day 12: SAND HOLLOW TRI 🐠🚲👟 5.18.19 / May 18, 2020 by Tara Scieszinski

pt. I

Sand Hollow Triathlon

May 18, 2019: Sand Hollow Triathlon | Hurricane, UT • 🐠🚲👟
After a few days of not so great weather, in and out of local shops to find a bike to race with, I finally found one my size last night. Highly recommend Over the Edge Sports (Hurricane), Red Rock Bicycle Co, and IBB Cyclery & Multisport. I ended up renting from IBB as they had many friends racing the next day and were super helpful.. and had a bike available so last minute!
I was so ready to compete again - however, in the past, I’ve had my main pals to lean on and race with.. Autumn and Matt.. at least one or the other for the first few races of each season. I’m not sure what I was thinking but I figured I could handle reservoir water, pre-June, in Utah, without a wetsuit.. mmm big mistake. Literally the second I jumped in I lost my breath.. blacked out for a bit and somehow came out of the water alive. I was so cold and tight during the bike portion.. all cramped up and couldn’t stop shivering. By the time we hit the run, I still had my jacket and extra layers on and nothing seemed to help. Pretty miserable to say the least, I could hardly sweat but my feet were numb and the scenery seemd to help.
Ended up finishing 1st in my age group, 5th overall, and was never to try anything like that in the near future again haha.. so dumb of me. On to the next adventure, I was soooo stoked for AZ.
Tri total -- climb: 856 ft • distance: 16.33 mi

Cooldown >>

pt. II

2.PageRimTrail1.JPG — Page Rim Trail

May 18, 2019: Page Rim Trail | Page, AZ • 🚲
I was toast after the race and a few hours in the car but Page Rim was amazing.. my photos never quite do justice. Found a quick shower on some campgrounds.. the hot water went out after 2 min but it was enough to wash off my race numbers and my sunburn kept my temp pretty heated.
Was time for food - finally found a place called The Chicken, just like the bar on the trail back home. Felt like Iowa and I was starving. Down the street we checked out a bowling alley for the first time in months.. it was a blast. Bowling has randomly become my family’s favorite pastime - with or without the grandkids. I spent most of the night passed out on the windshield of the van under the stars. Perfect night and completely spent.
climb: 531 ft • distance: 10.66 mi

DAY 12 RECAP: climb: 856 + 531 = 1387 ft • distance: 10.66 + 16.6 = 27.2 mi

day 10: HURRICANE CLIFFS TRAIL SYSTEM 🚲👟 5.16.19 / May 16, 2020 by Tara Scieszinski

pt. I

1.Deadringer3.JPG — DEADRINGER pt. I 🚲

May 16, 2019: DEADRINGER Trail | Hurricane, UT • 🚲
Not gonna lie, by day 10 I was ready to hybernate in my coldass bed, back in Iowa.. where dad would grill steaks on the reg and mom would make mojitos after a long work week because we grew more mint plants than we knew what to do with. Oh the issues of then and now..
As unmotivated as I felt waking up, I had really started getting excited for my first tri of 2019. From what I understood, there were 3 main areas that make up the 31 miles of Mojave desert: Gooseberry Mesa, Hurricane Rim and the Virgin River. We started to explore Hurricane Rim — with Deadringer, a classic desert ride on single track. Went out on Goosebumps.. missed the Hurricane Rim turnoff so ended up doing a little out and back. In the meantime I wrecked realllll hard and luckily caught enough balance to tip my bike back onto the trail (if not… I probably would’ve rolled down the canyon into the river..yikes).
Adrenaline still pumping.. then came across a huge rattle snake... hahaha. Eventually made it back to the Hurricane Rim portion that overlooked the Virgin River.. so gorgeous, easy riding yet thrilling. Hit a nice climb up the JEM trail to Cowbell then Deadringer for the fun downhill cruise. What a morning!
climb: 24.68mi • elevation: 1723ft

pt. II

1.Deadringer6.jpg — DEADRINGER pt. II 👟

May 16, 2019: DEADRINGER Trail | Hurricane, UT • 👟
These post-ride shake outs were still a bit painful yet becoming a part of the daily routine. They hurt for the first 15 minutes and feel good for about 5. This route was uphill for the first portion, campers were minimal and the red dirt/gravel felt great on the legs.
Went back to hit up Over the Edge (a bike shop with locations also in Fruita, Sedona, Tahoe, Mexico and Aus) for some pre-race nutrition and socks, of course.
climb: 3.15 mi • elevation: 222 ft

RECAP DAY 10: CLIMB: 1723 + 222 = 1945 ft • MILAGE: 24.68 + 3.15 = 27.83 mi

day 9: ZION NATIONAL PARK 👟 5.15.19 / May 15, 2020 by Tara Scieszinski

pt. I

1.Zion1.JPG — pt I: ZION NATIONAL PARK 👟

May 15, 2019: EASTERN RIM TRAIL | Springdale, UT • 👟
It may have been the fatigue in me talking.. 1st full week on the road, 2-3 workouts a day, minimal sleep and mentally trying to take it all in (thus far).. finally got to day in a park I didn’t have a single plan for. A very large, common bucket list-worthy, National Park.. but with no checklist, 3 dirty chais, and too many yawns to make a decision.
Yes, Zion has some great geologic formations but it also can be compared to the Disneyland of National Parks...Hordes of people shuffling about like its an insane asylum....getting on shuttle busses and lining up for the popular hikes. It was a bit over the top (and unfortunately almost all challenging trails were closed) so we opted for a less trafficked 10 miler along the Eastern Rim to really let the previous 6 days of chaos set in and clear my mind to get ready to race.
Off to St. George to explore some MTB trails and check out the tri course later that weekend!
CLIMB: 1434 ft • MILAGE: 10.65 mi

pt. II

pt 2: WASHINGTON CITY 🐠

May 15, 2019: Wash City Rec Center | Washington City, UT • 🐠
Took a dip and fell asleep instantly after.
DISTANCE: 2187 yds

RECAP DAY 9: CLIMB: x = x ft • MILAGE: 10.65 + 1.25 = 11.85 mi

day 8: DIXIE NATIONAL FOREST 🚲👟 5.14.19 / May 14, 2020 by Tara Scieszinski

pt. I 🚲

DIXIE NATIONAL FOREST pt. I 🚲

May 14, 2019: THUNDER MOUNTAIN TRAIL | Panguitch, UT • 🚲
Thunder Mountain Trail lies within the Dixie National Forest. We did it as a loop starting out on about 4 miles of paved bike trail then a couple miles of dirt road before reaching the single track portion of the ride. Overall the ride was fantastic with some interesting geologic rock formations. This trail is frequented by equestrians so there was a lot of horse shit to dodge. While it was challenging and the views were great all the horse poo made for quite an added obstacle.
CLIMB: 1733 ft • MILEAGE: 14.25 mi

1.DixieNP_1.jpg

1.DixieNP_7.JPG

1.DixieNP_8.JPG

1.DixieNP_11.JPG

pt. II 👟

1.DixieNP_.jpg — DIXIE NATIONAL FOREST pt. II
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May 14, 2019: RED CANYON TRAIL | Garfield, UT •👟
Haha wow I remember this shake out distinctly.. like I had Remi and Millee latched onto my ankles holding on for dear life. I ran through what was an old stream on a bed of rocks, twisted my ankle a few times.. hardly able to cruise back and hop in the car for the next 4 hours… BUT IT WAS GORGEOUS and so worth it!!!
CLIMB: 199 ft • MILAGE: 3.1 mi

pt. III 🤸🏻‍♀️

2.BryceNP4.jpg — BRYCE CANYON pt. III 👟

May 14, 2019: BRCYE CANYON walking trails | Tropic, UT • 🚲
Almost skipped out completely.. glad we didn’t. Bryce Canyon blew my freaking mind. Every day on this trip was something different.. from slick rock and goblins in the desert, to something my mind couldn’t comprehend. It’s a quick adventure full of walking paths and tourists, but I’d plan to spend an hour or two next time just to sit and observe. Walked out of there with about 80 photos on my phone and another 112 on my camera… just couldn’t quite capture this beaut with a snapshot.

RECAP DAY 8: CLIMB: 199 + 1733 = 1932 ft • MILAGE: 14.25 + 3.1 = 17.35 mi

day 7: GOBLIN VALLEY STATE PARK 👟🚲 5.13.19 / May 13, 2020 by Tara Scieszinski

pt. 1 👟

GOBLIN VALLEY STATE PARK pt. I • 👟

May 13, 2019: GOBLIN VALLEY STATE PARK | Emery, UT • 👟
One year ago today…
Goblin Valley lies about an hour southwest of Green River, Utah in the barren high desert. You cannot even see it from the road until you get to the sign, but once you do you are in for a treat. So the park is made up of canyons full of hoodoos. There are no trails or any specific paths, just a fascinating place of wonder. Needless to say I didn’t record.. satellites were bouncing all over the place.
What the heck is a hoodoo? According to Wikipedia, they are eroded pillars of soft sandstone rock topped with a resilient cap. In person, they reminded me of the statues at the mansion in Beauty and The Beast. Canyons and hoodoos and goblins,.. oh my!

pt. 2 👟

1.GoblinValley17pano.jpg — GOBLIN VALLEY STATE PARK pt. II
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May 13, 2019: GOBLIN VALLEY STATE PARK | Emery, UT • 🚲
Adjacent to Goblin Valley is a short mountain bike section of windy trails. These trails aren’t ridden very often but the path is faint enough to follow — and is certainly worth exploring; they loop around some interesting high desert environs with all the views. Not sure I put my phone or camera down this entire morning and it didn’t even have signal to use it for anything but photos!
CLIMB: 513 ft • MILAGE: 7.56 mi

1.GoblinValley16pano*.JPG

day 6: RABBIT VALLEY TRAIL SYSTEM 🚲 5.12.19 / May 12, 2020 by Tara Scieszinski

pt. 1 🚲

RABBIT VALLEY TRAILS
pt. I

May 12, 2019: ZION CURTAIN | Mack, CO • 🚲
The Zion Curtain/Western Rim Loop starts and ends in Colorado and crosses into Utah. It gets you far away from civilization and into the high desert. The first 6 miles are a combo of dirt road then double track before you hit the single track of the famous Zion Curtain. Zion Curtain is primarily a climb to the ridge (which absolutely killed me after running with the dinos), but showcases spectacular views of Rabbit Valley and eventually the Western Rim.
CLIMB: 2196 ft • MILAGE: 20.86 mi

pt. 2 🚲

RABBIT VALLEY TRAILS pt. II

May 12, 2019: WESTERN RIM | Mack, CO • 🚲
From the top of the Western Ridge you can cruise down the valley floor to hop back onto two track. 5-6 miles of rollers to the Western Rim single track with great views of the CO river… then head back through Rabbit Valley for the last 4-5 miles to the complete the loop. This shouldn’t have been very difficult but balance was hard to come by with heavy legs and a lackadaisical mentality.
CLIMB: 726 ft • MILAGE: 8.25 mi

2.ZionCurtain_2.JPG

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RECAP DAY 6: CLIMB: 2196 + 726 ft = 2922 ft • MILAGE: 20.8 + 8.2 = 29 miles

day 5: DINO HALF MARATHON • Vernal, CO 👟 5.11.19 / May 11, 2020 by Tara Scieszinski

Dinosaur 13.1
🦖🦕🦖

May 11, 2019: DINO HALF MARATHON | Vernal, CO • MTB 🚲
Crazy descent.. freezing cold start.. shed a layer every couple miles. They set up a segment at mile 7 to win the “Stegosaurus Award” for fastest half mile.. haha I didn’t win but it definitely helped regain my speed and switch gears! Last 6 miles were stunning.. downhill until it flattened out completely.. I went in speedy spurts as all I could think about was devouring a massive cheeseburger at the end. I’m not sure I’ve felt much worse finishing a race — even though it was completely downhill, my legs took a beating with all the weighted stress. Experiencing a cold one at the Dinosaur Brew House (oh but of course) was a highlight.. second to the National Dinosaur Museum shortly thereafter. The entire day felt like I ripped out a chapter of Jurassic Park II and combined it with a 20k and painful celebration. I ended up first female, 19th overall finisher, and checked off a few things from my childish bucket list 🦕🦖✅
RECAP DAY 5 : TOTAL CLIMB: 36 ft (HAHA) • TOTAL MILAGE: 13.1 mi

day 4: 18 ROAD TRAILS • Zippity Do Dah / May 10, 2020 by Tara Scieszinski

pt. 1 🚲

-day4_Zippity.1JPG.JPG — 18 Road Trails: Pt I

May 10, 2019: 18 Road Trails | Fruita, CO • MTB 🚲
CLIMB: 903 ft • MILAGE: 7 mi

pt. 2 🏊‍♀️

Fruita, CO: Pt II

May 10, 2019: Rec Center | Fruita, CO • swim 🏊‍♀️
MILAGE: 2625 yds

RECAP DAY 4: TOTAL CLIMB: 903 ft • TOTAL MILAGE: 7 + 2625 (yds) = 8.5 mi