Dave's Addiction

Timp Trail Half

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Location:

Mapleton,UT,USA

Member Since:

Aug 22, 2012

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Local Elite

Running Accomplishments:

1:08:17 Drop 13 Half 2015

2:41:14 St George Marathon 2012

17:28 5k Rex Lee 2015 (but sub 16 inside some of my halves, downhill doesn't count)

Short-Term Running Goals:

2013 Races

2014 Races

2015 Races!

1/3 Snowman Half - 1:23:14 1st

Total Domination

3/7 Rex Lee Cancer 5k - 16:53 7th (5k PR)

Masters Domination

3/21 Running of the Leopards - 16:48 13th

AG Domination

4/11 Timp Shadow - 21:28 5th (1k PR)

Masters Domination

4/18 Salt Lake Half Marathon - 1:20:56 18th

AG Domination

5/2 Provo City Half Marathon - 1:16:12 4th

Masters Domination

5/9 - Dino Half - 1:15:20 1st (CR)

Course Domination

5/30 Timp Trail Half - 1:50 1st

Total Domination

6/6 Art City 5K - 17:20 13th

AG Domination

6/13 Drop 13 - 1:08:17 (PR) (CR)

Course Domination

Long-Term Running Goals:

17:00 5k

1:08 downhill half [done]

34:30 10k

Never get old

Personal:

Married, three kids, have a problem with going out too fast in races but it's too fun to quit

Favorite Blogs:

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Miles:This week: 0.00 Month: 0.00 Year: 0.00
Race: Timp Trail Half (13.53 Miles) 01:47:08, Place overall: 4, Place in age division: 1
Easy MilesMarathon Pace MilesThreshold MilesVO2 Max MilesTotal Distance
0.006.006.531.0013.53

I was going for a big W and a course record, but the rain had just stopped before I arrived and things were looking grim. But none of the people who beat me last year were there, and I was feeling at the top, so all there was to do was to run it!

Mile 1 - with a 220 foot gain in the first half mile we don't start this race fast :) I was tiptoeing lightly up the road but rapidly left everyone in the dust. However a few hardy souls started feeling the pace and knocking on the door in mile 2. 7:19, 1 second faster than last year, road in good shape. Could be good!

Mile 2 is flat until the little 80 foot bump up to the meadow, you go easy to recover from the climb. I got 7:05, 7 seconds faster. There are four of us duking it out now and nobody else is even close. Looks like a 4 man race! (no peeking at the top)

Mile 3 has the fairly docile 440 foot climb to the upper road. I walked it a few times just to conserve, probably should not have done that since I practiced not walking two weeks ago. I got passed by 3 and 4, 1 passed me on the lower road at mile 2. 9:39, 22 seconds slower. Finding a bit of mud but nothing big yet.

Mile 4 has the last 40 feet of the climb and then you are on the upper road. Auuggghh!! Mud!! Nooooooo! Looks like CR is out of the question but let's see. The two guys 150 meters in front of mee had never run the course before and did not know that the grass on the side of the road, while unpleasantly wet, did not hide any rocks or holes so while they were slogging it out I was a little less sloggy. 7:17, 20 seconds slower, easy 40 second mud penalty.

I moved back into second with first in easy reach at mile 5, none of these guys knew about the mud secrets and it was costing them. But they figured it out as I passed and they fell into line behind, even with the sheer drop off the left side of the slippery grass it was still better than the sucking swamp of doom in the middle of the road. Still, my 6:38 was 11 seconds slower than last year - wet feet are still heavy.

At mile 5.5 the mud mostly ends and there is a fast 1 mile descent to the low point of the mid-course at the gun range. I had to stop and tie my shoe, which dropped me back to 3rd. Mile 6 was 5:50, 5 seconds slower.

Miles 7 8 and 9 wind gradually up the front side of Timp and then steeply up Dry Canyon. I walked once more, falling to fourth, but then I found my uphill mojo and was able to run. Splits were 7:43, 10:30, and 15:02, 19 faster, 14 slower, and 1:01 faster (!) than last year. I am definitely in better shape :) But rhose guys were getting further ahead, I never saw them again no matter how crazy I got.

During mile 10 it started to hail. Seriously? Well I guess there isn't much left to the race. Unfortunately the Mario Kart tracks filled quickly with running rocks and water, making things interesting to say the least. Mario Kart mile splits were 7:14, 6:27, and 6:38, 18 faster, 15 slower, and 11 faster than last year. Very surprising given last year's flawless conditions.

Mile 13 and the last half were the ugliest of all. The hail had turned to rain, filling my glasses with water and making it nearly impossible to see the trail. To top it off we get a half mile of the mud road again before the final descent into Timp Park, that was nuts doing it half blind. I had to stop and wipe my glasses out several times so I wouldn't fall over the 40 foot cliffs on the first part of the descent. Once I made it to the main road I burned it in down to a 4:28 pace on the mud-free road and the grass at the end. Splits were 7:02 and 2:46 (47 slower, 2 faster, all weather related). The last half mile was a 5:19 pace.

So I didn't beat my old record, although I felt like weather adjusted I did. But I did win masters! And in operation domination, all I need is the age group award. So there. I ate a bowl of chili and bailed before I got too chilly.

Comments
From bdase on Sat, May 18, 2013 at 14:37:23 from 160.7.242.251

Considering the conditions Dave that is one heck of a time. Great job!

From Bam on Sat, May 18, 2013 at 14:59:25 from 89.126.28.24

Well done Dave. Sounds like a very tough race. Windscreen wipers for the old goggles?

Today, laces seem to have been a problem.

From Dave Taylor on Sat, May 18, 2013 at 15:13:42 from 174.23.74.200

Thanks! It was pretty tough but I feel like I left a few minutes on the course because I had to slow down for the glasses. The water was on the -inside- and the crocs were nailing them to my face :P Still I was only 37 seconds slower overall from last year so I am quite pleased. And who detonated the shoelace bomb over the state? I mean really.

From Kendall on Sun, May 19, 2013 at 22:33:45 from 70.208.30.242

Nice work in the rain and mud. Congrats on a fast time and nice result.

From Dave Taylor on Mon, May 20, 2013 at 07:04:34 from 174.23.74.200

Thanks! You marathon types are the truly crazy ones though. I tried that two years ago and I won't be doing that again soon :) Glad you got under 5 - when I tried it I got just over 6, although I made it to the top of Grove Creek at 2:45. I had to hobble the last three in with a walking staff I found by the trail.

From Dave Taylor on Mon, May 20, 2013 at 09:02:03 from 63.255.191.163

Ack! They just posted the results, and I only missed 3rd by 32 seconds! I shouldn't have stopped to clean the glasses. But then I probably would have gone over the side and lost by a lot more, so never mind. You know the trail is twisted when you can't see a guy 32 seconds in front of you :) But now that I think about it I couldn't see much of anything more than about 20 feet away anyway at that point.

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