Hagg Hybrid Marathon!

The biggest thing on my mind this past week was whether I'd be able to complete my first marathon at the Hagg Hybrid around Henry Hagg Lake in Oregon. The knee trouble I had been having kept me down and out of regular training for the last couple weeks leading up to race day, and I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to go or not.

On Wednesday of this week, I had nearly made up my mind to not even bother showing up at the race. However, after thinking it through a bit, I figured I ought to give it a shot so I wouldn't always ask myself, "What if?" about whether I would have been able to actually finish the race.

Here's how it all went down! I'm borrowing from an email account I wrote for a fellow runner in Provo:

I mostly rested those last two weeks before the race, running only twice (five and nine miles). The pain was present both times running, and I was feeling very pessimistic about my chances of finishing the race. I stretched, rolled on a foam roller and even had a massage targeted at those affected areas (at your suggestion), but felt like I wouldn't be ready for the race. At one point, I decided that I wouldn't do the run for fear of permanently injuring myself. But within a short time of making that decision, I went back on it and decided to give it a try so I wouldn't be able to ask myself "what if?" from choosing to sit it out.

The day of the race (Saturday) I got up early, had a quick breakfast of a bagel, a banana, and some milk, and I got in the car to make the 75-minute journey to the race location. I felt okay, and I had been specifically praying that my leg would hold up and I wouldn't have major complications, but that I'd be at peace with whatever the outcome.

Henry Hagg Lake

Hagg Hybrid Sign

8:00 a.m. arrived and the race began. The first half of the race was on asphalt with rolling hills, surrounding a beautiful lake in Western Oregon (Henry Hagg Lake). The first mile or two felt a bit rusty and labored. This was probably due to having done so much resting in the final weeks leading up to the race. But by mile three, I felt invigorated, calm, and ready to run. My spirits continued to rise as I reached the mid-point of the race where the road transitions to trail and I hadn't felt any significant discomfort or pain in my right IT band area. I was on track with my pace as well.

Driving across the bridge before the race. I ran over this bridge twice during the race.

The second half of the race was extremely challenging. The dirt trail was very technical, with roots, rocks, and low-hanging branches all around. The dirt was very hard packed and was covered with deep ruts left by mountain bikers from the rainy season when the trails were muddy. Now that it's been dry and hot for a couple months, the trail was nearly hard as rock! My ankles took a beating, as they would occasionally roll on the uneven terrain. The rolling hills continued, and many of these hills were much steeper and difficult to navigate.

When the hills were steep, I had to slow down to a "hike" rather than a jog, but up until mile 14 or so, I hadn't broken my pace. With more than half the race finished, I was very optimistic about my chances, and my heart was full of gratitude that I had made it this far without pain. However, the steep hills and difficult going made me worried that the uneven strides and frequent starting/stopping would aggravate my injury.

My bib was lucky number 13!

My pace slowed down significantly, the temperature continued to rise (it was in the 90s on Saturday, which is unusual for this time of year in the Pacific Northwest), and the distance between aid stations seemed too great. I didn't have a handheld water bottle or Camelbak with me, so I was left to struggle through a couple of very challenging legs between aid stations.

At mile 18, I passed the point of my longest training run but felt like my energy was still good. My phone battery had started running low a mile or two before, so I stopped listening to podcasts and wouldn't have a chance at that point to turn on music to try to keep me motivated.

By mile 20, I felt like I was in a desert. My energy was low, my legs and feet were very sore with every stride, it had been a mile since the last aid station and was another 1.5 miles until the next. I was out in the open now, exposed to the noon-time sun, and my left knee had shooting pain with nearly every stride. Somehow I pushed through and made it to that next aid station where I was able to refuel with water, Gu, Gu Brew and some fresh oranges. They tasted so good! While I was there, a car pulled up and a couple of volunteers jumped out. They had a plate with some grilled cheeseburgers, intended for the volunteers manning the aid station. Seeing those burgers and knowing that I was only a little over four miles from the end gave me the motivation, and a few minutes later I felt the fuel from the recent stop kicking in.

Amazingly, even though I expected them to be extremely challenging, the last few miles weren't the hardest. My phone finally died at 24.4 miles, and shortly thereafter I tripped over an exposed rock and crashed off the side of the trail into some scraggly bushes with those sticker things in them that ended up all over my clothes. It was startling to be suddenly on the ground. I spilled both of the small cups of water I had brought with me from the final aid station!

I pulled myself up, brushed off the dirt and stickers as best as I could, and kept going. Finally, the white tents near the finish line came into sight and I climbed the last hill into the parking lot near the boat launch where the race began and ended. I crossed through the finish line, overcome physically and emotionally, and I gladly accepted the black finisher's mug they had for me there. Never has a small piece of ceramic represented so much work and effort! My time wasn't fast (5 hours and a few seconds), but I had done it!

The Finish line. A glorious sight!

A beautiful day for a run!

My trophy mug!

2014 Finisher!

And I chalk it all up to divine intervention through an answered prayer and a miracle!

After it was all over and I had enjoyed a tasty grilled cheeseburger and a cold drink, I hobbled to my car and got my fresh, dry clothes. I walked down to the dock and to the edge of the water, where I stepped into the water on the really muddy shore. My feet sunk into the mud up to my ankles, and I was careful not to go very far into the water for fear of not having the strength to easily get myself unstuck. I splashed water on my upper body and cooled down a bit before walking back to the restrooms to change into the clean clothes and head home.

The shore of Henry Hagg lake

By the time I got out of my car back at home, I felt nearly paralyzed with stiffness! But I was home and had completed the most difficult physical challenge I've ever had!

I don't know whether I'll let marathon running become my new life passion and hobby. I doubt it, but I may decide at some point to try a second one. If I pick a nice level road course, I'll surely get a PR and maybe have a bit less harrowing experience. :)

But I feel great! Three days removed, my muscles are still very sore, but I'm mobile and able to get up and down stairs much better now than on Sunday when I woke up!

msh

Burger Blog: Burgers # 1-4

I love burgers. I’ve always loved burgers. Since I was a kid, my favorite food has been burgers. I could almost say I’ve never met a burger I didn’t like, but that’s not entirely true. We went on a family vacation to Durango when I was younger and I remember getting a blue cheese and mushroom burger at a pub-type restaurant. At that point, my tastes were still a bit more immature, so when I was served up the burger (which I would imagine today I would regard as quite a tasty burger), I made a face, tried to remove the squishy looking mushrooms with my knife, and then proceeded to eat it. I must have psyched myself out a little bit because I ended up feeling really sick afterwards.

I digress. I love burgers. As part of my 30x30 project, I decided I wanted to eat a burger a week from a different place each time. Since timing and opportunities aren’t always perfect, I revised it slightly to eat 52 burgers from 52 different places. The idea will be to eat a different one every week, but this is my project, so I make the rules. I may miss one week and make it up by eating two the next. No sweat.

I’ve also decided to document the 52 burgers here on the blog. My plan is to feature four burgers at a time, give my review of each burger and overall experience, and then pick a winner from the four. Hopefully at the end I’ll be able to compare the 13 winning burgers and pick my favorite!

Again, since this is my project, I make the rules. I may not always apply them consistently, but I’ll just go with my gut. While I’m looking for the best burger, itself, I’ll likely be awarding my final rating for each burger based on the overall experience. French fries are a must for a great burger (until I’m convinced otherwise), and shakes or a cold soda couldn’t hurt but aren’t required as part of this quest- only the burger (and fries).

So let’s get started with the first four burgers! My quest to find the best burger begins!

#1: BURGERS SUPREME – Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Burgers Supreme has long been at the top of my list for a good place for a burger! Thus, it made sense to choose to come here for my 29th birthday lunch/dinner when Mom offered to take us out! Burgers Supreme is owned/operated by a Greek family (I think), and there are a number of other similar places out there: Apollo Burger, Crown Burger, etc. I wonder if they are owned by the same group.

Burgers Supreme logo

The Burger

I actually ordered a burger I had never had before: the green chile cheeseburger. I'm not sure if it's been on the menu long, but it seemed intriguing, so I decided to spring for it. I was very pleased with the char-broiled goodness of this burger. The green chiles were paired with a good helping of melted cheese and fry sauce, making each bite rich, juicy, and full of flavor!

Green Chile Cheeseburger from Burgers Supreme

The Accompaniments

While not the cheapest, Burgers Supreme consistently serves up a good-sized char-broiled burger alongside thick-cut french fries. Fry sauce and ketchup are a must. Throw in a cold Coke, and I can't think of a better way to get the Best Burger Quest started!

Green Chile Cheeseburger with thick fries and a Coke from the fountain.

The Setting/My Company

Burgers Supreme is located at the intersection of Freedom Blvd and University Pkwy in Provo and has been around for as long as I can remember. The inside of the restaurant could use a little facelift, as it's somewhat dated and dark inside. The place usually has a strong smoky smell because of the char-broil grill. Sometimes that could be a good thing, but usually I don't love smelling like the burger for the rest of the day!

"A Provo icon for 25 years" indeed!

Part of a great burger experience is the company! I had my three favorite ladies along with me today (Suzanna, Emmelise and Mom), so I couldn't ask for a better group with which to share a good birthday dinner!

I give the burger 5 out of 5 french fries (my rating scale: french fries, of course). Overall, the pairing of the juicy, flavorful burger with the hot and crispy french fries is a combination that will certainly be hard to top! Throw in the refreshing beverage, and I can't imagine much that would make this any better!

Other burger joints, be warned! Burgers Supreme has set the bar extremely high!

Suzanna, Emmie, and Mom, enjoying Burgers Supreme

Full tummies, happy girls!

Very pleased!

#2: JCW's – Friday, July 25, 2014

The next place we visited was JCW's. This came about in a sort of funny way. After a very long training run in the morning, Suzanna, the kids and I rushed up to Salt Lake to do some exploring at a couple of museums (see the weekly blog post for details of our fun day!). We had made a quick stop at McDonald's for a small breakfast as we got on the freeway. We didn't eat again until we were ready to leave Salt Lake, but at this point, it was late afternoon and we were all feeling pretty hungry.

I had really wanted to eat at Sonny Bryan's Smokehouse for dinner, but all of the Utah locations had now closed! So we decided just to head back to Provo and figure something out. Shauna had been at JCW's a little earlier and wanted us to meet up with them, but the timing didn't work well. But the suggestion of eating there was enough to get us to try it!

JCW's The Burger Boys

The Burger

Along the same lines as the "new" green chile cheeseburger from earlier in the week, I decided to try a somewhat different cheeseburger and went for the Jalapeno Bacon Burger. It was served up on a doughy bun with huge portions of bacon and very spicy jalapenos and Habanero cheese. The burger patty itself was a little overdone and wasn't juicy. The burger had a tasty ranch dressing, and really, it was pretty good.

Unfortunately, it felt like JCW's was all about the quantity rather than the quality. Suzanna picked her burger apart and ate select parts of it. That's usually not a very good sign.

Can we say "massive"?

The Accompaniments

Since they had shakes on the menu, we decided to spring for shakes as well. Suzanna ordered grasshopper and I had a classic Oreo shake (I can't think of a better flavor!). I opted to order small shakes, not knowing exactly what to expect. Because I got the order to go, they put the small cup inside a larger cup, but as you can see from the picture below, the larger cup is a big ol' 44 oz. soda cup. The small must have been at least 24 oz. which was a very generous "small," if you ask me.

The shake was actually really good. It sort of redeemed the whole JCW's experience, except for the fact that the portions were just too big. I don't know that I've ever had that complaint before, but by the time I finished the burger, unremarkable french fries and the enormous shake, I felt ill. I told Suzanna that if we try JCW's again, we'd have to order ONE burger and shake to share. Our stomachs and wallet would thank us.

Jalapeno Bacon Burger with fries and a huge "small" Oreo shake

The Setting/My Company

JCW's stands where Training Table used to be. Note to self: Training Table would be another good burger for the list. I have been to this physical location many times, but never when it's been JCW's. The location was bright, open, and very clean. The menu board was interesting, as it consisted of  hand-written items on a chalkboard. I'm not sure if they do it this way to maintain full flexibility in pricing the food (overpriced, IMO), but it was different and interesting, for sure.

JCW's on 2230 North in Provo, near the river

In the end, I'm giving the JCW's burger and experience 3 out of 5 french fries. Not great, but not bad, either. Even though the burger was a little on the spicy side and the portions were huge, it was pretty good, and I'd give it a try again.

#3: TONYBURGERS – Friday, August 1, 2014

Ahhh, TonyBurgers. Sorry to say, Tony, but even though you had a great location, your food was truly disappointing. But I get ahead of myself. Or maybe I'm not. Let's start with the setting/company.

"Famous" you say? I hadn't heard of TonyBurgers before this trip.

The Setting/My Company

Because we decided to stay in Utah through the end of the week to attend Morgan's baptism, we had another shot at getting together with Laurie and her family, this time up in Holladay. They were MIA at our barbecue on the 4th of July as they had an offer they couldn't turn down to spend a few days with the whole Meacham family at a lake/cabin (I think) before Jordan leaves on his mission. So it was nice to get a chance to meet up with them and enjoy an evening together.

Unfortunately, the car ride up to Holladay was somewhat stressful, as the kids were tired and grumpy. Combined with a long wait to order/receive our food, the experience was not setting up well. It was fun for our little family to meet up and eat with Laurie and Jemma, but it was kind of chaotic with the crazy children, long wait, and a spilled cup full of water.

As far as the location, TonyBurgers has a sweet spot in a new development in the heart of Holladay. It's close enough to walk there from Laurie's house, and it had a really fun feel, nestled in at the base of Mount Olympus (should have taken a picture!), near the Cottonwood canyons.

TonyBurgers, located in a newly developed area of Holladay

The Burger and Accompaniments

There wasn't much to say for this burger. It wasn't especially memorable, but it wasn't bad at all. The french fries were pretty bad, though- greasy, not very hot, and kinda wimpy. I ordered an Oreo shake, and truthfully, that was the best part of the meal! The very worst, though, was Luke's meal. He ordered some chicken nuggets, and what they gave him was a poor excuse for restaurant-quality food! They looked like the kind that come in a huge frozen bag from the store, but these were much worse than the chicken nuggets we keep on hand from Costco that only take a few minutes to warm up. They breading was very minimal, and the meat was totally unappetizing. It was kind of a grayish-whitish color and, when I bit into one, I actually spat it out. No wonder Luke took one bite and then didn't touch them again. I should have gotten a picture!

TonyBurgers burger, fries and a shake

Interestingly, TonyBurgers prints a message on the side of their cups about how they've searched and researched to find the right stuff for EVERYTHING they sell at their store. I had a good chuckle when I saw it and decided to snap a picture. If true, then they must either have very low standards or never discovered the chicken nugget and french fry "secret."

The secret is apparently still elusive for TonyBurgers.

There was also a board near the cash register that had a list of people who eat for "free" at TonyBurgers if they come in. It was filled with celebrities, both national and local, and I wondered while we were ordering why they would have this list. After our meal, I think it was because the only way they could get these people to eat there would be if it were for free! Hah!

Sorry Tony, but you're getting 2.5 out of 5 french fries because the burger was pretty decent and the shake was quite tasty.

#4: SHARI'S CAFE & PIES – Friday, August 15, 2014

After a couple weeks since my last burger experience, it was time for something a little closer to home and more familiar. I convinced Suzanna that we should all go camping together as a family, so after watching the weather, we reserved a spot at Paradise Point state park about 30 minutes from our place. To make the camping experience slightly easier on ourselves, we decided to go out for dinner so we'd all have full tummies before getting to the campsite. We decided on Shari's.

Shari's Logo, up close on a napkin

The Setting/My Company
Shari's was the first restaurant at which I ate when we were moving to the Northwest. I was driving the moving truck and towing the Fit behind back in July 2011 when I stopped for the night in Pendleton, OR. I stayed at a Motel 6 to save a few bucks, so of course, I had to find my own breakfast. Right next to Motel 6 there was a Shari's, which I thought was just a little one-off mom and pop diner. I went inside and was pretty impressed with the wide variety of comfort food on the menu and the quality of food and service. It's like an IHOP or Denny's, but a few steps up, in my opinion.

I soon found out Shari's is a chain with locations all over the northwest, so we've been back numerous times and haven't had a bad experience yet. Here's a picture of the Shari's near the Vancouver Mall.

Shari's Cafe and Pies

A couple pics of my peeps:

Cute Emmie, ready to eat and go camping!

The rest of my crew!

The Burger
I have had a couple different burgers from Shari's before. This time I decided to try something new. I've been on a spicy kick lately, so I went for their new offering, the Srirach-Cha-Cha burger. I think they must have marinated the meat in Sriracha hot sauce because the flavor was very powerful! I guess I don't care for Sriracha all that much because I didn't LOVE it. Don't get me wrong, it was still a very good burger, and somebody who loves Sriracha (and burgers) would probably have really dug the combo. It did have some fresh avocado slices on top, so that balanced the spicy sauce a little bit.

Mmmm, I love a good restaurant-quality burger!

The Accompaniments

Mmm, restaurant french fries are usually awesome! And Shari's didn't disappoint! Hot, thick-cut french fries, salted just right and served beside a big tasty burger... a beautiful sight! I didn't get a pic of the apple-pie-in-a-jar, but I should have because that was a super tasty treat that Suzanna and I shared.

Mmm, looking good Srira-Cha-Cha!

Because I didn't love the flavor of Sriracha (though it was a really good burger) I'm taking off half of a french fry and giving it 3.5 out of 5 french fries.

WINNER

This was an easy decision. The winner, by a mile, was the Green Chile Cheeseburger from Burger's Supreme!

Looking forward to another 48 tasty burgers!

-msh