Sapper Joe 50K

Sapper Joe 50K

Wow! What a wild course. First of all the Sapper Joe 50K is a trail run that is ran/run at the Camp Williams Army National Guard base south of Salt Lake. It is a very scenic and difficult course that we were told is about 70% runnable. I think that is being awfully generous. We started right out of the parade grounds and up a firebreak for the first 5 miles and we covered 1200' in elevation. Straight up and straight down. I fell twice and did the one cheek sneak down a rocky incline. Fun. Once I got my feet back under me and going again. I tippy toed the rest of the hill and got back in the game. The next 6 were a little more runnable with a little gravel road stretch that helped me regain my rhythm. A very scenic and pretty course. I expect to see lots of destroyed ground, being that we were running through the impact area and were told to not pickup any "shiny objects". All I saw were lots of oaks, and wild flowers. The profile lived up to its description there were many nasty ups with lots of loose rocks all over. I hooked up with my new best friend Tom and we ran the last 17 together and it was real nice to have him along for the ride. The last five miles was truly all downhill and the one totally runnable section of trail. This was a very well organized race, all the aid stations had ice cold water, tons to eat and the Guard guys were awesome. That was huge on a day like we had. My goal was to stay hydrated and not puke, and with the help of the Succeed Amino and S-Caps I was able to get it done without hitch. I felt great and stayed strong through the whole race. I know now that if I stay focused and drink like I did during this race I will be fine at SP50 in two weeks. One more step towards getting it done at Wasatch. There are pictures to follow once I get them.

Ogden Marathon

A quick Race report about the Ogden Marathon. I had hopes of a PR at Ogden and went out hard and ready to do just that. I was 1:51 at the half and felt real good till about 22 and then, I just didn't have the legs. I know my weakness was lack of speedwork and know what I need to do. That is the challenge I have as I train for the Wasatch 100 I have to balance the long and slow with the short and faster. So I have a plan in mind and we will see if I reap the benefits. Ogden is a great race and course. The weather was perfect and I am happy with a 4:02, I was 4:05 last year so improvement is improvement. I will post some photos as I get them.

Moab Half Marathon

The Moab Half marathon was my wife Kandi's first 1/2 marathon on the farthest she had run. She did awesome at 1:50:46. It was a great day and tons of fun. She had a bunch of ladies from the neighborhood run and everyone finished well. I was just along for the ride.

A picture of the runners/finishers! Troy, Kim, Tari, Cherie, Jenni, and my wife Kandi


















Great Job!

Salt Lake Marathon April 18, 2009

A little stroll through the Salt Lake Valley. This would be my friend Scott's first marathon and I volunteered to help him make it a successful finish. And that is exactly what we did. It was a great day for a run temps in the 40's at the start and nearly 70 at the finish. We had some friends with us, Keith Jensen was back in the run for his first marathon in 10 years and Scotty K was going for the Salt Lake double, he started at the finish at 2 am and ran to the start and was looking down the barrell of 52.4 miles and yes he got it done.

A few pictures of the event.

Keith, Scott and Troy feeling real good at mile 2

Scott Kunz 50 miles into a 52.4 mile day what an animal.

Just me, rocking along at mile 25

Liberty Park mile 23

At the finish line 4:12:18 not a bad first marathon. Great Job Scott!

Finisher Video Antelope Island 50 Miler

Finisher Video at the Antelope Island Buffalo run 50 Miler

Scott and I running into the finish. My first 50 mile run.

And this video illustrates what happens if you don't make Mr Electrolyte your friend. This shouldn't be part of your race plan. Watch, enjoy, and hopefully learn from my suffering.

Antelope Island Buffalo Run 50 Miler

Antelope Island Buffalo Run 50 Miler


All I can say is "whew"! That was a long run. Here are a few shots of my first 50 mile run.














Here I am on the Elephant Head Trail section of the run about mile 10 (notice the smile).








A little farther down the trail at about mile 21 (smile fading)












No smile, but feeling real good. Pretty day, nice course. Mile 26















Time to refuel at the Aid station Mile 27.4





















Mile 40. Just moving along.















Right here at about Mile 48, the wheels are still on, and I am still pushing to be done. Mr Electrolyte and I have not been close enough friends. Not too long after this shot I blow chunks. Electrolytes are your friends. Hows that for a learning experience?

I do however finish a very well organized 50 mile run at Antelope Island smack dab in the middle of the Great Salt Lake. Great weather great people. Specail thanks to Scott Kunz for the photos and pacing. I am forever indebted to you for your patience.

It was all I expected it to be and much more. I learned a lot and look forward to my next 50.

Never, never, never give up

Here is an article that I had saved on my computer, I regret not knowing whom to give credit to. It is however not written by me and I get no credit for it nor do I want any, just spreading the good word. I am sure I came across it while surfing the web and saved it for future motivational reading. I really like the point it makes. I hope we can all follow the advice given.

Never Give Up

I have frequently read about Winston Churchill's final speech. He was in his 90's, in very poor health, and had agreed to speak to his former high school pupils. On the day, when introduced in glowing terms, Winston Churchill slowly made his way to the podium, looked at the assembly and said, "Never give up; never, never, never give up."

It's a quotation you will find in many books and often used in training manuals and by motivational speakers seeking to inspire their audience. Winston Churchill spoke from a position of age and experience. There were many times throughout the course of his long-lived life that it seemed all over for him. In 1940, in the darkest days of World War II when Britain stood alone, he became the Prime Minister. His sentiment then, and later in life, was never to give up.

It begs the question never give up on exactly what? I intuitively know he means never give up trying, but upon personal reflection it's about never giving up hope. When you buy a book on self-improvement, on well being, or on weight loss, you are not buying a solution, you are buying the hope that the changes you seek may be realized.

I recently read about an experiment where 40 mice were put in an aquarium tank with no way to climb out. After two hours, whilst they paddled on the surface, 20 were removed at random and were then put in space where they could dry off and eat. They were then tagged and returned to the aquarium and left there. It was noted that the mice that had never been taken out of the tank, drowned within a few hours, but the mice that had been given a chance to dry and eat, continued in some cases up to three days before they drowned. The conclusion was that the mice who were taken out of the tank returned to the aquarium with the hope that they could survive, the hope that they could get out again. The other mice tired and without hope or a positive expectation – gave up.

I know several high altitude mountaineers and explorers and others who have been in survival experiences. They all agree that once hope is removed, it's very easy to give up, and at that point dying becomes the likely outcome. There are books that recount people who defied the odds and survived when the situation seemed hopeless; when their companions simply gave up and quickly passed away.

How often have you told yourself, "That's not fair," and the feeling of being a victim of circumstances made you feel like giving up? Not too often, I hope. If you focus on the negative aspects of the past or the present, it's easy to imagine that nothing will change. It's also the perfect reason why you must focus on a positive future, take actions that give you the hope and belief that things are going to be great, and never, never, never give up.