My first race of 2016! Moab Red Hot 55k. I have completed this race twice before (2013 - 6:23:32; 2014 -5:26:24). I love this course! It is a challenging course with the most beautiful views. I signed up for this race to use for training for the Buffalo 100 next month. This course is incredibly tough!
Race morning -
The weather forecast for the day: 25 degrees at the start warming up to the upper 40's, low 50's, sunny. Course conditions - parts of snow and ice and as the temperatures rise a nice mix of mud as well. I originally wanted to see if I could beat my previous time on this course. The plan was to give a good effort the first half and if I was where I needed to be time-wise than I would push the second half. Most importantly, I wanted to enjoy it and to have fun.
Start - 8 a.m. at the Gemini Bridges trail head
And go! Up you go! The first mile you climb up a snowy, icy dirt road. It gets the blood pumping right from the start. (The pictures from the course were taken the day after the race when Chad and I took the kids in the Jeep up the trails.)
It is hard to start a race on a hill, but I managed to stay on my feet and felt pretty good and warmed up at the top. The course then drops down and then levels out as you head towards Gold Bar/Gemini Bridges junction. At the junction, there was a 33k sign that pointed to the left and then a 55k sign that pointed to the right and up wonderfully steep hill. Up the short steep hill and the first aid station and then continuing on Metal Masher road which climbs up to the rim. On this section you start out with gentle grade dirt and then it turns into steep slick rock terrain. Even with my persistent effort to pick up my feet, I tripped and fell climbing up to the top- it was inevitable! No damage done, so I continued on. About 10 miles from the start you reach the top. What an incredible outlook! All the climbing is sure worth the views.
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| Outlook - 800 foot drop over the edge |
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| Outlook |
From the outlook, the course headed downhill to the next aid station. With the temperatures rising, the snowy dirt turned into muddy spots on the course. Keep trucking along. At aid station 3 (17 miles), I checked my watch. I knew I wasn't on pace to finish the course faster than I had previously done, so I decided to let up on my pace and just enjoy the 2nd half of the course. It was kind of nice not having the pressure of pushing hard the 2nd half. After hitting the aid station, you head back down that wonderfully steep hill and now incredibly slippery and muddy to complete the first loop of the 55k. The course then hooks back into the 33k course and continues on the Gold Bar Rim trail.
This section of the course includes some good, hard climbing on steep slick rock. It was definitely harder than I remembered. The sun was shining which made for a beautiful day, but I sure wished I was in shorts and a tank top. I was grateful to see aid station 4 at mile 22, since I was running low on water. Thank goodness for volunteers and their off road vehicles, which make aid stations possible on this course. :) 2/3's of the way done! Now for the ups and downs of the Golden Spike trail. On this section you have to look for the pink and black striped flagging to stay on course. You would think that I would know where I was going since I have ran this course twice before. Nope! I only ran off course once. Unfortunately, I went down and then had to hike back up to get back on course. That's okay, it's all part of the adventure, just like my race shirt says, haha!
I just love the people you meet running! Kimberley from Canada and Garrick from Boise became my new flag sighting buddies. It is easier to stay on course when you have more than one set of eyes. There was a really steep slick rock part that was covered with snow. It was almost comical trying to climb with your hands and not slide back down. Good times! The last aid station - mile 28. Just over 5 miles left on the Poison Spider trail to the finish. My legs felt pretty good at this point and I decided I would pick up my pace a little on this final jaunt. However I forgot picking up my pace meant that I would have to be better at picking up my feet. Coming down a rocky section I tripped and down I went. My shoulder took the brunt of the fall. Ouch! Well at least it wasn't my knee. Forward to the finish. 6:04:39. I was happy with that! This race was a beautiful challenge that I was able to soak in and enjoy!
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| My shoulder |
