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| Easter themed billboard at Gardner Village |
Placement: 1st in the 55-59 age division, 29th overall
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 30's, Breeze from the south
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: Previous Years: [2024] [2023] [2022] [2021]
| Mile | Time | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:38 | Controlled start. A little hemmed in but was running strong |
| 2 | 8:33 | Still a solid effort |
| 3 | 8:47 | Pretty baked at this point. Still running okay though the but the turn around couldn't come soon enough |
| 4 | 8:49 | Pushing hard. |
| 5 | 8:57 | Running on fumes |
| 6 | 8:58 | Guarding my position but at this point, my position was locked in. |
| 6.07 | 0:30 | Looking good at the finish line. |
| Total Miles: 6.07 - 53:16 | ||
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| Packet pickup at Gardner Village |
Introduction
Another weekend -- another race. I hadn't raced the previous weekend and I opted to give another 10KM a go. I decided to give my local race another shot -- after my terrible showing at the Lucky 13 Race about a month ago.
I have felt stronger and better suited to racing and I knew that this weekend was going to be a better result than my horrid 56:12 time at Lucky 13. Am I in personal best shape? Definitely not, but I knew I could do better.
This race is held at Gardner Village, a local shopping area, a mere 2 miles from my house. I usually train on the course on my Sunday long runs and I am very familiar with the area.
Due to flooding, the race was held on an open lot just south of the village. Normally the race starts and ends at the village but due to an underpass being flooded, it was moving to a dryer spot.
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| Ready to race! |
The Race
I had gotten my bib 2 days before the race. With Friday being Good Friday, packet pickup was on a Thursday. So by the time I got to the race site on Saturday morning I was ready to go.
The 10KM race started at 8 AM. The half marathoners had started at 7 AM and the largest race of all -- the 5KM would start at 9 AM.
It was chilly out but dry. There was a bit of a breeze but it wasn't terrible. I was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, thin gloves, arm warmers and my Saucony Pro 3's. I was very comfortable throughout the race. I felt sorry for some that had overdressed as it warmed up quickly, especially when the sun came over the mountains.
The race started on time and after a brief warm-up, I felt pretty good. The race is held on the Jordan River Bike Trail and runs south towards the city of Sandy, and ultimately into South Jordan. I lined up near the start and was ready to race!
The first quarter mile was a little congested as we sorted out the faster runs with the slower ones. I had surveyed my competition and didn't see anyone around me that looked to be my age.
I felt comfortable as we sped across a bridge and I settled into a strong, but not dying pace.
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| Looking fresh at the start |
Mile 1 came up at about 8:37, solid. I was hoping to go a bit faster but given where my fitness is at (which isn't very good) I'll take it. It was also at this point that a man, who appeared to be my age, overtook me and put a bit of a lead on me. I made it my mission to stick with him.
I was working with a group of runners, so I wasn't running along. Most of the people were at least half my age but it kept me motivated, although mentally, I was fatigued from the route: I run this route all the time, so it wasn't terribly exciting.
As we continued south, I noticed that there was a bit of a breeze. It wasn't awful but it just seemed to slow me down a bit. There really wasn't much of anyone to run behind either. The effort also seemed to be getting harder. How long could I hold this?
I couldn't wait for the turnaround. I had reached the golf course and this part always seems to break me down. Mentally, I am usually tired at this point and I keep willing myself forward to get to the turn around so I can be done. This is where there race suddenly gets "real".
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| 5KM runners in the home stretch |
After a series of turns along the golf course area (but still a paved path for cyclists and runners) I finally saw the 2nd aid station, which would mean that I am close to the turn around. Thank goodness!
I hit mile 3 just shy of the aid station in 8:47. I knew it was going to be a slower mile but I told myself I'd negative split it.
The mile markers were mostly spot on and I was shocked to see the mile 3 marker and then almost immediately after it, the turn around (which coincided with the aid station). I suspect we were supposed to go a bit further but given that everyone else turned around at the stationed cone, I did as well. The course was going to be a bit short.
At the turn around, I realized that I was being pursued by a bunch of runners. I clearly appeared to be one of the older ones but still, I was so focused on picking up my pace, I really didn't care. My competitor wasn't in sight fortunately.
From about mile 2 on, I was encountering many returning half marathoners. At various points in the race, as runners paced me, I wondered if they were running the 10K or half marathon. It made me nervous when another runner my age passed by me who I wasn't going to be able to catch. Fortunately, he was running the half marathon.
My pace alternated between a shuffle and an elegant tempo paced stride at this point. I got some cheers of encouragement from outgoing 10KM runners which helped me. That is one thing I like about this race, is the community support.
Mile 4, despite my best efforts was an 8:49. I wasn't getting any faster.
At this point, I was grinding and occasionally a half marathoner would glide by me. Very frustrating because here they were 11 miles into the race and I was less than 5. Why couldn't I keep up? I wasn't sure at this point who was running what distance either. Occasionally I'd throw a look over my shoulder to see if anyone was pursuing me, but the people I did see were female or clearly younger than me.
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| Looking south along the Jordan River Bridge |
Mile 5 was an 8:59. Yuck. Why couldn't I run faster?
Even though my position was pretty much locked in, I really made an attempt to push as hard as I could for the final 1 and change miles. I knew it wasn't going to be a record setting day, but it meant something to me to just dig deep.
Some runners who were on the cool down shouted encouragement and there were a handful of spectators as well. Again, mentally, I was strong but my body wasn't cooperating. Mile 6 was just as painful as 5.
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| Finishing Strong (looking) |
I was (sort of) grateful that the race was a bit short. The agony ended about a minute sooner than a full length 10 KM race. But I made a strong showing and gave it all I had in the final sprint. I sped into the finish line just as the 5KM runners were starting to assemble for their 9 AM start.
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| Finish line mayhem |
Conclusion
All in all, a massive improvement over Lucky 13 race. But definitely a massive let down versus last year. I felt pretty good, especially at the start, but the speed endurance wasn't there. In January, I probably could've held onto an 8:15 pace but, now it seems a lot harder. Overall, this was good, but not where I want to be. I am still hungry for improvement.
I grabbed my finisher's medal and congratulated those that had finished around me. Assuming some of the people in the half marathon weren't actually running the 10KM race, I felt pretty confident I had finished first.
I checked my phone and saw that I was in first and the other runner that had taken an early lead took 2nd.
I wound up getting some photos of other runners as they came in. I also had an opportunity to see the 5 KM runners start (and finish)
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| Podium Photo |
I wound up taking 1st in my age group, so it was a double medal Saturday.
Post race refreshments included granola bars, fruit, sports drink and cheese sticks. I was a late registrant so the race was close to $50. The shirt was nice and I actually wore it on this morning's long run (Easter Sunday) so it seemed appropriate. Still, not 100% polyester but it held up. Maybe I'll have to reconsider some of these shirts. The medals were also nicely designed.
The course is flat and well supported. All the important turns were clearly marked or marshalled. If you haven't run in the West Jordan / Sandy / South Jordan portion of the Jordan River Bike Trail, this will be a treat, but for me it was old hat. There is something to be said, though, for competing on your home turf. Other than the 10KM being a little short (the other two races appear to have been spot on), this was a very enjoyable race.
If you are looking for an Easter themed race check this one out.
Upcoming Races
04/26: 2025 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)
05/04: 2025 Bob Blazier Run for the Arts 5K -- Crystal Lake, IL (Confirmed)
05/10: 2025 Run Farmington 10K - Farmington, UT (Confirmed)
06/28: 2025 Taylorsville Dayzz 5K - Taylorsville, UT (Confirmed)
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