Official Time: 24:03
Placement: 24th overall, 1st in 50 - 59 age group
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: upper 50's, no wind
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2022] [2021] [2019]
| Mile | Time | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:45 | First quarter mile wasn't good but got into the race and held onto a decent pace. |
| 2 | 7:48 | Dug myself into a hole around mile 1.25 but pulled out of it. Rock solid pace. |
| 3 | 7:49 | Still strong until about the last .5 of a mile. |
| 3.10 | 0:41 | Fast finish! |
| Total Miles: 3.10 - 24:03 | ||
Introduction
One of my summer "must-do" races is the Taylorsville Dayzz 5K. It is super close, starts early, affordable and less than a 5 mile drive. Also, a lot of my runner friends who live in the area show up to run it.
I've done the race every year with the exception of the Covid year in 2020 (it was canceled). One of the best things about the race is that you can "win" you registration fee back by winning your age group. Also the overall winners can win a tidy sum - in years past $100.
The race is just a really nice community driven event to celebrate the summer festivities of Taylorsville UT.
The Race
The race starts at 7 AM -- just before it starts to get warm. I got there early -- mostly to get in a decent warm-up. I was one of the first to arrive and getting my bib was as easy as it could get. I had also pre-registered early and snagged a shirt.
After a quick chit chat with some other people I knew, I began a warm-up. One of the benefits of this race is that there are a TON of bathrooms -- with it being a fairground. I got about a mile in plus some drills. I wasn't feeling "on" though - just some residual fatigue from the week's training. I tend to get this feeling before a faster race... whether it is nerves or reality, I am not sure, but I am usually able to shake it off.
The race started right on time and off we went along the perimeter of the park's walking trail. It was crowded at first, but fortunately I had moved up a bit to avoid some of the slower runners.
With this being an important race to me, I pushed the pace a bit as the lead pack disappeared. This is definitely a young person's race, with a lot of runners in their teens and twenties.
The course is a bit confusing and it helps to know it. It isn't well marked and obvious where to go at times, but all I had to do was follow the lead runners.
The course has a few hills in it, but nothing very serious. I felt good and I wasn't too surprised to see 7:45 come up for the first mile. Exactly where I wanted to be.
I then ran into a bit of a problem. As we circled the baseball park I ran into a younger runner. He was cruising along but I was closing ground on him. Eventually I was tailing him but I needed to overtake him. Every time I tried to pass he'd pick up the pace. I wasn't ready to gas myself so I pulled it back. Consequently the young runner did as well, slowing me up.
It took about 3 times before I had had enough and just simply "broke" him. Unfortunately, this caused me to slow up for a bit to get my heart rate to go down. He didn't do anything wrong -- by any means -- but it was frustrating for me.
At this point we had exited the park and were doing some street running through a neighborhood. The northbound route is tree lined and there is a creek on the left. It is just a bucolic round and I wish the course had more of it.
I was running solo with only a stop-and-go runner behind me. I could see a few other runners in front of me but they had put a lot of ground on me. I was still running strong though. I hit mile 2 with a 7:48 pace. Actually not too bad given I had jacked my heart rate getting around the other runner.
The last mile wends its way through a neighborhood before re-entering the north side of the park. You can see the finish line less than a quarter of a mile away, but your watch says you still have at least half a mile to go.
It was at this point that the lactate started to flood my legs and I definitely slowed up. I kept willing myself forward but my legs were heavy. The final half mile also has a few sections that are run in dirt and grass, so I wasn't getting a good return bounce from my shoes.
Once I hit the final turn though, I was all business. My watch read about 23:30. Could I make the final .10 of a mile under 30 seconds?
Conclusion
So the answer is no - not quite. I finished in 24:03. My watch also read 3.10 miles for the first time. In years past it has consistently come up a bit shorter. I asked a few other runners what they got and it ran the gamut of 3.03 to 3.22. Amazing how expensive technology can differ from runner to runner. I will say that the mile markers were pretty much spot on with my Garmin.
I wound up socializing for a good 15 - 20 minutes before braving to find my results -- which are provided by a printed card. They only give out first place awards in this race and they have 10 year age increments. As stated above, first place gets you $25 (about the price I paid for my race entry).
I hadn't seen any other runners my age so I felt pretty confident. Fortune smiled upon me as I did indeed place first in my age group, netting the cash prize. I didn't hit my time goal (it was about 23:45) but I did grab my age group win!
Post race refreshments were fairly simple. Water, granola bars, and bananas. It was enough to keep me happy and I always bring my own.
The shirt is a technical one and one I'll definitely wear. They also had a finisher's medal which was nicely designed and better than expected. The goodie bag was also stuffed with coupons that I'd actually use as well. Again, this is one of the best bargain races around.
The organization on this race is always well done. They had ample volunteers at some of the more confusing parts of the course and they had one aid station. I do wish they would put a few chalk markings on the ground -- just to let you know you were on the right track. With a course that loops back on itself, it can be confusing especially to the uninitiated.
Overall, I am happy with my time. I ran strong and my splits were rock solid. I didn't quite hit my time goal, but overall this was a good race for me performance wise. I am getting more confident in my racing abilities, especially in the 5K distance.
I am looking forward to next year and plan to attend.
Upcoming Races
07/08: 2023 Draper Days 5K - Draper, UT (Confirmed)
07/15: 2023 Farmington Days 10K - Farmington, UT (Probable)
07/22: 2023 Steele Days 10K - American Fork, UT (Confirmed)
07/24: 2023 Desert News Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)
08/05: 2023 Roy Days 5K - Roy, UT (Probable)
08/19: 2023 Rock 'N Roll Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)
09/23: 2023 Witch Run 10K - West Jordan, UT (Confirmed)
10/21: 2023 Haunted Half 5K - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)
10/28: 2023 Haunted Half 5K - Provo, UT (Confirmed)
03/03: 2024 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)
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