Done Deal, Running the Salt Lake City Marathon

After taking a few weeks off from running to let my body get a rest and clear my mind, I’ve got the bug again. I went for my first run since my Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon yesterday morning. And although I was quite sluggish, well off my pace, and sore for a good part of the day after only running 3.7 miles, my thoughts for two days have been squarely focused on taking another crack at a Full Marathon and the sub-4 hour run that eluded me the first time.

Maybe this is my version of "baby hungry". My wife and many other women occasionally suffer from an ailment, starting about a year after having a kid, where the sight of a newborn brings a rush of emotion where she insists she is ready and not only wants but NEEDS to have a newborn to cuddle up with, YESTERDAY! Lost is any rational thought about the 9 months of pregnant discomfort, the pain of child delivery, and the sleepless nights over the previous year. It is all worth the reward.

This is VERY similar I believe to my desire to run another marathon. Lost is any memory of the 1000 miles I ran in training with the associated fatigue, injury, leg cramps, and 3 pairs of $100 shoes. Lost is any memory of the suffering incurred at mile 23, hitting that wall, and having my body shut down. Lost is that blissful feeling the last month of sleeping in (to 5:45 instead of 4:45) every morning. Lost is the foresight that last time I trained in 45-70 degree mornings and this time it will be 25-50 degree mornings. All, in my mind, is worth the reward.

So it is done. I haven’t signed up for the race yet (budgets dictating the new year for that) but I have pulled the trigger of commitment (or is that "should be committed"). Today I booked my frequent flier mile financed flight to Salt Lake City, Utah, the weekend of April 18th. I couldn’t see myself waiting an entire year for Atlanta on Thanksgiving before taking another crack so I weighed my options and turned west. As I looked at spring marathons I wanted to run a larger race, on a Saturday, and where I wouldn’t have to pay for a hotel. With family in Salt Lake it was a perfect fit. By using my frequent flier miles I only had $5 to pay today to cover the flight taxes.

The Salt Lake City Marathon is a net downhill course that spans the length of the valley. Starting near the University of Utah at the Olympic Legacy Bridge, we will run south along Wasatch Dr and Foothill Dr, turn west on 2100 S. to Sugarhouse Park, and then south to Holladay Blvd and 6200 South before turning Northwest up Van Winkle Expwy. We will then run north up 500 East, past Fitts Park and through Liberty Park. The race finishes with a series of 90 degree turns zigzagging through downtown, ending at the Olympic Legacy Plaza near South Temple and RioGrande St. A full map of the course is found HERE.

I share the course because it actually helped me realize just how far 26.2 miles is! For me growing up this would have been a trip from just past Grandma’s house, almost to my house, and then downtown to temple square. Are you kidding me? That DRIVE would have taken us an hour to do when I was growing up and we would have finished the alphabet game 2-3 times (depending on the spacing of the Quaker States, School X-ings, and Zions Banks along the way…).

My only regret is that we can’t afford to fly my wife and kids out with me on this trip as they were such a pillar of strength to me in my first crack at this. I am looking forward to hopefully celebrating with siblings and if my parents can swing a trip north, celebrating with them as well. The question that has to be asked here however… are there any of my Salt Lake friends and family willing to take the leap with me? Come on, you could always run the Half Marathon or the 5k that day as well…