I was planning on running around 22 miles in prep for STG today, so I figured I might as well run this marathon. I ran it in 2009 (3:36:45) and 2008 (3:48:00) and it is a nice change of pace and is actually a pretty cool race...........but I always forget how brutal it is on me. I suspect the distance is somewhere in the neighborhood of 26.2, but maybe a bit short......but it felt like it was 30 miles today. Race starts at Silver Lake Lodge at Deer Valley Resort and runs the Mid-Mountain trail all through the Park City Ski Resort and back into some pretty big country and then finishes at The Canyons. I am not a trail runner. This is the only race that I ever run on a trail. The rocky terrain, combined with the relentless climbing, and the high altitude just kill me. I believe the race pretty much takes place between 7,000-8,500 feet. I needed an oxygen tank on all the uphill sections. Race started and within 15-20 min I was all alone. I stopped for a bathroom break about 20 min in and one guy caught up, but I eventually pulled away from him. I didn't wear a Garmin, and the course had some random mile markers, but who knows if they were accurate. Legs had trouble on the beginning part of the course and I was sucking wind pretty bad on the first climb, which lasted for about the first 4-5 miles. Hit the cours 5 mile mark at 40:40. Split at 10 miles was 1:26:41 and it seemed like we climbed a lot in here and I struggled. Got some good downhill the next five miles and hit the 15 mile mark at 2:01:33, but I'm starting to have some problems. I've never carried liquids on this run (I might be the only one) and I've never had trouble in this race in the past, but it seemed like we went forever without an aid station and I was in need of fluids. Seems like the aid station was right around the 16 mile mark and I stopped and tried to hydrate good. 2 guys caught me here and I let them pass. I was right on them, but then everything I just drank, as well as the GU I just ate just came right back up. This was a recurring theme over the next 6-7 miles. I just couldn't keep anything in me and the sections where the sun were in full force just made things worse. Right around mile 15 through 20 is the worse part of this race. It's a pretty big climb, but once you get through it you get some good downhill. Struggled through this part, but right at the top of the worst hill of the race (just after mile 20) I caught up to a guy. I eventually passed him and got booking it pretty good on the downhill. Still felt real crappy, but was able to keep a good pace on the downhill. Several people started coming back to me. Somewhere in the last 4-5 miles I took a rough fall. There was a guy right in front of me and one right behind. The fall hurt. Two guys that I passed with about 2 miles left passed me back at the last aid station with about a mile left. I was done and was so glad to see the finish line. The course changed a bit from the previous years I ran it, but it still is hard. I forget how hard it is. Lots of respect for these trail guys. Some of them are like mountain goats. I'm sure they just fly on the up and down parts of this race. Hopefully the damage is minimal from this race. It sure does beat me up. If nothing else, I got some good miles in on hilly terrain at some high altitude. I guess a good thing is that this is the worst I've felt at this race, but I still finished a few minutes ahead previous times. Would highly recommend this race if your looking for some good trail running with some incredible views. The race is very well put together as well.
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