Mid Mountain Marathon - Totally awesome singletrack for all but 1.5 miles of the course. Some of it was rocky but the majority was buffed out smooth. The course takes you from Deer Valley over to The Canyons via a "not flat" route. The course is technically rolling and there was not a flat stretch to be seen. True, there was a lack of 1000' relentless climbs up 12% grade, but the course is not easy. There had to have been 100+ switchbacks on that course as well. That being said, it was the fastest marathon I ran this year. Things began early with a brief warmup to earn a few stars. It was cool (< 32 degrees) but once the sun peeked over the mountains things warmed up quickly. The race was pretty large with 300+ runners but things started on time with a quick mile lap around the paved neighborhoods to thin out the crowds. I found myself in 8th place after a 6:47 mile on not-flat roads. The singletrack began in earnest. From here on, I tried to relax and enjoy the views. It was challenging to not fall on my face while admiring the views but I managed. I focused on keeping the pace reasonable and being patient about the fact that I was losing ground to the lead pack with every step. Soon, they were out of sight and more than 90 seconds ahead. I did manage to pick up my first roadkill but for the most part I was all by myself. Just out for a run. I wont bore you with splits and numbers of stuff, so the report basically skips to mile 20 or so. I had passed 5 guys but got passed by 1 other guy (who ended up finishing 2nd) so I figured I was in 4th place. I did pass celebrity blogger steve cuttitta but had a hard time keeping him behind me. I was still "attacking" and hoping that around the next corner the next victim would appear and I would find myself winning a pie (top 3 won a pie). No such luck, but I did manage to keep my roadkill behind me. I found that I was faster then they were on the downhills and either the same or slower on the uphills. How does that happen? I thought I was a decent hill runner. In all, it was a great course, great weather, I felt good and I am happy with the results. I was no match for BJ Christenson who posted the winning time on this year's course (reportedly 2 mins longer as it had an extra hill somewhere in there) with a 2:56 something. That is ok though, maybe next year. I was "lucky" enough to catch the first shuttle to my car back at Deer Valley. We filled the van with 15 people and as we chugged up the steep hills to the Silver Lake Lodge things went downhill as the van suddenly stopped. Engine revving, but no forward movement. The van was done. Probable failed transmission. We were left to hike up the final mile to the cars. It was easily the slowest mile of the day. T- (watch) 3:04:49 (7:06) official results 3:04:29
* 2200' climb 3300' descent Results are here
**weekly summary 60 miles 2600' vert
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