2019 Witch Run 5K Race Recap - West Jordan, UT

Official Time: 25:45
Placement: 1st in age group, 11th overall
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: 50, slight rain. Night race.
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2018]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:07	A little hemmed in at the start, but running okay
2	8:13	Hit the turn around and lost a few seconds but was hurting here
3	8:15	Running by myself mostly. Fairly consistent splits.
3.14	1:09	Lots of turns in the final haul but cruising to the finish
	Total Miles: 3.14 - 25:46

Introduction

Last year, I ran OnHillEvents Witch Run.  And during the awards ceremony I won a free entry to this year's event.  So when the race rolled around this September, I signed up.  I think this was my first comped race ever.

The race is held at Gardner Village and is used to kick off their fall / Halloween celebrations.  They really go all out decorating the storefronts with lights and spooky stuff.  Every year I am blown away with how much they do to prepare the village shops.

Gardner Village is also conveniently located about 2 miles from my house.  I probably should run as a warm-up there, but it starts at 8 PM and it makes it a chilly run on the way back.  However, I did pick up my bib on Friday night, so I was ready to go when I rolled into the race site at 7:15 for the 8 PM race. 

The Race

All week, the weather forecasters were saying it was going to be raining -- hard.  Fortunately, it didn't.  There was some rain throughout the day, but nothing major.  However, even during the race, there were dark clouds hanging over the area.

Occasionally, while I was doing my warm-up, it started to run and I was cursing myself for not bringing something semi-water proof.  Oh well, it was "just" a 5K.

The race started at 8 PM and the race had a good turnout.  Just lots of people in costume.  The themed races generally don't draw the big-time competitors.  So I lined up near the front and once the gun was fired, I ducked under a very small arch and began making my way to the Jordan River Trail.

The race is a 1.55 mile out and back on the Jordan River Bike Trail. I train / live near this trail, but on a stretch further north.  I've run on this section of the trail many times so even though it was dark, I knew where to go and what to expect.

With so many runners - and many first time racers it was clogged initially.  However, after less than a quarter mile I was with folks running my pace.

I hadn't done that much of a warm-up and it kind of showed.  I was breathing hard as we ducked under a road and made our way south along the trail.  There are a lots of turns and small hills to begin with, but once you are done with that, it is nothing but straight and flat.

Being that it was dark, I had a hard time checking in on my pace.  It just seemed like work to slow down, find the light button on my Garmin and check it.  Normally during a race, I can just glance down... but my focus was on running and not tripping.  Occasionally I'd throw on my night light to verify I wasn't going to trip on anything but there was enough light that that wasn't too much of a concern.

After a mile, the crowd had thinned out and I found myself running with a young woman -- probably no older than a young teenager.  She was holding on to a decent pace and I was using her to motivate me.  And every time I tried to gain ground on her she'd push a little extra harder.  Perfect! Just what I needed.

However, just shy of the turn around point she seemed to run out of gas.

I figured I was close to a top 10 position judging by the number of runners coming back and I was so happy to see the volunteers at the turn around.  I went around the turn around point and ran back, only to be greeted by all the runners behind me.  It was cool seeing all the folks behind me as I received support and accolades.  It just made me push harder.

Another 3/4ths of a mile I ran into the walkers.  90% of the runners / walkers were on their side of the 6 foot wide bike trail.  Occasionally someone would drift over to my side and that's when my head lamp (now a hand lamp) came into action.

The last part of the race I was hurting.  The 5K, in general, is just painful from start to finish but the last mile always hurts the most.  I wasn't really near anyone so gaining ground on someone wasn't really an option.  There was someone coming in from behind but I had enough ground on them that it would take a while for them to catch up.  I had a sense I was going to finish in the low 25's on account I had checked my splits whenever my Garmin dinged that a mile had passed.

I was so happy to see the finish line but a little dismayed to see almost 26 minutes had elapsed by the time I crossed under the spooky arch.

Conclusion

I was a little miffed that my overall time was slow, but it was a night race.  While it seems like you are running fast at night, it is harder to judge your overall pace.  The weather, however, was perfect.

After the race there were a ton of people I knew, so it was social hour.  I wasn't too surprised to see that I had won my age group.  The race is mostly filled with younger folks, families and social runners.  Themed, night races tend to draw that sort of crowd.

Post race refreshments included fruit and ice cream sandwiches.  There was also sports drink / water, but I had stashed my own supply in the bushes before the race.

Overall, it was a nice, low stress evening and I came home with two cool medals.

See ya there next year.

2019 Take it to the Lake Half Marathon Race Recap - Ely, NV

Official Time: 2:20:07
Placement: 6th out of 7 males.
Results: Not Posted
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 30's, no wind.  Got up into the low 50's by the finish
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2014]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	9:59	Slow start up hill and at high altitude.
2	10:52	The grind continues
3	10:52
4	11:46	More hills
5	13:02
6	14:43	One crazy hill after another.
7	14:57	Finally reach the pinnacle of the race....
8	8:15	Let the downhill and fun begin
9	8:20	Over 300 feet of drop each mile from 8 to 11.
10	8:24
11	9:06	Not as much drop here and I was feeling a little winded.
12	8:40	Back to a decent mile
13	9:21	Uphill on the service drive here.
13.14	1:40	Cruise to the finish.
	Total Miles: 13:14 - 2:20:03

Introduction

5 years ago I ran the Take it to the Lake Half Marathon in Ely, Nevada.  It was a small race at the time and certainly challenging.  The race back then started at Cave Lake State Park and ran down to the highway before having to run back up.  It started at about 7500 feet elevation, went down to about 5500-something.  It was challenging and warm and I remember most of the return trip to be a sufferfest.

For those not in the know, Ely is a little mining town just north of the Great Basin National Park in rural Nevada.  There isn't a whole lot out there and is about a 3.5 hour drive from Las Vegas or Salt Lake City. But it is a beautiful part of the country and one I enjoy going to.

Me at packet pickup pointing to where I'll be running

The race is held Saturday morning at 7:30 AM.  I got into Ely on Friday afternoon and stayed at a local hotel about 20 minutes from the race start.  I did NOT sleep well.  I usually don't sleep well the night before a race in a hotel in a strange city.

So I got up at 4:45 and hit the streets by 5:15 and made the 25 minute drive to the entrance of Cave Lake State Park.  I had to be on a shuttle by 6 AM for the roughly 30 minute drive to the race's start -- some 13 miles up along a dirt road on the Success Loop.

The Race

It was a long wait in the shuttle.  There were only about 15 of us in the race and 11 of us crammed into a Suburban.  It was definitely more comfortable than standing in a field for an hour waiting for the race start (the temperature was in the low 30s). 

I was bundled up and had brought a ton of winter gear.  I didn't plan on running in the heavy gear, but I was anticipating a long wait and I didn't want to freeze.

The time in the van passed fairly quickly as the dozen of us made small talk.  After a while, we started driving up the dirt road.

One of the main reasons why I did this race was to see the Success Loop -- a 33 mile road that goes behind the mountain range on Ely's East side.  It is pretty remote country and I had heard rumors that regular cars couldn't make the trip.

The drive took about 30 minutes and the road was a bit rough at times but our driver knew what she was doing.

With the sun coming up, it gave me a chance to survey the course.  I knew from the course map the race provided that we were in for about 6.5 miles of climbing -- from an elevation of 7500 to just over 9000.  Fortunately once we reached the summit, we'd have about 1500 feet decline.  I was happy to note that the downhill was the most stunning part of the course and the uphill part -- just didn't seem that bad.  However, I did realize that miles 4 - 6 were going to be the toughest parts.

We had about 20 minutes to kill before the race start.  I stretched out and used the single porta-pottie that was available.  It felt more like a training run than a race, but with only 20 people or so, that's the way it was gonna be.

The race started at 7:30 and running felt hard.  At 7500 feet of elevation, the air was definitely thinner.  I had stripped down to running gloves, shorts and a short-sleeved shirt.  Thank goodness I went with that.  While it was a little chilly, it wasn't bad and I felt like I had made a good choice.

The lead pack took off and for a few miles I had a shot at 3rd place overall.  But the next two guys quickly over took me.  They were only giving out top 3 awards and with a race this small, I wasn't expecting age groups.  

I was content to keep going at my conservative pace, because I knew few miles were going to be challenging.

With me out of contention for any awards I settled into a comfortable pace.  Occasionally I'd take out my phone and take a photo of the area.  Despite my slow pace, I felt good about it.  I was holding back and I had hopes that maybe I'd stick around to maybe another person or so and catch them on the downhill.

The course -- as advertised -- was dirt road.  The initial miles were graded / smooth dirt.  I was worried about getting stones in my shoes, but it wasn't that bad.  I didn't get any bounce, however, from the ground.

I was glad to be running solo the entire race.  I was hanging around with one young woman for a while but she was much better at handling the hills.  She was able to power hike up some of them -- when they got bad -- while I just shuffled up them.  I am not sure which was more efficient but I ran the entire for the first 6.5 miles.

The open fields after about 3 miles turned into shaded aspens and pines.  I loved this section of the course.  The hills were definitely upped a notch and my head was swimming with a lack of oxygen at times.  Occasionally I'd look behind me only to see the ground I covered.  There was no one else behind me.  Once in a while I'd catch a glimpse of the woman I was chasing, but I was by myself.

I thought the hills wouldn't never end, but finally they did.  Thanks to the shuttle ride to the start, I had time to take some mental notes of when the hills would end.  It was a moral booster to see the scenery change to the point where I knew the hills were just about done.

Almost to the top

Finally, I reached the start of the 10K race.  There was a water stop / bathroom there and the 10K was advertised as all downhill.  While I still had 6.2 miles to go, I knew I was on the homestretch now.

My motivation to race suddenly picked up too as my turnover increased.  Gone were the 14+ minute miles.  Now it was time to fly.  Thanks to the gravity assisted hills, I was no longer grinding at death-march marathon pace, but 10K pace.  It felt great.

There still wasn't any men in front of me, but occasionally I'd see the woman below me zig-zagging down the road.  I had hopes of catching her -- nothing more than for my own ego, but she clearly was enjoying the faster pace as well.

The road at this point got a little more rugged.  It wasn't terrible for running, but you had to sort of pick and choose your path.  I didn't lose any time on it, but I had to concentrate on where I was running to avoid tripping on a rut or having to work extra hard by running in a ditch.

It was sunnier at this point but thanks to underdressing, I was completely comfortable. I had throw away gloves but I opted to keep them.  My hands tend to get cold, even in warmer weather.  I also got the slight scent of the Ruby Mountains -- it is like a sweet, flowery smell.  I love it and it seems to only pop up in the Rubies (although I must confess to smelling it around in Utah but it seems mostly present out in Nevada).

The mile markers in the race always seemed off -- by about .20 of a mile usually.  I was really worried about the course being long. I was sipping Tailwind and drinking from the aid stations, but my training hasn't been that awesome for putting in major miles.  Fortunately, the race measured pretty close and I didn't have to run an extra quarter mile.

Around mile 11 or so I started to encounter some of the 10K walkers.  It was an ego booster to fly by them and receive a bit of encouragement from them.

The final stretch of the race is a bit cruel and I remembered it from the last time I had done the race.  After 12.5 miles of running on dirt, you find yourself on red asphalt.  They had a volunteer to help you turn left and then you have a nasty incline.  Distance-wise it isn't more than .1 of a mile but it is pure up.

The final hill

I started to run it in hopes I could power my way up.  But my legs were just dead.  And despite my best efforts, I was going only a fraction of a bit faster than a pair of 10K walkers in front of me.  So I just power hiked up it.

Upon reaching the top, it took a big effort but I wasn't going to disappoint my "fans" and not run through the finish line.  Fortunately, after a bit of flat running you have a massive downhill to finish near the shores of the lake.

Conclusion

I finished the race in 2:20 and change.  My overall time wasn't too surprising and I knew it was going to be a slower half marathon.  While I did get over 6 miles of downhill, I had more than 6 miles of solid uphill.  That is hard to make up.  Also consider the elevation and the lack of oxygen and I had more of an adventure / fun run, rather than something I could try and "race".

I was surprised at how good I felt. I haven't done many long runs so I wasn't sure that I would even have the endurance to do this.  I've put in a few 10 - 13 mile runs, but not a lot of "over distance" training.

There was an aid station every 2 miles.  They had some sports drink and the half way point had gels.  I am glad, however, I carried my own Tailwind.  Having the extra calories helped and I wasn't dehydrated when I finished.  I also dressed correctly... I was never over-warm nor cold.

For a very small race, this event was a gem.  The aid stations were manned and amply supported.  There was never any doubt about where I was to run (it was hard to take a wrong turn but they even had markings on the odd-ball locations).  My only gripe, perhaps, was that the mile markers never seemed to line up with my Garmin until the end.

The race, like in 2014, had a post-race BBQ and raffle.  I had disappeared to my car after the raffle had started so I may have won something.  But I wasn't in the latter group that was being chosen.  They were also cool in that they had veggie burgers for me to eat.  In fact, I had two.

The weather after the race was absolutely perfect.  It was sunny, not too hot, with a pleasant breeze.  The picnic was on the shores of the Cave Lake, so the setting was picturesque.  

I paid close to $70 for the race.  I thought it was a steal considering all that I received.  I got a finisher's medal, t-shirt, a well supported course, a beautiful course and plenty of post-race food.  Yeah, the course is challenging and probably not PR worthy, but I really enjoyed the scenery and would probably put it as one of the most scenic half marathons I've done. 

Hopefully this falls into my calendar again next year.  This was a great weekend and I had a lot of fun.

2019 Run for the Nuns 5K Race Recap - Holladay, UT

Official Time: 26:00
Placement: Unknown
Results: Soon
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 60's, no wind
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: New to Me

Mile	Time	Comments
1	9:05	First third of a mile was definitely uphill. Slowed me way down
2	8:15	Got some downhill here as I picked up the pace
3	8:24	Some rollers but primarily downhill here
3.04	0:14	Push to the finish as it was downhill.
	Total Miles: 3:04 - 26:00

Introduction

The Salt Lake area had a big race this weekend --- the Big Cottonwood Marathon, which basically steals the thunder of any other races that are planned during the weekend.  In fact, there were very few races in the area, except for this one.

This race definitely stands out on account it is held on a Sunday, which almost no races are held on a Sunday here.  But this race was held for the benefit of the Carmelite Nuns.  They have a fair that is going on in order to sell goods for their order and it attracts an early group of people.  Plus the entry fee goes to support the cause.

The Race

The race was easy to find -- just a minute off the freeway.  Holladay Utah is probably best known for being a haven for the wealthy.  There were a ton of older large houses that lined the main drag and the street was tree-heavy and shaded. 

I got there fairly early and managed to snag a decent spot.  Bib pick-up was a snap and within 10 minutes I was back in my car.

On account they were anticipating a large crowd for the fair, they had a ton of bathrooms, so there was never a line and the race, from what I saw, was fairly small -- maybe 100 - 125 people.

By 7:30, I decided to get in a mile warm-up and get a sense of the course.  I was warned that the start of the race feature a bad hill and upon looking at it I didn't think it was that.  Sure it was a hill, but it wasn't a killer one.  I did note that the return mile was mostly going to be downhill.  

The race started at 8 AM.  I am always hesitant on charity races on account that many are poorly run.  This one -- they knew what they were doing from start to finish.

Sure enough the first 1/8 of a mile was up hill and I figured that was going to be the end of the "big uphills".  I was quickly proven wrong.  We hung a right and got a very brief respite from the hill only to be encounter an even larger, more steep hill.  Really? We have to run up that?  How did I miss this on my warm-up?

Originally I had started out in 5th place, but quickly I was swallowed up by the crowd -- there were a lot of high school aged runners and clearly their much lighter body frames could take the hill much quicker than I could.

Finally, after a half mile or so, we reached the top the hill and we got a bit of a downhill.  I quickly found my groove and started to pass some of the runners who had went too fast.

I wasn't too surprised to see a "9" flash on my Garmin after the first mile.  There definitely was a penalty to be paid for hills at the start.  I just hoped I had enough in my legs to take advantage of what I would hope to be the downhill second half.

The course featured a lot of twists and turns in the residential areas in which we were running.  There were volunteers at critical corners but if I hadn't been following anyone I would not have known where to go.  

I was able to get back some of my lost time on mile 2.  There were a few rolling uphills but for the most part, it was a fast mile, with it primarily being downhill.  Maybe if I could hang on for the last mile I'd have a decent and not too embarrassing of a race.

I figured mile 3 would be fast but there were once again a few uphills.  Just when I was working up a head of steam I'd hit a tiny roller that would ruin my pace.  So frustrating.  With about 3/4ths of a mile to go though, I was in familiar territory as having warm-up on the course at this point.  

I quickly looked behind me and saw that no one was chasing me down but I was working against 3 people that were probably half my age.

The last quarter mile was primarily downhill and I really worked at it.  I didn't really know what my overall time was but I knew the race was going to be slower than usual for me -- thanks to the hills.

I flew into the finish line and clicked off my Garmin -- turning in a 26 minute 5K.  Definitely slower.

Conclusion

As stated, I wasn't too surprised with my time.  On a flat course I can knock out a 24:55 or 25:15.  This course was a lot more challenging.

I grabbed some water and chatted up some of the folks I had run with.  They had water at the end and breakfast consisting of eggs, potatoes and sausages were served.  They had a very interesting grape lemonade that was worth a repeat trip.  In addition, they had bagels and fruits.  All good stuff.

I was hoping for age group awards.  Sometimes these small races have them -- sometimes they don't.  This race apparently didn't have them.  They just gave out awards to the top 3 in each gender.  To be honest, I'll be lucky to see overall results.

I paid $25 for the race.  I got a pretty nice tech shirt -- I was expecting a cheap cotton one, but this one was nice.  They even had a drawing at the end with so many prizes that I actually won a pair of cordless headphones.  I definitely needed a pair for some of my driving trips.

My performance wasn't the greatest, but given the nature of the course, I wasn't expecting a PR race.  I did run as well as I could and despite being gassed after half a mile into the race, I managed to regroup and do okay.

2019 Rock the Canyon 10K Race Recap - Provo, UT

Official Time: 56:37
Placement: 4th in age group, 62 overall, 44th male
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 60's, sunny, no wind
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: New to Me

Mile	Time	Comments
1	9:06	Hemmed in and I felt like I was gasping for air at the start. Not a good way to fire it up
2	7:27	Fast downhill
3	8:26	On to the flats
4	9:32	Was gassed at this point. Pretty much all up hill from here.
5	9:20	Grind up
6	11.12	OMG, hills non stop here.  Nothing but climbing
6.22	1.39	Last quarter mile was primarily downhill.
	Total Miles: 6:22 - 56:44

Introduction

A friend of mine turned me on to this race.  The race calendar for this past weekend was kind of light so my choices were sort of slim.  I haven't really felt "half marathon worthy" of late and so a shorter race was what I was looking for.

I heard the race was fairly hilly but how bad could it be?  Well I would soon find out.

The Race

The race was held on the east side of Provo in a park called Rock Canyon Park.  The park is mainly a multi-use field nestled at the base of the Wasatch Mountains.  It sports beautiful views of the mountain range as well as Utah Lake. 

The race actually served as a circuit race for the Salt Lake area.  To say there were fast runners there was an understatement.

I got there with plenty of time to spare, and grabbed my shirt and bib and basically killed an hour waiting for the race to start.  I circled through the bathroom and did my warm up drills as I admired the 360 degree views. 

I hadn't run that much during the week so I figured I'd be spunky to race, but I was anything but that.  I just wasn't in the mood to run / race.  But I had paid my race entry and I've always had pretty decent races when I've run through Provo.

The race had a really decent turnout, in part that it was a circuit race.  Minutes before 8 AM we assembled in the parking lot, got some brief instructions and soon we were off.

Almost immediately I was gasping for breath.  I was cursing myself for not doing a more comprehensive warm-up.  I also attributed it to being at slightly higher altitude. 

I was almost thankful when the trail we were on narrowed down so that only 2 or 3 people could run abreast.  Naturally this forced everyone to slow down.  The break was short lived but it was enough for me to re-group upon hitting the road.  It didn't help either that the start of the race was an up-hill as well.

Upon hitting the road I was able to dial in a pace and soon I got to enjoy the first down hill section of the race. I wasn't surprised seeing my Garmin flash a 7:30 mile. 

I knew I was right on target pace-wise on account I was tailing a woman I usually finish about even with.  In fact, throughout the race I was within 20 - 150 yards of her. 

I was enjoying the race quite a bit.  It was all new territory as well ran down the hill.  I turned to a woman running next to me, though and stated that we were going to pay for it on our way up, though.

Mile 3 was a gut check.  We were entirely down with the downhill section and now we had a section that involve a little bit of uphill but mostly flats.  My quads were pretty shot and my legs weren't feeling that responsive. 

I wasn't too surprised to see my pace drop from speedy to a fairly pedestrian 8:30 pace for mile 3.  And yet, I knew I had the hardest section of the course coming.

Mile 4 was a climb and while it wasn't that bad I figured maybe the rest of the course would be like this.  But I had studied the map with the elevation profile and I knew the worst would come.

The race was held primarily on residential streets.  Some times we ran on the side of roads and other times on the sidewalk.  There were police at important intersections and the occasional volunteer at quieter ones.  I was rarely in doubt of where to run because I was always within eyesight of someone and they had placed markers that led the way.

Mile 5 through 6 was where the insanity started.  I turned a corner and there was a monstrous hill.  Me and the runner next to me both were like What the Heck...it was steep and other runners were clearly running up it.  This race was cruel... at mile 5 of a 10K you put a monster hill?  Come on!

I ascended that at a shuffle -- hurting every step of the way -- only to turn a corner and find another hill.  I almost came to a walk as I saw many other people do in front of me.

I kept looking at my Garmin in hopes that I would reach mile 6, when I pretty much knew that the hills would be over. 

Finally mile 6 came and I knew that I was now close to being done.  There was a good down hill here and I knew once I entered the park.  In fact, I totally got a second wind and flew to the finish line.

Conclusion

I wasn't too surprised with my lackluster time.  I figured I'd hit about 55 minutes given the difficulty of the course.  Even some of the elite runners there said don't worry about your splits as this course was anything but flat.

They had finisher's medals, which was nice.  Usually races don't award finisher's medals for 10Ks.  It isn't fancy but it's something to take home.

Finisher's refreshments were water and bananas.  They had some pancakes, but after the run, they didn't seem very appetizing.   

Results were printed out and easily obtained.  Unfortunately I placed 4th in my age group.  They may have done top 3, but I basically cleaned myself up and took off.

Hard to have any take-aways on this race.  The course was really fun to run believe it or not.  They also had 3 water stops, it was properly marshalled and the course was fairly accurate.  The mile markers were pretty close to spot on but as the race went along I was coming up short.  I had hopes that it might be a little short but actually it turned out to be a little long. 

The shirt was a standard cotton one.  It was nicely designed but I probably won't wear it much.  (What has happened with tech shirts of late?)

I would do this one again.  It was a little expensive -- about $40 plus the usual service fees and taxes but I registered fairly late in the game.

If my race schedule was empty, I'd run this one again.  It was well organized and definitely challenging.  But this race isn't for the faint of heart... or those looking for a PR.  The course though was top notch though.

2019 Swiss Days 10K Race Recap - Midway, UT

Official Time: 52:16
Placement: 79th male out of 160, 6th in age group
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 50's, no wind.
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2018] [2017] [2016]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:29	Slight up hill start.  Hemmed in a bit too for the first quarter mile or so.
2	9:07	Most challenging part of the course. A bit of climbing here
3	8:55	Good portion of this mile was uphill, but got it back
4	8:09	Mostly downhill here. Love this section of the course
5	8:18
6	8.46	Slow uphill and kind of out of gas
6.06	0.25	Push it to the finish
	Total Miles: 6:06 - 52:13

Introduction

For the past few years, one of my favorite traditions is to do the Swiss Days 10K.  It is located in beautiful Midway, UT, about an hour from the Salt Lake Valley on the other side of the Wasatch mountains.

During Labor Day weekend they celebrate their Swiss heritage by holding Swiss Days.  They have a parade, vendors and tons of food.  In addition, they have the obligatory 10K race.

I've always had a good time at this race and it is affordable, so it wasn't too hard of a decision to run this race again this year.

The Race

I got there way early this year... I had made good time and had nearly an hour to kill.  Fortunately for me, I was able to snag pretty decent parking.  There were a lot of roped off areas and I suspect late comers had a tougher chance of getting parking.

Packet pick-up was a snap.  I got my bib and t-shirt and socialized, chilled in the car and warmed up with my extra hour.  The race started promptly at 7 AM.

The race is held on the residential streets of Midway.  You are surrounded by farm country, the entrance to a state park, a beautiful golf course and the towering Wasatch Mountains.  It is really a stunning course.

The race is well attended and seems to be a gathering point for many high school athletes.  The race wasn't chip timed and I managed to shoulder my way up fairly close to the front.

The race starts off slightly downhill before making a sharp right turn to pass the fairgrounds.  From there you slowly wend your way through the older section of town.  Also the course is a slow grind up.  It isn't noticeable or a back breaking hill, it is just a slow climb.

Entering into mile 2 is where the challenge of the race comes in.  You are leaving the residential area and coming into the more exclusive part of town.  The road was lined with golden sunflowers and the mountains came into view.  I flew by the first water stop without grabbing anything but I knew that from mile 2.5 to 3.5, it was going to be challenging.  I felt good but I definitely was feeling the slightly higher than normal altitude.

One of the painful aspects of this race is that you run up the service road to the Wasatch State Park.  It is almost all uphill and consists of two very steep paved hills.  Fortunately, once you reach the top of the second one, you circle around a cone and get to run down them.

Knowing the course, it was nice to know that the next 3 miles or so were primarily going to be fast and my legs were excited to run fast.  My pace quickened and around mile 3 or so I found my "fast gear" and turned on the jets.  It wasn't long lived but I gained some ground here against some of my competitors as we flew by the golf course, which was just stunning in the young morning's view.

Finally we got back to the 1st water stop and I rinsed out my mouth with water and dumped the rest on me.  It was refreshing.  I wasn't thirsty per say and it wasn't warm, but my mouth was dry.  Getting cooled off as I continued to zoom down the hills that lead back to town helped my morale.

The final mile on this race is challenging.  Gone are the hills and at this point my legs usually feel like rubber.  Also there is a brief stretch where you have a bit of a hill again -- nothing crazy but it certainly makes it more challenging.

At this point, the competitors were fairly stretched out and I kept trying to reel in anybody I could.  I looked behind me and I didn't see anyone but I was worried about placing in my age group.  A pair of older guys had flown by earlier and I just wasn't too hopeful.

I pushed as hard as I dared in the last half mile.  The last quarter mile or so is a gentle downhill and you can see the finish line and the cheering crowds. I had been monitoring my splits but wasn't really paying attention to my overall time.  

I expected something in the low 53's but was pleased to see a 52 and change on the clock as I crossed under the finish line.

Conclusion

I love this course.  It is one of the prettiest races out there.  I should go back and photograph various portions of it.  Each time I do this race I feel fortunate to have experienced the beauty of this particular area.

After finishing, I was dismayed to see that I had finished 6th in my age group.  So close -- as they award cool glass mugs for top 5 age group finishes.  Turns out I would've needed another minute off of my time to place.

To console my woes, this race does have a great post race feast consisting of super yummy donuts (I think made locally), chocolate milk, sports drink and fruit.  In the case that I would've placed in my age group, I could've just picked up my mug and gone home.  So the awards system is very efficient and without much fanfare.

For $20 this race is a bargain.  It is professionally run and had two water stops.  The race has consistently come up short over the years (at least according to my Garmin).  I was disappointed that this year's shirt wasn't of a technical material.  It is cotton and gray.  I probably won't wear it.  There are no finisher's medals at this race either but for a 10K I don't really expect one.

I'll continue to do this race.  I love the course and it is very affordable./  I do hope that next year they go back to having a high quality tech shirt. 

2019 Provo Canyon To Pleasant Grove 10K Race Recap - Lindon, UT

Official Time: 51:10
Placement: 1st overall male, out of 30 racers
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 60's 5 - 8 mph wind from the south
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: First Year

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:37	A fair amount of hills here.
2	8:36	Finally some flats and on my way on the bike trail
3	8:48	Running out of gas here. Felt like this was climbing but actually mild downhill
4	8:36	Step on the accelerator a bit.
5	8:48	Some flats here and on final hill to push up
6	8.21	All downhill
6.07	0.30	Push it to the finish
	Total Miles: 6:07 - 52:19

Introduction

There were a ton of races this past Saturday and I was looking to pick one.  Most of the races were fairly big half marathons that were a bit spendy as well as a bit of a drive.  I don't feel like I am ready to run a half marathon quite yet - at least competitively -- so I found another race -- the inaugural PC2PG race.  

Put on by OnHillEvents.Com, I decided to give this race a shot.  They had a variety of distances, from the 5K to the half -- along with a 10K.  

The race was located in Lindon, UT about 25 minute drive from my house.  The race's headquarters were at a junior high that backed up to the Murdock Canal Trail that hugs the eastern mountain range in Utah County.

I had never been on this paved trail before and was always curious as to what it was like.  So it was pretty easy to decide that I was going to do this race.

The Race

I rolled into the race about an hour before race time.  Hardly anyone was there.  Sadly, with so many races going on that morning, this one was lightly attended.  Also, the majority of the racers were doing the half marathon, which had started an hour before I got there.

So picking up my bib and shirt was easy peasy.  I did some basic drills, socialized and cycled through the bathroom a time or two before the race's 8:15 AM start.

It was a little warm and occasionally a few drops of rain fell.  I knew that the rain was going to be short-lived though.  There just weren't enough clouds to warrant a full on storm.

The race started promptly at 8:15. 

With most races that I haven't done before, I am always worried about course markings.  You just never know when a volunteer is going to send you down the wrong path but this race was about as simple as it could be.

Just run down a residential street for about a third of a mile, hook a right on the trail and keep going until the second water stop.  About a 100 yards after the 2nd water stop, turn around.  Truthfully, the race was as simple as that.

The first half mile was uphill and I hadn't really warmed up, so I slow got into the groove as other runners passed me.  I was running with the 5K runners as well and I kind of knew who was running what.  I let the people I know who were faster get in front of me and I got acquainted to running.  I really wasn't sure what I had...

I liked the bike trail.  It was plenty wide and there were other runners and many cyclists and dog walkers on it.  I just stayed to the right and I was fine.  I felt like I was running pretty well and was actually mildly surprised to see an 8:30 flash on my watch for the first mile -- despite the hills.

The sun was out and I was working on a good sweat.  Mile 2 passed by with an almost identical split from the first -- at least I was consistent.

It was at this point that the 5K runners turned around.  I suspected I was in 2nd place, maybe 3rd -- at least for the men.  I was tailing the second place woman, who I knew was faster than me, so I was right where I wanted to be.  I looked behind me and a few guys were behind me but it was too early in the race to truly worry about them.

Not sure what happened in the third mile, but I suspect I was feeling fatigued and my confidence was lagging.  I had wondered if I had started out too fast and to be honest, I was hitting some headwind which made holding the tempo pace that much harder.

The second water stop was as advertised and I hung a right, ran another 50 yards or so and then turned around at the sign.  Running back on an out and back course is kind of nice because I could suss out my competition.  The two guys that were behind me were about a minute or 90 seconds behind me, so I couldn't let up.  I couldn't tell how many other 10K runners had already turned around because the half marathoners were coming back from their point-to-point race.  I still figured I was in 3rd place -- potentially 2nd.

Heading back was nice.  I knew where I had to go and I knew how much further I had to run.  I was passing some of the slower half marathoners, which buoyed my confidence.  Granted, they were at mile 11 while I was at 4 or 5.

The course was actually quite stunning and I took time to appreciate.  The bike trail was clean, safe and while I did have to cross a few roads, their were crossing guards or virtually no traffic to worry about.  I'd definitely like to explore this trail more in the future.

I kept looking back --- searching for the guys tailing me and I couldn't see them.  Had I put that much ground on them?  I worked on passing the second place woman and really pushed it during the last 2 miles.  Occasionally there were 5K walkers but for the race was sparsely populated.

Once I turned the corner to head back to the school I looked behind me and I could not see my pursuers.  Just in case though, I really let loose and flew the last quarter mile.  It was nice to be off the trail and back on street and having a nice downhill.

As I crossed the finish line, I heard, Joe, the race director, announce that I was the first place winner of the 10K.... what?!?!!?!

Conclusion

First off, my speed work isn't suddenly paying off and nor did I set a personal best.  It was the luck of the draw that only a few people ran the 10K.  It was nice to "win" but let's face it, the victory is sort of hollow.

I snagged a nice plaque -- OnHillEvents always has nice plaques to the overall winners and I got a heavy-duty finisher's medal.  I really like the lanyard on it.

The course came up a little short for me.  It was fairly straight and narrow so maybe my Garmin was off going through an underground bridge or two, but my time was about 40 seconds faster than "normal".  The course was well marshaled and the water stops were done well (there were 3).

Post race festivities included typical stuff: sports drink, ice cream sandwiches, and fruit.  I paid about $40 for the race a week before the event, which is typical for a 10K race these days.  The shirt was nice but I like the pure-tech ones.

There were a lot of races to choose from this past Saturday and it was reflected in this race, unfortunately.  I think if it was positioned better there would've been more runners.

I really enjoyed the race course and would definitely consider doing the half marathon next year, as that starts near Bridal Falls in Provo Canyon and sports a largely downhill profile.

I ran well enough.  Definitely not an earth-shattering performance but all things considered, I ran intelligently and with some guts, as indicated by the push at the end.

I've raced over 400 races at this point in my "career" and prior to today, I had "won" 2 of them.  Again, the race was lightly attended (130 total runners for all 3 events) and I had a good time.  I'll mark my calendar for next year's edition on this one.