Every Race is an Adventure!

2 miles @ 8:21/mi.  Part of Neighorhood 5K route in zero-drop shoes (as I recall).

5.5 miles @ 8:57/mi.  North on Murdoch Trail with Kevin (as I recall)

5 miles @ 9:28/mi South on Murdoch Trail to Cascade (with detour)

I ran the first Wasatch Back Relay 10 years ago, and ran the first 7. Years 8 and 9 I had the Thomas Family Reunion that weekend and skipped the relay. This year, with 5 weekends in June, the reunion was not the same week as the relay so I was able to rejoin my old team, 3 of whom (Verdon, Kerry, Darin) have run all 10 years.

Leg 8 - 2.6 miles - Easy - Ogden Valley - 4933' to 5028'

8:26/mi. I passed 10 runners and was not passed. I think I could have gone faster, but I was reminded to not overdo it on the first leg. I felt pretty strong and recovered quickly.

Leg 20 - 5.9 miles - Moderate - Downhill to Henefer - 6259' to 5337'

7:43/mi. I began this leg at 11:40pm on a beautiful night with nearly a full moon. I really enjoyed this run. It brought back memories of a few years ago when I enjoyed running strong and fast. I passed 25 runners and was not passed. 

Leg 32 - 5.5 miles - Moderate - Uphill passing Deer Creek to Midway - 5440' to 5718'

9:14/mi. This was a hot run, uphill all the way. I felt pretty good, but had to work hard. I passed 20 runners and was not passed.

Overall, I passed 55 runners and was not passed. I credit this to three things: 1) I had one of the easier leg assignment in Van 2, so I was likely running against some of the weaker runners from the other teams, 2) all the fast teams passed our team while the other van was on, and 3) I'm getting a little fitter and faster.

During this relay, for the first time in a few years, I felt like a real runner again. It gave me hope that maybe one day I'll be as fast as I once was.