Four Days Until Zion 100! & The Flying Monkey

This past week was the busiest taper week I've ever had. Mel went to Hawaii with her mom and sisters. I stayed home wrangling the kids. It was a very busy week at work. Very busy week at work. Kids. Ceiling fan installation. Be the taxi for girl's acting class. Go to son's baseball games. Gymnastics. Dance festival. Merit badge class. Try to run a time or two. Being a single parent wore me out!

I did manage a few runs. A 6.5 miler with my friends Shane and Karrie. A five miler in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve with my four-legged black Brillo Pad running partner:

I was so happy when Mel returned home late Friday night. We celebrated with a three miler in Confluence Park.

While out there our four-legged family member Jack photo-bombed our picture. Not cool Jack. Not cool.

I think Jack decided to keep his distance after that photo-bombing stunt.

After that I headed out for six solo miles on the Flying Monkey Trail. See that mesa in the background? It's called Smith Mesa. In the 1950's they launched monkeys off the edge of the mesa to test jet evacuation seats. Now you know how the trail found its name:

The trail to the top is positively brutal. It is steep, technical, and unrelenting.

This 2,000 foot speed bump is at mile 85 of the Zion 100. "Feel the burn" is an understatement.

The views up here are unparalleled. Take my word for it - pictures don't come close to doing justice to this scenery.

Only four more days until the Zion 100! I am nervous, scared, and excited for the hardest race I've ever done. Can't wait.