The Burn 5k - Melody

This had to have been one of the most mentally challenging races I have ever done.  I signed up for it thinking it would be a pretty good workout, but it ended up working me over big time!  The elevation gain according to my Garmin was 1429 ft over 3.2 miles.  The course goes on the backside of Suncrest -basically a steep climb up Traverse Ridge Rd in Draper.  I warmed up about 2.2 miles- I cut it short because there was really no where decent to warm up- it was either straight up or straight down.  I don't like starting races- especially uphill 5ks out of breath.  The race started right on time and I tucked behind a group of four guys.  The headwind was brutal so I tried to draft but I ended up passing three of the guys within a half mile.  Mile 2 was by far the hardest as far as the climb and headwind.   Up up and more up without any flattening out and the wind was relentless.   The lead guy was a good 50m ahead of me, and he would stay there the rest of the race.  I wanted to stop and walk so badly from mile 2-2.6, but I hung in there and dug deep.  With 600M to go the course actually flattened out and went slightly downhill, but that was short lived.  It ended at the top of pretty steep grade and I was truly suffering, wondering if I could make it without my legs giving out on me.  I pushed through and made it to the top 2nd overall and 1st female. My time is nothing to be excited about (27:30 for 3.2) but I was pretty happy with the 8:30 average on that beastly climb!  The name of the race was very appropriate- my quads burned like crazy for a good part of that race.