My Body Is 70% Chex Muddy Buddies

"If you can't fly, then run.
If you can't run, then walk.
If you can't walk, then crawl.
But whatever you do, keep moving."
~Martin Luther King, Jr.

I think Martin Luther King, Jr. could have run an ultramarathon.

Monday, January 9th 2012: 3 miles @ 11:29 pace. I don't remember anything about this run. I may have still been asleep.

Tuesday, January 10th 2012: 3.6 miles @ 10:00 pace. Right as I walked out my front door, my friends Mandie and Jess were running by. Generally I'd rather run by myself but I couldn't pass up going with these guys. I knew I'd be laughing the whole time. I particularly enjoyed Mandie's story about her child dropping a 4-letter swear word at church.


Wednesday, January 11th 2012: 14 miles @ 13:27 pace. This was the first time I've ever run on Gooseberry Mesa. (HERE is a good map and directions.) Let me tell you something amigo: those were a challenging 14 miles. In case you think I'm trying to blow smoke up your skirt, notice the "EXTREME DIFFICULTY" sign here:


I did most of my run on the south rim. The first few miles were alright, but the scenery really improved when the trail came to the edge of the mesa.


Many of the miles are on slick rock with no sign of a trail. Fortunately a path is very well-marked with dots of white spray paint. They are fairly close together and are easy to follow. Here is a picture of one of the markings:


It was a bit windy up there. (And by "a bit windy" I mean "I think I just saw a low-flying locomotive.") Finally I arrived at The Point and the view was spectacular.


My apologies to any co-workers who may be reading, and now have a mental image of what I look like wearing tights. Sorry about that.

If you're considering jumping off a cliff (which I certainly considered last week after hearing about the Hostess bankruptcy), this would be the place to go.


Thursday, January 12th 2012: 6 miles @ 11:14 pace. I felt like I could have gone longer but it was way past my bedtime and I had to get up early the next morning for work.

Friday, January 13th 2012: Rest.

Saturday, January 14th 2012: 17.5 miles @ 12:17 pace. I felt really good for the first half but started to drag on the way back. My legs felt like they were out of juice. Maybe it's because I far exceeded the Surgeon General's Warning about how much Chex Muddy Buddies a human should consume in one week.

I ran on the Warner Valley dirt road and caught the sunrise lighting up the red mountains in the background.


On my way home I stopped at Burger King and bought two chicken sandwiches. They were completely unhealthy and utterly delicious. This was an amazing post-run meal.

Do the rest of you guys crave junk food after a run?

Chex Muddy Buddies: great food, or the greatest food ever?