My race season started a little early this year...like a month and a half too early. Normally the Buffalo Run out on Antelope Island is the first race of the year for me and for good reason. In the winter I like to dial back the miles and recover a bit before I get back to normal running usually in February and early March. I didn’t get in nearly enough training miles, mostly due to the fact that the weather was very cold most of January and early February and I found it hard to motivate myself to get out and run. During the months on November and December I worked out at Bomber Athlete with Joel Hatch doing strength training and conditioning. I know without this training I would have been hurting far worse during this race. I wanted to focus on running more miles at the beginning of the year so I stopped going to Bomber, but the running didn’t quite turn out how I had hoped.
My girlfriend Sami and I headed down to Moab the Friday morning before the race. She would be running the 33k, her longest race so far. The drive seemed to go by quickly and before we knew it we pulled into Moab around 5 pm. We explored the town a bit then headed into Eddie McStiff’s to pick up our race packets. Then we headed to dinner with friends and family that had journeyed down to race or to cheer on the racers. We made it to the condo we were staying at by 8 and started preparing for the next day and we were in bed by 10:30.
Race Day. I had mixed emotions as I got up. Not super excited knowing that my fitness level wasn’t where it should be and this race would be more of a long training run. On the other hand I was super excited because this would be the first race for the HUMR Ultra team that I am lucky enough to be a part of. I also had a brand spanking new UltraSpire race vest, some sweet Smith glasses and PI clothes that I have been looking forward to using. We gathered up our gear and headed to the start area.
Race Start - Photo by Forrest Stuart
Time to run. I started the race near the front of the pack standing next to Shane Martin and Harrison Fluman. That was the last time I would be close to those two until the finish line. I started out running a decent pace but wasn’t trying to push it. My plan for the day was to just run how my body was feeling. The race starts out heading up a jeep road for a little over a mile then drops us down the back for 2.5 miles of cruising downhill. I settled into a comfortable pace as I watched Harrison and Shane disappear off into the distance. Jared Clark caught up to me and we ran together for a while. The road splits sending us to the right to run the 12 mile loop the 55k’ers run before heading back to the split and towards the finish. This loop was by far the best part of the race for me. I felt like I was moving at a decent pace and not expending too much effort. My legs were feeling pretty good at this point but my left ankle was getting cranky from the uneven terrain. It's something that happens most races so I've grown to expect it. There was a HUMR support group consisting of my aunt Pam Stuart, Lane Farka and Steve Montano on this loop to cheer us on. It’s always a mental boost to see some familiar faces out there.
Almost half way - photo by Joel Schenk
I don’t really remember the next section very well. I just got in a zone and kept moving forward until I got to the last big climb of the day. Looking at the elevation profile from my garmin the climb really isn’t that bad. It felt a lot harder than it was. I’m more out of shape than I thought. My quads were starting to rebel. As I was grinding away climbing up the slick rock I looked back and noticed Ryan Lauck, another member of the HUMR Ultra Team, climbing strongly up the hill. He caught up to me and we hiked up to the aid station at the top of the hill together. He left the aid station before me and I didn’t see him again until the end.
At the aid station Bryce Warren caught up to me and we would spend the rest of the race leap frogging each other. From the aid station it was mostly downhill with a few small climbs thrown in. The only problem was that it was almost entirely on slick rock. Not good for my tired feet and legs. The flagging through here was hard to find at times and I spent a little extra time looking for the correct route. My quads were hurting pretty bad at this point so I had to put on some Trampled by Turtles to take my mind off the pain. The music worked and I started moving a little faster.
I refilled my water at the last aid station and had a couple orange slices then it was back to work. A little after the aid station I caught up to Sami. Her hips were hurting her a lot and she wasn’t able to run the last part of the course. She's too stubborn to give up so she kept moving forward the best she could. I walked with her for a little while. During that time Bryce passed me and I knew that I wanted to catch him. Sami gave me a kiss for good luck then I was back on my way. More jeep roads and more slick rock. I knew the end was getting close so I pushed as much as I could. I caught up to Bryce and passed him a couple miles from the finish. I cruised into the finish with my friends and family cheering me in. I finished the race in 5:34:59. My goal was to finish somewhere around 5:30:00 so I was happy with my time.
I had a great adventure with some great friends and some wonderful family. I was able to see where my fitness level is and what I need to work on before the next race. The thing that I love to most about these races is that I get to test myself and see what I am able to accomplish when I set my mind to it. I may not have had my best race but I got to enjoy some sunshine and some dirt in the middle of February. I’m proud to be a part of the HUMR Ultra Team and excited to see how the year unfolds for us. I had a lot of fun and can’t wait for the next HUMR adventure…
