Rob Murphy

AM: 15 mountainous miles in City Creek Canyon. Averaged 9:10 - not too shabby - and saw a couple Rafters of Turkeys.

I was reminded that Salt Lake City is the most beautiful sorta big city in America. Where else can you start a run downtown and then roam hilly national forest land for 15 miles and feel like you're 100 miles from civilization?

PM: Gully Longer Run - 7.25 miles. It was simply delightful out there today. 62 according to the nearest bank sign and sunny.
 

PM: Gully Longer Run again, this time pushing the pace a little.

Time to the road - 20:40

Time to the top of the hill - 30:20

Total Time - 57:18

In past years if I could make it to the top of the hill on Dimple Dell Drive in under 30 minutes while running comfortably, I knew I was rounding into race shape. Today was 30:20 running fairly hard. Oh well, still not so bad at 57.

I'm running the Rim Rock Half Marathon Saturday in the Colorado National Monument. Aside from a Turkey Trot it will wrap up racing for 2021. Excited!

AM: 2 easy miles around the lower loop. Probably it for the day.

AM: 4.25 miles on the roads around my neighborhood. Threw in a few striders because it's important to do "speedwork" before a race.

That was a joke.

I had a great race today on a really interesting course. It starts in the Colorado National Monument and finished in the town of Fruita. Miles 2-8 are downhill. Then the race turns on to rolling dirt roads and trails. So about 3 or 4 miles of what was basically cross country running.The last mile or two is on a paved bike path mostly along the Colorado River.

I actually managed one of the downhill miles in 5:58.

Only downside is I ran alone the whole way and lost over a minute trying to figure out the course which was poorly marked in a couple places.

Free beer after (in Colorado, not Utah) and I unexpectedly won $150 for finishing 3rd overall. At 57 I would have thought my days winning cash in races were in the distant past.