Ultimate XC 50K in Moab!

On November 15th I found myself reeling in memories and excitement as I prepared for the Ultimate XC 50K trail run in Moab, Utah. A group of us traveled to Moab in order to participate in either the 20 mile or the 50K trail run. We stayed at a great condo in town and relaxed Friday night with good food and silly preparation. You would be amazed at how much time it can take to prepare a running belt, water bottles and a race number. We each have our own food supplies, clothing needs and pre-race routine and it was great how it all worked out so smoothly.

The race started up Kane Road outside of Moab. It was a gorgeous sunny morning and the weather was cool and crisp. I intended to wear a hat, legs and long sleeves but the sun came up over the canyon wall and 10 minutes before we started I was already warming. I opted for layers and a cycling jersey with pockets as a base layer. I was very fortunate that the sun stayed warm and clear all day!

Did I mention that I left my fuel belt in the front seat of my car and since I rode with Tony in his FJ I arrived in Moab with no water belt. After touring all 6 gear/cycling shops in Moab I ended up with what turned out to be an awesome North Face fuel belt. It holds 2 large water bottles plus some food and my camera! It was very comfortable on the small of my back and didn’t shirt of job at all. Thanks to Tony for letting me drag him from store to store in search of.

I am not going to summarize the entire 34 mile course here in my blog. If you really want to know the course check out the race website at http://www.ultimatexc.com/MOAB.html . I will tell you that it was the most beautiful and challenging trail race I have run in many years. The high desert trails, cactus, sheer cliff faces, perpetual sand box, rope climbs and elevation gain made it easy to stay focused and want to keep moving. The first 20 miles were fun and there were plenty of people on the course to keep things interesting. I found myself moving back and forth with a group of people who were seasoned trail runners. I also thought that they were all running too fast if in fact they wanted to finish strong. For some reason I got out on the trail and I could feel my strength and experience rise to the top. As I approached the 20 mile tent I knew I not only would finish, I would finish strong and happy. The real race started at 22 miles. We hit some wall climbs, sandy trails and then down to the road to run up to the trail head from HELL! The next 1200 feet was straight up a cliff face and it just got steeper and steeper! There was no relief at the top…we ran the sandy hot loop and then had to head back down the brutal cliff face. The best part was that I felt GREAT the entire time! I think the red potatoes and salt are the key! At every aid station I would take up a couple potatoes and roll them in salt and carry them with me while I ran. I also really liked the Heed drink. It was light and left no after taste. The two made my run smooth and strong.

When I came up out of Pritchett Canyon Andrea was sitting there waiting for me with her camera! I was so thrilled that she was there. I knew running the entire race alone was really good for me but I wasn’t thrilled about being at the finish line alone. I figured everyone else had already finished and would head back for showers. How freakin happy was I that the entire crew was at the finish waiting! What a great feeling!

I had the good fortune of finishing 1st in the Women’s Masters category. It was very unexpected and fun but not anywhere near as important to me as the way I felt as I raced and when I finished. I can’t believe how great I felt the entire day! Each moment I thought I might want to slow down or rethink what the heck I was doing out there I dug deep and found more energy, more strength and more laughs. I laughed at myself a lot and sang out loud too. All the tools I used to use came right back to me in order to keep me flying high! I felt great!

Our post race activities were awesome too! Steve won 3rd in Masters, and Sandy won the 20 miler Masters! Sonja, Tony, Andrea and Doreen all had great races too! Sonja kicked butt in her first long trail race! It was amazing to see the intensity she was able to maintain! I was really proud of her. It worried me to see Tony hurting because he is invincible in my mind. I was so happy he finished strong. After the awards ceremony we sat down for big bowls of homemade lasagna thanks to Steve and Sonja! Tony’s beer hit the spot and Sandy’s salad rounded out the perfect meal! I was so satiated and relaxed!

Sunday morning after the race Tony and I met Sonja, Troy and Anabelle for breakfast. I say Dan, the race director and we had a good laugh about the fact that his 50K race was actually 34+ miles and that I have no interest in running in sand again for many years. He is a very interesting guy and welcomes our input and ideas about the race for next year.

All and all, a true highlight to the end of a terrific race season.

Now I am done for a while. Time to recover, do some other things, reconnect with non-tri friends and sleep in on the weekends! Yahoo!