 |
| Bountiful Thanksgiving Welcome Sign |
Placement: 2nd in the 50 - 54, 78th place
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: mid 30's, slight breeze from the east.
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2022] [2021] [2018] [2017] [2016] [2015] [2014] [2013] [2012]
| Mile | Time | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:28 | Hemmed in at the start, but went wide and got into a nice pace |
| 2 | 7:56 | Some uphill here. Still doing okay though |
| 3 | 8:15 | Mostly uphill. Felt like I was running faster |
| 3.09 | 0:31 | Speed to the finish |
| Total Miles: 3.09- 24:13 | ||
 |
| Welcome sign at the race |
Introduction
Some time, over a decade ago, when I first moved to Utah, I discovered the South Davis Recreation Center race series. They offer 3 races throughout the year and the last one is their Thanksgiving Day Run.
It is an affordable race held at the South Davis Recreation Center and I know the course very well -- in the last decade I've probably run it over 25 times.
I've always run the 5K and it is a good test of fitness as I can easily compare race times from previous years.
It is a low stress race with a nice environment and a place to stay warm at before and after the race. The race has grown over the years and it is nice seeing this one became a big event.
The Race
I showed up about an hour before race time (8:00 AM) and I managed to snag a decent parking spot. With the race this well attended and people showing up at the gym, parking was at a premium.
I managed to get my bib and put in an order for a t-shirt. Apparently they were out of stock of men's shirts:
I wound up doing a quick warm-up -- I'll be honest it wasn't terribly inspired. My legs were still shot from the Snow Canyon Half Marathon that I had just run days before. I did get loose though and just shy of 8 AM I lined up and got ready to see if I could hang on for a 5K.
It was chilly and during my warm-up I had worn a light jacket, but immediately before the race I had ditched it behind a barrier. That left me with a long-sleeved shirt, short-shorts, and thin gloves. This was perfect for the cool but fast feeling weather.
The race started off about 5 minutes late which sort of took away from the benefits of my warm-up. Also, the first few hundred yards are tough to get off to a good start: a lot of newer runners crowding the front. But I was patient and soon enough I swung wide into the middle of the 200 N and kept running fast.
This race starts off fast -- with a nice, gentle downhill through the residential streets of Bountiful. Both the 5K and 10K race start at the same time and after about a mile, the 10K runners fork off to the left while we continue running north. I was running comfortably hard and as usual, I felt in control.
I ran the first mile in 7:28, about where I expected I would.
Was this my day? I still felt strong, I wasn't dying, but I also knew the rest of the race was going to be challenging.
Bountiful Park
Around mile 1.25, we head east and we begin the ascent. The course has a net uphill and this was just the start. A few runners passed me as my pace dropped a bit, but I felt like I was still running strong. I just kept picking landmarks and working towards them.
The first aid station is exactly half way through the race, and I flew by it. I patted myself on the back, as most times I am usually dying at this point. Granted, my pace had slowed, but I didn't feel like I had a monkey on my back.
 |
| Finish line area |
The first traffic light on N Main Street is where my Garmin rings up 2 miles. I was a little shocked to see 7:56. Not terrible, but I felt like I was still running sub 7:50.
I still had the hardest part of the race coming up. I could see another traffic light in the distance and I knew once I hit there and a little further, the finish line would be in my grasp.
A few people passed me but I didn't let it get me down. I had the power to get through this and I worked on keeping my form good and my turnover fast. It was hard and I had no idea what pace I was running, but I knew I had more to give.
 |
| Closing stretch of runners |
Finally I reached the summit of the hill, jumped onto the sidewalk and started to push towards the finish line. I could hear the rumble of the crowds and a few people had lined up in the final quarter mile or so of the race. It was nice to get some cheers from people.
With the hills over with I pushed the pace. A few of the people I had been working with overtook me, but they clearly weren't in my age group. I glanced at my watch and saw that I probably wasn't going to break 24 minutes on this course -- which was my A-goal.
Finally I made the final turn and sped through the finish line.
 |
| All smiles at the finish |
Conclusion
My official time was 24:12 -- about the same time as I ran in February and last November. Not quite what I wanted to see, but at least I am consistent.
After studying my Garmin, I did realize that my heart rate seemed significantly lower. Was it that Garmin was off or am I making fitness progress? Throughout the race, I never really felt like I was dying, and at times I felt like I was holding back in anticipating that I was going to fade out. There seemed to be another gear that I was just afraid to switch into. So I have mixed feelings about my performance, as per usual.
 |
| Medal + Pie! |
It took awhile to figure out that I had placed 2nd in the 50-54 age group. I managed to snag an apple pie. The finisher's medal was very cool -- as to be expected. My shirt will arrive in the mail soon. They seem to regularly run out of shirts.
They had an epic spread of food -- some pumpkin pie, muffins, bananas, oranges, hot chocolate, sports drink / water. Although by the time I got there it was largely picked over (I was too busy socializing and getting photos).
 |
| Post race photo |
Overall, I was happy with my experience. This race is well organized for the most part. The start was a bit late and the awards took a while to tabulate, but there is place to stay warm and the race generates a good friendly crowd.
 |
| Prizes |
Upcoming Races
01/13: 2024 Virgin River Half Marathon - St George, UT (Confirmed)
02/25: 2024 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)
03/02: 2024 March Madness 10K - West Bountiful, UT (Confirmed)
03/30: 2024 Eggs Legs 10K - West Jordan, 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)
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/XX: 2024 Haunted Half 5K - Provo, UT (Confirmed)
No comments:
Post a Comment