Came up to Bear Lake last night for a day of boating with the Browns and to get a night of camping in. I was teasing Walter about bandit running the Bear Lake Monster Half Marathon in the morning since I had noticed signs the week before in Garden City. He jumped right on it though and since we both knew the race director pretty well he stopped by the packet pick up before we got up to the lake and picked us up some numbers.
Walter's wife wasn't totally happy about becoming the babysitter for a few hours during vacation but she totally covered for us and after breakfast we headed over to Harbor Village for the start. There were a surprising amount of Half Marathon runners and some guys that looked pretty in shape so I didn't figure this would be an easy run. Josh was at the start and I knew he was in good shape. It had rained through the night on and off which helped keep the dust down on the trails. This was a trail half, my first and I had no idea how to run one. I knew that it was published to start climbing 1,200 feet immediately up the mountains above Garden City. I loved it. It was so nice to be running on trails and dirt, running an actual course instead of some balls to the wall downhill Utah race. The first mile was too fast. A younger guy obviously a fairly serious runner was in the lead and Walter took off after him. I saw the first mile was 5:50 and slowed back since I knew we were climbing up the hills. We had a couple of checkpoint that we had to hit along the course and grab wrist bracelets from and a lot of turns and trail turnoffs so I knew that I had to pay attention. I think about mile 4 Josh passed me climbing the hills. He looked great and I knew he could run a good race the way he was climbing and told him so. The hills just kicked my butt. This was up and down and the only saving grace for me was that I was recovering very fast after each climb. I could have power walked a few of the hills on the steepest parts and gone just as fast. I'd pass Josh on the downs and he would pass me back on the steep hills as we climbed up.
Walter just left me on the hills up. He was so far ahead and going so well down the hills I knew I wouldn't catch him but overall I felt a world better than at the TOU last week. I caught the 2nd place guy just before mile 9 and ran the next two miles down at low 4:50s which was just windmilling arms and all over the place. Then I took a wrong turn at a trail junction and heard him yelling at me from back up the hill so I had to turn around and go back up. It took me another 1/4 mile to pass him again. Like most downhill trails this descent wasn't about fitness it was about how stupid you were.
Very fun race and a good change from the norm. The race director handed us prize bags as we crossed the line, along with cash. Long course at just under 14. Elevation gain along the course was 2,400 feet with a 1,200 net gain.
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