Angkor Wat Marathon 2015

Traveled into Cambodia with other PCVs to Siem Reap to run the Angkor Wat Marathon. The overland journey getting there was rough. I don't recommend it. Easier to fly. Spent all day Saturday exploring the many temples through the Angkor Wat area with Pete. He gets credit for the photos below with me in them.

The marathon was on Sunday. Only part of it took place inside the park area, which would have been more scenic had I not seen everything the day before. Marathons are painful, so it's hard (for me at least) to appreciate what's around me. Also, I had to go #2 for half the race, and there weren't any port-a-johns on the course.

But, I made it to the end. Here I am with Alyssa completely exhausted. 

All of us in front of the Angkor Wat temple with our medals.

San Tan Scramble 50K Race Report & Photos

Here is my race report from my journal, with photos. Enjoy.

Up most of the night, and barely asleep when I wasn’t. Got maybe a couple hours. Up 5:45. Ate some oatmeal and drank a little chocolate almond milk. Jake and I got to the trailhead in the San Tan Mountain area by 6:30, and then proceeded to freeze our buns off until the start of the race at 7. I ate a section of banana and stripped down to shorts and a T with 5 minutes to go. We are both running the San Tan Scramble 50K, while Jen and Kimball are running the 9K at 8:30.

Feeling good, I started off fast, just as I stupidly do with every long distance race I’ve ever run. It’s a lesson I refuse to learn. Jake hung with me for several miles and then dropped back. I could still see him over my shoulder every time I looked back though. We were both in the top 10 during the first of three loops, which were about 10.7 miles each. There are 2 aid stations, not counting the one at the start/finish line. I didn’t bring any food or hydration with me at the start, so I lost a little time grabbing a drink or snack.

Jake and I feeling good on the first loop

The super steep, grueling climb wasn’t too bad the first go round. And then I flew down the mountain on the other side. Another terrible habit of mine. Arrived at the starting line just as Jenny and Kimball were heading out on their race. My first loop took 1:29:27. Jake was right behind me in 1:30:16. It was still cool out and I made a snap decision not to bring my fuel belt with me on the second loop. Headed right back out, this time in reverse, so I was passing by all the other runners coming in from their first lap. About 60 racers at this distance.

Kimball

Back up the mountain side and then back down the steep descent. Once again I tore down, passing several runners and moving into 3rd place. There was a moment around mile 13 where I thought I could finish in the top 3. Oh how foolish I was. By mile 15 my legs had seized up—complete pain from the waist down. Jake caught up to me at an aid station and smartly asked the lady for some pain medicine. Popped a couple pills and accidently slammed a cup of Mt. Dew for the second time—looks just like Gatorade.

Jen

The Caffeine from the soda and a Gu, combined with last night’s massive meal, and then 15 miles of jostling, wreaked havoc to my system. Things were moving and I was helpless to do anything about it. It’s 5+ miles from that aid station back to the starting line. I was hot, tired, in a lot of pain, and now I had to go #2 in a bad way. I fought it for 3 more miles, hoping I could make it to the port-a-potties at mile 21. A half mile later, I knew that would never be.


[You may want to skip this section if you don’t like tales of poo]

Dashed off course and squatted behind a shrub before unloading. Looked like something a steer would leave behind. Super gross. But not as gross as realizing there are literally zero good options around for wiping. Thorny shrub. No. Dirt? No. My socks? No. Not wiping? Maybe. In the end, I brushed the sand off a rock and gave that a go. I followed that with a second rock and called it good. Could have been worse—I could have crapped my pants.

Shuffled into the starting line aid station, dead on my feet. Starving and thirsty. Spotted my mom and dad who drove out to see us. First I had to wolf down one bean burrito after another, plus a PB&J, potato with salt, and anything else I could cram in my mouth. I had been going on fumes for several miles. More pain med. Strapped on my hydration pack and put on my shade hat. Quick visit with my parents—so nice of them to come out today.

Reversed and headed back the 5+ miles I had just come to the next aid station. I’m barely moving at this point, walking anything resembling an uphill, slow jogging on flat, and painfully letting my body fall forward on the downhill. It would be this way for the remaining 10+ miles. I was being passed on a regular basis, but I didn’t care. It was all about finishing at that point.

The third time up the steep mountain was the worst. Hot and slow. 4 girls passed me. Gave it everything I had left on the descent and final mile into the finish line. I showed 32 miles on my Garmin. Finished in 6:02:08. Meanwhile, Jake killed it, finishing almost an hour faster in 5:04:47 in 8th place. I was 23rd. The first place guy set a course record in 3:57. Unreal. Talked with mom, dad, Jake, and Jen. Ate a couple burritos before driving back to Jen’s with my parents.

The Finish Line!

  

 

 

Group photo back at Jen's house

Park City Snowshoe Stomp 5K

I had a lot of fun over the weekend at the Park City Snowshoe Stomp 5K, even if there wasn't enough snow to warrant it's namesake's footwear. I had brought my Yak-Trax, but left them in the car and went with just trail shoes. Mostly locals turning out for this chilly race to benefit The Road Home.

The Rail Trail in the distance behind us

As unlikely as it sounds, I came in first place and received a nice medal. Terrific post race snacks aplenty too. Thanks for putting on a terrific race.

The race director made me do a #1 sign for the camera

Race Gear

Halloween Half Marathon 2011

Joined the masses in the University Mall parking lot in the dark. Thankfully they had some people there with the bibs that weren’t picked up yesterday. Officially running the Halloween Half Marathon today. Waited over an hour freezing our buns off for a bus to take us to Aspen Grove up Sundance Canyon. No lines at the port-a-potties so I made a quick stop there before we entered the heated tent. Packed to the gills with costumed bodies.

We squeezed our way in and found a small patch of grass to chill for the next hour and a bit. Chatted with runners around us. Most people had gotten past yesterday’s confusion and were ready to race. Stripped layers, sticking with shorts, long sleeve tech T and beanie. Made another pee stop in the woods, as the lines for the toilets now were outrageously long.

Race started on time in two waves. Chris and I were in the 9:00 am wave. We got close to the front to avoid the slower runners in the narrow start chute.

The Aspen Loop road is incredibly steep. I did my best to mitigate the impact on my knees while taking advantage of the downhill pace. I still got passed by the 1:30 pacer before reaching Provo Canyon though. Chris stuck with them and passed me too.

Mile 1 6:26
Mile 2 6:47
Mile 3 6:49
Mile 4 6:43
Mile 5 7:06

Being chased by a pirate

Almost immediately after the race started I realized I should have taken a second trip to the port-a-john. I fought the urge to stop until about mile 6. Lost about 3 minutes there. Curses! Never saw the 1:30 pace flag again. Felt much better after that though.

Ran hard the rest of the race, finishing at a park just outside the mouth of the canyon. Didn’t spot Chris, so I hopped in the massage line. Not the greatest massage, but any massage is better than no massage in my book.

Mile 6 10:03 (pit stop)
Mile 7 7:17
Mile 8 7:24
Mile 9 7:23
Mile 10 7:17
Mile 11 7:23
Mile 12 7:18
Mile 13 7:11
.12 Miles 6:30

I finished in 1:35:52, 172nd overall, 16th in my age group. 7:20 pace. Not great, but not terrible. Burned 1444 calories. Ate a mini Lara bar and a gel during the run. Looks like there were about 3300 finishers.

Medal

Riverton Dash After Dark 5 Miler & Oktoberfest 10K

Five mile races that take place in the evening don't come up very often, so I took the opportunity to race what is essentially an 8K. Riverton puts on very organized, professional races. I highly recommend them. The 2011 Riverton Dash After Dark followed the Jordan River Trail, with the course lit up from candles in paper bags.

This race attracted a lot of fast 35-39 year olds for some reason. 6 of the top 10 finishers were in my age group. That NEVER happens! Since the 1st and 2nd overall winners were 35-39, I ended up placing 1st in my age group--thus the medal pictured below. I finished in 38:29, 7th overall.

I wasn't so lucky in the Oktoberfest 10K the next morning, where I finished 4th in my age group. Since they only awarded top male and female overall winners, the 35-39 year old guy who took second place overall, was lumped into the age group winners, knocking me off the podium. My time was 44:14. 16th overall.

The Pink Half

I had the opportunity last weekend to pace in The Pink Half, an all female half marathon with an emphasis on breast cancer awareness. Needless to say it was a chance to run in a race I would normally be locked out of. I was the 2:30 pacer, which meant I got to take it easy and enjoy the company and views.

Chilly day in Park City with a bit of early morning rain. The gals were bundled up.

Great views

We received charms in place of medals

The Dirty Dash 2011

I ran the Dirty Dash for the second year in a row after scoring some free passes. Brought along friends and family to run with me. Tougher course with more obstacles than last time. Close to 4,000 runners competed throughout the day, with some opting for the 5K shortcut. This of course screwed up the results, but my official place was 75th overall. In reality, my time of 48:18 was somewhere in the top 25. This race is more about mud than competition--so on to the photos.

Giant slip & slide towards the finish

Home stretch

Epic Cache-Teton Relay 2011

I went to Costa Rica right after finishing the Epic Cache-Teton Relay, so I never got a chance to post about it. This is a quick recap with a few photos of my teammates. I know there are photos of me out there, but I haven't received them yet.

Our team picture at the finish line. The race was 206 miles long, from Logan, Utah to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We came in 11th out of 82 teams, 4th of the "mixed" teams, meaning we had 6 guys and 6 girls.

Van 2 ladies

Blaine

Not a bitchin' Camaro

Preston

Raylene

Face/Off at the steak house post race.

2011 Jupiter Peak Steeplechase

My race report from last weekend's Jupiter Peak Steeplechase in Park City.

I got to bed about 1:00 last night and got up at 6:15 this morning. Not bad. Ate a whole bagel with peanut butter and honey. I learned my lesson from not eating enough last week. Covered the nipples with band aids and gathered my gear. Left later than I wanted, about 6:50. Drove really fast until I got to Parley’s Canyon where I caught up to a police escort that lasted all the way to the parking lot at Park City Mountain Resort. Arrived with only 15 minutes till the start.

Course

 

Picked up my bib and then ran back to my car to get my hydration pack. I had filled my bottles with ice and had to go inside the resort to find some water. Poured a half pack of CytoMax into each one. By the time I got a satellite lock on my watch and a quick pee, it was less than a minute to Ready-Set-Go! I never had time to stress about the race until I was running it.

We followed the Crescent Mine Grade road until connecting to the Mid Mountain Trail. There’s something like 400 runners moving in mass uphill. I didn’t bother jockeying for a position before entering the single-track. I’ve never been a strong uphiller, and today was no exception. I somewhere in the middle of the pack and ok with that. I passed a few people here and there, but got passed by twice as many. I saved a little time by skipping the aid stations since I was carrying my own energy drink with me.

Mile 1 13:44
Mile 2 13:35
Mile 3 13:44

Lots of room for passing on the Comstock Mine Road. I don’t know if I need to mention how gorgeous it is in this area. The mountains above Park City are amazing. We continued running up, up, and up. We started at 7,000 feet and I think I passed the 3rd aid station on Pioneer Ridge at around 9,000 feet. That’s when you get a view of Jupiter Peak, and it’s a bit terrifying. I hope I can find a picture. Off in the distance is a huge line of runners scrambling up one of the steepest ascents I’ve ever seen in a race. It’s insanely steep.

Mile 4 11:30
Mile 5 15:51
Mile 6 15:48

There’s nothing to do but put one foot in front of the other. Or rather, one foot several feet above the other. It’s an endless stairmaster, if the stairs were twice as high as high as normal and made of loose gravel. I know my legs weren’t the only ones burning. But eventually the distant peak comes into view and I gave out a shout as I slapped the flag pole on my way past. 10,400 feet high with epic views in all directions.

View from the summit

Mile 7 21:50

Transitioning into downhill mode, I picked up speed coming off the top, but as a first timer on this race, I hadn’t realized there was a second peak to climb: Tri County Peak. It wasn’t as steep as Jupiter, so my pace didn’t suffer as much. After that, it was truly all downhill to the finish.

Mile 8 12:55
Mile 9 9:09

We followed Scotty’s By Pass to the Shadow Lake area before connecting back onto Comstock Mine Rd. And by road, I mean more of a dirt atv trail. I don’t know where I stood at the halfway point, but I consistently passed people the entire way down. I was hydrating on the run, consumed 2 gels, 2 salt caps, and a handful of gummy bears. Legs were shot as far as uphill was concerned, but they were doing great on the down. No trips or missteps on the many rocks and roots.

Mile 10 7:57
Mile 11 7:32
Mile 12 7:19

Meanwhile, the winner was finishing in a lightning fast 1:51:42, narrowly ahead of the 2nd place guy. 

We detoured onto Spiro Trail to take us to the finish at Silver Star Café. The trail is very runnable and not too steep. Mostly shaded too. I really enjoyed this section.

Mile 13 8:07
Mile 14 8:33
Mile 15 8:02

Home stretch

Checking the watch in preparation for crossing the finish line.

And then the finish line appeared. I thought I had another mile to go, but it turns out the race was 15 miles long, not 16. Nobody on my tail so I simply coasted into the finish. Drank lots of water, picked up the nice tech shirt and a bag of snacks. Hit the restroom where I washed all the sweat and grime off with cold water from the sink. Felt so good. Ate my yogurt, banana, and oatmeal bar in the shade while watching other runners come through.

My official time was 2:55:42. The results show me in 87th of the males. 121st overall out of 274 finishers. My pace was 11:43. I burned 1496 calories. Happy to make it in under 3 hours, and without an injury. Next up: Epic Cache-Teton Relay from Logan, UT to Jackson Hole, WY.