Jeremy's Running Adventure

So this last Saturday, I decided to try to go for a long run up Ben Lomond. I knew I wasn't going to get to the top, but I thought I'd see how far up I could go in an hour and then turn around and come back. I made it up just over 4 miles to the part where the trail switches over to the west side of the mountain before I turned around. The uphill portion was rather uneventful other than passing a few hikers and a mountain biker. I turned around and started flying down the mountain.

I was feeling pretty good on the way down and was having flashbacks of why I used to love this kinda thing. I am pretty sure I was on a running high. I think I even screamed for joy. A few seconds later, I apparently didn't lift my right foot up high enough to clear a rock in the path and I went down.

As I got up in disbeleif, I realized that I had cut my right hand, my right knee, and I'm pretty sure I had rolled over a pretty sharp rock on my back. I stood up and looked around for my water bottle (I didn't want to be dehydrated). I found it partially opened and was relieved to see that I still had some water and it wasn't muddy.

I noticed as I got up that my shirt was suddenly muddy. I guess all my sweat mixed with the dirt on the trail when I fell. Despite the fall I was still feeling pretty good and continued running down the mountain almost as if nothing had happened.

I passed a bunch more mountain bikers on their way up the mountain and couldn't figure out why they all seemed to look at me funny. When I got to the car I think I found out why. Apparently I had achieved the worst case of nipple burn I have even seen or experienced. I guess I didn't notice it at first because of the fall. I thought that was just where I had grabbed my shirt with my bloddy hand.

I had Martha take some sweet pics so you could all enjoy this experience with me. Check 'em out.

2 More Races

I have participated in 2 races since I last posted here. I did the Cache Valley Biathlon in June. I ran the 5 mile run portion pretty close to 40 min and finished the 16.5 mi bike at a total time of 1:35. I think I did pretty well but would like to see if I can do better next year. Because I don't have a decent road bike I borrowed one from one of the guys here at work. I was nice to actually be able to move.

Also, as a spur of the moment decision, I ran the Cherry Days 5K in No. Ogden on the 4th of July. I was hoping to do better than I did but for not being prepared, having the first mile plus uphill, and a couple of tired legs from a workout a few days earlier, I think that the 24:08 I ran was pretty solid.

I have been trying to increase my training and mileage. There is a triathlon in August I want to do (Sprint distance), and another in September (Olympic Distance) that I want to do. I am also starting to contemplate running the half marathon in August (about half way between my two tri's).

I ran about eight and a half on saturday and felt decent. That was the longest run I have done in years. It was encouraging to think that in a month or two I could be up to running a half marathon. We'll see how that goes.

The good news is that I have been losing weight along with my training. I was about 230 just after Christmas, and before I started running again I was pretty consistently about 226. Compare that to the 209 that I was this morning. Not bad. Not bad at all. I need to keep going though.

Common Ground Race For Ability

So last Saturday was the Run, Walk, and Roll Common Ground race in Logan. It has been 3 years since I've ran that race. I was doing fairly well on my training and was hoping to run the 10K but about a week and a half before the race my left thigh started to hurt pretty bad. I still don't know what's wrong with it. I think it may be close to a stress fracture or a pulled muscle but I've never had either so I don't know.

Anyway, I decided to do the 5K because I figured I could limp through it if I had to. I actually did fairly well for a fat, out-of-shape guy. I finished in 23:57, my best in the past several years. I was hoping to break 25.

Martha biked the same 5K course pulling Dillan in the trailer and won the bike division in about 20 minutes. Given that she has only gotten on a bike once before this this year, she did pretty well.

Harris Research was kind enough to sponsor the race which allowed everyone's entry fees to go directly to Common Ground. There were about 10 or so HRI employees that ran.

The rest of the fam ran the Brain Injury Association's 5K in SLC the same day. It seemed to be the biggest one yest with over 600 participants.

Sick and wrong

So here is a picture.

If you can't tell, click the picture and look again. This girls is wearing men's briefs as a tank-top. Look where her head is. I don't think I need to say any more.

Have a great day!

Dillan says...

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