Flashback Friday - Ogden Marathon

The Ogden Marathon is one of my most favorite Utah races.  It is in May every year when the spring run-off from the mountain is usually at it's highest.  The majority of the run is a gradual downhill through country and canyon.  Simply beautiful.  It's quiet and you run with the river through almost the whole race.  You know that smell of spring, not Downy spring, but real fresh clean spring?  Mmmm.  Yep, you get to enjoy that fragrance the whole way through.  My fave.

I've run the full marathon twice and have also completed it as a relay with a friend, I ran the first half and she the second.  Both times that I ran it as a full I finished in 5 hours, which is definitely not my best, but the scenery, the volunteers, the finish line area, even the race expo was all excellent.

I really can't complain about anything from this race except for when I ran it in 2006 it poured rain.  Like hurt your face and body, pelting rain.  And it started at the beginning of the race, around mile 8 til about mile 12.  Wring your shirt out kind of rain.  I remember coming up to one of the stations where relayers jump on and this kind, kind lady gave me her gloves to run with.  We were all looking like drowned rats and shivering and she choose me to give her dry gloves to.  In that moment it made night and day difference in that race.  I actually felt like I could finish just having warm gloves!  Thank you glove lady, where ever you are! : )

I mentioned a couple weeks ago when I did Hurt in the Dirt that one of my big reasons for doing that race was so I could go and have an early race entry for Ogden Marathon.  Ogden now sells out in a matter of weeks once registration opens October 1st!  It caps at 8500 runners!  That's a ton!  And it is attributed to it being such a great race and that it was featured in Runner's World in the Top 10 races to do in the United States!  Pretty cool.  I tell everyone that it is a great first marathon to do and one to go back and do over and over again.  I should totally work for them, they are getting a lot of love from me!

Last night we made Orange Dream shakes with our Blender Bottle.  So good.  We also made the Classic Smoothie with raspberry yogurt and cranberry juice - it was excellent once we added some vanilla ice cream! :)  Tomorrow I'm going to try the waffle recipe.  Just a new way to shake things up!  If you haven't yet go here and enter the giveaway for your very own free Blender Bottle!

How you doing on your eating?  I'm still hangin' in there.  Not craving my soda but would kill for some Wheat Thins and cheese...   (btw - I use dailyplate.com to look up my calories and portion sizes, you can also use them for free to keep a log!) 

Anyone doing any races this weekend?  I've got a short 12 miler ahead of me tomorrow, love taper weeks! 

Have a great weekend friends!