Odgen Valley 50- October 24th, 2009

I am finally getting around to writing this race report. I have been so busy with school and my practicum. This was my 3rd race in four weeks, and a Muay Thai fight in between. I actually did better with speed this race. I had expected to take it way easy, because I had already done so much. I had taken a blow to my left shin at the fight, and it took about 4 weeks to feel normal again. But it didn't hurt to run on it, it was just very sore, and effected my kicking more than anything.

This was my third year of OV 50. The course starts at Mountain Green, UT, and follows a road to a ski resort (Snow Basin) , goes around a reservoir, and loops back up Snow Basin and back to Mountain Green. OV was also my first ultra in 2007. The course is all pavement, but it is a lot of steep up on Snow Basin Road for 8-9 miles followed by 6-7 miles of steep down (15 miles total). Then you take a 20 mile loop around Pineview Reservoir. The loop is pretty, but flat, and it is easy to get a little bored of the flat. It is also all road, and I wasn't sure I was going to do it, because I am starting to avoid road races. But I think it is good for me to do a road race every once in a while. It is also a great race because there are less than 50 people. Striders Running in Layton sponsors the race. What I most like about it is that there is one aid station at mile 15 and 35 (the end of Snow Basin Road) and the rest of the time the folks drive around support and have trucks loaded with ultrafood, and drinks. They check on you about every 2-3 miles, and you have mobile aid! It is a great service, and I like the race just for that alone.

This year the weather was great. It was cold in the morning for the first 15 miles, but the rest of the day was not too bad except a few hours in the afternoon there was rain. I did not find the rain to bothersome, because until I got to mile 35 the temperature was fine. After I hit Snow Basin it was a little cool until I got to the top and started the downhill. Once I dropped in elevation it was great temperature again, and the rain had stopped.

I took it way easy, but I still did a PR on this course. Previously my times were around 11:45 for both years. This year it was around 11:21. Now I am wishing I had not taken it so easy because I am pretty sure I could have done under 11 hours if I would have been trying. The best thing this year was the last 7 miles, I hit it into high gear, and did a 9-9:30 pace without stopping to the finish line. That is where I made up a lot of time for my meandering around Pineview, just because I was enjoying the day and didn't care.

I think had I done this kind of back to back racing, and then had a 100 miler within a month, I could finish it now. Next year I plan on doing more back to back long runs like this, before Bear, and I am going to finish it next year! I took three weeks off, well mostly, and now I am back into full training mode.