What is STRAVA...?

STRAVA is a company, it is a website, and it is a training app. This orange in color app risides on my front screen of an iPhone 4S which runs with me each week five to six times each week. Ergo, this all started back in the year 2000 when co-workers, friends, and family inspired me to keep on going to "move on" and to make each day better than yesterday. Well, twelve years later my mind is older, gray hairs are my friends, and my body and mind feel amazingly young! Some believe in God, many believe in themselves. I, "Orange Runner" a.k.a. P.H., believe in both. 


There is a God, and He believes in me, in my family, and in the world. I would like, no, I want, no, I NEED to live as long as possible to share more memories with my family. If this means downloading a free app to my $299.00 iPhone, well so be it! If living longer requires of me to only drink one chocolate malt (with extra malt) only 1x/week - okay. If the opportunity to live just one extra week to see all of my children graduate from college and go on walks with my grandchildren - done, count me in - what is required of me to get that extra week to reach age 67, 88, 99, 100? STRAVA is a means to end. It means an app is there gazing into my soul each time the iPhone blinks on. To the end it is asking me to use it, click it, log miles walked, hiked, jogged, and ran. 


The STRAVA provides me an easy method to share activities with other friends and vice versa. So... in an effort to live one more week, to enjoy the fresh air lingering among the hills of Provo Canyon. I am going to run 200 miles in the month of July, 2012. Okay, allow to explain. I am going to "log" 205 miles of walking, running, cycling, hiking, and jogging. Some of these miles may appear simplistic; nevertheless, a mile is a mile and equals about 125 to 150 calories burned. Are you able, willing, curious to join me in the easy goal of mileage? Okay, here a nice figure. On Sunday past, July 1st, 2012, my daughter was a little sleepy... Instead of ditching church and driving her home to the comforts of the crib. I walked, walked, and walked. About three laps around the church building. One lap outside in the warm sun, and then two laps on the plush carpet lined hallways. 


Do know what happened? 


She was still awake one mile later! A nice little hint... after I drive to work I look for the farthest parking place from the building and park there. I take a lunch break daily. The four trips from the front office door to my car door equals almost 3/4 of a mile. Over a year of working, well, that is over 190 miles! So, it is now morning, 06:30 and time for some miles prior to breakfast with my family. Best of luck everyone and may you enjoy nature, the simpleness of walking, running, cycling, hiking, and jogging as much as I have over the past 38 years! Sincerely, Orange Runner Post Script... you are more than welcome to follow my progress via this link: 


http://www.strava.com/athletes/orangerunner

Walking to eat out

Trail Run: The Fallen

Well, an afternoon run I named "the fallen" to describe the fallen runner, we'll call him, "Orange Rabbit Runner" or perhaps Peter Cottontail...? Anyway, so Peter Rabbit was running at a great pace on the return route along the Indian Trail Head in Provo Canyon about one hour ago and along came a tree root. This tree root was disguised by the shade, brush, and other natural elements of which my left foot did not see. My friend Dallen was not too far behind the trail also running at a very good pace about a 07:45 min/mile pace. He said, "you flew into the air about 3 feet and then fell 3 feet as the trail slopped downward – it was amazing to watch!” The injuries don’t show up too well in the sunlight however, there is more evidence of the fall than I would like. Luckily, shortly before this descent we stopped at a natural spring to cool off. The breeze combined with wet hair felt so great I was carrying my hat at the time. This was very nice for as you can see the had bring absorbed the rocks and tree branches instead of my skin.  Another bonus from a wise dermatologist – wear a shirt. The braches did not break through the shirt and only a few abrasions on my left side. Another day of learning to perhaps avoid sprinting quickly down a hairy trail wearing dark sunglasses?  Oh yeah, and when running up or down this mountain trails it is always a nice, safe practice to go with a friend to help pick you when you’re face down in shrubbery…

Provo River Trail and River Bottoms Training Run

4.2 miles

Left Simplifile and headed south on the Provo River Trail, turn at Will’s Pit Stop Chevron, toured the local neighborhoods and large homes, then tool the back streets connected to the Rich Folk’s Private River Trail and came back to Simplifile under the Center Street overpass (over the trail) behind Ancestry.com to the Simplifile parking lot.

Runners today: Lance and Peter, Dallen was away on business, but still trained. If you are interested in doing any lunch runs to enhance your Ragnar Training, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Peter

WBR 2011 begins in 24 days!

Lunch Run

You simply cannot beat the view available from a short lunch-run up Provo Canyon. Utah is the place to be to drink nuun and enjoy such beautiful mountain trails...

Peter 11-2009

Lunch Run 02-23-2011

We had our first official RANGAR meeting for Team Simplifile #455. This will be the 5th year in a row that the Simplifile organization has sponsored a team at the WBR (Wasatch Back Relay). The event is not until Friday, June 17th and Saturday, June 18th, 2011; however, training in advance is highly recommended!  So, I officially began training this month, February, 2011. There is March, April, May, and most of June, which gives me and the other 10,000 plus runners four more months of quality training.  Here is the link to the suggested training workouts: http://www.ragnarrelay.com/race/wasatchback/training


Today's workout... it was nice to be outside running away, far away from the dread-mill (as I call those training machines). The weather up the Provo, Utah canyon was terrific. A bit chilly when the sun was hiding behind clouds. Nevertheless, warm enough to run with shorts and long-sleeve tech-shirt.  


Date: Wednesday, 02/23/2011
total 00:44:09
567 calories
4.39 miles
Avg pace: 10:03/mi
Avg HR (heart rate) 155 bpm
Best pace 8:02 /mi


lap1 10:47 min, 1.15 mi
lap 2 10:13 min, 1.0 mi
lap 3 12:06 min, 1.26 mi
lap 4 11:02 min, 0.98 mi