Moab Red Hot 50k+

[Left: waiting for the race to start] The challenge of the last three weeks has been to recover and maintain fitness. My runs have been mostly 6mph with heart rate in the 120's to 130's, with spinning and yoga as usual for course training. For the three weeks, my distances were 4 - 4 - 6.2, 6.2 - 6.8 - 12, then 4 - 2 last week. I also experimented with a Suunto T3 heart rate monitor with the foot pod. I tried it for a week and a half, but had problems and returned it. I was able to get a replacement the morning before heading down to Moab.

[Right: race start] This weekend I completed the Moab Red Hot 50k+. The official distance is 34 miles, just under 55k. I completed the run in 7:43. The weather was perfect: clear and sunny. The temperature at start was 27, and it warmed into the 40's during the day. There was a light snow and ice on the ground, and a few spots that were muddy, but overall the course was clear. The course was low to medium difficulty, with around 4500 feet elevation gain. Alot of the course was over slick rock trails, which was hard running on the downhill sections, but made climbing easier.

[Left: slick rock climbing] I ran with John Moellmer and Paul Hart for the first 20 miles, but continued on when they stopped for a break. They finished 11 minutes after me.

The first half of the course took me about 3:20, but alot of the climbing on the second half slowed me down for a 4:20 split. I maintained hydration for the first half, but struggled to keep hydrated during the second half. I carried a 2 liter hydration pack and filled it at every aid station, but still drained it once. On the second half, I passed around 6 other runners. The last two aid stations on the course required technical 4wd to access.

[Right: aid station at mile 22] Next race: Antelope Island Buffalo Run 50 miler on March 22 (Easter weekend). I did register for the Big Horn 100 on June 20 (20 days after Squaw Peak 50).