It's an okay course. From mile 19 until the end, the hot sun is on the back. I suggest they start it half hour earlier. I was fried, even running without a shirt. The course runs along an old light gage rail trail for 3 miles, starting at mile 14. It's narrow. Two people couldn't run side-by-side. Yet for the poor marathon runners who are in the 4:00 time, the half marathon starts just as they get to their group. So they all of a sudden have a ton of people crammed onto the small trail. And if you're longer than 4:00, you get behind the slow walkers on the half marathon, and they go bumpity bump two abrest. No one can pass them. This I learned from marathon runners in the 4:30 time. They did not like that. Course officials need to start the half marathon at 7:00, not 8:30. Otherwise, I liked the "hill" that everyone was referring to at mile 18. Seems like I caught up with runners who passed me going down hill. The falls was nice, and I stopped for 2 minutes to gawk. Then at Warm Springs camp ground, I walked and found a toity for a couple minutes. But the rest was nice. Major blisters on both feet, a hold over from Park City marathon last week. But I ran through them and exercised pain control.
I lead a girl, the first woman finisher, down the 3 mile rail trail. We kicked it's butt, knocking out 6:30 mpm pace. Totally stoked on that. When we finished, she was grateful for my lead, staying right on my heals. Going that fast you can't hardly afford to blink. Too may rocks. But I let her go when we got to the end and she sped off. But still I only finished 3 minutes behind her. Her name's Dixy, I think, from SLC. And man, I was sooo hoping to see a bear. On the gravel road to start with, I kept looking, but hearing only cows. Those cattle guards....watch out. They need to put plywood down or someone's going to break a leg. |