Tall Mormon

One step, two step, three step, four, five step six step, seven step, roar! That roar is not the sound of Katy Perry, nor of a champion as they cross the finish line.  I'm running more than a mile so it has to mean dysentery and an angry stomach! 

Today I ran 3 miles for the first time since August. That happens to be the same time I stopped blogging, there is a story behind it all, but that is not the story that we shall share today. No today is Double Dump Day.

I always seem so lucky to find bathrooms when out on my runs. Sometimes it is an emergency room, a gas station, a church, a school, a park, and heck even a large rock. However in Utah in winter one must get creative because all parks lock up for the winter. Today I was lucky enough to find me a honey bucket on a construction sight. I don't question these gifts from god, I just use them as the gift was intended. I sat, I warmed up a few degrees and let the weight be released. 

To try something once and to not succeed is not failure, unless you never try it again. Deseret Peak located in Utah’s Great Basin Region left me high and dry ten years ago when I failed to reach it’s lofty 11,031 foot summit. Ten years ago my cousin Hollie and I spent our Labor Day hiking up this breathtaking mountain, only to be stopped 1,000 vertical feet short by some serious ailment happening with me. She was so sweet, and not upset at all and we turned back to the car. We always promised to come back to visit that peak together and reach it’s summit.

A few short years later I would lose my cousin, best friend, and the sister I never had, Hollie, to a car accident. We would never get to summit Deseret Peak before her passing, and something about that mountain all of a sudden seemed sacred. For a long time I thought that if I couldn’t summit it with Hollie then I just wouldn’t summit it. Time passed, and I soon realized that to summit that mountain is exactly what she would want me to do, and she would be there cheering me on the whole way to the top. Years and years later, the opportunity presented itself for me to try for the summit of this mountain again

Saturday was the perfect day for a hike. The Brenns, and Andy, Jane, and myself took off on a cool, crisp, fragrant morning for the heights of Deseret Peak. The first few miles felt good, and I was happy to be outside and just enjoying life. My cousin was often on my mind, wondering what her life would be like now if it was her beside me hiking. After a few short miles I started to really feel weak and fatigued and having stomach issues. I had been sick earlier in the week and knew I wasn’t completely recovered, but felt I was ok to do this today. 

As I reached the same spot that I stopped ten years ago, I got that same feeling of wanting to quit and just feeling too sick. However something deep inside me didn’t want to quit on this mountain twice. I also felt that maybe I had a little someone routing me on to finish this hike off. I took the next mile of the hike and powered through the pain and made it to the top. It wasn’t the most pleasant, but the views were worth it. I spent the descent in a lot of pain, and being dizzy, and wishing the grim reaper would be waiting around each corner. However, that’s the thing about being in the wilderness, you can’t just give up and quit, you have to finish, you have to conquer. Somehow I made it down the mountain, it truly was a big blur, I might have had someone with a pair of wings keeping me up. I like to believe so anyhow. Despite it being the worst I felt on a hike in a long time, I am glad I did it, and I learned some huge life lessons in that moment.

I don't know if I should have, or shouldn't have ran today's half marathon based on my sprained/small fracture foot and recovering blisters. However I woke up this morning and I just had to run it! I felt good!

I started this race feeling so great, minus having to wake up at 3 A.M. thing. However once we started running at 6 AM and watching the sunrise it was all worth it!

So here is a fun fact about me and half marathons. I have had to stop every time to use the bathroom. Today was no exception. Honey Bucket for one please! Mile 4 was the grand winner today. I had to wait 11 minutes in line, which quickly dashed my hopes for another personal record.

It was an absolute perfect day for a race, with cloud cover blocking the sun. I just could never make up for the bathroom break. I ended up finishing at 2:22. I am certain that a later start where I can use the bathroom, and cooler temps overall will result in a 2:10 finish time. I am going to shoot for that this fall.

Also of note. It is a BIG state Holiday in Utah today ( Pioneer Day ) and we had to run the parade route. The tens of thousands of cheering onlookers was awesome! But on the flip side, I have pride and I couldn't bring myself to walk in front of them, despite newly formed blisters really hurting me. Crowd support, still unsure how I feel about it.

Deseret News Half Marathon 2013, COMPLETE!

THANKS EVERYONE FOR ALL THE BIRTHDAY LOVE TODAY! It really made my day and realize how much love there is in this world! I can't tell you how much it touched me! Thanks again! Simple Happy Birthdays meant the world to me and really lifted my spirits as I turned 29!

Wasatch Back Ragnar was a total success!!! For those who have never done a relay I STRONGLY recommend you do one! They are the most fun you can ever have running, in my humble opinion. I still think that an internet team must be formed!

I ran my three legs. All three were rated hard. When did I become the guy that got to run three legs, rated hard, on the most difficult Ragnar there is... That is unbelievable to me! My first leg was only two miles, but it was at high elevation, on a mountain single track trail and involved running up hills and tripping and falling on tree roots. For some reason it worked me. My next two were much harder in so many ways but I felt so so so good! I was on fire!  (Sorry Alicia Keys, you aren't the only one who gets to be on fire.) I remember coming to my final leg and seeing what is called Park City hill and seeing runners snaking there way up the mountain to the top on a single track trail. My first thought was SCREW THIS!!! It was full on sun, mid day and straight up a mountain on a dusty trail, rain check please! However I can't believe how awesome I did with it. 4.5 miles of glorious trails. I was passing people all over, I was actually in an element I felt comfortable at!  I was actually the fastest person in my van. Sad day folks cause I am not fast. I even heard my team member mention how fit I am. I have laughed and laughed over that remark! Clearly she didn't look around at the over 10,000 other runners.

See that tall man in the mirror, he is a Mormon. Someone started this lovely nickname of "The Mormon." Another someone likes to call me "Tall Mormon Sir." The Mormon was already taken, so I combined the two and Tallmormon is the new name.

I figured out a way that I will never ever do anything wrong again. Guarantee an eternity of running on a treadmill. I promise I will be a perfect angel! Mental torture is what it is for me!

I debated between hot air outside, or air conditioned treadmill at my home, of course I made the poor life choice and picked the treadmill. I just really was not in the mind set for it, I got to my treadmill and realized I was only in my underwear, no shorts. Whatever, I'm lazy, runderwear it is.