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At least I didn’t run up Indian Trail

Today I went for my first trail run.  I knew enough not to try to be that guy yesterday and run up the mountain.  Running along the mountain was just fine.  I cannot stay on a trail to save my life.  I start off on one trail, think I’m following the signs for that trail, but inevitably wind up on other trail.   Today was no different.  I started on one trail which ended, ran through Ogden to the next trail head and started out on Gib Loop.  Now one would think it would loop around.  It probably does, but not for me because next thing I know I’m on the WSU Discovery trail then Strongs Canyon (which was weird because I thought by that point I was on Waterfall Canyon which a whole different trail.  Whatever, eventually I made my way back to near where I wanted to end up and walked the rest of the way.

All in all it was a 4.07 mile run with 464 feet of elevation.  I doubt I gain 464 feet of elevation in a year running in Chicago. (I just checked, my last run was Thanksgiving day for 3.1 miles in Chicago with all of 10 feet elevation).  At the end I didn’t think 464 was all that much, but now I see a “normal” run is 10 feet I feel a lot better about it.  Oh, puking on the mountain halfway up already told me it was a challenge.  I’ll probably alternate trail runs with regular hikes.

Side note:  It’s also a big difference between running between 4641-4977 ft and Chicago’s 597 ft. That REALLY doesn’t help!

After that I decided to call it all a day.  I sat on the daybed and read for a bit.  At home if I read I can look up from my book and see the house across the street.  Or, I can look out back over the alley and garages.  Not here.  This was my view…

I don’t think I’ll ever tire of looking at the mountains.  It was even nicer as the sunset and the mountain was red.

I did get a bit concerned when I looked out the back window and saw we are apparently setting up for an execution.

I hope it’s not me!

Finally, I know you didn’t ask but you probably wonder what I do when I wake up and have an hour before work starts.  Why I make breakfast and build Legos (I also build Legos while I play online Trivia with Bob and Sheila).  I think it’s only appropriate since I teach Civics and AP Gov that I build the U.S. Capitol.

Every day I wake up and think “today’s the day I buy pepper (I have salt) and every day I don’t do it.  #Regrets.

Tomorrow I’m going to relax a bit.  My body aches from the skiing, hiking and trail running.  I know it’s a weekend and seems like a great day to go skiing, but I’m pretending I’m a snobby local and declaring “I won’t even go on the weekends, it’s so crowded with tourists.”  🙂

I’m going to sleep in, do all the work I need to prep for next week and just putter around.

Sunday I’ll go skiing and next week will probably be a 4-5 day ski week.  I’m keeping track of how many times I go and how many runs I do so I can figure out if I’m getting my money’s worth for a season’s pass.  So far it  has cost me about $400 per day or $80 per run.  A daily lift (not bought 7+ days in advance) is $149 weekday and $169 weekend.  So, as soon as I get my cost down to those number it will have been worth it.  Basically, I need to go at least 8 times (averaging weekday and weekend).  That’ll be doable by far.  After that, I’m ahead of the game.