2021 Alien Midnight Run 10K Race Recap - Magna, UT

Official Time: 52:11
Placement: 8th Overall, 1st in the 50 - 54 age division
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: 80 degrees, no wind.
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2020] [2019] [2018] [2017] [2015] [2014] [2013] [2012]  

*Note this race has been renamed from the Legacy Midnight Marathon

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:18	Held back. First quarter mile was a lap around the parking lot
2	8:02	Felt comfortable here. At this point running solo
3	8:15	All by myself
4	8:34	Hurting. No one to work off of
5	8:40	Crawling towards the finish.
6	8:32	Just keeping the legs turning over
6.20	1:36	Do the best I can to haul to the finish.
	Total Miles: 6.20 - 52:00

Introduction

One of my summer traditions is to run the Midnight Races put on by OnHillEvents.Com.  When I first moved to Utah in 2012, this was one of the first half marathons I did.

Since that time, I've sort of written off summer half marathons.  Usually the heat is just too much and it winds up being a sufferfest.

However, I did sign up for the 10K this past winter during a sale event and I figured I'd keep up my summer tradition.

The Race

The race had 3 events: a half marathon, a 10K and 5K.  Each race starts at a different time: 10 PM, 11 PM and 11:30.

Normally this race is held at the Legacy Events Center in Farmington. However, it is currently being used as a vaccination site and the race was moved to the Salt Aire on the border of Tooele / Salt Lake County near Magna.  I've run this course several times for the Winter Series 15K and the Salt Aire Half Marathon (now no longer in existence).

The course is run along the frontage road of I-80.  The course is nearly perfectly flat with no significant hills.  Also it is straight, so no turns or having to worry about running tangents.  There is none to little traffic and it is an ideal spot to hold a race.

I got to the race site a little after 10 PM and quickly got my bib.  It was pretty warm so I did a very abbreviated warm-up: mostly some drills and light dynamic movements.  I noticed right away that the visibility was terrible.  Normally this race is held during a full moon, but the moon was hidden behind cloud cover.  Fortunately I had brought a running headlamp.

Salt Aire Pavilion during the day.

The race started promptly at 11 and I was off.  Normally races start on the actual frontage road.  This one started near the entrance to the hall.  To avoid getting hit by incoming cars, the race made a lap around the perimeter of the parking lot.  The parking lot is a gravel / dirt lot, so this was probably the iffiest part of the race.

I'll be honest, I cannot see very well at night.  I had my headlamp, which I used sporadically, but I cannot set anything up close, particularly my Garmin.  I can read the mile splits when they occur but other than that I can't see anything without a pair of bifocals on.  So I was pretty much running 100% by feel.

My suspicions proved mostly correct: the race was lightly attended there were only a handful of master level runners.  So I knew I didn't have to go all out on this one to earn at least an age group award.  Also from previous experience, I knew that running at night is not usually conducive for a personal best.

So I settled into what I thought was a 10K pace.  The first two miles went by fairly quick.  The lead pack blew by me and for a brief while I was running with what would be a front runner for the female race.  Eventually I would be running 100% by myself.

The course was an out and back, so I did have some company from time to time.  The lead pack from the half marathoners were heading back as well as the leaders of the 10K.  Eventually, I'd hit the pack of 5K runners as well when I was between mile 4.5 and 5.5.  It was nice to cheer one another on and it spurred me to dig deeper and give this race a good go.

While I felt 100% in control for the first 2 miles, I realized I was starting to hurt a lot by the time I hit mile 2.  It was warm and as per usual with night runs, my dinner wasn't exactly sitting well.  It wasn't an emergency but I definitely felt like it was holding me back.  

Races in Utah tend to be spotty as far as true distance.  I was wondering how close of a "real" 10K this was going to be.  The mile markers were pretty accurate as I breezed by them but I was hitting my Garmin's mile after the mile marker.  I am happy to report (although I didn't know it at the time) that the turn around was correctly marked at 3.10 miles.  It was such a relief to hit the turn around.

As I made my way back to the starting line, I was trying to figure out if I was gonna have to turn on the jets.  Fortunately, the next closest competitor was about a quarter mile behind me.  So I figured I wouldn't stress out someone passing me in the final minutes.

I noticed however that my pace was dropping.  I kept willing myself forward but I already knew I was redlining my heart rate.  I wasn't too worried about the folks behind me catching me -- just yet but I kept working on keeping my legs turning over.

With about 1.55 miles to go I could make out the lights of the finish line.  It seemed so close, yet so far away.  At this point too, it was hard to determine if anyone was chasing me down.  The 5K runners were now making their way back and some of the half marathoners were coming in.

I finally reached the turn back into the parking lot.  I had to turn on my headlamp at this point because we had to run down a small ramp and the footing was a little uneven here.  I definitely had to slow down even though the majority of it was on stable ground.

I really had no idea what I finished at when I crossed the line -- or even how far I had run (the mile alerts on my Garmin had largely registered with the course's) but I figured I had crossed around 52 minutes.

Conclusion

My official time was 52:11.  I suspect that is the gun time.  I started my watch when I passed through the arch and I came up with 52 minutes flat.  Not great but not awful for a night run.  

I finished first in my age group and 8th overall.  The race was lightly attended so I figured I would have an easy shot at an age group award (it turned out only 2 people were in my age division, including myself)

Post race refreshments included water / Gatorade and ice cream sandwiches.  They also had a bagged orange, granola bar and string cheese.

Overall I was happy with my experience.  It was kind of a new course and I ran fairly well all things considered. It was also a young / fun crowd.

I'll likely run this race again next year -- it'll be interesting to see where it is will be held.

2020 Salt Lake Track Club 15K Race Recap - Magna, UT

Official Time: 1:22:13
Placement: 122nd overall, 8th in the 50 - 54, 83rd male
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: Mid 30's, sunny.
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2015]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:30	Solid start, but probably going out too fast
2	8:31
3	8:34	Consistent start -- if I can just hold it
4	8:35	The turn around can't come soon enough.
5	8:48	Finally the turn around. Race is half over but I am pretty gassed
6	9:03	For a flat course, this felt like a slow grind up hill.
7	9:12	Come on finish line
8	9:08
9	9:07	Mentally trying to run faster but legs weren't responding
9.32	2:44
	Total Miles: 9:32 - 1:22:15

Introduction

Well, another Saturday, another race.  

The pickings are usually pretty slim for February races.  The weather is fairly unpredictable in Utah.  You could have perfect weather or a chance snow storm come in.

This year, we had pleasant weather and it was completely dry.  So I decided to get in a bit of a speed workout by doing the Salt Lake Track Club's 15K race.  This is a 100% certified course that is flat and also doubles (I think) as the State Championship race for the 15K distance.

To say there were a few fast runners would be an understatement (the winning time was in the 48 range).

I wasn't expecting much from myself on this race other than to see how far off I was from when I ran this in 2015, which seems like another lifetime ago, and to get a bit of faster running in.  The 15K is actually a pretty nice distance.  It is far enough where it tests your endurance, but doesn't wear you down like a half marathon does.

So I sort of went after this race as if I was running a half marathon, but I could be a little more aggressive with the pacing.

The Race

The race started at 9 AM and I rolled in just after 8 AM.  The race was held at the SaltAir Pavilion, which is a venerable site in Utah, having survived floods.  It is an older building and judging from the interior, some of the original stuff probably remains.

Today is serves as an event venue and a concert hall.  It is on the shore of the Salt Lake (about a half mile removed).  They have clean toilets and a place to stay warm, which was a nice bonus.

I was able to quickly grab my bib and shirt and I laced up and sat in my car for about 15 minutes before beginning about a mile warm-up.  My hamstring hadn't been bothering me and I felt good, although last week's half marathon was still weighing on me a bit.

The weather was cool -- perfect for running actually.  I had originally come wearing two shirts, but I dropped done to one.  I was in shorts and throw away gloves (which I pocketed after about a mile).  I also had sunglasses, as the early morning sunrise was a bit bright.

The race started on time and I was off and running.  I knew I didn't have much of a chance to win anything.  I hadn't done the 5K nor the 10K in the series but I was still trying to do myself proud.  I had looked my results from 2015 and I had hit a 7:45 mile for the first mile.  My training is nowhere near that but I was a bit surprised at hitting an 8:30 for the first mile.

I felt good but I knew that was a little fast.  I tried to solace myself that this was only a "15K" and even if I went out a little too fast I wouldn't pay too dearly.

The first 3 miles I hit at super even splits.  I felt really good, although I was breathing a little harder than I should've.  There were about 450 runners and I was never by myself for the first half of the race.  Also, little did I know, that the first half had a slight downhill.  The surface of the earth is very flat in that area and while there was only about 25 feet of elevation gain / loss in the race, the first half definitely felt fast.

At about mile 3.5 I knew I had gone out too fast.  I intentionally slowed down a bit as I hit the first water stop and swished a bit of cold water in my mouth.  My competitive spirit was still strong though I only slowed down a whopping 6 seconds.  By the time my Garmin chirped that I had reached 4 miles, I was begging to reach the turn around.

The course is run on a frontage road that hugs the I-80 freeway.  Occasionally a semi would drive by honking its horn.  To my left was the Great Salt Lake, not a very impressive site given how far away it was as well as Antelope Island.  It isn't exactly an exotic race course, but again, it was closed to traffic and I could concentrate on running.

I almost wanted to hit my knees when I reached the turn around point.  Thank Goodness!  

When I turned around, though, there was a bit of wind (not much) and the course on the way back just looked uphill.  Again, this course measures fairly flat but it was like a whole new course.  Who put this hill here and why didn't I get to run down it?  Even a runner next to commented on it.

By the time I hit the 10K part I was willing myself forward.  I was pretty gassed and I kept telling myself that any second now I'd pick it up and crush a fast final 5K.  In some ways I felt like I was running faster than what I was actually running and at other times, I felt like I was running in quick sand.

Finally at mile 7.5 or so I could see the SaltAir in the distance.  Why did it seem so far away?  I could also see the freeway signs saying the exit to the SaltAir was in a mile.  So close yet so far away.

Fortunately, the number of other runners around me had dwindled.  I wasn't really picking off to many other runners and in contrast, only a few shambled by me.  I had gotten some positive vibes in the middle of the race from runners who were still heading out (kind of makes you feel like an elite runner) but at this point it was fairly lonely running.

Finally, the finish line came into view and according to my Garmin, it measured 100% spot on.  Awesome!  

Conclusion

The post race area had water and Gatorade.  It wasn't a terribly hot day so I didn't need a lot, but it felt good to actually swallow hydration rather than rinse my mouth out (which I have a tendency to do during a race).  I actually felt really good at the end.

My hamstring had bothered me a time or two, but for the most part I felt rock solid.  It certainly wasn't a death march and despite going out pretty fast I more or less hit the average time I was shooting for (about 8:45).

I sauntered back to my car and put on some warmer clothes and hit the SaltAir for coffee and bananas.  They had a variety of other snacks but it was typical post race stuff.

They only had a finisher's medal if you had done the entire series (5K / 10K / 15K).  They actually looked like really nice medals but alas, this was a one and done race for me.

This race hearkened back to my days when I was really competitive.  I am no longer fast -- not even a little bit.  It was inspiring to see people of all ages in the front ranks pouring it on.  There were guys my age in the top 10 as well as a sprinkling of whippersnappers.

I wasn't here for any medal or age group award.  I was simply here to test myself on an honest course and at an interesting distance (I think in my running career this is only the 2nd 15K I've ever raced).

I paid about $40 for the race.  I got a well organized event, a polyester / cotton blend shirt and a decent experience for most of my Saturday morning.  If this race fits into my schedule again and I feel like competing, if it is only against myself, you'll find me here again.

Salt Lake Track Club 37th Annual Winter 15K - Race Recap - Salt Lake City - Utah

After the race. Antelope Island behind me.

Official Time: 1:17:05
Placement: 64th out of 148 men, 10th out 22 in the 45 - 49 age division
Results: Here (overall results are based upon the series).
Race Website:Here
Weather: Mid 30's, 5 - 10 mph wind from the NE.

Mile	Time	Comments
1	7:50	Fairly mellow start for me. About where I wanted to run.
2	7:53	Steeling feeling comfortable
3	7:58	Hanging in there, but starting to feel the mounting pace. Crossed the 5K at about 24:20
4	8:00	Can't wait for the turn around. Sort of bored with the course
5	8:08	Some tail wind, but didn't feel like it.
6	8:23	Crossed the 10K portion at about 50:30. Pace is really starting to slow. Have to focus
7	8:27	Just trying to stay as low as I can to 8:00 min / mile -- and failing.
8	8:34	Good just a few miles left. Can see the finish line in the distance. Where's the tailwind?
9	8:30	Push hard at this point
9.37	3:09	Legs felt heavy. Finish line in view.
Total Miles: 9.37

Introduction

Well in my quest to get faster, I found another race to do: the Salt Lake City Track Club's 15K Winter Race, held in Magna, Utah, about 10 miles west of the airport.

This race is part of a series of races put on by the track club.  Initially it starts out with a 5K, then a few weeks later, a 10K and finally the series wraps up with a 15K.  I was out of town for the 5K and for some reason didn't do the 10K but for $33 I got into the 15K.  Also, the 15K is also a USATF state championship race so to say there were some fast runners there is an understatement.

The race is held at the Salt Air Pavilion and it runs east for about 4.5 miles and then you turn around and come back. The race is run along side the I-80 freeway on a frontage road. This is the second time I've raced on this course and despite the views of the mountains, the city and Great Salt Lake, it is probably my least favorite place to run.  It is just one seemingly endless road that just doesn't offer much variation.

For some additional pictures of the surrounding area check out more shoreline run and my race recap of the Salt Air Half Marathon.

The Race

Stansbury Island in the distance

Antelope Island

Looking east from the parking lot

Looking west from the parking lot - Copper Mine in the distance

The race is a bit of a later starter.  Normally the weather is pretty cool here this time of year, but this winter has been mild and with a 10AM start I rolled in around 9AM.  I got my shirt and my bib and wound up sitting in the car listening to music and taking the occasional picture of the morning skyline.  I used the facilities a time or two (thankfully the race headquarters was at the pavilion so there were flush toilets.

I wound up warming up for a bit with some drills and leg swings and chatting with the occasional person I knew.

This course, unlike my last race, is pancake flat.  While I am running at about 4300 feet, the variation in the terrain is pretty much a flat frontage road.  Less than a 100 yards away whizzing trucks and cars fly by at 75mph -- cheering us on with the occasional air horn.

My goal was to try and hold on to 8 minutes per mile and hopefully finish around 75 minutes.

I started out a little quicker than I wanted to, but at about 10 seconds per mile faster I felt I was "close enough" and I tend to always start out fast.  The initial 3 - 4 miles met with a bit of head wind.  While not terrible it was mentally taxing.  Also there really isn't much to look at except other runners and to really enjoy the views, you really need to look north.  Being that I was running east for the majority of the race it was hard to appreciate them.

I've been battling some Morton's Neuroma / metatarsal pain the past week and initially I felt like my sock was bunched up under my toes, which is a fairly common symptom.  I was tempted to stop and try and "fix" it, but I knew that it was mostly a false feeling.  I suffered through it, and it was a forgotten issue after about a mile.

I was pretty happy once I came to the half way point, although it looks like I had run about .05 miles out of the most "optimal" path.  The mile markers were spot on and since this course is used by a lot of different races, there were plenty of spray painted markings on the ground.

I really had to focus in the last 3 miles.  The tailwind I had hoped to gain the benefit of never materialized and in fact it seemed like I was running into the breeze again.  Also I found myself drifting into the 9 min / mile pace that I am comfortable with.  Whenever I saw this on my Garmin I mentally cursed myself and forced myself into a higher gear.

I did manage to lock into an 8:30 min / mile pace in the final 4 miles or so.  I still felt pretty good at the end and if I was running a half marathon my time likely would've been in the low 1:50's.

After the Race

I wound up chatting with a few people after the race and making small talk.  Being that this was a fairly large race as well as a pretty elite group I knew I was out of the running for any sort of age group award.  

It was sort of chilly and I wound up drinking WAY too much coffee -- something I rarely do.  To say I was wired would be an understatement.  I also grabbed a few bananas and actually was one of the last people to leave on account I was just chatting with random people (and I hung around for the raffle, which I didn't win at).

Cotton T-shirt

Official finisher's card

I'd run this race again.  For $33 I had a good experience (although if you sign up for all 3 of their races it is only $45 or so).  There wasn't a finisher's medal for this race, but apparently if you complete their 5K and 10K you get a wooden medal, which looked pretty cool.  The t-shirt was well designed, but it is cotton, so it will likely be relegated to the non-running days bin.

Midvale Golden Corral - where successful 15K runners go to eat

After driving about 25 minutes back home, I showered and decided that the Midvale Golden Corral was a good idea so I wound up eating there.

Overall my race finish was about what I expected.  Being that my 10K time is about 49 minutes, finishing a 15K time in about 27 minutes more isn't too unexpected.  I really faded at the end and given that this week's total mileage was a bit less because of my foot injury, I really didn't feel "on". I never race well on a week I've taken NSAIDs.  I wasn't entirely disappointed but felt that 1:15 was definitely doable.

However, I should be able to get a bit of redemption, as next weekend I'll return to the hilly east Ogden course for a 10 mile race!

The Great Salt Lake Shoreline Run

Man-made formation of some sort just off the shore

Introduction

With Shari's mom heading back to Washington, I had to drive both of them to the airport this morning.  Since Shari accompanied her mom until she boarded the airplane, it gave me the opportunity to find a new place to go running since I had a good hour and a half to kill.

Unlike most cities, the Salt Lake Airport is very casual and for the most part easy in and easy out.  This is doubly true for Sundays.

I thought about going back to the bike trail, but I opted instead to drive about 10 miles west and run along the frontage road to the I-80.  Fans of mine may recall that I ran the Salt Aire Half Marathon along that route this past November.  It isn't the most scenic run ever, but it does have its natural beauty.  

I wanted to run along the frontage road for a bit and snap some "on course" photos. 

I was the only runner out there, but there were a handful of site seers and cyclists.  The weather was in the mid 40's and sunny with a stiff breeze.

Rough estimation of what I ran. I suspect I went further into the lake.

The Run

The frontage is well marked with mile markers from all sorts of races they have there.  So even without a Garmin, I knew how far I had run.  At around the 2.5 mile mark, I found a dirt road that was gated off.  I saw some "tourist" signs and managed to find the pedestrian area to access it.

After quickly grabbing some pictures of the signs, I saw that the trail continued towards the lake, which has receded a great deal because there hasn't really been much rain or snow this winter.

I wound up running all the way to the lake's shore.  I basically hugged some markers that led the way.  Portions of the silt / sand were sort of gummy to run in, but for the most part it was smooth and soft landing for the majority of the run.

Overall it was a really interesting run...

Just heading out and looking at where I ran. The copper mine can be seen

Stansbury Island out in the distance

Antelope Island

Typical stretch of frontage road

Stagnant water along the frontage road

I ran from the copper mine in the far distance

Almost to the lake

Antelope Island

Salt Aire Pavilion / The Great Saltair

One of the exits along Highway 80 heading west out of Salt Lake City that has always intrigued me is the one for Salt Aire.  It pulls off the freeway and almost immediately you are greeted with the sulfur smelling Salt Lake.  Also, you have a perfect view of one of Salt Lake City's prominent visual icons: the Copper Mine stack.

The Salt Aire exit has a pavilion where there are shows and concerts, but today we stopped in to see the lake and to see what else the area provided.  We had a guest from out of town and figured that this would be an easy way to show them "The Great Salt Lake".

It is hard to believe that people actually like to swim in it.  To me, it resembles more of a swamp and it is stinky and just not very pleasant.  It certainly looks pretty though, especially with Stansbury, Freemont and Antelope Islands in the distance.

While it wasn't a super great day for photos I snapped a few in hopes of sharing them.  I also took photos of the informational markers.

Finally we made a quick stop at historic Liberty Park where tons of people were out enjoying the fine spring weather we were having.  The park is huge (and was once owned by Brigham Young from what I have been told) and the perimeter is lined with a cylinder running track that is over a mile long.  There were lots of runners, dog walkers and people just enjoying the park.  There was no shortage of human activity here.

Enjoy the shots:

The copper mine

Antelope and Freemont Islands

Stansbury Island

Liberty Park

Liberty Park

Liberty Park

Liberty Park

Liberty Park