Our 3 Perfect Days in Zion

We arrived in Zion mid-day Sunday after a short drive from St. George and we set out to take care of some business as we knew we had a lot to see.  First we needed to get our backcountry camping permit for Monday night which required a long stop at the visitors center due to the parking situation as the park fills up quickly and you need to park in town and shuttle or run into the park from Springdale.  Luckily, we got changed at our hotel for that night and put on some running clothes, it was time to get a move on.  I would highly recommend you do not go to Zion during peak season unless you like running rather than shuttles and occasionally waiting in theme park like lines which were already starting in early May.

Day 1:A half day of hitting the easy hikes of some of the must sees.  We ran up the Pa'Rus trail to the third shuttle stop at Canyon Junction which was about 2.5 miles from upper Springdale.  From there we boarded the shuttle.  The Narrows was fully closed to hike up due to high water so we headed to the Riverwalk and viewing area first where we saw as much of the Narrows that we could that day.  This was a 2 mile round-trip run that took about 30 minutes with pictures and other play time.  The Narrows is the last shuttle stop at Temple of Sinawa so we started taking small hikes as we headed back down the valley.  The quick hikes or short paved trail walks that Zion offers right off the shuttle include the Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock, and the overlook of the Patriarchs.  (pics below!)

Day 2:  We had big plans.  A morning hike/run up Angel's Landing, a 5.4 mile round trip to up to the dangerous and beautiful peak followed by a 7.5 mile day with our camping gear into Kolob Canyon and the Kolob Arch.  We caught an early shuttle to start the Angel's Landing hike and got into the front of the line (thankfully) by running the 2 miles to the chains.  These chains are not to be taken lightly as they are at times the only thing keeping you from plummeting 1,000 feet to your death on rocks below.

It took a while to get used to hiking Angel's Landing, the initial climb is a couple miles and, in our opinion, runnable.  It will take some gas out of the tank however.  After that, the sand-coated smooth rock means you will be hiking and if there is crowd you'll be waiting to use pieces of the chain as there is only one way traffic.

Some pictures of Angel's Landing shows why people go on such a dangerous and sometimes frustratingly crowded and slow hike.  Wear your hiking/trail shoes and do not be like us, do not plan to be done by a certain time because you have other places to be.  The crowds in Zion, and especially on this trail where for some reason people who are scared of heights continue to push on and occasionally freeze while latching to the side of a chain on a downward angled rock, will make the round-trip time unpredictable.

We were able to get down from Angel's Landing albeit a little later than expected and were happy with what will likely be a once in a lifetime experience.  Hurriedly, we hopped on the highway and headed to start our backpacking trip.

Panorama from our Campsite in Kolob Canyon

We chose the Lee Pass Trailhead and Kolob Canyon hike for our backpacking trip.  After stopping by the Wilderness Desk at the Visitor's Center we were able to get campsite 7 which was about 7 miles in on the trail and 0.5 miles shy of the Kolob Arch which was our goal for a short hike after setting up our campsite.  The hike drops into the La Verkin Creek valley and comes with a lot of biting flies along the creek.  There are multiple creek crossings on the hike but most were low flowing which likely varies heavily based on recent weather in the region.  The 7 mile hike took us 2:45 each way with camping gear but could be done as a 14 mile trail run with relative ease if you're into that.  Take a good amount of water, or as pictured below, get yourself a Katadyn BeFree and fill up from the creek as you go.  The campsite was beautiful with views in all directions due to its location on the ridge and the Arch glowed magnificently when we got there during sunset.

Kolob Arch - Largest Freestanding in the World?

Day 3:  We hiked out of our beautiful campsite back out of the canyon.  We had booked another night in Springdale and planned on taking care of more of the highlights that Zion offers.  Unfortunately, you will likely have to choose to forgo certain excursions if you're on a time crunch while at Zion due to the length of some of the big attractions.  We were unable to get to the Subway and Observation Point with the way our plans fell and our decision to head to Kolob Arch.  That being said, we made sure to get to the Museum, Zion Brewing, and enjoy the views during date night to celebrate a successful trip.  Spotted Dog provided a nice upscale western dining experience if you like a little civilized dining after eating freeze-dried meals during camping.  Check out the pictures and get yourself to Zion if you haven't already!  Just be prepared for some unique excursions and crowds.

It was a rainy last day! Luckily we weren't looking to cling to the side of cliffs anymore.

This is the overlook from Weeping Rock, a short steep uphill hike that can easily be a small part of a day.

 Weeping Rock with a wide stream of misting leakage dropping from above and a beautiful overlook

 The view from Angel's Landing hike

Emerald Pool 1 being filled by a water fall from the rock above the trail.  A similar and beautiful scene similar to Weeping Rock.

Got our electrolytes back the old fashion way.  Utah beer is an interesting experience...  do your best to avoid the IPAs.

Athlete Nutrition Review - Hammer Fully Charged

This past month I tried Hammer Fully Charged Pre-Exercise Igniter as a replacement for my beet juice, tart cherry juice, and beta-alanine dietary supplements.  It may just be for you too.

Use Fully Charged for:  Hammer Fully Charged is a pre-workout supplement that provides caffeine, sustained energy blends, and Nitrous Oxide exercise support to improve performance and maximize muscular and mental function.

What’s In It:  Green Tea Extract, Nitrous Oxide Proprietary Blend, Taurine, Tart Cherry Extract, Beta Alanine, L-Carnitine.  These ingredients claim to provide mental and physical sharpening, increased blood flow and supply to muscles, and amino acids for muscular efficiency.

Review:  During our racing careers we go through phases and experimentation with our diets.  There is an endless supply of new and rediscovered super foods in a dietary world that feels cyclical in nature.  Like many triathletes, I have tried most of them.  I used Beta-Alanine a decade ago, started using beets two years ago, and grew up with a tart cherry tree which has made it easy to utilize tart cherries in my diet as a recovery aid.  Hammer Fully Charged combines all three of those ingredients in their proprietary blend in addition to amino acids, taurine, and the everyone’s favorite supplement caffeine which comes from green tea.  Naturally, an all in one product is preferable to three different concoctions each day so I gave it a try through a training cycle including long runs, hill repeats, interval workouts, and three races. 

Day 1:  Mixed my first glass.  Fully Charged mixes into cool water easily and provides a pinkish hue.  The flavor is tart cherry, I personally smell and taste a watered-down bubble gum which is pleasant enough for a supplement and not painful to drink.  I went out on my first run 30 minutes after replacing my pre-run glass of water with Fully Charged.  The biggest test of these supplements to me is if my stomach can handle it; I did not notice any difference in my stomach which was a great start from day one.

Day 2-7:  I continued to drink a single glass in the morning before my first workout.  I felt great during this week, it was my first week of build into a training cycle.  A progression long run, hill workout, and my first race all occurred with good results and no stomach issues which has always been my complaint about other beet supplements. 

Day 8-14:  It took over a week until I started noticing the flush from the Beta-Alanine in the Fully Charged.  Research shows that Beta-Alanine requires a period of loading and then maintenance to provide the buffer effect.  By itself, Beta-Alanine is usually cycled for 4-6 weeks prior to your primary event.  This was my best week of the cycle.  Every day I felt I could meet or exceed my workout goals.  There is no doubt the Fully Charged wasn’t hurting and I kept feeling good; I found a supplement that made my legs feel like my other beet supplements – faster and fresher.  I continued to be happy about how easily my stomach handled the blend of supplements in Fully Charged.

Day 15-21:  I continued to sleep and recover well this week which was the final of this cycle before a down week.  One of the more common uses for Tart Cherry is as a sleep aide which is what I used it for in periods prior to beginning Fully Charged.  Sleep is vital to recovery so a supplement that can provide some quality to your shut-eye can be worth its weight in gold during harder cycles.  After making it through my last race and long run during this test period while hitting all of my goals has made me feel that there isn’t a fall off between Hammer’s all in one product and supplementing with the three separate products I was consuming otherwise.  I am a believer and since it is cheaper and easier to consume; Hammer Fully Charged will replace my other supplements going forward until I am convinced otherwise.

Pros:

-Multiple Performance Enhancers in One

-Easy on the Stomach

-Caffeine source without the acidity of coffee before a run

Cons:

-Tart Cherry Flavor preference

-For most this is a morning or early afternoon supplement only due to caffeine content

-Beta-Alanine flush can be unpleasant but is short lived

Recap:  After a three week hard training cycle I would highly recommend Hammer Fully Charged as a supplement to add to your arsenal.  Hammer Fully Charged provided the same exercise feel as similar beet or blended performance enhancing products at a lower cost and in an all-in-one supplement.  Easy to dissolve and drink before exercise without the stomach difficulties of other products. 

Super Half Marathon Race Recap

Colorado Springs has a wonderful and popular race every Super Bowl Sunday, including a half marathon and a 5K that start downtown, and finish a bit up the trail.
Afterwards, we are treated to beer at a local pub to get ready for the game.
Both Jess and I beat our times from last year by a minute or so which could be credited to some amazingly warm February weather in Colorado Springs hitting near 60 degrees.
My race started fast, too fast as always, and I soon found myself with last year's winner and the new eventual master's record holder quickly losing one of our Fossil teammates as he ran away for a commanding win and course record of 1:11.  My group had a much more conservative goal of sub 1:20 which would require a steady effort on the long 7 miles of gradual climbing followed by negative splits on the way back to town on the slight downhill.
At about 5 miles, we were approaching an underpass with a mostly blind turn, last year's winner was on the inside and a bike came flying around the turn.  He juked and leapt but came down awkwardly on his right leg.  He instantly had trouble putting weight through his knee.  We checked on him and he decided he just needed to walk back.  It was a heart-breaking to see such a talent get injured in a small race that he was in for fitness reasons only.  From that point on, I only had one person to race - the 50 year old who continued to yo-yo back and forth.
After the turn-around, with the heart rate drop of turning downhill, I felt the energy I had hoped to notice earlier in the race and started moving up.  No offense to 50 year old badasses like this guy out there, but I just had to win that head to head. It took more effort than I hoped at times but running the hills intelligently allowed my pace to drop about 15 seconds per mile.  This year on the bike and run I'm focusing on keeping my cadence during fatigue which feels great so far.  With no 20 mile runs under my belt yet, and 2 more months in Boston training, I am encouraged by a 17 mile day with 13 at Boston goal pace.  In the end, I pulled back from 10th to 6th overall for a finish just under 1:19.
Jess ran with multiple different friends who all ended up separating by mile 10.  I found her at mile 12 and we ran in for her finish and new personal course record.

After the race we joined the crew for a few brews and the presentation of the golden ball to our teammate for his epic win.  Another one of our teammates, dressed as John Elway!, handed off the balls to the winners which made for a great Fossil Brewer's Cup showing.  Our women's team won the team competition while the men's team was unable to defend last years victory and came in a mediocre second place to the Air Force Track Club.

Happy Running Friends!
Thanks to Fossil Craft Beer, TriSports, and Pikes Peak Sports for the support!

Views from a Sunday Long Run and a Fun Weekend

One of the most beneficial things that I began doing a few years ago for Boston Marathon training was to add more strength runs and increase my number of back to back long run/hard run days to build some muscular characteristics that help come marathon day.  Also, getting out and doing some hills often comes with beautiful views!  Here to post a few pictures from the last few days of running in magnificent Colorado Springs!

  

Entering the Year of the Rooster with a New Winter Training Approach

The last few winters all looked the same: build marathon fitness and running strength for the Boston Marathon with a sprinkle of swimming and cycling so there wasn't a complete lack of familiarity for the summer triathlon season.  Luckily, I think my race schedule stumbled me into a more sustainable training pace that can be combined with the most important thing during the off season, fun hobbies!

Winter is the time to spend time on hobbies
and keep it fresh.

In the spring, Jessica and I are both running marathons, but I am following up Boston with Ironman 70.3 St. George merely 3 weeks after.  This means, with my recovery from Boston taken into account, that I will have no time to build for that race and I will need to be St. George fit on Patriot's Day when I toe the line in Boston.  Due to this schedule, over the last month I have felt the need to start the year with more swimming and cycling than ever before which in turn has created a cardiovascular and strength base for running that is usually not as present.  I have found training more sustainable and successful than usual.  I have a few thoughts and found a few tools have been the reason why.

1.  Don't sweat the small stuff, rest early before you do too much too early, and spend time doing new or old fun things.  In Colorado, that is hitting the slopes!

2.  When you have a race on the horizon, train right.  Start with structure in all aspects of training.  In my past winters, training with running structure only led to stale and plateaued cycling training which didn't set up enough of a base for success by the time triathlon season rolled around. What I have found to be my favorite new investment was a pair of Garmin Vector 2's which have allowed me to determine weaknesses such as right leg dominance during fatiguing longer cycling sets, and a more fun experience on Zwift.

Power training to work on your
weaknesses before they affect
your race season.

3.  Keep all the sports fun.  I was often focused and enjoying my running improvements in the winter as I marathon trained.  What that did was make cycling dull and a simple cross training tool.  With power training on Zwift along with virtual races, my cycling took meaning and it has become easier to get on the trainer five times a week.

Zwift has different courses, workouts, and races to keep
indoor cycling fresh

4.  Use your cross training time to improve your weaknesses and solidify your strengths.  My time swimming is a great time to remind my body of the importance of core strength and body stability.  Performing cycling workouts and running workouts that are different than your main season workouts also keeps things fresh and fun.  We are blessed in Colorado Springs with one of the best running groups in the country, Pikes Peak Road Runners, who sponsor the year long running competition of the Brewer's Cup.  It's good to get out and party have fun with friends.  You may not get the chance as much during the middle of the season.

Winter is the time for fun!