Running at Altitude

Even though Matt and I fed ourselves a steady diet of high altitude mileage, most of it was hiking.  Since all of our running is done at sea level or just feet above, sometimes it feels like we are more affected than other people that live just one or two thousand feet higher.  We did still manage to get in a couple of beautiful trail runs in Utah that I'd love to share with you.

Run #1: Cassidy Trail, Red Canyon in the Dixie National Forest near Panguitch and Bryce Canyon.
6 miles, 1:16:49, 12:48/mi. with some climbing, all between 7,300-8,000 ft.

We squeezed this run in early on Friday before driving back to Salt Lake City.  The early morning trail frost crunched beneath our feet.  We climbed up a seasonal drainage surrounded by beautiful red rock.  I love chilly runs like this!  The scenery didn't suck either.

Run #2: Trails above Park City, UT.
4 mi, 1:00. 15:00/mi. with some climbing, all between 7,000 and 7,900 ft.

The scenery on this run couldn't have been more different.  Paths finally crossed to meet Meghan, trail runner extraordinaire, for lunch and a short run.  She wrote the article that got a few of my photos in Trail Runner Magazine last year.  She's also kinda my running hero, but of course I was too shy to say so.  Every one of her adventures seems like so much fun.  It was cool to finally be part of a short adventure.  Somehow she knew my Midwest heart ached for hillsides of fall color and took us on a fantastic running tour above Park City on trails called Grave Digger and 420.

From the high point on our run, we could see all of town. I can see why she and her boyfriend chose to live here.  Now they're onto new adventures in Moab, where I'm sure the trails are different but equally amazing.

It was nice to get in a few runs during our vacation.  Now we're back at home, building toward my fall marathon and enjoying our own coastal version of fall, with loads of extra oxygen.