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.

2019 Bluffdale Badlands 10K Race Recap - Bluffdale, UT

Official Time: 51:10
Placement: 6th in the 30 - 50 age group, 12th overall
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Low 70's 5 - 8 mph wind from the south.
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2018]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:43	Off to a slow start, some up hill here
2	9:22	More hills.  Like a gradual grind. Nothing major though.
3	9:02	A little bit more of an uphill, followed by the start of the downhill
4	8:12	Finally can crush it fast.
5	8:34	Flats here. Working by myself but an okay mile for mile 5 of a 10K
5.87	7.14	Cruise to the finish
	Total Miles: 5.87 - 51:10

Introduction

I registered for this race a few weeks ago -- as I was looking for something to do and I remember doing this race last year.  It is one of the best bargains as far as races go -- for a little more than $15, I got a breakfast, a race, and a shirt. 

Unlike last year, when there were a ton of wildfires making the air almost unbreathable, this year the air was pretty clear and the temperature was actually decent -- a low 70 degrees.  This race also starts at an ideal time: 6:30 AM, when it is just turning dawn and the air is comfortable.

The race is also located about 20 minutes away from my house and I just remember having a decent experience last year.  So I figured why not, I could at the worst get in a decent tempo run and a t-shirt or I could have a really great race.

The Race

I rolled in just shy of 6 AM for the race and I noticed a lot of people milling about.  Apparently the bibs / shirts hadn't arrived yet.  Uh oh, not a good sign...

I passed the time for using one of the copious porta-potties and by the time I got out, the shirts had arrived.  So I snagged by bib and killed another 30 minutes or so before the start of the race.  

During my warm-up I totally didn't feel like running, let alone racing.  I think I was just tired and had a case of the Saturday morning blahs.  So I was a little apprehensive about my whole experience.

The race started prompt at 6:30 and I was off.  I dug deep and told myself to just hang in there and do my best.  If anything, it would be a solid speed workout.

I remembered the course being an honest one from last year.  There were equal amounts of downhill parts as well as uphill.  I also remember the course as being kind of fun -- for a residential run that is.

The first mile is a little bit of an incline.  The lead pack clearly took off and I broke ranks from the back of the pack and I found myself clearly in the middle.  In fact, for most of the race, I only had the 3rd place girl in sight in front of me and hardly anyone behind me.

The second mile was definitely the hardest.  It is primarily uphill.  It isn't a crazy uphill where you are tempted to walk, but just a death by a thousand cuts kind of hill.  When I reached the summit, I took a quick look over my shoulder and yeah the sum of it was significant but luckily it was spread over nearly a mile.

Finally at the summit, I was able to rinse my mouth out at the first aid station.  And I also got a nice stretch of downhill.  I was able to really start to cruise here and my pace increased significantly. 

I was feeling a little tired / beat up midway through the race.  I certainly wasn't feeling 100% and I began to panic a bit that I was going to have a crappy race.  But I was giving it all I had.

The next 3 miles of the race was a fairly lonesome experience.  Again, I was chasing the 3rd place girl and occasionally I'd look over my shoulder to see if anyone was gaining on me, and no one was behind me.  The course was marked well and I remembered large sections of it last year.  At the important intersections there was a police officer, but Bluffdale is a pretty quiet community.  

This year, at the final turn they had someone marshalling the final turn into the park.  Last year, there was a very light chalk mark that a lot of people missed.  However, I think the 10K was supposed to make a left.  I had made up some ground on the woman in front of me and I saw her go straight on through.

As I was approaching to what I remembered the turn to be, I did not see a single marker to indicate I was supposed to turn.  Could I have been mistaken? 

Since the lead runner had gone that way and I hadn't seen any markings to indicate I was supposed to make a loop around a horse arena (like last year) I kept going and crossed the finish line with little fanfare -- it was a tiny race and most of the 5K runners had clearly finished well before me.

Conclusion

Hard to say how I feel about this year.  I think the race was clearly short on account that last year I ran the exact same course for 6.13 miles.  This year, it came in at 5.87.  Looking at my time from last year, I was in the realm of about the same finishing time, but perhaps a little slower...

There were no finishers medal at this race and unless you were one of the top 3 in your age group (they had super wide age divisions) you weren't going to get a medal.  This was fine, it was a $15 race so my expectations were low.

Post race they had a social pancake breakfast which included eggs, hash browns, I think Tang, and pancakes.  This was included in the price of your race, which was nice.  It was also time to meet and greet people but again the race had maybe a hundred people at most, and most of the 5K runners had already left.

The t-shirt was a tech shirt of similar design from last year's.  It was fine and one I'd use for regular training runs. 

I liked the course.  I know running through a residential area doesn't interest many people, but there was a mix of open fields, residential, and suburbia.  While not a stunning course, for whatever reason, it does hold my interest.

I was pleased with my experience, with the exception of the final quarter mile into the race.  I think the final turn should've been more clearly marked.  I would've liked to have been able to compare last year's time with this year's.  The course had 2 water stops, which is fine for a 10K but the mile markers were way off.  I am glad I was wearing my Garmin. 

But for $15, I got my money's worth.  I'd certainly do this race again.

2019 Legacy Midnight Run 10K Race Recap - Farmington, UT

Official Time: 53:17
Placement: 11th overall, 2nd in age group
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Low 70's but warm, no wind. Run at 11 PM at night
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2018] [2017] [2015] [2014] [2013] [2012]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:25	A little hemmed in and trying to get a sense of what I could run
2	8:21	Consistent here
3	8:20	It was warm and beginning to fatigue
4	8:40	Heading back...
5	8:50	Started to get sick feeling, maybe too much food, maybe the heat
6	9:10	Felt like I was running faster here
6.20	1:29	Sprint to the finish
	Total Miles: 6.20 - 53:17

Introduction

This past November I signed up for this race -- I got it for a steal at about $25 for a 10KM.  It also helped that I've done this practically every year since I've moved to Utah.  I still remember the first time I ran in 2012 and managed to eek out a blazing 1:41 half marathon.

Some 7 years later, I still show up to this night race.  It is one of the things I "must" do and it is just fun yet competitive race.

The Race

I rolled into the race at about 10:15.  Plenty of time for an 11 PM start.  I remembered all the times when I did the half marathon and I got bused out to the start, so being there after nightfall and not having to jump on a bus was a nice experience.

Packet pickup was a snap and I used the bathroom a time or two before doing my warm-ups.  With it being hot, I didn't really need to warm up that much and sufficed to do a few strides and hip swings.

The race started at 11 PM and I was off and running.

Normally the race is held on the Legacy Bike Trail.  I've run on that trail a dozen times for various races.  However, the Legacy Bike Trail is under some sort of construction so the race was rerouted to the Rail Trail, which is another bike trail just west of the Legacy Trail.

Both trails are nearly identical and since we were running at night, I couldn't tell the difference.  Although the Rail Trail had a few cattle guard fences up that we had to circumnavigate.  The race director had put glow sticks on them and volunteers to help direct traffic.

The first quarter mile took some getting used to running.  I was carrying a headlamp that throughout the race I would periodically use, but for the most part I ran 100% in the dark.  To help see each other, though, we wore glow stick necklaces.

The first mile went by pretty quick and I was happy to see an 8:30(ish) illuminate on my Garmin.  This was about the pace I wanted to run and I was hoping I could hold it.  I was breathing comfortably but the air was a little humid and despite it "only" be 70F degrees, it was sort of humid.

Mile 2 I was starting to find my groove.  The race was lightly attended and the leaders had left me in the dust and I was running with the faster-than-the-middle-of-the-pack group.  As the race went along, people came and went but it was pretty much a solo affair.

Mile 3 I knew I was hurting and while my pace didn't suffer, it seemed a lot more of an effort.  With any new course, I was curious as to when I'd turn around and head back.  Fortunately, the course was well marked and once I hit the second aid station, I looked down at my watch to see a 3.10 distance.  Always a relief to know I am not running too far.

Mile 4 was a struggle.  I could feel my pace dropping and while I had ate light beforehand, it seemed like my stomach was full.  Was I going to puke?

I contented myself with just working through the discomfort and gazing at some of the bolts of lightning raining down on Antelope Island.  It was truly spectacular and part of me just wanted to find a camera and take pictures.  But I had a race to run.

Mile 5 found my pace slowing gradually.  I was trying to do the math in my head on how many people that I had seen come back were in my age group.  I looked behind me and didn't see anyone and at this point too I had people from the 5K on my trail as well as the half marathon.  So who knows who I was competing against now.

It was good to see the 5K runners heading out and got words of encouragement from them.  Again, it was a small race compared to years past so there wasn't as much excitement.

Finally, mile 6 came and I had to run through the tree shaded final stretch.  I flipped on my headlamp and I had to dial my pace back a little.  Footing had turned from asphalt to dirty and grass (at times).  It was just ripe for a fall, but that never happened.

I cross the finish line after a sprint to the finish.  Another 10K in the books.

Conclusion

I grabbed a cool finisher's medal and walked off the nausea of having run fast in the heat.  I was "okay" with my time.  I was a little upset that my pace had dropped so far off in the last mile.

The medal was very nicely designed and heavy duty.  Each finisher, regardless of the race distance received one.

Afterwards, there was a bit of a party.  The Legacy Events Center, where the race was held, had some indoor shelters and there was an alien theme, music and glow lights.  There was also an ample selection of food: cotton candy (yuck after a run), Powerade, fruit, and Fat Boy Ice Cream sandwiches (yum).

I wound socializing and waiting for the results.  I was excited to see that I placed.  However, by the time the awards were being handed out it was after 1 AM and I was beat. 

I got what I paid for at the race: a good time and an accurate, well marshalled course.