Big Vigor Half Marathon

May 10, 2014

Another pacing opportunity.  I sure love this job!  It brings a lot of joy to my running life.

I met up with my buddy Josh at the bus pick-up area and the other pacers.
We look much too perky for how early it really is.  

This run would start up Big Cottonwood Canyon in Salt Lake and would be a very downhill, fun, fast course.  I will admit it's a little hard to pace a slower time when it's so very downhill because I just want to take off.  I would be pacing the 2:20 spot this time.

The nice thing about this particular race is instead of getting a bus ride up a canyon and then having to wait outside in the freezing cold in the mountains for an hour for the race to start, they offer a nice little place where they serve hot drinks and let us wait until about 15 minutes before race starts. 

London and Josh, two of my very good running buddies!

We had a great time running in this beautiful canyon.  You know it's cold when there is still snow in the hills.  I definitely wore my under armor long-sleeve shirt under my pacing shirt.

At one point I needed to make a pit stop and so if that ever happens I am supposed to hand off my sign to someone who has been running about the same pace with me and just ask them to keep it moving along the course and then I am to book it and catch up to them within a mile or two.  Josh took this picture of me getting ready to start booking it down the canyon to go locate my 2:20 sign.

This picture was after we realized we had just run about a 7:00 minute mile in trying to chase down that sign. 

Oh look, I found my sign!

After the race was over we hung out with the other pacer friends and chowed down on the treats.  Josh with his usual shenanigans wanted a picture of himself guzzling down hot chocolate!  So I helped with the photo.  What a goof he is!  He definitely makes life interesting.  Keeps me smiling!  

Our pacing crew for the day:

Me, Monnica Skinner, Blaine Hawkes, London Riding, Josh Hansen, Jonathan Crampton, Steve Turley, Steve Nordstrom, Brian, Cory Skinner