2024 Eggs Legs 10K Race Recap - West Jordan, UT

Official Time: 49:55
Placement: 10th overall, 2nd in the 50-54 age division
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Upper 40's, 5 to 10 mph breeze from the south
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: Previous Years: [2023] [2022] [2021]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:27	Thought I was running faster. Into the wind here. Biding my time
2	8:30	Wish I wasn't really racing.  Debating on just doing this as a hard workout
3	8:24	Wanted to quit.  Just not feeling it today.
4	8:16	Finally a tailwind.  A little bit of encouragement from people behind me
5	8:13	Enjoying a bit more tailwind.  Perhaps I could salvage this race. Hunting down another 10K runner in front of me.
6	7:58	Working with a few other half marathon runners.  Giving it all I had.
	Total Miles: 6.00 - 49:50

Introduction

For the last few years, one of my spring traditions is doing the Eggs Legs race produced by OnHillEvents.  It is one of the few races that is available the Saturday before Easter.  I usually sign up for the race during the Thanksgiving Day sales.

The race is held at Gardner Village, an eclectic series of shops that border the Jordan River Bike Trail.  In addition, the race is located a mere 1.5 miles, door-to-door from my house.

I know the course extremely well -- it is where I often do my weekend training runs and I've run literally a dozen races along the trail.  So I've always considered it my "home" course.

Flooding along the race route.

Normally the race is held at the shopping complex but due to flooding along the race route's underpass, it was moved to an open field about a quarter mile away.  It was the same course though, just extended a bit further to make up for the distance.

Anticipation and nerves heading to the race start line

The Race

I had picked up my bib 2 days prior to the race, so I got to the race site a little after 7:30 AM for the 8 AM start time.  I probably should've gotten there a bit earlier to do a more thorough warm-up however.  I was scolding myself  as I had a solid 5 to 10 minute walk from where I parked to the race start.

The race offers 3 distances: 5K, 10K and half marathon.  The half had started at 7 AM and the 5K would start at 9.  The 10K was the least well attended so it was pretty low stress and there was no lineup to use the restrooms.  I did less than a half mile warm-up with a few drills.  It was probably the most lackluster warm-up I've done in a while.  I was tired and just sore from a pretty solid week and my head wasn't in the game. Also, I noticed that there was a still breeze coming from the south -- the direction I'd be running.  Definitely not as bad as last weekend's Riverton Half Marathon, but the outbound wasn't going to be fun.

Sample stretch of the race course.

The race is held entirely on the Jordan River Bike Trail.  Due to the drizzly, windy day, there weren't many other people using it.  But normally you'd encounter dog walkers, cyclists and other runners.

Thanks ME

It was chilly out but not terrible.  I was dressed in typical shorts, short-sleeved shirt, the Endorphin Pro 2's, and thin gloves.  I wore a neon pink shirt so I could easily find myself in post races photos and with it being an Easter themed race, it sort of went with the day.

The race started on time and I was off.  I knew one of my age group rivals was at the race and it was going to be a major battle for me to win my age group.  I didn't see anyone else in the lineup that looked to be about my age but I never take my solace in my age guessing skills.

Almost immediately my rival took off -- a LOT faster than I could handle.  There went first place.

I was looking for someone to work with, but with about 80 people in the race, it was slim pickings.  I wound up tailing a young man and a woman about my age for a while. But there wasn't much opportunity to tuck in behind anyone.

The first mile was tough.  I felt like I was going fairly strong, but not all out.  In my mind, I was running about 8:15's.  My legs were already pretty tired.  I was exasperated when my watch hit 8:30 for the first mile.  I wasn't running that slow, was I?

Around this time I encountered some of the elite half marathon runners -- who were probably running about 1:10 - 1:20 for the half.  I was suffering already at mile 2 -- they were at mile 11 or 12 and looked speedy and fresh.

I was losing ground on the two people I was working with and no one was tailing me.  This part of the trail is pretty exposed and the wind was howling.  My pace was tanking and I knew this race wasn't going to go well.

Old picture of what this section of the trail looks like.

The 5K was spot on and I got a bit of encouragement from the volunteers.  I knew that soon after though, I should get a bit of shelter from the wind.  But I just couldn't get over how much work it felt like to hold what was about a (brisk) half marathon pace for a 10K race.  I just couldn't get anything going.

Thanks KG!

Mile 2, saw another 8:30.  I just wanted to stop, pull off the course and duck into the bushes and have a good cry.  Mentally I was done.

Nearly the turnaround point -- but on a different day.

Finally, the turn around appeared. It was at the 2nd age station.  My watch beeped 3 miles once I hit it.  In a way, I was thankful -- that at least to my watch -- the course was going to be short. I was just spent.  With a little less wind, I managed to nudge up my pace a bit, hitting an 8:24.

I had spied my rival about a quarter mile ahead of me and he was still looking strong.  If he faltered, I'd have a shot but given my current state of mind, I didn't think I'd get anywhere close to him.

Typical view at the turnaround -- but different day.

Finally the wind stopped and I felt the pressure on myself drop.  I got a LOT of much needed encouragement from the runners that were behind me.  I always tell myself "I am the old guy who is running quite strong -- give them a show worth watching!"

Turn marker along the course.

I knew the race wasn't going to be PR worthy, but now that I had some wind behind me, maybe I could turn this race into a something more than a hard training run.  And perhaps I could catch another flagging 10K runner or even a half marathoner.  I made that my mission.  Work hard and finish strong.

Mile 4 was at 8:15.  Better yet.  About where I wanted to be from the get go.

Friends moments before the race start

Finally, the 10K outbound people ended and I was slowly gaining on another 10K runner.  I managed to reel him just before mile 5.  Now that I was back in the open field, I was receiving the full benefit of the wind.  I also knew I had another mile to go.  An 8:13 mile was certainly respectable.  Could I keep the streak of a negative split miles?

I gave it all I had.  My race legs had come back and I could feel the gentle push from the wind behind me.  I recalled all the hard sessions I had done prior, knowing that I could tolerate the pain a little longer.  It wasn't an all out sprint, but I was moving pretty well, breathing hard and while there was no one in front of me or behind me, I was trying to save every second I could, if nothing more to assuage my bruised ego.

I could see the finish line ahead.  Just a little more.  I made a series of tight turns, receiving some cheers from 5K runners waiting to start and smashed it through the finish line.

Thanks ME!

Conclusion

I finished in 49:55 officially.  My Garmin read 6 miles on the button.  I think with the new start the turnaround point hadn't quite been set appropriately.  My time last year was 49:50 for a full 6.2 mile race.  

Mostly, I was upset with myself.  The first 3 miles were a battle -- both mentally and physically.  Instead of focusing on what I could do to work harder / run better, I was trying to figure out what had gone run: was I overtrained, over raced, had my training failed me, not enough of a warm-up?  Should I run more? Run less? What was going on.

Fortunately I did manage to turn it around during the final 3 miles.  I hit my faster mile at the end when I needed it the most.  My speed is there but it also needed to be nudged a bit by the wind.

I do think all of the speculation I did midrace does have some validity.  I was still feeling some fatigue from last weekend's half marathon and I have been pushing the pace midweek during my training runs.  The last few weeks I've raced fairly "flat" as well.

I managed to snag 2nd in my age group and go home with two medals.  That definitely helped my spirits and again, running the 2nd half much faster than first made me feel good. As a result there was some glimmers of redemption on it.  I do think if the race was a full 6.2 miles, I'd be around 51:30 or so.

The medals are definitely cool and well designed.  With the cooler weather (and threatening rain) the award system was sort of self-service -- show your overall result and get your medal.  Made it a lot easier and quicker.  I like the design on the front of the shirt -- clearly shows the name of the race and distances -- the material -- again, I am not a fan of.  I love 100% polyester shirts.

There was typical post race refreshments -- fruit, ice cream, drink and other snacks.  To be honest, though, I only grabbed a large free sample of a drink mix and wound up taking photos of the start of the 5K and half marathon finishers that I knew.

The course was well-marked and marshalled.  There were directional signage or a volunteer at every major turn.  Even if I didn't know this pancake flat course, I would've known where to go.  I wound up not needing any course support, but the 10K did have 3 aid stations.

Despite my dismal first 5K, I really had a good time at the race.  There were so many people I knew and it felt like a social gathering of likeminded runners who were out to test themselves and enjoy the spring morning.  I would've loved a more mild day in terms of wind, but that is spring in northern Utah and before too long I'll be complaining about the heat.

This race is well attended and a lot of fun for the casual or serious runner.  Despite being able to run on this course any time I want, I enjoy getting out there and participating.  It makes for a great time trial and is fun to see friends.

Upcoming Race

04/20: 2024 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Deferred)

04/27: 2024 Apple Blossom 10K - Santaquin, UT (Confirmed)

05/27: 2024 Run of Remembrance 10K - American Fork,  UT 

06/01: 2024 Utah Valley Half Marathon - Provo, UT (Confirmed)

06/29: 2024 Taylorsville Dayzz 5K - Taylorsville, UT (Confirmed)

07/24: 2024 Deseret News Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed

08/17: 2024 PC2PG 10K - Lindon, UT (Confirmed)

09/07: 2024 Cedar City Half Marathon - Cedar City, UT (Confirmed)

09/28: 2024 Witch Run 10K - West Jordan, UT (Confirmed)

10/05: BLOCKED OUT WEEKEND

10/19: 2024 Haunted Half 5K - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

10/26: 2024 Haunted Half 5K - Provo, UT (Confirmed)

02/23: 2025 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

2024 Fit for Life Riverton Half Marathon Race Recap - Riverton, UT

Official Time: 1:58:48
Placement: 4th in age group, 72nd overall
Results: Here (YouTube video of me finishing).
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 50's, 15 - 20 mph from the south / south east
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2023] [2022] [2021] [2018] [2015] [2014]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:41	Solid start. Conserving energy.
2	8:35	Little bit of a tailwind and flat.
3	9:02	Into the neighborhoods. Hilly and at times a little windy
4	9:41	Decent climb here.  Usually into the wind too.
5	8:48	Nice tailwind here
6	8:34	Smashed a downhill
7	8:48	Now into the wind. Fortunately got a decent half mile in before hitting the wind.
8	9:04	Really strong winds here. Just trying to keep a decent pace when I can but not succeeding
9	9:21	The miles are settling in. Happy with my pace
10	9:44	Big hill -- into the wind. So frustrated
11	9:18	Done with the wind but a few hills left.
12	9:42	Just out of gas. Fortunately a tailwind but hilly little mile here
13	9:04	Some hills and mud
13.05	0:20	Trying to catch a guy in front of me and just making sure I break 2 hours.
	Total Miles: 13.05 - 1:58:49

Introduction

Another one of my usual spring routines is doing the Riverton Half Marathon.  The race is in the middle of bunch of other races that I do and I was thinking about sitting this one out this year.  It is a popular race and they generally get a decent turnout (over 500 runners) for their 5K, 10K (new this year) and half marathon.

Normally I register pre-Christmas to snag an awesome price, but this year I waited.  I wanted to race a little less in 2024 and this one was on the bubble list.  I kept in my back pocket and last week I decided to plunk down the late registrant price (I think about $65) for the half marathon and make a go of it.  The weather looked reasonable (no snow / rain) so I figured why not... it would be a fun way to spend Saturday morning and get a March Half Marathon in.

I picked up my bib on Friday at RunGr8 Running Store in Riverton, which saved me any race morning anxiety about lines / issues.

The Race

I got to the race about 30 minutes before the start and grabbed a few photos.  I live in Murray and in Murray it didn't seem that windy. However, in Riverton it was quite a different story.  There was a decent wind coming from the south -- which would only spell trouble for me in the race.  There is a long stretch of bike trail that runs south without a lot of cover.  In years past I've suffered along this stretch.

The air temperature was comfortable (unlike last year) and while there were threatening clouds, it wasn't supposed to rain until later in the day.  I wound up going with a ballcap, short sleeved shirt, my donut shorts, and gloves. I wound up pocketing the gloves 2 miles into the race.

The race started promptly at 9 AM and we headed east from Riverton City Park.  My goal for the first 5K was to hang loose and ease into the race.  I had a loose goal of around low 53 minutes for the first 6.2 miles.  I knew miles 6.2 through about 10 were going to be the hardest part and I figured I'd try to hold pace there (and pray it wasn't that bad) and then push it the final 5K.

The first few miles felt easy and I was going out a little fast but I was aided by downhills and a bit of a tailwind.  My heart rate seemed low.  I felt a little fatigue in my legs -- I had had a fairly large week in terms of volume and I wasn't feeling 100% fresh.

After about 2 miles we dipped into the neighborhoods.  We were greeted by some people who had decided to spend the morning cheering us on.  It was welcomed and nice.  Although, at this point the course got hilly.  

Running up hill has never been my strength and I wound up just shuffling up the hill and then quickly getting back up to race pace once I reached the summit.  The hills didn't burn me out and despite some fatigue, I felt like I could quickly resume getting back to the pace where I wanted to be.

We spent the next 3 miles or so touring the streets of South Jordan.  The wind wasn't much of a factor and despite some of the hills, I was running strong.  I recognized parts of the course from a few of the South Jordan race series I had done.  Also, all the previous editions of the Riverton race came back into memory as well -- I was on familiar ground.

Finally, we made our way back to the bike trail.  I had a glorious downhill, where I definitely picked up the pace.  After another quarter mile I was back on the bike trail, made a turn at 106th street and started to head south.

Photo from Riverton's FlickR Page

The wind was howling and I glance at my watch -- it was around mile 6.4 -- not quite halfway.

I turned to the runner next to me and said, "There goes any chance of a personal record today"  He mumbled in agreement.

I still felt pretty strong and I overtook a number of runners as I battled the headwind.  The race had thinned out at this point and any of hope of me working with or drafting behind another runner were gone.  I was going to have to do this alone.

Parts of the course I was able to avoid the wind but for the most part it was slow going.  I pushed it when I could, and just accepted it when I couldn't.  I had started to work on consuming a Cherry-Lime Roctane which helped pick me up.

Running along the Jordan River Bike Trail brought back a lot of memories of when I first moved to Utah in 2012.  I had done a fair amount of training -- and races along this section of the trail in what seems like another lifetime.  I also knew that at the end of the trail was a large hill.

I didn't really pay any attention to my watch at this point. I knew my pace was slow, I was working hard and any chances of having a fabulous time were pretty much out the window.  In reality though, my paces weren't terrible -- about low 9's -- still within range of a 2-hour half marathon.

Finally the looming hill came into view.  I really didn't have much to tackle it with and a few runners resigned themselves to a walk.  I knew if I started to work, I'd probably conserve a bit of energy, but I also knew that I'd be hard-pressed to start again.  I once again wise-cracked to the runner next to me -- "how could this get any worse -- a massive uphill in gale force headwinds?"

Finally, I crested the hill and I knew things were going to get better -- or at least should get better.

I cruised down the back side and caught back up and passed some runners that had passed me on the uphill.  Despite my flagging times, I was still overtaking people and not getting overtaken, which is always a hard pill to swallow late in the race.  Perhaps I could salvage the race.

The final 5K seemed to  be the longest part of the race.  I was totally gassed and my head was telling my body "it's time to go!" and my body responded -- but just not as quickly as I felt it should've.  

The final 5K is hilly -- and mostly up.  I was aided by the tailwind but some of the wind was blocked from the neighborhoods and such.  Occasionally, I could feel it pushing me along but it wasn't as intense as I felt it should've.

Photo From Riverton's FlickR page

Every little hill slowed my pace to a crawl.  Fortunately we didn't have to go up a dreaded twisty hill like years in the past, but we did have to go down Lover's Lane -- which was finally paved!  

I was working hard and I was emotionally buoyed by the tailwind, but my legs were just dead, I knew my heart rate was skyrocketing, and it seemed like every hill was a monster one.  I kept looking for the final one.  Fortunately it isn't long, but it was another humbling shuffle to the top.

The mile markers had been hit and miss according to my watch throughout the race.  Sometimes I'd pass through a marker ahead of schedule, sometimes behind.  Also, in 2023, I ran 13.30 miles -- how far was this edition going to be?

Photo from Riverton's FlickR Page

I was doing math at this point -- did I still have a chance at 1:57?  2:00?  It was going to be close depending upon how much further I had.

Finally I made the final turn and I could see the flashing lights of the police car who was crewing the intersection that led into the park.  My watch was on mile 12-something and I was trying to judge how much further I had to run.  I wound up picking up my pace -- I now had an ever so slight downhill and a tailwind.  I picked off another runner and I was gaining on another.  I was trying to keep myself motivated.

I made another sharp left and re-entered the park where 2 hours prior I had just left.  I could hear the announcer calling out people's names.  I was so close, yet so far away and I was dying.

I knew at this point I was going to break 2 hours and the course was going to come in a hair shy of 13.10 miles.  I dug deep and sprinted to the finish -- finishing in 1:58:48.

Conclusion

My initial reaction to finishing was: I didn't get the time I wanted.  Not even close.  I was 100% spent and I was doubled over wanting / waiting to be sick (fortunately I wasn't).  

I had to step back, and think I had actually done pretty well.  While the wind wasn't as bad as it was at  the March Madness 10K, I had to battle it for far longer and I didn't get the benefit of it much during the race as well.  Also, this race can be best described as "challenging".  I wound up texting a few people to let them know my time and I got a unanimous "that's a great time for that course". 

Plus, I had gone into the race knowing that today wasn't going to be a great time day and to run it to effort and according to the course conditions.  I eventually made peace with myself on my performance -- it wasn't great by under the circumstances, I did as well as I could.  I'd probably give myself a grade of "B" if I was hard-pressed to grade myself.

I wound up socializing with other runners who mostly said it wasn't their day either.  They had a wide assortment of refreshments at the finish: bananas, fresh pressed orange juice, milk, water, Cliff Bars and even bundt cakes from a local baker.  Despite the wind, it was comfortable to sit and enjoy the post race glow.

I wound up placing fourth in my age group.  They only give awards to the top overall finishers and first in each age group.  For this big of a race, I am not sure why they don't expand the awards just a little bit.  However, I would've need a speedy 1:31 to win my age group.

The medal was nice -- It was a little uninspired though, especially for a half marathon.  The race also used to give out fantastic t-shirts... this year's edition --  the print was flaking off and is a cotton / polyester blend.  Just not thrilled with it.

This race is definitely a HUGE bargain if you register in January for it (or even prior to that). I got a fair bargain for my money though -- it was a well executed race from start to finish, it was marshalled and marked at every turn and had plenty of aid stations (I believe 5 or 6).  

The course is interesting as well -- with a mix of residential running and the natural beauty of the bike trail.

I'll likely continue to do this race.  It is a local event, low stress, affordable and well run.  I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a challenging race.  Both the 5K and 10K races are also hilly. I could definitely see areas of improvement but it is a bit of a right of passage for spring races for me.

Upcoming Races

03/30: 2024 Eggs Legs 10K - West Jordan, UT (Confirmed)

04/20: 2024 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

04/27: 2024 Apple Blossom 10K - Santaquin, UT (Confirmed)

05/27: 2024 Run of Remembrance 10K - American Fork,  UT 

06/01: 2024 Utah Valley Half Marathon - Provo, UT (Confirmed)

06/29: 2024 Taylorsville Dayzz 5K - Taylorsville, UT (Confirmed)

07/24: 2024 Deseret News Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed

08/17: 2024 PC2PG 10K - Lindon, UT (Confirmed)

09/07: 2024 Cedar City Half Marathon - Cedar City, UT (Confirmed)

09/28: 2024 Witch Run 10K - West Jordan, UT (Confirmed)

10/05: BLOCKED OUT WEEKEND

10/19: 2024 Haunted Half 5K - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

10/26: 2024 Haunted Half 5K - Provo, UT (Confirmed)

02/23: 2025 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

2024 Vineyard Gold Rush 5K Race Recap - Vineyard, UT

Official Time: 24:17
Placement: 2nd in the 50 - 59
Results:  Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: 43F - slight breeze from east
Course Map / Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2023]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	7:41	Wow, lots of fast runners.  New course as well. Solid start to the race
2	8:02	A few rolling hills here. Nothing major, but definitely feeling some lactic build up
3	8:09	Felt like I was running faster. A little headwind here.
3.07	0:25	Turned on the jets when I saw the finish line.
	Total Miles: 3.07- 24.19

Introduction

A new spring tradition for me is running the Vineyard Gold Rush 5K.  Vineyard City is a burgeoning community near Lindon / Orem in Utah County.  They have 3 races each year and I wind up attending their Thanksgiving race and their spring race.

It is a bit of a haul down there (about a 30 minute drive), but the $20 price tag makes it an easy decision and it is in an early I don't often get an opportunity to run in.  The race is well run and low stress and usually after the race I like to get some photos of Utah Lake, which is stunning looking in the spring.  It is a low frills race (no t-shirt) but it does offer age group prizes, finisher medals and usually a decent spread of food at the end.  It makes it a budget-friendly, easy decision.

The Race 

I arrived at the race site -- Vineyard Grove Park -- around 45 minutes early for the 8:30 AM race.  It gave me ample opportunity to find parking, grab my bibs, get a solid warm-up and use the facilities.  I noticed right away that they had a good turnout -- especially when lining up for the race. At last year's race they had the kids race (1k) and a 5K and 10K.  This year they had the kids race and a 5K.  I think word has also gotten out that this race is solid, so there were definitely more attendees.

I was dressed in my Pro 2's, shorts, thin gloves and a t-shirt.  I was comfortable despite a little bit of a breeze.  I had high expectations of myself -- wanting to go for around 24 minutes.  I had done my strides and I felt pretty good.

The race started off with us heading west towards Utah Lake.  I expected the race to go the same direction as it always did -- hang a left on Main Street before ducking into the neighborhoods and doing the same course I've done each time this race.

Instead we hung a right.  Had the race organizers messed up?  I hadn't even bothered to check the map of the course figuring it would be the same one.  As I followed the other runners, I saw that the spray chalk did indeed point right (and there was a police officer at the intersection as well).

The start was congested but within a quarter mile I was able to get around a number of people and run the pace I wanted to.

Prior to the race I had sized up the competition and saw one guy I presumed was in my age group.  The age groups are in 10 year increments and awards were given to the top 3.  It is always nice to go home with an extra medal and I wanted to keep after anyone who was in my age group.  I quickly lost site of him.

I tried to stay comfortable as I could and I knew I was pushing the pace -- mostly racing against a number of smaller children. I felt strong and felt like I was on target for a decent race.

The first mile -- flat as a pancake -- and coming in at 7:41.  If I could just hold this pace!

At this point we were running along the public bike trail along the shores of Utah Lake.  I had visited this area before but never actually run on it.  In fact, after the race, I was planning on doing a cool down along here.  What a treat to run along the beautiful boardwalk.

I finally saw the guy runner I was targeting who I figured might be in my age group.  He had about a 20 yard lead on me but I was slowly gaining on him.

The boardwalk has some rolling hills.  Nothing terrible but there were segments where I had to dial it back a bit.  But as soon as I crested the hill I immediately went back to my 5K race pace.  I was working hard and I felt like my pace was dropping.

After about .75 of a mile, we exited the boardwalk and I was blasted by the eastern rising sun.  I scolded myself for not wearing sunglasses.  We were heading east and I had expected to be hit by the wind that I experienced during my warm-ups, but it didn't seem that bad.  I knew where we were at this point and the mile markers were ringing up fairly close to my Garmin -- I hit mile 2 in just over 8 minutes.  Although, I don't think I even bothered looking at it.  I was so focused on pushing the last mile.

I had overtaken my competition and felt like I was in a good spot.  Occasionally some speedsters passed by me, but I was working with another runner or two who had a slight lead on me -- neither of which seemed to be in my age group.

I had completed dropped the other guy and occasionally I'd look over my shoulder to see if he was rebounding and coming after me -- and there was no one for quite a while.  Still, I wanted to hang onto my position.

Daring to stress myself out, I looked at my Garmin -- and breaking 24 minutes was definitely going to be a challenge.  I'd have to run an absolutely blistering last half mile.

Finally, we hung a left onto a public walkway that would eventually take us back to Grove Park.  I could see again.  In the distance, I could see the arches of the finish line.  So close, yet so far away!  My legs were just overloaded with lactate and I just couldn't get going.  I felt like I was running fast but my pace wasn't matching my perception.

At this point, I was frantically doing runner math trying to figure out how fast I'd need to run with the time I was currently at and the distance I had yet to cover.  I didn't dare look at my pace -- I think I would've only infuriated myself.  I kept recalling all the hard stride sessions and final blasts of speed I could throw down in some of my interval workouts.  

I hung the final left and the finish line was less than a tenth of a mile away (at this point the 3 mile marker was quite a bit off).  The finish line looked so far away though as I sped down the flag lined finish line.

The guy I was chasing took off and I just couldn't track him down.  I did finish strong though.  Twenty meters from the finish I saw that I wasn't going to break 24 minutes, but at least I was in the low 24's.

Conclusion

Upon finishing, I leaned over the wooden fence and caught my breath.  I was disappointed with my time -- some of my sessions of late indicated my fitness was a bit better.  Still, I had done better than February's 5K.

I had a blog follower introduce themselves to me -- which made my day.

I congratulated some other finishers, chit chatted with a few more people, and thanked the race director,  before making my way over to the results trailer.  I punched in my bib number and found I was 2nd in my age group.  Hurray -- an extra medal!

I meandered over to my car -- knowing it would take a while to get the awards dolled out (and there is usually a long line to collect them) I put on my non-racing shoes and re-ran the first 2 miles of the course, nabbing the pictures you see here.  It was so nice to get photos and enjoy the spring morning.  And by the time I got back, I was able to grab my medal and enjoy what was left of any snacks with a light crowd.

The snacks were pretty well worked over -- but they had dried fruit, oranges, granola bars, water, and fruit juice.  A lot of the snacks were kid friendly as the 1K race was well attended.

Overall, I enjoyed myself. I liked the new course and it was such a beautiful day.  I just wish I had been able to turn in a better time.  In the past, I've run really well here and I had higher expectations.  This was, however, a new course and hard to judge my time versus the other edition.

I really enjoy this race. It is budget friendly and I love racing some place new that I don't often get a chance to visit.  The pictures I got were simply breath taking and I loved the views while running this race.  It is also well organized -- from the course marshals to the aid station.  It was also well marked and they had police at major intersections assisting with traffic.

I am looking forward to their Thanksgiving race and hopefully I'll be able to break 24 minutes (or better)

Upcoming Races

03/23: 2024 Riverton Half Marathon - Riverton, UT (Confirmed)

03/30: 2024 Eggs Legs 10K - West Jordan, UT (Confirmed)

04/20: 2024 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

04/27: 2024 Apple Blossom 10K - Santaquin, UT (Confirmed)

05/27: 2024 Run of Remembrance 10K - American Fork,  UT 

06/01: 2024 Utah Valley Half Marathon - Provo, UT (Confirmed)

06/29: 2024 Taylorsville Dayzz 5K - Taylorsville, UT (Confirmed)

07/24: 2024 Deseret News Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed

08/17: 2024 PC2PG 10K - Lindon, UT (Confirmed)

09/07: 2024 Cedar City Half Marathon - Cedar City, UT (Confirmed)

09/28: 2024 Witch Run 10K - West Jordan, UT (Confirmed)

10/05: BLOCKED OUT WEEKEND

10/19: 2024 Haunted Half 5K - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

10/26: 2024 Haunted Half 5K - Provo, UT (Confirmed)

02/23: 2025 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)