Blue Ridge Marathon

April 2017: My awesome running buddies Brandon and Tom come back from Roanoke, Virginia and tell me what an amazing race this is. Brandon loved it so much, he ran the DOUBLE. Starting at some crazy hour like 2am, he ran the marathon then started at 7:35am to run it again. BUT when a race puts "TOUGHEST Road Marathon" in its title, I'm just smart enough to think. "I'm not sure I need to make 26.2 miles MORE DIFFICULT???" I love earning titles. I love challenges. I needed to knock Virginia of my states I've run marathons in. So I decided to run this in 2018. At the Horsey Hundred cycling event, I talked Kevin into joining me. I've been told I have a way of influencing people into crazy hard events.

Friday morning at 8:30am, we leave Dayton. It was a beautiful 6 hour drive through Ohio, West Virginia and Virginia. Small detail that's important to me, we had lunch at Shoney's in West Virginia. There were 3 options to eat at, Shoney's, McDonalds or Arbys. When I was growing up, with 3 siblings, my parents loved that kids eat free at Shoney's. As a parent now, and knowing that maybe money may have been tight at times, I see the value in this. But as a kid, I started to dislike Shoney's. Seemed like the same old food options to me. So when Kevin suggested Shoney's, I said I had to get over my childhood dislike and at least try it. Turned out to be very good steak and baked potato. Salad bar was nice with fruit! So, Shoney's is off my "dislike list" now. I digress.

Driving through the mountains was awesome. Just beautiful with green leaves and these gorgeous purple flowers blooming everywhere. We had 2 "slow downs" but never a real traffic jam. 6 hour drive went quick! Kevin and I have been training together for 3 years now and we have the same views on a lot of topics. We just talked the whole time, or he did some work on his laptop while I enjoyed the scenery. In the back of my mind though, I was kind of nervous. I had run up and down hills the last couple of months trying to train for this race, but had I done enough??? That's a typical question athletes ask themselves before a race. The mind starts to wonder. Is this going to be the hardest race I've ever done? What if I cramp? Is it really 7430 ft up and down?

From the website--

MARATHON COURSE DESCRIPTION & MAPS:

• Full Marathon is limited to 750 runners
• Total Elevation Gain/Loss=7,430 ft

Last weekend I biked 7,000 ft elevation on my trainer. I was cooked afterwards. How the heck was I going to run that up and down?? The only answer was the same as 

I knew Kevin and I would help push/pull each other from start line to finish line. If one faltered, the other picked up. One mile, one step at a time. Kevin and I agreed we weren't going for a fast time, we were going to complete the challenge and enjoy the journey. We got to the expo and picked up our packets. We figured out pretty quick this wouldn't be a huge race like The Flying Pig or Columbus. But there was a good number of people here. They offer a 10k, half marathon, marathon and The Double Marathon, and a relay option. Lots of choices for runners of all abilities. Feetures is a race sponsor, so on top of the race shirt, you also got a free pair of running socks! Once we hit the expo, Kevin and I ran our daily mile then headed to dinner at Leonore. An Italian restaurant with delicious gluten free Chicken Marsala!! Back to the hotel where we had the view of the Mill Mountain Star.


From our hotel room, this Star didn't look all that big. But it was a symbol of where our journey was about to take us to. The course description said the 2nd mountain we climbed, peaked at the star. Originally it was a town Christmas decoration, but the residents loved it so much, it's a permanent fixture now. We had lights out by 9:30 and rested for the challenge that lie ahead of us.

The Hotel Roanoke was about 2-3 city blocks walk away from starting line. We got to sleep until 5:30am then started getting ready. I felt well rested and energized to be amongst so many runners! Bring on the mountains! We loaded our stuff into the car, then walked to starting area. We met a lady  who decided to run this for her 40th birthday. This race would be her 18th marathon. Kevin and I agreed that's what we expected of other marathoners here. No first time marathon runner would pick "America's TOUGHEST" for their first marathon... would they?? We saw some Double runners finishing their first marathon of the day, just to turn around and start their 2nd marathon. Lines for porta-potties weren't bad. Corrals were self seated. Kevin and I picked to start kind of toward the back so we didn't go out too fast. National Anthem played and off we went. As it should be, We immediately started running UP HILL.
I thought, well this is appropriate. The street finally leveled off...for about a quarter of a mile. Right before the ONE MILE sign, we started up the first real climb. In a marathon, it's been my experience to see people walking around you, starting after mile 20. I'm not talking about us interval run walkers, I'm talking people have hit "the wall" and are doing the zombie death walk

(stock photo, not from Blue Ridge)

Going up the first climb, EVERYONE around us walking. It was steep! Tom had warned me to not let the first mile intimidate me. I was now experiencing why he said that. I was still willing to slow jog up, but at times, it was just a walk. And this climb was over a mile long. What a way to start a marathon! All around us was beautiful trees and flowers.
No vehicle traffic. Quiet and serene. Pure mountain with a paved road going UP. Right before mile 3, the 10k and half marathoners went right, marathoners went left. The crowd quickly was sparse now. The left turn meant we continued UP the mountain. There was a few down hills as we worked this part. There was an aid station with 2 guys playing trumpets. They were awesome! We made a left turn and worked our way to a volunteer guiding us onto the "4 mile loop to overlook" sign trail. "Oh good! Overlooks are usually awesome views!" I thought. "Of course, to get a great view, you usually gotta earn it." My mind was on point! It was like the steep grade we had been climbing was a warm up. Now we were walking up switchbacks! You could see runners ahead of you, over your shoulder. Because this was just up, up, up.


And then we got there, to the over look.



(it's my blog, you gotta deal with my ugly mug with the gorgeous scenery)

There was an aid station set up here. Water and Scratch nutrition, gummy bears, pretzels. Volunteers were amazing! It was easy to just hang out and enjoy the view. But we had 21 more miles to run. So off we went. And I was thinking that since we were at the overlook, we would start heading back down the mountain. NOPE!! That's right folks, we just went UP more. Another half a mile or so of calve working up hill! The views were amazing. God's Country was just gorgeous. That helped keep mind off the legs. Then came the next challenge..running DOWN the mountain! If you think running UP a hill is tough, try running DOWN a mountain. For those of us here in OHIO, we can't really train for this. Yes, we have hills. And that is close. But I'm talking miles of steep down hill descents where you don't want to slow down, but you don't want to face plant either. Kevin has an amazing way of flying down hills. He made me look slow here. My thoughts were, "we still have a long way to go, I'm saving energy and trying to protect quads and hamstrings from future cramps!" Brandon had warned me the down hills were just as tough as the up hills. He was correct! After the 4 mile loop, we worked our way to the other side of Mill Mountain. The course description said 2nd mountain climb led to the STAR. Sure enough, we found ourselves climbing UP the mountain. We talked to a group of runners who some were also triathletes. We talked Ironman stuff and met BRIAN. We think Brian was in his 60's. DUDE WAS IN SHAPE!!! Brian was a DOUBLE Runner. We were with Brian a lot the rest of the race. He was popular. He was from Roanoke and he was an inspiration! UP, UP, UP, we went. Finally saw a sign for the Mill Mountain Star! We made it! The star was HUGE!!





and there was another overlook!

(yes ladies, Kevin is happily married..sorry)

So we are about 12 miles into this thing, and I'm feeling pretty good! 2 out of 3 mountains climbed, I'm thinking we got this! The course description says 3 mountains in first 20 miles then a couple "big hills". As we work our way DOWN the mountain, there's a "Moo-Mosa" aid station. Kevin has his first alcoholic drink during an endurance race. We run under this cut through arch in the mountain that was pretty cool. Then we run past this huge mansion on the side of the mountain that under The Star. Very cool! We get to the bottom of the mountain and the race takes us to a park. The park is almost flat. It was completely different actually running a good pace for a while. In the back of my mind, I'm wondering where the 3rd mountain was. I certainly wasn't complaining. Then we get to this neighborhood section. and OMG how in the world they built all these houses on this incline is insane. Back to walking up this hill we go. The grade is ridiculous.

A little small talk with some other runners leads me to talking with a young man named NOAH. Noah looks young to me, but he's doing well. Noah tells Kevin and I he's wanting to go to a music college in Cleveland. Noah asks why I got into marathons. Since we had some time, this is about mile 15... I give him a quick run down of my weight loss in 2010, running and triathlon story. Brian runs by and I say, "That's Brian, he's a bad ass!" Kevin tells Noah how he completed Ironman Louisville with one eye and Noah says, "You sound like a badass!" Noah was correct, Kevin is a badass! Later on, I tell Brian he inspires me to go farther, he says, "I see your tattoo..thats something I can't put together. That's impressive." I love my Ironman ink! So after this long, I gotta ask, "How old are you Noah?" "18" 18!!! We don't see many 18 year olds out on marathon courses. It's just not usual for an 18 year old to want to run marathons. OK, "How many marathons have you ran Noah?" "This is my first. I wanted to run a marathon, and this was the closest one to me so I figured I'd make it my first!" "I like your MOXY NOAH!!" In my mind, I thought, this kid is crazy. He may have some real problems the last couple of miles of this thing. Noah asks if he can stay with us for a while. Kevin and I assure him he can hang out with us the rest of the race if he wants. We tell him our run walk run intervals and plan of just getting to finish line. Noah seems to like this idea and stays with us. It was great making a new friend who had a positive mindset and was "our kind of crazy!"
(Noah's before and him Finishing yesterday)


Along the route, there were a ton of these Joe Cobb political advertisement yard signs


(Michelle Bennet sign design)

At first glance, there's nothing special or wild about these signs. BUT when you run for more than a few hours, the mind gets hazy, certain things that may be worth a chuckle at best...become HYSTERICAL. After seeing so many signs, I bring it up to Kevin and Noah that I LOVE Joe Cobb! Joe Cobb has my vote, but at the time, I can't seem to remember what the hell position Joe Cobb is running for.Sure enough, we take a left turn, and there's another Joe Cobb For Roanoke sign! "FOR ROANOKE??!!!" Kevin says Joe Cobb isn't just running for one position, he's running for the entire CITY!!! Man, we start cracking up. Really laughing out loud! Praising Joe Cobb. Comparing him to us, because "he's RUNNING for the city, and we are RUNNING this city right now!" Just typing this out seems pretty ridiculous, but you do what you gotta do to stop thinking about the pain in your legs!
I distinctly remember saying, "This is bullshit! I don't think Roanoke deserves Joe Cobb! I want Joe Cobb for DAYTON!!!" Remember, I have no idea who this guy is or what he stands for. But we were biggest Joe Cobb supporters in Roanoke yesterday! About this time, I start to wonder if Noah thinks Kevin and I are nuts?? We seem to keep him laughing and never tried to ditch us, so we must not have annoyed him that much.
On a side note, Joe Cobb even helped us on our drive home.

So moving on, we work through the huge neighborhood incline miles 16ish to 20, up and down the "mountain of Peakwood". That was the 3rd mountain, though it was a neighborhood , kinda confused us, but hey, whatever. We work our way over a bridge and into another park. I start the feel the twinge of "cramp alert!" I inject another walk break to cool it down, and then start to stay on the run walk intervals. Its hard to walk when gravity gives you free speed down the inclines. But when legs are giving out, gotta not over do it. Kevin started taking the lead and helped pull me along. We come across one guy who is clearly drunk and was offering us "water" in the form of moonshine! He was a bit weird! Then about mile 22 we hit the Pickle Juice table. I initially pass it, as I hate the taste of Pickle Juice. But I go back because it's supposed to stop cramping. I downed the stuff as quick as I could. Kevin loves pickle juice and it energized him! We kept working toward mile 24. In the course description, it says to not let mile 18 and 24 sneak up on you. Well, after all that elevation we had already crushed, the mile 24 hill wasn't that bad. It was way shorter than all the other hills. It was steep but not that bad. We come across a couple who live on the course. They've set up a few tables and are cheering us on and offering beer! I stop to see what food they had. I first see cheese squares and take one of those. Then my eyes  LIGHT UP!! I look directly at this lady and say "IS THAT SAUSAGE??!!"" In the way most people would feel if they just got the best present ever! She said take as many as you want! Best sausage links ever!! The people were cracking up. I graciously thanked them and continued soldiering forward.
Then we had 2 miles left.

The PIZZA song. So my legs are shot. I'm tired, it's starting to get hot out. I'm fearful of cramps. I need something new to think about. so I start singing out loud...

Everywhere we GO!
People wanna KNOW!!
Why we do this?
So we tell them..
I LOVE PIZZA I LOVE PIZZA
Pepperoni sausage chicken and mushrooms!!

Over and over and over...freaking weird mantra to have...I don't know where it came from. It's typical for me to want pizza after a long race so maybe my body knew it was coming?? Whatever it was, I kept singing it. Around mile 25 I asked Noah, "Is my singing annoying you?" He said "Nope, but I want some pizza!" and I replied, "Good! Because I wan't going to stop singing even if it annoyed you!" I gave him a big smile and kept on singing. After some thought, even if he thought I was completely outta my mind, it took thoughts off the legs and tiredness. I gotta hand it to Noah, most people would have "hit the wall" and crashed to a walking pace. We passed some people who had crashed into the wall. Noah kept our pace and went right along with zero complaints. We see the mile 26 sign and Kevin tells Noah, "You need to go ahead and get that picture of just you crossing the finish line! You only get ONE FIRST MARATHON FINISH!!" Noah picks it up and cruises through the finish line. Kevin and I finish high next to each other. I heard the announcer say, " Finishing now is Matthew Kennard, from Dayton Ohio, a Police Officer whose lost 80 pounds!" I tear up a little. Another marathon crushed. A blast from the past to remind me how far I've come. The thought that how many people helped and supported me to get this far, and now Kevin and I have helped a young man get to his first marathon finish. The awesome circle of the endurance community keeps rotating!


I love that the medal is a belt buckle. I don't think I have another belt buckle medal. Kevin and I agreed this was a fantastic race. Preparing for the TOUGHNESS, knowing it would be difficult, embracing the challenge, keeping a positive mental outlook...got us to successfully crush this. Blue Ridge should be a "bucket list" race for any marathoner. It's truly incredible. Easy to get to. Well run. Great aid stations and volunteers surrounded by nature's beauty. I'm not making this a yearly race, because it beat me up. Total elevation was around 3600 ft UP then 3500 ft DOWN. Thank goodness! That was plenty!

I have

Signs
Of
Running
Excellence all through my body. But if it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you. Blue Ridge will challenge you.

To finish up, Kevin and I found the Pizza Pasta Pit which was freaking delicious! We made the drive home with no issues. Joe Cobb did provide more entertainment and I have a reminder set to see if he gets elected to city council. Yes, we researched him. What an experience! What a journey!!
I need some recovery time then sights get set to Ironman Chattanooga 70.3!!

Kevin and Noah, You 2 marathoners rock! Thanks for the memories!

Brittney, Heidi and Savvy, MY GIRLS!!! Love you so much! Thanks for supporting Daddy on his crazy adventures!!

RuntheBluegrass 2018

RuntheBluegrass 2018.

This is my 6th year in a row running this race. I ran a 2:18 in 2013, a 1:45 in 2016, and a 1:49 today. Same course, same hills! This is the most telling elevation chart.

You see that flat spot? 

You don't?? Thats because you're either running up hill or downhill in Lexington!

I was super excited for Team Tech who was experiencing Bluegrass for the first time. I tried showing a different elevation chart that didn't get them nervous at all. Brittney has been training hills on the treadmill and was ready to crush it. We met up at the expo then went to dinner. I specifically went to Carino's for the gluten free pasta...which they were out of. Server recommended changing the same meal with potatoes which worked out just fine. After dinner, Brittney and I stayed with our friends Holly and Tony who live 12 minutes away from Keeneland. 

Race morning all went well. I was a bit nervous with my pre-race nutrition plan. Intermittent fasting has been going really well and I wasn't sure when to break my fast. I raced 45 minutes last week fasted and no issues. So today I decided to run 3 miles then hit a Gu and start drinking Infinit. The thought that I'd run on fat for 3 miles then sugar for 10 sounded good. The race got postponed 15 minutes due to traffic congestion.

 Once we started, I felt great. I hit the first few hills and was passing people going up them. I saw Ray, who works with Brittney at the top of a hill. I was straight cruising. I don't look at pace, I run by feel. I use my app to buzz every 5 minutes and then another at 15 seconds. Like Pavlov's dog, 1st buzz is walk 15 seconds, 2nd buzz means run for 5 minutes..repeat until end of race. I had picked out a specific playlist for the entire race. Which was working beautifully through 6 miles. I saw horses out running, a donkey playing with a horse, runners from ORRRC I recognized, and this beautiful scenic course I was just thankful to be a part of. 

Then out of nowhere, my headphones went silent. These are 2 months old and fully charged. I didn't panic, I tried turning them back on but nothing happened. My mind went frazzled. The music drives my feet. It pushes me. I finally decided to try and fix the issue. I walked and messed around with my cellphone and headphones. I then decided to not worry about the headphones and play the music through the phone. Where all the runners around me would hear it... That lasted 20 seconds where I refused to be "that guy" ruining others race with my music. Some runners like the serene quiet race that Bluegrass offers. I wasn't going to mess that up. I've been annoyed by other runners and their cell phones. I train 90% sans music, I knew I could run this without my tunes. It also meant I had to watch my time and do my intervals without the buzzing. All these thoughts and messing with electronics through me outta my game. No one's fault but mine. Then the "did I just mess up my entire PR attempt because of music" entered my head. I wasn't sure how long I had walked but it seemed like forever. Then the thought, "SHUT UP AND RUN!" entered. The positive vibes, "I can still do this! Were just extra rested and ready for the back half of this!" started up. Most of the aid stations were playing music. One was playing a Grease movie song and that made me think of Heidi and her 50's themed birthday party. That made me smile. I continued to run. I tried to stick to my intervals but found myself running longer than 5 minutes. I think I was trying to make up for lost time. Which in retrospect, I was just trashing my legs. Things happen in races, some good, some just add obstacles. Gotta learn from them! Mile 9 hill is steep. There are drummers halfway up who helped get up that hill. I was feeling good, and still running well. I hit mile 10 and looked at my watch. I needed a walk break but did some quick math. I needed to run 5k in 21 minutes to PR. I knew that wasn't happening. I had to keep pushing. More uphills led to tired legs and the "dead leg" feeling hit at mile 11. I need to research this. It's hit me a few times and I'm not sure why. I tried positive mantras. I tried running with others. I did whatever I could to keep pushing. Then the feeling of OMG I gotta pee hits. I know I have this short stretch and a right turn to the finish. There were a few people out here. I did my best to hide behind a tree and answered nature's call. Good lord did I feel better after that. I went back out and ran through the finish line. 1:49.

I wanted a PR. It's the thing runners covet most. To show you've bettered yourself. Gotten faster! But the PR doesn't always come. If it did, it wouldn't be special. Sometimes everything has to go right or you just have the race of your life. Training has to be specific, and to be honest, I didn't train specifically for this race. I've been doing a lot of cycling and swimming getting ready for tri season. Speed hasn't been my focus, endurance has. So I was a little disappointed. I'm a competitive guy, I wanted to push myself. I feel I pushed myself. I learned to have plans ahead of time, for example..if the headphones or music fail...leave it be. Take over intervals and stay the plan. There's no music allowed in tries but if something else happens...let it be, keep moving forward. Thats a life lesson, not just a race lesson. Later in the day, final results come out, I was 252 overall out of 3176 half marathoners. I was in the top 8%. Not bad for a former fat dude who didn't train specifically for this race. Not bad at all. 

On my way back to cheer on runners, I see Chris come sailing in like a bullet! I find a space at the fence to catch Paige with this huge smile on her face as she runs in like a ball of fire! Team Tech came to Lexington and crushed the race! We all cheered on the runners for just a few minutes when the most beautiful runner, with a smile and strong legs zipping past us, comes past us! Brittney looked strong as she finished her 3rd RuntheBluegrass. Team Tech and I met Brittney at the end and off to pizza we went! This was the best part!! I saw runners from Team RWB Cincinnati who were crushing the race and just so many RWB Eagles who ran strong!

Watch the news or social media talk about obesity rates in the United States and be worried about the future. OR come to a race and see ALL types of people in ALL sorts of shapes pushing themselves at ALL different paces and distances. Then smile as you realize there are a lot of healthy people doing great things. I'm proud and honored to have so many running friends! Now...I'm headed to bed. I'm exhausted!

Zion National Park experience

A few weeks before we left for Las Vegas, I did a little research on other things to do. Brittney and I aren't gamblers. We love the outdoors. I found a blog that described a trip getting a rental car and driving 2 and a half hours from Vegas to Zion National Park in southern Utah.

 http://andystravelblog.boardingarea.com/2016/08/10/day-trip-zion-national-park/#comment-165624

We followed his lead. We rented an Audi A4 from Silvercar. Picked up the car at 6:30am and dropped it off at 10pm. Total cost was $99 for the day. Came with Sirius XM and GPS. Picked up some on the go breakfast and drove through the desert mountains. Amazing views!

 Wide open roads with 75 mph speed limits! Everything was going great until we hit a traffic jam??? We could see ahead of us. Traffic was directed off the highway down an exit ramp then back onto the highway up the entrance ramp.I couldn't see any vehicles wrecked but the cops had the highway shutdown here. Once we got going up the entrance ramp is where we saw the shoe. Then the insides of a person spread out over the roadway. I blame my profession for my ,"Whoa! Lets take a picture!" response.

see the black shoe on the road? just ahead of it is the insides of a person

Never saw a head or arms, but I knew what happened. Just a few yards up, the police were talking to the semi driver. The bumper was missing. The news later reported a suspected burglar had been struck on the highway. Gruesome! Crazy way to end it. Wild way to start our adventure.

Driving through the mountains was incredibly fun. The views were just amazing. We passed through Nevada into Arizona and then into Utah. The drive was easy. The time change was weird and messed with our heads a little. Flying from Dayton to Las Vegas changes the time 3 hours back. Then crossing into Utah the time jumped back up an hour. One great thing about this adventure was we weren't in any hurry. We had no time limits or appointments. We were incredibly close to the park when we found the Majestic View restaurant. This was our first view of Zion National Park.

We almost got hit by a truck because we were mesmerized by the views.
 we ate at the center table

We met a couple from Canada who were raving about British Columbia and the scenery there. Good to know since that's where our next adventure takes us in July 2018! Lunch was tasty, but we were dying to get outside!

We drove through this little mountain town and had to park out in town because the "in the park" parking was full.

We walked into the park and found the shuttle. The shuttle takes people to 9 different stops in the park. The shuttle speakers said the Angel's Landing trail was "strenuous" and has had deaths. This may have worried Brittney a little. We got off the shuttle at The Grotto.

We started up the path towards Angel's Landing. This trail gains 1500 ft of elevation in about 2.5 miles. There's some steep inclines going up this trail. Brittney admitted she didn't look over the info I had sent her. This was not what she thought we were getting into. To be honest, I didn't realize this was as tough as it was. I'm glad I didn't research this more or we may not have tried it. I certainly would not suggest this hike 2 days before a marathon! But here we were. My child hood dream of getting to explore was beaming into real life!
 just starting up the trail


 the high cliff on left is where we were headed

Up the trail and out we went. The views were just incredible. Seeing a tree growing on the side of the mountain was unique. Watching the river get smaller as higher up we went.



 there were steep parts
Then we hit The Wiggles.

(not my picture: but accurate)

I liked The Wiggles!

You just keep winding your way up The Wiggles. Path was wide enough for 2 people. There were all kinds of people on this path. Some people going fast, some taking their time. This was fun. I was smiling from ear to ear. Heart rate was up, calves were feeling the incline. The trail consisted of sand, dirt, and concrete. I was having a blast. Once up The Wiggles, we wound around to Scout's Landing. There was a lot of people taking in the breath taking views, relaxing or reading.

Rock squirrels were friendly and cute.


This was a great rest stop. This is also a decision point for a lot of people. The question asked is, "Should I go forward or just go back?" Brittney and I called the next portion, "The chains".

Because here is the start of risky danger fun. The park has bolted thick chains into the rock to hold

onto. The rock is uneven and steep.

last hiker to fall to his death here was March 2017!


















You have to watch every step you take. No step is like the step before. You are working to get up this part. One chain may be vertical and the next is horizontal.

most of the time we were about 2 feet from the edge










I snuck a tool out of my endurance training..a mantra...I said out loud repeatedly.."I am a mountain goat." I could focus on my mantra and continuing forward without getting overly nervous. As we were working over this part, Brittney unfortunately made a mistake that anyone with a fear of heights shouldn't make here... she looked DOWN. She realized how high up we were and the side of the cliff is within feet of you. There's a few sections where you have no room for error. We got to a section where you could sit on the rock. Brittney suffered a mild panic attack. She started crying as she was almost paralyzed from fear. I calmed her down and assured her she didn't have to go any further. I also promised I could get her back down ALIVE. People were coming and going past us. One guy and 2 girls decided to take a break at the same spot we were in. The guy admitted he had, in his words, "chickened out" his first 2 trips to Angel's Landing. After a short talk, I asked if they would stay with Brittney so I could see the next landing point. Others told us there was a great viewpoint just a few feet up. The others said they'd stay with Britt while I checked out the next spot. I continued up and found this view..

Another guy tried to talk me into going all the way up to Angel's Landing. The path becomes more dangerous and as I've since learned, is called the "death zone". The trail goes down and then curls up to get to Angel's Landing.

the path continued toward the tree closest here, then UP! Angel's Landing is the TOP of this peak

This section wasn't overly long, but takes a while to cover due to terrain and possibility of falling over either side of the cliff. . This is the place where hikers have fallen to their death. There were plenty of people going all the way up the day we were there. I wanted to keep going, I was so close. I also knew that leaving Brittney where she was for too long was a bad idea. The view I got here was great enough. I made my way back down and made sure Brittney was in the right mindset to get down. She told me that some jerk had said, "6 people a year die right here in this very spot." She was scared, but I was so proud of her. She stared FEAR in the EYE and conquered it. She listened to me as I explained which steps I was taking and where to hold the chain. We took our time and let people pass by us.




















I took a pic of Britt as she was almost down from "the chains."

She breathed a huge sigh of relief once on solid flatter ground. Brittney was upset with herself but I assured her it was an adventure I was thrilled to enjoy with her. About an hour or so later, what she accomplished finally set in and she accepted the fact that it took more courage for her to make it where she did and get down then it does for most people. This was a trip some people will never get the chance to see. Going up "the chains" is a choice some can't make. We love a challenge, and this challenge was one we never prepared for. We aren't seasoned hikers. We just went for adventure, and boy did we find it! Getting all the way up to Angel's Landing is now on my bucket list. Brittney will have to decide later if it's a goal for her to go farther or not. I will make it there, maybe not this year or next, but I will get there. This just gives us a reason to go back!

 going back down The Wiggles

 stunning views!

As we made our way back down the path, You would've thought I was a kid at Christmas. My brain was stimulated and I felt ALIVE. This was LIVING LIFE. We took some pics and just enjoyed the scenery. We were almost back to the trailhead when another hiker gave us the "quiet" signal 

maybe 10 feet off the trail, a deer was grazing on the trees.

Nature is gorgeous. After almost 5 miles of hiking, we decide we have enough energy left in the tank to go see the Emerald Pools. It was a mile away. Back over rocks

and through sand we went.

 We saw all 3 "pools." In my opinion, 2 of the "pools" weren't very impressive. Almost large puddles. There was natural water running along the rock that was pretty. Then we found the bigger pool.

 In the middle of all this canyon, this was neat. I went around and over the bigger rocks just to get a different view. I slipped and almost busted my butt. We took an extended break here. Just enjoyed God's grace and beauty. Simply amazing. We made our way back and joined a brother and sister team who were out hiking as well. We all talked on the way back and before we knew it, we were back to the shuttle stop.

We were exhausted. But the run streak doesn't care if you are exhausted, or if you hiked around 8 miles. It only cares if you ran at least a mile that day. So back to the car where I changed shoes. Brittney ran with me. We went out a half mile, encountered 2 deer, then ran back to our car. My first mile ran in Utah! We left the park and stopped at


Excellent ribs and service! I normally don't drink anything but water. I had a 3 hour drive to make and it was dark out! I drank more Mountain Dew at dinner than I've had in a year. We Facetimed our daughters and back to Vegas we went. Stopped at a store and a local ice cream place in the outer neighborhood of Vegas. Returned our car and got an Uber back to our hotel.

This was my absolute favorite part of our trip. Just to be away from cell phones and work. To discover, touch, and be apart of nature filled my soul with joy. To watch my beautiful wife fight her fear and trust me to help her. This is a trip we will never forget. I highly recommend going to Zion! Whether you take Angel's Landing trail or a different trail. Whether you decide to tackle "the chains" or stop at Scout's Landing...go see what this beautiful country has to offer. It's truly amazing.

Angel's Landing...be ready...I'm coming for you