Utah Valley Marathon 2012

Steve & Sam

The Utah Valley Marathon 2011 was the first official race we ran together. We had no intention of running it again until Steve's brother, Matt, decided to run it. So we thought we could give him some moral support and run with him. Not long after we registered Matt decided to get a new job in Maryland was a higher priority than running in the big fat 4our!, so we ran it without him.

Anyway, we did not originally plan on running this race again but found ourselves doing it. In some ways it is exciting to run the same course again. You know what to expect and can plan accordingly, both mentally and physically. Last year I did not expect the hills to be so difficult and was better prepared this year.

The race started out nice and Steve and I used our experienced skills to weave in and out of the slow people who think, for some reason, they need to start at the very front of the line. About mile 3 a headwind picked up, which felt refreshing at first, but quickly became a major deterrent for practically the whole race. It's a strange feeling running down a steeper decline and having the wind almost stop you in your tracks. The downhills are supposed to be easier! Anyway, I'd say the wind was strong in our faces for the middle 18 miles or so.

We ran together side-by-side for about the first nine miles. Then I didn't see Steve again until the finish line (He probably had to stop to tip a port-o-john over or something of the like. Maybe the monkey he sewed into his sock fell off and he had to stop and find it). I took it easy during miles 14-20, then kicked it into gear for the last six.

Sam's time: 3:46:43, knocking a whole 41 minutes off last year's time. Averaging 8:39 minute miles. And setting the record between the two of us.

Steve's "official" time was Four Twenty-Aweful. Averaging 10:30suuuuuuck per mile.

Sam, in orange, sprinting the last 100 yds.

I lost that toenail last year and it only just grew back. I think it got

clipped twice since last year. I guess it will be an annual loss.

What Steve learned from this race:

1.  Drink more the night before.  I tried to reign in drinking water/gatoraid in the hopes that I wouldn’t have to take so many leaks prior to the race, but it didn’t help.
2.  If you start walking once, you’re pretty much guaranteed to walk again… and again… and again.
3.  The ratio of hours of sleep to hours of car travel within the previous 24 hours should not be 1:2, but rather 2:1.
4.  Bad days happen.  I’m signing up for the Layton marathon a week from Friday (my next payday).

5:  I don’t need to run 7:20 miles for the first five miles.  Stick to the game plan.