Gaining more than you lose

We always go to the Murray Parade with my wifes family. I'm not a huge parade fan, so I try to make up for it by getting a little run in the 5K. 

Weather was cloudy with the occasional raindrop, and it felt humid. I ran for a bit before to warm up, this was my first run since 45 at Laramie last weekend. This course runs from Murray Park south down State about a mile, then turns around and runs back to Vine street, up Vine for about a half mile, then down into the park, finishing back near the entrance. When the gun went off I started out fairly fast, but tried to hold myself back a little, trying to save some energy for later.

This is not a flat or fast course, there's a decent little hill (for a 5K anyway) south of 53rd, and then more when you come back and make your way to Vine. I felt great the first mile, then started to feel a little tired in my legs shortly after the turnaround. I just couldn't seem to hold the pace, I also felt like the humidity was making me overheat, not sure that full on sun would have been any better though! I find it interesting they do have one water station on the course, but its at about 2.75 miles in, at that point I just needed some to dump on my head! Pushed hard and finished strong at the finish, coming in at 22:19 - a few seconds slower than last year, and not as fast as I would liked, but I guess I can't complain with the time with the long run last weekend and it not being a super fast course (though the winner did it in 15:15 :)).

Had a good time and it made for a good start to the very fun and full day!

Ran up Holbrook canyon, just north of Mueller park by the Bountiful Temple. Beautiful trail, fairly steep with some decent climbs, lots of ups and downs, but pretty much all runnable (1000 feet in 1.75 miles). It was really overgrown in spots, which turned out to be where I had to walk at times, because I couldn't see the ground and there would undoubtedly be a big rock in the middle of the trail where its covered. Crossed the stream about 10 times until I got to a crossing that I just didn't feel like crossing without anyone else around. I'm sure it would have been fine, but you never know, and I was close enough to the mileage I wanted that I didn't worry about it. I didn't push the pace at all, just enjoyed being on the trails, felt like it had been a while since I just went out and ran on a trail for no good reason other than the enjoyment of it. 

Wasatch Crest with Jun and Scott. This was my first time on this trail, and man was I impressed! The road was closed on the way up towards guardsman, so we had to run an extra mile up the road, then hit the dirt road for a couple of uphill miles. Then you hit the singletrack for a couple of rolling flat miles, followed by 4 miles of bombing downhill to the end. I kept yo-yo-ing away from Craig then I'd catch up to him, then he'd pull ahead again, then with about a half mile to go I just completely ran out juice and had to just coast my way in. Fantastic run full of amazing views surrounded by pines and aspen. Can't wait for more runs like it.