My Utah workouts – Running the Porter Rockwell Trail + Draper Crossfit

I’ve been back in North Carolina for four days and it already seems like so long ago that I was in Utah – and I miss it! I especially love working out in Draper (my hometown) since they have amazing running trails, a killer CrossFit gym and easy access to so much hiking. I definitely took it for granted when I lived there but it’s so easy to be active and everyone is always up for something outside.

In NC, it feels like most people want to meet up for a drink, but in Utah, people more often want to meet up for a run or a hike. I’m sure part of that is a culture difference, but I also just think it’s easier to be active in Utah  since it cools down so much after the sun starts to go down a bit. NC, not so much. You can’t escape that humidity! 😉 Okay, I’m clearly homesick lately! Hopefully I can visit Utah again soon!

I got asked by a few Instagram followers to do a Utah travel guide so I’ll share a post soon about my favorite hikes and restaurants! But for now, I’m recapping my workouts from last week! If you missed my San Francisco workouts recap, you can read that here!

Utah Workouts + Running the Porter Rockwell Trail on repeat

M – Family fun time & hike time

I hiked with my mom and my brother’s family to the Draper Suspension Bridge, which they built since I’ve moved away. I won’t lie, suspension bridges freak me out a bit, but the views were gorgeous. And it was fun to spend time with my family!

T – Draper Crossfit w/ Mom

My mom and I went to the 6am class at CrossFit Draper before we drove 3 hours (and then 3 hours back that night) for my aunt’s funeral.

We did the “Captain Crunch” WOD – details here. I used 55, 60, 65# for the 3 rounds and I only got to the rower on the first and second round, and my mom thinks I may have done an extra round on set 2. Ha! I always have such a hard time keeping track of rounds and reps, even after all these years doing crossfit! I had a really hard time catching my breath during this workout – my lungs were burning from the elevation. Draper is about 4500 feet.

W – 5 miles; 7:36 pace

I headed out to the Porter Rockwell Trail, which is where I first started running as a teenager, and it’s still my favorite spot. It’s the perfect amount of rolling hills with great views, some shade and water fountains along the way. It’s also nice to totally zone out since I don’t have to worry other than a couple small intersections.

Th – 7 miles; 7:56 pace

Again, I hit the Porter Rockwell Trail. The wind on this run gave me flashbacks to Boston, but I didn’t mind.  (Locals: I pick up the trail at the top of Osborne Road, which is near the intersection of Fort Street and 13800 South. I like starting the trail at a middle spot rather than at Draper Park.)

F – CrossFit + 4 miles; 8:32 pace + evening hike with another brother’s family 🙂

My mom and I went to the 6am CrossFit Draper class again and it was a such a good workout! And since I’m obsessed with running while in Utah and the weather was so pretty, I did an easy post-WOD run as well. My right knee felt weird and clunky, out of the blue. My plantar fasciitis was a little finicky compared to the rest of the week but nothing terrible.

That night, I hiked with a different brother and his family. It wasn’t a very long hike (maybe 1.5 miles round trip?) but it was pretty straight up hill. But, the views were INCREDIBLE. Probably some of the best I’ve ever seen in Utah!

Maizey obviously told Otis how imperative it is to avoid the camera.

Classic brother face. 😉 

Sa – 8 miles; 8:07 pace

I was worried that I had destroyed my legs at Crossfit the day before, but I felt surprisingly good on this run. My knee wasn’t bothering me anymore either, thank goodness. It was the furthest I’ve run in over a month so I definitely worked up an appetite for brunch. 🙂

Su – 4 miles, 7:26 pace – I flew home that afternoon

My first mile was an 8:00 pace as I warmed up/woke up and the rest were all around 7:10-7:15. I haven’t run that fast so effortlessly in a LONG time. I just felt so loose and happy. Utah running is so good for my soul. 🙂

TOTAL MILES: 28.1

How I’m Feeling: This is the highest mileage I’ve run since mid-May and it felt great to be getting back in a running groove. My plantar fasciitis is still sticking around, but it’s MUCH better. (I’m working on a post about how I’ve been treating my plantar fasciitis since I’ve been getting lots of questions, so stay tuned!) My hometown, Draper, Utah, is about 4600 feet elevation, and my heart rate definitely spikes quickly when running at elevation. It’s a weird breathing dichotomy in Utah; I can get my speed up pretty quickly without humidity (I don’t have that sluggishness I feel in the South), but my breathing gets labored pretty easily. I have to stop to catch my breath and let my heart rate come back down a little. But then I feel really to take off again!

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