Three marathons in Utah, USA

 Sitting in my hotel room in Genoa on 30 July I decided it was time to get my marathon/ultra total up to 300 after being stuck on 297 for 3 1/2 years. It really was a spur of the moment decision. I started training on 16 August.

2 September East Canyon Marathon, Utah. Pitch black when the race started at 6am at Big Mountain Pass so I missed a spectacular view. The first mile was downhill and everyone rushed off until I was alone. After a short uphill there was about 3 miles of downhill as daylight slowly emerged. I think the scenery was probably good in the canyon but I couldn't see much. It was nice to be completely alone.

Sometimes there were low sunflowers along the road. I moved along at a comfortable pace and hoped the good feeling would last; I had some odd brief leg pains but my back was holding up. The route flattened and I walked more, then the next big landmark was East Canyon Reservoir surrounded by hills. The road passed numerous camping areas and had a big climb to the dam.

At halfway I noticed there were 2 runners behind me and a few not far ahead. The weather remained overcast and a little humid. There was another long descent passing rolling hills and red earth then the route flattened out to farmland. I passed a couple of runners and a guy who sped up every time I got close. 

Coming into Morgan became hard work as I forced myself to run rather than walk if at all possible; I was way ahead of my schedule but all I wanted to do was finish and I was stiffening up. The route through town wasn't well marked and I was relieved to reach a road I recognised then the finish arch. Suddenly the sun came out. 

My 5:28:14 was faster than I had expected (can't expect much on 3 weeks of training) and I was happy to clock up marathon number 298.

During the week I did a few hikes off the Mirror Lakes highway: Clyde Lake loop to Watson Lake, passing several lakes;

trail around Mirror Lake; Ruth Lake and Jewel Lake;

Lofty Lake loop passing several lakes.

Then Blanche Lake trail above Big Cottonwood Canyon; this trail went right into the mountains and the lake was so beautiful in a cirque below Sundial Peak.

9 September Big Cottonwood Marathon, Utah. Another 4am getting up and a ride on a school bus to the start at the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon on the edge of Salt Lake City. It wasn't as cold as I expected up at 3000 metres. This was a big event, over 1700 runners and the national anthem at the start. 

The beginning, in daylight this time, was steeply downhill and I took it easy; I didn't notice any effects of the high altitude. We did a loop around Brighton then continued down the canyon. Very beautiful as the sun came up over the mountains. The views to either side constantly improved, the mountains towering above us, roadside waterfalls and creeks. I hoped I wasn't going too fast on the constant downhills and I hardly walked during the first half. I had different niggles from last week.

By 10 miles I was out of the shade. The canyon walls were increasingly high, closing in and spectacular. At 19 miles we left the canyon for a flat paved trail along Cottonwood Creek, and then went many miles along straight residential boulevards. I was struggling to keep running, but hardly anyone else was running either. Those big mountains were still in sight looming over the city. It was hot, not a cloud in the sky.

I was totally out of juice for the last 2 miles and delighted to finally hear noise from the finish area, which we came to quite suddenly. I finished my 299th marathon just behind 2 women finishing their first. 5:14:11

On Monday I walked up Naomi Peak in Logan Canyon with its craggy peak.

Tuesday I walked up to the Wind Caves, which were a couple of caves looking out over Logan Canyon, with the main cave a wide arch (open both directions).

Thursday (my birthday) I walked to White Pine Lake in Logan Canyon, a lovely small lake in a cirque. 

16 September Top of Utah Marathon, an out and back from Logan. I found myself joining a group who were taking an early start at 5am so I got up at 4am yet again. I had a short walk to the start. It was pitch black and cold, and once we were out of the city it got much colder. The others were friendly but they were walking very slowly and although I was frozen I didn't want to go ahead in the dark. We saw a beaver in a pond.

As dawn broke the mountains were beautifully outlined, and once it was light enough (at 6 miles) I took off alone, running. I saw a pair of cranes in a field. Luckily I warmed up. The route headed past farmland towards mountains and detoured through a small village at the base of a mountain range at halfway. It was all pretty countryside with mountain ranges to east and west.

On my return many runners who had started at the proper time came past. I wasn't in any pain but I struggled to run and I had a problem with the drinks at the aid stations being so cold that I couldn't get them down. We followed the river on a paved trail and crossed a golf course then came back into Logan. Again, a cloudless day. It felt good to finish while there were still lots of people around, but I wished I could have made up the time I lost by walking so slowly for the first two hours. 6:09:20.

So: mixed feelings about running what is probably my last marathon in such a slow time because this doesn't represent what I am capable of; on the other hand I got the gold medal for the early start race!

300th marathon/ultra completed.

I did some more day hikes. In American Fork Canyon I walked to Silver Lake and around the lake (often losing the trail).

Another pretty lake beneath mountains; from the far side it appeared to be sitting on an elevated shelf. Back in Big Cottonwood Canyon I hiked the Brighton Lakes: Mary,

Martha,

Catherine

then climbed Sunset Peak to see the lakes from above, very black sky, and returned in the rain, passing Dog Lake also.

I had good views of all the ski resorts and over swathes of red leafed trees. Next day I walked a loop through the Alta ski slopes to Cecret Lake in Little Cottonwood Canyon.