2017 Swiss Days 10K Race Recap - Midway, UT

Official Time: 52:20
Placement: 88th male out of 187, 7th in age group,
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: upper 40's, no wind
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Year(s): 2016

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:31	Started off a little conservatively. Feeling the race out. Slight incline here
2	9:12	Hilliest mile. Around 130 feet of climbing
3	8:28	A little bit of hills and some downhills. Sort of felt like I was running out of gas
4	8:13	Yes! Let the down hill begin
5	8:09	More down hill here.
6	8:28	Flat with a little bit of incline. Surprised I was able to do this as well as I did
6.18	1:14	A little bit of an uphill and then sprint to the finish
Total Miles: 6.18 - 52:18

Introduction

Last year, I did the Swiss Days 10 KM race and had a really good experience.  The race is cheap: dirt cheap.  I registered a week before the race started and paid $20.  You can't find too many races for $20 anymore....

So I made a mental that when September rolled around that I would do the race again. With nothing else going on, I ponied up the money and decided to see what sort of performance I could muster up.

The Race

The race is held in Midway, UT on their Swiss Days.  The town is just outside of Park City the early settlers there were Swiss.  So they have a huge craft fair, food and cultural celebrations.  It is also a bit of a haul -- nearly an hour away.

So I rolled into the bucolic little village around 6:15, after leaving the house at 5:15.  I grabbed my shirt and bib in no time at all.  I managed to kill the 45 minutes by warming up and relaxing.  Luckily, during my warm-up I spotted a construction site and used the porta-pottie there.  

The race started at 7 AM.

I took off ta a fairly conservative pace to start.  The first few miles are a little hilly.  There is a section or two where the hills are "tough" but for the most part, it is just slight inclines or declines.

I hit the first mile at 8:30, exactly where I wanted to be.  I felt pretty good too and while my injured knee had been a little cranky during my warm-up, it was holding up nicely while running.  A friend of mine who I used to beat by a bit when I first moved here passed me just before the first mile marker.  He is in significantly better shape than me right now so I knew I was running the right pace.

The course had changed a bit over last year's, apparently taking out some of the tougher hills.  This year, the course measured up at nearly 6.20 miles as well, compared to last year where it came in at 6:10 or so.

Around the half way point, I was starting to hurt a bit.  The elevation and the hills and a lack of speed training were taking a toll on me.  The back second of the race is also the prettiest as you are running at the base of the Wasatch mountains and a scenic golf course (most of the race is in residential areas).  I was motivated to run hard though seeing the lead pack of runners already making their way back.  Seeing fast runners run fast really helps elevate my game.

I was never alone though and so that helped me keep focus.  I was racing with an older fellow who I thought was in my age group (he wasn't).  I was also duking it out with a few other runners.

I got a huge second wind around mile 4 when I remember that the next mile and a half would be a gentle downhill.  I immediately picked up my pace and felt good.

The last mile is a flat stretch along the back road towards the LDS church.  It is flat here but I was surprised at how strong I still felt.  I usually fade, hard, at the end of the race, but today I had a lot of extra kick to make a final push.

Conclusion

I had predicted that I would run in the low 50's and my prediction came true.  I was pretty happy with my performance, although it is a far cry from the 41:30's I used to run 10 years ago.

I was hoping I'd snag an age group award; they go 5 deep in 5 year increments.  But, alas, this year, I was out of the running by a few minutes.  They give away super nice, large glass steins (presumably for milk) as age group awards.  I was sad I didn't win one, as I routinely use my 2016 edition.

I wound up socializing a bit after the race and grabbed some food (fruit, premium donuts, Powerade, chocolate milk, and water).  I am constantly amazed that this race is "only" $20 given that you get a nice shirt, an accurate / easy-to-follow course and a generous offering of age group awards.

The course wasn't closed to traffic and some drivers were a bit impatient with the runners.  I didn't have any close calls but you could tell it was upsetting a lot of people.  Most people were good though.

After the race, I met my neighbor for breakfast at the fair.  We socialized a bit and I wound up looking at some of the vendors.  With the good weather, there was a good crowd there.  I am not into buying over-priced "stuff" but it was interesting seeing everything.  I thought about sticking around for the parade, but I had been to it last year and I think it is more geared for kids who want free candy.

Once again, this is a nice race.  It is very affordable and I like the course.  I will be back next year if it fits into my race plans.

Sandy City Midnight Moon 5K Race Recap - Sandy Utah

Official Time: 23:49
Placement: 23rd male (26th overall), 7th in the 45 - 49
Results: Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: 70 at start, upper  no wind.
Garmin Dump: Here

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:40	100 foot climb.  Tough first mile
2	7:42	A little bit of uphill before I start cruising on the down hill section
2.99	7:26	Kicked it at the end.
Total Miles: 2.99 - 23:49

Introduction

One of my summer traditions is to do the Sandy City Midnight Moon 5K.  Sandy puts on an affordable, no frills race.  I missed it last year on account I was doing a half marathon (or I was out of town, I forget which).  But this year, when I saw it appear on the race calendar, I knew I had to run it.

The Race

I arrived at the race at about 11:15 PM and killed some time before doing a 2 mile warm up.  On my warm-up I realized I had to go to the bathroom -- not the kind you can easily take care of in the bushes.  I found the bathroom with about 10 minutes to spare only to realize it only had 1 stall and 4 people were ahead of me waiting for the stall.

Ugh.  Let's just say I went to the bathroom super fast and managed to get to the starting line with about 2 minutes to spare.

The course starts off with gentle incline that after half a mile turns into a hill climb.  I had done my warm up on the first mile so I was mentally prepared for the first mile.  My goal was to go out fairly conservatively and hammer the final two miles. I haven't done many 5Ks recently and have done very little speed work, so I suspected my time was going to be slower than usual.

The course winds its way around a residential neighborhood that has some nice houses.  Also, the starting line is at 4700 feet and climbs to about 4800 or so.  So the air is a bit thinner.

At the starting line, I ran into a friend of mine who I met at one of the first races I had ever done in Utah.  We exchanged hellos and then go serious.  My friend (DK) beat me at last year's Draper 5K so I figured if I could hang with him I'd be in decent shape.

I wound up dogging DK for about half the race.  Once the downhills started, I was able to turn on the jets and put some distance between him.  I had my eyes set on another guy that might've been in my age group, but unfortunately, I ran out of real-estate before catching him.

I was really hurting by the time I got to mile 2.  My legs felt like rubber as there was a brief up hill section.  I focused and realized I had only one more mile, so I just held on.  This morning, studying my split, I was really impressed with my final mile.

I felt like the race was over incredibly soon.  I haven't raced many 5Ks recently and stopping after less than 25 minutes of running felt easy.  The pain level, however, of a 5K is definitely different than a marathon (or even a half).

Conclusion

To say that I was disappointed with my placement in the men's 45 - 49 would be an understatement.  In the past, my age group has been lightly attended, as this race tends to attract younger folks (after all, it is a midnight start). However, I did beat my estimate -- I had planned to finish around 24:30.

I did win a toy baseball bat / ball, which I gave to my friend DK for his grandchildren.  They had water, bananas, granola bars, and candy fruits for snacks.  

I wound up socializing a bit and ran into another runner that I had run with during the Legacy Half Marathon.  He had beaten me at that race but I wound up taking him in this one.  Granted, he is probably 20 years my senior though.  Always great to see seniors running competitively.

This race is a steal -- $22 for a t-shirt, a tote bag, and a supported race.  The course was well marked and while there was some traffic, it was residential and properly handled.  Also, if you were an age group winner, you could simply show your results card and pick up your award and go home.  The race started at midnight and I was home and showering by 1 AM.

The shirt is cotton, so it will likely be relegated to night-wear or given away.  Not a manly color, but for $22 I didn't expect a tech shirt.

The course may be short, but there are some turns that the Garmin may not be able to take into account. Two years ago, my Garmin registered the race at 3.05 miles.  MapMyRun.com shows the race at about 3.10.

I definitely have some work to do in order to get my speed back.

2015 South Davis Handcart Half Marathon Race Recap

Official Time: 1:52:53
Placement: 67 overall (out of 246), 8th in the 45 - 49, 48th male
Results: Here
Race Website:Here
Weather: Upper 60's to low 70's, north winds at about 5 mph

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:16	Going out pretty easy. With some gentle downhill.
2	8:31	Locked in with the 1:50 pacer. Missed first water stop -- other side of road.
3	8:01	Just keeping up with the 1:50 pacer. Might actually be a decent race
4	8:23	Was probably an 8:10 mile but had to stop and fill a cup of water at an unmanned water stop.
5	8:13	Hitting my stride thanks to the 1:50 pacer
6	8:32	Starting to hurt a little
7	8:21	Again locked in with the 1:50 pacer
8	9:29	About 150 feet of climbing -- freeway overpass and a yucky hill. The 1:50 pacer has moved on.
9	8:40	Some rolling hills here
10	8:35	More rolling hills, but mostly down
11	8:28	Feeling terrible, but somehow managed this.
12	9:48	Just really out of gas here. Not sure why this mile is so bad (actually I clicked it off at 1.1 miles).
13	8:34	(.9 of a mile) Climbing. Just a Slight gradual uphill. I hate this mile.
13.1	0:45	Push it to the finish.
Total Miles: 13.1 - 1:52:53

Introduction

I did the Handcart half marathon back in 2012 when I first moved here.  I think at the time I was cranking out about a half marathon a week and with not a lot going on at the time (since I was new to Utah) I was just running races non-stop.  So back in 2012, it was like my 4th half in 5 weeks (or something crazy like that).

Being that today, July 24th, is Pioneer Day in Utah -- where most state employees get the day off, I opted to take a half day off from work and do the race.  I should've registered a bit earlier as the race set me back $50 but I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to take half a day off due to constraints.

Pioneer Day is a celebration of the arrival of the first Utah settlers back in the 1800's.  It is a big deal here and many people have the day off.  To commemorate the event, there are a TON of races today, including a full marathon.

The Race

First off, I slept terribly the night before.  I think part of it was race anxiety and part of it was work anxiety.  My mind wouldn't shut down.  It wasn't until after midnight that I somehow managed to eek a few hours of sleep.  My cursed alarm went off at 4 AM and I managed to shovel down some food before taking off to Bountiful and the ripe old hour of 4:45.

I've been a ton of the South Davis Recreation Center races before and they tend to be very affordable and have LOTS of perks.  The Handcart Half Marathon is no exception.  They have a really nice shirt, finisher medal and the awards are super sweet.  Also they had a really nice pancake breakfast and a lot of local vendors were there supplying samples. For a small town race, this feels like a big-time event.

The race started off pretty easy enough and my goal was to hit 1:50-ish or better.  Being that I am on a high mileage week, I wasn't sure how my legs would respond.  Would I get tired at mile 8?  Would I be able to push through?

I also had forgotten how many hills there were in the last 5 miles (I also confused this race route with another one I ran in the area back in 2012).  Either way, there wasn't a whole lot of "new" course on this one... I've run various chunks of it in many of the races I've done in that area before, so that certainly helped with my racing strategy.

The first 2.5 miles are on city streets.  Eventually you make it to the Legacy Bike Trail which is a pancake flat bike trail hugging the Legacy Freeway.  I really enjoy that bike trail and it makes for a good race.

Around mile 7 you climb a freeway overpass, cross a pedestrian bridge over the Legacy and I-15 before heading down a fairly busy road in Farmington (then through Centerville) before coming to Bountiful some 4 miles later.

The first 7 miles I was spot on for hitting 1:50. In fact, at 6.55 miles, I looked down at my watch and saw 49:50.  The pacer I had latched on to had hit his time, despite having to stop and fill our own water cups at the second water station.

However, the course gets a lot more difficult almost immediately at mile 8.  The freeway overpass climb is a pain and just as you coming down on the other side you have to ascend a hill to get to S 200 E.  

Here you are on a tilted road lined at first with stately houses which finally turn into a thriving business area.  Unfortunately this also has a lot of rolling hills.  So you do get some downhills, but there are certainly some hills that will slow you down and if you aren't prepared for them.  The tilted road was a nuisance and many runners opted to run on the sidewalk.  I would certainly hate to train on this section of road -- it is an injury waiting to happen.

The last mile or so follows the 5K course and that mile is always a beast.While the true elevation isn't much, it is just a steady grind up hill.  Also the sun was blasting on me -- while it wasn't terribly hot, I was doing the final mile plod up it. 

Conclusion

The course support was fantastic.  They had a TON of water stops (I think about 6 or 7) and other than the second one, they were well manned. They also had the important intersections handled by traffic enforcement as well.  Just a really nice run race.  Mile markers were off in spots but the course measured exactly 13.1 on my Garmin.

I really like the green t-shirt.  I don't think I have any of this color and it is loud and proud.  The finisher's medal is also good and is of their standard design.

They had some very awesome age group awards (which I was fortunate enough to win one in 2012) and the overall awards were really awesome.  The handcart wheels look like they were hand built and the overall ones were just huge.

After the race I milled about chatting with random people (I met a lot of families who came out to do the event together, which is nice to see).  Corner Bakery was giving away samples so I had a super yummy chocolate muffin (although my stomach rebelled at first) and some oatmeal breakfast thing.  My bib also got me into the pancake breakfast.  This was part of the community event as well so some non-runners were there too.  I guess they went through 220 DOZEN eggs and I saw many sacks of pancake flour.  With a 1K and 5K race, this was definitely a family-style event.

Realizing I wasn't up for any awards I did check out the carnival area and took some pictures of the exhibits.  I can't imagine walking across the salt flats or the United States with my belongings in a cart:

I am a little disappointed with my time.  I definitely felt like a 1:50 or less was reasonable. But I do have to remember the final 5 - 6 miles were hilly and it was warm.  Two of my weaknesses is heat and hills and I tend to do poorly in those situations.  While I've certainly run worse in terms of courses, this one is definitely a challenge.

Again, I love the South Davis Recreation Center races.  They do a stand-up job and don't charge you an arm and a leg to do them.  Since it is also a gym, they have clean bathrooms to use before the race as well.  I am certainly glad I took the opportunity to run this one.

North Ogden NO Limits Half Marathon Race Recap

Official Time: 1:59:03
Placement: 24th out of 108, 6th out of 10 in the 40-49 age group
Results: Here
Race Website:Here
Weather: Low 60's - No wind, hovered in the mid 50's to mid 60's throughout the race.

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:19	Surprised at how fast I ran this mile despite some climbing
2	9:10	Just got to the edge of a massive hill
3	9:28	Feel dead from the climbing, some flats here.
4	10:50	Come on! Another hill. From 4500 to 4900 feet from the race's start
5	8:13	Finally can get into a rhythm here.
6	10:10	Some technical trail here.
7	8:27	Finally level running
8	8:49	Mostly flats here.
9	9:24	Downhill, but very technical. You can't really run fast here at all. Rocky
10	7:49	Not sure where this came from. But it was flat and somehow I kicked it in.
11	9:11	Slow climb to the finish. Was dehydrated
12	10:16	Just shuffling along. Some climbing here. Felt like mile 23 of a marathon.
12.91	8:31	Downhill and I could smell the finish line.
Total Miles: 12.91

Introduction

In the spirit of running a race whenever feasible, I opted in on the North Ogden NO Limits Half Marathon.  North Ogden is about an hour away from my house and I had meant to do this race last year, but I was just coming off a calf strain and I think the weather was iffy. Either way, I opted out last year.

So for about $50 one week before race day I decided to jump in and give it a go as I had never been to Farr West nor North Ogden.

North Ogden Half Marathon Course Profile

The Race

I left the house just before 6:15 and rolling into North Ogden just a hair after 7AM.  I was one of the first to arrive and packet pick up was a snap.  I was worried I wasn't going to get a t-shirt as they had them only guaranteed for the first 250 registrants.  They had a nice long sleeve shirt.  I managed to use the bathroom and loafed around in my car for a bit before returning back to the outdoor bathrooms.  Nothing like pre-race jitters to clear the pipes to so speak.

I knew this race was going to be a challenge.  I had been running on fairly dead legs all week and the course promised to have a lot of elevation changes.  The website said there was roughly 600 feet of climbing -- so I knew I was in for a challenge.  And the worst of it would be almost from the get go.

As I surveyed the start line, I realized I was in a valley and the only way around it was to climb and then some:

Lining up at the start

I knew to start off conservatively and I ran through the first mile at a surprising 8:19 pace.  I thought this was a bit fast especially with an uphill start.  Things got worse though when from miles 2 to 3 we did nothing but climb.  It was a very slow shuffle to the top of the hill and I wasn't even a fourth into the race before my calves were on fire and I had broken a solid sweat:

Just before the hill climb

Once we reached the summit, I was able to get a second wind.  I hadn't read the details of the course, but I was surprised to learn that a good deal of this race was going to be on trail.  Some of it rocky, some of it just like dirt roads.  The effort up the hill provided some really nice views of the Ogden Valley:

At the top finally

After running on the trail I assumed that the worst of the hills were over.  Largely this was true, but there were still lots of rollers left and even though there was more downhill then up, it just didn't seem that way.  The trail eventually gave way to more street / residential running.  I was really impressed with some of the houses we ran by.  I didn't realize that North Ogden (Ogden itself sometimes gets a bad rap) was so pretty.

I was pretty trashed at this point and my legs felt like rubber.  I still felt like I was running as well as I could given the circumstances.  Despite the toughness of the course, I was really enjoying the scenery.  Unfortunately, this week's race wasn't as easy and I was feeling love from the "Running Gods"

Eventually the roads gave way to more trails.  These trails were definitely tougher.  They were rocky and they zigged and zagged about.  It was really hard to sustain any consistent pace.  It was absolutely stunning though and I was enjoying it despite having a lot of labored breathing:

Also sometime during the trail session we ran into a hiking group -- that was about 50 fifty people in size.  They were really cool and gave everyone lots of cheers and high-5's.

Course support was excellent.  Usually at half marathons you get fluids every 2 miles, starting at mile 3.  This race had them at virtually every mile and always at the summit of a hill.  They provided water or an electrolyte drink (no Gatorade).  Luckily I brought a gel and took that at about mile 5.  I needed a caffeinated boost to power me through.

By mile 10 or so I was hurting and I knew it was going to be a slog to the finish.  I was completely trashed and my legs were responding.  Also, even the smallest incline felt like a mountain and I just tried to focus on my form.

I crossed the finish line in 1:59 and most everyone agreed that the course was slightly short.  I had set a goal of running as strong as I could and given the course profile, I figured I'd be pretty happy with under 2 hours.  Given how tough the course "really" was, I am glad that I managed to accomplish my goal.

Conclusion

I was pretty shot after the race.  It took me a while to feel good and I wound up loitering around for a good 45 minutes.  I sucked down a couple of chocolate milks, a banana and some more electrolyte drink.  Luckily I brought my own Powerade in the car and wound up drinking quite a bit of that.  I still wasn't feeling right (even woozy) and I wound up stopping in at a gas station and fueled up and bought an iced tea.  I felt so much better after I drank a lot of that.

I'd definitely run this race again.  The price was right and they had a high-quality tech shirt and very very nice finisher's medal.  I suspect they did ten year age increments with only a 100 runners or so and I get the feeling they are trying to grow this race (it is in its third year).  

The course is really tough but some of the views are outstanding.  I wasn't bored on this course at all but it wasn't easy.  This would probably rank up in the top 5 toughest half marathons I've done.

Post-Race

After the race I hopped back on the freeway and went to the Crystal Hot Springs in Honeyville Utah.  It was only another 20 minutes or more up the road.  With rain somewhat threatening, I think it scared some of the people away so it wasn't terribly crowded.  I wound up chilling for nearly 2 hours.  I was a wrinkled prune when I got out:

Finally I, of course, went to the Golden Corral in Layton.  I did justice to the buffet, but I didn't eat tons like I usually do.  I did gulp down a ton more drinks there.  I am glad they have free refills.

2015 Lagoon Half Marathon - Farmington Utah - Race Recap

Me post race with my age group award

Official Time: 1:49:40
Placement: 24th out of 71 in men's, 4th in (45 - 49 age group)
Results: Here
Race Website:Here
Weather: Mid 30's - No wind, warmed up to mid 40's

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:16	Off to a decent start
2	8:12	Holding a steady pace.
3	8:03	Okay, I am in a groove now
4	8:00	Just hanging on with the same group of people
5	8:04	Still holding steady.
6	8:06	Is the beet juice I drank working? I feel great
7	8:03	Ditto
8	8:10	Slowing up a bit. But still steady
9	8:19	Not much to work with, but I still feel good
10	8:21	Trying to hold on
11	8:32	Heading back to the amusement park Some hill climbing here
12	8:24	Surprised I ran this as fast I did. I wasn't sure where to go and I had to make a turn every 15 - 30 seconds
13	8:47	After getting sent in the wrong direction I sort of lost my will
13.30	2:09	Finally, the finish line in site!
Total Miles: 13.30

Introduction

Normally I don't race more than a 5K the week before a marathon but being that I've been running pretty well and was looking for something to do today, I opted in for the Inaugural Lagoon Half Marathon.  I had a choice of three races today and I wound up going with this one despite it being the most expensive of the bunch (I paid $85 with service charges + taxes).

Also since I had registered about 2 days from the start of the race I wasn't eligible for a finisher's medal.

The race was held at the Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington Utah (about 30 minutes drive from my house).  It is the biggest amusement park in the area featuring a lot of roller coasters and other kids rides.  They also have a bunch of adult rides too and for Utah it is the place to be if you like that sort of stuff.

The Race

I got up at about 4:30AM and inhaled a quick breakfast followed by a can of beets.  I also polished off about 80% of the juice in the can.  I am starting to get more convinced that this stuff actually works.  It is pretty vile tasting but I haven't had any ill effects from it and it does seem to make endurance activities a bit easier (see here).  This is the third race I've used and each time I've used it, I've performed well.

I rolled into the race site at about 6AM and after searching in the dark for the packet pickup, I found it under the glow of a roller coaster.  A few minutes later I had my bib and shirt.  I used the porta-potties before heading back to my car.  Around 6:40 I got out of the car and used the bathroom again and the race started promptly at 7AM

I got off to a good start and after a brief tour of the parking lot we crossed over I-15 and jumped on the Rio Grande Bike Trail.  This was a pancake flat section of bike trail that I don't think I've run on before.  It isn't terribly interesting but it was easy enough to work up a good head of steam.

Some early miles - taken while running

Looking east while heading south

Heading back on the Legacy Bike Trail

Water / aide stations were appropriately proportioned and I felt like I was making solid progress while on the bike trail.  The mile markers were -- consistently off -- at least according to my Garmin.  The only mile markers that were even remotely correct were 7 and 11.  3 was at 2.6 and the rest were almost always .1 miles off.

After about 7 miles we headed north on the Legacy Bike Trail.  I've run on this section of the bike trail for the Midnight Half Marathon and I may have been here before for the Farmington Days Half Marathon.  It is a nice stretch of flat bike trail that hugs the I-215 Legacy Freeway.

I was pretty gassed as we approached the park.  I hadn't been aided by any hills this time and the only thing that kept me chugging along was knowing I had less than 3 miles to go.  I knew the best part of the race was coming up to: the final 2 miles were entirely in the amusement park.

Running east over the pedestrian bridge

Looking south over the pedestrian bridge

I was a little worried about the final two miles to be honest.  The race director had warned us that there'd be lots of turns, but assured us that if we followed the arrows and volunteers directions we'd have no problems.  I am happy to report that was about 90% true.

I couldn't really get into my groove though.  There were an insane amount of turns and I was always looking for the next volunteer.  Luckily I had been dogging another guy for 80% of the race and I was following him.  He, in turn, wasn't following anyone and I could see that at times he nearly came to a standstill wondering where to go next.

We both made a loop around a cabin that was close to a quarter mile long only to discover the volunteer pointing us to do it again.  I was like no way and luckily I spotted where the race was supposed to go.  I had heard a few people had done a few loops around it before realizing they were in an infinite loop.

I've been lost in races before and it is always disheartening.  You almost want to throw in the towel and say "F* it"  I was never really sure how far I had to go and I was starting to panic when my Garmin binged 13.1 miles and the finish line wasn't in sight (also there were no mile markers in the park).  I wish I had snapped more pictures, but my hands were cold and wet and I was really trying to bust it to the end.  Also, there were a few 10K racers who were flying by us (they started an hour later).

Thankfully the finish line came into view and we got to run under a roller coaster one final time.  I crossed the finish line in 1:49:40, and my Garmin read 13.3 miles.  Translated to a 13.1 race, I am about 1:47:50 or so.  So on a non-aided course like last week's, I felt like I had run extremely well.

I got my finisher's card only to discover I was 4th place!  Ugh.  Then I wondered if a 45-49 year old had top three'd, which would move me into the top 3.  I checked the online results.  Sure enough the overall winner was 45, so that meant I finished 3rd.  I wound up hanging around for a good 30 minutes and snagged my award.  At least I went home with something since I was sans a very cool finisher's medal:

Finisher's Medal that I didn't get

Cool bib, very nice shirt and my age group award. Finisher's medal is better but this is sweeter

Conclusion

Finish line

I wound up hanging around for a while eating a ton of oranges and socializing with a few people (I ran into a guy who had run the Shamrock race with me last month).  I hadn't bought a day pass to get into the park (I am not into rides very much) so of course I made the drive up the freeway to the Layton Golden Corral.  Luckily I made it before the 11AM meal turnover and scored the lunch selection for the breakfast price!  I am happy to report they still remember me there... 

Despite a slower time than last week, I felt like this was another race in a very positive direction.  I maintained my goal pace for a LOT longer.  I think if the race had been another 2 miles on the bike trail and measured at 13.1 I would've finished a lot better. 

Hopefully they make some improvements to the route in the amusement park.  It was confusing at best but to be honest, I really liked the raced.  By the size of the turnout for the 5K and 10K, I have a feeling that this race will be around next year too.