Carry That Weight

David W. posted this article about a cross-country runner named Josh Ripley on Facebook and shared it.  As I read the article, I got thinking how often I get helped by others when I get discouraged along the journey including many of you.  Thanks for the support!

Blog Award

Michelle over at Ruminations was kind enough to award me with a blog award.  If you don't follow Michelle, I would recommend you do.  She is doing well on making a lifestyle change and is losing weight the right way.  A great combination of exercise (over 1000 miles biking this year so far) and making reasonable and healthy changes in the way she eats.  Slow and steady wins the race in the long run.  Keep up the great work Michelle.

Back in Training
As I posted last week, I decided to run the Halloween Half again this year.  I started at week 4 training on a new schedule.  My running up to this week was sufficient enough for me to start where I did.  I like the new schedule if for no other reason it mixes things up a bit.  Speed work is mixed in to the middle of an easier pace. It's fun for me to run faster for short sprints and then crank it back down.  For now the length of the intervals is about right.  Saturday's long run was a bit rough however.  I have been trying to really watch  my heart rate.  I tend to push it a bit too hard and end up paying for it on race day.  I decided this time out, I would really train within the parameters that the training calls for.  The problem on Saturday was my Garmin which tracks both heart rate and distance got knocked off the charger and it didn't even last getting out of the car.  I didn't have a watch with me, so I had to guess on my heart rate by effort.  I know the distance of a 6 miler on the path I took, but it was an 8 mile run so I had to guess when to turn back.  I am not sure if I was short or long.  I also had to take off later than I usually do.  The first part of the run was a real struggle and I ended up having to choose between walking or falling over.  I chose to walk for about a half mile until I felt ok.  From there on, I was in a bit better shape and able to run the rest.

When I got  back to the car, this was on my windshield.

This is both wrong and funny in so many ways!

Hang in there and I will too.

The Price (of Great Health) is Right!

A few bits and pieces this week.

Drew Carey

Runner's World ran a great article on Drew Cary.  You might have heard his story of losing weight, but this article is the latest in his efforts to get fit.  I can relate to what he has gone through and we are close to the same age.  I hope you get some motivation and some good practical advice from it as I did.

September Challenge.  Mer at We're Losing It posted a challenge a few weeks back.  Really quite simple but effective.  I thought I ought to report on my progress since we are now more than half way through September.

• Minimum 30 minute workout (Every day I worked out was at least 30 minutes.) 
• 5-6 days a week (5 times / week is 71.4% of the time, I've exercised 86.6% of the time so far)
• Cardio or strength training (Both.  I've been mixing it up)
• Post daily about it on your blog. (Missed a couple of tweets, but for the most part logged my workouts)

Bob Harper - Totally Ripped Core.   I am a big fan of the Biggest Loser and have always wondered how I would do if Bob was my trainer.  Last year I bought several of his Inside Out DVD's and they are hard.  Just last week, I got his Totally Ripped Abs DVD and it is a killer as well (in a good way.)  If you are looking to mix things up, I would recommend his DVDs.  Most are $10 and under from Amazon, Walmart and Target. 

One last bit of news.  I have decided to run the Halloween Half again this year. 

I was not going to race anymore this year but after cutting back on my running for a couple of weeks, I am feeling ready to train again.  I have benefited a lot from training for races.  Saturday it really started bugging me so I checked where I should be in training according to a Runner's World training sheet and found I was about right on my weekly runs.  So I started on week 4 this morning.  I am going to really focus on my heart rate on this training schedule and see how it goes.  This morning went really well.

Hang in there and I will too!

Timp III

My brother Gordon and I tried to hike Mount Timpanogos about 6 weeks ago.  After 5 miles and several snowfield crossings, we turned back when one of them proved to be too much.  I didn't know if we would get another chance this year until some of the guys at work said they wanted to hike it.  I set up a date, we got about 10 people saying they wanted to go and the plan was set in place.  After all was said in done, on Friday we arrived at the trailhead with Gordon, one other guy from work, (Paul) and me.  I've described this hike several times, so I won't go into much detail here other than to point out a few things that were different about this hike and also a few pictures.

It was fun to have all three of us be matched up well in our hiking abilities.  We took turns switching off leading and it kept us on a good pace.  We hit the summit after hiking about four and a half hours.  Not bad considering the average is six to eight hours to the top.

Paul and Gordon at the place where the snowfield stopped us last time.  Just a small patch is all that is left.

Looking down at Emerald Lake which is still partially covered with ice.  It's usually snow free by the first of July.

Paul, Bruce and Gordon at the summit.

 On the way down, we met two others from work, Scott and Joe, who had a conflict in the morning.  They started hiking around noon and kept going until they met us coming down.  As you can see on the following picture, it is a beautiful trail.

Heading back down.

I felt really great on this hike.  I even packed the poles away for most of the hike on the way down.  I think my training for the half marathon on downhill routes helped.  The only thing that was painful is my trail running shoes are too small in the toes and they were a bit tender.  I need to get another pair.  Other than that, it was a great hike and I'm glad I got to do it again this year.  It also makes Gordon a member of the Three Peak Challenge club.  Great job Gordon!  Thanks to Paul for being a great hiking buddy as well!

---

Another quick note.  My daughter Sarah suggested that I read "The Long Run" by Matt Long.  It is an inspiring story of a NY city fireman who had run marathons, was an Ironman finisher and is a survivor of the 9/11 attacks 10 years ago.   He was hit by and sucked under a bus, survived after receiving 69 pints of blood and over 40 surgeries.  He chronicles his recovery, his discouragement and how he overcame this and became determined to run a marathon again against all odds.  It was truly an inspiring book.  I felt it was fitting to drop this book back to the library by running the 1.2 miles down there instead of driving.  Just a small tip of the hat to Matty and his inspiring story.  I highly recommend the book.

Hang in there and I will too.  

Carry That Weight

Over the long weekend I was trying to decide what to blog about on Monday.  I had some general ideas, but I didn't realize that most of my blog this week would happen on Monday itself.  

My brother Gordon invited me to on an early hike to Silver Lake with him and one of his neighbors.  That worked out well with it being Labor Day and I was scheduled for a 3 mile run. This would give me a similar workout since the hike is about a 4.6 mile round trip. 

I haven't been to Silver Lake for quite a few years, but I remembered that both the hike and lake were pretty.  I got to my brother's house at 6:30 and we climbed into the van and off we went. 

I have mentioned before that I feel really blessed to live where I do because there is so many outdoor opportunities.  I love to hike and within a half hour or so, we can be to many wonderful trail heads.  Extend that out to a couple of hours and the options are limitless.

After last week's disaster hike, I wondered how this one would go.  I decided to go very minimal with what I took and it ended up being a good decision in more ways that one.  I didn't even take my hiking poles with me on this one.  I felt really good on the hike and I had more than enough energy and endurance for this one.  I was very encouraged.

Silver Lake

Me and my brother

Reflection of the sky.

As we were there at the lake, we were approached my a guy who had been camping overnight.  He asked if we were heading back soon.  When we said we were, he told us of another camper who had hurt his back and needed help getting back down the trail.  He said his group could help him, but they had full packs themselves and were wondering if one of us could take his pack down.  I said no problem since I didn't even have a day pack on.  Both Gordon and I both know from personal experience about back problems so we were glad to help.  We went over and helped him finish packing.  I know how hard it is to get up and down when the back hurts so we finished packing his tent up.  I put the pack on, Gordon gave me his hiking poles and we took off.  It was a little over 2 miles back, so I decided to hike as quick as I could with the pack on.  I made good time back to the van.  We prearranged a place to leave the pack.  Hopefully all went well with him getting down with the other campers.

Later that day, we had already planned as a family to go to Lisa Falls.  I haven't been there in years either.  It is up Little Cottonwood Canyon in Salt Lake.  The hike is short and easy and the falls are pretty as you can see.

The main falls coming down a granite face.

Not really big, but pretty.

We didn't stay long.  We made it back home in time to see "The Help."  Great movie!

Hope you had a great holiday weekend.

Hang in there and I will too!

Bonus Post - September Challenge

Mer over at We're Losing It has put out a Supreme September Super Duper challenge which is easy enough to do, but I think will have a big impact on your health if you are not already doing it.  Consider doing the following:

• Minimum 30 minute workout 
• 5-6 days a week
• Cardio or strength training
• Post daily about it on your blog.

I'm in.  I am going to tweet  (@brucegud) my daily workout (I guess tweeting is micro-blogging).  How about any of you?

Hang in there and I will too.

Getting Back Up

This posting is dedicated to Clyde and Alan who have been a constant source of inspiration and the ability to put a smile on my face.  I guess I can relate to both of them since we all came to a realization that we need to make some serious changes in our lives.  Clyde and Alan are having some struggles of their own right now and maybe a few of the rest of you are as well.  Let me share something with you.

Saturday I went on a hike.  If you have followed this blog at all, you know I enjoy getting out and hiking.  We have so many beautiful places to go and I enjoy the challenge of them all.  This hike was different however.
 Even though I saw sites as beautiful as this I soon lost my appreciation of the hike.

Early on in the hike

It could have been a number of things.  I was just finishing up a recovery week from my half marathon last Saturday.  I only got 5 hours sleep.   I ran a long run the day before.  It has been hotter than normal the past week.  And for this part of the country, it was muggy as well.  I haven't sweat that much in a long time and even though I had plenty to drink and enough to keep me fueled, I realized I wouldn't be making it to the Cascade Saddle as I had planned.  It wasn't because I didn't have time, I was because I was exhausted after four miles and a lot of climbing.  I felt like I did when I started out a couple of years ago.  The only difference was that I had gone four miles instead of a quarter of a mile.  Still I was defeated!  Those four miles back to the car took forever.

Even though I knew how far I had come, I felt like a failure when I climbed back into the car to go back home.  I haven't felt like this in a long time.  I had been knocked down for sure.  Maybe the stumble started when I didn't finish the half marathon in the time I had hoped.

So what to do.  Going home, getting something to eat and soaking my tired legs helped.  I took it easy the rest of the afternoon until it was time to go to a family reunion on my wife's side.  It always cheers me up to see them.  I got a few compliments since they haven't seen me in a while and several of them are runners as well.  It's funny how much I not only like to run, but also talk about it as well.  What a running nerd I've become!

A good night's sleep helped as well.  I realized as I got up, that I was a bit weary in the body, but I was recovering quickly.  No limping and no getting back into bed.  I was ready for the day.  I went to church and things were looking and feeling better.

This morning I got up and went out for a three miler.  I made sure this was the  recovery run it was meant to be.  I came home, stretched and got cleaned up, had a healthy breakfast and headed to work.

How am I feeling now?  Still a bit discouraged, but I got back up after the knock down and kept on going.  Do I always bounce back this quick?  No, but we all need to keep the perspective that our knock down times are not going to last forever.  We need to do what we can to get back up, be patient with ourselves and never, ever, give up.  Don't give up and turn back towards where you came from just because your having a rough time.  Catch your breath, get your bearings and get back up as quick as you can.  You have come further than you realize.   Keep moving forward!

Hang in there and I will too.

Hobble Creek Half Marathon - Lessons Learned

Training and running in a half marathon is one of the most physically, emotionally and mentally challenging things I have ever done.  Last year is the first year I even considered that I could do it.  Thanks to the encouragement of running a 10K and having running friends telling me I could do it, I took it seriously and trained in earnest for the Halloween Half Marathon last year.

This year, I knew I could do it and I wanted the challenge again so I signed up for the Hobble Creek Half Marathon.  It has a reputation locally of being one of the best courses, so I eagerly signed up in time.  It sold out in about 1 hour this year.

© Sojourners Running Club. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Last year, I was happy to be able to finish.  This year, I had hopes of finishing around 2:30.  My training runs had given me the confidence to think it was doable.  When I finished though, I was disappointed with my finish time of 2:43:10.  Training right leads to a good race, but it doesn't guarantee it.  Here are some things that I just couldn't train for:

1. The buses that drove us to the start line were late and there were not enough buses.  This lead to a late race start and got us down to the bottom of the canyon as the day was getting warmer.  I really started to tank when I got out in the sun.  
2. I have been training getting my nutrition down, but I didn't train on carrying my Gu's pinned on the inside of my running shorts.  I ended up having one of the Gu's leak and run down my leg.  I knew I was having a problem with this as we went up in the buses, but it didn't become an issue until I used the porta-potty and when I came out, the Gu (chocolate no less) started oozing out more.  Looked like I had a bad accident.   This lead to getting yelled at and threatened.  We were starting at a campground which they blocked access to the runners going down into the camp area.  I asked the host if there was a water spigot near by that I could rinse the Gu off.  They were more than helpful in letting me use a nearby tap.  An ornery lady was camped near the spigot and kept yelling at me to get out of the area.  Even though I told her that the campground host said it was ok, she kept yelling at me.  She stood up with her German Shepherd and asked if I wanted her to sic her dog on me.  By this time, I had had enough and told her to go ahead.  She said, "Are you sure?"  I said, "I didn't care."  I think that surprised her.  One of my running buddies came by about that time, I finished cleaning up and left without incident.  I told the campground host about her.  He said to his partner, "She's the one I was telling you about that I would like to kick out of here.  She's the camper from *$%%!"
3. I finished in 1013 place!
4. I finished last in my age group!
5. I finished 13 minutes later than my goal time. 

Recreation of the killer German Shepherd!
Uncredited photo.

It took me a while to get out of my funk, but I started thinking about some positives from the race.

1. I cut 10 seconds a mile off from last years run.
2. I set a PR for my half-marathon pace.
3. Walked only once besides the water breaks.  Even jogged up the hills.
4. I wan't last.  About 80 people finished after I did.
5. I rode up with two running friends from the neighborhood.  Matt who finished in 213 place and Todd who finished in 46th place!  They were both very encouraging and patient with me in finishing long after the did.
6. Even though I was a bit sore in the calves today, I still was able to go out and run 3 miles.  Last year, I wasn't able to run more that a mile for about 6 months due to getting hurt during and after the race.

Things I learned

1. Losing the weight I talked about last week will make a big difference.
2. The heat is a killer for me.  I need to do some of my training in the heat to get used to it.
3. Something is always going to be different than you expect. 
4. Don't do something new that you haven't trained for.  The Gu didn't work out well.  Should have tried it first.

Funny stuff 
I have had many funny things happen while running.  This race was no exception.  During the latter part of the race, we went through a sub-division.  There were three young girls and one house with a toy drum, a tambourine and water sprinkler.  As I passed, the first girl half-heartedly shook the tambourine, the the little drummer girl did a tap-tap.  Even though I was pretty tired at this point, I waved and smiled.  They both just stared straight ahead.  I guess after a thousand runners had gone by, they were tired themselves.  The last girl was still enjoying herself as she pointed the water sprinkler out to the street for us to cool ourselves off with.  I was appreciative for a small break from the heat.

I am grateful for the lessons learned while training and running this race.  Even though I was disappointed in my time, there were a lot of positives from the race and I am going to stick with my plan to lose the weight and get ready for the Ogden Marathon next year.  Thanks for all the encouragement you have given me through all of this.  It really makes a difference!  Hang in there and I will too!