This run came about due to a visit to see my grandmother. My grandmother, aunt, and cousin Danny all live in Salt Lake City and I haven’t seen them in years. My grandmother is in a nursing home now, and I realized there might not be much time left to visit. So, Mike graciously agreed to fly out to SLC with me and endure a lot of time in a nursing home. We agreed to try and enjoy the outdoors a little while there, so he agreed to let me run a 50K, if I agreed to try skiing.

I am such a baby about cold weather, and the SLC forecast looked anything but spring like for out entire trip. Highs only reaching 40 and snow or rain most days. Yuck. I packed every warm layer I owned and hoped for the best. A bit of luck put our motel next door to the Wasatch Running Company, so I was able to pick up a few more warm layers. After several visits to the nursing home, and LOTS of poker games (grandma is a card shark), race morning arrived. Did I mention how much I appreciate Mike driving me out to the Salt Lake at the crack of dawn? (I couldn’t drive the rental, as it was pointed out to me in airport security my license was expired….oops!)

The race took place on Antelope Island State park. This is the largest island in the Salt Lake, and I learned it contains some of the oldest rocks found anywhere on earth. There is also a herd of 500 or so wild bison. There is one lone tree on the island (named Lone tree, site one of the aid stations), so exposure is an issue. On a sunny day the island would cause a major sunburn. Race morning is overcast, spitting snow, and more snow and ice predicted. Uggg….how do I get myself into these cold races!

Mike dropped me off, and I told him to come back in about 5 hours. The race was supposed to be an easy course, and I didn’t want to wait around forever freezing at the end. We immediately saw several buffalo in the distance. Cool.

The setting for this race was so unique it is really hard to describe. In one direction there were the snow covered Wasatch mountains, in another direction was the vastness of the Salt Lake, and in another was a big, craggy snow covered peak on the island, and then what looked like a big prairie. I got to the start right on time and had to settle in the back of the pack. The race started out on sandy park roads, which quickly turned into beach sand. Not easy running. I motored along, and realized I was slowly going up hill. The beach sand made it tough. Up towards the craggy peak, I saw Lone Tree where I knew there was an aid station. Notice I say UP. It was a long gradual climb to lone tree and I then realized if Mike came back in 5 hours to get me, he would have a wait. The trail was also pretty muddy, so I was slowed a little from that too. I hit Lone tree, and filled up on goodies, and continued to climb up. I realized I was going up switchbacks, up the craggy mountain. The ground here was still covered in snow. I pulled out my ipod and fired it up. This was the coolest part of the run. We ran up and around the big craggy mass, and then back down to Lone Tree, a six-mile loop or so. The entire way was snow and mud covered single track with amazing views. I was solo most of the time and just sucked in the scenery and made a mental note to do every Utah trail run I could. I came down a hill, hit the aid station and then started a descent back to the start/ finish. I saw what I thought was a bunch of bushes, but as I got closer I realized it was BUFFALO! There must have been about 100. It was a beautiful sight to see all the buffalo and have the snow covered Wasatch Mountains in the distance. I told myself now matter how rough I felt on loop 2, this was worth it!

The weather was holding out for us. It was cold, but it is so dry in Utah compared to Texas, I didn’t have a damp, chilled feeling like I get on cold days here. It was dry and a couple times the sun peaked out a bit.

A long, sandy, stretch took us back to the start/ finish where I refilled my goodies and headed back out. I felt great until the sandy climb to Lone tree. I don’t know if I had some leg fatigue from the Waco 50K the weekend before, or the altitude, but I realized I had to slow and walk a little more on this loop. I walked the entire climb to Lone Tree this time. The loop up and around the mountain proved more difficult too. I just tried to enjoy the scenery, but a little part of me was stressing that Mike would be waiting on me to finish in pretty cold weather. I completed the mountain loop, hit Lone Tree again, and figured I had about 5 more miles. I headed towards the buffalo herd again and they were even closer to the trail this time. Almost a little too close for comfort. As I entered the really sandy stretch of trail, the temperature suddenly dropped a lot, wind kicked up and sleet was pelting me. No biggie, I had about 3 miles to go at this point. You run down to the finish, but it’s visible for 3 miles or so before you get there. Talk about torture! I hit the real home stretch and saw Mike sitting in the car with the heat cranked up. As I finished, lots of nice folks were cheering and I got a nice long sleeve finisher’s shirt. There was lots of nice post race food. I passed on the cauldron of buffalo stew, but stuffed my face with a few powdered donuts, and decided I had tortured Mike enough by making him watch a bunch of freaks run around an island in 30 degrees and dodge buffalo.

We left not a moment too soon, because the snow started full speed. We had to rush to the nursing home for another grandmother visit and I sat in her wheelchair while we played poker, enjoying the new cushion we had purchased for it. My butt sure needed it after that run! I had an intense craving for a hearty, dark beer, but Utah’s sucky liquors laws would not allow that to happen.

All in all, a great run. Worth doing if you are in the area. The setting is like no other. I found out after the fact that the peak on the island we ran up was over 6000 feet, so I guess that explains why I thought it was hard!

I had some low points on this run for sure, but got myself out of them by slowing down; savoring the beautiful course, and thinking about my family I was visiting. My grandmother and aunt both endure a lot of pain due to health issues, and I am so lucky and fortunate I am able to enjoy running and have good health. I thought of them both a lot, and I hope they took a little strength from me, like I took a little strength from them this weekend. Also, what an awesome husband I have who will put up with all this, and limit the comments on what a bunch of freaks runners are (ok…he makes a few from time to time, but usually very justified!)
And a final note….time ran out and we didn’t get to ski, but snowshoeing sure is awesome!