It was really windy and cold when I got out of the car at the parking area and I started worrying that I didn't bring the right clothes. Luckily, I didn't change my plan because it warmed up during the race. I ran about a 0.5 mile warm up and then got up to the starting line at a few minutes before 9:00 am. The race director delayed the start until 9:10 because there was such a long line of racers in the port-a-potty line.
When the gun went off, I started way too fast. I'm not sure why. That wasn't my plan. I guess it's my inexperience with racing. I wanted to go fast on the flats knowing that the hills wouldn't be my strength. When I started up the first hill I tried to keep up with the leading group and I know that took a lot of my energy.
On the second major hill at about mile 5, the two guys I had been running with left me. I couldn't keep up. That's when I realized I'm weak on hills. This left me in 6th place. I took just a few gulps of water at the aid station.
At the bottom of the hill in the flat section there were a few bison on either side of the trail. The two guys in front of me successfully threaded the needle. Then one of the bison that was only about 20 feet off the trail started walking towards the trail. I tried not to look it in the eyes and just kept going.
The distance between me and the other two guys kept growing gradually until the switchbacks on the third hill and then they were essentially gone (mile 8). This section of the trail was really pretty. Tons of cliffs and rocks all around. The trail got a little more rocky too. Near the end of that loop of the trail I came up over a ridge and the northerly wind hit me. My eyes started watering and I had a hard time navigating all the rocks as the trail started declining steeply. It was all I could do not to trip.
I made it to the aid station (mile 11) and drank a couple of gulps of gatorade. I maybe should have drunk more or eaten a little because soon after the aid station I started slowing down. The last big hill at mile 12 really got me. Before that hill there had been no one in sight behind me. Around 13.75 miles I started getting passed by 25k runners. My thighs and calves were extremely tight and I just couldn't get my legs to turn over quick enough. I had kept a pretty steady heart rate around 172 but it dropped significantly. My muscles were shot from the hills. A couple more runners passed me and my mental state got worse. It was all downhill from here but I just couldn't keep up. There was a very slight incline just before the finish line that slowed me way down. It felt as bad as the second hill even though it was nothing.
Here are my splits:
| Mile |
Pace |
| 1 |
6:48 |
| 2 |
8:46 |
| 3 |
7:12 |
| 4 |
6:20 |
| 5 |
6:21 |
| 6 |
8:31 |
| 7 |
6:03 |
| 8 |
8:50 |
| 9 |
9:59 |
| 10 |
8:56 |
| 11 |
8:09 |
| 12 |
7:40 |
| 13 |
10:15 |
| 14 |
8:38 |
| 15 |
9:16 |
| 16 |
9:16 |
| 16.5 |
10:15 |
| |
8:15 |
The race was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the trail and scenery. Antelope Island is really cool. I just know I could have performed better. I needed more long runs with more elevation gain in the last month or so, but my knee problems prevented that from happening. I should have started out a more moderate pace. More water and maybe something to eat would have helped a little.
| 