2025 Antelope Island Duathlon & Run 10K Race Recap -- Syracuse, UT

Official Time: 54:45
Placement: 2nd overall
Results:  Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: 37F - strong breeze from the north east
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: First Time for me

Mile	Time	Comments
1	9:07	Into a pretty strong wind.  Felt like I was running faster.
2	9:01	Consistent but still still windy.
3	9:03	I can see the turn around. Still feeling okay but slower than I'd like.
4	8:41	The wind is still howling, but at least I felt like it was pushing me
5	8:41	Another consistent mile. Trying to gain ground on the first place runner
6	8:42	Gave up on first place finish, but still running as hard as I could
6.19	1:28	Solid race. Finished strong.
	Total Miles: 6.19 - 54:46

Introduction

Right now there is a bit of a lull in the racing calendar.  I wasn't really expecting to race this weekend but I had a friend who was eager to race. We decided that we'd do something a bit different -- race on a Friday morning.

In the past, OnHillEvent's Antelope Island Duathlon came up on my calendar and I pretty much routinely dismissed it.  It would require a day off from work and it was primarily a bike + run event. But this year, there were a bunch of bike + running events, plus simply running events.  It was also on Antelope Island, a cool state park about 45 minutes from where I lived.

The weather looked fine for the Friday, so we plunked down our money and made it a deal.  For me, I'd be running the 10KM race along the island's causeway.  A perfectly flat and unique course that would ideal for a fast time.

The Race

I arrived an hour before the official start time of 9 AM.  The drive up wasn't bad at all and despite passing through Salt Lake City just before rush hour.  Parking was simple and I had had a friend pick up our bibs the day before.

We had did have a bit of a scare moments before the race started.  A few minutes before the race the person who had gotten our bibs asked if we had found the timing ankle chip in the bag.  I was like, "What?"  Normally they have the mag stripes on the back of the bibs.  I checked -- there was no such thing on the back of my bib.  Given that the race was a duathlon, we had an ankle timing thing.  Fortunately, with there being two sets of races, a bike and runner, it gave me barely enough time to run back to the car, find the ankle things and get them back to the starting line.  

Whew!

The race started at 9:10 or so and we had to fire off one-by-one.  The way the computer was set up and with the bike situation, they had to manually tell people to go.  I figured I was in the first 30 people or so to go.

The Marina

It was chilly and there was a very strong breeze coming from the north.  There wasn't much cover on the course and most people were bundled up.  I was lightly dressed in thin gloves, short shorts, and a simple t-shirt. Within the first quarter mile I was thinking that I was going to freeze and I had made a poor decision not to wear a jacket.  But once I was warmed up, and the sun came out a bit more, I felt comfortable with my choice.

I was actually feeling pretty good -- not PR good but definitely better than usual.  Whatever nagging fatigue issues I've been dealing with for the last few months were not present today.  After started, I ran less than 50 yards and hung a left, for the course's only turn.  To my left and right was the shores of the Great Salt Lake.  Above me, I could hear fighter jets flying overhead from the Hill Air Force base.  The way I was running, I felt like I was making that roaring noise as well.

The race is run on the causeway, which separates the mainland of Utah with the island.  It runs about 6.5 miles and is flat and mostly straight. There is only one tiny hill that supports a small bridge -- but given the right conditions, it is a very fast course.

I thought I was going to go deaf with the wind roaring in my left ear.  I wasn't sure what I was running and didn't want to look at my watch.  While most of the wind was at my side, I felt like a fair amount of it was slowing me down.

The first order of business was to establish a solid pace and I began to overtake some of the initial runners.  I had no idea who was running what distance but we all had to run the same course for the 5K, 10K, and half marathon distances.

Mile 1 rang up almost spot on with the mile marker.  I was running about a 9:09 pace.  Given the windy conditions I was both dismayed and elated.  I was running strong and felt solid. No one was passing me and I was overtaking half marathon runners.

I hit the 5K turn around and saw the lead woman fly by me and make U-turn.  She would wind up winning the 5K.  I also made a mental note of the distance -- 1.55 miles.  The course was coming in accurately.

Mile 2 came up at about the same pace as mile 1.  I was still holding steady but I was really hoping to see mile 3 and if I'd pick up any tailwind on the way back.

The crowd had thinned out and I was passing less and less people.  There were still targets ahead but the actual side-by-side running had ended. In the distance, I could see the next aid station and that is where the turnaround for the 10K would be.  I could hardly wait but everything looked so much further.

I hadn't spotted any return runners yet, so the 10K was lightly attended.  As I got to the turn around -- I still hadn't seen anyone coming back.  Could I really be in first overall?  And how many other 10K runners were behind me who had started late?  

Just as I approached the turn around, one single male runner circled around the 3.1 mile cone and started heading back towards me.  I figured I was about 20 - 30 seconds behind him. As I made my way to the 2nd aid station, I grabbed a bit of water and turned as well.  Putting me in 2nd place.

I had a shot at winning this thing.

I got shouts of encouragement as I made my way back from the outgoing 10K and half marathon runners.  I also got a boost because now the wind -- felt mostly pushing me along -- but I still didn't feel like it was giving me everything I had fought for.

Mile 4 came in nearly 20 seconds faster than mile 3.  The wind was indeed helping.

I kept the first place guy in my sights, but we were pretty much running the same pace.  I'd occasionally gain some ground on him and get complacent and he'd make it up again.  Also, exactly how much time did I have to make up?  He had started earlier than I had, so just how much of a lead did he have?  He was my sole focus and there wasn't another runner tailing me.

Sample stretch of causeway

Things got a little confusing as I sped by the 5K.  The cyclists who were running the 5K edition portion of their race were flying by me and coming at me.  It was encouraging to encounter other runners because it was fairly lonely running.

The last 2 miles went by in a blink of an eye. I was hurting but still maintaining a consistent and strong pace.  I kept trying to tell myself to make a move and catch the first place runner, but it wasn't really happening.  

Runners coming into the finish line

In the distance horizon, I could see the fabled blue OnHillEvent's finishing arches. There was a smattering of people spectating and I got some shouts of encouragement.  I made the final turn and gave it everything I had in the final quarter mile. 

And I finished in 54:45 -- nearly 2 minutes faster than my Lucky 13 10KM race debacle.

Conclusion

As I finished, I grabbed my medal and found my stash bag and cooled off, chatting with other runners.  Now that the sun had come up and I was in a bit of a bowl, the wind wasn't too bad and it was actually a beautiful day.

I ran back to my car to get a bit heavier jacket and wait for my carpool person to finish their half marathon.  I grabbed my phone and checked the results.  Was there a mistake? Had I really finished 2nd?  Maybe first?

I did finish in 2nd and I wasn't short by a minute, but I was 15 seconds behind.  I was happy to have placed 2nd but in a way, I wish I had found a way to find another 15 seconds.

I took my camera and got some photos of the finish area / start area and killed some time until the awards were being given out -- which wasn't long.

It was nice to come home with a pretty cool medal and plaque for my efforts.  The t-shirt was nicely designed and definitely shows I ran a race on Antelope Island.  But again the cotton / polyester blend isn't a hit with me.

Post race refreshments included Fat Boy ice cream bars, oranges, bananas and granola bars.  There was an ample supply for the 250+ runners.

I wound up getting some finishing pictures of my friends as well.

Overall, I was pleased with my race performance.  The overall time, though, isn't indicative of my current fitness though.  Well I guess it is, but given where I was in January, it doesn't seem right.  I did feel fantastic throughout the race and I felt like "Old Racing Eddie"

The race was a bit on the expensive side (nearly $50) but given the current market conditions and that I basically waited until the last minute to register, it was a fair price.  

All in all, it was a fantastic morning for a race and I felt good about it.  It was nice to get out and do something new.  Although, I have run the course before (in the 2012 and 2013 Layton Marathons) it had been a while and it was refreshing to run a "somewhat" new race.

Upcoming Races

04/26: 2025 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

05/10: 2025 Run Farmington 10K - Farmington, UT (Confirmed)

02/22: 2026 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

2025 Vineyard City Gold Rush 5K Race Recap -- Vineyard, UT

Running along the shores of Utah Lake

Official Time: 26:20
Placement: 3rd in the 50 - 59 -- 63rd overall
Results:  Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: 43F -- damp but negligible wind
Course Map / Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2024] [2023]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:23	Decent start. Still slower than usual.
2	8:52	Was hoping I'd at least match the first mile. I think a few hills slowed me up.
3	8:45	Pushing as hard as I could.
3.05	0:19	Dug deep and pushed.
	Total Miles: 3.05- 26.21

Calm before the race!

Introduction

Despite not having a great race last weekend, I somewhat surprised myself by signing up for the Vineyard City Gold Rush 5K.  I had a case of FOMO and I kind of wanted something to do on Saturday morning.

Having run the race before, I knew that Vineyard -- along with its views of Utah Lake, would be a beautiful opportunity to run in an area I normally would make a special trip to.  It has also been a bit of time since I've run a 5K and given my current fitness, maybe I could surprise myself at the event.

Packet pick up at Vineyard Grove Park

I did arrive at the race just shy of 8 AM for the 8:30 AM start.  It was damp but not terrible out.  The weather was threatening a bit of rain but the morning was ideal for racing:  perfect footing, no wind and cool out.

Packet pickup / parking was a snap since I had gotten there early and I wound up doing about a mile warm-up.  On the 30 minute drive to Vineyard, I felt ready to race.  My warm-up was a different story.  I felt flat and not very "fast".  I could barely must up any sort of stride work and I felt the stiffness / fatigue that I've been dealing with for the last 2 months creep up.  This was going to be a challenging race.

Let's do this!

The Race 

If you've been following my blog of late, you know my race performances haven't been the greatest.  I was really hoping that today was going to change all of that.  I felt okay on the 30-minute drive down to the race, but once I started to do my 1 mile easy warm-up, I felt the fatigue creep in.  I didn't really have any energy to do any strides and it seemed to be a struggle just to do a shuffle.  My Garmin was reporting that my heart rate was near 150 BPM, which also seemed very high for the shuffle I was doing.  Was this a false report?  What is going on?

Section of the running path along Utah Lake

I managed to get to the starting line and started to look at my competion.  A friend of mine, who happens to be in the same age division and would surely finish ahead of me, made me think that at best I was competing for 2nd place.  Should I be worried?  

I just told myself to relax and just get this race done!

Section of the running path along Utah Lake

The race started off and immediate we began to run westward along the sidewalk.  It was crowded running, but I had lined up appropriately.  At times I was cramped and opted to run on the streets, but for the most part it was smooth sailing.

After a block, we hung a right to go north and then once again ran south towards Lake Utah. This course was identical to their Thanksgiving race.  Despite the damp conditions, the running conditions were great.  It was a bit muggy out, but it wasn't a detractor and there was virtually no wind.

Just after or before mile 2

Just before the mile 1 marker hit, up came another runner who definitely looked to be in my age group.  

Was I now competing for 3rd?

I felt okay and the brain fog / fatigue was there, but it wasn't dominating my run.  The mile 1 marker came up and not soon after, my watch ran 8:15.  

I hadn't glanced at all at my watch and the pace was decent and not unexpected.

The final push along the streets of Vineyard Utah

At this point, we were on the highlight of the course.  To my right was Lake Utah with some stunning views of the westwide mountains.  My competition was still ahead of me, but he wasn't gaining too much ground.  

I felt like I was running okay but every now and then I'd hit a minor hill and my pace dropped.  I knew I had had difficulties last year on this stretch.  I knew my pace had slowed, but it would seem like everyone else's had as well.

Section of the running path along Utah Lake

While I thoroughly enjoyed running on the bike trail, I knew a mental queue was when I would go head east - and at that point I knew I was going to be in the final third of the race.

Finally, the runners ahead of me could be seen making the turn.  Internally, I sighed with relief.  In addition, my competiton was still within striking distance.  Time to turn it up a notch!

Hilly portion of the walkway

After another quarter mile or so, I was greeted by the mile 2 sign.  We were back to running on the sidewalk and headed east.  I was working with a pack of runners and I felt like I could really press the final mile, despite having run a kind of disappointing 8:45.

Section of the running path along Utah Lake

I was now running neck and neck with my competition.  Usually I can't pull off something like that but today, I was doing it.  It gave me motiviation.  Part of me wantede to ask him his age group, but I'd rather have to work for the finish.

I started to put some ground on him.

Section of the running path along Utah Lake

I had done my warm-up, up to the final turn and I was trying to find the park on the right, which would indicate the turn back onto a bike trail.  Finally the park came into view and I saw a solitary orange corn with an arrow on it.  It didn't change how far I still had to go, but it was yet another mental breakdown of the race.

Finally, the black asphalt appeared and I ducked left.  A little more than half a mile to go.  I felt like I was running fast but at times I had glanced at my watch and it was slower than my perceived exertion.  

I didn't want to look over my shoulder to see how much distance I had put on my competition.  I imagined him right on my tail and that only spurred me on.

It was also helpful: I was running with another guy who was at my same pace.  He may have been encouraging his children but he was also encouraging me.  Push! And telling us how much distance we had.  Hearing someone else definitely helped, even though a simple glance of my watch would've told me the same thing.  I was just nice to work with someone.

Recalling from the Thanksgiving race, I knew that once I turned the final corner I wouldn't have much road left to make up the distance.  The course, routinely comes in at around 3.06 miles. Despite hitting the 3 mile marker early, I knew I had to push my hardest.

My running mate and I both took off at the same time. He probably had 15 years on me, and his sprint was definitely better than mine.  But I sped through the finish line, with the final mile coming in at about the same as mile 2.  But I was done!

The finish line!

Conclusion

I wound up beating the Leprechaun in the race.  One of the gimicks is that if you beat the volunteer, you won a golden coin (a real $1 coin).  I didn't even see the Leprechaun but it was a nice incentive.

I also received a pretty cool finisher's medal.

Runners finishing.

My friend came up to me after the race (the one who was in my age group) and reported that a probable guy in our age group (50 to 59) beat him.  Now, I was worried.

After recoverying, I went to the truck to print my results.  I came in 3rd and it later became official.  It does turn out that the guy who I was chasing, was indeed in my age group.  I felt pretty bad about it, but I know I've been in his shoes many times before.

Quick post race photo

Post race refreshments were water and some flavor packets. There was also an assortment of granola bars and fruit.  We were also encouraged to go to the local school (that we passed early in the race) for a community breakfast -- that was free.

Runners cheering finishers on

I wound up doing about a 2.5 mile cool down after getting my award.  Most of the photos you see on the page were taken post race.  The post race breakfast was there to showcase some local exhibitors.  I had missed most of it, but there was yogurt, hot chocolate, muffins and high-end cupcakes.  There was also fruit.  A simple help yourself continental breakfast.

Medals + Leprechaun chase coin

This race is a bargain and runs like a well oiled machine.  I got into the race about a week before it and paid $30.  There is an option to buy a shirt, but they are cotton and I've already got a ton of them.  The race was also filled with a mix of casual runners and those who were definitely competing.  The course is also flat, well marked and offered one aid station.

My performance: was not a break through. It was simply okay and par for the course, and I've definitely lost something.  It was nice to come home with a double medal (plus the lucky coin).  I was able to shake off the fatigue and brain fog but I still felt like something was holding me back.

I need to figure out things.  Mysteriously, I've lost a fair amount of time in my races and I don't have a reasonable explanation.  Perhaps a doctor's visit is in order

Upcoming Races

04/26: 2025 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

05/10: 2025 Run Farmington 10K - Farmington, UT (Confirmed)

02/22: 2026 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)

2025 Lucky 13 10K Race Recap - West Jordan, UT

Somewhat Happy times at the start

Official Time: 56:12
Placement: 2nd in the 55-59 30th overall
Results:  Here
Race Website: Here
Weather: mid 30sF, 10 mph+ breeze from the north
Garmin Dump: Here
Previous Years: [2022] [2021] [2019] [2018] [2014]

Mile	Time	Comments
1	8:44	Crowded start. Had to do a lot of navigating
2	8:50	Cleared up, but first half of the mile was fairly congested
3	8:57	Definitely not my day. The turnaround can't come soon enough
4	9:12	Can I rebound? A bit of headwind though.  Just trying to finish at this point
5	9:13	Just picking up milestones in the distance and trying to reach them
6	9:23	Felt like I was running a lot faster here
6.19	1:37	Finally, finished.
	Total Miles: 6.20 - 55:58

Packet Pickup at Gardner Village

Introduction

One of the St Patrick's Day race traditions for me is doing OnHillEvents' Lucky 13 Race.  I've done this race several times over the past decade.  The race, however, has changed a bit over time -- different locations throughout the northern Utah area.

Normally where the race is held

Like the past several years, this year's race was held at Gardner Village -- a mere 1.75 miles from my house.  It makes it super convenient and I know the course well; doing many of my long runs on Sundays along the course.

I had gotten a pretty good deal on the race from the race organizer's Black Friday sale and given the familiarity with the race, it made it a no-brainer to attend.

Pre-race mayhem

The Race

Packet pickup was strongly encouraged for Friday and given that Gardner Village is less than 2 miles from my house, I made the jaunt there after my work day was done. There was a bit of a line-up but overall, it was a quick in-and-out experience.  It also saved myself anxiety getting my bib the day of the race.

Normally the race starts and ends at the shopping center.  But given that just days before the race, the underpass that leads from the shopping center to the bike trail was flooded, the race was held about a quarter of a mile down the trail from the shopping center.  The starting area isn't as elegant as the shopping center but it did save us the misfortunate of having to go into ankle deep water at the start of the race.

Coming into the race, I knew it would be a long shot for me to turn in a decent time. I have some posterior tibilias tendonitis and I was coming off a week of no running.  Ever since Vegas (and even before), I haven't been in peek shape and my running has felt labored, and honestly, not coming easy.

Normally, the race starts off with the half marathon, followed by the 10K runners (me) and the 5K.  As the racers started to congregate to line up, I presumed that they were all half marathoners.  From previous experiences I would start about 5 - 10 minutes later.

Long story short -- I was wrong.

Suffice to say I was one of the last ones to start. And given that the race was being run on a standard-issue bike trail with nearly 700 runners -- it meant a very congested start.

So I spent the first mile navigating my way around walkers and slower runners.  They were pretty much occupying the entire lane too; so I was doing a lot of running in the dirt on the side of the trail or gently trying to merge my way through shoulder-to-shoulder runners.

I knew it was going to be a tough day, but this wasn't how I was hoping I'd start the day.  

The first mile came in at 8:44.  I expected to be slow but I was also okay with it given my current level of fitness.

The race crowd begin to thin, but also at this point, I was dealing with the 5K lead pack coming the other way.  Any passing lane I felt like I could take suddenly was blocked off.  Still I was okay with it. 

Once I passed through the mile marker (perfectly placed at 1.55 miles), the crowd thinned out and I could no longer use crowds as any sort of a justification of my pace.

I had no idea who my competition was (although a friend of mine was running the 10K who is in my age group -- who is also MUCH faster than me), so I knew at best I was shooting for 2nd in my age group.  

To be honest, at this point I knew I was already pushing too hard.  The pace should've been easy, but it wasn't coming easily.  Mile 2 came in at 8:50.  Consistent but disappointing.  But I was conserving energy, right?

Despite the freezing (or near freezing temperatures) the running and air temperature were perfect. In the first quarter mile of the race, however, the bridge had a very slippery sheen of ice on it.  Fortunately that was the only complaint I had about the course.  Little did I know, I also had a bit of a tailwind to start the race.

As we sped our way south near the Sandy Golf Course, I couldn't help but hope that the course was short.  News flash it wasn't.  I was just so cooked and I was working hard.  I felt like I was running 8:15 or so, but the effort was closer to 9 minute per mile.  

Finally I saw the 2nd aid station and the 10K turn around.  It was at 3.10 miles and I just wanted the race to end.   My pace was now in the 9 minute per miles and what should've been an easy 2-hour half marathon pace was now a gut buster.

I was frustrated with myself and I should've been able to pick up the pace.  And now, I had a bit of a headwind to contend with.

I saw maybe one person ahead of me who might me in my age division but in a way, I was beyond caring.  My time was rubbish, I hated running, I am going to quit racing -- you know the drill. My head was telling me I was running 8:15's but my body was shuffling along at 9+ minute miles.

Mile 4 saw more degradation to my time.

On the plus side, seeing the outgoing 10K runners spurred me on a bit and once in a while I'd overtake someone.  I had about a 3-minute buffer of when I started and when the race actually began.  So I really didn't have a clue as to where I stood with other people.  My goal at this point was to try and rebound.

My tendon was causing problems, but nothing that would stop me.  I know it does impact my push-off but I'd be using that as a lame excuse to my race time today.

I kept working on biting off chunks of the course.  Get to mile 4. Get to the 5K turn around.  Get to 1 mile left.  Just little milestones to keep my head in the game.  I was using every trick in the book.

Mile 5 came along and it wasn't much better than 4.  Why was this so hard today?  I had been training at 8:15 pace all winter.

Frustration was mounting and I really wanted to just stop and walk.  An occasional runner passed me, but for the most part, I didn't have anything to worry about in regards to my placing except to hold on.

Mile 6 was the slowest yet: 9:22.  Please let's just end this race.

I couldn't even really muster a final push in the final quarter mile. I had nothing. The last quarter mile was dotted with spectators and I used their motivation to push me forward.  I did straighten up my form for the camera people and sped under the OnHillEvents arch and I finally completed the 10K race.

Conclusion

So the writing on my race performance was already predicted before I completed my first 100 yards.  I had a lot of things going against me:

1) I was not in peak shape.  The last 3 - 4 weeks my running has felt flat and uninspired.

2) I wasn't really in the mood to race / run hard

3) I have an injury (that sort of flared up in the race but ultimately effects my push-off)

4) My last 3 - 4 races have resulted in slower times than predicted.

I do feel like something is wrong.  Either I am over-trained, dealing with some sort of physical problem, or struggling with the effects of aging.  

I grabbed my medal and found a seat away from other people and just sat there -- disappointed.  Where was all my hard earned fitness that I had banked over the winter?

Eventually I composed myself, and wandered amongst people -- congratulating my fellow competitors and checking in with friends.  I also grabbed my camera and got photos of people.  I've had bad races in the past and I'll have them again in the future but a string of them is hard to swallow.

The weather had been threatening rain, sleet and snow but we caught a break.  For a brief moment during the race it had snowed but it wasn't anything to be concerned about.  I had brought some extra clothes to the finish line and the jacket I had got me through to the awards ceremony.  I had gotten 2nd in  my age group -- my competitor 1st.  I was hoping he'd take the top 3 and I think at one point he was in the top 3 (which would've put me in 1st).

Post race refreshments were bananas (very green), cheese strings, oranges and granola bars.  Pretty much standard fare.  There were 3 aid stations for the 10K (you hit the 5K one twice).  

Other than the start, the race was well organized.  The mile markers were spot on, the course measured up, plenty of marshals and markings on the course to indicate directions to run (which I already knew, having run the course many times).

The medals were nice too.  A pretty nice St Patrick's Day theme medal.  The shirt was also cool, although I am not a fan of the cotton blend shirts.  

So what comes next? I am not sure.  There were times in this race where I seriously wanted to retire from racing -- and even running. I put in a lot of work over the winter and my first serious race went very well -- and subsequently the rest -- not so much.  Just a steady decline into the abyss.

I'll have to sort things out.  The obvious factors are that I am probably burned out and two the tendonitis issue is holding me back.

Fortunately, I have a bit of a break coming up from racing. I may take some time to regroup.

Upcoming Races

03/22: 2025 Vineyard City Gold Rush 5K -- Vineyard, UT (Confirmed)

04/26: 2025 Salt Lake City Half Marathon - Salt Lake City, UT (Confirmed)

05/10: 2025 Run Farmington 10K - Farmington, UT (Confirmed)

02/22: 2026 Las Vegas Half Marathon - Las Vegas, NV (Confirmed)