It takes some effort to get to the Asics Mind Body and Sole race, but like all good things in life the greater the effort the greater the reward.

The price is a little higher than a normal half marathon, but for what you get it is a smokin' deal. This isn't just a race it is a whole weekend of memories with the girlfriends you traveled with and the ones you meet along the way.
Saturday starts off with a complimentary yoga class and complimentary workout led by top notch asics athletes at the vineyard and topped off with a avocado toast bar (all included in your registration fee). ALL.
Packet pick up is at a second venue which does mean renting a car is key to getting around this race are easily. Its well organized with great volunteers and after grabbing your bib you get to pick up your shoes. Yes, included in your registration is a pair of asics shoes. Almost 8 months later I am still rocking the pair I picked out. Packet pick up has lots of photo ops (much needed for a girls trip) and everything else you might need. But, it isn't so big you get lost in the crowds or waste an hour of your day stuck in some dark expo center.
That evening they hosted a wine and app night at a beautiful restaurant. Also included in your registration fees. It was a perfect setting for a girls weekend, however we left early to get a good night sleep before the race, and I almost wonder if doing it on Friday night or Sunday night would be better for the runners.

The race itself requires you to park at the finish line and shuttle to the start or walk the short distance between the two. The course is gorgeous and the race is small so you really have the time to look around and enjoy running through the vineyards. You literally run the last half mile through a vineyard.

The finish is a wine tasting party. You finish and receive your medal, your massage and usual stuff. PLUS a wine glass and a full bottle of wine. The finish area had live music and local vineyards set up to do tastings. All included in our registration fee.

I am a big believer in racing with minimal impact on the environment and am starting to choose races accordingly. asics had ample recycling and composting at all events and limited plastic bottles and waste. Instead of a wasteful plastic bag at packet pick up they gave us a reusable cinch back pack.
It is a race I would support again. #runGREEN #liveGREEN

The good: Its a FAST course. (It is my PR course). This easy to navigate point to point has a few rollers with a beautiful downhill drop in the middle. And, the crowds get more intense during the tougher parts. Unlike some city races that keep you on the outskirts this race has you start up by the U, loop down through the Avenues and then through some of the prettier parks in the city. And, I received a surprise at the finish this year! Racing in Utah always makes me miss a beer garden and surprise, surprise this race has one! I don't know how they got the permit to do it, but I LOVED cheersing my friends with a yummy beverage after.

The average: Pretty typical course, aid stations and start/finish. Nothing flashy, but everything is well done. Great course to experience SLC with, but don't expect the Chicago Marathon or anything.

The need improvement: You still get a lot of paper waste at the race. I don't want the paper, and I don't need to add it to our landfills. I would love for SLC to become a virtual race bag. You are also hard pressed to find a recycling bin conveniently located or a water bottle refill station. Plastic waste is incredibly excessive at some races, and I know a race in such a beautiful, mountain city will eventually change to protect the beauty around us.

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I am always impressed when a race company offers transfers. It takes minimal work on there end, but it allows people the freedom of backing out if they get injured or life gets in the way. It is also great for people like me who have a semi-last minute opportunity to be in the area race day. So, thank you Marine Corps and to the nice guy from Seattle who offered me his bib. I checked off a bucket list race. I am glad I did it once, but I don't know if I will be back.

Expo: If you enter the expo center in the wrong spot it is a LONNNGGGG walk to the expo. I don't really know where the right spot to enter is, but I know we had a great opportunity to stretch out our legs to pick up our bibs. However, once inside the expo things went quickly. I have heard rumors of long lines, but I guess mid morning Saturday is the time to go. MCM had plenty of volunteers to handle the amount of people there.

SWAG: First let me say this, I don't race for the shirt. I don't generally care about the shirt. Sometimes I keep them sometimes I don't. This shirt, however left an impression on me. Probably because I was stuck in the mock neck for about 10 minutes trying to get it on! Anything that makes you feel like you are about to suffocate will leave an impression on you. Second, and this goes for all races that have Michelob Ultra as a sponsor, can we all agree to use the term "Beer-like Beverage" when talking about it. It isn't actually a free beer. Other than that swag was average. I would LOVE to see MCM do a virtual bag and save the paper waste.

Race Start: I admit it, I am a show up at the very last minute kind of gal when it comes to races. Too much standing around leaves me stressful. But, I heard that this was a different kind of race (with 30,000 non-corral assigned runners of course it was). So about 6:30am I popped out of the metro station and headed to what I thought was the only entrance to the runner's village at the start line. Only problem, I never actually saw an entrance. What I did see was a mob of people and two police officers looking extremely overwhelmed. And, for the next 90 minutes that is all I saw. More people, more stress showing on the faces of the cops and no moving. None. Nobody knew what was going on, but everyone knew this is where we were supposed to be. We saw the planes fly over to the start, we saw the parachuters (kind of) and we stood. A little after 8 the crowd started to move. I am still not sure where the official entrance was, and who opened up the gates. But, it looked like a natural disaster had just taken place. Discarded clothes everywhere, overflowing garbage bins (zero recycle bins in sight), knocked over tables and fencing and one lone marine waving a medal detector wand around like he had an old GPS watch and he was trying to find service. I am still not sure what his plan would have been if the thing had gone off.

Luckily I had no time goal, and no stress about when I started. It was a fun run for me. But, I felt for the runners who lost their BQs and PRs before they even hit the start line. Needless to stay the start was anti-climatic for me. It was impossible to weave around the slower runners and avoid getting hit by the faster runners trying to zip by. 30,000 is a lot of people, especially when they aren't in any sort of pace order. And, at that point I let it all go. The fans and volunteers are amazing, the people that run this race are inspiring and the scenery is one of a kind. Plus somewhere around mile 24 there is a beer stop! When your race fails, always stop for beer.

The finish line area is a little chaotic, but I found everything I needed. Receiving your medal from a marine is a unique experience and a reason alone to sign up. The food all came in prepackaged containers which creates a lot of waste. Do people actually eat Dole Fruit Cups? Too much sugar and too much plastic waste for me.

I wouldn't rate this as a well organized race, rumor has it they also ran out of water at the finish (HOW?!?). I wouldn't encourage you to do this race for a PR, but I would suggest you do this race because you have two strong legs that can. And, because Marines are all really good looking men and women. All in all I am glad I did it, but I don't think I would go back.

I would ask that the MCM take responsibility for their mess up. They should have sent staff out with a bull horn to communicate or posted on twitter/facebook/website about what was going on. Standing for 90+ minutes with zero communication is just not acceptable in today's world of social media. They owe an apology to the thousands that had to revise race plans, and maybe even more than an apology to some. I was running for a bit with a wheel chair participant trying to weave through the crowds because he had been caught in the mess. When you mess up you fess up and you right your wrong. I still haven't seen that from the MCM.

It is simple really, you just run up that mountain and back down. That is all I needed to hear, sign me up!

Race Rights:
If you don't love the big crowds at expos with lots of vendors than Packet Pick Up at PCMR is just for you! Between the time I parked, picked up my bib and got back to my car was less than 12 minutes. Amazing! They had plenty of staff there to handle the numbers coming through and answer any questions one might have about running to the top of a freakin' mountain. They also laugh politely and your nervous jokes.

Recycling bins, compost bins and clothing drop off! We create a lot of waste at races, and I really appreciate knowing a company is at least taking the basic first steps to creating a greener race.

Course markings: I have a horrible sense of direction. Even though this is my home-town the likelihood of me taking a wrong turn is high. However, the race course markings were unlike anything I have ever seen. As long as you remember what color you following it is impossible to get lost.

Aid Stations: Well stocked and well supported. Especially the 5-Way station with the Wasatch Wranglers and Park City Running Co crew. Tip: if your stomach is a little upset snag a sip of beer. This aid station is usually Oktoberfest themed and they come well stocked!

Course: The course is tough, but you know that going in. However, my mind conveniently forgot the amount of climbing that happens after you reach the top. The stretch between Empire Pass to the 5 way aid station has a few jeep roads and steep trails to climb up in the sun. If it is hot, make sure you are carrying extra water with you on this spot. I believe it is the longest stretch between aid stations as well, or it just feels like it.

The finish: Once you leave the 5-way aid station the second time it really is all downhill. FINALLY! After 26 miles of up and down, you deserve it. It is a small race for the TNF series, so don't expect a huge crowd at the finish line. But it has everything you need. Water, food and a beer!

Race Tune Ups:
I wish they did some of their pre-race talks up in Park City. I know the North Face store is in SLC. But, with it being over 30 minutes away from the race site it is hard for out of town guests to get there. I would have loved to hear some of the pro-athletes talk, but I couldn't really justify the drive down in after work traffic.

The first year they were in PC they screen printed your distance on to your shirt. This year it was just a generic all-encompassing shirt.

The North Face does some cool sustainability stuff. For example the socks we got at check-in are from a company that recycles materials into clothes. I would love to see more information about what the North Face does and what their runners can do to preserve the mountains we love to play in.