October 4, 2015 – Mt. Timpanogos 20-mile run
Note: This is the first in a series of occasional training blogs recording Dean Adler’s major training runs showing his progress toward his goal of completing the Zion 100 on April 8-9, 2016. Other tentative interim goals are:
- An informal “Trans Wasatch Run” of roughly 25 miles in on October, 25, starting somewhere on the west side of the range and finishing somewhere on the east side in Summit County;
- The Antelope Island 50K race on November 14;
- A 60th birthday climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro with his family in December;
- The Bigfoot Snowshoe Race on January 30 (marathon or 50K, to be determined);
- The Red Hot 55K in Moab on February 13; and
- The Buffalo Run 50-mile race on March 19.
The Zion 100 mile run is now six months away – plenty of time to train but only if I get started now and if I am consistent in my training between now and then. Today’s 20-mile run up and down Utah County’s Mt. Timpanogos, the second highest peak in the Wasatch Range (11,752’ above sea level), was my first official major training run. You may think that there is a long gap between 20 and 100 miles (and you would be correct!), but this run had more than half the elevation climb of the Zion course (6,625’ today versus 10,600’ for the entire race).
My friends Brian Kamm, Jeff Bertot and I left the Aspen Grove trailhead (6,910’) a little after 7:00 a.m. this morning. It was a beautiful morning (starting temperature about 39F with partial clouds blanketing the surrounding valleys and providing a wonderful setting for a gorgeous fall day). We completed the 6.5-mile and 4,842-foot climb to the north summit in about 3:10, with only a few short breaks to take some photos and to chat with some hikers. Although we had beautiful views, it was cold and windy at the summit, so after taking turns taking group photos with two hikers (who commented on our runner’s attire of shorts, technical t-shirts and light jackets when they wore long pants and down jackets), we headed down. (Jeff also needed to be back in Salt Lake City by mid-afternoon to pick up his wife at the airport.)
We descended to the second major trailhead for Mt. Timpanogos at the Timpooneke Trailhead in American Fork Canyon (7,370’), through beautiful meadows with a remaining hint of fall color, and then ran a series of connector trails back to Aspen Grove. The total elapsed time was 5:58, for 20.25 miles and 6,625 feet of total elevation gain (and loss, as it was a circuit run starting and ending at the same place).
All in all, a gorgeous fall day with two friends in the beautiful Wasatch Mountains, and a great first training run on my training path to the Zion 100.
Progress toward Zion 100 goal: The Mt. Timpanogos run was about one fifth of the distance at Zion, but more than half of the elevation-gain of the race.
The installment plan: Although you are free to pay your full pledge at any time, these progress reports give you the opportunity to pay you pledge in installments that track Dean Adler’s progress toward his 100-mile goal. So if you would like, based on Dean Adler’s completion during the Mt. Timpanogos run of 20 miles out of his 100-mile goal, you can now pay 20% of your pledge!