Goodbye Sprint

We bit the bullet and decided to get rid of our spotty-at-best Sprint service and our old numbers. If you want our new numbers just let us know.

8000m Challenge - Complete!

The Jansport 8000m Challenge (3 Mountain Challenge) was last Thursday. It's an event that Jansport has been putting on for the last 12 years for it's vendors. We randomly signed up this year. It's a team event where each team member runs the whole course. The rules are each team could have up to 13 people finish. Everyone had to do the entire course (there were check-ins at the top and bottom of each peak). That's pretty much it.

The course included three peaks in the Palm Springs, CA area. The entire course was about 40 miles and 12,000 feet of vertical gain and loss. The first peak, Mt. Baldy, was 12 miles and 3800 feet vert. The second was San Gorgonio, measuring in at 17 miles and 5500 feet of vert. The third was San Jacinto, coming in at 11 miles and about 2600 feet of vert. The top elevations were about 10,000 ft, 11,000 ft, and 10,000 ft, respectively.

The race started at 5:00 am at the base of Mt. Baldy. The strategy was to start out fast to get ahead of the pack and dust bowl of 170 people running up a dirt road. The course started with a small section of asphalt, then a turn onto a dirt road, from which the single-track trail branched off. When we hit the dirt road there was only 3-4 people in front of myself and four others from my team. Our plan backfired when the people in front of us go far enough ahead that they got onto the trail and out of site by the time we came up to it. We (Jamon, Cathy, Brendan, Chris, and I) completely missed it and kept going up the road. We realized our mistake and about 35 minutes later we had back tracked and were on the trail. We figured it was an extra two miles or so to the race. I made it up to the top of Mt. Baldy in 1 hr and 22 minutes from the time we hit the trail and back down (all the way to car) in 49 minutes. With a quarter of the miles, a quarter of the vert, and one peak down, four us piled into the minivan and headed to Gorgonio.

About a 90 minute drive put us at the base of Gorgonio. This was to the motherload, the crux, of the day. Measuring up at 17 miles and 5500 vert, during the heat of the day (Palm Springs was 107 that day) was a very daunting challenge. I loaded up on water, sports drink, electrolyte drink, and snacks and hit the trail with Jamon, Jim, and Seth. Gorgonio was relentless, starting off with a steep switchback section in the first mile. After that the trail mellowed out for a few miles, heading up a ravine passed lush vegetation and massive trees (if there's one thing California has done right, it's the redwoods. Those things are amazing). I kept up a steady pace for most of the way. After the ravine came more switchbacks, followed by a short ridge, steep hiking, false summits, and finally the summit. I made it up in 3 hrs and 24 minutes. After refueling with liquid and food it was time to get going. The downhill was going to be the crux of the crux. It was a long way down, my legs were tired and cramping, and I had to go fast to catch up with the group (Jim, Jamon, Cathy, Colby) ahead of me so I can get in their van for the next peak (if I missed them I would be waiting at the car upwards of an hour or longer for the next group). I put in the headphones, cranked the tunes and started down. I ran for almost and hour and forty minutes before I caught the group (they were movin'!). 5500 ft of vertical loss takes a toll on your legs. Thankfully I made the right call and used trekking poles on this one. I got down in 2 hours and 39 minutes.

We immediately jumped in the van and headed to Jacinto. Jacinto is interesting. You have to take a tram from the base up the mountain to get passed the lower section that is virtually impassable (or so I hear). From the top of the tram its 11 miles and about 2600 feet to the summit. We had time constraints to catch the tram up and the last tram down was at 9:45 pm. You could camp up top, but we didn't want to because the lure of a shower and bed was strong.

It took us about 80 minutes to get from Gorgonio to the tram. Once at the top we started making our way to the peak. We knew we had plenty of time of took a slower pace (Jim and Jamon went ahead running while Cathy, Colby, and I power hiked). Our legs were all feeling very tired so we kept a pace that would get back to the tram with time to spare. It took 1 hr and 54 minutes to make it to the summit and 1 hr and 54 minutes to make it to the tram. On our way back down there was a guy at the camp making soup for everyone. I grabbed a cup on my way by and the warm, salty broth tasted amazing! About half a mile from the tram I looked at my watch and realized if we hustled we could make the finish in under 16 hours.

All counted I did about 42 miles and 12,000 feet of vert in 15 hours and 57 minutes (that includes about 2.5 hours of drive time). It was the longest distance and most vert I have ever done. It was also the most challenging event, both mentally and physically, I have ever done. The shower afterwards and bed were amazing. Even more amazing was the pancake, egg, home fry, bacon, and sausage breakfast the next morning. My IT bands are worked, but I was only sore for a few days (I was completely surprised). Would I do it again? Definitely. Will I line up other ultra events? Definitely.

Here's some pics (I am waiting for more & all photos in the slide show are courtesy of Jim Holland) and a short video (you see my back a lot, I'm wearing a green shirt, blue pack, and tracking poles) of the race. Enjoy.

8000m Challenge

Tomorrow morning I am heading off to do the Jansport 8000m Challenge (AKA the 3 Mountain Challenge) in So Cal. 40 miles, 12,000 ft of vertical gain (and loss). I'll be sure post how it went. Pictures will likely be lacking as I'm not taking the camera (even if I took it I wouldn't be stopping to snap pics).

Mount Timpanogos

Last Sunday I hiked Mt. Timpanogos for the first time. Yeah it was on a Sunday, but I needed to get in one last training run before the 3 Mountain Challenge.

I went up with Bill and Brad from work (who, not so coincidentally, are also doing the 3 Mountain Challenge). We started in the cool of the morning at 7:30 a.m. It was awesome. I didn't know what to expect other than the hike was going to be long with a ton of vert.

When we got to the lake at the bottom of the glacier we saw two mommy goats with their babies. We were stoked...Then as we went over the first little knoll after the lake we saw the entire herd! In all there were probably about 40 goats total.



We pushed on to the summit and make it to the top in two hours and thirty minutes. We mostly power-hiked, only ran a little.



After 15 minutes up top we headed down. Brad and I lightly ran the steep summit section and the massive talus field. We opened it up a little more after the talus field. We kept a good pace. We made it from the summit to the car in an hour and forty minutes.



The 30 second feet & leg soak in the waterfall towards the bottom was a life saver. The ice cold water immediately took off some of the swelling.

It took us 4 hours and 22 minutes (including 15 minutes on the summit) to cover the approximate 14 miles and ~4500 feet of vertical gain and loss. Not the fastest time, but I still feel good about it for a first time up Timp.

Silent Auction

There's a silent auction going on over at Noggins Beanies to support Nie Nie Day.

You can get this beanie:



It's for a good cause, go check out the beanie and silent auction it up right nice. Check out the link for Nie Nie Day for other silent auctions that are happening.

New Bike

We finally sold the Taurus! Wah-hoo. A little while ago Jessica said to me "if you can sell the Taurus you can use the money to buy a new bike". I had been talking about getting a new bike for commuting and for trying out cyclocross this fall. It took about a month or so, but we finally sold the Taurus for $350. We knew that it had a few problems and thought that would be a fair price.



The next day I was cruising the KSL classifieds and came across an ad for exactly what I was looking for. A commuter/cross bike and it was in my price range. It was a Diamondback frame with good Shimano components, some cross wheels, and the original set of wheels.



I've commuted on it once. It was so much better of a commute than on the Britney. The hills are a lot better on gears. It's so much better of a ride. I've also taken Penelope for a ride in the bike trailer. That is also so much better with gears. All in all it's an awesome bike and I am uber-stoked to have it. I can't wait for cross season to start so I can give it a whirl.

Jupiter Steeplechase Recap

It's been a long time since the race, but I finally have the pics and the time to write about it.

So the Jupiter Steeplechase was Saturday, August 9. It's a 16 mile race with about 3000 feet of vertical gain and loss. It's essentially an out-an-back race. It's 8 miles and 3000 feet of vertical gain from the base of the Park City Mountain Resort, to the top of Jupiter Peak, and then 8 miles and 3000 feet of vertical loss back to the base.



The course was switched up a little this year. We started in a different place and instead of a short climb up a third peak after Jupiter, we ran around the third peak and back down. This change ended up extending the race to be a little longer than 16 miles (which we didn't know until afterwards).



My goal was to beat my time from last year. I knew that I needed to start out strong but not so strong that I burned myself out before the hardest climbing. I also knew 8 miles of downhill would be grueling.

I did end up pushing a little too hard on the uphill so I couldn't push the downhill as hard as I wanted. I did end up beating my time from last year by 49 seconds! I finished in 2:41:06. I was super stoked. I was even more stoked when I found out that the course was a little longer than last year.



It was a good race and I'll definitely be signing up for it again next year!

Heading to Louis Lake

We're off to Louis Lake, WY to go stay at Jessica's parent's place, Louis Lake Lodge for the rest of the week. My update on the Steeplechase will have to wait until after we get back.

Cool Bike Ideas

As many are aware I am becoming more and more of a bicycle advocate everyday. I've given up driving to the carpool and bike to it everyday. I ride the bike for most errands that are within two miles of our house. I like riding and the benefits it provides.

I read a number of bike blogs and every once in awhile I come across something that makes me think 'wow, that is awesome. I wonder how I can incorporate that somehow in my own life".

The most recent example is people only using bikes for their business. I'm not talking about people who are professional bike racers or bike messangers, but individuals with jobs that would be 'easier' with a car.

The most recent example was on the Bike Portland blog about a gardener who only bikes to and from jobs. He has a trailer that he hauls all of his tools and supplies on. His co-worker also rides her bike to and from all jobs.

I love seeing stuff like this! It goes to show that you can be successful with your bike. I haven't been able to figure out how I can do this yet, but it makes me realize that I could use a bike for pretty much everything I do.

What are some cool examples that you've seen? What are some things you'd like to do by bike?

Jupiter Steeplechase Results Coming Soon

I am currently waiting on some photos so I am going to wait on writing about the race. In the meantime you can get the 'unofficial' story from Jessica here.

A Day at Bear Lake

Yesterday we went to Bear Lake for the day. We got the idea from Adam, but then unfortunately they couldn't go...thanks for the idea.

We got up there about lunch time. We pitched the sunshade, made sandwiches, and ate underneath it. Once lunch was gone we went for the water. It was surprisingly warm for Bear Lake.



Penelope loved walking in the water. She was unstable on the washboard sand and would get knocked over by the small waves so we held her hand a lot. She kept wanting to walk straight out. She'd even want to keep going when it'd get so deep that the waves would splash her face. She also loved splashing.



We, of course, stopped to get a raspberry shake on our way home. On our way back through Logan we stopped and walked around our alma mater's campus. I loved going to school at Utah State. We also drove through the neighborhoods we said we'd want to live in if we ever moved back to Logan.

We capped the day with eating dinner at Firehouse Pizzeria (mmmm, Cordon Bleu pasta and FFzookie) with my mom and her husband.

Good Move...

This morning I rode the bike to the carpool, went to work, and worked. When the van dropped me off at my bike I walked up to put my bag in the milkcrate, looked inside and noticed my lock. I stepped back, looked at the bike, looked at the the lock and realized I didn't lock my bike today. Ummmm, yeah, good move. I thought back to this morning and I got the van meeting spot, was super hot and sweaty so I unloaded my stuff, started flapping my shirt so help cool off, then changed my shirt, and drank a bunch of water. Didn't even think about locking the bike. I was so concerned about trying to cool off.

Thanks Salt Lake City for not stealing my bike.

Quote of the Day

As Jessica is doing dishes, Penelope (whom I am watching) decides to pull a chair up and help rinse. Seeing that she is occupied I leave the kitchen to do other things. To this Jessica says: "What happened here?"

I reply "she decided to help out". I then walk back into kitchen and Jessica says "How did I get suckered into this." I say "Suckered into what?" "Doing dishes and watching Penelope." I laugh. "I feel like you."

Funnier said than written but she has a valid point. :)

Signs of a Good Nap

Signs of a Good Run

What are some signs of a good run?



Yeah, those aren't farmer's tan lines folks. Grubbiness is one fine indicator of how a run went. (Oh yeah, don't pay attention to the toys or clothes in the background). This morning I ran in Big Cottonwood Canyon. I ran up Mill D to Desolation Lake, up to the spine of the Crest Trail, then down into Millcreek Canyon, over to Dog Lake, and back down to Mill D and the car. All told it was roughly 13 miles and 3500 ft of vertical gain and loss. I pounded it out in 2 hours and 26 minutes (that includes rests). I was surprised I got through it that fast. It was awesome. Nothing like hitting a trail early before most people get on it.

Here's a close-up of the ankles:

The Value of Being Outside

Being outside is a topic that I've spent a lot of time thinking about this summer. I've always been extremely fond of being outside but I think having a small child, who is at a very impressionable age, is what has spurred my recent string of thoughts on the matter.

Tonight I was asking myself "what is it about being outside that is so great?". I think this one picture gives all the reasons:



There's nothing quite like watching a small child run carefree, full of excitement, and having the best time of their life. It's really made me sit back and ponder how it is that people (including myself) spend way too much time hanging out indoors. We have become complacent and willing to just sit inside our climate-controlled homes, buildings, cars, etc. instead of getting outside and enjoying what this world has to offer. As I sat on our front lawn playing with Penelope for probably 2 hours tonight I stopped to look at what was around, just outside our door. The most striking view is Mt. Olympus (not to mention the small nursery across the street that is always abloom with flowers):



Then looking north up our street our neighbors have some big trees and more views of the Wasatch Mountains:



I feel that people sometimes forget it can be as simple as stepping out your front (or back) door. The power of being outside enables you to run free. You aren't confined by the size of your room or the size of your house. The only things that confine you are your will and imagination. You can interact with nature face-to-face, you get the real effect and as a result it effects you. You can't get that through a TV or a computer screen.

If Penelope and I would have played inside tonight we would have played with some toys, maybe would have read some books, or just sat around. Being outside Penelope was able to explore, she was able to run, unconfined. I enjoyed the beautiful evening, just sat and relaxed, undistracted. We made up a game where we ran around in circles screaming and then we'd suddenly fall down. There's no room inside to run in circles (especially for me) and screaming inside is way too loud. Here's a short, shaky video (Penelope made me run too) of our game:



Tonight was just another experience that helps to solidify my beliefs and opinions on being outside. Think back to some of most fun, most memorable experiences as a child, I bet you were outside.

Old Friends

I went climbing tonight with an old friend/co-worker/ski buddy from Logan. I haven't seen him in a few years. It was awesome to catch up and see how things are going for each other. Also climbing was fun, it's the first time out since Colorado.

It's always a good time to catch up with people you haven't seen in a while.

That is all.

Summer Concerts in the Park

Maybe I just didn't pay enough attention but it seems to me like there are more and more free community activities, like concerts, going on this summer. We just got home from the city of Holladay's "Summer concerts in the park". We found out about them because we randomly drove down a street two weeks ago and say the banner.

The concert was actually inside city hall tonight because they thought it might rain. The band was okay but it was nice to be out of the house, listening to music, and participating in a community activity.

We actually met a couple of people who chances are we wouldn't have ever seen. One conversation started around a pannier a guy had on his bike. It's nice to get out and do something that we typically don't do and meet people we typically wouldn't ever meet.

What kind of summer activities do your communities do?

Feeling Sheepish

You know how every once in a while you do something thoughtless and it's completely ridiculous? Well I had one of those experiences tonight.

Jessica left today for girls camp and won't be back until Friday afternoon (yes I'm lonely already). This evening my dad called and asked if Penelope and I wanted to come over and swim at the pool at his fiances townhome. Of course I said yes. Penelope and I put on our swimsuits before heading over. As I was going out the door I put my keys and my cellphone in the pockets of my boardshorts (if you don't see what's coming by now you must be slow).

When we got to the pool I was wicked excited to get in with Penelope that I took of my shirt and our shoes and hopped in with her. We were playing around having a good time when I start getting this weird vibration from my pocket. Yup, it was my cellphone, fully submerged for a few minutes. Needless to say I think it's fully fried. The screen was solid white and it just vibrated. I took the back cover and battery off and let it dry. When I got home I pried the phone apart to let the insides fully dry. Fortunately it dried quickly and seemed to turn on (but the screen was white). I could push buttons and it would make noises, but that was all.

So now I am on my backup phone, which hopefully will work for a few more months. Fortunately Sprint did away with their activation fees.

I feel completely silly and thought everyone would enjoy reading about my thoughtless experience!

4th of July Festivities

Today was a great day. You might be saying to yourself "Eric it's early". True, but we're tired.

We wanted to go swimming today because it was ho-ot, but that didn't work out. So we ended up at the Target getting some things for an evening canyon bbq. We grubbed on a Domino's pizza for lunch and then hung out at the house while Penelope napped.

Once she woke up we headed up Millcreek with the Buchanans for some bbq action.



We hauled our little grill up the canyon (we weren't sure if there was going to be fire restrictions) and spent the evening hanging out. We dined on shishkabobs, chips, baked beans, and sodas. It was delicious!



Finally broke out the hammock. We don't spend enough time in that thing. It is so comfortable. Penelope loved climbing in and sitting with us. She did lean too far over the edge once and fell out. I did catch the back of her pants before she hit the ground.

The girls had a great time running around, playing in the dirt, and scooping dirt into the empty yogurt containers that we brought. Penelope loved it so much that she ate a rock! Well we think she did. We turned away for 2 seconds, she starts coughing, and we turn around and she's spitting some dirt out of her mouth. I figure we'll make sure she drinks a lot of water for the next day or so.



There's the ladies of the evening. You can't fully tell but the two little ones are grubby. Ryan is sporting her signature scowl. The camera (or cameraman) was a little too slow to get the full scowl.

The canyon rocked hardcore. Now we're going to watch a movie. Once it's dark we might step outside to see if we can see any of the fireworks from around the city.