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| Sunrise over the Wasatch Mountains in Vineyard, UT |
Placement: 3rd in age group, 28th overall
Race Website: Here
Results: Results
Weather: 43F with no wind
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2023] [2022] [2021]
Weather: 43F with no wind
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2023] [2022] [2021]
| Mile | Time | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:05 | Started out feeling like I was going too fast. |
| 2 | 8:26 | Thought my race was over at this point. Some hills here |
| 3 | 8:11 | Rebounded nicely. |
| 3.06 | 0:21 | Crushed it to the finish. |
| Total Miles: 3.06 - 25:04 | ||
Introduction
On to the Thanksgiving Runs! November marks pretty much a month full of races to complete the year of running. While this race isn't themed as a Thanksgiving run, for me, it has always sort of felt like one.
The race is put on by the local recreation department in the bedroom community of Vineyard. The "Blizzard" tie-in seems to be that the race is in part, sponsored by the local Dairy Queen, which has a Blizzard ice cream treat. Recipients receive a coupon good for a small sundae.
Vineyard is hidden from the freeway and after about a 3 mile drive down a road, you come to a blooming slice of suburbia. The cool thing about the little city is that it borders Utah Lake, which has some stunning views.
The course has changed over the past year but this one matched the one I had run for their spring Gold Rush Days 5K. I was really hoping that I'd be able to better my time that I had run in the spring (24:17) but this year has been a battle and a frustrating one in regards to my fitness. When I arrived at the race at 7:45 AM for the 8:30 AM start, I felt like if I could hit 25:30, it would be a good day.
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| Junior 1K race start |
The Race
Packet pickup was a snap and I managed to get settled in. Around 8 AM I went for about a mile jog to get loosened up and a few pre-race photos of the course. I did some strides, used the restroom and quickly made my way to the start line in a nick of time. I could've used another 10 minutes.
The race started promptly and on time. I was situated fairly close to the front but enough to let the lead back have their way. The weather was cool but not brutal. There was very little wind and I was one of the lighter dressed ones: going out with a t-shirt, short-shorts, and thin gloves. For some reason I took along a baseball hat as well.
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| Looking out after Utah Lake |
For a small town race you may suspect that they don't know what they are doing. However, you'd be totally wrong. This race is well done from start to finish and the course was well marshalled with chalk / cone markings. There was also a police presence at key intersections.
The course starts off by heading towards the lake, before cutting across Main Street. It is basic sidewalk running but given that the race only had 250 participants, I never felt hemmed in. You could also opt in to run on the street.
I found myself gasping for breath almost immediately. I knew if I kept up the initial pace I was going to crash and burn. I wound up dialing it back a bit and got my breathing under control.
I had surveyed my "competition" at the start. The race did have some 5-year age increments but starting at the age of 40, they were 10 year ones. I knew 2 people who were in my age group -- and they are currently running faster than me -- and had quickly set me up for no better than 3rd today. It all depended if I had missed anyone else.
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| The famous stump along the shoreline. |
I was running with a few pre-teen runners. It is interesting how seriously they take the competition. I'd catch one of them, they'd look up at me, sprint forward to only realize they couldn't sustain it. It happens at every race and I am sure when I was their age, I would've done the same.
Mile 1 came in at 8:05 -- a far cry from my spring-race split of 7:40. Still I was holding on and maintaining a solid pace. To my right was the beautiful Utah Lake and I so badly wanted to stop and admire the view and scenic morning, but I had business. To the left, were lines of condos that resembled apartments. We were now on a bike trail that had some turns and little hills.
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| Typical stretch of bike trail along Utah Lake. |
At this point, I had another runner come up behind me and pass me. I took a quick look and he appeared to be my age. Darn! I had to keep up.
Mile 1 to 2 was the slowest. I was paying for the fast start and at about the halfway point I did have to contend with a short, but steep hill. Hills are my weakness and I slowed my pace and worked my way up it. My competitor passed me by but once we reached the top, I put my foot on the pedal and worked to catch up to him.
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| Last half mile stretch -- turn here! |
Mile 2 came in at a disappointing 8:26. My initial instinct was that this race was going to tank -- and tank hard in the final mile. Still, I had to try. I did see the 2nd place runner ahead of me and I figured he had about a 30 second lead on me. I had a shot but it wasn't looking good.
The final mile is about as flat as it could be. I had memories of running that mile when the wind was blasting me in the face -- but today there was nothing. Like a persistent dog, I clipped at the heels of my competitor.
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| Final stretch of bicycle trail |
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| Up to the corner and a short turn is the finish line. |
It was also at this point I started getting some drainage in the back of my throat. I had grabbed water from the aid station in hopes that I could clear it, but I wasn't too successful. The sensation invoked some of my gagging and I had to slow down to avoid throwing up.
Fortunately the guy next to me started to gasp. The final half mile was taking a toll on him. I had finally cleared whatever gunk was in my throat and stepped on the gas. I recalled all the hard sessions I have put in during training. I focused on form and turnover and slowly I put some distance on my age group foe.
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| The final turn! |
I had run the last half mile of the race in my warm-ups, so I knew how much further I had to go. I think I wound up passing one other person who suddenly began to struggle with their strong start. I was hurting, but I was sure going to make a shot at finishing strong.
I could hear the chatter of the finish line through the line of trees. I was so close, yet so far away. The course's mile markers were coming up short for me (about .05) and when I hit the 3 mile marker, I knew I had a bit more than just .1 to go.
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| Sample boardwalk -- didn't have to run on this one. |
Finally, though, I made the final turn and the finish line came into view. I knew I could hold a strong pace after all the 30 second strides I've done and just pushed it. I had been looking over my shoulder for the last few minutes to make sure no one was going to out sprint me but the coast was clear.
As I closed in on the finish line I saw the clock still had a 24:?? on it. Could I break 24? How could that be? I didn't expect to run faster than 25:30.
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| Pretty much all smiles post race. |
Conclusion
So I didn't quite break the 25 minute barrier -- I hit 25:04. Still a fantastic run given the times that I have been running of late. The race did come in at 3.06 miles, however, but I did see a few runners come in at 3.09 or 3.10. My hunch is that the course is a tiny bit short.
I grabbed my finisher's medal and said hello to my fellow runners. I knew a lot of people at the race but I did make my way over to the timer's trailer and with some trepidation, I punched in my bib number to get my time. I did in fact, win 3rd in my age group.
My competitor had tailed in behind me and saw that he was 15 years my junior. I was a little embarrassed by that but at the same time he was the reason why I didn't give up on the race (and myself).
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| Finisher's Medal and Age Group Medal |
I wound up socializing and grabbing a few pictures. There were so many people that I knew and had to visit. For a race well outside my county, it was almost like a homecoming of sorts.
The award system there is pretty simple: once enough finishers have crossed the finish line, you can go up and collect your medal. They had a podium if you wanted your photo taken.
They had fruit, packaged snacks and bottled water for post race refreshments. There was ample food too. The course was well marshalled and marked. The chalk markings, cones and volunteers had it dummy proof. There was one aid station on the course.
This is a low cost race and fits well into just about any racer's budget. The shirt is optional. You did receive a finisher's medal and they offered age group awards 3 deep. I really like their races -- they are well organized and bring back simpler days of my racing "career".
Put this race on your list to kickoff the final month of northern Utah racing.
Upcoming Races
11/09: Sandy City Thanksgiving 5K - Sandy, UT (Confirmed)
11/16: Snow Canyon Half Marathon - St George, UT (Maybe)
11/28: 2024 South Davis Recreation Center Thanksgiving Run 5K - Bountiful, UT (Confirmed)
02/23: 2025 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)
04/26:2025 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)
