Striders Winter Racing Circuit 30K - Huntsville, UT

On a whim, I decided to run the Strider's Winter Racing Circuit 30K in beautiful Huntsville, UT.  30K is 18.6 miles for those who don't do metric. 

Huntsville is located east of Ogden and about an hour from Salt Lake City.  I got up early and left at about 5:40 for the 7:30AM start time.  The drive up there was relaxing and easy.  Oddly enough, my car reported that the temperature was 48F out.  By the time I reached the race start, at elevation roughly 5500 feet, the temperature was down to 33F.  I was very glad that I packed my gloves and an extra shirt or two.

The race started on time and I started out an easy 8:15 min / mile clip.  The first few miles had a slight downhill and I held back quite a bit.  I was mostly using this as a training run in preparation for the Ogden Marathon.  You can view the race course and elevation profile here.

The first few miles take you along the rural streets of Huntsville.  I remember passing my some historic looking blacksmith buildings, but the roads eventually lead out of town.  You are treated to views of snow capped mountains, farm fields (with farm animals) and you get to run along the north and eastern edges of the Pineview Reservoir.  Just a really nice run. 

I expected the middle miles to be grueling as the elevation profile shows a substantial climb.  However, it wasn't that bad.  My pace did slow down to the 8:30's and I felt comfortable.  I did wear two t-shirts and I found myself warm, but it wasn't terribly bad.  They had water / Gatorade stops every 3 miles but I brought my own camelback, which despite the extra weight, helped me stay hydrated.

I was able to pick up the pace again on the way back and nailed a few 8:15 miles.  However, the last 2 - 3 miles had again a small rise in elevation and at that point I was tired (I was coming off a 50 mile week) and my pace slowed to the low 9's.

Overall, I finished 73rd place, 2:42 overall time (8:41 average pace) and 9th in my age division.  I would've predicated a rough finish of somewhere in the 2:52 range so I was very happy with my performance and that I finished pretty strong.  I feel fairly confident that my training will make the Ogden marathon a decent experience.  Here are the results.

After the race, I did snap some pictures of the area and the western edge of the reservoir.  I have attached them here.

Spring Time Bellagio Gardens

A tradition of mine, whenever I visit Las Vegas, is to visit the Bellagio Gardens (usually on the way to their fantastic buffet).  This is one of the free attractions to do in Las Vegas and worth the effort of stopping by.  I have attached pictures below:

Summerlin 2013 Half Marathon - Race Write-up

On Saturday 4/13/2013 I ran the Summerlin Nevada Half Marathon. 

I traveled specifically to Las Vegas for this event and I was using it to see where I was at in terms of fitness.  I didn't have super high expectations on account that the course was hilly, I usually over eat while I am in Las Vegas and the temperature was warm and dry.

The race was held at the Summerlin Marriot Resort (also known as the Rampart Casino).  Race morning it was sunny and fairly warm and dry.  Not much wind and there definitely was a good crowd there.  One of the advantages of having it at the casino is that there were plenty of nice bathrooms there.

The course profile shows the first two miles are fairly flat -- maybe even down hill.  After that, from miles 3 through 8 it is a 500 foot climb to the top.  My 8:00 min per mile pace dropped off precipitously after about mile 4.  The hills were unrelenting.  What was nice is that after mile 10 it was all downhill and even though my legs were shot, I was able to rattle off some 8:15's and finish strong. 

While my time was disappointing for me (1:50:02) the course was tough.  With a flatter course, I am guessing I could've turned in a much better time.

The race organizers did a fantastic job.  I thoroughly love the medal and the "expo" was pretty nice as well.  There was plenty of course support as well -- including water stops at nearly every mile marker.  The course is scenic -- taking you through residential Summerlin.  Some parts of the course was run on streets and the police had done a good job making sure it was a safe environment to run in.  Overall a well run race.

Jordan River Bike Trail - South Side

Often times, after work, I go to the bike trail to log some miles.  I park in the parking lot at 100th South and make my way towards South Jordan.  This side of the trail (compared to the north side) is a bit more rustic, in the sense you aren't really near civilization for a good portion of the run.  However, after about 1.25 miles you do run behind some nice looking office buildings -- but the majority of the run is done in isolation.

Yesterday, I ran 10 miles and had the opportunity to take some pictures along the way.  I haven't been to this section of the bike trail since the dead of winter and it was good to see other runners and cyclists (and dog walkers) enjoying the brisk afternoon. 

The trail is mostly flat and gets more scenic the further south you go.  It is a great place to do speed work and after running it several times, I know roughly where each of the mile markers are (so no need for a Garmin).

I still prefer the north side, but the south side works in a pinch.  Enjoy the pictures:

18 Mile Training Run

This past weekend I ran 18 miles in preparation for the Ogden Marathon.  The weather was absolutely perfect for a long distance run... low 40's with a slight breeze.  It was also sunny. I started out wearing a wind breaker and soon shed it after 2 miles.  It was just way too warm for that sort of apparel.

I brought along some Gels and a camelbak filled with Gatorade.  Luckily the Salt Lake Running Company provided complimentary Gatorade at strategic spots, so even after I had gone through about 28 ounces of Gatorade, I could quickly stop for a refill.

Overall, the run went extremely well.  I felt I was fairly consistent, logging a time of 2:34 (or so).  The Jordan River Bike Trail is also showing signs of life again as there were plenty of people walking their pets, jogging or cycling.  The amount of people does thin out the further north you get from West Jordan, but overall, it was a pleasant run.

Also, on Saturday I signed up for the Shamrock Half Marathon in Saratoga Springs, UT.  I had a little bit of buyer's regret after seeing the course profile.  If you view the elevation profile there is over 750 feet of elevation climb, so this will certainly be a challenging one.  I don't expect to set any PRs in two weeks.

This weekend I hope to do a 20 miler... weather pending.

I have attached a few pictures of the 9 mile mark (where I turned around).  I also had someone take a picture of me at the 17 mile mark.

Enjoy!

Danish Road

One of my favorite routes while living in Cottonwood Heights is my route to Danish Road.  I discovered Danish Road by accident one day.  It starts about 2 miles from the apartment and takes a bit to get too.

First off, I have to run 2 miles uphill -- yes uphill.... starting at 4600 feet and climbing to about 4900 over the course of a short distance is a workout in of itself.  To get a good idea of what these hills are like, check out the pictures below: 

After making it to the start of Danish Road, it does finally level out, although you have some rolling hills for about 2 miles.  However, the views are really a treat.  You are practically at the base of the Wasatch Mountains and the road is fairly quiet -- with minimal traffic.  In addition, there are some beautiful houses and trees to look at.  Just think, there are world class ski resorts just 15 minutes away from this point.

Running back down, though is knee jarring.  I've learned to take it easy as most of the way back is on sidewalk -- which in my opinion is probably the worst surface to run on.  This run is definitely not for the weak as the hills are a serious workout (not to mention the altitude).

Enjoy the pictures!

View from the start of Danish Road

One last hill!

The view from the top....

Back down I go!

One last view of the valley