Masters Running

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Moab Trail Marathon Race Report (Read 21 times)

wildchild


Carolyn

    This was my 3rd year in a row doing this race - it's a stunning course, well run race, and beautiful time of year in the desert.  I keep getting slower each year, but that's okay!

     

    Statistics:

    2012:  5:29:23,  3rd of 18 in 50-59 AG

    2013:  5:40:38, 4th of 22 in 50-59 AG

    2014:  6:02:04,  4th of 12 in 50-59 AG -- also 2nd of 6 in 55-59 AG for USATF awards

     

    Originally my DH was planning to come with me, as he has the past two years, to go rock climbing after the race.  But he hurt his shoulder recently and can't climb, so I went solo.  I camped the nights before and after the race within walking distance of the start/finish line with Mtnchk (Cindy) and her DH, which was fun.

     

    This year the race was the USATF trail marathon national championship, and I joined USATF so I'd be eligible for the award.  (It was also the national championship race in 2012, but I wasn't a member.)

     

    There's a full and a half marathon that start at the same time, and they have 5 waves for starting to ease congestion.  I had signed up in wave 3, being a mid-packer.  But when I got to packet pickup, they said they wanted all USATF members to start in wave 1, so you would know who you were competing against.  They also gave us a second bib with our AG printed on it, to pin on our backs.   I had very mixed feelings about this:

    • On the plus side, I started at the back of wave 1 and everyone took off faster than me, so there was no crowding like when I started in wave 3 last year.  Even after the fast people from waves 2 and 3 eventually caught up and passed me, they were going faster, so I never got in the conga line of runners on the trail - I always had space ahead of me.
    • On the down side, I got passed a lot by the faster wave 2 and 3 runners, and it's disheartening to get passed so much.  Also very hard to just run at my own pace, and I had to step aside to let people pass.
    • Only the USATF members had age numbers pinned on their backs - the regular racers didn't.  So they all knew what AG I was in, but I didn't know who else was in my AG except the one other woman in the 55-59 AG.
    • I didn't like my AG on my back - I got some comments as people were passing me like  "I hope I'm running that well when I'm your age!"   Which I took to mean, hey, not bad for an old lady...  

    I'm not sure why I was 20 minutes slower this year than last - the weather was good both years and the course was the same. (It was a little different in 2012).  The one creek crossing we had to wade through last year had a makeshift bridge this year, so that part was quicker.    (I'm sure Holly remembers this - she tripped and fell in last year!)  It's possible I went out too fast because there was much less congestion in the early miles due to starting with wave 1.  Anyway, several other folks also said the race felt harder and they were slower than last year.  Not sure why.

     

    Here's the elevation  profile.  My Garmin measured a little short but I lost signal in the canyon at mile 10-11.

    This is about mile 7 or 8 - I love the colorful line of runners ahead.  And if they weren't in the picture you wouldn't know where the trail even was!

     

    This is the view looking back from mile 16 at the top of the two-mile long, 1,200 ft climb.  The trail is that little ledge at the base of the cliff:

     

    The final three miles of the marathon is also where they do a 5k adventure race - it has culverts, ladders, a cave, and fixed rope sections.

     

     

     

     

    This part also had some deep sand, so it was slow, but I like this part - kind of different from most races.

     

    The women who won 1st and 2nd in the 50-59 AG were 50 year olds who recently joined this AG.  Anita Ortiz was first, in 4:03:32!  She's a trail running rock star - she won Western States 5 years ago.  She's also a friend of Mtnchk's, and we all hung out together after the race.

     

    The USATF awards had five year age groups, unlike the regular race, so I was 2nd behind another Anita (Anita Rawlinson, from Montana).

    Here's me and Anita with our USATF national championship medals.  We were the only two in our AG who are USATF members, but we were also 1st and 2nd of the 6 women in the 55-59 group.

     

     

    I'll end with a picture from Arches National Park, where I went on Sunday after the race, before driving home.

     

    I hope some of you will come out and run this race with me sometime!  It's not easy, but the scenery is worth it.

    I hammered down the trail, passing rocks and trees like they were standing still.

    Mike E


    MM #5615

      Great report, wild.  Congratulations on completing and placing in another marathon.

      evanflein


        Awesome race report. Weird about you getting slower each year, you'd think you'd get faster with familiarity with the course? But anyway, it looks like a helluva challenge. Well done on your placing. But hey, if you had to wear your age on your back, everyone should have to!! Love the pictures!

          Great pictures. My friends from Boulder went and asked me to come along, but I had a bunch of work and stayed closer to here that weekend.
          They had a great time though. That course sounds more like an adventure run than a trail marathon!

          Congrats on your finish!


          Marathon Maniac #957

            The pictures are just as beautiful as I remember - tough race, but amazing views!  Great job on a super tough course.  And I would not like to have my AG on my back, either.  People mean well, but it comes out kind of wrong.....

            Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."

              Enjoyed your RR and photos, Carolyn. I'd write more but this forum is not very tablet-friendly!

              Doug, runnin' cycling in Rochester, MI

              "Think blue, count two, and look for a red shoe"

                Great racing, wild.  The pictures are amazing.  What wonderful scenery.

                 

                TomS