How I track my runs, and what I work on all day

I'm a software developer and a passionate runner. So when the opportunity came along to build a premier website for runners, I could not resist.

At the beginning of this year I started work on Athlete.com - a niche social running website. Since then we've developed a fantastic website where you can track your runs, share them with your friends, get moral support and look at helpful statistics about your runs. It has quickly become a product that I personally love to use.

In the past, I have generally preferred to run using my GPS watch (I have a Garmin). Periodically, I jump on over to Athlete.com and upload all my runs from my watch. Athlete.com also offers a mobile GPS app to track your runs. Over time, I have come to prefer this. My runs get uploaded to the site automatically and I can also see what my running friends are up to. It's nice to avoid carrying my phone, but I usually take it with me anyway for several reasons.

1. All my music is on my phone.
2. I need my phone for safety. Once on a really long run on a hot day in St George, I had to call my wife to rescue me.
3. I like people to be able to contact me, just in case.

Don't get me wrong, I still love my Garmin GPS watch, but it is rare that I don't have my phone with me anyway and it is really nice having the runs get uploaded immediately and automatically. So I've all but abandoned my GPS watch now.

The iPhone app is in the app store. It is called Athlete.com Running GPS. The Athlete.com Android App is getting very close to being ready and I'm very excited. You can get early access to it if you're interested (login to the site and look in the left column on your dashboard).

Overall it has become a product I'm very proud of and I'm very excited for what is coming next!

How far can I go?

I was thinking about all the water, electrolyte supplements and quick energy food that I need on a run. It seems crazy. I don't see a problem with using these things, but I have a hunch that our bodies are designed to be tougher than that.

Let's say thousands of years ago some dude was being chased by a predator. Or they were the predator and were chasing down dinner. Either way, your life is depending on your ability to run. What if he forgot to fill up his CamelBack? What if he forgot his GU packets or Shot Blocks? I'm going to bet that he didn't have this stuff. Sure he probably had a way to carry some water, but maybe the situation caught him unprepared. All I'm saying is that reason tells me that when push comes to shove and you're relying on your legs to get you home or even save your life, they'll probably go farther and faster without water or supplements than you ever thought possible.

So I decided to test it. I went out on a hot day. I started a little on the dehydrated side and with an empty stomach. I brought nothing but the clothes on my back and I set out into the mountains to see how far I could go. It was about 80 degrees with occasional cloud cover, so I wasn't REALLY pushing the envelope here. Just a friendly experiment.

Immediately I was running with a different mindset. I was seeking out shade and trying to control my body temperature so I wouldn't lose all my water as sweat. I ran more slowly for that reason and also so that my metabolism would be able to keep pace with my need for energy.

After about 4 miles I started feeling pretty dried out and had cottonmouth, but it never really progressed beyond mild. At around 6 miles I started to get a side ache, which is weird for me. I don't get side aches. I figured this was due to dehydration and got a little worried, but alas it remained mild and then went away after about 10 minutes. I ended the run at around 11.5 miles (1 hour 43 minutes) without issue.

Conclusion: ya, our bodies can be pretty tough. I'm sure if it were REALLY life or death I could have gone much farther. Ya, baby. We were born to run. :)

Run/Hike Kings Peak?

I've been thinking that it would be a ton of run to do a two day running expedition with minimal supplies. One of the places that sounds fun to do this is King's Peak. This may be naive of me. I really don't know what King's Peak is like. So I'm going to do a bit of research and document it here.

Notes

1. Jupiter Steeplechase is 3000 ft elevation gain over about 8 miles (375 ft/mile)
2. King's Peak (the Henry's Fork route) is about 4100 ft elevation gain over about 16 miles (257 ft/mile)
3. The above two assume no elevation loss on the way up, even though that's surely false. You get the idea...
4. Cold up at the top. Could even have some snow.
5. Need to look into altitude sickness, just to be sure. Sounds like the peak is high enough for it to be a concern.
6. Super busy during July-August
7. upper parts of the trail are usually covered with snow from mid-November until mid-July. The most pleasant time for the climb is late August, when the days are still relatively long but the meadows have dried out and the mosquitoes have abated
8. From greatoutdoors.com: "Sudden storms with violent lightening can brew up at any time (as noted in the story), so be prepared. Snow is possible all months of the year, though least likely in August. The evenings are very cool throughout the hiking season. Wild flowers begin their show in late July and are quite spectacular."

Articles & links for reference

1. Map
2. Here is a good article describing hiking King's Peak from the North.
3. Peakbragger info on King's Peak
4. Summit Post info on King's Peak
5. Wikipedia on King's Peak
6. Travel journal of hiking King's Peak
7. Interesting background on the Uinta Mountains
8. Matt Heart running King's Peak and some more vids of the same.
9. Dave and Ab hike King's Peak and talk with someone who ran it
10. General info on the Henry's Fork approach to King's Peak
11. Excerpts from "Utah's Incredible Backcountry Trails" about King's Peak
12. Crazy dude that did King's Peak in snowshoes in one day
13. Cool blister treatment stuff
14. This guy ran/hiked King's Peak in October 2010. Took him about 4 hours up, 3 down. He said he hit snow at around Gunsight Pass. He wore what warn-looking tights, looks like layered long-sleeve shirt, but no jacket, nice warm gloves. Probably there was more gear not in the pics, but that gives you a rough idea of the temp.
15. Greatoutdoors.com - King's Peak Lives Up to it's Name
16. Trip repot from some guys I know

Notes from talking to my Aunt Linda & Uncle Blaine

1. aug 15
2. elk horn crossing washed out - rebuilt, should be okay now
3. henry's fork
4. 3 hr drive from slc, through evanston
5. weather more important than crowds
6. usually astormy during hike all year
7. watch out for lightning
8. water? - filter or iodine pills. will need to filter it (sheep/horses/people, etc)
9. pack light? - 30-35 lbs. need extra clothes, gloves, hat, raingear
10. they did 3 days
11. saturdays are the crazy days. best if you can avoid sat. friday too. maybe start on saturday and go through sunday?
12. not a lot of vertical first 10-12 miles
13. once you go from about 10-11, then there is a lot of vert
14. lots of false summits (5?)
15. everything takes a little longer than you would think
16. class two after anderson pass (the rocky part)
17. want to have a light shell pant. wear tights/shorts? then put on shell if needed.
18. everwhere they ever backpack, it always rains. if stuff gets wet, it gets very cold. be prepared.
19. freeze dried dinner. granola, power bars, beef jerkey, etc. tuna packets. salmon packets.
20. trail isn't all that well marked.
21. stay away from dollar lake area. beautiful, but crowded and trashed. toilet bowl.
22. altitude: they never had a problem. worry more about it if you are ascending fast. eat and stay hydrated. gu and stuff.

Give thanks for your Achilles tendon

Here is an illustration of the Achilles tendon in case you don't know what it is. This tendon is awesome and we are lucky to have it.

What purpose does the Achilles tendon serve?

The purpose of the Achilles tendon is to help you run efficiently. It is incredibly strong and elastic. Each time you take a step, some of the energy from your fall is used to stretch this tendon, thereby storing the energy and using it to fuel your next step. Animals that don't run don't have this tendon. Our genetic cousins, apes, do not have this tendon.

Humans are terrible at running? So why do we have this tendon that is made for running?

Humans are terrible at sprinting, not running. We are fantastic at running long distances. Be proud of your species. We are great long distance runners!

Midnight Running

I've been reading a book called Ultramarathon Man by Dean Karnazes. It's basically an autobiography about a guy that runs insane mileage, why he does it, how he does it and how it fits into the story of his life. Personally, I think the guy is a nut. I don't think I run the way he runs. He runs for pain and I run for pleasure. However, as I read the book, I find some undeniable similarities in the way we think.

Dean runs a lot at night, or at least he does in the part of the book I am currently reading. It sounds like a fantastic time to run. There is no sun beating on you and that makes a big difference in the middle of summer. So, on Saturday evening, I was in the mood for a run and decided to give it a try. I headed out at around 11:30 and ran for about an hour.

It was cooler than running at mid-day, but I still got quite warm. I have avoided the heat just as well by running early in the morning on shady trails. But it was still pretty fun. I ran across a couple that was smooching as they said goodbye. I think they were a bit surprised by some dude running by and interrupting their moment.

Single Track Above Woods Cross

I planned to get up at 7 this morning for a nice cool run. Going to bed late last night was a bit at odds with that and Ella, my two year old, got up way too early and needed some snuggles.

So I got a late start, but it turned out just fine. A few times I have headed up into the hills directly east of 2600 South in Woods Cross. It is about a 14 mile run if I turn around at the beginning of the single track, so I have never ventured up past that.

Today I drove to the beginning of the singletrack so that I could really check it out. It was gorgeous and well shaded from the sun, which was high at this point. I snapped a few pics, but it was hard to do it justice.

I realized today just how rocky these Rocky Mountains can be. I wore my Vibram Five Fingers today and the terrain just about did my feet in. Next time I visit this trail I'll be sporting some "normal" running shoes.

Good Gift for a Runner

You'll almost always see me wearing a white hat when I run. The first or second year I ran the Wasatch Back, Backcountry.com (my employer who sponsored our teams) got us white Montrail running hats. I don't know how I ever lived without this thing. It keeps me cool, helps prevent sun burns and helps keep the sweat out of my eyes. I have a dark green one just like it and it is horrible. You need a very light colored one because it makes a big difference with the heat.

So, if you're looking for a gift for a runner, or if you're looking to buy something for yourself, get one of these.

Old Ranch Loop

Went for a fast pace run today to see what I could do. I ran the Old Ranch Loop (7.32 miles) in 52 mins for a pace of 7:10 per mile. For a flat road run, that loop is very pretty. That was pushing it for me, but felt good.

Parrish Creek Trail & Bonneville Shorline Trail

My Dad told me there was going to be a lunar eclipse this morning so I thought it would be really fun to go for an early run and watch it. Unfortunately, I couldn't see it, perhaps because I got up too late or maybe it was just behind a cloud. It ended up being great because it motivated me to get up early and have a great run.

I decided to check out the Parrish Creek Trail in Centerville, UT. You can check out this and other trails in the area at the Davis County website. This is a nice area of trails because there's about a dozen trails that are all connected by the Bonneville Shorline Trail. So you can head up there, connect into the trail system and explore all you want.

I was well up the mountain as the sun crested the ridge which created some pretty colors. It also permitted me a good deal of much appreciated shade.

My intent was to run about 10 miles this morning and boy was it a tough 10 miles. This was my first time running these trails and the Parrish Creek Trail was a LOT more steep than I expected. It was more of a hike than a run. But it was beautiful and I'm not racing so that's just fine.

At about 2 miles up it has some intermittent flats and downhills so you can cruise a bit which feels good. I ended up running into the largest colony of caterpillars I've ever seen. I think they were caterpillars. They looked kind of strange and they were hanging from trees. Up in the trees you could see these huge web looking things. I'm guessing this is where they were coming from. There were so many of them suspended from these, hanging in the middle of the trail that eventually I just couldn't stand running through them anymore and I turned around.

On my way down I stopped at a lookout point over the creek. The trail is maybe a couple hundred feet above the creek, looking down from above so you get a pretty good view. I was in the shade, but the sun was shining below, making it easy to see hundreds of dragonflies swarming all around. Maybe I just don't get out much, but I've never seen more than a few of these at once. It was very pretty and it did my heart good to know that they were probably devouring mosquitoes!

Once I got to the bottom I ran along the shorline trail for a bit to pick up some more miles. This trail has some rolling hills, but is fairly mild. It was a perfect way to end the run. I'm looking forward to exploring some more trails in that area.

Mid Mountain Marathon

Utah is a fantastic place to live. There's only so many places where you can put together a 26.2 mile race on mountain trails. That's what the Mid Mountain Marathon is. I'm not sure if it will be this year or next, but that's the next goal.

Ragnar Relay - Wasatch Back

This weekend is the Wasatch Back Relay, put on by Ragnar. It's a relay race starting in Logan, UT and ending in Park City, UT. There's an insane amount of runners and it's way fun. The course stays on beautiful rural roads roads for nearly all 188 miles. Here's a video to help you get a sense of what the race is like:

This will be my third year running the race. My employer, Backcountry.com, pays almost everything for 5 teams to run (12 runners per team) so that is pretty awesome. It's a fairly expensive race.

Each team is split up into two vans. One van will rest while the six runners in the other van run their legs. Then they switch. Each runner runs three legs for a total of about 13-18 miles.

Each year, one of the Backcountry teams will run with gear. It's kind of weird and crazy, but we have a blast doing it. I ran on this team in 2008. Here's a video of that team in 2009.

I'm getting very excited! My team starts tomorrow at noon.

Boise 70.3 Ironman

A couple of my friends competed in the Boise 70.3 Ironman Triathalon this weekend. Josh & Natalie Braegger, Dave Richards, Greer Hitch and Chris Dunn fought through dehydrating winds and all completed the race. I am very impressed. Extra props to Joel Brazle for finishing in 88th place. Way to represent Backcountry fellas! You can read more about the Boise 70.3 Ironman or see the race results.

Follow up on Springville 5K

The race this morning was beautiful. The weather was perfect. The course was different this year from previous years, but the new course was quite enjoyable. Let's be honest, it just goes through the Springville streets. Choosing a few different streets isn't going to be much better or worse no matter what streets you choose.

his year there were over 2,300 participants. They gave out tons of prizes including a Little Giant ladder, $200 gift certificate and probably 50 or so others. Two of us won prizes so we must have had good luck (although our prizes were some food and a hose -- not quite as good as a $200 gift certificate).

5k Family Race in Springville

The Nestle Art City Days Family Run is just around the corner. While I was going to college, my wife and I lived in Springville, UT. While we were there we found out about a fun little 5k. It's very casual, extremely cheap, gets a great turnout, has some fantastic prizes and is an all round good time. Because it gets a good turnout, there usually ends up being some decent competition there too. Last year there were just shy of 2000 participants, which is a lot for a community race like this.

This year I'm going to be in the stroller division pushing my daughter Ella and my nephew Riley. My wife Jill is going to walk it since she's very pregnant. I'm really looking forward to the race, as I do every year. If you're interested, you should check it out. Race day registration is still only $15. Learn more at Nestle Art City Days Family Fun Run.

Running at Work

Like many people, my job can be a bit stressful sometimes. Eight or so hours a day completely focused can be enough to make me go crazy. This has made me appreciate running even more. Going for a run during my lunch hour is a great opportunity to let my mind relax and get the blood flowing. It makes for a much more productive last-half-of-the-day.

My work is located in Park City, Utah. For those who don't know, this is a mountainous area. There are endless beautiful trails, at least when they're not covered in snow. A few trails are accessible by just running directly from my office. Others are just a short drive. I couldn't be more lucky. I don't live in Park City. It's about a 40 minute commute to get there and I used to dread it. But over the years I have come to appreciate working in such a beautiful place.

I went on a run last week that was a fantastic example. I generally like to keep my running gear at work because I don't always know when I'll get a chance to go. When my schedule is open for a run, I can be on the trail in just a few minutes. I chose to run the Glen Wild loop. It's a beautiful single track on fairly dry terrain that is graciously maintained by the private neighborhood which contains it (called Glen Wild, in case you couldn't guess). Only, on this day it wasn't so dry. I was slipping a sliding in places, but managed to keep my feet under me. I like to run in this area because there is a whole spiderweb of trails there, providing lots of different distance options, plus it's close to work. You can just head out with no idea how far you want to go and just figure out a route as you go.

After going on a run like this, I come back to work and I literally have to think for a second to remember what I was working on. Just another reason to love running.

What is this blog?

About a year ago, I read a book called "Born to Run" which encourages barefoot running, among other things. I have loved running for almost my whole life and it sounded fun to give it a try. I have had my share of running injuries. It seems that some part of me breaks at least once a year. In fact, at the time I read "Born to Run" I was unable to run because of a small tear in my left meniscus. So, natrually, I hoped to have some fantastic results, but that wasn't the only reason to try barefoot running. I just love running and I thought it would be fun to try it barefoot.

Over the past year I have had a fantastic time barefoot running. I have been injury free and having fun. I'm not claiming that barefoot running will keep you injury free. There could be other factors in play. But, I do know that I feel good for one reason or another and that I've had a blast feeling the earth beneath my feet.

I really don't want to write some big long post trying to convert everyone to barefoot running. I just wanted to introduce the blog a bit. So, with that, I'm done.