Antelope Island Buffalo Run

True to the name of the run, there were buffalo.  See below for video of buffalo running across the trail.

We went down to Layton, Utah this weekend for the Buffalo Run on Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake.  We camped the night before the race, an experience I will never repeat if at all possible.  At 4 am, I was awoken by a chorus of very loud farting by campers in nearby tents.  Not the way I like to be woken up.  The day of the race started out cold, about 35 degrees Fahrenheit.  Eventually, it warmed up enough that I was wearing a sleeveless shirt.  The views were spectacular, other participants were friendly and kind.  I really enjoyed the race and felt pretty good most of the time.  Toward the end, I got tired but I finished this 50 mile race two hours faster than the other two that I completed.  Meds went well (20 mg when I woke up and about 5 mg/hour throughout the race - not quite enough but passable), eating could have been better and hydration was pretty good.  I was pretty stiff yesterday but able to share in the driving.  Today going down stairs is a little challenging but I was able to hit the elliptical this morning.  By tomorrow, I should be nearly "normal".

I have two more 50 milers planned and paid for in the next couple of months.  They are both much harder than the one I just did so my training needs to involve more hills and more back to back running.  Anyone who knows me knows that I'll walk whenever I'm given half a chance.  It's time to push myself a little bit more on a day to day basis!!!

Paul did great in his 25K.  He's recovering well!

Below are video and pictures from the race. 

Before the race started, the Race Director made the starting line.  The Race Director is the guy wearing jeans and a brown coat.

The race starts!  This is one of my favorite parts of the race.  Everyone is mellow and there's a steady stream of reflective tape and headlamps.  There's a lot of hope in the air.

Buffalo in the distance.  Heading up Elephant Head.  About mile 6.

A better view of the buffalo.  Mile 6ish.

Buffalo crossing the trail!

The trail winding downhill.  About mile 10.

About mile 11, the sun coming up over the hill.

Mile 20.  A view across the island and the lake to the west.

Mile 44, wet and marshy up a steep hill to the last aid station.

Mile 45.  This looks like where they do stuff with the buffalo.

Spectators.

Happy to cross the finish line!

A minute or so after finishing the race!  Yahoo!

Swollen hand.  Looking better than in the middle of the race.

A view of the Wasatch Mountains from the Antelope Island causeway.

An antelope on the island!

Big mountain on the island.

Wasatch from the causeway.

Gorgeous day, even with snow

Down in the Valley we got about a foot of snow, the ski hill got 35 inches in 72 hours.  Zane's got spring break so we went to the ski hill for a few runs.  I skied one run because there was SO MUCH SNOW and I am NOT in skiing shape, it was hard!!!  

Paul and I are headed down to Salt Lake City tomorrow for a running race on Saturday.  I didn't want to over do today and get sore for the race.

The Grand Teton and Table Mountain, I never get tired of this view.

A view of the top of Fred's mountain from the Grand Targhee parking lot.  What a gorgeous, bluebird powder day!

Looking up the Blackfoot lift.

Doesn't look like it but that's about 20 feet down.

Zane and Ryan in the parking lot jumping off the snow pile.

This is from a couple of days ago.  Crosstraining, hauling fish food to the fish feeder at one of my client's houses.   Below are the fish feeding but I can't format it right and I don't feel like trying.

Nebraska and blood donation

Nick read an old post about  Addison's disease and blood and organ donation and here's what he came up with...

Nick (http://addisoniansofnebraska.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Addison's: Blood donation, organ donation and bon...":

I do plan to post everything I find to http://addisoniansofnebraska.co.cc/content/donate-rules-nebraska, but so far:

The Nebraska: Community Blood Bank says NO.

Biomat USA (which handles blood and plasma donation) implied they would held it on a person by person bases. 

the Cornhusker Chapter of the red cross said yes also.