Time on your feet really is the important thing. I learned to take it very easy on long runs because when you're doing lots of training miles, your purpose for each run is to be in good enough condition to do tomorrow's run. I was careful to avoid excessive soreness so I could recover quickly. I think a training plan based on time instead of mileage could be very helpful. Go sloooooow on long runs.

Running Frequency
I really liked doing just four days a week of running. I think that was helpful for a few reasons: 1) It cut out some of the junk miles, and 2) It built in more recovery time. Rest days are just as necessary as the long runs! Many ultra runners do back-to-back runs where they run 20 miles one day and 30 the next (mileages vary). I think those back-to-back runs are definitely helpful to train the body how to run on tired legs. But I don't train on Sundays and with a family and job I found those back-to-backs hard to fit in. You'll see that I did some shorter back-to-backs. I think some are helpful as long as you don't overdo it.

Listen To Your Body
Don't get so locked into a training plan that you ignore what your body is saying. If you feel an injury brewing take a break. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to allow yourself to adjust training as needed. My 100 miler was so physically demanding that I don't think I would have made it if I was at the starting line with nagging injuries. Keep yourself healthy.

Relentless Forward Motion
This is a mantra of ultra runners. When times get tough and their bodies are revolting and each mile is taking an eternity, everything is boiled down to one element: just make relentless forward motion. Keep fighting. Keep moving long enough for that second (or third, or fourth) wind to come. Don't worry about the 30 minute miles. As long as you are making relentless forward motion you will get to the finish line. I found this to be completely true during the race when it felt like the finish line might as well have been in Nigeria. (This is how I looked at that moment.)

Gear (none of these are sponsors)
Everyone is different but I'll tell you what works for me.
Gaiters: I got mine HERE and they work great to keep dirt and rocks out of my shoes.
Shoes: Road shoes will work okay for many trail runs, but my favorite trail shoe is the Hoka Mafate.
Hydration: I am madly in love with my Nathan HPL 020 hydration pack. I tried lots of others and this one leaves all the others in the dust. I wore it during the whole 100 miler and it didn't bother me one bit.
Body Glide: Useful for any areas that may chafe. I also rub it all over my feet before I put socks on.
Electrolytes: Get used to taking these during long distances or in heat to replace the salt and minerals you are sweating out. I bought Saltstick capsules but lots of ultrarunners use S-Caps. I take one every hour.

BUT....in extreme heat or after lots of hours this might not be enough. After I had been running for about 20 hours I started urinating A LOT every ten minutes or so. It was clear (thankfully not Coke-colored like I've heard from other runners) but it was very frequently. Lucky for me at that time my wife was pacing me who is also a nurse. She said I needed more electrolytes. I took the Saltstick caps more frequently and that fixed the problem.

Training The Mind
I think the biggest thing that got me to the finish line of the 100 miler was the fact that quitting was not an option. You have to really, REALLY want it. You have to be willing to suffer. I told my crew (wife and sister) that the only way I was dropping from the race was if I didn't meet the cutoffs and was pulled from the course by race officials. I gave my crew specific motivation points to remind me of during the race. I told them to not let me quit, no matter how much I might beg them too. (Thankfully I never reached that point where I begged to quit.)

I told myself before the race "Eventually this is going to really, really hurt. But that's okay! It's alright to hurt. It's okay to suffer. It's (probably) not going to kill you. You. Can. Do. Hard. Things!!!!

I'm not going to lie. Those last 30 miles were excruciating. I was in way more pain than I had ever experienced. Every single cell of my body was in agony. Each step hurt worse than the one before. But the feeling when crossing that finish line was indescribable and made all that suffering worth it.

So here's my point in all of this: If you want to run an ultramarathon, YOU CAN DO IT! Seriously, that is the honest truth. If you really want it, you can do it. So go find a race, get really, really brave for five minutes and click the Register button. That is the scariest part of the race is getting guts to click the Register button. You. Can. Do. Hard. Things!!!!

Is there a part of you deep inside that wants to tackle an ultra?

Is there anything I'm missing? Anything you want to know more about?

Scene From The Oral Surgeon's Office

2011-11-29T06:24:00.001-07:00

Scene from the oral surgeon's office the week before the Javelina Jundred:

Oral surgeon: "The endodontist is right. The root on the tooth is cracked."
Cory: "Thanks for the un-awesome news. No wonder it feels like I've been chewing on lightning for four months." (At least that's what my brain said.)
Oral surgeon: "We'll need to do a tooth extraction today and fill in the bone so you can have a post implant in a few months."
Cory: "Okay. I have my first 100 miler coming up next week. As long as I'll be okay for the race, I don't care what you do."
Oral surgeon: "You won't be able to exercise for 3-4 days, but you'll be fine next week to do a 100 mile bike ride."
Cory's Wife: "No, he'll be running 100 miles."
Awkward silence.
Oral surgeon: Gets crazy eyes like a Care Bear just walked in the room and asked him to square dance.
Cory: Sits there quietly wondering if that's a deal breaker and he'll have to keep his lightning tooth.
Oral surgeon: "You're......running 100 miles?"
Cory: "Well, I hope so."
Oral surgeon: "Um.....okay. You'll be okay to run 100 miles if we do the tooth extraction."

Cory gets laughing gas. He still doesn't think the oral surgeon is funny. Oral surgeon says "You're going to feel some pressure." Adios dumb tooth.
Cory gladly takes a gaping hole in the back of his mouth over chewing on lightning.

The end.

I Am Thankful

2011-11-28T07:21:00.000-07:00

My kids and I read the book Selma together all the time. It is easily one of my favorites. The book is about a sheep named Selma who has the same routine every day. She wakes up, eats some grass, plays with her kids, chats with the neighbor, eats some more grass, and sleeps well at night.

When Selma is asked what she would do if she had a million dollars, she said she would wake up in the morning, eat some grass, play with her kids, chat with the neighbor, eat some more grass, and have a good night’s sleep.

When Selma is asked what she would do if she had more time, she said she would wake up in the morning, eat some grass, play with her kids, chat with the neighbor, eat some more grass, and have a good night’s sleep. Selma is just plain happy with her life.

I feel exactly like Selma. I wake up in the morning, sometimes go for a run, spend the day at work, come home and spend time with the family, get the kids tucked into bed, then go to sleep. I think I would choose to do the same exact thing if I had a million dollars or if I had more time. I feel so happy. I feel so thankful. I would not change a single thing in my life.

I have had such a great Thanksgiving week. Here are a few of the highlights:

On Wednesday I tried to go on a bike ride. With all the training for the ultra, my bike actually had dust on it. That is embarrassing. Unfortunately the ride didn’t go quite as planned. I only made it four sissy miles because my feet are still too tender to wear bike shoes. Even two weeks after the Javelina Jundred, shoes still are not my friend.

Mel worked the night before Thanksgiving. Since we didn’t have work or school the next day, the kids and I stayed up late hanging out on the bed watching a movie. Our movie put Ace right to sleep.

On Thanksgiving morning I took the offspring on a hike around my favorite part of the Jem trail. The weather was perfect. We also took Ace with us. He had horrific gas that day. We kept thinking that we smelled a combination of road kill and moldy burritos, but then remembered that it was just Ace.

It was an excellent way to start the day and get a little exercise before going into a turkey coma.

On Friday I hiked around the Jem trail for a few hours trying to scout out some trails for the Zion 100. I was hunting for a trail up to Gooseberry Mesa which apparently climbs more than 1,500 feet in less than one mile (!!!!!). Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t find it, eh? I saw this image in my dirty car mirror as I was leaving:

My knees still aren’t ready to run, but they’re getting closer. They are a tad tight and achy. But I’m not stressed about it at all. I’m going to give my body all the time it needs to recover from the 100 miler. And I'm thankful for the lesson I learned this week to hike in front of, not behind a dog that smells like those leftovers you found in the back of the fridge from three months ago.

What are your favorite childrens books?
Selma is high on the list. I also like Love You Forever, Milk and Cookies, Goodnight Horsey, Guess How Much I Love You, and Have You Filled A Bucket Today (this is a must-read for any age).

How was your Thanksgiving?
I always over-eat, but this was the closest I've ever come on Thanksgiving to throwing up. I just couldn't resist the different pies for dessert.

Running A Charity Marathon

2011-11-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

I like guest writers. I want to start doing more guest bloggers. I was contacted by Jackie Clark about an article she wrote called "The Numerous Benefits of Running in a Charity Marathon". There's nothing like giving your running more of a purpose. Here is Jackie's article:

For those who enjoy running and would like to see their efforts go towards a worthy cause, one of the most favorable options to consider is to run a charity marathon. Charity marathons are those in which runners receive pledges from their friends and family who agree to donate a certain amount of money if the runner can complete the marathon.

In general, many types of charitable organizations exist that can benefit from these charity marathons, and nearly everyone will be able to find some cause to support that they feel passion about. Many of these charities are those that seek to improve treatment for modern diseases, such as mesothelioma or other types of cancer. Additionally, many aim to improve the well being of those who are less fortunate, such as the Charity Chase Marathon. In particular, one of the most prestigious charity marathons to be held each year is the Running Hope Marathon, which uses all of its proceeds to help orphaned children receive basic necessities and improve their overall quality of life.

In order to begin preparing for a charity marathon, the first step is to collect pledges. The best people to collect pledges from are typically friends and family members, as these people will be very sympathetic to your cause and more than willing to help reward you for all of your efforts. Additionally, seeking out pledges from colleagues at work can also be immensely effective. Once pledges have been acquired, the next step is to train at running. A marathon is a particularly difficult event that cannot be completed without proper training, and those who wish to fulfill the pledges will need to begin training many months ahead of time in order to be prepared once the date of the race approaches.

In addition to benefiting a charitable organization, charity marathons can also provide many benefits to the runners as well. Embarking on a running program can be an incredibly revitalizing endeavor that will provide runners with more energy throughout the course of the day. Additionally, research in the “Journal of the American Medical Association” has found that those who run regularly enjoy numerous health benefits.

Although it may not be easy, taking part in a charity marathon can be an immensely rewarding experience that most people will find is well worth the effort. For those who are looking for a way to benefit a charitable organization, have fun, and improve their health, few options are more favorable than running in a charity marathon.

Have you ever been part of a fundraising team through running?
For my first marathon some friends and I raised money to support organ donation and a friend who was waiting for (and has since received!!) a heart transplant. Thanks for your article Jackie!

A Pacer's Perspective At 100 Miler

2011-11-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

I asked my sister Hollie (crew member and pacer extrordinaire for the Javelina Jundred) if she wanted to write her experience of the race from a pacer's perspective. (She is way too nice. I think I owe her cookies now for all her kind words.) Here is her review:

Every spring I dust off my copy of Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine I’ve had since high school. I love ushering in the growth and new life of the season with this book. Within the first few chapters, the protagonist discovers for the first time in his life, “I’m alive!”

“And everything, absolutely everything, was there. The world, like a great iris of an even more gigantic eye, which has also just opened and stretched out to encompass everything, stared back at him. I’m alive, he thought. I’m really alive! I never knew it before, or if I did I don’t remember! He yelled it out loud but silent, a dozen times! Think of it, think of it! Now discovering this rare timepiece, this clock of gold-bright and guaranteed to run…”

The Javelina Jundred reminded me that it’s definitely not spring…but it was the quintessential affirmation of I’m alive! My play-by-play perspective on how this race panned out and how it taught me some of the most simple, beautiful truths in life:

Before the Race
I admit, I was nervous and skeptical about Cory doing a 100 miler. Even now, I can hardly wrap my brain around the magnitude of how long you run! And honestly, our family’s DNA is not really designed for endurance sports outside of…Monopoly games.

LAPS 1 through 4 (0 – 61.6 miles)
The anticipation sitting around at the headquarters (where you finish a loop, refuel and change supplies, then head back out on the loop in the opposite direction) waiting for your runner was intense. Seeing Cory come around the corner after his each lap was phenomenally exciting. He was positive and upbeat every time, like he was totally getting the most out of the experience.

He noted after the first lap that this course could not be underestimated (oh, how I can attest to this now!). He pointed to some mountains that seemed 200 miles away on the horizon and said, “You run all the way out to those. This is a BIG loop.”

Mel and I had a lot of down time at the headquarters while Cory was running his laps. Spending an entire day with Mel is a bit like Christmas. There’s always a surprise, and it’s so much fun. We tried resting (ha!), making motivational posters for Cory, watching a movie, and eating our body weight in powdered donuts and Oreos.

The weather during this whole race was bananas. It started out freezing, but within 10 minutes of the sun coming out, it felt like we were sitting in an Easy Bake Oven. I worried that Cory was frying out on the trail. There is not a single ounce of shade out there. But every time he finished a lap, he looked more elated, stronger, and increasingly excited. He. Looked. Outstanding!

I learned that if you complete 60 miles (100k), you still get a belt buckle (it’s a different color and reads 100k rather than 100 miles). It was a little shocking to see so many runners drop out at this point. This made Cory’s strength and enthusiasm all the more impressive. He was not shooting for “I’ll go as far as I can comfortably make it, and I’ll quit at 60 if necessary to still get the buckle.” True to Cory form, go big or go home.

LAP 5 (61.6 – 77 miles)
By the time he started lap 5, it was dark. Cory ran this lap with Mel, making it the most lonely and stressful few hours of the experience for me. This was also the lap when the rain started. It turned everything into a muddy river within a minute.

I think this is where the wheels started to come off the “Cory cart” a bit. I set my timer to be ready to see Cory and Mel again in about 3.5 to 4 hours. And then I waited around headquarters for about 2 hours after that wondering where they were and what happened. I’m not gonna lie – I was quickly developing a growing case of mother-like worrying. I maybe said 2,449,893 prayers during this time and envisioned every manner of animal that may have eaten them.

All of this waiting time at headquarters, though, proved to be one of the best experiences of the weekend. Ultra runners are pretty remarkable people, and I felt so honored to talk with several of them. They know what it’s like to feel alive, and I love the perspective it gives them.

LAP 6 – (77 – 92.4 miles)
I ran this lap with Cory, and it was one of the most insightful experiences of my life. I’m pretty sure it totally sucked for Cory. I could hear him groan in pain and frustration after he tried to run. To add to it, the rain and mud were horrific. It felt like every step required 3x the energy just to ensure stable footing; it was so slippery. During several parts of the trail, the mud stuck to our shoes. It seriously felt like someone strapped 10-pound cinderblocks to each foot. We had to stop a couple times just to scrape buckets of mud off our shoes.

I learned that being a pacer is both the easiest and the most difficult run. It’s easy in the sense that the focus is entirely on someone else. It wasn’t my race, so it didn’t matter if I was tired, if my knees hurt, if I almost fell 200 times in the mud. The singular objective was pulling Cory through this, and it seemed as though my body registered the “you’d better not complain right now – it’s not about you” message.

But it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever experienced. I knew he was hurting, and it was excruciating to feel so helpless. When he expressed pain or frustration, I debated what to do:
1) Agree with him and empathize (I know, this mud does suck, huh?)
2) Encourage and praise him (You’re looking really good, just keep on going)
3) Tell him to get over it and keep pushing through (There’s only one way to make that pain stop, so quit ‘yer belly-achin’ soldier!)
4) Try to point out a silver lining (At least those birds aren’t vultures…)
5) Say nothing

I felt so frustrated that I didn’t know the right answer. I tried all 5 approaches several times and worried incessantly if any helped. When he mistakenly saw the aid station that wasn’t there, it was a major low point for both of us. I could sense the rising frustration and panic in him. And it felt like we kept running another 10 miles before FINALLY coming to it. I ran with him, silently crying in frustration and a growing sense of need to help…but not knowing how.

I imagine this is how Heavenly Father must often feel. I so badly wanted to help Cory, to carry him, to give him strength. But in the end, I knew it was ultimately up to him – and only him – to put one foot in front of the other. There were limitations on how much I could do. And finally, both of us just had to exercise the faith and trust that the end result would be worth this temporary challenge. It was a beautiful recognition of the love of the Lord. He wants to help us through our trials, but an important element is the realization that in order for it to work, we have to suck it up and trudge through the painful parts.

But then….watching the sun rise was one of the most beautiful and spectacular moments. It was stunning, peaceful, and reassuring. Sharing those moments with Cory is something I will treasure for the rest of my life.

LAP 7 – 92.4 miles
Waiting at the headquarters for Cory and Mel to finish the final lap made me feel like I was a 4-year-old. I was impatient, couldn’t hold still, and asked myself a gazillion times, “Are they there yet??” I ultimately gave up patience and ran backwards through the course until I met up with them. Seeing them trudge up a hill, still making progress toward the finish line was a bit like slow-motion running through the daisies [insert The Hills Are Alive music here]. I was so happy and so proud of them!

Watching Cory jump across the finish line was a tremendous sense of pride and gratitude. Gratitude that he made it and survived. Gratitude that I could be there to share the experience with him and Mel. Gratitude that he pushed himself to the utmost limits of humanity and now fully knows what it’s like to be and to feel alive in every respect. I see now how running an ultra-marathon shows you the highest and lowest points of human experience – all of it contributes to a perception of your own life experience and what you are capable of achieving. It’s a beautiful, incredible taste of Dandelion Wine.

“He stood swaying slightly, the forest collected, full-weighted and heavy with syrup, clenched hard in his down-slung hands. I want to feel all there is to feel, he thought. Let me feel tired, now, let me feel tired. I mustn’t forget, I’m alive, I know I’m alive, I mustn’t forget it tonight or tomorrow or the day after that…”

Next Race ....... The Zion 100!

2011-11-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

Finishing the 100 miler was the hardest, most rewarding thing I have ever done. I am fascinated and intrigued by such an obscene distance. So.....less than one week after finishing the Javelina Jundred......

I signed up for my next ultramarathon: The Zion 100!

I will be honest, this scares the Gatorade right out of me. The course is challenging and I'm nervous about the heat (the race is May 11th and 12th 2012). But there are a few reasons why I couldn't pass it up:

1) It's right in my backyard. I love the thought that I won't have to travel and can sleep in my own bed the night before the race.
2) I know some of the trails well, and will be able to train on the course.
3) This is the innagural race (there is a 50 miler as well).

I would love to have you sign up. I want you to join me on this adventure and see what it's like to push your body to the max and then keep pushing it. (Remember? Misery loves company.) CLICK HERE to visit the race website for more information. I will be happy to give you any training tips or coaching based on my fairly limited experience.

Pre-race party at my house? I'll bring the Twinkies.

Recovery From An Ultramarathon

2011-11-20T10:21:00.000-07:00

It has been exactly one week since the Javelina Jundred 100 miler. I have good news: I can see my ankles again!

Cankle (noun): when your legs are so large or swollen that the calf and the ankle seamlessly run together. I was sporting some mean cankles for most of the week. Here is what my feet looked like before the race (pedicure courtesy of my little girls):

And here are my feet a few days after the race. My ankles had vanished. And it's slightly gross that my toes turned into Vienna Sausages.

A week post-100 miler, my muscle soreness is gone. My knees are still pretty sore. And two toe nails keep getting blacker and they really hurt. All in all, I think recovery has gone well.

I have now run a half marathon, full marathon, or ultra for 20 months in a row. But now I don't have anything major in the near future! No need for a training plan! I am just going to run whenever I feel like it for as long as I feel like it! Sweet!

I have lots more exciting stuff to tell you next week. And I'll be featuring a guest post from my sister about the ultra experience from a pacer's perspective.

But right now, go set your DVR to record David Letterman tomorrow night (Monday, November 21st). One of my favorite music groups NeedToBreathe is going to be playing a song from their amazing new CD The Reckoning. I will bet you a pack of Twinkies that you'll like their music. Here's a sample:

Javelina Jundred Race Review - My First 100 Miler!

2011-11-16T07:10:00.009-07:00

I'm not sure how to describe in words what a profound, challenging, painful, rewarding experience it was to complete my first 100 mile ultramarathon. (It was 101.4 miles to be exact.) It was life-changing.

I knew the Javelina Jundred would be the perfect opportunity for my first 100 mile attempt. Its barren, rocky, desert trails are very similar to where I train which proved to be a big advantage. I felt right at home on the trail. The race was 15.4 mile loops run washing machine style (go clockwise one direction, then turn around and do it counter-clockwise). I didn't get bored with this. In fact I LOVED having these shorter loops. It was easier to break the race down psychologically, easier to crew, and I never felt alone. I think this is one of the reasons that Javelina has so many runners (almost 400!). This was at Javelina Jeadquarters where you turn around after each loop (plus meet your crew, and there is an aid station):

When you're standing at the starting line of an ultramarathon there is such an intense sense of togetherness and purpose and determination. I felt honored to be standing there with a bunch of other crazies.

The temperature in the morning was perfect - around 55 degrees. We ran in the dark for about 45 minutes until the sun started coming up. The sunrise was beautiful and I couldn't help but stop to take lots of pictures.

I saw a lady up ahead of me who seemed to be stopping as much as I did to take pictures. I caught up to her later and said "I think we'd make good training partners. I don't like to train with people because I stop so much for pictures, but I think you and I could run together." I found out it was Susan Donnelly who has run more than 40 100 milers! Simply incredible. (She ran a 100 last weekend!) She gave me some great tips. Later I emailed her and told her thanks for her help. She wrote back "I'm always happy to help but I've seen a lot of first timers and don't think you needed help. Every time I saw you, you were pacing steady and looked naturally in good shape." (+1 for my self-esteem.)

In the afternoon it started to get warm (I heard around 75 degrees). I knew it was getting hot but I think all the heat training I had done really paid off and it didn't wipe me out. My little girls made me some bracelets to wear during the race so I could think about them. I also wrote a little reminder to myself for when things got hard:

By this time I had switched to my Hoka shoes. I was a little concerned because they give me blisters, but they are so much better for my feet and knees. I guess you just take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the Facts of Life. (I would have KILLED for an ipod to get that horrific song out of my head during the race! Killed!) The course was just beautiful. We were surrounded by enormous saguaro cacti.

I've been scared of rattlesnakes since my close encounter with one a few months ago but thankfully I didn't see any the whole time! The scariest thing I saw was a guy who ran out of the bushes right in front of me after taking a bathroom break. Scared the bejeebers out of me! I also saw six of these:

Let me tell you again: I LOVED having this be a loop course! Loved it! It was so fun to watch the race unfold and have the faster people come by going the other direction. I just loved cheering them on. But what was awesome was that they were cheering people on too. When the fastest elites would pass me they would smile and say "Great job!" or "Way to go!" It made the race feel more like a family of runners instead of being out in the middle of nowhere without seeing another runner for hours on end.

The course was very runable but certainly challenging. There are ultras with way more elevation change but this course has its share of hills. Hills that drag on for miles and miles and miles. Some parts of the course were sandy and level:

Some parts of the course were very, very rocky. This can take a toll on your feet after a while.

I liked this withered, rotted tree. Mel saw this picture afterward and said "This is how you felt at the end, isn't it." Um, yep. This picture PERFECTLY describes how I was feeling at the end.

About halfway through the loop you reach Jackass Junction. (I can't think of a more appropriate name for an aid station at a 100 miler.) You can have a drop bag at this point so I stocked some warm clothes just in case the weather got ugly. (Spoiler alert: IT DID.)

The aid stations were the best I have ever seen in a race. Over the course of those 101 miles I ate: brownies, gummy worms, M&Ms, pretzels, pizza, a turkey sandwich, PB&J, Ramen noodles, oranges, bananas, watermelon, hot chocolate, pumpkin pie, and Oreos. And I didn't just have a little. Since my stomach was cooperating, I ate lots.

But I came across two items sent straight from heaven: Nutella sandwiches and bean burritos. At each aid station I was popping those like a drug fiend. (I know......bean burritos + ultramarathon = ultradisaster. But by some act of God, they never caused any problems!) I expected a nuclear attack in my gut but it never came. (Thank goodness, because, whoa. Whoa, that could have gotten ugly.)

Physically, one of the best parts of the race was that I somehow managed to keep my stomach the whole time. I never had any GI problems. I never threw up. I was able to eat just fine at all the aid stations. I was so thankful because if you can't keep calories down, your day is over. The sun was starting to go down on day 1 and you can see some menacing clouds on the horizon.

I finished my third lap at 45 miles as the sun went down and saw a simply amazing sunset. I got goosebumps. I felt so grateful that I was witnessing something so beautiful and was so happy to be participating in this experience.

I headed out for lap 4 by myself in the dark. It took a few miles for me to get my ~~sea legs~~ night legs but when I got accustomed to running in the dark I caught a serious second wind. I felt so, so good and it felt like I was gliding up and down the hills and rocks. It was smooth and effortless. I finished lap 4 (60 miles) with a huge jump across the start/finish line at Jeadquarters.

And then the race got ugly. Super ugly. At first the rain started to sprinkle. Then it started coming steady. Then the downpour started. (This is Arizona for crying out loud! It rains here like every decade or something!) The trails became slick and muddy and much harder to run. At this point I picked up my first pacer: my kind wife Mel. We wore garbage bags which helped keep our tops dry but my shoes were wet and I was cold. I asked her to say a prayer that I would be alright.

The coyotes were howling. At one of the aid stations we stood under their canopy for a minute. I told Mel "Let's take a picture right here. This is what I look like inside my pain cave." After about 65 miles I definitely had entered the pain cave. My knees and feet hurt and I was tired. It was probably around 3:00am and I had been running for 21 hours.

In life I think it's important to try and stay positive and smile even if things really suck and you're going through a hard time. I tried to do that during this race also. I had pulled up a Lazy Boy inside my own personal pain cave and things were really starting to suck but I tried to still stay positive:

Lap 6 (miles 75-90) were indescribably difficult. Words can't describe how challenging those miles were. My incredibly awesome sister Hollie joined me for this lap to keep me on track. There wasn't a ton of running during this lap. But there was more rain on and off. I'd guess it rained a total of seven hours during the race. No bueno. My only hallucination was during this lap. I saw an aid station tent coming up around the corner. I said "Yes!" But we went around the corner and it wasn't there. We kept going and then it was nowhere in sight. I was distraught. I swore I saw it, but it never appeared. I never did see any Care Bears or unicorns. I was definitely glad to have Hollie there for company.

Hollie was positive and encouraging but I just couldn't run very much. My feet felt like I was walking on burning coals and the pain in my knees was excruciating. It was humbling but refreshing to see my second sunrise of the race. (I had a poncho attached to my back because more rain was forecast.)

Hollie was the official crew photographer. I told her to take pictures of everything, good or bad. This was a photo where I was utterly exhausted and teetering on the edge. I am not a gifted athlete. But I am tenacious and determined and stubborn. And that can take you far.

For the race I averaged a 17:22 minute mile. You think to yourself "Easy, I could walk that fast." Very true. But when you add in hills, and rocks, and rain, and physical exhaustion way beyond anything you have ever experienced before, 17:22 is no stroll through the park.

I finished lap six and received the one thing I had been coveting for many hours: a glow bracelet! You get one of these when you reach the start of lap 7 - the final lap. I could have cried, I was so happy.

Mel joined me for the last 9 miles. Even though I was happy to be on the last lap, I was a complete mess. I knew I would make it to the finish line, but I honestly did not know how I was going to get there. Every cell of my body was screaming. My gas tank was completely dry and I had nothing left to give. Mel just held my hand and kept me walking. "You'll be wistful for the "wall" off the marathon when you hit the "death grip" of the ultra." ~ Bob Glover

I had heard that in an ultramarathon you experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. For me, those things happened at the exact same time. And it was at mile 95. I was only six miles away, but that finish line might as well have been in Portugal. I started sobbing. Not loud weeping. I just silently walked as tears rushed down my face. Normally I'm not a very emotional person, but at that moment my eyes were like faucets.

I was crying because of the crippling pain. I was crying because of complete exhaustion and despair. I was crying because every single step hurt worse than the one before. I was crying because I so desperately wanted to be at that finish line. I was crying because I was so grateful for the body my Heavenly Father gave me. I was crying because I thought of my family and friends and their tremendous support. I was crying because I was so thankful to be part of this incredible experience. I was crying because I knew that the last 40 miles had been so difficult which would make the finish line that much sweeter. I was crying because I was so, so happy.

The "slow and steady, one foot in front of the other" approach was slowly getting me closer to the finish line. I was ecstatic to finally see this sign for the home stretch. (I just couldn't bend down to get any closer to the sign.)

In the last mile a coyote was hanging out on the side of the trail. I didn't care if he ate me. And then I arrived after 29 hours and 22 minutes. Words can't describe how happy I was to be here. Even though my sweet wife snapped the picture a little too early, I did jump across the finish line.

And then I was handed the Javelina Jundred belt buckle. I will cherish this little piece of metal for the rest of my life. It symbolizes all those long months of training, all those early mornings waking up to run, all those gallons of sweat I lost doing my heat training. It will always remind me that I can do hard things.

It was amazing to see how quickly my body shut down after the race ended. I started walking to the car to leave and had to kneel down because I almost passed out. I also had a few dry heaves but managed to make it to the car. Hollie snapped this on our 15 minute drive back to the condo:

Warning: Gross Pictures Ahead. Just to prove that the ultra wasn't all smiles and fun, I'll show you a few post-race pictures. When we got back to the condo I got out of the car and immediately had to stumble over to the stairs because I almost passed out again. Everything went black but I don't think I completely passed out. Then the throwing up started. I felt not-so-awesome.

I haven't been able to eat very much over the last few days since the race because I become really nauseous whenever I eat. My knees are pretty sore and I'm walking like Frankenstein. And not only did my feet feel like I was walking on hot coals. They also look like I had been walking on hot coals. But considering everything I went through this isn't too bad. I was actually expecting to be in much worse shape.

If I were to design a perfect race, it would be the Javelina Jundred. The course was beautiful. The volunteers were simply incredible and supportive and encouraging. The organization was flawless. I can't think of one thing I would change. The finisher rate for this race is only 49%. I was so thankful to be counted among the finishers.

Completing a 100 mile race truly was a profound, challenging, painful, rewarding, and life-changing experience. Crossing that finish line transformed me and I will never be the same.

"Pushing your body past what you thought it was capable of is easy; the hard part is pushing yourself even further.....past what your mind wants to let you. That's what ultrarunning is all about; introducing you to a self you've never known." ~ Rex Pace

I DID IT!

2011-11-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

I survived the 101.4 miles of the Javelina Jundred! It was by far the most difficult, humbling, defining, rewarding experience of my life.

Even though my sweet wife snapped the picture a little too early, I DID jump across the finish line.

Give me a day to make sense of everything in my brain and I will have the whole race review and lots of pictures posted tomorrow. (I admit, I slept with this belt buckle last night.)

"I gazed in envy at ultra runners whose quadriceps had the kind of definition that tells you Secretariat is somewhere in their family tree." - Liz Zelandais

2 Days Until 100 Miler

2011-11-10T07:24:00.001-07:00

Forecast for the Javelina Jundred: Rain. Yep - this is a trail run. It could get sloppy. I don't care......as long as the candy and pumpkin pie at the aid stations don't get wet.

We are leaving for beautiful, ~~sunny, warm~~ Arizona today. Just a reminder if you want to watch the race on Saturday and track my progress you can visit www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/ultracast starting Saturday morning and continuing for the next 30 hours.

(Facebook is easier to update so I will probably update that before the blog. If you'd like, you can visit the Facebook page here.) I hope the next time you hear from me I hope my body is so sore that it hurts to blink AND I'm wearing a belt buckle!

Source

Last Minute Prep For 100 Miler

2011-11-08T06:32:00.002-07:00

I got some great news in our preparations for the 100 miler coming up on Saturday. I was happy to find out that my sister Hollie will be joining Mel to help crew and pace! Hollie is one of the most supportive, enthusiastic, happy people I know. (Here is a picture with Hollie when we ran the Park City Marathon.)

Both Mel and Hollie will be pacers for me. Each will take turns joining me for 10-15 miles toward the end of the race. The job of a pacer is to 1) make sure the runner is eating and drinking, and 2) make sure to keep them focused when the runner starts going nuts and begins talking with Care Bears and unicorns.

I have written down certain words of wisdom they can remind me of during the 30 hours of the Javelina Jundred:
*** Embrace the suck.
*** Just make relentless forward progress.
*** Keep going, even if you have to walk.
*** It's not over 'till it's over.
*** Remember all your training and hard work.
*** You don't want a DNF next to your name.
*** Imagine how it's going to feel to cross the finish line.
*** Dig deep. Dig deep!
*** Don't talk to Care Bears.

Would you like to watch the Javelina Jundred unfold right before your eyes online? Here is info from their website:
The Javelina Jundred offers one of the most advanced webcasts available on the ultra circuit. As runners pass through the timing gateway, lap times are recorded from the timing chip and instantly displayed on the Ultracast web page on the Aravaipa Running website. Family & friends may access the Ultracast during the race by visiting www.aravaiparunning.com/avr/ultracast. A webcam of the finish line will be integrated into the Ultracast as well. Runners cross through this check point every 15 miles. (I got bib # 300.)

The race starts Saturday morning (November 12th) and the cutoff is 30 hours. Tune in for a good time.

Are there any other words of wisdom I should add to the list for this weekend?

My Record: 270 Miles This Month (+ Tooth Extraction)

2011-11-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

"In an ultra you should eat like a horse, drink like a fish, and run like a turtle." ~ Unknown

Monday, October 31st 2011: 7 miles @ 10:39 minutes per mile pace. This was my last run for October and completed the most miles I have ever run in one month: 270 miles! This has been a big confidence boost in helping me feel prepared for the ultra. I had to take a picture after the run to celebrate my new record:

Tuesday, November 1st 2011: 2 miles @ 9:10 minutes per mile pace in the morning. And then in the afternoon..... I got a tooth extraction. My big tooth on the bottom went to meet it's maker. Hanging out with the oral surgeon was not on my "To Do" list the week before the 100 miler. It was highly un-awesome.

But I realized something when I went for the tooth extraction: I wasn't too worried. And I think it's because of running! I think running has taught me how to handle challenges by having the attitude that you just do what you have to do to get through hard times. Control what you can control and accept the rest. When the going gets tough, you just put on your big-boy pants, suck it up, and get it done. So good riddance you dumb tooth!

Wednesday, November 2nd 2011: Rest. Bring on the oatmeal, soup, and ice cream! (I realized that having a gaping hole in the back of your jaw is even less fun than it sounds.) Oral surgeon said I shouldn't run for a few days. How's that for a forced taper?

Thursday, November 3rd 2011: Rest.

Friday, November 4th 2011: Rest.

Saturday, November 5th 2011: 5 miles @ 12:26 minutes per mile pace. This is the first time Mel and I have run together for a while. It was really cold and even snowed on us for part of the run.

After about a half hour the snow stopped and the sky started to clear a little bit.

I must tell you - I am so thankful for Mel. She has been beyond supportive about this ultra. She has never said "I don't think this is a good idea." or "I'm not sure you can do it." She has never been doubtful or critical or questioning. She has only been 100% supportive and encouraging. That means a lot. I am so thankful for her.

I can not believe that my first 100 miler is less than ONE WEEK AWAY! I am so excited, I can't wait. I feel good, nothing is hurting, and I'm ready for the challenge. I'm ready for the sleep deprivation and the throwing up and the hallucinations and the belt buckle. Ah....the belt buckle. (For all 100 milers you don't get a medal at the finish line. You get a belt buckle!)

Stay tuned. In a few days I'll post some last minute preparations for the 100 as well as information on how you can watch the race live online. Let's get ready to rumble!

Fotography Friday - Fall Is In The Air

2011-11-04T06:45:00.001-06:00

Last week I told you I was going to try to get back to Sheeps Bridge to take a few pictures of the autumn colors. Well....I made it back last night. Here is what I got. I edited them with Photomatix to make them look a little edgy:

This one's my fav:

I took my girls and their friend Navey with me. They were totally excited to try a jumping picture. (Note to self: getting four people in the air at the same time is slightly challenging.) We tried 5 times and this was the only shot where more than one person was in the air. We all had went home dirty and had a blast.

I Got A Nice Complement

2011-11-03T07:03:00.000-06:00

I received a nice complement from my son a while ago. We were talking about how it's important to take care of our bodies and get some exercise. He said "Well, you hardly ever run."

He had no idea that I had run 60 miles that week.

I was so happy to hear his complement (which wasn't intended to be a complement). It meant that my training for a 100 miler hasn't taken away from family time. Ever since I started running I have really made an effort to not let this hobby have a negative impact on my family. Time with my family is so valuable and I want to take advantage of that.

This means making a few sacrifices.
Sacrifice #1: Sleep. I don't get quite as much sleep because almost all my running is done early in the morning or at night after kids have gone to bed. Most of the time I'm home from my run and showered before they even wake up. If it weren't for the races I do, they might not even know that I'm a runner.

Sacrifice #2: TV. Aside from watching some of the news each night I don't watch hardly any TV.

These really aren't too much of a sacrifice though. After some adjustment I can function just fine with a little less sleep. And there's not much worth watching on TV anyway.

I really believe that family should be my priority. There is no sense of accomplishment or finish line medal more important than my relationship with my wife and kids. I've found that it is possible to work a full time job, spend lots of quality time with my family, and still train for an ultramarathon.

Nathan HPL 20 Hydration Vest Review

2011-11-01T18:03:00.002-06:00

I must tell you about the greatest hydration pack ever: the Nathan HPL 20 Hydration Vest. (They didn't sponsor or provide anything for this review by the way.)

This was the third hydration pack that I have used. The first was a Costco special that was fine for hiking but totally uncomfortable for running. The second was the Camelbak Rogue. It was more comfortable than the first but still not great. It rubbed against my lower neck and bounced around quite a bit. It's not a horrible pack, but not something I wanted to wear for tons of miles.

I noticed that in pictures from ultramarathons, many runners were wearing the Nathan hydration vest. I'm training for my first 100 miler so I figured I should go with the experts and try Nathan. Notice that they call it a hydration vest instead of a hydration pack. The vest wears differently. It's kind of like the vest is hugging your body instead of riding on your back.

This made it super, super comfortable. It doesn't bounce around even when it's filled to the 2-liter capacity. It has some storage on the back, but my favorite part is that it has two storage compartments in front for easy access. I keep my camera on one side and my gels in the other. It is SO nice to not have to take my pack off to reach my camera. My sister described the look perfectly: from a distance it looks like a saggy bra.

Pros
*Easy to refill
*2 liter capacity
*Storage compartment in the back
*Two storage pockets in front
*Very comfortable

Cons
*None (if you don't count that saggy bra look)

If you're in the market for a hydration pack (or vest) for long distance running, the Nathan HPL 20 is definitely the way to go.

What NOT To Eat

2011-10-30T09:00:00.001-06:00

"When we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take the step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen. There will be something solid for us to stand on, or we will be taught to fly." ~ Patrick Overton

All week long I’ve been expecting a camera crew to show up at my house and say “We’re filming a documentary called ‘How NOT To Eat When Training For An Ultramarathon’ and you would be perfect for the show!”

Seriously, I have gone off the deep end this week. I’m sure my arteries are starting to get clogged with brownies and Halloween candy. I need to fix this quickly. It will be mighty embarrassing if I start sweating frosting during the big race in two weeks.

Monday, October 24th 2011: 5 miles @ 11:05 minutes per mile.
Tuesday, October 25th 2011: Rest
Wednesday, October 26th 2011: Rest
Thursday, October 27th 2011: 3 miles @ 11:00 minutes per mile.

Friday, October 28th 2011: 16 miles @ 11:33 minutes per mile. I felt like I was really dragging for the first half of the run but loosened up after about eight miles. This was my first run using gaiters which help keep rocks and dirt out of your shoes. The MENS gaiters I ordered don't look quite as manly as the online picture where I ordered them. Oh well. They're flashy and bright and I've decided I'm going to like them, in spite of their un-manly-ness.

After my long run for the week I indulged in a cardiologist's nightmare: carne asada fries. (Yes, there is a load of fries and cheese under that meat.) Forgive me, for I have sinned. I felt guilty afterward. Dear body: I'm sorry, I promise I'll do better next week. I promise.

Saturday, October 29th 2011: 8 miles @ 11:31 minutes per mile. I ran around the Sheeps Bridge road and Jem Trail near Zion National Park. The leaves in the area have started changing:

The scenery along the Virgin River was spectacular with the fall colors.

I think the leaves still have some changing to do so I will try to get back there over the next week. Pictures don't do justice to how beautiful it was.

This was one of the best runs I've had in a while. I loved every minute of it and I didn't want to leave.

On a side note, we added a new member to our family a few weeks ago: a Boxer named Ace. He is a good dog and our family has fallen in love with him. I'm still lobbying to change his name to something a little more unique. Like Geraldo or Jorge (pronounced Hor-hay). Can I get your support on this?

I can't believe that the 100 miler is less than two weeks away. Right now I'm not really feeling nervous or scared. I'm more anxious and excited. Really excited. Plus.....the aid stations have pumpkin pie!!!! This. Is. Awesome! I have a firm belief that every race should include pumpkin pie.

Hurts So Good

2011-10-28T07:43:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was my reward for arriving at the taper for the Javelina Jundred: I got a massage from the premier sports massage expert in southern Utah. Her client list includes people in record books. She is g o o d. And I wasn't scared to see her this time. Which was different than our first visit earlier this year. Allow me to repost an article following that visit:

There is a principle I have always lived my life by: I, Cory Reese, will never get a massage.

It just boils down to the fact that I don't want no one's hands on me. I just don't. But after the ultramarathon on Saturday my knees and legs were feeling ultra-achy. I decided to abandon my life principle and call the person who does sports massages for runners on the St. George Running Center team. Her name is April and I've heard she can make grown men cry.

I'll be honest with you: I was scared to death to go see April. Remember, I don't want no one's hands on me? And....I'm a grown man.....and I didn't want to cry.

So April starts doing her sports massage thing on my legs. I thought to myself "Hmm, this isn't so bad." And then April found the sweet spot - part of my leg that hurt just by looking at it. She zoned in on the sweet spot and I believe I levitated four inches off the table. Nowhere in the fine print did I see that she did the massage with Tasers. She continued to find many more sweet spots.

I heard April say, with a tone of slight surprise, "Oh, your legs are pretty tight." I really enjoyed my conversation with April as she smushed my muscles into peanut butter. I laid there trying not to levitate off the table, and it hurt so bad, but holy Moses, it felt so good.

She finished doing her sports massage thing, I stood up, and the greatest thing happened: I could bend my knees! It was glorious. It was a huge difference. I feel much better. My legs are still sore, but I have to remind myself that this is likely because I ran an ultramarathon three days ago.

So I officially abandon my anti-massage policy. I will certainly go see April again. Her rates are very reasonable - if you're in the southern Utah area you can schedule your own awesome Taser session by calling her at 435-773-7297.

I am proud to say that I, Cory Reese, did not cry.

I Survived Hell Week

2011-10-24T07:30:00.003-06:00

"You hear about how runnin' ultras is all mental; well, I sure wish it'd hurry up and get mental, 'cause it's feelin' awfully physical right now." ~ Ken Loveless

I survived Hell Week training for my first 100 miler in three (3!!!) weeks. Over the last two weeks (which includes five rest days) I ran 143 miles. I really don't know if I'm trained adequately or not, but at the end of the week I felt a sense of peace that I've done the best I could with the time I had available and didn't compromise family time during my training. I'm feeling cautiously optimistic for the Javelina Jundred.

Monday, October 17th 2011: 6 miles @ 10:41 minutes per mile.

Tuesday, October 18th 2011: 13 miles @ 11:39 minutes per mile. I wasn't madly in love with the idea of waking up at 3:45am to run a half marathon before work, but it wasn't anything some Mountain Dew couldn't fix.

Wednesday, October 19th 2011: 31 miles @ 12:14 minutes per mile. It was 86 degrees outside and it felt like I sweated every ounce of water out of my body. My blood probably resembled hot fudge. (Mmmm.......hot fudge.) The good news is that it feels like my body is handling heat much better. It doesn't bother me much anymore.

Thursday, October 20th 2011: Rest.

Friday, October 21st 2011: 20 miles @ 12:19 minutes per mile. 83 degrees for this run but a slight breeze made it feel much better. The last mile was the fastest.

Saturday, October 22nd 2011: 3 miles @ 9:50 minutes per mile.
But enough of this running jibber jabber! We also did some fun family activities this past week. One of my favorite things to do every October is go to Staheli Farm, complete with a petting zoo, pig races, and a corn maze. I think it has Disneyland beat as the happiest place on earth.

At the petting zoo this pig smiled at me. I think it was because he was planning to go wipe his dirty snout on my daughter's leg. She didn't think he was nearly as cute after this little stunt.

They had a bounce house-ish thing that the kids could jump on and the girls pulled off this jump. Certainly a proud fatherly moment.

On Saturday while Mel was in Las Vegas for the Ragnar relay race I took the kids on my favorite hike in the world: Taylor Creek which is part of Zion National Park. The autumn leaves were absolutely incredible.

The kids were troopers. They made it the whole five miles. It was a little chilly toward the top and one of the kids matter-of-factly said "It's so cold that I can't feel my feet."

I love this picture of my youngest hooligan Kylee. She grabbed a huge pile of leaves and threw them up in the air and had a blast watching them rain down.

I made them head bands out of some reed plants which thoroughly impressed them. They looked at me like I was MacGyver. We had tons-o-fun on the hike.

I'm feeling better than I could have hoped for the amount of miles I've been running. I very, very often think back to April and a disastrous 50k, or May when my knees were so screwed up that I barely beat a marathon cutoff by 18 minutes. Sometimes I get a little choked up thinking about where I'm at with running, considering that not too long ago I couldn't run. I just feel so thankful and I don't take running for granted. I feel like each mile is a blessing.

And now........LET THE TAPER BEGIN!!!!!!!!! Hooray!

Triple F - Fotography Friday Flower

2011-10-21T07:44:00.000-06:00

Hoka Mafate Review

2011-10-20T07:02:00.000-06:00

When I showed my new Hoka Mafate shoes to my seven year old daughter her eyes lit up. She said "Dad! You can be a clown for Halloween. And you can wear those shoes!" She has a point.

I had been intrigued by the Hoka shoes after seeing lots of top ultrarunners wearing them. They are the complete opposite of minimalist shoes. I love the book Born To Run. I've read it at least four times. I admire people who wear minimal shoes. But I'm very nervous to do anything that puts me at a higher risk for stress fractures. I ran 20 miles in the Hokas right out of the box and was in heaven.

The best way I can think of to describe running with Hokas is like running on bubble padding. Your feet still have support but more cushioning. Compared with other shoes, Hokas look heavy and bulky.

So I weighed them. My Saucony TR4 trail shoes weigh 12.8 ounces each. But the Hoka Mafate only weighs 12.3 ounces each! I was surprised by that.

I was also worried that being higher off the ground would make an ankle sprain more likely. I actually haven't had any more trouble with that than I normally do running trails. The Hokas run a little small so I bought a half size bigger than I normally wear.

I have been running in these for a month now. I wanted to have plenty of experience with them before I told you about them. I have experimented with them a lot. I have run 10 miles in my Sauconys then switched mid-run and wore the Hokas for 10 miles. Another time I ran 10 miles in the Hokas then switched mid-run to Sauconys and ran another 10 miles. Doing this showed me how dramatically different the shoes are.

My biggest hesitation in buying the shoes was the $170 (gulp) price tag. When I found them on sale I decided to take the plunge. That was one of the best decisions I've made all year. (They have a road version called Hoka One One Bondi B.) Plus the Hoka Mafate has more cushioning if your legs spontaneously jump into the air.

I can't minimize the enormous price tag. That is a crazy price to pay for shoes. And if I didn't have a discount and wasn't running high mileage I'm not sure I could justify the cost. But in training for my first 100 miler, these shoes have positively saved my feet and knees enabling me to do lots of high-mileage training.

Now I just need to add a wig and big red nose to my clown costume.

Standing On Molly's Nipple

2011-10-18T06:35:00.001-06:00

"I wasn’t a truly genuine trail ultrarunner until March 7, 1992 at the Wild Oak 50 near Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was a rainy day and simultaneously, while I was piddling on the run, chewing on an energy bar and washing it down with Mountain Dew, my nose was dripping and I farted. That was the ultimate defining moment in my trail running career, if not my entire life." - Bob Boeder

A few days ago I mentioned that I had an adventurous 20 miler. So here's the story. Anyone who has driven through our city on their way to Zion National Park has seen Molly's Nipple. I don't know who Molly is, but it's not hard to understand how this mountain got it's name:

I had never run to the top of Molly's Nipple before so I figured that would be a good destination for my 20 miler. (It's not nearly as daunting coming from the back side. I followed these directions.) The dirt road is easy to navigate until the last few miles where it gets more rocky and technical.

But the view from the top is breathtaking. This is Hurricane, Utah where I call home:

The Nipple overlooks the Hurricane airport and it was cool to see airplanes flying below me:

I spent a few minutes eating a Snickers bar and enjoying the scenery before heading back.

I had been running for a few miles back toward my car when I ran directly over THIS!

I instantly had the involuntary response of screaming like a girl. I wasn't as scared when I turned around to see it wasn't a rattlesnake. It was about three and a half feet long and stretched across the trail. He stayed there patiently while I took a bunch of pictures.

After my close encounter with a rattlesnake a few weeks ago and now this, I'm starting to feel like The Snake Whisperer.

I finished the 20 miles averaging 11:35 minutes per mile and was amazed how good I felt during the whole run. It was 85 degrees outside and I kept thinking "How in the world am I feeling this good?" Going slower pays dividends. Every mile I run on dirt makes me dislike running on the road even more. This was such a fun run.

After running 20 miles in the heat there are a series of requirements you must foll0w:
1) Get in your car.
2) Drive to the nearest gas station. Do not pass go. Just get there.
3) Walk inside and buy an ice cold Coke.
4) Disregard the people who can't seem to take their eyes off your dirty, sweat-crusted face. They will think to themselves "Gosh, that guy looks like he just got back from 'Nam!"

35 Miler and Eating My Weight In Junk Food

2011-10-16T07:21:00.000-06:00

"Common sense is necessary....more so than high tech. Race to the finish not race from the start, pace yourself, run your own race and don't get sucked into someone else's, walk when you need to, run when you can, eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we will hurt." ~ Keven Sayers

Monday, October 10th 2011: 5 miles @ 10:30 minutes per mile.
Tuesday, October 11th 2011: 10 miles @ 11:25 minutes per mile.

Wednesday, October 12th 2011: 35 miles @ 12:37 minutes per mile. This run was so beautiful that I couldn't help but take tons of pictures. I ran along the Arizona Strip dirt road and some other side trails. The moon was almost down when I started running:

Take my word for it, these pictures don't do justice to how amazing the scenery is in this area. The deep red mountains against the deep blue sky just can't be captured by a camera.

I always start this run wondering if there will be anything to photograph that I haven't already. And yet there is always something new that I've never seen before. Even the different lighting or clouds make each trip unique. We got lots of rain last week and I loved how some grass cut tracks through the mud:

I focused on going very slow to conserve my energy for the long run. When I felt like I was at a comfortable pace I slowed down even more. If I'm going to make it through 100 miles I will have to take it very easy and never exert myself. My jumping was a little rusty - it took me four tries before I got this (bonus points for my farmer tan):

There are rarely any flowers here, but with the rain they sprouted up all over. An inconsiderate bug may have (did) crawl up my shorts as I was sitting on the ground to take this picture:

Earlier in the year I ran 34 miles at quite a bit faster pace. Initially I was a little discouraged but then realized that when I ran that far earlier in the year it was around 25 DEGREES cooler. But this time I ran through the heat of the day, and the high temperature for the day was 83 degrees.

In the last few miles I took a new side trail. It was a steep two miles in deep sand but the view from the top was worth the sand I got in my shoes:

Right before I got back to my car I came across a large puddle of water where I could see a reflection of the mountains:

Including my running time plus time stopped to stretch, go to the bathroom, and refill my water, I was out on the trail for more than eight hours. When I finished, I didn't necessarily feel good, but I also didn't feel bad. I felt like I could have gone father if I wanted to, but another 65 miles is kind of hard to wrap my head around.

Thursday, October 13th 2011: Rest. I felt starved for calories. During the day I ate toast, a Butterfinger, a maple bar, an In & Out combo meal, a taco salad, and cheesecake. Now if that isn't a reason to run, I don't know what is!

Friday, October 14th 2011: Rest.

Saturday, October 15th 2011: 20 miles @ 11:35 minutes per mile. I felt so good during this run and took lots of pictures that I'll show you in another post.

This week was a big psychological boost for me in preparation for the ultra. By slowing my pace a little I was able to cover lots of miles and never felt sore. I've noticed that my focus has become doing each run smartly so that I can recover quickly and be ready for the next run. I feel good.

Are you watching baseball playoffs?
Without a doubt! Nothing better than baseball in October.

Is junk food one of your weaknesses?
I never met something from the bakery that I didn't like.

Ever had a close encounter with a bug?
Having a bug crawl up my shorts wasn't as bad as when my hand got stung by a bumble bee and got so fat that my hand looked like the Nutty Professor.

Fotography Friday

2011-10-14T06:36:00.000-06:00

Is it legal to put a few completely un-running-related pictures on a running-related website? Maybe on Fridays I'll put a random photo that has no sweat attached.

I snapped these at Kolob Reservoir right as the leaves were starting to change:

If You're A Slow Runner...

2011-10-13T06:05:00.000-06:00

I have no running skills. The word "Fast" in fastcory.com is enormously sarcastic. "Fast" and "Cory" are polar opposites. Technically they shouldn't be in the same sentence together.

So....what I lack in running skills, I try to make up for in jumping skills. Here are a few photos from the recent St. George Marathon.

Around mile 20:

Crossing the marathon finish line. Mel said she wanted to jump across with me but ran out of energy so she jumped in her head:

"The difference between a jogger and a runner is an entry blank." - George Sheehan

Why Run 100 Miles

2011-10-12T07:05:00.001-06:00

My first 100 mile ultra, the Javelina Jundred, is exactly one month away (Cue butterflies in the stomach). I've been wanting to tackle a 100 miler for more than a year now, but a few things happened that made me decide now is the time.

1) I'm ready for the unknown. After doing maybe a dozen marathons, I'm pretty sure now as I stand on the marathon starting line that I'm going to be able to finish. The 100 mile ultra is something completely new and different. I'm intrigued by the unknown. Ultrarunners say you experience the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I want to see what that's like.

I'd be a liar if I said I'm confident that I'll be able to finish under the 30 hour cutoff. I really don't know. (I'm guessing that anyone attempting their first 100 would be lying if they said they were confident that they could finish.) But I DO know that I'm going to plan to race smartly, and give everything I've got to make it to the finish.

2) The Javelina Jundred in particular sounds like so much fun. All the race reviews say it is like a 30 hour party. A "javelina" is some kind of wild pig but it's pronounced "Havelina". Race directors played on this "J" that sounds like an "H" by saying it's a Jundred mile race. It is held on a weekend close to Jalloween. Some of the aid stations are Jeadquarters and Jackass Junction. The whole experience sounds just plain fun.

3) I'm slow. I knew I was going to sign up for the 100 after getting a PR at the Top of Utah Marathon. I had trained hard, was well-prepared, and was confident in getting a personal record under 4 hours 25 minutes. I hoped to get around 4 hours. And yet I crossed the finish line in 4 hours 24 minutes. It was a bittersweet moment. I was happy to get a PR, but disappointed that it was by only one minute. One sissy minute.

A light bulb went off. I realized that I'm just not a fast runner. Maybe I'm not ever going to be fast. But maybe I could use that to my advantage because I do have endurance. During an ultra you don't need to be fast, you need to be steady. This is right up my ally. I've run 50k and 50 miles so now I'm ready to go for the whole enchilada.

I have this strong desire to show that an exceedingly average runner can still accomplish something big. I'm excited for this new adventure. I can't wait to jave fun, run with my whole jeart and soul, and jave an excuse to eat all the Jostess my stomach can jold. Ja ja ja.

Most Miles Ever - 75 This Week

2011-10-10T06:37:00.001-06:00

"Any idiot can run a marathon. It takes a special kind of idiot to run an ultramarathon." ~ Alan Cabelly

Monday, October 3rd 2011: Rest. The benefit of doing the St. George Marathon on Saturday at mock-turtle pace was that I didn't feel one bit sore afterward. I took a rest day just to be safe.

Tuesday, October 4th 2011: 5 miles @ 10:25 minutes per mile. I ran so early in the morning that I must have still been asleep. I don't remember anything from this run.

Wednesday, October 5th 2011: 30 miles @ 11:56 minutes per mile. I ran on the Warner Valley dirt road. I heard that a storm would be coming into the area. Even though it was overcast when I started, it kind of looked like I would miss it.

During the long run I listened to talks from the recent Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints conference which kept my brain occupied. I had two destinations that I had never run to: the Warner Valley Dinosaur Tracks and Fort Pearce. The trip to the dinosaur tracks (around 10 miles) was fairly uneventful. I kept an easy pace and focused on never getting out of breath. I was happy that I took it slow enough to not break a sweat until around 10 miles.

The dinosaur tracks were okay, although probably not worth making the trip again. The coolest part was knowing that I was standing in the same spot that I dinosaur had stood thousands of years ago.

On to the highlight: Fort Pearce. I took a wrong turn and ended up wandering around for a few miles but finally found the fort after running about 15 miles. It was built in 1866 during the Black Hawk War. I've been reading a lot of local history lately so I was excited to check this place out.

I only stayed a few minutes then headed for home. There were darker storm clouds rolling in which made for good pictures but also made me nervous.

I started to feel a bonk coming on at about mile 20. I knew why. I wasn't sticking with my fueling plan. In ultras they say to eat 200-300 calories per hour. I wasn't even close to that. In my whole 30 miles I only had:
4 Gu packets
2 Vespa packs
1/2 peanut butter sandwich
60 oz. water
and then my saving grace at mile 20:

I also didn't drink much because I was nervous that I would run out of water. After I ate the Snickers my stomach tied up in knots but thankfully eased up after I walked a few miles.

At around mile 21 the skies opened up and the rain started pouring. Within minutes I was soaked to the bone and freezing cold. Those were a long couple hours sliding around in the mud before getting back to my car. When I got back to my car I had run 27 miles. I was frozen and desperately wanted to be done. But even more than that I wanted to accomplish my goal of 30 miles. So I kept running. I'm glad I didn't give up.

Thursday, October 6th 2011: 10 miles @ 10:53 minutes per mile pace. I ran crazy early in the morning so I could be home in time to get the kids ready for school. It was cold enough that I could see my breath. It feels like we went right from summer to winter.

I decided I wanted to take a rest day Friday, so on Thursday night I did 4 miles slow and easy. Here is proof of how cold and miserable it has been the last few days: I RAN ON THE TREADMILL. Doing 4 miles on Satan's Sidewalk was so boring that I almost started crying. For much of the run I practiced fast walking since I'll be doing plenty of that during the ultra. Even watching a baseball playoff game didn't make the treadmill any more enjoyable.

Friday, October 7th 2011: Rest.

Saturday, October 8th 2011: 13 miles @ 12:12 minutes per mile. I ran around the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve and left really early while it was still dark. It was cold and windy and I didn't get into a groove until the sun came up:

This week I got good training for the upcoming ultramarathon by running on tired legs. I figured out that starting last Saturday, during a six-day stretch (which includes two rest days) I ran 75 miles. That is the most miles I've ever done in one week. Not a single one of those miles was fast, but I'm thankful my body seems to be holding up well.

Do you like running in the rain?
Normally I love it, except on trails when it gets muddy.

Is the treadmill the most evil invention ever?
Why, yes. Yes it is.

St. George Marathon 2011 Review

2011-10-02T07:22:00.001-06:00

I present to you...The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the 2011 St. George Marathon:

The Good: At three photo points photographers told me they got some awesome jumping pictures. One even called me back to show me a few of my jumping pics.
The Bad: The hottest temperature at the starting line in race history. No bueno.
The Ugly: My fluorescent orange thrift store trucker hat with a pom pom on top.

At the expo the night before the race I was able to see this year's poster given to all 7,000+ runners. I was thrilled when I learned that they were using one of my pictures for the poster!

On race morning we boarded our bus for the starting line. We had no idea that our driver was about to give us a taste of the Matterhorn ride at Disneyland. Whoa mama. It was fun to meet up with our whole gaggle of friends. Obviously this is before the race started because we're all still smiling:

I found this awesome fluorescent orange hat years ago and I break it out on rare occasions. The finishing touch is a bright orange pom pom on top. When was the last time you saw a hat with a pom pom on top of a hat? Ultra-classy.

I was looking forward to running the marathon with my wife Mel again. She has been training well and thought she may be ready to break her PR of 5:26. Whenever possible during the race, I ran on a dirt shoulder instead of the road which makes my knees happier.

We reached the town of Veyo at mile 7 which is arguably the hardest part of the course. Not because of the dreaded Veyo hill. But because you pass a restaurant where you can smell the sweet breeze of bacon and eggs. It tempts you to quit the race and walk into the cafe. Instead we decided to just have some oranges and Gatorade at the aid station. Bleh.

We were still feeling good when we arrived at the Veyo Hill. It is steep and long, and you can walk up it almost as fast as you can run up it. Here is Mel running a little stretch of the hill.

Still feeling good after Veyo, we thought we were pacing well and were right where we needed to be with time. There is nothing like being part of an enormous group with a collective purpose: keep putting one foot in front of the other until you reach the finish line 26.2 miles later.

You know who was great? All the volunteers were great! No, they were even greater than great. They were the greaterest. I am always amazed at how kind, helpful, and happy each of the hundreds of volunteers are. I tried to thank every single volunteer I saw. You know who else is awesome? Our neighbor Mel who hung up lots of signs along the way:

We listened to the same radio station as we were running. I felt a little sheepish as we were singing "Another One Bites the Dust" on the radio at the same moment we happened to be passing a guy. He probably thought we were ultra-jerks.

I would now like to introduce to you the most beautiful section of scenery there ever was in a marathon - Snow Canyon:

We had some good, some bad, and some ugly when we got to Snow Canyon. The Good: Clouds had rolled in creating absolutely perfect lighting to take pictures of the scenery. I was in heaven.

The Bad: Despite getting in plenty of training, Mel had IT band and knee problems slap her across the face hardcore starting at mile 12. Mile 12. This is so not good to be unable to run when you still have another gut-wrenching 14 miles to go.

The Ugly: The nail in the coffin was when she had to start an antibiotic yesterday that made her very sick to the stomach. She started dry heaving around the same time her knees acted up. I was pretty sure it was only a matter of time before she was wearing bananas and Gatorade. (Sorry. Was that a tad too descriptive?)

Mel kept saying over and over "Just go. You can leave me. I'll be okay." And I kept saying "No. I'm not leaving. We're doing this together." Still, she told me to go ahead. Eventually I got right to the heart of the matter and said "Listen. This is going to be hard. But you can do it. I'm not leaving you so you don't even need to say it anymore."

By this point Mel was discouraged, frustrated, distraught, and hurting. I knew exactly how she felt. At the Ogden Marathon in May, I beat the race cutoff by a comfortable (cough, cough) 18 minutes. I have done the marathon death shuffle for 10+ miles worrying if I would make the finish line before the cutoff. I felt her pain. But we remembered our friend Carol who we had seen a few hours earlier at the starting line. She is starting chemotherapy AGAIN on Monday and doing this marathon was her way of saying "Screw you cancer!" That makes it hard to feel sorry for yourself.

I was so impressed and inspired by everyone I saw around me in those last 8 miles. I am inspired by all you fast runners, but have you ever had the experience of being surrounded by all those back-of-the-packers who have been out on the course for six hours and every step is pure agony? Incredible. I was amazed by all these people slowly shuffling to the finish.

The community support for the St. George Marathon is unequaled. One person had a table in their front yard full of different kinds of food with a large poster that said "Free Food, Take What You Want". People bought packs of bottled water and stood on the sidewalk giving them away. A mile later, people had filled baggies with ice, then stood on the sidewalk with their cooler giving ice to runners. I thought Mel may start crying tears of joy. These people weren't at aid stations. They were just there being nice. It. Was. Awesome.

I held Mel's hand the last 4 miles to keep her moving. She said if I hadn't been with her she would have quit at Snow Canyon. She said the pain she was feeling may have been worse than childbirth. She said it felt like her whole body had a migraine. But she kept walking. I was so proud of her.

And then 6 hours and 35 minutes after starting the race, we crossed the finish line together. (Yes, I jumped across.) It was 88 degrees when we finished, and we earned some hefty sunburns along with our medals.

During the race I told Mel approximately 382 times how excited I was to get to the finish line so that I could eat obscene amounts of ice cream. I managed to get down 2 king-size ice cream sandwiches. I think I could have done one more but might have ended up wearing it later.

I was happy to cross the finish line with my wife (and my pom pom hat). She endured hard things and didn't give up and definitely had something to be proud of. In finishing the St. George Marathon, I also finished the Utah Grand Slam - completing at least 4 Utah marathons over the summer months. Finishing the Grand Slam was my main goal for the year so I got an awesome Slam medal to join my awesome St. George Marathon Medal.

Now it's time to get down to business and put the finishing touches on training for my first 100 Miler coming up in a month and a half. But I think we'll always remember the amazing journey we had together at the 2011 St. George Marathon.

"The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed."
~ Jacqueline Gareau, 1980 Boston Marathon champ

I Registered for a 100 Mile Ultramarathon!

2011-09-30T06:10:00.002-06:00

I have some exciting news: I signed up to run my first 100 mile ultramarathon! (Cue butterflies in the stomach.) The Javelina Jundred in Arizona is coming up November 12th! The goal: complete 100 miles in less than 30 hours.

Even though the date is coming up soon, don't worry - this is not a decision I've rushed into. I've actually been discussing it with family and a few friends for many months now. I have been planning and training for it for many months but it took some time to build up enough courage to actually register.

I've been talking to a bunch of ultra-runners who said they think my training has prepared me to tackle 100.

In the last six months I have run:
*Six marathons (plus a bunch of halfs)
*One 50k ultramarathon
*One 50 mile run
*Lots of race-specific training (trail running, heat training, etc.)

There are lots of reasons that I think this race will be the perfect fit for me:
1) It's in the desert on trails almost identical to where I train.
2) It's a well-supported race with a history of taking good care of runners.
3) The course is a series of six 15-mile loops (plus a 10 mile loop). I train similarly and I think psychologically this helps to break up the race into chunks.
4) Running the same loop on a well-marked trail will make sure I don't get lost. Previously I was scared of trying 100 because I didn't want to be out by myself in the middle of a race and get lost.
5) It's a big race - almost 400 runners! So I don't think there will be as much of the lonliness that runners feel in most ultras. (Most reviews say it's a 30 hour party + a 100 mile run.)

BRING. ON. 100!!!!!!!!!!!

"Your biggest challenge isn't someone else. It's the ache in your lungs and the burning in your legs, and the voice inside you that yells 'CAN'T", but you don't listen. You just push harder. And then you hear the voice whisper 'can'. And you discover that the person you thought you were is no match for the one you really are."

2 Days Until The St. George Marathon

2011-09-29T07:06:00.001-06:00

I'm so excited for Saturday to run the St. George Marathon with Mel. We have two goals for the marathon:

1) Cross the finish line.
2) Have a crazy, crazy amount of fun.

I have run her two previous marathons with her and they are some of my favorite race experiences. I think we figured out how to have a blast while running 26.2 miles.

Plus, when I finish the St. George Marathon I will also complete the Utah Grand Slam of marathons. This has been a goal of mine for a few years now. Here is a view of where we'll be running in two days:

Big announcement coming tomorrow!

22 Miles Of Bliss

2011-09-28T06:45:00.000-06:00

In the wee hours of the morning yesterday I ran 22 miles @ 11:53 minutes per mile pace. I learned a valuable lesson. When you take your camera running, it doesn't work nearly as well if the battery is still at home on the wall charging. Fail. I had to just take pictures with the phone. Booo.

I had been running for hours before the sun came up. It is slightly spooky to be out in the middle of the wilderness all by your lonesome. Gu packets make for terrible company. But running in cooler weather was pure heaven. I was thankful when the sun finally started coming up.

Later I saw some big muther paw prints in the dirt. I suppose they could be from a dog, but I don't think so because they were coming down from the mountain. I was so thankful that I didn't end up being breakfast for some animal. You can see how big the tracks were:

One of the wierder things I ever seen while running: an enormous pile of black feathers scattered everywhere. It looked like a flock of birds had swallowed fire crackers. But there was no sign of any dead birds. Just feathers everywhere. This is only a part of the carnage. Strange.

I was surprised how good I felt during the whole run. The cooler temps made such a huge difference in covering the 22 miles. Since the St. George Marathon is coming up in a few days I made sure to take it very easy and went slow enough that I never felt out of breath. I felt like I could run forever.

Finally, the coolest part of the whole day. I ran past a butterfly that was just sitting on the trail. I stopped and took a few pictures. I came by the same place about 30 minutes later and it was still there! I stuck my finger out and it crawled right on. It was the perfect ending to a great run.

Marathon Motivation

2011-09-27T07:16:00.000-06:00

Check back in the next few days. There's more where this came from:

My Close Encounter With A RATTLESNAKE

2011-09-25T09:17:00.001-06:00

Monday, September 19th 2011: Rest. My legs were still crazy sore from the Top of Utah Marathon a few days ago. My legs hurt when I blinked.

Tuesday, September 20th 2011: Rest. (And a pack of Hostess Donuts. Mmmm.)

Wednesday, September 21st 2011: 14 miles @ 12:19 minutes per mile. My legs were still a little stiff but it felt good to get them moving again. The worst part of this run was the obscene heat (mid-90's the whole time). After a few hours it felt like my skin was melting off the bones.

I ran around the JEM Trail and Hurricane Rim Trail which has become my favorite place in the world to run. The scenery is so amazing. Many times you find yourself running along the edge of a cliff with river weaving below.

For the first time I experimented with a black and white setting on my camera. I liked how it gave some contrast to the views.

I'm still trying to make friends with my Camelbak. It was too hot to just rely on my handheld bottles. Me and Camelbak are at least on speaking terms.

I was sporting some nice tan lines around my ankles when I got home. (Tan lines = dirt lines.) (Pedicure courtesy of my 7 & 8 year old little girls.)

Thursday, September 22nd 2011: Rest.

Friday, September 23rd 2011: 15 miles @ 11:30 minutes per mile. I headed out for my run right after work Friday evening and the temp was still in the mid-90's. I ran a different section of the JEM trail. You know, there is nothing better than trail running. I would take dirt over road in a heart beat. You have to let down your pride a little on trails because your 9 minute mile on the road can easily turn into an 11 or 12 minute mile on a trail. Running up hills like this will slow you down a bit:

This is my favorite overlook of the whole area. Pictures can't do it justice. You are high on a cliff overlooking amazing desert scenery and red rippled mountains. It is incredible. I experimented with a bandanna over my ears and neck to see if it would keep me cooler. I think it did, even if it cost me looking more nerdy than usual.

I ran 9 miles on the trail then met Kelly, Micah, Michelle, Braydon, and Mel for a 6 mile night run. The run was followed by amazing pie and Taco Bell - certainly a highlight of the day.

Saturday, September 24th 2011: 14 miles @ 11:24 minutes per mile. I heard MC Hammer on the radio while I was running. Really! Any run is a good run when it's Hammer Time.

I went back to the JEM trail again. Again, scorching hot. I didn't take my camera this time because I had already taken 119 pictures over the last few days and figured I'd be able to go faster without the camera. Big mistake.

I ran a section of the trail that I have never done before. There was weeds and growth surrounding a few miles of the trail which limited visibility. I was just moving along minding my own business when I came around a corner and then....

Came one step away from running over a RATTLESNAKE!!!!!

I screamed like a little schoolgirl and then it rattled at me some more. I was completely terrified. It didn't slither away, it just stayed right on the trail so I went wide around it. I couldn't believe how big it was. It stayed curled up ready to strike. I didn't have my camera but looked up a picture and this is exactly what it looked like:

This is positively the scariest thing that has ever happened to me while running. It still gives me the willies every time I think about it. I probably won't run that section again.

Other than the snake incident, it was a good week. I was happy that I was able to do a 14, 15, and 14 miler less than a week after the marathon. Only six more days until the St. George Marathon!

What is the scariest thing that has happened to you while running?

Soreness After A Marathon

2011-09-21T06:31:00.001-06:00

It is now four days following the Top Of Utah Marathon, and let me tell you something amigo: my legs are crazy, crazy sore. Not really even my legs, just my quads. My quads are crazy, crazy sore. Those downhill races definitely put your quads through the meat grinder.

The good news is that I have survived Monday.

The Monday after a race is always the worst for me. Usually a few hours after a Saturday race I'm feeling good enough that I could go run again. On Sunday I am much more sore. I start the Feeling-Like-Frankenstein walk.

But Monday? Monday?!? Sweet angel of death, Monday is horrible. My quads feel like they have been trampled by a herd of overweight ostriches. It takes tremendous mental will-power and determination to lift my leg high enough to get in or out of the car. It hurts my legs to breathe. It's always a Monday when I consider changing my hobby from running to stamp collecting.

By Tuesday I feel like a new man. Soreness decreases significantly. But Monday? Ouch. Just plain and simple ouch. This is the most accurate (and highly funny) video I've found about how you feel after a marathon:

After a race, when are you most sore?

Top Of Utah Marathon Review 2011 (And A New PR!!)

2011-09-19T06:31:00.000-06:00

I was excited for the 2011 Top Of Utah Marathon and had a goal of getting a new PR (under 4 hours, 25 minutes, 36 seconds). The course is perfect and the weather was supposed to be perfect.

During my 7 hour drive up to Logan I stopped at Subway in Nephi for lunch and some people I didn't know called me over to their table. They were going up to TOU also and said they liked my pictures and blog. It may have (did) make my day.

Race morning arrived and the weather..... wasn't perfect. It was raining at the starting line but not terribly cold. Then the announcer said it was time to move to the starting line because the race was about to start. The moment he said that, it changed from rain to a complete downpour. I was so thankful I brought a garbage bag, but my feet were completely soaked before the race even started. Grrr.

After about a half hour the rain stopped and it looked like the weather was clearing up so I ditched the garbage bag. (Spoiler alert: this was a bad idea.)

At mile 10 it was like we ran into a wall of pouring water. Pounding thunder shook the canyon and lightning was flashing all over. It was slightly scary and I worried they would call the race. I was so impressed as I looked around me. As we were getting drenched I didn't see one runner whining or complaining or moping. Everyone was so focused and determined that I don't think it really mattered whether it was raining or not.

But it just got crazier. Suddenly the torrential downpour turned to hail! I've had plenty of rocks get into my shoes but never gotten plenty of hail in my shoes. That was certainly a first. The whole scene made me laugh really hard. If an average person saw thousands of people completely soaked running through a hail storm they would have us committed to a mental institution.

During the race I met a guy named John and we ran a bunch of miles together. He was really nice and was running his first marathon. Runners are nice people eh?

I was cruising along making good time, feeling good when I made a quick bathroom stop at mile 15. This was when my race suddenly got much harder. In that one minute of not running, my legs wound up into tight knots. I tried to stretch them but that made them cramp even more.

I kept running hoping they would loosen up but I just couldn't shake the cramps. It was strange, this hasn't happened for a long time. I was drinking and fueling good, and not going too fast for my pace so it may have just been the downhill or the cold or the fact that I stopped for a minute.

I got nervous at mile 20. The thunder really started to kick up again and there was a dark storm rolling in. I really didn't want to run another hour in the rain (thankfully it held off).

In the last few miles I knew I'd really have to push to get under 4:25. My legs just weren't cooperating. My shoes felt like they were 3 pounds heavier. Oh, wait! They were! I was popping Gu packets like Skittles to try and get one last push. Seeing the finish line in the distance made me ecstatic.

I finally made it and jumped across the finish line. I immediately regretted trying to jump because I probably got about 3/4 inch of air. At least I didn't pull the same stunt I did last year at the finish line. Usain Bolt looks awesome. I, on the other hand, looked like a really nerdy cheerleader.

I looked down at my watch and saw that I had achieved a PR by a comfortable (loaded with sarcasm) 1 minute and 4 seconds! To be honest, I felt well-trained and thought I'd be a little faster, but with leg cramps (or anything else that could come up), you just roll with the punches and do the best you can. I felt good knowing that I had 1) earned a PR, and 2) pushed my body to give everything it had.

After I crossed the finish line I saw fellow bloggers Erin & Betsy who were volunteering at the race. I told them two things: 1) Thanks for helping at the finish line! and 2) Okay, I'm going to go die now. My stomach was not at all interested in eating anything. I barely managed to eat a small ice cream sandwich without throwing up. Then I saw John again who did awesome finishing his first marathon!

I took off my shoes to see what damage had been done from running 26.4 miles in soaking wet socks. My skin looked like elephants but I amazingly avoided any blisters. My little girls begged to paint my toenails a few days ago and I realized this was probably good so I wouldn't see if any toenails had turned black.

My ailments were nothing compared to one guy I saw at the finish line who had the worst bloody nipples I have ever seen. I wanted to hug him and tell him I was sorry. A marathon in a soaking shirt could certainly cause problems. I was thankful I remembered Band-Aids.

I felt really happy at the finish line knowing that I had given 100%. It hurt really bad and it was really hard, yet this was the fastest that my legs have ever run 26.2 miles. I was happy. Us runners realize something that non-runners don't: our bodies are capable of so, so much more than most people know.

The Top Of Utah Marathon put on a fantastic race again, as usual. Aid stations were excellent, volunteers were incredible, and the finishers area was perfect. Plus - I love this shirt! The moose wearing running shoes = awesome!

And the medal?!?! This puppy is huge. It's the biggest medal in my collection. This thing is big enough to need a birth certificate. Thank you Top Of Utah for another excellent marathon!

"Some think guts is sprinting at the end of a race. But guts is what got you there to begin with. Guts start back in the hills with 6 miles to go and you're thinking of how you can get out of this race without anyone noticing. Guts begin when you still have forty minutes of torture left and you're already hurting more than you ever remember." ~ George Sheehan

Double Good Luck and Pre-Race Jitters

2011-09-16T06:30:00.001-06:00

I caught this picture a few days ago after a huge storm. Double rainbows = double good luck. Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!

If you're racing, be sure to check out this excellent article "Conquer Your Pre-Race Jitters". I could identify with many of them.

What pre-race jitters do you get?
Yesterday I drove up a hill on my way home from work and said to myself "Man, I wish I had run that hill a few more times before Saturday's marathon." I'm good at questioning my training.

My Quest For a PR (And An Aerodynamic Haircut)

2011-09-14T07:03:00.000-06:00

The Top Of Utah Marathon is coming up in a few days and I'm nervous. I've run lots of marathons this year but haven't actually "raced" a marathon for around a year. Usually I just go to have fun and enjoy the experience. But for this race I want to go fast.

More specifically, I want to run faster than 4 hours & 25 minutes and get a PR. I'm feeling pretty good right now and I think I may have a chance. A few days ago my wife gave me some assistance in my quest for a PR.

She was giving me a hair cut and buzzed the clippers all the way to the top of my head before she realized that she forgot to put on the attachment. (I still don't know how she did the length of my head before realizing her error.) So the clippers went right to my scalp.

Yes. I was scalped by my wife.

I looked positively ridiculous with a big streak of baldness going right down my head. Remember that old saying "You get what you pay for?" The guy who invented that saying had just gotten a haircut from his wife and she forgot to put the attachment on and he got a too-close-for-comfort buzz. Here is a picture after one week of growth:

Thankfully Mel's sister is a hairdresser and repaired the damage as much as possible. Now I look like a drill sergeant. You can call me Serg for short. But I always try to look at things from a Glass-Half-Full perspective. So....I'm considering this my aerodynamic haircut. Having an aerodynamic head will shave (no pun intended) minutes off my time. And then maybe I will get a PR!

Bring. On. Top of Utah!!!

I Ran Through Two States

2011-09-11T07:57:00.000-06:00

Monday, September 5th 2011: 15 miles @ 11:06 minutes per mile pace. I ran part of the Sand Hollow Loop which has quite a few challenging hills. Bonus points to me for not dying. I ran the first 4 miles with Mel and Braydon then did the rest by myself and really enjoyed running alone in the dark. I was right by Sand Hollow Reservoir when the first hint of sun started to show up.

There was a really pretty sunrise coming over the hill but thankfully it didn't distract me too much since a skunk ran right in front of me.

Tuesday, September 6th 2011: Got a highly aerodynamic haircut that I'll tell you more about later.

Wednesday, September 7th 2011: 16 miles @ 11:11 minutes per mile pace. I was excited to try my new trail shoes for the first time: Saucony TR 4. I have run many miles on dirt and trails but never had actual trail shoes until now. I am in love with them. Is it just me, or is the smell of a new pair of shoes not one of the greatest smells in the world? New shoes smell like adventure and potential.

I ran on the Arizona Strip dirt road. The night before I ran I looked on mapmyrun.com to see exactly how far it was from the parking lot to the Arizona state line and found out it is 6.5 miles away. I looked forward to running through two states. The area is so isolated that there is no sign saying that you have crossed into Arizona. So I grabbed a stick and made my own state line.

I also figured that this would be a prime spot for a jumping picture. Just for good measure I did a jumping picture in Utah:

Then I stepped across the line, turned around, and did a jumping picture in Arizona. I noticed that my pose is almost identical. I promise I have never been a cheerleader.

I ran a few more miles in Arizona before coming back to my home state. I only took my two handheld bottles and toward the end I was running out of water. (I'm getting pretty good at that if I do say so myself.) It was a toasty 95 degrees outside. I'm sure my blood resembled hot fudge. Up ahead I saw a can on the side of the road that looked unopened. I prayed that it was a Pepsi. But alas, it was a can of Bud Light. And I don't drink. Grrrr.

Aside from the heat, it was a great run. I drank myself a fat Coca Cola afterward which was amazing. Those know-it-all brainiac scientists who say soda is dehydrating are full of it. My Coke was exactly what the doctor ordered.

Thursday, September 8th 2011: Rest

Friday, September 9th 2011: 5 miles @ 9:16 minutes per mile.

Saturday, September 10th 2011: 4 miles @ 8:58 minutes per mile.

Less than one week until the Top of Utah Marathon. I'm nervous and excited and scared and excited.

Do you have any big races coming up?

Is the heat frying your last few remaining brain cells?

Have you ever worn anything besides road shoes?

The Best Jumper In The World

2011-09-08T17:46:00.000-06:00

The jumping contest has come to an end and the hands-down winner was Christy from Dirt Road Runner. Just looking at her picture made me squirm in pain. That flexibility is stunning.

I just got a new jumping picture myself from the South Valley Half Marathon. I've got so many jumping pictures that I may need to come up with something different to do for race pictures. By all means, I'm opened to suggestions.

St. George Marathon Course - My Advice

2011-09-06T06:57:00.001-06:00

A few people have asked for my advice on the St. George Marathon course. I am by no means an expert on this course but I have run the marathon twice (#3 less than a month away) and have trained on the course many times. Here is what I've learned (and a picture from each lesson):

1) Bring some warm clothes to wear while you wait at the starting line. It can be COLD up there. (If it's like last year when it wasn't cold at the starting line, you know you're in trouble. Prepare for skin-melting heat a few hours later.) Lots of fires help keep you warm.

2) Take it EASY on the Veyo Hill. At mile 7 you reach the hardest part of the course: the Veyo Hill which is about a mile. I've made the mistake to trying to keep an even pace going up the hill and by the time I reach the top I'm fried. Slow down and relax so you can keep your energy for later in the race.

3) Don't think it gets easy after the Veyo Hill. After you reach the top of the hill, there are still a few miles of gradual incline. Mentally this section is challenging because you worry about your pace slowing down. Again - don't panic. Downhill will be coming soon.

4) In the Beginners Clinic at the expo (highly recommended!), Terry Tucker says that if you don't get a negative split (running the second half of the race faster than the first), you have done something dramatically wrong. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. I talked to him a few days ago at church and he recommended trying to do the first half around 4-5 minutes slower.

5) 14 is the magic number. Get to Mile 14 and then you're in business. This is when the downhill really starts and you can get down to business. Soon you reach Snow Canyon which is probably the most beautiful section of a marathon I have ever run.

6) Save a little energy for the last two miles. The steep downhills are done and the last few miles are fairly level through neighborhoods. Your quads are screaming by this time so you want to keep a little gas in the tank so you don't have to do the marathon death shuffle as the crowd cheers "You're almost there!" (I perfected the marathon death shuffle my first year.)

7) Take whatever steps are necessary to avoid nausea so that when you reach the finish line you can replace every calorie you just burned by eating face-fulls of Blue Bunny Ice Cream. It is so good that it makes your eyes go buggy. Here's the proof:

Here is an excellent course video that I was able to be a part of. You can hear my voice saying things like "Running is the stupidest hobby ever."

Have you run the St. George Marathon before? Any tips you'd like to add?

Trail Running + The Dark + By Yourself = Scary

2011-09-04T14:29:00.000-06:00

"Small differences in your performance can lead to large differences in your results." ~ Brian Tracy

Monday, August 29th 2011: 6 miles @ 10:43 minutes per mile pace. I took my Camelbak Rogue on the run because I'm trying to like it. For longer trail runs I want the availability of extra water. But I'm just not a fan. It's really comfortable until I actually start running.
I knew I wouldn't be able to do my speed workout on Tuesday so I went to the track late Monday night. It was still crazy hot outside but I was happy that my eight Yasso 800s went pretty good. My times were: 3:52, 3:49, 3:36, 3:46, 3:44, 3:45, 3:48, and 3:32.

I came home and celebrated with a large bowl of ice cream. "Without ice cream, there would be darkness and chaos." ~ Don Kardong

Tuesday, August 30th 2011: Rest

Wednesday, August 31st 2011: 23 miles @ 12:35 minutes per mile pace. I treat each long run as an experiment to see how my body responds to different variables. This time I wanted to see if I could adjust pace so that I felt almost as good at the end as I did at the beginning. I went out to the JEM trail early in the morning while it was still dark.

Note to self: Running in the wilderness + the dark + by yourself = scary. Hearing things rustle in the bushes sent shivers down my spine. I'm sure it was only a rabbit or something, but it sounded like this:

I was so thankful when the sun started to come up an hour later. There was a beautiful sunrise over Zion National Park:

I explored new dirt roads and areas of the trail which were simply breathtaking. I want to go back with my good camera to really do it justice. I thought to myself that I should start a running tour business because if other runners saw these amazing views they would never want to run on pavement again.

My two handheld bottles worked great (gotta love the St. George Running Center bottles. I just ordered a new pair of trail shoes from the St. George Running Center this week! If you're in southern Utah, this is the place to buy shoes.) Runners - if you have never tried a handheld before, give it a try. They are heaven. (HERE is more info about my favorite.)

I was standing on the edge of a cliff admiring the view when a rabbit came up to join me. It wasn't nearly as big as the animal I had imagined a few hours earlier:

I was at about an 11:50 pace when I reached the aid station (car) at mile 17 to refill my bottles. I read about ultrarunners drinking Boost during runs so I bought a bottle and decided I'd experiment during the long run. I drank a bottle and about 10 minutes later my stomach felt so completely, utterly horrible. It felt like someone was playing tug of war with my intestines. I wished I could have thrown up, I think I would have felt much better. My pace slowed to 12:35 after walking a few miles to try and get my stomach back.

It was a tad warm at 95 degrees when I finished. My experiments were helpful. I learned that 1) slowing pace a little helps keep you feeling good the whole time, and 2) Never, ever drink Boost during a run. This is 360 calories, 45g carbs, 14g protein, and 8 ounces of gut-wrenching misery.

Thursday, September 1st 2011: Rest

Friday, September 2nd 2011: 11 miles @ 10:40 minutes per mile pace. This made for an early morning to get the miles in before work. Sleep is for sissies. (Totally kidding - I adore sleep.)

Saturday, September 3rd 2011: 10 miles @ 10:47 minutes per mile pace then later I went out for 3 miles @ 9:31 minutes per mile pace.

I kind of liked doing a few two-a-day runs! I ran 60 miles this week but still had three whole rest days. Only two more weeks until one of my favorite races: the Top Of Utah Marathon. Bring it on!

Do you like two-a-day workouts?
This is the first time I've done them, but I think I'm a convert.

Any scary running-in-the-dark stories?
I run in the dark all the time but running in the dark on trails was slightly scary.

The Jumping Contest Begins!!!!!!

2011-09-02T06:04:00.000-06:00

Alright peeps - it's time to get this party started. I got lots of great submissions for the jumping picture contest. Now it's time to choose a winner!

To vote, leave a comment of who has the bestest jumping picture and in one week we'll see who has the most comments. Tell your family, friends, and grocery store bagger to stop by and vote. You can vote as many times as you want. Easy to vote: just type a name in the Comments section. Each comment = 1 vote. (In addition to typing a name, feel free to add any other random or mildly amusing thought you may have, such as "Is it legal for Neil Diamond to wear that many sequins?")

The winner will receive: a deluxe 4-pack of autographed piano CDs and a pack of Clif Bloks to fuel your future running endeavors. And the contestants are......

Christina @ The Athletarian

Beth @ WellIllBe

Cherie (I'm proud to say I took this photo)

Jess @ Journey To The Land of Skinny

Katya

Christy @ Dirt Road Runner

Vanessa @ Gourmet Runner

Kelsey

Matt @ Go, Smitty, Go!

Rachelle @ Running For Trevor

Josh

Ashley @ Redonk Runner

Best of luck to all you fellow jumpers!

Funniest Running Video Ever

2011-09-01T06:23:00.001-06:00

I admit, I sobbed while watching this video. I couldn't hear some parts because I was laughing so loud. This is the life that running has created for me. They could film a documentary of my life and this is what it would look like (except that I'm not as good at talking like a robot).

Grab the tissues because this will make you laugh so hard that you'll cry.

Good News - St. George Marathon Poster

2011-08-30T06:42:00.001-06:00

Got some good news - I've learned that one of my pictures is being used for the St. George Marathon poster again this year! I'm really excited. I love how the St. George Marathon prints a poster for all 7,400 runners.

This was my picture they used last year. It's nice to have good things come from being nerdy enough to wear a fanny pack during a marathon.

You will have to wait one more month to see which picture they use for the new poster. I will be happy to autograph your poster which may increase its value around three cents!