#elephant rock trail half marathon

[phatjosh180]

Running in 2018 ...

Running in 2018 …

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about my road to 180 races. My 180th race will be July 24th — pretty much SMACK in the middle of the year. So that means I’ve got January through July pretty much covered — but, what about the last half?

What’s after my 180th race?

That’s a good question.

While I am trying to figure out my 2018 race schedule, I’ve had a couple focuses — one, my 100 mile run and,…

[heliumrelish1-blog]

Bohemian Switzerland: A Story in Photos

Once Upon a Time…

Last Saturday, to be exact, we went on an excursion with Discovering Prague to Bohemian Switzerland National Park (in Czech, it’s České Švýcarsko).

We met at the train station at 7:30 a.m. (ahem) to board a blessedly air conditioned bus for a 2-hour ride toward the northwestern border of Czechia. Bohemian Switzerland is close to the German border and has a sort of sister park on the German side called Saxon Switzerland National Park.

What’s all this ‘Switzerland’ business in Germany and Czechia?

The name was coined by 18th century Swiss artists Adrian Zingg, an engraver (his works), and Anton Graff, a portraitist (his works), who were reminded of their homeland by the Bohemian landscape. By the 19th century, outdoorsy tourists were tromping through the area and Romantic era artists like Ludwig Richter (his works) were all over it. The composer Carl Maria von Weber even set his opera Der Freischütz nearby, an opera with such lasting impact that it inspired a stage musical—The Black Rider—by Robert Wilson, Tom Waits, and William S. Burroughs (!).

We did not take the time to paint or compose operas on our trek, but we did eat a lot of good snacks, pose amidst gorgeous greenery, and walk more than a half marathon on terrain that included pavement, large flagstones, medium-sized rocks embedded in the soil, pebbles, tree roots, smooth sandstone, and sand.

On our morning bus ride, we ate Breakfast Pizza (new recipe in our soon-to-be-released meal plan magazine) on gluten-free bread and tried to play cards. When the road became too twisty for cards, we watched the greenery out the window while looking for werewolves and dragons.

Our hike started with a switchback descent on a smooth flagstone path. I’m not too proud to say that I am a big baby when I walk downhill, but my spirits were lifted by a group of German ladies and gentleman who shared the trail with us and sang a song in German at the steepest, twistiest part. Danke meine Freunde!

I was very happy when we got to the river and crossed a sweet wooden bridge.

For about an hour or so, we followed the course of the river to our first rest stop—where Dave and Pepper took advantage of the snack bar hranolky s tatarkou (french fries with tartar sauce). No photographic evidence of fries, but here are our happy faces. Photos of us decreased as the day went on and our sweat factor went through the roof. High temp on Saturday: 91F/30C.

After our snack break, we walked a bit to the dock for a boat ride on the river Kamnitz through Edmund’s Gorge. Here’s everybody in our hiking group—the other half of the crew took a longer route and we met up with them at a secret rendezvous. (It wasn’t really a secret spot, but I like to pretend.)

The 1km boat ride was the perfect mix of relaxation and entertainment. Our boatman pointed out rock formations along the way in Czech, and our guide Filip translated into English. If you squint and give yourself over the whimsy, there are rocks that resemble Bart Simpson, a gorilla, a sperm whale, a mythical family, an elephant, and a snake—plus there are a few statues along the way, including this dragon. But, alas, not real dragons (as far as I know.)

We were delighted to see that the park is open minded enough to employ dalmatians as boat captains.

Here’s a bit of video to transport you to the river:

After the boat ride, we walked for a bit and enjoyed another break—ice cream and iced coffee for the gang! Then we started our 45-minute, uphill climb to the Pravčická brána, the geographical highlight of the trip. We were a sweaty mess by then, but exhilarated, too—and looking forward to the view and lunch break at the top. There was a lot of scrambling onto tall rocks and declaring ourselves kings and queen of the world, as well as the singing of showtunes. There is no video of these antics.

Pravčická brána is the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe: 86 feet long, 52 feet high, and 26 feet wide. Back in the day, an intrepid adventurer could walk on it, but now we can only gaze upon it.

That gingerbread house on the left is a hotel built in 1881 by Prince Edmund (of Edmund’s Gorge). It’s called Hotel Sokolí hnízdo (Falcon’s Nest) and had 50 beds. Now it’s only a restaurant, but I can imagine how spooky-awesome it would be to spend a night there.

At the tippy-top, there’s a lovely patio area where we ate our picnic lunch—schnitzel meatballs (from Well Fed Weeknights), raw veggies, blueberries, and deliciously cold, refreshing radler (beer mixed with Sprite).

Our trek continued with a short walk to a lookout point where we could see into Germany…

… and get a clear, lovely view of the Gate.

And that is where our photos—but not the walk—ended.

From the Gate, it was a 90-minute stroll on a winding path through lusciously cool woods and over sunny sandstone worn smooth by so many feet. By the time we returned to the bus, around 6:00 p.m., we were sweaty, dirty, smelly, and smiling—just as it should be.

The end.

We’ve been on several trips and weekend hikes with Discovering Prague, and they’ve all be really awesome. If you’re visiting Prague or are lucky enough to live here, definitely check out the fun stuff that Filip has on offer via the Discovering Prague web site or the Meetup group.

Source: https://meljoulwan.com/2018/07/31/bohemian-switzerland-story-photos/

[towerrange15-blog]

Bohemian Switzerland: A Story in Photos

Once Upon a Time…

Last Saturday, to be exact, we went on an excursion with Discovering Prague to Bohemian Switzerland National Park (in Czech, it’s České Švýcarsko).

We met at the train station at 7:30 a.m. (ahem) to board a blessedly air conditioned bus for a 2-hour ride toward the northwestern border of Czechia. Bohemian Switzerland is close to the German border and has a sort of sister park on the German side called Saxon Switzerland National Park.

What’s all this ‘Switzerland’ business in Germany and Czechia?

The name was coined by 18th century Swiss artists Adrian Zingg, an engraver (his works), and Anton Graff, a portraitist (his works), who were reminded of their homeland by the Bohemian landscape. By the 19th century, outdoorsy tourists were tromping through the area and Romantic era artists like Ludwig Richter (his works) were all over it. The composer Carl Maria von Weber even set his opera Der Freischütz nearby, an opera with such lasting impact that it inspired a stage musical—The Black Rider—by Robert Wilson, Tom Waits, and William S. Burroughs (!).

We did not take the time to paint or compose operas on our trek, but we did eat a lot of good snacks, pose amidst gorgeous greenery, and walk more than a half marathon on terrain that included pavement, large flagstones, medium-sized rocks embedded in the soil, pebbles, tree roots, smooth sandstone, and sand.

On our morning bus ride, we ate Breakfast Pizza (new recipe in our soon-to-be-released meal plan magazine) on gluten-free bread and tried to play cards. When the road became too twisty for cards, we watched the greenery out the window while looking for werewolves and dragons.

Our hike started with a switchback descent on a smooth flagstone path. I’m not too proud to say that I am a big baby when I walk downhill, but my spirits were lifted by a group of German ladies and gentleman who shared the trail with us and sang a song in German at the steepest, twistiest part. Danke meine Freunde!

I was very happy when we got to the river and crossed a sweet wooden bridge.

For about an hour or so, we followed the course of the river to our first rest stop—where Dave and Pepper took advantage of the snack bar hranolky s tatarkou (french fries with tartar sauce). No photographic evidence of fries, but here are our happy faces. Photos of us decreased as the day went on and our sweat factor went through the roof. High temp on Saturday: 91F/30C.

After our snack break, we walked a bit to the dock for a boat ride on the river Kamnitz through Edmund’s Gorge. Here’s everybody in our hiking group—the other half of the crew took a longer route and we met up with them at a secret rendezvous. (It wasn’t really a secret spot, but I like to pretend.)

The 1km boat ride was the perfect mix of relaxation and entertainment. Our boatman pointed out rock formations along the way in Czech, and our guide Filip translated into English. If you squint and give yourself over the whimsy, there are rocks that resemble Bart Simpson, a gorilla, a sperm whale, a mythical family, an elephant, and a snake—plus there are a few statues along the way, including this dragon. But, alas, not real dragons (as far as I know.)

We were delighted to see that the park is open minded enough to employ dalmatians as boat captains.

Here’s a bit of video to transport you to the river:

After the boat ride, we walked for a bit and enjoyed another break—ice cream and iced coffee for the gang! Then we started our 45-minute, uphill climb to the Pravčická brána, the geographical highlight of the trip. We were a sweaty mess by then, but exhilarated, too—and looking forward to the view and lunch break at the top. There was a lot of scrambling onto tall rocks and declaring ourselves kings and queen of the world, as well as the singing of showtunes. There is no video of these antics.

Pravčická brána is the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe: 86 feet long, 52 feet high, and 26 feet wide. Back in the day, an intrepid adventurer could walk on it, but now we can only gaze upon it.

That gingerbread house on the left is a hotel built in 1881 by Prince Edmund (of Edmund’s Gorge). It’s called Hotel Sokolí hnízdo (Falcon’s Nest) and had 50 beds. Now it’s only a restaurant, but I can imagine how spooky-awesome it would be to spend a night there.

At the tippy-top, there’s a lovely patio area where we ate our picnic lunch—schnitzel meatballs (from Well Fed Weeknights), raw veggies, blueberries, and deliciously cold, refreshing radler (beer mixed with Sprite).

Our trek continued with a short walk to a lookout point where we could see into Germany…

… and get a clear, lovely view of the Gate.

And that is where our photos—but not the walk—ended.

From the Gate, it was a 90-minute stroll on a winding path through lusciously cool woods and over sunny sandstone worn smooth by so many feet. By the time we returned to the bus, around 6:00 p.m., we were sweaty, dirty, smelly, and smiling—just as it should be.

The end.

We’ve been on several trips and weekend hikes with Discovering Prague, and they’ve all be really awesome. If you’re visiting Prague or are lucky enough to live here, definitely check out the fun stuff that Filip has on offer via the Discovering Prague web site or the Meetup group.

Source: https://meljoulwan.com/2018/07/31/bohemian-switzerland-story-photos/

[notifychill4-blog]

Bohemian Switzerland: A Story in Photos

Once Upon a Time…

Last Saturday, to be exact, we went on an excursion with Discovering Prague to Bohemian Switzerland National Park (in Czech, it’s České Švýcarsko).

We met at the train station at 7:30 a.m. (ahem) to board a blessedly air conditioned bus for a 2-hour ride toward the northwestern border of Czechia. Bohemian Switzerland is close to the German border and has a sort of sister park on the German side called Saxon Switzerland National Park.

What’s all this ‘Switzerland’ business in Germany and Czechia?

The name was coined by 18th century Swiss artists Adrian Zingg, an engraver (his works), and Anton Graff, a portraitist (his works), who were reminded of their homeland by the Bohemian landscape. By the 19th century, outdoorsy tourists were tromping through the area and Romantic era artists like Ludwig Richter (his works) were all over it. The composer Carl Maria von Weber even set his opera Der Freischütz nearby, an opera with such lasting impact that it inspired a stage musical—The Black Rider—by Robert Wilson, Tom Waits, and William S. Burroughs (!).

We did not take the time to paint or compose operas on our trek, but we did eat a lot of good snacks, pose amidst gorgeous greenery, and walk more than a half marathon on terrain that included pavement, large flagstones, medium-sized rocks embedded in the soil, pebbles, tree roots, smooth sandstone, and sand.

On our morning bus ride, we ate Breakfast Pizza (new recipe in our soon-to-be-released meal plan magazine) on gluten-free bread and tried to play cards. When the road became too twisty for cards, we watched the greenery out the window while looking for werewolves and dragons.

Our hike started with a switchback descent on a smooth flagstone path. I’m not too proud to say that I am a big baby when I walk downhill, but my spirits were lifted by a group of German ladies and gentleman who shared the trail with us and sang a song in German at the steepest, twistiest part. Danke meine Freunde!

I was very happy when we got to the river and crossed a sweet wooden bridge.

For about an hour or so, we followed the course of the river to our first rest stop—where Dave and Pepper took advantage of the snack bar hranolky s tatarkou (french fries with tartar sauce). No photographic evidence of fries, but here are our happy faces. Photos of us decreased as the day went on and our sweat factor went through the roof. High temp on Saturday: 91F/30C.

After our snack break, we walked a bit to the dock for a boat ride on the river Kamnitz through Edmund’s Gorge. Here’s everybody in our hiking group—the other half of the crew took a longer route and we met up with them at a secret rendezvous. (It wasn’t really a secret spot, but I like to pretend.)

The 1km boat ride was the perfect mix of relaxation and entertainment. Our boatman pointed out rock formations along the way in Czech, and our guide Filip translated into English. If you squint and give yourself over the whimsy, there are rocks that resemble Bart Simpson, a gorilla, a sperm whale, a mythical family, an elephant, and a snake—plus there are a few statues along the way, including this dragon. But, alas, not real dragons (as far as I know.)

We were delighted to see that the park is open minded enough to employ dalmatians as boat captains.

Here’s a bit of video to transport you to the river:

After the boat ride, we walked for a bit and enjoyed another break—ice cream and iced coffee for the gang! Then we started our 45-minute, uphill climb to the Pravčická brána, the geographical highlight of the trip. We were a sweaty mess by then, but exhilarated, too—and looking forward to the view and lunch break at the top. There was a lot of scrambling onto tall rocks and declaring ourselves kings and queen of the world, as well as the singing of showtunes. There is no video of these antics.

Pravčická brána is the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe: 86 feet long, 52 feet high, and 26 feet wide. Back in the day, an intrepid adventurer could walk on it, but now we can only gaze upon it.

That gingerbread house on the left is a hotel built in 1881 by Prince Edmund (of Edmund’s Gorge). It’s called Hotel Sokolí hnízdo (Falcon’s Nest) and had 50 beds. Now it’s only a restaurant, but I can imagine how spooky-awesome it would be to spend a night there.

At the tippy-top, there’s a lovely patio area where we ate our picnic lunch—schnitzel meatballs (from Well Fed Weeknights), raw veggies, blueberries, and deliciously cold, refreshing radler (beer mixed with Sprite).

Our trek continued with a short walk to a lookout point where we could see into Germany…

… and get a clear, lovely view of the Gate.

And that is where our photos—but not the walk—ended.

From the Gate, it was a 90-minute stroll on a winding path through lusciously cool woods and over sunny sandstone worn smooth by so many feet. By the time we returned to the bus, around 6:00 p.m., we were sweaty, dirty, smelly, and smiling—just as it should be.

The end.

We’ve been on several trips and weekend hikes with Discovering Prague, and they’ve all be really awesome. If you’re visiting Prague or are lucky enough to live here, definitely check out the fun stuff that Filip has on offer via the Discovering Prague web site or the Meetup group.

Source: https://meljoulwan.com/2018/07/31/bohemian-switzerland-story-photos/

[notyoureverydaycircumstance]

Kim’s List

Finish more than half this list before I’m 55

Attend a session of R.E.S.T. (Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy)

Visit Toad Rock Motorcycle Campgrounds and sleep in a bus

Visit Ainsworth hot springs

Take a nap under a cherry blossom tree

Skydive alone

Hang-glide

Jump down a waterfall taller than a pine tree

Spend a week surviving off the land in a forest, jungle, or tropical island

Rent an island

Send a message in a bottle

Go to a theme park & ride EVERYTHING (KID SHIT INCLUDED)

Swim with dolphins

Have a bonfire on a beach

Go spelunking

Learn Morse Code

Learn to drive stick-shift

Climb a mountain

Ride in a hot air balloon over some place beautiful

Learn how to sail a boat (Tie the ropes, steer, ready the sails, everything)

Make a snowman family, carrot noses and all

Visit my childhood homes

Blow glass

Create a family crest or symbol

Make a candle

Write a few books (Children’s book, Novel, & Short Story & Poetry book)

Publish at least one book

Design & sew a dress from scratch

Start a flash mob

Choreograph a new type of classy, celebratory dance

Learn a different song on 10 different instruments

Write, perform, record, and publish an original song

Ride a mechanical bull in heels

Set a world record for hula-hooping

Throw beads at a Mardi Gras festival in New Orleans

Learn pole dancing and do it well

Try acupuncture

Sit with monks in the Himalayas

Get glamour photos done

Get a palm reading

Spend a week travelling with Gypsies

Learn archery and own a self-bow

Build a tree-house and sleep in it for a week

Partake in a food fight

Pick fruit straight from the tree and make a pie

Complete a 1000+ piece jigsaw puzzle

Have a collection of something meaningful and beautiful

Mentor someone for a year

Help someone check something off their bucket list

Teach someone a new language

Plant a tree in every country I live in

Spend a week naked

Go a week without speaking

Write a letter to my future self

Go to a meditation retreat

Learn to swordfight

Survive at paintball

Fly in a helicopter

Visit each continent & do something memorable there

Go on a train ride to a different state or country

Go to the top of a lighthouse

Spontaneous road trip from beach to beach!

Sleep in a haunted house

Throw a dart at a map and just go

Touch the pyramids

Visit a ghost town

Make daisy chains with someone I love

See Aurora Borealis with my own eyes

Ride a horse bareback through the wilderness

Vacation at Niagara Falls

Eat a famous dish in the country it originated from

Finish the Walk Of Faith in the Tianmen Mountain

Explore the Galapagos Islands & photograph 50 kinds of wildlife

Click a padlock in Via Dell’Amore and throw the key into the water

Give a memorable speech about something important to me

Photograph a beautiful sunset in 50 countries/states

Hear Andrea Bocelli sing opera in Milan with my dad

Make a wish in the Fontana di Trevi in Italy

Float in the Dead Sea

Hike through a famous forest/trail (Maybe the Inca Trail?!)

Make it to the top of Sigiriya Rock in Sri Lanka

Release a floating lantern in Thailand

Climb mount Kilimanjaro and sing “Africa” by Toto before climbing back down

Attend 5 events or festivals around the world

Spend time at a hostel in the 5 countries/states I most want to live in

Own an exotic pet

Learn welding

Help change someone’s life

Run a marathon with someone

Ice skate on a frozen lake at midnight and recreate the scene from ESotSM

Play in a rugby match

Go deep sea diving

Get good at skiing

Try an extreme sport

Make a piece of furniture out of hand-collected wood

Send a thank-you letter to someone from my childhood

Send a bouquet of flowers to a stranger

Sell everything (minus things of sentiment) and start over

Volunteer at a prison

Spend a day at a nursing home playing games

Volunteer reading to kids

Say something inspiring to a stranger on public transportation

Send hand-written letters to a pen pal I’ve never met

Buy a drink in a cafe for a stranger

Paint a mural in a public place

Learn to travel by the stars, then spend a night walking with their guide

See penguins in their natural habitat

Give a public speech in front of 100+ people

Throw a mega party

Learn how to play the harp, and own one

Take dance lessons with someone else

Learn 10 classic dances

Learn a martial arts practice

Be on the news (for something good)

Experience the four seasons in a foreign place

Provide support and kindness for someone in a hospice

Make a kite from scratch and fly it in a famous place

Fold 1,000 origami cranes for someone

Start a movement for something I believe in

Have a picnic somewhere incredible

Learn sign language

Go exploring underwater in Tulum, Mexico

Go backpacking in Galicia, Spain

Photograph beautiful monasteries

Hammock under palm trees on a beach

Visit Venice, Italy and Maldives before they sink

Go on the 10-Night Walk and meditate in The Alps before they melt

Snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef

Conquer something in my way

Visit Machu Picchu in Peru (and play the song Machu Picchu by The Strokes)

Earn an award

Catch fireflies in a jar and write a poem by their light

Jog through a misty night

Design and build my own home

Witness a meteor shower

Bury a time capsule with sentimental objects

Open said time capsule in 20 years

Go white water rafting

Meditate by Gandhi's tomb and thank him for his words

Go ziplining in a jungle

Ride and sing to an elephant

Plant a rooftop garden

Make a family heirloom by hand

Create some new family traditions

Go to a drive-in movie dressed in 50’s style clothes

See Led Zeppelin live

Build an igloo and sleep in it

Get a henna tattoo in India

Study herbology and learn how to make medicine in the wilderness

Save someone’s life

Have 15 INCREDIBLE stories to tell by the time I’m 35

Drive all the way across an international highway

Collect sand in a jar from 50 beaches

Inspire and support someone and watch them do something great

Write a letter to an inspiring famous person

Name a star

Have $1mil in savings

Have a paint fight

Wingsuit fly

Photograph a different stranger’s smile every day for a year

Take photos with a polaroid for my kid’s baby books

Have a new years jar of happy memories written on little slips

Get certified in something useful

Do something memorable with someone I just met

Build a blanket & pillow fort in a hotel

Take a homeless person out for a meal

Give my grandkids advice

Make 10 good new habits

Break 10 old bad habits

Collect leaves in a journal from every place I visit

Pet a raccoon

Participate in GISHWHES

Participate in a community event

Perfect a pie recipe and teach it to someone else

Fill a pool with floating flower candles

Swim in Puerto Rico at midnight with the bioluminescent plankton

[runridedive]

First Dust in Toyota 1000 Desert Race

The first dust of the 2019 Toyota 1000 Desert Race (TDR 1000), round three of the South African National Cross Country Series (SACCS) taking place at Selebi-Phikwe in Botswana this weekend kicked off when teams in the Production, Special Vehicle and Side x Side categories had to complete the 60km Qualifying Race.

The Qualifying Race determines starting positions for the race on tomorrow and with only seconds separating the teams, an interesting start can be expected on when teams take on the day’s route that consists of a total of 440 kilometres. In true TDR 1000 style and as the only marathon event on the SACCS calendar, another 400 kilometres will be waiting on Sunday and teams who completed all three days successfully, will be able to bag double points in their championship aspirations.

There was an interesting turn of events at the front of the Production Vehicle category and spectators might be surprised to see a different Toyota Hilux at the front of the field early on Saturday morning as Chris Visser/Philip Herselman (Atlas Copco Hilux) posted the fastest time after the Qualifying Race. Visser/Herselman had a clean run despite a bit of a scare when they side-swiped a rock bank albeit with no damage.

“It is very tricky and opening the road is never easy,” Visser commented afterwards.

After a disappointing start to the season, the pole position at the TDR 1000 Qualifying Race will be a morale booster for the team who would like nothing better than to continue with good results this weekend in Botswana.

Visser/Herselman will feel the pressure from the start as they will be followed closely by all three the Toyota Gazoo Racing SA Hilux teams with four vehicles in the FIA Class posting the fastest times after the Qualifying Race. Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings were the first team to tackle the Qualifying Race in a brand new area in Botswana and they were a mere 13 seconds off the pace of Visser/Herselman despite suffering a puncture. Giniel de Villiers/Dennis Murphy rounded off the podium and trail their team-mates by 38 seconds.

Shameer Variawa/Juan Möhr were scheduled to take on the 60 kilometre race somewhat further down the starting list and experienced heavy dust on the second half of their race. They persevered and posted the fourth fastest time, 38 seconds slower than the 2018 TDR 1000 winners (De Villiers/Murphy).

Behind the four teams in the FIA Class, it was the Ford Castrol Cross Country Ranger in the hands of Lance Woolridge/Ward Huxtable that were the fastest in Class T. They were only 16 seconds behind Variawa/Möhr after a clean, but a tricky route that included rocks Woolridge described as ‘elephant-sized’. There are only four seconds between the two brothers as their team-mates, Gareth Woolridge/Boyd Dreyer finished just behind them, second fastest in Class T.

After not participating in the first two rounds of the season, Jason Venter/Jaco van Aardt (4×4 Mega World ARB Toyota Hilux) made a welcome return to the SACCS by posting the fifth fastest time in the FIA Class, eight seconds slower than the Ford of Woolridge/Dreyer ahead of them. The TDR 1000 started well for Johan van Staden/Mike Lawrenson (Elf Renault Duster) who were sixth fastest in the FIA Class and a minute behind Venter/Van Aardt. The Horn brothers, Johan and Werner (Malalane Toyota) were the second vehicle out the starting blocks but were slowed due to their GPS not functioning. They rounded off the Class T podium and will continue the traditional battle with the Woolridge duo.

Gary Bertholdt/Geoff Minnitt (Atlas Copco Toyota Hilux) were fourth in Class T, just over a minute behind the Horn brothers. Behind them Ernest Roberts/Riaan Greyling (Red-Lined Motorsport Nissan Navara) got their TDR 1000 off to a good start posting the seventh fastest time in the FIA Class, only three seconds ahead of team-mates, Jaco van Dyk/Michel Rust who are participating in the TDR 1000 for the first time. The Namibians noted afterwards that the Botswana desert is totally different to the Namibian desert and that the route is tight and twisty.

Schalk Burger and Elvene Vonk (Nissan Navara) were not far off the pace despite a puncture 12 kilometres into the race. Dust and a few wrong slots cost them time and they will be the last team in the FIA Class to start on Saturday.

In Class T, Bertholdt/Minnitt will be followed by Dylan Venter/Donavan Lubbe (4×4 Mega World ARB Toyota Hilux) who were fifth fastest in class; Wors Prinsloo/Kenneth Venter (Ford Ranger) were sixth; TDR newcomers, Theuns Joubert/Henry Köhne (Elf Renault Duster) posted the seventh fastest time in class and Jacques van Tonder/Sammy Redelinghuys (Ford Ranger) were glad to be home after losing time changing a rear tire. Richard Leeke/Danie Stassen (ATS Ford Ranger) could not complete the distance due to a universal joint that broke on the prop shaft about 20 kilometres into the race. They are however planning to start on Saturday morning.

The battle in Class S will be as tight as always in Botswana when David Huddy/Gerhard Schutte (Nissan Navara) and veteran, Jannie Visser, accompanied this time by his youngest son, Pieter (Toyota Hilux) lock horns over a thousand kilometres. Huddy/Schutte were a mere 57 seconds faster than the Visser father son combination and both teams will grit their teeth to the end to claim victory.

The leading team will start the 440 kilometre racing section on Saturday at 08:15 from the Sam Sono stadium in Selebi-Phikwe soccer where the Race Headquarters, the Start/Finish as well as the Designated Service Point will be situated. There numerous spectator points along the route.

The post First Dust in Toyota 1000 Desert Race appeared first on Run Ride Dive.

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[phatjosh180]

Running in 2018 ...

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about my road to 180 races. My 180th race will be July 24th — pretty much SMACK in the middle of the year. So that means I’ve got January through July pretty much covered — but, what about the last half?

What’s after my 180th race?

That’s a good question.

While I am trying to figure out my 2018 race schedule, I’ve had a couple focuses — one, my 100 mile run and, two, not doing as many back-to-back race weekends of a half marathon or longer. I know that if I am going to faster, especially during my half marathons, I am going to have to scale back on the long races.

I don’t anticipate myself PRing next year. But, I am wanting to use 2018 to set the foundation to PR in 2019. Well, I shouldn’t just say PR, but to break my long time goal of sub-two’ing a half marathon. That’s the goal.

To work on that fountain, I plan on not just scaling back on the races — but, focusing on doing two races a month. Ideally, a half marathon and a trail race, a month. This would be on top of shorter training runs on the other weekends. Runs that I want to vary between a canyon downhill run, trail run and challenge run (a mentally challenging run — run uphill, midnight all night run, etc) — but, I’ll blog about that later.

I just want to challenge myself, get faster and mentally stronger in order to attempt and achieve my goal. A goal I’d love to meet at either the Nebo Half or Revel Big Cottonwood Half in 2019. Something that seems rather doable for me.

But, 2018 will have to set that kind of success up for me. So, while I am scanning UltraSignUp, UtahRunning.com, Running in the USA, RaceEntry.com and other registration websites I’ve come up with tentative schedule for 2018.

Remember these are only races 13.1 miles or longer. I am sure I’ll have a few 10Ks and 5Ks planned throughout the year. Also, races in bold are ones that I am registered for already. And, there are a few in the later months that are planned on a projected date.

So, yeah, here’s my schedule …

1 — Revolution Run, January 1, 2018 2 — Sun Marathon, February 3, 2018 3 — Jackpot Running Festival, February 16-18, 2018 4 — Strider’s Winter Circuit Half Marathon, April 7, 2018 5 — Salt Lake City Half Marathon, April 21, 2018 6 — Provo City Half Marathon, May 5, 2018 7 — Vigor Big Cottonwood Half Marathon, May 12, 2018 8 — Drop 13 Big Cottonwood Half Marathon, June 9, 2018 9 — AF Canyon Race Against Cancer, June 23, 2018 10 — Canyon to Canyon Half Marathon, July 14, 2018 11 — Bountiful Handcart Days Half Marathon, July 24, 2018 12 — Elephant Rock Trail Half Marathon, August 11, 2018 13 — Mt. Nebo Half, August 25, 2018 14 — Revel Big Cottonwood Half Marathon, September 8, 2018 15 — Park City Trail Half Marathon, September 15, 2018 16 — Corner Canyon 25K; October 13, 2018 17 — The Haunted Half – Provo, October 28, 2018 18 — Mt. View Trail Half Marathon; November 10, 2018 19 — Thankful 13, November 22, 2018 20 — The Bakers Dozen Half Marathon, December 8, 2018

If you are planning on running any of these races or would love to suggest other races for me to do, please comment below! I love discovering new races!

A post shared by The Runcast (@theruncast) on Oct 20, 2017 at 5:46am PDT

Running in 2018 … was originally published on PhatJosh | My Life Running.

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RACE #156: Elephant Rock Trail Half Marathon

RACE #156: Elephant Rock Trail Half Marathon

To say that I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this race would be an understatement. A serious understatement. And, that statement can’t be understated either.

But, basically, now as I write my race recap — everything hurts and I am dying.

What was planned as simply a fun and challenging trail half marathon turned out to be the TOUGHEST race I’ve ever done. And, considering I’ve…

[phatjosh180]

RACE #156: Elephant Rock Trail Half Marathon

To say that I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this race would be an understatement. A serious understatement. And, that statement can’t be understated either.

But, basically, now as I write my race recap — everything hurts and I am dying.

What was planned as simply a fun and challenging trail half marathon turned out to be the TOUGHEST race I’ve ever done. And, considering I’ve done over 150 races — that’s saying a lot. It was that brutal. But, more on that later.

I signed up for this race because it’s literally in my backyard. Mueller Park is just a couple of miles from my front door. It’s a canyon I’ve visited numerous of times, but rarely hiked. Most trips were for campfires, campouts or mile hikes.

A post shared by KETOshua Snow Hansen (@ketoshua) on Aug 12, 2017 at 5:56am PDT

Even after I started running I never ventured over to Mueller Park. The biggest reason because I never wanted to venture out there alone. Not just because of the unfamiliarity with the area, but also because of my fear of mountain lions, bears and deer. At least two of those fears are legit. Anyways, I’ve just stuck to the local roads when I run close to home.

Wanting to expand my running routes I figured the Elephant Rock Trail Run would be a great way to familiarize myself with the trails and ease some of those worries I had. Sure there’s always the possibility of running into mountain lions, bears and deer — but those fears really become secondary when you know where you’re going and the distances in between.

In addition to familiarizing myself with the trails, I wanted to run to and from the race to give me a good 20 miles of running for the day. With my ankle injury I haven’t been able to get the kind of training I wanted and knowing I have a number of marathons coming up in the fall, I knew I needed a good 20 miler to prep myself for them.

But, honestly, if I knew what kind of race I was getting myself into, I would have driven myself to the race. I don’t regret it though, because Saturday’s 20 miles were some of the toughest miles I’ve ever run. Miles that left me more tired and sore than most of the ultras I’ve done.

A post shared by KETOshua Snow Hansen (@ketoshua) on Aug 13, 2017 at 10:05am PDT

I set out from my house at 4:50am to make sure I had enough time to get my race packet and shirt before the 6am start time. After trekking from the packet pickup at the church I moseyed over to the park entrance where all 85 of us runners congregated. It was fun to see so familiar faces and meet the faces behind the names on Facebook. I always love start lines.

I don’t think of us realized what we were getting ourselves into, especially since this was the inaugural run. There weren’t other runners to gauge their experience with, so we were going in blind. Which sometimes isn’t the worst way to go into a race. But, I felt completely blindsided by it all.

The start times were staggered about every 15 miles. The marathoners went out at 6am, the half marathoners 6:15 and the 7 milers 6:30am. With 85 runners you’d think that wouldn’t be necessary, but I am glad they did it that way, because as soon as the marathoners and half marathons split with the 7 milers to run up the pipeline trail that trail would have been a bit too crowded.

Once I hit the pipeline I thought I was the last runner. The half marathoners ahead of me were mountain goats and gained quite a distance ahead of me. I wasn’t surprised by this, it’s almost expected that I will be last. But, it’s something that never bugs me. If it did then odds are I just wouldn’t sign up for the race.

A post shared by KETOshua Snow Hansen (@ketoshua) on Aug 12, 2017 at 11:24pm PDT

But, as I was dying and not quite half way up the beast I see a runner approaching me from behind. They were gaining quite a bit of ground on me. You could tell this wasn’t a struggle for them.

As they got closer I noticed it was my friend Lula. An experienced trail runner it shouldn’t have surprised me much that the climb was easy for her. But, what made me laugh and silently curse her — was she was doing this technical climb while TALKING ON THE PHONE! Here I am enduring to the end like a pioneer ready to die from dysentery and she moseys up the hill like she’s taking an escalator at the mall.

But, that hill was no joke! It was a quarter mile hike with a 800 foot elevation gain. It was brutal. As soon as I summited the blasted thing I just sat at top, said a little prayer of gratitude that I survived it and ate one of my Larabars as I enjoyed the view. I tried to capture it on my phone, but you just can’t capture those moments — they just have to be experienced.

The ascent was brutal, but the descent on the other side was a beast of its’ own. Luckily it wasn’t as steep, but the terrain was steep and extremely rocky. The technicality of the descent was exhausting not just physically, but mentally as well. I focused on my next step so I didn’t roll my ankle or biff it — it was extreme. There were some stretches where I just sat on my butt and scooted down the trail.

A post shared by KETOshua Snow Hansen (@ketoshua) on Aug 13, 2017 at 12:20pm PDT

Once I finally got past rocky trail and headed toward the first aid station I was spent. I parked myself on the dusty trail, ate some watermelon and Gatorade and composed myself for the next stretch of trails. I felt like I was about 7-8 miles into the beast, but I was just 3.5 miles into the race.

That was a depressing reality.

But, also an indication of how tough that stretch of trail was for not just me, but everyone.

I felt bad for the marathons because they had to tackle that same terrain twice since their course was an out and back. I couldn’t imagine climbing up those rocky trails and then down that stupid steep hill. I would have died.

With the toughest stretch of course out of the way the climbing wasn’t over. We still had about 3-4 miles of climbing to the Rudy’s Flats aid station where we’d finally make a reasonable descent toward the finish line. I power hiked most of those miles and it was tough. I had to stop and stretch because my quads were just screaming.

A post shared by 🔼That’s me. (@josherwalla) on Aug 13, 2017 at 1:24pm PDT

I started being passed by marathoners and it just amazed me at how these runners were almost seamlessly crushing the terrain. Granted most probably train exclusively on trails, but still — these were mountain goats and I was jealous. Being the last runner in the bunch made me feel like nothing but bear bait. But, I don’t focus on that, I know if I dedicate more miles on the trails I’ll be there too. I think more than anything I was just amazed at the strength of those runners.

Simply amazing.

Anyways, once I hit the Rudy’s Flats aid station I reloaded my water, chilled for a bit and left with a bag of bananas and PB&J sandwich squares. I was severely under prepared food wise. I had my bugout pack with my Larabars, applesauce and Gatorade, but that simply wasn’t enough. I was packed for a 3-4 hour race … not 5-6.

Once I left the Rudy’s Flats aid station I was literally all down hill from there. I was 4:30 hours into the race and I just wanted to be done. So the downhill was a reprieve and I was able to pickup the pace. It was a whole different race.

Not far from the aid station I ran into Angie who was on her return trip to the finish line. She was struggling and had fallen, but like the badass that she is — was still going. We stopped for a picture and acknowledged how this course was kicking our trash before moving on.

A post shared by 🔼That’s me. (@josherwalla) on Aug 13, 2017 at 2:12pm PDT

I really loved the last part of the race. I just focused on the run and it was infinitely faster. The last couple of miles were tough, but it was more because of the heat.

The trails are covered fairly well, but there were spots where I was just dead. But, I just wanted to be done. I was thirsty and running low on water. I had some Gatorade in my pack — which I SHOULD have gotten out — but, the effort just didn’t seem worth it. I was striving for that finish line.

When I finally reached the finish line I was greeted by Wanderely with a big hug and I just collapse in a camping chair. I didn’t want to move. I just sat and drank water and Powerade while munching on watermelon. The desire to move much was stifled by cramps and fatigue.

I’ve never felt this wrecked after a race. My 50 miler was probably on par, but after a half? Never.

A post shared by 🔼That’s me. (@josherwalla) on Aug 13, 2017 at 2:30pm PDT

There was a breakfast provided at a nearby campground, but I waited at the finish line to see in Angie — who was the last runner on the course. I sat at the finish line and just visited with friends, it was the best way to recover because I knew I still had about a 3.5 mile run home. That’s a fancy way of saying I was procrastinating my run home.

After waiting for a couple hours of Angie we got to the breakfast that had been sitting there since about 7am — it was 4pm. But, at that point I don’t think of any of us questioned whether eating 9 hour old sausage and scrambled eggs were a bad idea or not — we were just hungry. And, it was freaking delicious.

I made it on my home around 4:45pm and in the heat of a day. It was about 90 degrees and I was dead. I was half tempted to grab a ride when Wanderely drove past, I grinded out those 3.5 miles and made it home in one piece.

I was completely finished.

A post shared by KETOshua Snow Hansen (@ketoshua) on Aug 13, 2017 at 2:52pm PDT

Those 20 miles were seriously some of the toughest miles I’ve done. But, I’m so proud of myself. I did it.

Will I be back next year? Yes. I’ve already made that decision. Will I go for the marathon? No. There’s no way I’m that crazy.

Will I go for the half marathon? Probably? Yesterday it was a hard no. But, after sitting on it for a couple of days I want to tackle that hill again. I need to enact some redemption on that beast. But, then on the other hand the 7 mile run sounds like a better option. But, we’ll see … give me a couple of months. I loved this challenging course and the fact that it’s in my backyard.

Here’s to the trails!

MY NEXT FIVE RACES

Weekly Miles

Running Miles — 13.0 miles Race Miles — 13.1 miles Walking Miles — 21.24 miles TOTAL MILES — 47.34 miles Races This Week — Elephant Rock Trail Half.

August 2017 Miles

Running Miles — 26.5 miles Race Miles — 13.1 miles Walking Miles — 36.9 miles TOTAL MILES — 63.0 miles Races in August — (3) Elephant Rock Trail Half, Run Elevated Half and Nebo Half 

2017 Miles

Running Miles — 337.55 miles Race Miles — 295.52 miles Walking Miles — 817.05 miles TOTAL MILES — 1450.12 miles Races done in 2017 — (20) New Year’s Half Marathon, Sweethearts 5K, Jackpot Running Festival, SL Tri Club Indoor Half, March Madness Half, Lucky 13 Half Marathon, Emigration Canyon Half Marathon, Riverton Half, Saltair Half, Provo City Half Marathon, Jordan River Half Marathon, Drop13 Half Marathon, Bear Lake Trifecta — Idaho, Wyoming & Utah, AF Canyon Race Against Cancer, The Hobbler Half, Handcart Days Half, DesNews Half and Elephant Rock Trail Half,.

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RACE #156: Elephant Rock Trail Half Marathon was originally published on PhatJosh | My Life Running.

[phatjosh180]

So I guess that's my 2019?

So, I realized today that my running season is officially over. Well, okay, it’ll officially be over on Thursday when I go under the knife to fix my peroneal tendon and a bone spur. The surgery will keep my sidelined for a good three months-ish. I say -ish, because I am anticipating that it will take me awhile to get my stamina back, especially considering that I don’t have much stamina as it is right now.

Looking back at 2019 — it sucked. I really should have seen it coming, especially going into year two of a stupid bummed ankle. I wasn’t getting into a needed rhythm and even after seeing a doctor (again) in the early part of the year — there wasn’t much concern about my ankle (PT and ice it …).

I had big plans for 2019 and they just kind of sputtered out quite quickly. I DNS’d (Did Not Start) 20 races,going into the year I had only DNS’d 17 races. So, yeah, I more than doubled that. I don’t want to think about how much money I lost, but I’m happy to say that at least some of those missed races were charity races. But, yeah, I really don’t want to tally those missed race fees.

I will be DNSing at least two more races this upcoming year that conflict with my recovery time. I am bummed I won’t be at the New Year’s Revolution Run (I’ve done it every year since 2011) and the March Madness 10K (I don’t recouping my race fees since it goes to the Bountiful Pantry) — but, even though I think I could MAYBE do the 5K during the March Madness races in March, I don’t know? And, I don’t want to push it until I know where my recovery is around that time.

But, as much as 2019 sucked — it did have it’s highlights. I loved running a number of races with friends — namely Amanda at the Salt Lake City Half Marathon and Jill at both the Revel Mt. Charleston and Big Cottonwood races. I also did really well at the Drop13 Big Cottonwood 5K with a 32 minute 5K. A race I exerted waaaaaay too much during and ended up with pneumonia a week later. But, at least I ran fast! HA!

If we’re going to look at my stats, they’re definitely not my best. But, I’m really trying not to beat myself up over it considering I did them all on a TORN PERONEAL TENDON!!! And, that goes for all of 2018 and a good chunk of 2017 as well. I’m quite proud of that stupidity.

But, as painful and trying as recovery from surgery will be — I’m excited. I’m excited to have the stupid little tendon fixed that’s been giving my running, life and health hell for the past 2.5 years! What’s another 3-4 months on top of that? I am so looking forward to that run where I can finally say — I got my rhythm back. I not only want to make 2020 my year, but I want to make 2021 and beyond the best years yet.

Anyways, here are my 2019 race results …

Completed Races

New Year’s Revolution Run; January 1, 2019 (3 hours/8.5)

Sun Half Marathon; February 2, 2019 (3:25:42)

Winter Series 15K; February 23, 2019 (2:27:51.8)

SoCal Half Marathon; March 2, 2019 (4:56:19)

Lucky13 10K; March 16, 2019 (1:22:52)

Run Emigration Canyon 10 Miler; April 6, 2019 (10 miles; 2:17:55)

Salt Lake City Half Marathon; April 13, 2019 (3:11:26)

Revel Mt. Charleston Half Marathon; April 27, 2019 (3:09:21.08)

Vigor Big Cottonwood 10K; May 11, 2019 (1:14:25)

Drop13 Big Cottonwood 5K; June 8, 2019 (0:32:36)

Dirty Dash 5K; June 8, 2019 (Untimed)

Farmington Days 10K; July 13, 2019 (1:38:41)

Handcart Days 5K; July 20, 2019 (0:41:12)

Deseret News 10K; July 24, 2019 (1:22:13)

The Launch Team 10K; August 3, 2019 (1:29:01)

Elephant Rock Trail Run; August 10, 2019 (7 miles; 2:21:17)

Mt. Nebo Half; August 24, 2019 (3:22:44)

Revel Big Cottonwood Half Marathon; September 14, 2019 (3:19:21)

Remember Me 5K; October 5, 2019 (Untimed)

The Haunted 5K: Provo; October 26, 2019 (0:47:03)

Spectrum Turkey Trot 5K; November 9, 2018 (0:45:46)

Races Not Started

St. George Half Marathon; January 19, 2019

Frigid 5K; January 26, 2019

Free Food 5K; January 26, 2019

March Madness 10K; March 2, 2019

Antelope Island Buffalo Run 25K; March 9, 2019

Wasatch Trail Run: Utah Olympic Park; May 22, 2019

Race for Grief 10K; May 27, 2019

Wasatch Trail Run: Solitude; June 12, 2019

Utah Summer Games 10K; June 14, 2019

Wasatch Trail Run: Snowbird; June 19, 2019

Follow the Flag 5K Trail Race; July 6, 2019

Wasatch Trail Run: Alta; July 10, 2019

Wasatch Trail Run: Brighton; July 17, 2019

Speedgoat 25K; July 20, 2019

Wasatch Trail Run: Snowbird; August 7, 2019

Wasatch Trail Run: Alta; August 14, 2019

The Haunted 5K: SLC; October 19, 2019

South Davis Turkey 10K; November 28, 2019

New Year’s Revolution Run; January 1, 2020

March Madness 10K; March 7, 2020

Here is how 2019 compares to the other years I’ve raced over the years …

Total Miles Raced

2007 – 006.20 miles 2010 – 006.20 miles 2011 – 093.40 miles 2012 – 374.20 miles 2013 – 334.40 miles 2014 – 463.10 miles 2015 – 452.70 miles 2016 – 410.38 miles 2017 – 452.30 miles 2018 – 299.90 miles 2019 – 162.90 miles

TOTAL – 3052.72 miles

Races over 13.1 Miles

2011 – 05 races 2012 – 25 races 2013 – 24 races 2014 – 30 races 2015 – 31 races 2016 – 22 races 2017 – 32 races 2018 – 18 races 2019 – 06 races

TOTAL – 193 races

Races over 26.2 Miles

2012 – 3 races 2014 – 3 races 2015 – 2 races 2016 – 5 races 2017 – 1 race

TOTAL – 14 races

Total Races

2007 – 01 race 2010 – 02 races 2011 – 11 races 2012 – 27 races 2013 – 28 races 2014 – 33 races 2015 – 34 races 2016 – 27 races 2017 – 34 races 2018 – 32 races 2019 – 21 races

TOTAL – 250 races

Let’s get this surgery over with and bring on 2020! I can’t wait!

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A post shared by Trails & Pavement (@trailsandpavement) on Oct 26, 2018 at 8:45pm PDT

So I guess that’s my 2019? was originally published on Life In The Slow Lane.

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RACE RECAP: Elephant Rock Trail Run

I like to call this my backyard race, because it almost literally is in my backyard. With the many ups and downs that I’ve experienced this past year with my back, ankle and health — I almost didn’t sign up for this race. But, I had to. I couldn’t miss my backyard race!

I have run it since it’s inaugural run in 2017 and I’d like to keep the streak alive since it’s become somewhat of a tradition for me to run to the race (it’s 2.5 miles from my front door). In 2017 I did the half marathon — which — was a beast to say the least. So the past couple of years I’ve done the 7 miler, which is basically running up to Elephant Rock and back from the trailhead. Sure, it’s a run I’ve done numerous times by myself and could do for free — but — I wouldn’t have gotten one of the COOL finisher’s medals. Plus, I want to support my friend Wanderely and the local trail running community.

So here I am.

Since the startline is about 2.5 miles from my front door the past couple of years I’ve ran to the race. I didn’t this year. For one, I didn’t feel like it. And, secondly, I didn’t need that kind of mileage. So I just drove to the race like a sane person — which I’m glad I did because there was a herd of deer I had to drive around on my way to the race. I could only imagine if I ran through them (well, I wouldn’t have, I would have ended up having to go back home, change my pants and grab the car to make sure I wasn’t going to be late for the race).

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Running is fun and all, but have you ever run with these people?

A post shared by Josher (@josherwalla) on Aug 10, 2019 at 9:01am PDT

After grabbing my race bib I headed up to the trailhead with Janet and hung out while waiting for our 6:30am guntime. The ultrarunners, marathoners and half marathoners all head staggered start times to make sure the trails weren’t crowded. I was grateful we had the last start time so the sun could rise a bit more and I didn’t have to worry about faster runners come up past me.

I didn’t have any goal for this race other than — hopefully — finish around the same time I did last year (which was just under two hours). But, with everything that’s gone wrong this past year I really didn’t even care if I got that goal because this was a therapy run for me. I just wanted the miles and the scenery, because I didn’t want to get in my head at mile one and ruin the whole race for me. I know myself too well.

So, embracing that I’d most likely be the last seven miler on the trail and nowhere near as fast as I was the past couple of years — I just went for it. Within the first mile I lost Janet and the other runners ahead of me. My legs were heavy from my hike up and I didn’t have a rhythm yet. But, knowing the course fairly well I knew the way back would be a lot faster. So I stopped to take some pictures of Bountiful from the canyon above.

About two miles into the race my brother met up with me. He was out running the trail for his long run, not racing. He stuck with me for a mile or so as we fartleked a good portion of the meandering trail. He took off and ran up the last portion to Elephant Rock. A few minutes later I met up with him before we turned around. After that he was gone, it’s hard not to hold back on the downhill portion of the trail.

Once he got going I wasn’t far behind and with a pretty good rhythm. I just focused on the trail ahead of me, bouncing off the rocks and trails like a true Cretan and got lost in the world around me. I should have paid attention a bit better because it wasn’t long that I totally stepped on a garner snake. I didn’t look back, but I’m pretty sure I killed it. I actually felt bad and this is coming from someone who hates snakes.

Then about a half mile or so after that tragedy I got spooked by a deer that crossed the trail in front of me. I actually audibly screeched. I’m proud of myself though for not curling up in the fetal position because there were runners behind me and they probably would have freaked out thinking I was being attacked by a cougar or bear. I know I have issues.

Elephant Rock Trail Run from Saturday in my backyard! Fun race — rained a little, sun shined a little, got scared to death by a deer, stepped on a garner snake (probs dead) and hung out with some great friends! pic.twitter.com/6J5INZQMEL

— Joshér (@josherwalla) August 12, 2019

Most of the race was overcast with spots of sunshine. But, about mile or two on the way back it started to rain. It was the most welcomed rain I’ve had in awhile. It was a colder rain which hit my hot sweaty body with a much needed relief. I wished that rain could have last forever. It was great.

I glanced at my watch and saw that I wasn’t going to hit my sub-two hour time like last year. And, I was surprisingly okay with that in the moment. It might have been the endorphins or the experience in the rain. But, I just kept going though my legs weren’t too happy with me — I was just enjoying the moment.

And, of course that moment had to be short lived because within a half mile or less of the finish line I stepped on a damn pinecone and twisted my bad ankle. I cursed a little. But, luckily it wasn’t anything worse than what I’ve been dealing with the past couple of years. So I just shuffled the rest of the way to the finish line.

The ankle will be fine. I iced it after my run. And, I have an appointment in early October to get it checked out. I am sure it’s a bone spur, but who knows? It could just be re-sprained and I really don’t want to deal with either right now. I just want to get through Nebo and Big Cottonwood before I start worrying about any downtime or surgery — heaven help me.

But, I’m already planning on being back for this race next year. I’m not sure on the distance yet … either the seven miler or the half marathon. Of the two distances I’ve done, I love the seven miler mainly because I hate that pipeline hill! HA! It’s a great race though, Wanderley does a great job. He gets it, because he’s a runner and familiar with these trails as well. But, I will be back.

I’ll also be hitting the trails here again at the end of the month and a couple times in the fall. Running Mueller Park in the fall is my favorite because of the leaves color change. It’s gorgeous. It’s also a great trail to help introduce roadrunners to the trails. So hit me up if you’d like to join me!

My Next Five Races

Mt. Nebo Half; August 24

Revel Big Cottonwood Half Marathon; September 14

The Haunted Half: SLC; October 19

The Haunted 5K: Provo; October 26

South Davis Turkey 10K; November 28

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A post shared by Laura 🖤💫 (@laura_beth___) on Aug 10, 2019 at 10:52pm PDT

RACE RECAP: Elephant Rock Trail Run was originally published on Life In The Slow Lane.

[phatjosh180]

RACE RECAP: Deseret News 10K

Oh, Pioneer Day! I used to kind of hate the holiday. Well, okay, hate is the wrong way of saying it — I love the reason why we celebrate the day — I just never thought we really needed TWO Fourth of Julys in the same month. This is completely derailing my race recap, but I don’t care — this is my blog. I just wish we came up with something a bit more original in celebrating Pioneer Day instead of copy and pasting the Fourth. Keep the fireworks, ditch the parade (all parades really) and give us better food than hot dogs and homemade potato salad.

Anyways, I seriously digress. Hopefully you’re still with me here?

Yet, with all those strong feelings about Pioneer Day that I have and do hold — it’s grown on me — especially since becoming a runner. It’s become somewhat of a tradition to run on Pioneer Day — whether it’s been the Deseret News or Handcart Days races. Sure, sure, sure you can use the (valid) argument that people run 5Ks all the time on the Fourth of July, but that’s not my jam — since that’d mean I’d be missing my neighborhood chuck wagon breakfast. Sense my illogical hypocrisy?

I ran my first marathon on Pioneer Day back in 2012 — and I’ve loved keeping the tradition of running on holiday intact. I’ve only missed running the holiday in 2014 and that was because I went camping. I thought about doing a run on Pioneer Day to keep the streak alive, but I wasn’t quite yet confident in my trail running at the time. No, not so much the running part, but where we were camping had a lot of deer and moose.

Most years I’ve always done a half marathon when I’ve run on Pioneer Day, mainly to work toward my 180 race goal. So this year — a year after reaching my 180 race goal — I decided to shake things up a bit and register for the 10K instead. And, I am sure glad I did. The shorter distances have been a godsend for me.

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Long story short — my ancestors walked 2,092km across the Great Plains 172 years ago so I could run the streets of Salt Lake City today for a race medal and a bruised half banana.

A post shared by Josher (@josherwalla) on Jul 24, 2019 at 8:17am PDT

After battling injuries and back issues for the first part of the year — I got myself into a good rhythm that I was hoping to build into solid marathon training. But, then in June that got derailed as I came down with bronchitis and walking pneumonia. I didn’t run for almost four weeks. I couldn’t breathe, let alone run. It was bad.

I know that I repeating myself from past posts, but the time off killed me. I decided to kill the marathon training and just go out and run. Forget about goal races, etc. I just needed to go out and run, have some fun and just don’t die. Pretty solid goals when you get down to it.

So coming back into consistent running just a couple weeks ago it’s been a tad bit of a struggle. Getting my legs back to strength has been the toughest part. It doesn’t help that it’s also the hottest time of the year either. Heat zaps everything from my legs. So it’s been a struggle both physically and mentally — to say the least.

A couple weeks ago — my first race back — the Farmington Days 10K I finished in 1:41 minutes. I was dead last. And, if it wasn’t for a chuck wagon breakfast of bacon and sausage I would have died there. It was hard on me — between the comeback legs and heat.

So going into this race — I wasn’t exactly sure what to shoot for on the clock. I knew I didn’t want to hit 1:41 again. I was fairly confident I wouldn’t considering I had a couple weeks of training on the legs — PLUS — the course had a wonderful 60 feet of downhill. So with all of that in mind I just decided to give it my best and push myself just a TAD beyond comfort.

But, really, I had no game plan. I just wanted to get out there and run.

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I need to find myself a woman that’ll greet me like Bumble did at the finish line this morning.

A post shared by Josher (@josherwalla) on Jul 24, 2019 at 1:41pm PDT

Since I talked Amanda into running the 10K as well. We started out together. She doesn’t run/walk as well and I decided to keep up as long as I could. I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep up for the whole race, but I wanted to keep up for at least a couple of miles. Which I did.

Amanda, Brandy and I kept up with each for about the first 2-3 miles … ish. I say -ish, because I lost Amanda around 7 Eleven on 1300 East when I had this moment of temptation. It was hot and I could have sure used either a Slurpee or Diet Coke at that moment. But, I forgot my money — so it was a moot point — and I kept running.

My legs were feeling pretty heavy by mile three and our first aid station. I knew I would hit this wall, so I slowed down my pace just a tad and focused on tweaking my run/walk sets a bit. It helped, especially as we ran along South Temple and I could feel the slightest of uphill.

Once I got on 200 East and the parade route I got a second wind from the crowd. It was a bit thinner of a crowd compared to when I run the longer distances — just because not everyone is there — but, it was fun to hear my name shouted out a few times along the way. After getting a slap on the butt from Rachel — who was doing the half marathon — I made the turn onto 800 South toward Liberty Park and the finish line. I glanced at my watch and noticed I was pretty closed to a sub-1:20 — nearly a 20 minute drop from my Farmington Days 10K. This gave me a third wind.

As I glanced ran into the finishers chute I glanced at the clock and noticed I was just over 1:20. That didn’t disappoint me at all — that was still nearly a 20 minute improvement! And, as I made my way across the finishing line I saw the Salt Lake Bee’s mascot Bumble and just made a beeline (ha!) toward him for a hug! A Deseret News photographer was there and actually snapped a picture of the moment (it’s the picture above).

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I can do this because I’m Greek.

A post shared by Josher (@josherwalla) on Jul 24, 2019 at 7:42pm PDT

I was very happy with my finishing time. Yet, I still was fighting off disappointment. Which is a weird feeling. I did well, I improved, but it almost didn’t feel like it counted because I should have been in a better situation where I could have gone faster. Luckily I didn’t have much time to entertain that thinking as Shonda, Anita, Lizz, Andrew, Amanda, Brandy, etc., etc., etc., etc. diverted my attention.

One of my favorite things to do after the Deseret News races is to just sit down and park myself under the shade in the park watching all the runners come in. This year I even made a new friend Spencer, who’s a part of the AIIA team. After about an hour I finally started the long way back to my car via the shuttles.

All in all — I feel good about the race, considering the circumstances. Was it my fastest? Heavens no. But, it was a great effort and I felt some gained ground I hope to build on. Which I am sure I will.

My next race is the Revel Launch Team 10K this upcoming Saturday down Emigration Canyon. That should be a fun fast one. I’m not exactly sure what to expect from that one, but I would love to beat my sub 1:20. I have a couple training runs planned this week so it should be out of the realm of possibility.

But, I’m not going to worry about all of that — I’ll just put the work in and let the run come to me. That’s really the only thing I can do, no?

My Next Five Races

Revel Launch Team 10K; August 3

Elephant Rock Trail Run; August 10

Mt. Nebo Half; August 24

Revel Big Cottonwood Half Marathon; September 14

The Haunted Half: SLC; October 19

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A post shared by Trails & Pavement (@trailsandpavement) on Aug 7, 2018 at 10:12pm PDT

RACE RECAP: Deseret News 10K was originally published on Life In The Slow Lane.

[phatjosh180]

RACE RECAP: Handcart Days 5K

“I tramp a perpetual journey.”  Walt Whitman

When I started this year, I wasn’t planning on running during the Handcart Days festivities. I was planning on doing the Speedgoat 25K as a training race for my planned marathons and ultras for the fall. But, yeah, life happened — and plans changed.

As disappointed as I was not being able to do Speedgoat — I’m equally, if not more, grateful that I was able to do the Handcart Days 5K. This race means a lot to me. Maybe not so much the 5K distance, but I’ve had numerous memories made during the half marathon. It was my first half marathon, my 100th race and of course my 180th race over 13.1 miles — which I accomplished last year.

My heart is in this race.

So, with this year being the mess that it has been — I needed this race. I needed the reminder of those accomplishments, because I’ve found myself somewhat forgetting the impact those moments have had on me. This race was much more than just a 5K — it was a recentering, refocusing and recommitment of sorts to what my 180 journey was about.

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A post shared by Josher (@josherwalla) on Jul 20, 2019 at 9:50pm PDT

Plus, I reached another little milestone … as I crossed the finish line — well okay, it was a few yards before that — I officially hit my 3,000th mile raced. That accounting for every mile from my first 10K in 2007 to this race. So, on top of reminiscing about my 180th race, I was pretty sentimental throughout Saturday morning.

Just like my goal last weekend — my only goal for this race was to finish. I didn’t have any anxiety about being last or forgotten mainly because there were half marathoners out on the course. Plus, I’ve done this 5K course NUMEROUS times — it’s the same course as the Sweethearts and Thanksgiving 5K, so I am intimately familiar with it.

But, I didn’t want to put a time goal onto myself, other then I’d like to finish at least under 40 minutes. I had a good 3+ mile runs this past week, so I felt my legs were up to the challenge. And, if I didn’t meet that goal — sobeit — I’m more concerned with just being consistent right now than meeting any certain time goal.

The morning of the race I was feeling good. I pulled into the rec center just as the half marathoners were going. I won’t lie, I was feeling a tad FOMO — but, I knew I made the right decision. I was VERY happy to be running the 5K.

After picking up my packet, I went and chilled in the car for about an hour until my brother made his way to the race. I got there entirely too early — which is a curse for me. We don’t talk about how I’m generally late for everything else in life — but, being only a five minute drive from my house to the race, it was too early.

After lining up and having the gun sound — we were off! I tried to pace myself as best I could. I knew I was probably going out too fast — which I was — but, dodging and weaving around other runners naturally make me want to go faster. I actually find it pretty fun. It’s the only part of the race where I feel like I am racing. Ha!

The first half of the race I kept a good steady pace, but I knew that eventually I’d have to go into my run/walk intervals. Especially since I was treating this more like a training run than a race. So once I got to the aid station and started my return to the rec center I went into my intervals.

About less than a mile out from the finish line my brother caught back up with me. After finishing the 5K he ended up running back, around a neighborhood track and then back to me.He’s a pretty good runner for picking it up just recently, it’s been fun for m watching him come to that realization.

My family is truly one of both tortoises and hares. But then again, he might be the only hare? I digress.

Making the last turn toward the finish line I stopped briefly to commemorate my 3,000th mile — of course with a selfie. It might a neat little moment that I was glad my brother was able to be there with me to celebrate. Especially considering he wasn’t able to be at my 180th race last year.

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Last year I celebrated my 180th race over 13.1 miles here at the Handcart Days Races — a year later I celebrated, at this exact spot, my 3000th race mile. So glad I was able celebrate the moment with my brother!

A post shared by Josher (@josherwalla) on Jul 20, 2019 at 7:05am PDT

I didn’t know exactly where I was on time, but I knew I was pushing that 40 minute mark. I wanted to get under that mark so I picked my pace up for the last tenth of a mile. And, again, I started to get a little nostalgic and emotional making that homestretch. I started chanting … “1, 100, 180” repeatedly, the number of milestone and special races done there.

I kept saying that until I reached the finish line. Which I crossed in 41:12 minutes. Not the sub-40 minute time I wanted. But, the disappointment wasn’t there, because I was thinking and reminiscing mostly about last year’s 180th race and how grateful my mother wasn’t there to throw a pie in my face.

Once after collecting myself I went and sat near the finisher’s chute to cheer on friends and other runners. It was a really thing I’m not afforded to do often after running longer distances. It was fun seeing many of first time racers turn that corner and get a big smile on their face — knowing that they did something hard and rewarding. It’s hard NOT to come away from seeing that feeling inspired — something I’ve needed as of late.

Overall, I feel good about the race. Do I wish I was faster? Of course. But, honestly, I probably shouldn’t have stopped for my selfie with my brother. But, that’s neither here nor there. I will get faster with more consistency — which is happening.

But, really the heart of Saturday’s race was in those milestones, especially the ones shared with friends. To me that’s made all the other races I’ve done and will do worth it.

Next Five Races

Deseret News 10K; July 24

Timp Half; July 27

Launch Team 10K; August 3

Elephant Rock Trail Run; August 10

Mt. Nebo Half; August 24

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A post shared by Trails & Pavement (@trailsandpavement) on Oct 5, 2018 at 6:55am PDT

RACE RECAP: Handcart Days 5K was originally published on Life In The Slow Lane.

[phatjosh180]

Running 2019: Week 29/52

Weekly Miles

Total Running Miles: 8.8 miles Training Miles: 5.7 miles Race Miles: 3.1 miles Walking Miles: 17.9 miles TOTAL MILES: 26.7 miles

January

Total Running Miles: 32.3 miles Training Miles: 23.8 miles Race Miles: 8.5 miles Walking Miles: 77.9 miles TOTAL MILES: 110.8 miles

February

Total Running Miles: 44.25 miles Training Miles: 21.85 miles Race Miles: 22.4 miles Walking Miles: 74.55 miles TOTAL MILES: 118.8 miles

March

Total Running Miles: 43.05 miles Training Miles: 23.75 miles Race Miles: 19.3 miles Walking Miles: 62.0 miles TOTAL MILES: 105.05 miles

April

Total Running Miles: 49.7 miles Training Miles: 13.5 miles Race Miles: 36.2 miles Walking Miles: 76.0 miles TOTAL MILES: 125.7 miles

May

Total Running Miles: 21.15 miles Training Miles: 14.95 miles Race Miles: 6.2 miles Walking Miles: 42.9 miles TOTAL MILES: 64.05 miles

June

Total Running Miles: 9.2 miles Training Miles: 3.0 miles Race Miles: 6.2 miles Walking Miles: 81.5 miles TOTAL MILES: 90.7 miles

July

Total Running Miles: 20.3 miles Training Miles: 11.0 miles Race Miles: 9.3 miles Walking Miles: 45.25 miles TOTAL MILES: 65.55 miles

Total Running Miles: 210.75 miles Training Miles: 108.85 miles Race Miles: 101.9 miles Walking Miles: 367.45 miles TOTAL MILES: 578.20 miles

1 — New Year’s Revolution Run; January 1 (8.5 miles/3 hours) 2 — Sun Half Marathon; February 2 (3:25:42)  3 — SLTC Winter Series 15K; February 23 (2:27:51.8)  4 — SoCal Half Marathon; March 2 (4:56:29)  5 — Lucky13 10K; March 16 (1:22:52)  6 — Run Emigration 10 Miler; April 6 (2:17:55.28)  7 — Salt Lake City Half Marathon; April 13 (3:11:26)  8 — Revel Mt. Charleston Half Marathon; April 27 (3:09:21.8)  9 — Vigor Big Cottonwood 10K; May 11 (1:14:25)  10 — Drop13 Big Cottonwood 5K; June 8 (0:32:36)   11 — Dirty Dash 5K; June 8 (Untimed)   12 — Farmington Days 10K; July 13 (1:38:41) 13 — Handcart Days 5K; July 20 (0:41:12.567) 14 — Deseret News 10K; July 24 15 — Timp Half; July 27 16 — Launch Team 10K; August 3 17 — Elephant Rock Trail Run; August 10 18 — Mt. Nebo Half; August 24 19 — Revel Big Cottonwood Half Marathon; September 14 20 — The Haunted Half: SLC; October 19 21 — The Haunted 5K: Provo; October 19 22 — South Davis Turkey 10K; November 28

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A post shared by runningrulesmyworld (@runningrulesmyworld) on Jul 19, 2019 at 9:27am PDT

Running 2019: Week 29/52 was originally published on Life In The Slow Lane.

[phatjosh180]

RACE RECAP: Farmington Days 10K

Well, I guess it could be worse. After nearly a month of no running — I’m back in the saddle again. And, though the horse isn’t as fast as it used to be, it’ll get there with consistency. So that’s why going into this race I had no goals or benchmarks I wanted to hit other than — just finish.

Which is always a good goal for any race, but considering the madness of not running for a month amid sickness — it was a great goal. I wanted to treat it like a good training run so I decided to measure my effort through my heart rate training range. Not a bad approach. So that was the focus and goal for my race.

Since I haven’t race since early June I knew I wouldn’t be too accustomed to the heat yet. It’s been high 90s lately and I knew with a 7am start it was going to possibly get a bit too hot — and fast. So the couple of days before the race I focused on hydrating properly. I didn’t want to crash and cramp, especially during the last miles.

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A post shared by Josher 🏃🏻‍♂️🏋🏻‍♂️🥩 (@runfitketo) on Jul 13, 2019 at 5:49am PDT

The morning of the race I woke feeling anxious — like I was on the verge of a panic attack. It was hard getting out of bed, because I just didn’t want to go. I felt grossly unprepared and had fears of being dead last and forgotten out on the course. After entertaining those thoughts for a bit too long — I just got out of bed, got ready and just didn’t acknowledge my anxiety any longer.

Action trumps fear.

Getting out and to the race was a nice little victory, but when I got to the packet pickup I saw what weren’t that many 10K racers on the roster. This didn’t help the anxiety at all, because I just knew I was going to be last. Which is an odd thing to worry about for me — because I’ve been last over 20-25 times at other races. I think the worry is more about being forgotten out on the course than being able to do it.

Anyways, once I got my bib and lined up at the start line I knew there was no turning back — I was going to do this thing. So I decided to just lose myself into my music as I put one foot in front of the other — which I did.

The weather was rather hot and muggy as it was overcast. As expected — it zapped me. I brought some applesauce and some Ranch Dressing with me to help me through the mid-miles. But, I ended up sipping my applesauce packet throughout the entire race because the humidity was rough on me.

By mile four any form of consistency I had was gone and I was struggling as we ran along the Lagoon Trail. By this point I was officially the last runner as two ladies passed me — who were mall walking the race might I add. Though it was a bit frustrating officially being in last place, I was actually in a good place. I was actually having fun — and my switch from my running to Disney playlist helped a lot. Do you have any idea how fun it is to run to the Main Street Electrical Parade score? Seriously, the best!

Anyways, I digress.

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A post shared by Josher 🏃🏻‍♂️🏋🏻‍♂️🥩 (@runfitketo) on Jul 13, 2019 at 10:51am PDT

Once I got to the last mile I just focused on one foot in front of the other. I had a little juice left so I ran the flat and downhill (gradual downhill, but it felt like Big Cottonwood Canyon at Mile 5) and power climbed the uphill. About a mile from the finish line the light drizzle of rain turned into a downpour — and quite honestly, I loved it. It was warm rain, but it was still a TAD cooler than the muggy humidity I endured during the last five miles.

After winding around some side streets I turned the corner toward the finish line and as I had kind of feared — not only was I last, but I was forgotten. The finish line was being torn down and Gordon and Myrleen Wright, the timers and friends, were surprised to see me as they were told there were no other runners. At this point though I didn’t care — I was done.

My official time was 1:38:41 — not “bad” considering I didn’t run for nearly three weeks and I had done virtually no heat training this year. Consistency will get me back to where I’d like to be sooner than later.

After heading over to the Chuck Wagon breakfast I grabbed some bacon and sausage I headed back to the car where I sat and ate while contemplating about my race experience. I came away with the following take aways …

Everything will be ‘okay’ even when your anxiety’s fears happen — When I came to this realization, I just kinda laughed. That morning my anxiety was telling me not to go because I probably would come in dead last and be forgotten. And, you know what? I came in dead last and was forgotten. But, the difference was — I showed up, I did it and nothing horrible happened to me! It’s the one thing I hate the most about my anxiety — it’s so irrationally … stupid.

When you focus on where you’re going rather than where you’ve been, it liberate you — This is something that I’ve struggled with — a lot. But, the past couple of months has taught me to really embrace the future. Having done numerous marathons, ultras and even a 50 miler — it’s been hard to come to terms with health issues and injuries. But, I’ve learned to kind of leave the past in the past lately — and it’s really shifted my perspective. In many regards — I feel like a new runner with a clean slate of possibilities in front of me, not a runner that has had plans dashed by unforeseen injuries, etc.

I really kind of hate running in the heat — Seriously, the muggy heat really got to me. Granted I hadn’t really trained in the heat, but give me 50-55 degrees with overcast clouds and I am in heaven. I am getting to that point where I want to avoid running in the summer months like I’ve sworn off cold winter months. Gosh, I swear I am turning into an old man. But, seriously, I hate the extremes. And, get off my lawn.

Anyways, I’m moving forward — my next race is the Handcart Days 5K this upcoming Saturday. It’s hard to believe that a year ago this Saturday was my Race 180 — such a special memory that I’m sure will be on my mind A LOT during my race.

But, I have a few 10Ks coming up as well (down canyons this time) — as well as the Timp Half, which I might defer, but I haven’t decided yet. Really depends on the next couple of weeks of training.

One foot in front of the other.

Next Five Races

Handcart Days 5K; July 20

Deseret News 10K; July 24

Timp Half; July 27

Launch Team 10K; August 3

Elephant Rock Trail Run; August 10

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A post shared by Trails & Pavement (@trailsandpavement) on Jan 14, 2019 at 7:16am PST

RACE RECAP: Farmington Days 10K was originally published on Life In The Slow Lane.

[phatjosh180]

Running 2019: Week 28/52

Weekly Miles

Total Running Miles: 8.2 miles Training Miles: 2.0 miles Race Miles: 6.2 miles Walking Miles: 14.09 miles TOTAL MILES: 22.29 miles

January

Total Running Miles: 32.3 miles Training Miles: 23.8 miles Race Miles: 8.5 miles Walking Miles: 77.9 miles TOTAL MILES: 110.8 miles

February

Total Running Miles: 44.25 miles Training Miles: 21.85 miles Race Miles: 22.4 miles Walking Miles: 74.55 miles TOTAL MILES: 118.8 miles

March

Total Running Miles: 43.05 miles Training Miles: 23.75 miles Race Miles: 19.3 miles Walking Miles: 62.0 miles TOTAL MILES: 105.05 miles

April

Total Running Miles: 49.7 miles Training Miles: 13.5 miles Race Miles: 36.2 miles Walking Miles: 76.0 miles TOTAL MILES: 125.7 miles

May

Total Running Miles: 21.15 miles Training Miles: 14.95 miles Race Miles: 6.2 miles Walking Miles: 42.9 miles TOTAL MILES: 64.05 miles

June

Total Running Miles: 9.2 miles Training Miles: 3.0 miles Race Miles: 6.2 miles Walking Miles: 81.5 miles TOTAL MILES: 90.7 miles

July

Total Running Miles: 11.5 miles Training Miles: 5.3 miles Race Miles: 6.2 miles Walking Miles: 27.35 miles TOTAL MILES: 38.85 miles

Total Running Miles: 201.95 miles Training Miles: 103.15 miles Race Miles: 98.8 miles Walking Miles: 349.55 miles TOTAL MILES: 551.50 miles

1 — New Year’s Revolution Run; January 1 (8.5 miles/3 hours) 2 — Sun Half Marathon; February 2 (3:25:42)  3 — SLTC Winter Series 15K; February 23 (2:27:51.8)  4 — SoCal Half Marathon; March 2 (4:56:29)  5 — Lucky13 10K; March 16 (1:22:52)  6 — Run Emigration 10 Miler; April 6 (2:17:55.28)  7 — Salt Lake City Half Marathon; April 13 (3:11:26)  8 — Revel Mt. Charleston Half Marathon; April 27 (3:09:21.8)  9 — Vigor Big Cottonwood 10K; May 11 (1:14:25)  10 — Drop13 Big Cottonwood 5K; June 8 (0:32:36)   11 — Dirty Dash 5K; June 8 (Untimed)   12 — Farmington Days 10K; July 13 (1:38:41) 13 — Handcart Days 5K; July 20 14 — Deseret News 10K; July 24 15 — Timp Half; July 27 16 — Launch Team 10K; August 3 17 — Elephant Rock Trail Run; August 10 18 — Mt. Nebo Half; August 24 19 — Revel Big Cottonwood Half Marathon; September 14 20 — The Haunted Half: SLC; October 19 21 — The Haunted 5K: Provo; October 19 22 — South Davis Turkey 10K; November 28

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A post shared by Trails & Pavement (@trailsandpavement) on Nov 30, 2018 at 4:47pm PST

Running 2019: Week 28/52 was originally published on Life In The Slow Lane.