behind the rocks 30K

I'm in that post-race state of euphoria at the moment. I came out to Moab for this race and I finished! I have no idea where I placed yet, but I did pass a few people throughout the race so I know I wasn't last. Just had a very satisfying quesadilla from Quesadilla Mobilla, massaged with the Hypervolt and packed up all my stuff. Tomorrow, I'm hiking in Arches in the morning and then heading back to Salt Lake City.

It's all about the post-race food

I was quite anxious going into this race. There were many unknowns. Number one, racing in the desert. Number two, racing at elevation and then when I found out how hot it was going to be, I was really worried. But this morning, I got up super early, around 4:30 and went back and referenced some of the mental training stuff I had written about previously. It really helped. I decided to be excited about racing and spent the morning psyching myself up. I listened to all of my favorite songs so I would have a nice playlist going in my head when things got rough. I also just reminded myself to keep checking in with how I was doing during the race.

It was cold to start so I kept my Houdini jacket and light gloves on for almost the first 2 miles. It was a great scene. I so love the trail running community. It was cool to see some Navajo runners getting a blessing before the race. I hung out at the back of the pack at the start and just stayed super conservative, using the first mile as my warm up. I did have a weird cramp in my abdomen, but thankfully, that subsided at about mile 2.5. I had memorized the race course. I knew where the climbs were going to be and how long they would be, so that really helped me mentally prepare for what was coming next.

Hangin' out at the back of the start line

What really threw me off was how much sand there was on the trail. It was like running on the beach, except with hills. Thankfully, the sand was very fine so it never felt bad even though I got a ton of it in my shoes. So much that I could pour some out when I got back to my room after the race. At first, I was frustrated by all of the back-sliding that was happening as a result of the sandy trails, but once I accepted it, I just dealt with it. I told myself this is what I signed up for: a desert race and that's just how the trails are in the desert. What I was prepared for was almost zero shade. I wore a bandana to protect my neck and slathered on sunscreen before I left. So glad I had sunglasses and a hat. The sunglasses were a life-saver later in the race when cars, ATVs and dirt bikes came to share the trails. I'm sure I'll be coughing up dust for the next few hours at least.

Sand, sand and more sand

I did a good job hydrating and fueling. My legs started to ache around mile 10, but after I ate a Z bar, the pain subsided. I was good about making sure I drank a full bottle of Tailwind and about half a bottle of water between aid stations. I'd say that the volunteers weren't super friendly at this race. They were all kind enough, but it wasn't like other races I've been at where they actively try to help you get in and out. It was pretty much self-serve and not too many words of encouragement. The runners were all great though. Lots of cheering and it was nice to chat and commiserate with runners. I traded spots with many runners back and forth, but I think I managed to pass them all in the last 2 miles. I sped past one woman in the finish chute as well so that felt good. I always tell myself that I'm not really racing, but when I'm actually at a race, it does feel good to push myself. To remind myself that I spent time training and that I should really try to do my best. The heat really didn't bother me until about the last 5 miles. At that point, I power hiked more than I would've liked to, but I was watching my heart rate wander into the 160s, so at that point I would stop running until it went below 150 bpm. It was a lot of run a little, walk a little in the last 5 miles.

The desert landscape was spectacular. It was so cool to see the sun rising over the La Sal mountains at the start. Every where I looked, there were stunning views of red rock and mountains. I stopped many times to take photos.