My wife called me out for worrying about going on a fast run. She says whenever I complain, I always come back in a great mood with a bunch of PRs. So of course I went out hard on a pace I couldn’t hold but managed to hang on and set PRs for 10K, 15K, and 10 miles. She knows me well #running #runsky

I really should have ran today but didn’t want to chance the rain. I also do this thing where I build up a run in my head and make it a bigger deal than it is. It will be my first post-100 long run so there’s definitely something mental going on. Need to get one under my belt before the 50 next week

It’s been a month since my last structured workout so it was time to ease back into it with a 85 minute SST session. Apparently my brain is the part of me that has atrophied the most, because while my body felt fine it was a huge mental challenge to keep going throughout. Makes it feel like day 1.

I’m a “first thing in the morning” workout person, so I was proud to have dragged myself to the bike at 2pm to avoid turning 2 off days into 3. I really need to figure out a fitness strategy for the days I stay over my sisters’ to help with caretaking. Missing more than 1 day a week is frustrating.

Storms for the next few days and an Eagles 9:30am game in London gave me an excuse to do an epic indoor ride while watching. I faired much better than then they did 💔 The Mega Pretzel is one of the longest routes on Zwift, with lots of vert to match. Not sure 7? year old me could have pulled it off.

After gorging on meat and cake last night, plus a huge slice of cake for breakfast, the last thing I wanted to do was work out. But I knew I’d feel better if I did. What started out as a slow food coma recovery run turned into a fartlek/progression workout, negative splits and all. #running #runsky

We clean up pretty good. I’ve already consumed enough food to power a small country and the cocktail hour isn’t even over yet.

My legs are feeling the run from yesterday so I rode around fake London on the bike instead. Need to save some energy for dancing at a family wedding to tonight 🕺🏻 No naps and a full night’s sleep the last two days, let’s hope the trend continues.

10 easy-ish miles around the neighborhood. I feel like I’m finally starting to find my daily rhythm again. My sister’s dog, Carlos, would rather we all just stay on the couch so he has his choice of laps to sit on. #running #runsky

And for dessert, hot fresh baked pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls.

With the amount of cooking and baking I do, I really need to start sharing more of my food pics. On the menu tonight: Shepherd’s pie, one of the healthiest yet tastiest comfort foods that I make.

Back on the bike after 3 days off, half due to scheduling and half to still wrestling with fatigue. Today was my hardest push for a while and I feel pretty good, HR slowly coming down to pre-race levels. We’ll see if I crash this afternoon or manage to stay awake to bedtime.

Took a rest day so I'm not falling asleep at my sister's ALS fundraiser this afternoon; but that gave me time to sign up for my next race, a trail 50K out-and-back through the historic state park that marks where Washington crossed the Delaware. Hopefully will be a beautiful autumn run.

First post-100 run and feeling joy. 90 minutes at a comfortable pace, concentrating on form and how my body felt. All systems checked out. Ran the downhills, which felt great, attacked a single uphill, which was exhausting. Speed is not there yet. Gemma remains unimpressed. #runsky #running

The death throes of Summer succeeded in giving us an 82°F (27.7C) day so I postponed my triumphant return to running til tomorrow. Wanted to control HR so I did 90 minutes in ERG mode on the bike, which is always a bit of a slog and harder than I expect, but I’m happy with the result.

Another Zwift free ride today. HR still elevated, but cadence and power are both on their way back to baseline. May try my first run back tomorrow, weather permitting.

Still on the tail end of this congestion but managed my first real effort since the race, an unstructured free ride. I think an actual structured workout is on the horizon. Measured out 120g of candy corn and then forgot to bring it downstairs with me, felt fine enough. HR is still pretty elevated.

Recovery is nonlinear. Nasal congestion made exercise and sleeping hard for the last few days. Finally felt well enough to hop on the bike for light riding but it was clear my central nervous system was all over the place. Still, during the last few minutes I found a spark of my old self in there.

Decided on one more indulgence before I get back to healthy eating habits. Made myself a chocolate cake from scratch, based on my mother’s recipe (that I’ve never quite been able to replicate, but this is as close as I’ve gotten so far). Icing needs to be a little fudgier.

Me and my wife just got our annual flu and Covid vaccines. Here’s me climbing on my soapbox and encouraging you to get yours. Vaccines save lives. Not just yours. You’re also protecting the more vulnerable members of your community. It’s not just science, it’s the right thing to do.

Recovery assessment day! After 2 days off and eating like there’s no tomorrow, I felt good enough that I wanted to hop on the bike for an hour and take stock of my body. My cadence was down and I didn’t have pop in the legs, but overall things went better than expected and it felt good to sweat.

I’m still waiting on official race photos, but here are a few I snapped while running. Just like my photos of Bryce Canyon National Park, these are a cheap imitation of the immense beauty I witnessed. They also only account for a very small portion of the course, which was quite varied in a scenery.

Back home safely with a stomach full of Chinese takeout. Time for the pièce de résistance: my wife’s homemade apple pie.

Sitting at the airport scrolling through UltraSignup.com while waiting to board, but it’s okay because I can stop anytime I want.

About to destroy some Killer Nachos from the Red Iguana in SLC. Came here based on it being featured on Diners, Dine-Ins, and Dives.

I guess this is a food blog for the day while I eat my way through recovery. Churro Cruffin from Fillings & Emulsions in Salt Lake City. Was tasty, but not quite the cinnamon sugar explosion I was hoping for.

Time to find out what all the excitement is about.

Thank you everyone for the love and support during the Bryce Canyon Ultra! I’m still processing the experience, but it was incredible. The hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. Will share more later. Recovery is going way better than expected. Who’s ready to go for a buckle next? #running #runsky

Loop 1 done. This course is beautiful, but brutal and intense. Not for the faint of heart. Thankfully I only almost died once. If you ever have the chance to slide over the side of a switchback, I wouldn’t recommend it. (I’m fine). Crushed a burger and on to loop 2.

Drop bag time. I get 3 for this race. I visit DB1 4 times, DB2 twice, and DB3 a single time. I’ve never had a race where I had different bags like this and it gave me anxiety, but going through the packing process helped and I think I have it sorted. See image alt text for details. #running #runsky