Goblin Valley 10K

Last weekend I traveled to Utah to run a 10K (my second 10K to date and my sixth state for anyone who is counting).  The scenery was beautiful, and I am glad I went.

The terrain is very different than that of Washington.  

The sky was blue and gray, and the ground was red.  What a place!  It almost doesn't look real...

This picture was taken near the end of the race.  I was pretty sure that I wasn't going to beat my 10K PR, but I was smiling as I rounded each pumpkin that marked the course.  

That's me running through the valley of the goblins.  I wasn't scared, but I was pretty tired.  The course was A LOT hillier than I was led to believe.  My shoes were caked with muddy clay.

Another picture of the goblins. 

I ran 5 of the 6 miles with Travis, a new running friend.  It was great.  He is the only person who has ever told me that I have a fast walk/hike up hills, and he was upbeat the whole time.  He came in a minute ahead of me after he picked up the pace through the goblins.  Yay!

Final time: 1:24:07.

Added bonus: the 10K-ers got a Goblin Valley Ultramarathon medal and shirt, so when I run around Washington, folks will think that I am an ultrarunner.  Nice.

Thoughts for next year: It would be awesome if the 10K course could be altered into a big loop so that more of the park/valley could be enjoyed. 

I made lots of memories on this trip, and I felt blessed to be out there enjoying nature and seeing a new part of the world.  And while my time wasn't stellar, I am still proud of it given the hilliness of the course.  All in all, a great day.

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