1/2 Marathon Recap!

We all had a blast at the Dog Town Half Marathon.  I can’t even think of any complaints about this race besides the fact that they didn’t offer gummy worms and twizzlers at the aid stations (do any races do that? Please let me know so that I can register right this second).

We got down to St. George about 30 minutes before the expo ended (look at us living on the edge) on Friday night and we waited in line for maybe 6 minutes.  Everything was very organized and we got our bag of ads and cliff bars right away.

Photo 6

Since it was late by the time we were thinking about dinner, we just wanted something that we knew we liked so we drove a few blocks down to Costco for our carb-loading feast.

Pizza, lemonade and churros.  I think this is Kara Goucher and Shalane Flanagans exact same pre-race fuel.  Google it.

Photo 6 copy 2

We got to bed at about 10 and woke up feeling great.  The race didn’t start until NINE A.M. which is really weird to me since I am used to most of Utah’s 5:30 or 6 a.m. race starts.  It worked out perfect because after we were bussed up to the starting line (it was a point to point marathon…hallelujah!) it was still a little chilly.

We did the smart thing and decided to sit next to a police car that was running to provide us warmth, it worked.

Photo 6 copy 3

I really do love small races.  It was so fun to meet up with different people like Toby below and we got to know some new friends on the bus and while we were all waiting around.  I really like the chill atmosphere.  Bag drop-off was super easy too and we just wrote our name on a garbage bag and put our stuff in it!

Photo 6 copy 4

The race started at 9:03 and as soon as we started running it felt like the optimal temperature for running.  The course started along a paved trail that wove through some gorgeous neighborhoods.  It is amazing how many trails and paths there are in St. George…..I think I want to move back.  There are over 600 miles worth of running trails with perfect weather 10 months of the year.

Photo 6 copy 6

We then headed through a gorgeous canyon called Coral Canyon and I loved every second of the scenery.  There were a bunch of steep rollers throughout the canyon which was really fun.  There was also a river that ran along the trail for a majority of the canyon.

Photo 6 copy 7

After the canyon we ran on roads for the last 5 miles.  There was a a pretty steep hill at mile 9 that was 3/4ths of a mile that was a 6% incline, I thought I was going to die but right after the uphill was a bunch of downhill and the race ended with a flat stretch that was really nice.

The results:  (billy filled out my registration….um, FYI honey I am 26….I am sorry for aging:)

Photo 6 copy 8

I didn’t take any pictures at the finish line but they offered massages, oranges, grapes, delicious bread, gatorade and water.  We stuck around talking and stretching for about an hour and then headed off to the best refueling of my life (more on that later).

Below picture taken after we went to breakfast and got back to where we were staying.  I can’t tell you how fun it was to run with my sister.  She is the funniest person I know and I love that I can talk to her about everything.  Thanks for coming down with us sissy and making that race so darn fun for me.

IMG 9382

Another awesome thing about the Dog Town 1/2 is that they give you the coolest stuff.  AWESOME running shorts (with built in underwear:) and a dog tag necklace for finishing!  The race was only $40 and so I would say we got WAY MORE than what we paid for between the gear and the awesome course support, beautiful course, bussing and food at the end!

IMG 9391

—————————————————–

What is the coolest thing that you have received from a race?

Favorite race start time?

Loop, point to point race or out an back course, what is your favorite?

Does your area have running trails/paths?  Do you wish there were more?  PS all of you New Yorkers, I will forever be jealous of your access to Central Park.

You May Also Like

76 comments

Reply

So fun!

Reply

You were first!!! I am looking forward to your race recap tomorrow:)

Reply

I want billy’s race recap too!:)

Reply

Yay Billy, I am also looking forward to your race recap!

Reply

whoah this blog is magnificent i love stdnyiug your articles.Stay up the good work! You understand, a lot of persons are searching round for thisinfo, you can help them greatly.

Reply

Check out the Richmond marathon for gummy bear treats at aid stations.

Reply

Done and done…THANKS ANNE!

Reply

Congrats. I think this race was pretty cool to hear about. I think anything other then a white cotton t is awesome. A wine glass that I got for my half-marathon last year was very cool.

Reply

That is awesome! I agree, I have too many shirts…I want something different!

Reply

Great time! I love your race reports. My favorite race time is 7 am. 9 in the winter is not bad. I like a loop course, but on my marathon it was a double loop and I keep thinking that I was going to have to see this all again.
The coolest thing I have from a race is a great water bottle that does not leak. There are no trails here or sidewalks, I run on the street with the cars.
Have a great week!

Reply

THANKS BETHANY!!! Ouch…a double loop in a marathon, that would be tough. YES, water bottles are the best! Hope you have a great week too!

Reply

Wow for real, shorts at a race is awesome! You did awesome girl and I’m so proud of you! I love small town races as well because they are always so nice and friendly!

I think the coolest thing I’ve ever gotten are giant glass mugs. They are so cute and functional! I have enough race tshirts!

Reply

Thanks!! I am so glad you don’t have to be on the arc trainer anymore. 60 hours last month..you are an animal! A glass mug..that is AWESOME!

Reply

What a fun race! Looks gorgeous!! Um, and that’s amazing that they give you shorts!

Reply

I know….you should come do it with us next year:)

Reply

Congrats to you all. What a beautiful course and it sounds like you had the best time!!!

The races I’ve done so far really haven’t given me much beyond the typical shirts and medals. I would love shorts!

Reply

We need to find you a race that gives something other than a shirt:) Hope you are having an amazing day Kim!

Reply

Sounds like such a fun time! Makes me miss my sister.

Coolest thing I received from a race us probably a duffel bag.

I think 8 am is a perfect start time cause its early but not to early.

Point to point is awesome.

Here in Boise we have miles and miles of paved trailed called the greenbelt. It runs parallel to the Boise river and connects lots if parks and our local zoo which makes it awesome to run by and see s giraffe and

Reply

Hit submit too soon :) see giraffe and hear the monkeys

Reply

AHHH I am going to have to come up to Boise and run with you on the greenbelt, that sounds awesome!! A DUFFEL BAG…okay that is ultra cool!

Reply

The scenery alone would make me want to do a race there. Too bad it’s a little far away. The scenery here in DC, meh, I mean maybe it’s because I see it every day, maybe to others it is cool. Love the pre-fuel dinner and so cost efficient. Wish 1/2 marathons were that inexpensive. You should come and do the Marine Corps marathon. Congrats on the great times too!

Reply

Awesome race! Looks like so much fun. Glad you guys had such a great time. Shorts are great race swag. I’m already dying to come back to Utah and race this time :)

Reply

HEY YOU!!! YES YES YES, I am telling you…the UVU marathon in June would be perfect for you:)

Reply

Great pics and great run! That looked like a great race, I love Utah. I’ve never done a point to point, but I think that would be my favorite if I did. I like a loop better than an out and back – I don’t think that’s fun at all. My race started at 10am yesterday, for a half I think that’s a great time. For a full marathon that isn’t too far of a drive, I can handle 8am, I think that’s perfect. I have never gotten anything other than the typical race shirt, so those shorts look fun! We have some good trail running around here, that I would like to start doing – I’m just a glutton for the roads;-)
Have a great night!

Reply

Running with siblings is SO fun! The shorts they gave you are awesome. We got shorts for a military type race once, but they were not shorts that I will ever wear in public. The military people were calling them army panties. Not cute. I love small races that are point to point, and I’d love to run more trails. It’s just harder to get to them usually, so then I don’t have as much time for my run.

Reply

Wow what a beautiful course! We have some nice trails in NH but none are too close to where I live :/

Reply

I wish that race was closer to where I live..40 dollars! Wow!! Looks like a great run!

Reply

Richmond Marathon has two official aid stations with gummi bears and cookies. I think it was mile 16 and mile 22. do it.

Reply

AHHH That i awesome, I will be doing the Richmond Marathon:)

Reply

Shorts? That’s awesome. I have enough race t-shirts.

Reply

I KNOW….they are brilliant!!

Reply

Wow that course looks gorgeous!!! And that’s so cool that you got shorts instead of the usual t-shirt that gets added to the bajillion others stuffed in a drawer somewhere!

I prefer afternoon start times which are quite hard to come by. I AM a morning person but am NOT a morning exerciser! I need a good couple of hours to get water and food into my system before I can perform at my best!

Reply

Great job girly!! You and your sissy are just too pretty :) Great time! I laughed out loud at Billy putting your age as 24. Sorry for aging! hahaha

Reply

I love loops- convenient as far as parking, but doesn’t get boring.

Reply

We have a ton of trails for biking/running/horses/hiking here. They are all awesome but most involve a heck of an incline up a mountain!

St. George & Zion are so beautiful! We did some horseback riding through Zion a few years ago.

Reply

That’s some awesome gear! I definitely like loop races, out and back can be inspirational though, seeing everyone coming in the opposite direction! The only running path I have is the lakeshore path here in Chicago. There are some I could drive to, but I’m not a fan of driving an hour to do a run.

Reply

I have some great trails around my house, but they go in small loops so I have to repeat them a lot to get many miles. So, I definitely wish they were longer, but they are certainly better than the alternative!

Great job in your race! :)

Reply

What fun! Looks like a beautiful course, and how great that you and your sister could do this together! I’ve been trying to convince my sister that running can be fun, but she still doesn’t believe me, although I was able to convince her. I definitely love trail running and wish there were more around here in Chicago. Dean (my bf) and I are looking into doing a trail ultra this fall, though!

Reply

What a beautiful course! Congrats!!

Reply

I just imagined a HRG-organized race, and it would be awesome – I think your future 2nd career could be a race organizer sponsoring candy-fueled events for all!!!

Reply

Very jealous of the awesome trails! We just have a very, very short trail system. There is talk of it being expanded to 50+ miles. I’m hoping!!!

I like 8 a.m. start time with a point to point race.

In my first 1/2 marathon, an aid station had gummy worms! I stuffed my pockets full!!!

Reply

So cool to run a race on trails! I do wish there were more trails near me – it makes running even more enjoyable :-)

And I LOVE that they gave out shorts! I need to start picking races based on the stuff they give out.

Reply

Great Job!!!!!! I ran a a half today that started at…wait for it…1 PM!!! Can you believe it? It’s not even cold here (it was sunny and 50s). It felt so strange to sleep in til 11 am and then get up and run. But I guess it worked because I PR’d by more than 10 minutes (finished in 1:40:52).

So I’m gonna say 1 pm is my favorite race start time :-)

Reply

I got an icecream cone after one race and I was in heaven!I want to do the Color Run so I can get a bag of color dust. I like about 7:30am race start times. Not too early but not too late in the day either. There is a 100 acre park in my neighborhood with running trails all through it. I love it!

Reply

The prizes for overall at the Louisiana Marathon were art prints, zippered jackets, and $50 gift cards! Races in this area almost never have swag or real prizes (like, winners get plaques, boring), so that was a treat for me!

Reply

Wooohoo congrats! That must have been a blast to run with your sister. The scenery was beautiful I bet!

Reply

Wow what a great time! Sounds like a successful race :) Aren’t the little things that came with the races the best?! Those shorts are super cute! Have a great week

Reply

I am jealous of the shorts and totally over getting shirts. I have too many and half the time they don’t fit right. At a few of the mountain trail races and mountain bike races they give out a pint glass and sometimes a free beer to go with it.

Reply

Janae, looks like you guys had such a great time! What a beautiful race. I am so jealous of the weather and scenery. I did see some bison during my half marathon today. I think they were cold too!

Reply

JANAE…It was SO wonderful to meet you at the race! You are just as darling in person as you are on the blog! I’m quite impressed for *not racing* the race you still placed in your age category! Oh…to be young :) Glad you had a great weekend!

Reply

TOBY TOBY TOBY!! I loved meeting you! You are so sweet and gorgeous and amazing. We NEED to hang out again someday!

Reply

Oh my gosh, that is too funny that Billy didn’t get your age right! You are timeless in his mind I guess. Congrats on the race, the course looks like it was beautiful. Billy and has bro ran so fast, they’re trying to give you some competition huh? You and your sis are too cute, glad you had a great time.

Reply

Wow! Sounds like you got some great goodies! I really like a loop or point to point. I really hate running out and back races because when the going gets touch I like to focus on the scenery and think about how lucky I am to be able to experience it…..with an out and back I know whats coming up and I get bored.

Reply

That IS great finishers loot! The shorts are actually really cute! I love when races give you something unique as a race prize! The half marathon I ran this weekend gave tech wool running socks with the race logo on them and winter running toques. I thought those were pretty awesome!

Reply

I don’t know if I will enjoy your running recap or food recap more tomorrow ;) I hope if you did take my suggestions, that you liked them. It is always scary telling someone what to get.

It was so great to meet you. You are so dang cute. My friends didn’t mock me after they met you anymore either, which was nice. Afterwords they all said they could see why I would read you blog and want to meet you cause you were so much fun. Dang straight! And it better not be the last time!

I have never gotten anything super spectacular in a race bag. I like 8AM start times – you don’t have to wake up super early, but it doesn’t cut into your day either. And I like point to point races best.

Reply

HEY GORGEOUS GIRL!! We couldn’t stop talking about how adorable, sweet and hilarious you were. I am SO thankful that you came and we got to talk…when do I get to see you again!?!?! I was bummed we didn’t make it back to the bear claw but I am dying to try the muffin you told me about! Hope you are having an amazing night!

Reply

Wow, way to go on the run!! So glad you had a great time! I love that they offer massages at then end- talk about legit motivation to cross that finish line!

Reply

Congrats on your great races, how fun to run with your sister! I got a coaster from my 50k which I thought was fun, something different.

Reply

I really like the 8:00 race start time for the Rock’n’Roll San Jose half marathons.
I wish I had a running partner like your sister! I have to do all my races on my own :(

Reply

I love 7 AM races. I like waking up early and getting it started! My half the other week was a 9 AM race as well, but I couldn’t sleep past 4 because of nerves. So by the time the race came around, I’d been up HOURS anyway! I love the idea of shorts – I’ve only ever gotten race shirts, which I love, especially long sleeve ones. But something different might be cool.

Congrats on the race!

Amanda

Reply

Looks like a great time!! I love that Billy said you were 24. My husband would probably do the opposite and say I’m older than I am … he likes to rub it in my face that I’m a whole month older than him. ;)

Reply

woot! Congrats girly :)

Reply

Shorts?? that’s awesome and different! i love it! congrats to all of you!

Reply

Sounds like so much fun Janae! You and your sister look absolutely gorgeous after running. I am so jealous!

So glad you had an amazing weekend with great company. Love you sweet friend. :)

Reply

Congratulations! Sounds like a super fun and great race experience. And you guys look great!

Reply

I ran a marathon in my hometown (Grand Rapids) and the aid stations had Oreos, gummy bears, Twizzlers, pretzels, bananas, oranges…it was pretty amazing. It seriously felt like trick or treating. They had aid stations every couple miles. I would totally run it again.

Reply

Nice running! Looks like a good race. Nicer weather than we had up in SLC for racing this weekend. I did peak at the results and I’m pretty impressed by how Billy ran considering he hasn’t been at this long distance running thing for all that long. I think he can be a sub 3 hr marathoner before you know it! :-) Seriously!

Reply

I loved the shorts! And the weekend before I raced a 10 miler here at Sand Hollow and got arm warmers and socks!

I loved the SG 1/2 loop, I love point to points. I don’t think I’ve done an out and back 1/2. I did a 10k double loop and ended up loving it, thinking I would hate it. Lol

I just signed up for the Utah Valley 1/2. :)

I think I remember you two running in front of me. I also had TR for dinner. My favorite place! But when I went to the expo TR wasn’t there yet! Boo.

Normally I do Zumba two days after and run the 3rd. But I woke up sick today. :(

You are so cute and seem so nice. And you write everyone back! You get lots of comments too!

Reply

Ahhhhh I am so sorry you aren’t feeling well!!! Get some rest! Weren’t the shorts the best!!! I am doing utah valley too and we have to meet up for ice cream or cafe rio or something!! Is that your next race? Double loop 10k sounds fun!

Reply

I have 18 races scheduled this year! lol My next one is the Sand Hollow Marathon- my first full next month. Meeting up sounds fun. My friend Pepper is running it too. We are making it a girls trip I think. I posted it on FB to get everyone on board! =)

Reply

Ahhhh so do fun!!! You are going to rock it and I want to hear all about it! 18…you are amazing!

Reply

WAY TO GO! Nice race! I LOVE that they give you dog medals (obviously, hello!) and I also LOVE that they give you shorts! We get so many tshirts – so nice to get some different clothing!

Reply

Congrats! Congrats! So glad your sister got to run with you. Glad you guys had a great time.

Reply

Congrats on your race and being able to go with your sister. I can’t believe it was so cheap!!! We have a lot of trails here in Houston, but probably the most popular being Memorial Park or Bear Creek (I think?). ;)

BTW, what kind of sauce was with your Costco pizza!? I LOVE pizza & LOVE Costco. We order pizza from Papa John’s here & it comes with a garlic butter sauce. So good dipping the crust! ;)

Reply

Hey gorgeous! I always get a side of Caesar dressing to dip it into…is that weird ha? Papa johns butter sauce is the best thing ever invented!

Reply

Hi my name is Johnny and i like your blog. It is very nice. The design is jus stunning.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *