Dare to be great!

Started at the bottom on the canyon road and ran up the canyon for four miles then back down.  Added some extra laps around the pond.  

Ran from the forest service boundary up to the top to the towers on Thompson Basin.  Got my PR on the way up: 57:23.  2,466' of climbing.  Good solid push on the way up, I was only forced to walk for about 50 yards right by the top as the snow bank started breaking through.  Just cruised on the way down...

Ran on the dirt road from Bishops, as usual not another soul around just me and my dog.  I had my music in this morning and enjoyed being able to run faster without running up the mountain.  Nine miles, felt good.

Ran Flat Canyon this morning.  Had some tightness in my left achilles so I took it pretty easy.  I was planning on doing six or seven but once I hit the slot canyon and started exploring I kept going until I needed to call it to get to work.  Pretty cool area up there once you do some climbing around the boulders blocking the way and can keep going up the wash.  

Took the dog and went on a hike in the hills south of town.  Pretty steep but short and sweet.

Met up with Shane at the parking lot by the gun range above the Orem Cemetary.  Ran the trails (possible called middle earth) until we changed sides of the road and ran south of the canyon by Bridal Veil Falls, came out by Indian Springs then made our way back to the parking lot.  Felt good to hit my old trails again, nice loop and we beat the rain.

Ran up elk hill until I hit 3 miles then came back down.  Pretty muddy down low from all the rain last night.  Had to open the office or I would have ran more, but time was short.

Ran up the dairy dirt road this morning.  Had a skunk with it's tail up in the first quarter mile but saw it before the dog and got control of her and avoided a stinky situation.  AP 8:22

Had to be at the elementary school by 0600 hrs to go on a field trip to watch the Bee's play with the 5th graders.  Did not wake up early to run and was working in the yard all night until dark.  Managed a short run around the block to at least get a run in.

Parked at the bottom of the CC trail and ran to the forest service sign then down the side trail to the North.  Hit the trail along the frontage until I hit 5 miles then went back the way I came,  nice loop but I was worried as it had about 1500' of climbing and my 50 mile I just signed up for has over 9000' of climbing.  I was thinking about doing three loops of this to get a 30 mile run in but it still won't be enough elevation to similate the race.  Still a good run...and I am feeling healthy although worn down from training in the mornings, working all day, then working in the yard all night trying to prepare for grass and garden.  

Ran up Monroe Canyon to Monrovian then took the 2nd left hand fork trail to the 3rd left hand fork trail.  Had never ran up 3rd left hand, pretty overgrown at the moment.  Good climbing day for me and me dog, over 3,000 of up and then back down.  Fairly rocky and overgrown on the trail so kept it in control until I was back to Monrovian then took it controlled back down the canyon.

Drove to the trail head at start of the canyon and ran along the paved path that heads to Big Rock Candy Mountain.  AP: 8:08  My legs were starting to get pretty heavy on the way back most likely from my two hard runs the last two days.  I had to keep telling myself it was supposed to be hard and I needed to train my body to run on tired legs.  It also didn't help my power ran out on my music in the first 30 seconds and as I ran to Big Rock Candy Mountain that pesky (although catchy) tune got stuck in my head...

I was pretty beat yesterday.  Slept in, did a couple minutes on the stationairy bike at work.  Woke up today feeling somewhat better, could tell my legs took a beating from the paved running last weekend.  Started at the bottom of the hot springs and went straight up the hills behind them off trail just following deer trails.  Fairly steep for the first mile and a half, then jumped on the 4 wheeler track on the top and then cut off again and wound my way back down to the petroglyph canyon and then looped back to the car.  

Went up shingle creek, to scrub flat trail, to Washburn lake.  Hit the ridge above the lake and looped around back down.  Good climb on the way up to the lake.

Ran from the side canyon just North of the mouth of the canyon.  Had fun exploring up the game trails up the mountain on a blustery morning.  Went up for an hour then started working my way back down.

Went to Capital Reef with the family, did some hikes and ran back down with Trenton.

Went to Hickman Bridge in the morning then hiked to Cassidy Arch.  Beautiful area to enjoy with the family.

It was my wife's birthday yesterday so I took the day off from training to allow her time to do what she wanted.  Hit the dirt road out of Bishops this morning and legs were feeling pretty good, probably because I did not run hardly at all last week.  Got to buckle down and do a final build up these next three weeks then a short taper before the Bryce 50.

Alarm did not go off this morning.  Only had a little bit over an hour to run before the elementary school field day started.  Elected to go up the mountain instead of getting more mileage in.  Tried to go south of the canyon but the stream was ripping with the runnoff and I got worried about the dog crossing it so we went North of the mouth.  Good steep climb up deer trails then looped back down the wash at the bottom.  Kids did great at the field day and I am glad I was able to take the day off work to watch them.  Trenton (5th grade) won the mile in a time of 6:25ish.  Spent the rest of the day finally planting the garden.

Ran on the Dairy dirt road from the rodeo grounds.  Legs felt fairly decent this morning.  Nice ten mile run to start the morning off right...

Ran up the trail to elk hill then went up the west hillside a bit.  Had a group of coyotes seranade me and Laci this morning.  Just took it easy for a recovery this monring.

I really needed to get a long run in today.  Shane called and said he would be in town and wanted to go on an afternoon run.  I decided to split my run to be able to accomadate him.  Did 15 in the morning solo along the foothills south of town.  Went up a canyon for a few miles and the creek was crossing the trail several times with runoff flowing down the trail for much of it.  No sense trying to stay dry so I just plunged in and enjoyed the numbing cold waters.  Went back down after the trail ended and ran and saw two paragliders taking off from the hill, I ran over and watched them take off then skirted around the hills off trail.  Not too enjoyable this time of year as there is a lot of cheat grass and cactus hidden below.  I just wanted to get a good amount of time on my legs and was able to go for four hours.  Got home, ate, then worked in the yard shoveling gravel and transporting it to the back of our lot for more than five hours.  Then Shane called and said he was ready to go.  Met about six and I drove us up the canyon to First Left Hand Fork Trail and we power hiked up to Washburn reservior. then ran down about six and a half miles more.  Felt good to get some time on the legs.

Memorial Day: Woke up and did four repeats at the hot springs with Laci.  6.2 miles

Then drove to Kanarraville Falls with the family and hiked up the awesome slot canyon to the falls.  Had a great time hiking through the creek and enjoying the time with the family.  6.6 mile hike

Lunch run out on the Red Rock with the CC/104 loop thrown in.  Need to get more heat training in.