For some unknown reason, I've wanted to do the Wasatch 100. It is really impressive that people can run that far over such difficult terrain. It is all very inspiring to me. Maybe sometime I'll try it. MAYBE. I've had a lot of fun trail running the last couple of years and this year I decided it would be fun to run the race course in manageable 20-25 mile chunks just as a litmus test to see how tough I am and whether or not I could pull something like that off if I wanted to.
I have always been a very recreational runner, but with my new renewed interest in ski touring, I thought running would be a good way to get stronger for my winter activities. Also, it provides a good opportunity to do some recon and see if there are good ski lines to be had.
At any rate, I started at East Mountain Wilderness Park at 5a after stashing my bike at the bottom of Bair Canyon and headed off. The Great Western Trail is awesome. It climbs and climbs and climbs with views of the valley the whole way. Everyone once in a while I'd look down and notice that I was gaining altitude. It was awesome seeing the sunrise and mountain shadows stretch across the valley as the sun did it morning yawns before doing its business in scorching the desert earth.
Up at 9k feet, spring is just starting it seems. Buds were starting to appear and grasses peeking up out of the thawing dirt. I picked my way over the trail below Thurston Peak. I detoured up to the top of Thurston Peak(highest point in Davis County) to check out the view. I took a minute to stuff some snow into my camelbak as I was already running low on water and headed back down to catch the trail again.
Proof that I made it to the top.
View looking South from Thurston.
Eventually I ended up at the top of Bair Canyon and it was time to tenderize my quads and blow out my knees by dropping approximately 5,000 feet in 4 miles. Ouch! Picked up the bike at the bottom and rode back to the trail head to get the car. All in all a fun day.
Stats according to Garmin:
Ascent: 7,316
Descent: 7,427
Miles covered: 17 running, 5 on a bike.
Time: 4:30. Someone else go run it and tell me if I'm fast or slow.
8 comments:
Dang that's sweet
--Nate
Dude. This is HUGE. Totally stoked on this one. I wish I had the man-skills to pull something like this off. Well done.
You don't know who I am but I am Jami's friend from high school and I read her blog and she had a link to yours...anyways, I am in no way a runner like Jami is BUT I did do the Wasatch 100 and it was AWESOME. It's totally a "do it at least once" kind of thing. It's so freaking hard but so worth it when you finish. I think you should do it. That's all.
Nice run bro....that's pathetically slow though. (just kidding...I have no clue, and its probably way faster than I could do it.) That 5000' drop in 4 miles does sound like a brutal quad beater.
But seriously, if you want a gauge for fast trail running check out http://antonkrupicka.blogspot.com. Except that the dude is from another planet when it comes to mountain running speed, so don't even bother comparing yourself with him.
Also, since you're into trail running right now...you should come run Kings peak with me on August 21st. About 15-20 of us are getting together to run it that saturday, most people are coming up from salt lake and camping at Henry's fork the night before. It would be sweet if you could come.
Aaron,
I'd love to go if I weren't going to be in Mexico that day.
Gage,
I heard that you did the race. Very impressive. Maybe next year...
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