Each Day Is a Gift

This race used to require $20 pre-registration, no shirt, just water at the start/finish.   Prizes were $20 gift certificate for 4 male and female division winners (with the oldest division at 45 and over...they must think people older than 50 shouldn't be running)...go figure!  I've run it a couple times just to support UBA and represent hubby's bank.  

This year they lowered the fee to $5 and no pre-registration required.  So when I woke up at 5:30 and found $5 in my purse, I laced up my shoes and jogged to the start.  I was the last one to get there.  There were about 35-40 runners milling around, the usual fast youngsters in their 20s, a handful of 30-somethings, and about 12-15.  I sized up the competition and saw Brenda, a 40ish gal who beat me 3 years ago.  I also saw a tall slender gal wearing an Ogden Marathon shirt (later learned her name was Michelle.  Shauna, a 55 mother, ran SLC Marathon this year. 

I hate 5K.  I refused to pay to run in puke zone!  I wanna win if I were to do it.   So my strategy was to ride on the heels of my competitions, then go for the kill at the last 0.2.

A 20 yo girl lined up in the front with the fast guys.  Michelle, Brenda, Shauna and I lined up behind them.  The course is an out and back with the middle 2 miles on a bike path. I like this because we can see the front runners at the turn around.

The first 0.2 mile was on the private road between the parking lot of the resort/lodge and tennis courts then a sharp right turn onto a dirt/gravel trail for another 0.2 or so miles before jumping onto the bike path.  The first half is moderate uphill with some rollers like most parkway trails.

The 20 yo went out with the pack of fast guys.  Brenda chased after them followed by Michelle.  I stayed on their heels and enjoyed the "warm up".  First mile split was 8:54...the slowest 5k pace I've ever run!!!...granted it was slight uphill and at higher altitude, my breathing was surprisingly easy.  Brenda and Michelle ran almost side by side on the narrow bike path which suits me just fine.   

I counted about 7 fast guys and 1 girl ahead.  At the turn around, I saw Rob Brough.  Dang, we were running slow.  Mile 2 came in at 8:34....ridiculously slow...I started talking to the ladies and realized their breathing was labored...time to make the move.  At a light incline about mile 2.10, I passed Michelle then Brenda and set my sight on Rob.  I passed him with 0.6 mile to go and "chicked" two guys at the last stretch.  Mile 3 split was 7:15 with the 0.1 @ 6:55.  Felt great to be 2nd woman and 6th overall...never mind that it's a small race...slowest 5K I've ever run and won...heck, I'll take it!!! 

Went to bed late after a fabulous dinner, ice show and firework display at the Sun Valley Lodge.  At the reception before dinner, they announced all the winners of the skeet shoot, golf tournament and 5K race.  I got a $25 Sport Authority gift card for my division win.  Feet were killing from wearing and walking around in heels.   Got up early anyway to run my MLR before driving home.

Ran on the Wood River/Sun Valley Trail from the condo to Dollar Mountain alongside Elkhorn Rd past St. Luke's hospital (mile 6) where I took a pit stop.  First mile has a 208' elevation gain.  Then some rollers through the golf course for 2 miles and downhill along Twin Creeks.  Beautiful scenery of green valleys and mountains, elevation above 6000' of ski runs, golf course and river crossing.  I hand carried a bottle of water and took 1 gu at the turn around.  Temp was in the mid 50s, occasional sprinkle of shower, very pleasant run.  Legs were trashed on the last 2 miles of ascend and descend.  Good training run for Park City. 

13 mi in 2:07:15.  AP: 9:46

Got home late late late last night after taking son to Provo and picking up son-in-law at the airport and going over to the firework stand to check on another son who's working security shift.  Woke up this morning with sore ankles and stiff legs.  

Ran EZ recovery with Carolyn.  AP: 9:44

Busy day today getting Eagle Scout stuff and going down to Gunnison and back.  Can't believe it's JULY!!!  Summer is HERE!!!

Went to bed late late late after a busy busy night of attending the Stadium of Fire Eagle Scouts Court of Honor dress rehearsal and to hubby's 40th HS reunion.  Talk about extreme, I went from standing for hours in the scorching sun amidst 260 teenage boys to sitting at dinner at the Harley Davidson place among the geezers who still *thunk* they're in HS but are now grandpas!!!  Anyhow, got up at 4am to drive to my SSF's house where she and Darin (her bishop) are waiting.  

We ran about 1.3 miles down thru puke hill to meet the rest of the Chumps at the park by Winchester.  It was fun meeting up with these awesome boys, JohnnyV, Rick (I think), John, Huans32, Rob Brough, TomSlick, RivertonPaul, Matt and Darin...did I miss anyone?  Teena and I were the only girls.

Temp was in the low 60s, breezy, sun hasn't come up yet.  I ran with RivertonPaul the first few miles, then with Slick, then with Huans32.  When we caught up to Teena at about mile 12.5.  Her right shin was giving her grief....STINK!!!  Slick stayed with her.   Huans32 and I went on ahead.  Then JohnnyV ran with me back to Teena's.  So glad to have him run/stay with me as I would surely be lost.  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU JohnnyV!!!!  We saw his neighbor, Josh, pushing a stroller w/ his little girl.  We ran with him for the last 3 miles home.  It was fun listening to his victorious BQ run at Ogden.  He did it in 3:10:47, with 12 seconds to spare, SO COOL!!!

Felt good about this run, longest since UVM.  I ran at a relaxed comfortable pace.  Got some tips from Slick on running with "quiet" feet.  I am bummed for my SSF though. :( After we got to Teena's, I waited and worried.  Rylee and I cooked the scrambled eggs which was Teena's assignment for their Church's 4th of July breakfast.  Then I went with her family to the breakfast....I was starving and hadn't eaten anything except for one granola bar, 1 gu and 4 flasks of gatorade.  It was a fun run...well worth getting up dark and early.

17.25 in 2:40:49.  Did not stop the watch during walk/drink breaks.  AP: 9:19.  Splits:  10:04, 8:58, 9:09, 9:08, 9:03, 9:04, 9:30, 9:40 (drink and turn around), 9:12, 9:19, 9:27, 9:13, 9:20, 9:04, 9:33, 9:02, 9:33, 8:35.

Now off to sew merit badges on the sash for my son.  Will be fun at the Stadium of Fire tonight pinning the Eagle pin on my baby, the last of 5 boys to have earned the Eagle rank!  Yipee!!!