Greetings from Salt Lake City! I am out here on sabbatical for the winter. What brought me out here? The mountains and the people. A collaborator of mine is a professor at the University of Utah. In between meetings and research, I have been able to log lots of miles at 4,000 feet. Below are some highlights of my running adventures: beginning with one shot from the road.
Can you name this state? I’m guessing the majority of you will. It was a beautiful contrast to the green mountains of the Upper Valley. The winds were howling and at one point, I thought my new Thule skybox might just fly off!
We made it! Thatcher could hardly contain his excitement. He pulled me towards the canyons with all his might. He managed to sit still long enough for me to catch this photo.
This author kept me company during my first week or so upon arrival. It is a non-fiction account of his complex relationship with his father and with himself (through running). He is from New England and he references several familiar places, including Mt. Kinsman and Dartmouth. Halfway through I thought, I bet someone in the club knows him.
Next book, Endure. I remembered when this first came out in 2018. It looked intriguing but at the time, I was looking for something with more escapism to it. When someone mentioned it on a morning group run, I thought, let me give that another chance. It proved to be another great read by an ultra-runner pushing the limits of what is humanly possible. I’m sure I’m not the only UVRC runner who has read this one.
With a grin that big, I am clearly not pushing hard enough. This is from a 10k which was part of the Salt Lake City Winter Series. In its 48th year, it included a 5k, 10k, and 15k every other week beginning mid-January. I showed up to the 5k and won my age group!
Moab was insanely beautiful. Driving through the entrance to Arches National Park felt like riding through the crust of the earth. (Maybe in a way, I was?) I did a short trail run to this spot early one morning.
Despite the record low snowfalls, there is still plenty of snow in the canyons. I took the picture below on Wednesday, March 25. It is at the border of Alta and Snowbird. Beautiful spring skiing for those who like that kind of thing!
I wrote in a previous UVRS newsletter that one of the goals for my first marathon was to enjoy the process enough to want to do it again. So, never one who likes to leave a goal unmet, I am training now for my second marathon. It will be on April 25. Training at altitude is no easy task, but I’m all in now. Wish me luck! See you in May!