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| The Sandy Race finish arch |
Placement: 2nd in age group, 56th overall
Race Website: Here
Results: Results
Weather: mid 40's with breeze from the north
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2013] [2014] [2021] [2022] [2023]
Weather: mid 40's with breeze from the north
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2013] [2014] [2021] [2022] [2023]
| Mile | Time | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:53 | Nice start. Feeling pretty good. Gentle downhill |
| 2 | 8:25 | Just totally gassed at this point. |
| 3 | 9:04 | Awful mile. Just wanted to be done. |
| 3.10 | 0:39 | Giving whatever I had left |
| Total Miles: 3.10 - 26:02 | ||
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| At about mile .5 |
Introduction
Well as the 2024 race season winds down, I am still trying to get some of my fitness back by racing. In years past, I was always sad I couldn't do this race; it ultimately conflicted with the Las Vegas Marathon, which was annually held two weeks before Thanksgiving. Now that the race has been moved to February I get to participate in this local race.
The race is held at Lone Peak Park and is about a 10 minute drive from my house. It is also affordably priced: for about $30 you get a t-shirt, professional timed race with awards, and a well marshalled and supported course. They race garners over 200 runners, so the participation level is pretty high for a local 5K.
It is also a chance to hang out with friends and celebrate the holiday season.
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| Packet pickup pre-race |
The Race
I arrived at the race site at about 9:15 AM for a 10AM race start. I was ahead of most of the crowd and managed to get my bib and t-shirt with virtually no wait.
It was a beautiful morning: sunny and crisp out. There was a light breeze but nothing significant. I wound up doing about a mile shakeout, some strides and drills. Before the race, I commented to a fellow runner that I didn't feel ready. Like I needed another 15 minutes or just needed to feel more fresh. My legs just felt tired and not primed to race. I chalked it up to pre-race nerves.
With about 5 minutes to spare, I arrived at the starting line, crammed my way in and was ready to race. We started promptly at 10 AM and off we ran!
The first quarter mile is half a loop around the perimeter of the park. In years past, I always wound up hemmed in here but fortunately the crowd I had was running at about the same pace I was. Yes, there were times I had to maneuver around people, but for the most part, it was smooth sailing.
I went out fairly conservatively and not trying to put myself into oxygen debt. After running through the tree-lined sidewalk we were dumped out into the parking lot before going into an older subdivision. The first mile is the fastest on this course as we zig-zag through the neighborhood and down towards the Porter Rockwell bike trail.
The first mile rang up in 7:53. To be honest, much better than I expected.
It was about this time that we were on the bike trail and heading north. I hadn't noticed it before, but it seemed like there was a decent breeze blasting me in the face. Also, my legs were just shot. I knew my pace had dropped but I was soldiering on -- I didn't want to get discouraged, but I figured I was running about 8:15.
The bike trail is probably the best part of the course: it is flat and you have a bit of scenery.
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| Typical stretch of suburbia |
I hadn't really paid too much attention to my competition. I figured I didn't really want to worry too much about it. I was working with another young man (probably less than 12 years old) who definitely didn't want me passing him and a few other runners about half my age. At least I wasn't running alone.
There are a few oddities about the race. To make the race official, we had to run around the perimeter of some very small parks. It was fun but it definitely slowed you down a bit to make the turns and run through the gated entrances and exits.
My legs were growing heavy and I felt extremely winded. I had run 4.5 miles the day before with over 800 feet elevation climb and I was definitely paying a price for that. Mile 2 came in at 8:25. Not good.
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| Heading into the finish |
Despite knowing that the final mile involved taking on the hills back to the starting line, I was determined to try hard. I still had competition and I was always working against someone. A fellow runner I knew, blew by me and encouraged me. I just had nothing and I knew this mile wasn't going to be any better than mile 2.
This year they had the turns marshalled by volunteers. I had made a mental note of the final mile in case they hadn't -- as last year I rescued at least 2 or 3 runners who had made the wrong turn.
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| Awards ceremony |
On the way out, I had glanced at my Garmin and made mental notes of how far the starting line was from the park's exit and the first major turn of the race. Like last year, it was going to come in at 3.10 miles.
As I sped my way through the final quarter mile of the race, I figured I was going to turn in a 25:30 or so. But as I hit 3 miles I saw that my pace had dropped off a cliff -- a 9:03 mile. I had a fellow Strava follower ride in with me for the final .1 of a mile, which I somehow found enough power to slam home.
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| Smiling on the outside, inside, not so much |
Conclusion
Last year, I ran the race in 24:02. This year nearly a full 2 minutes slower. To say I am slightly disappointed would be an understatement. All I can say is: yuck.
This was NOT the race I wanted.
I think most of the problem was that I had run the day before. I had done a trail run out in West Wendover, and while the volume and intensity were light, the elevation climb just left me in a fatigued state. Also, the daily running without a rest day. Also, I've done a ton of races, back-to-back, and that coupled with regular training, I just wasn't feeling race primed.
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| Hat (age group award) + medal |
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| AG Medal + T-shirt |
That being said, I still didn't feel ready to race.
Fortunately, the competition was a bit lighter this weekend and I managed to snag 2nd in my age group. I won a Carhartt winter hat and a medal. Also, being that I had the coolest shorts, a volunteer gave me a pair of tickets to the local theater.
They had one aid station on the course and the race had a TON of volunteers. With all the turns and nuances on the course, I am not sure we could've done it without their help.
Post race refreshments were typical for a $30 race. I wound up getting some course photos and had plans to eat after the race, so I didn't grab anything. They also had a beverage sampler there (Cirkul) and bananas and granola bars.
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| Fun times with fellow running friends |
Overall, I really like this race. It is affordable and fairly low key. Most of the runners are locals and fairly young. It seems to be popular with the high school.
I hope to rebound from this race and if I am going to be overly worked about my performance, I need to come in a bit fresher.
Upcoming Races
11/28: 2024 South Davis Recreation Center Thanksgiving Run 5K - Bountiful, 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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