Blessing Way 20 K   -   Red Butte Canyon & Bonneville Shoreline Trails
Salt Lake City, Utah       24 November 2005
   Place, name, age Loop 
 1
 Loop 
   2		 Loop
 3		 Loop
 4		 Loop
 5		 Finish
Time		 Average
per mile
  1  Derek Blaylock,36
  22:38  21:43  19:52  19:14  18:49  1:42:16**    8.11
  2  Troy Olson,42
  22:38  21:56  21:19  21:55  20:45  1:48:33    8:42
  3  John Mack
  22:38
  21:56
  21:19
  21:55
 21:33
  1:49:21
   8:46
  4  Ernie Floyd
  22:24
  22:26
  23:22
  21:52
  21:44
  1:51:48    8:57
  5  Jim Guilkey
 22:35  22:11  22:48  23:22  23:36  1:54:33    9:11
  6  Pat McMurtry,47
  22:38  23:50  23:03  23:32  22:08  1:55:40    9:16
  7  John Bartley,53
  25:10  24:30  24:15  25:25  25:53  2:05:13  10:02
  8   Mark Ostler
  22:38
  22:35
  26:34
  27:20
  26:56
  2:06:03
  10:06
  9  Carter Williams,47*
  23:58  24:03  25:49  27:30  30:30  2:09:50  10:24
10  Grizz Randall,60
  27:08
  24:19
  26:35
  26:19
  27:04
  2:11:27
  10:32
11  Paul Hansen,53
  27:11  25:20  24:29  27:59  27:28  2:12:27  10:37
12  Dave Blaylock,62  28:26
  28:11  27:02  27:22  25:41  2:16:42  10:57
13  Shauna Heisler,54  28:22  28:14  26:57  28:45  28:42  2:21:00  11:18
14  John Diroll,48  39:00  27:10  27:30  28:30  30:17  2:32:27  12:13
15  Lee Moss  28:02  32:28
  31:09  30:51  32:40  2:35:10  12:26
16  Irv Nielsen,59  50:30  38:20  32:22  33:38  32:05  3:06:55  14:59
*Carter also ran 6 bonus miles from his home nearby to run with us
** course record
BLESSING WAY 16K
  1  Lee Johnson       
 27:05
  25:53  25:45  26:47  -----  1:45:32  10:34  

BLESSING WAY 12K
  1  John Horn,22
  ?   
 ?    
 1:27:20 / 3 laps
  ------
  ------
  1:27:20  11:40  
 
BLESSING WAY 4 K
  1  Cynthia Daniels
      Bob Henderson,59,dfl
 42:35
  -----  -----  -----  -----    42:35
  17:08
       (*Carter also ran 6 bonus miles from his home nearby to run with us)
   Splendid weather, clean air, and a few autumn leaves on the trails  found many runners very happy as they cruised along on the Red Butte and Bonneville Shoreline trails. The inversion stayed down lower in the valley for the most part.  Trails conditions were terrific.  Temperatures must have risen into the upper 40's by the end of the run.  It was good to see so many faces.  Passing through runners were also to be found.  Ted Heal came by to say hello, Deanna McLaughlin and dogs trotted on by, and Dale Heisler rode his bike up (plantar fasciitis keeping him on the injured reserve list).
   Most unusual was John Lindblom,48, running in the "Blessing Way" (lost my way) division.  John ran from 8am to a little over 10am (2:06:30 running time and 2:20:30 counting rest stops) when he couldn't find us (the actual run starts at 9am) and was on the trails everywhere we weren't.  John says, "I finally saw the end / start after doing a loop around Red Butte arboretum and up Mt. VanCott. "  Good going John, way to show everyone you can still participate.  Those yellow ribbons I put up are just "guidelines" anyway and not to be taken seriously for the truly adventurous. 
   When Derek showed up today, he had a real case of 'fast' in his bonnet and just kept getting faster as he  managed to run each subsequent lap faster than the last.  Holy cow!  That is the fastest time on this course
that I know of.  Troy Olson won last year and ran faster this year but came in second. Go figure.  I thought you all ran amazingly fast and just glad I don't feel compelled to keep up.  Bob Henderson said he deserved dfl status but really, I ran a much slower first lap, but since he really wanted it, okay, you got it Bob.
    One of the blessings of the Blessing Way 20 K is that you get to see everyone on the course, usually more than once.  Normally, I start early enough that I can finish five loops before the first group of runners come in since they are going nearly twice my speed but lately, I usually get lapped once.  This year, the lead group started at 8am and were happy to have me eat their dust many a time.  Amazing.  It is a lot of fun trying to guess where they will pass you and it gives you an added boost to try and forstall that time if even for a little while longer.  Troy Olson kept promising he would pass me and when the time came ran by lickety split but for maybe 50 yards, I got to pretend it wouldn't happen and picked it up for a few steps to add a little suspense to the drama.  Great fun.  I really enjoy the dynamics of a loop course and it almost seems magical every Thanksgiving when we all come out to enjoy the morning trail dancing.   Note to John Bartley and Dan Barnett concerning the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Marathon:  You might consider shortening to a smaller and hopefully drier loop course when bad weather rears its ugly head. A 6.55 mile loop course times 4 loops would do it.  It is easier to mark, too, and supply an aid station for.  Please forget I ever mentioned this if you do four ascents up to Black Mountain  from Dry Creek.

        Blessings from the rocky trail
        Blessings from the songs of hills
        Blessings from a run sublime
        Blessings that can give me chills
        For 20 K you dance along
        And make your own blessing song.
                                                                                           Irv