This was my 4th Utah Valley Marathon and once again this race does not disappoint. I have been lucky enough to work for a company that is pretty health conscious and will pay the entry fees for employees that want to run, so this was a big score for me!
This was also a big deal for me to hit another milestone in my 100 marathon quest as this would be my 75th Marathon! After 75, my goal really feels within reach now. Of course my dream would be to finish my 100th in NYC, but with it being close to impossible to get in, I probably need to start working on a plan to finish this up. EEK!
I have been meat free for the past month, so I was wondering if my new/old diet would affect me running long. I am still trying to master getting enough protein without over doing it on the carbs.
I didn't have any issues there but a really busy week at work and little sleep left me tired and with a sick stomach even before the 2:00am wake up call on race morning!
At 3:00am, my neighbor and friend, Galen and I carpooled the 26 miles from Draper to Provo (thanks for driving G!) and got the bus to Wallsburg and the starting line.
When we got there we found some other Maniacs and Run Away friends and socialized until the gun went off!
Marathon Maniacs at UVM!
I just had to grab a selfie with two of my favorite peeps Tim Gill and John Bozung!
Blue Steel with Joshua!
It was so great to see Mike at the start!
And we are off!
The thing I love about the Utah Valley Marathon is not only the great organization, the scenery is just beautiful!
While this course has a net downhill, there are a few good climbs around miles 7-10 and another big one at mile 16.
Found me a friend at the turn heading up the first big hill!
These Firemen ran the full marathon in their uniforms! This was about 8 miles in!
Right around the half, a headwind kicked up and it made it very difficult to run. I ended up walking the entire hill at 16 as I was using so much energy fighting the wind, I decided to save my energy.
Bridal Veil Falls
Thank goodness the the wind died down when we came out of the canyon just past the 20 mile mark.
The last 6 miles are not as scenic, but there are more people out cheering for you and the nice gentle downhill feels good.
It was great to see my friend Christy volunteering! She is just a doll!
Like the Ogden finish line, you have to run down a long straight street to get to the UVM finish line. You can see it almost 2 miles out. It was so great to see it, but as you ran towards it, it just didn't seem to get any closer, but before I knew it, I was done!
#75 DONE!
After I finished, I hung out with some friends and watched other friends finish.
Oh yeah! This was a tough place to be! Grrrrr! Ha Ha!!
Galen, Sue and I at the Finish!
Overall the day was perfect. Even with the wind, the temps were cooler than in years past, which was a big help (along with those Otter Pops at mile 22)!
I look forward to running again next year and who knows, maybe I will have my 100th at the Utah Valley Marathon!
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