Anyway, at 9:00 AM all 800 runners were gathered behind the start line and Sander and I were very lucky to be at the first row. The run itself turned out to be abeautiful, scenic run through Snow Canyon State Park, starting with three miles in the park itself and then continuing through city neighborhoods towards the finish line in Ivins. Of course I myself did not manage to stay at the front, but I was quite impressed with my 54 minutes 30 seconds for the 10 km, which was a 5 minute improvement on the run I did a week ago in The Hague (NL). And as Sander is preparing for the marathon in Paris (FR), he was of course even faster with a 47 m 33 s - a very impressive time given the high altitude.

After the run we returned to the Zion Lodge and took some rest - at least that is whatI did - Sander did another 10 km run to make sure that he is indeed prepared for the marathon in Paris early April. After that we did a hike in the canyon on the Angels Landing trail, which is one of the most famous and thrilling hikes in the national park system. The trail runs along a narrow rock fin with dizzying drop-offs on both sides and ends at a lofty perch, boasting magnificent views in every direction. I myself did not complete the last few hundred yards, as this is a very narrow ridge with deep chasms on each of its flanks and my fear of heights did not allow me to walk over this 75-100 cm wide trail with a 500+ meter drop on both sides. But being so close to the towering monolith I could indeed appreciate is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Southwest.