Antelope Island 50K

Nate and I at the beginning of the race...it was only like 40 degrees

The last long distance race of the year for me was yesterday.  I did the Antelope Island 50K run, or about 31 miles.  This race was a trail run race around Antelope Island.  The trail run was neat because it is in an area where no one is typically able to go and see.  The race director gets a permit for the day and thus those in the race are allowed to go on this trail that is typically closed to the public.  In fact, the number of entries is even limited to no more than 75 participants.  These "ultra" runs have a totally different feel to it than a typical marathon.  It definitely feels more casual in which you are there to have a good time as opposed to competitively trying to push yourself to be the best.  For that reason alone, it was cool.  It was a beautiful run in which we saw bison and views of the Great Salt Lake that typically are not seen.  I did not realize how big the Salt Lake was.  This trail also went along the beach front of the lake as well as over mountain tops as well as through different canyons of the island.  It was definitely a fun race.  In fact, I really wouldn't even call it a race, but rather an event.  I participated in the event with Nate Younger, a neighbor as well as a member of our neighborhood running group.  We did not do this event for pace rather for pure enjoyment.  We took nearly 6 hours to run the 31 miles, where it would usually be done in about 4 and a half hours if done for time simply because we just tried to enjoy nature.  It was pretty sweet out there being in the wild where the buffalo run.  "All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."


Just crossing the finish line