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| Go Roy Royals! |
Placement: 2nd in the 50 - 54, 75th overall
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Low 70's with 13mph breeze from the south.
Course Map / Garmin Route: Here
Previous Years: [2023] [2022] [2021] [2019]
| Mile | Time | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:42 | Off to a decent start -- feeling pretty good but knew I was probably working too hard. |
| 2 | 8:19 | Speed endurance wasn't there. Didn't realize I had slowed down this much |
| 3 | 9:09 | Wasn't exactly dying but there wasn't much left. |
| 3.08 | 0:32 | Sprint to the finish. |
| Total Miles: 3.08 - 25:45 | ||
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| Race Headquarters Park |
Introduction
One of my August traditions since 2019 is to run the Roy Days Races in Roy, UT. I discovered this race a while back and it turns out to be a well-organized, consumer friendly priced race. The race kicks off the city's weekend festivities that celebrates their city.
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| Packet Pickup |
The race is a bit of a journey for me -- about 45 minutes of solid freeway driving, but it is worth the trip. I don't make it up to Weber County as much as I usually have in the past, so it's just a different experience.
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| Quick shot before the race start |
The Race
The race starts at 7 AM, so I arrived a hair after 6:15. Packet pickup is always a snap, I had was set up and had used the bathroom by 6:30. I wound up doing about a mile warm-up, some drills and strides. Right off the bat, I noticed how warm it was. Turns out it was in the lower 70s and while there was a breeze, but it wasn't helping much.
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| Pre-race nerves are for real |
The race started a little late and as usual, I had a ton of prerace nerves. I didn't have a strategy or really a goal. I knew the course and my plan was to go out strong, but not all out and have enough energy for the last uphill mile. This was also my first run in a race situation where I wanted to go out strong.
During the pre-race briefing they did tell us they set a new record with attendance and I could tell it was a bit more well-attended than the previous years.
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| Typical course area of Mile 1 for Roy Days |
Despite the crowded start, I got off to a good start and there was never really a moment where I felt like I was being hindered. We basically had the entire street to run along and while the start had a gentle uphill, I quickly found my 5K pace and it was felt fairly comfortable.
I glanced at my watch and saw that I was moving pretty well but I wasn't breathing hard. My legs, I think in part of some new medication I am on, felt a little heavy and sore.
I was surprised to see a 7;42 come up for the first mile. The first mile has a slight downhill, so I knew it was going to be fast. I didn't expect it to be 7;42 fast though.
From my previous runs on this course, I knew the race would begin after this mile.
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| Love this brief downhill stretch |
It was still flat, but it felt inordinately warm out. I told myself I had gone out a little too fast, so I dialed it back a bit; trying to ease into what felt like 10K pace. I was still running with a pack and I was definitely working. I also realized that I was way behind a lot of the runners -- definitely a speedy bunch out there.
We had left the older residential area and towards the fairgrounds and made a turn to head back to Roy's Main Street. I had forgotten that it was a slow grind eastward. My pace continued to slow.
Mile 3 is the hardest part -- it is similar to the finishing stretch of the South Davis Recreation Races. The hill on this one is a bit steeper and the route there is more drawn out. Also, it is a bit of a false summit. You think, perhaps, the race ends at the summit, but it does continue for another quarter mile.
They do have a coned off section of their Main Street to run along. There were a few spectators getting ready for the 9 AM parade, but there wasn't much to get excited about: random businesses, gas stations, etc. Also it was simply hard work.
I knew my pace had dropped off a cliff, but it wasn't until after the race that I realized just how bad: a 9:09 mile! I was running with some people I knew, so it helped to have some competition but there just wasn't anything left to give.
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| Runners closing in on the finish line |
Finally I made it up the steep hill and glancing at my watch, I grimaced -- still another quarter mile and then some. I decided to give it a bit more, thinking back to all my final quarter mile repeats after hard sessions. I didn't have that final gear but I made a good showing as I powered through the finish line -- in a fairly disappointing 25:45.
Conclusion
My initial reaction was disappointment. I felt I had a realistic shot at 25:20-ish. The course is one of the tougher ones, though and I am not going to have too much of a fit over 25 seconds.
I wound up socializing and congratulating my competitors and grabbed some Gatorade. My heart issue didn't seem to bother me and I wound up recovering pretty quickly.
Post race snacks included: water, granola bars, and full bottles of Gatorade. The finish line award was a simple ribbon. All things considered, for a $25 race, pretty good. The t-shirt was also a nicely designed technical shirt -- one that I'll definitely wear on a day-to-day basis.
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| Rocking the ChicknLegs Shorts |
With runnercard.com doing the timing, our results were instantly available and I had managed to snag 2nd place. I was happy about that (first place was well out of reach for me).
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| Awards / raffle |
Age group awards were a fairly simple medal and you got to pick a prize from the inventory of clothes, previous race t-shirts and other sports apparel. I wound up snagging an extra XL-sized t-shirt from last year (they do have high-quality, nicely designed shirts).
I had a good time though and it was a very enjoyable morning to rekindle the memories of my previous years running this one. My time wasn't very good but if you had asked me 3 weeks ago whether I'd be spectating this race or running it, I'd probably bet on spectating it. In that sense, today was a major victory.
Upcoming Races
08/10: 2024 Alpine Days Races 5K - Alpine, UT (Confirmed)
08/17: 2024 PC2PG 10K - Lindon, UT (Confirmed)
09/07: 2024 Cedar City Half Marathon - Cedar City, UT (Confirmed)
09/28: 2024 Witch Run 10K - West Jordan, UT (Confirmed)
10/05: BLOCKED OUT WEEKEND
10/19: 2024 Haunted Half 5K - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)
10/26: 2024 Haunted Half 5K - Provo, UT (Confirmed)
02/23: 2025 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)
04/26:2025 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)
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