Nov 1, 2019
Race Report: Moab 240
October 11–15 2019
Intro
I ran my first ultramarathon, the Baker Lake 50K in NW Washington in October 2015. It was difficult but afterward I felt I had really accomplished something amazing. At the beginning of 2016 I injured my left ankle and it wasn’t until June 2017 that I ran another 50K. In August 2017 I ran my first 50 miler, afterward I said I wasn’t sure I needed to run any farther, 50 miles was quite an accomplishment. Soon, my running friends and I were talking about doing a 100 miler together, and in September 2018 I ran the Mountain Lakes 100, with the Bigfoot 100K as a tough training race the month before.
The farther I ran the more I enjoyed it. 100 miles was fun, but I didn’t like that when the sun came up the running was over. I wanted to keep running.
In late 2018 I knew I wanted to run a 200 mile race. I didn’t want to do Bigfoot since I’d run the area before. I wasn’t ready to fully commit as Tahoe was filling up, but Moab sounded interesting. I love the desert and as a bonus, this race had the longest miles. I registered for Moab on January 8 2019 and it was on.
I ended up with a busy year, with everything oriented around preparing for Moab. I ran two 50Ks, a 50M, a 100K, a 100M, I did a two-day fast pack on the PCT, and I also paced other runners both at Bigfoot 200 and Tahoe 200. By the time Moab came around, I was feeling as ready as I was going to feel.
Moab
I arrived in Moab with my girlfriend Leah and her sister Sarah late in the afternoon Wednesday October 9. After landing at Salt Lake City’s airport, we picked up our rented Chevy Suburban and loaded it up with race items: Air mattress and inflator, camping chairs, lots of snacks and food, Red Bull, even a portable toilet. The drive from Salt Lake City to Moab took about four hours with us stopping a couple times along the way.
At one point during the long drive we thought to compare the miles of driving from Salt Lake City to Moab to the race, and had a good laugh when we learned that I would cover a greater distance on foot!
Once in Moab settled into the Airbnb we rented for the week. We reserved a fantastic three bedroom condo for pacers and crew to use during the race as there would be occasions where the long time between crewed aid stations would allow them to return and relax. We had dinner and a good night’s sleep.
Thursday afternoon was the race checkin and briefing. We placed our drop bags in assigned areas, picked up bibs and swag, talked to the medical team, and got our mugshots. I was very excited about the mugshots. There’s something inspiring about the mugshots I’ve seen in previous races. The runners are special, they look like heroes. I wondered what I would look like.
The pre-race briefing was exciting, we learned small details about stuff was important at the time but I don’t remember any more. I was loving this already. This is really happening! Looking around I saw many strong looking athletes. Do I belong here?
I met some new friends, caught up with runners I already knew, and I was feeling ready.
Race morning
At 6am we loaded up into our rental car, and at the same time at least three other racer’s vehicles were leaving from the same condo complex. We stayed in a popular spot! In fact we discovered the night before that my friend Bryan, who I paced at Tahoe, was staying in the unit next door!
A quick drive to the start line and soon we were standing around waiting to get this show started. I don’t remember feeling nervous. I felt as ready as I could be. The rest we would figure out along the way.
At 7am we cheered and were off. We ran a few miles on pavement as we followed roads out of civilization and headed towards the trails outside town. I was taking it easy, following advice Ben Light gave before the race briefing. We are in no hurry here. The sun rose and I was enjoying the morning.
01 Hidden Valley |mile 9.3 | 8:51am Friday
The first aid station was a no-crew station, but my parents showed up anyway to encourage me on. It was nice to see them. They kept asking if they could help. “No mom and dad, this isn’t a crewed aid station.” I’m a model citizen, I follow the rules.
A quick bottle refill and I was off to climb the first steep part of the race.
The section above the rocks is amazing and we got our first thrilling views. Before long I noticed that the runners in front of me were off-course, they went right but the flags went left. I confirmed there were definitely course markers to the left then called back to the runner behind me who was able to shout up to the runners who are heading the wrong way.
The course markings are generally sufficient, though there is plenty of ambiguity and questions that led me to consult the map in the GaiaGPS app quite often. Sometimes I found myself parallel to the course on the slickrock, but I was able to find myself back easily.
There were great introductory views in this section, we could even see Arches National Park for a time. After running across the rocks we descended close to the river then followed a paved road for a short distance to Amasa Back, the first crew-accessible aid station.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/SUfFAxr34wLT5Cbf6
02 Amasa Back | mile 17.8 | 10:54am Friday
I arrived slightly ahead of schedule. While I was running conservatively, my pace charts, which were wild-ass-guesses, still had me coming in a little later. No worries, I was feeling fabulous.
It was great to see my crew, and after this I won’t see them for a long while. The next two stations are no-crew so I won’t see them again until the Indian Creek AS at mile 72. The next two stations also don’t accept drop bags, so I’m also stuck leaving Amasa Back with everything I need until mile 72. I tend to carry more than I need, so I left loaded up.
Out of Amasa Back the trail slowly climbed up above the river again, and soon we were skipping across slickrock fields following paint marks and cairns.
I was having a fun time, enjoying the views, the great temperature, the movement. We did a little loop around the top of the mesa then descended into the valley via the famous Jackson’s Ladder.
Next we ran beneath the cliffs. I was loving these views. We cruised along double track trail/road that was sometimes rocky, sometimes fine sand, but the miles were relatively easy. After about six miles of this we arrived at the third aid station.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/wRkfuCqWTEkAnfpv5
03 Hurrah Pass | mile 32.8 | 2:30pm Friday
There was a tortoise walking around in the aid station! This was a nice stop, hosted by Basecamp Adventure Lodge. I changed my socks, ate two hot dogs, enjoyed Mountain Dew in actual paper cups, then got back out. On my way into this aid station my caught sight of my friend Joe just leaving. The runners were pretty spread out, and I wasn’t seeing many on the course, so it was good to see a familiar face. I tried to get back out onto the course relatively quickly, but my pack was so full it was a real pain to access stuff. It took a little longer to get back out than I wanted, but I also need to remind myself that there’s plenty of time.
The next section is long: 25 miles. There is a water-only station 5 miles after Hurrah Pass, but then it is 20 miles to the breaking bad aid station at mile 57.3.
We followed a dirt road that cut across the valley and this was pretty sandy in parts. Then we started uphill and followed a Jeep road up onto the rocks and we proceeded to higher ground. On the Jeep road I passed some 4x4 drivers as they were helping each other navigate the rocks, one laughed that I was making better time than them. It was true!
The course traced along the contours of the mesas, a gorgeous view that stayed pretty much the same for quite a while. I passed my friend Joe and chatted for a bit. The sun went down, headlamps came out, and for the next few hours I made good progress.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/rpE4YsNhF34sambd7
04 Breaking Bad | mile 57.3 | 9:57pm Friday
The Breaking Bad aid station felt like it was in the middle of nowhere, an oasis in the dark that I could see from a distance. It was nice to arrive and get a break. I had some broth but I was feeling good and didn’t stay long, because I wanted to get to Indian Creek to see crew.
Out of Breaking Bad we were again on dirt roads. After a descent we started climbing and the climbs were long and steady. I didn’t mind their forever long-ness. We were in the dark and I powered forward with podcasts keeping my ears company.
Through this section I felt great. I was moving well but also efficiently. Finally in the cold and dark I arrived at Indian Creek. My parents had walked down the road a little ways so I got to see them first. The moon was bright and I recognized their outlines in the dark.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/m9tMo1gCMaG6RZNV7
05 Indian Creek | mile 72.3 | 2:35am Saturday
At Indian Creek I changed clothes and shoes. I laid down for 20 minutes in an attempt to nap, but I couldn’t sleep. So I ate a burger in the warming tent before heading back out on the course. It was really great to see my crew, and it was a bummer I wouldn’t see them for a long time again.
From Indian Creek I followed a dirt road that led to a paved road. On the paved road I switched off my headlamp and let the moon light my world. It was cool. It was also cold, and getting colder. After a couple miles on the road our course turned off back to dirt and sand roads and trails. Back in the Indian Creek warming tent there was discussion about the upcoming washes, with at least one experienced runner in the tent grousing about them. I soon felt why the washes weren’t appreciated. Sometimes the sand/gravel/dirt was packed and easy to traverse, but other times it was soft and sandy and it was difficult to travel. This section wasn’t very fun.
It kept getting colder. I had enough clothes to keep from freezing but I had lightweight stuff with me in this section of the race so I needed to keep moving to keep warm. Somewhere between 5am and 6am I was really cold so I stopped to add an additional layer. As I stopped, Phil passed me and reported the temps were down to 17°. I believed it! It was so cold.
I was cold, and I was super tired. I guess it was kind of a low, but not an emotional one, but I was so tired. I wanted to take a nap, but I knew it was too cold to lay down and sleep on trail. If I had better gear for this section maybe I would have considered it. This ended up being the coldest night, and I had packed my coldest gear for later in the race. The thing that stressed me out the most of the race was the planning and logistics and what goes in drop bags and what do I need where, and when? It made a bunch of guesses and some ideas worked better than others. Then we adjust and learn for next time.
As sunrise approached and the sky started to brighten, the course hit a river and I turned to follow it. This section of the course wasn’t well marked, so I continuously consulted the GaiaGPS map. The river’s water level was low and it was easy to stay dry on the muddy sides and islands. Eventually we turned left the river and hiked the last mile or so to The Island aid station. It was time to warm up and eat.
06 The Island | 87.1 miles | 8:11am Saturday
At The Island I warmed up with hot chocolate and pancakes and prepared for the next segment. The sun was up and shone beautiful on the rock cliffs surrounding us. I met Mina Wageh, an Egyptian runner from NY. He was trying to warm up after having suffered the cold night in shorts. Mina and I left the aid station and we started the next section together.
Mina was fast, and was ready to move faster than I was ready, so he went ahead and I wished him good luck. Ahead I could see another runner with their pacer, the pacer I had talked to at The Island. They were going about my speed but were a ways ahead. They were motivating me forward, but I wasn’t catching up to them, until they stopped to remove some layers in the warming sun. I stopped to chat and met Scott Jenkins and his pacer. I ended up spending the rest of this segment to Bridger Jack with them. We weren’t moving quickly, but it was nice to travel with them.
This section proved a lot harder than I expected. It is 15 miles with 2000 feet gain, which sounds very doable, but it felt difficult. The trail would climb and descend and it often felt like we weren’t ever getting a break. I wanted to go faster, but somehow it was just hard enough and I was tired enough, at this point the slower hiking we were doing was all I had.
The elevation was starting to get to me a little, which I didn’t fully understand as earlier in the summer I ran some high elevation training runs that went very well. Maybe the desert dust combined with the altitude to make it worse? And the fact I now had 100 miles on my legs? Maybe that too.
The views in this section were spectacular. Looking up to the left we saw the cliffs of the mesa, while down to the right we could see the valley and a lot of Moab rock beyond.
The aid station mileages never aligned with my watch, and when I got to Bridger Jack, supposedly at mile 102, my watch showed 98 miles. This was a real bummer, because running over 100 miles was new territory for me and I wanted to celebrate, but I needed the number on my wrist to reflect the achievement!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/1hNvXmyyZreoL2Ab9
07 Bridger Jack | mile 102.6 | 1:13pm Saturday
At Bridger Jack I ate a grilled cheese with ham while Brian from the medical team addressed a blister on my left foot. The medical staff at these events is really great, and it was fun to talk with Brian and the other runners for a while.
There was a lot of crew at this aid station. Didn’t the runner’s manual say access was only for high clearance 4x4 vehicles? Reports were that it was confusing to find, but otherwise easy to drive. I was disappointed I didn’t know that, because I would have liked to see my crew. At this point I wasn’t expecting to see them until the next aid station at mile 121.
I packed up and left the aid station and a runner named Scott Bailey joined me. We took a sharp turn off the road and followed a newish trail that looked like it had just been cut with a bulldozer. It wound up and down and around, but mostly down, taking us off the higher ground. I decided I was anxious to get to the next aid station and wanted to press a little. I ran the downhill but was quickly slowed when the course started following a dry riverbed, After a while we were out of the riverbed and our trail started winding us across creeks. Scott had joined with a runner named Jason and they were right with me. My attempt to get ahead was a bust.
I knew climbs were ahead, and they started with little teaser climbs. A steep climb up followed by a steep descent back down, that happened a few times. My breathing was immediately challenged. Why couldn’t I breathe? I would stop to rest for a moment, to slow my breathing and regain control. Sometimes I would cough and cough and hack up a hunk of mucus. It was gross but I felt better every time.
I was very glad we weren’t doing this trail in the dark. It was super steep and sometimes hard to follow. Soon the steep up and steep down became just steep up. Up, up and up. And so steep. I managed to catch up to Scott and Jason and I did my best to stay with them as the trail climbed. Finally it gave us a break into a valley before the big climb that would take us over the ridge between us and Shay Mountain.
The climb, again, was ridiculously steep. Jason kept asking, “Didn’t they teach these trail builders about switchbacks?” Clearly switchbacks were not in mind when this trail was built. Straight up was the order.
As we climbed the sun fell, and when we hit the top of the climb it was dark. Jason and I put on our headlamps then followed the trail downhill a short way to a dirt road where we met up with Scott.
The three of us followed the dirt road down the mountain only to have the road cross a creek to the base of Shay Mountain and then started up again. It was was about three miles of climbing on the dirt road before we finally arrived at the Shay Mountain Aid Station.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/CJmJDBNbnJqYyTws6
08 Shay Mountain | mile 121.6 | 9:21pm Saturday
Not only did I get to see my crew for the first time since the night before, I also was greeted by Tony, Todd, and Mike, my running buddies from home who drove down to be pacers. My parents were there too, so there was quite a crowd welcoming me to mile 121.
I ate a burger and warmed up by the fire. It got cold the instant the sun went down.
After eating I laid down and slept for two hours. I was so excited, my first sleep! It was overdue.
I woke and it took a moment to shake whatever dreamworld I had been inhabiting. Where am I and what am I doing? Oh yes, I slept for two hours, time to refresh and get back out there. I dressed into new clothes, put on new socks and shoes, and eventually I set off with Tony as my first pacer.
This section should have been faster. This is a mostly downhill section as the course descends Shay Mountain and heads towards the valley floor. But as we approached the third sunrise in this race, my right leg was hurting. My pacer Tony happens to be a PT and tells me it sounds like a hamstring issue and helpfully suggests I get out my poles to relieve pressure. The poles helped a lot and we kept a decent pace by power hiking.
Along the way we encountered two runners who were just waking from trail naps. This was a popular area for a snooze!
It was great to have a pacer and I enjoyed our miles together. We talked, Tony talked, we could see hints of cool views in the moonlight, overall it was a fun time. Tony was able to text the crew to make sure we had some things to help my leg at the next aid station.
The sun came up and soon we were at the next aid station.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/VzviEVrEMQ7A5sFe6
09 Dry Valley | mile 140.1 | 7:45am Sunday
At the Dry Valley aid station Tony helped me with some massage and KT tape on my hamstring.
Spirits were high. Despite the leg pain I was having a blast. And I was about to trade pacers and run the next two sections with my buddy Todd.
Soon after Todd and I left the aid station we took off our layers as the sun was warming up. This next section was a straightish and mostly flat dirt road. The road was pointed towards the La Salle mountains, so we were able to stare for hours at the challenge that lay ahead.
We turned left onto a paved road and started climbing a little higher. My hamstring hurt a bit on the downhill sections, but I was enjoying the day.
The views kept me very occupied. I was seeing pictures in the rock just about everywhere I turned. I am sure I saw words on written on the side of the La Sal mountains in the distance, I just couldn’t quite figure out what it said.
Todd and I had a great time moving together, we talked and didn’t talk but truly enjoyed each other’s company. The support of my crew and pacers was so encouraging to me.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/dL9mLA8NWPzTxhaA8
10 Wind Whistle | mile 153.7 | 1:50pm Sunday
We rolled into Wind Whistle and had a bite to eat. Another burger with all the fixings. Brian the Medic was at this aid station and I told him my hamstring was bothering me. He massaged it, rolled it and added more tape. It helped and I felt a little better as we left this station.
The next section was on dirt road. Most of this day was on dirt road and my throat was feeling the dust. I often couldn’t talk because it hurt. I started gargling with my Tailwind to clean my throat. It felt good. Overall, I was feeling quite good and we picked up the pace a little. I still wasn’t feeling up to actually running, but we power hiked with conviction, putting down a few sub-16 minute miles while we slightly descended. We crossed the basin then climbed back up, but still we pushed. I was having a great time.
11 Rd 46 | mile 167.3 | 5:50pm Sunday
We rolled into the Rd 46 aid station before sunset and shortly after I sat down my friends Joe and Bryan arrived. They were making good time!
At Rd 46 I ate and rested a little, the next two sections were going to be the hardest of the whole race.
Mike took over the pacing duties. Scott Bailey, who I ran with from Bridger Jack to Shay Mountain, joined us on the hike to Pole Canyon.
We left Rd 46 after dark, and the temps were all over the place. It would be freezing cold, then too warm for a jacket, then back to cold again. But my biggest problem was I was getting tired again. Sometimes the climbing would get my breathing overtaxed like happened on the way to Shay, so I would stop to take a little break and return to normal. The trail itself was unremarkable in the dark, except I do remember it was rocky. And I remember seeing writing on the rocks. I couldn’t always decipher it, but sometimes I saw my name. I knew it couldn’t be real because there were so many rocks with writing. It would take someone forever to write on all of those rocks!
This section of the race is the blurriest in my memory. I was practically sleep walking. I was trying to maintain my positive feelings but this felt like it was going on forever.
12 Pole Canyon | mile 184.9 | 2:50am Monday
Eventually we hit Pole Canyon and after a bite to eat I sat down in the warming tent and slept. I slept for about 20 minutes, but then I asked Mike for a few more. I laid down on the ground for about 10 minutes, then gathered myself and joined Mike outside.
I looked through the Aid Station’s gel and gu box looking for anything with caffeine. I grabbed the one or two things and we got back on the trail.
Pretty much immediately out of the Pole Canyon aid station we were climbing. Soon the trail steepened. The trail kept climbing, and it kept its steep pitch. My breathing was getting worse and I had to stop more often.
My buddy Bryan had been sleeping at Pole Canyon when we left, but soon he came up behind us on the trail. He was also struggling with the altitude but he was moving faster than I was. We talked for a moment, cried for a moment, then I wished him luck and he was off.
The trail goes up over 10,000 feet here, and I was appreciative of my Garmin’s altimeter to assure me we were getting close to the top.
After hitting 10,400 feet we dropped down a little before going back up over 10,000 again. Then a drop, a climb, a drop, a climb, it was over and over and we were challenged. I was disappointed to be hitting this at night, I knew that this would be beautiful to look at. The moon was bright, however, so I could still see trees and a nighttime beauty around me.
In time the sun came up and we could better appreciate the beauty of the mountain. This was a lovely area. The trees, the creeks, the leaves, it was so beautiful.
I was incredibly tired. My energy was low and in this section I struggled the most. I didn’t have any thoughts of quitting, we just needed to keep moving.
I started to have a strong feeling that I had been on this part of the course before. Every turn we took felt familiar, each little climb I recognized, and I was certain I knew what was around each bend. This strong deja vu feeling persisted all the way until the next aid station. Along the last little road section to the aid station I saw embedded in the dirt side of the road longish flat rocks that looks like little roofs, and under the flat rocks were little vertical rocks, like supports and walls, and between these I saw what looked like little dolls. I don’t know what the dolls were made from, rock or plant material, or if they were actual dolls, but Mike assured me these little dioramas weren’t actually there.
Mike was a champ, pacing these two sections was a huge undertaking and I am so glad he was there. We didn’t talk a lot, it was hard enough to breath with the hiking, but he was encouraging and he never complained. What a stud.
I was so happy to make it to the Geyser Pass aid station. I planned this to be a sleep stop and I was very ready to lie down and rest.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/SsLFyKjz18QfEN1x9
13 Geyser Pass | mile 201.4 | 11:25am Monday
I arrived at Geyser Pass in time to catch my friend Bryan. We talked and again, we cried together. It was good to see him. I ate, and then I was interviewed by the Off the Couch podcast, though I can’t say I was coherent at all, and then I laid down for a couple hours.
After a sleep I changed clothes, socks and shoes. My shoes had been a little tighter to get on last time, so we decided to try a half-size larger shoe I brought in case of swelling feet.
Tony took over as pacer and we left Geyser Pass. 200 miles down, 40 to go. We were moving well, and my deja vu continued. After a couple miles, though, it was clear to me the larger shoe change was a mistake. I was rubbing in my heel and it was definitely going to blister. We texted the crew to be sure to have my last pair of shoes and smaller socks at the next station.
This section of the trail was one of the most scenic of the race, and we were enjoying it in the full afternoon sun. We were moving, and I was feeling good. It was really nice to run with Tony again.
As the sun set and darkness fell we started downhill on a long dirt road. Eventually we turned onto a paved road and followed that for a long time, then another dirt road for the last several miles before the aid station. In the last dirt road section I started fading again. I was tired and very anxious to get to Porcupine Rim.
At the next aid station my girlfriend Leah would start pacing and we’d do the last 16 miles together. This wonderful race was almost done!
With four miles to Porcupine Rim I was feeling quite tired, and was attempting to sleep walk by listening to Tony’s voice to stay straight. But then I had to stop and ask “wait, is it four miles to the next aid station, the station where Leah is waiting for us?” Somehow my foggy head needed that reminder, because suddenly I was alive. I just needed to go four miles and there would be my loving crew.
Tony and I also agreed that a nap at Porcupine Rim would be a smart idea. I was thinking about likely race finish times and it was going to be close to sunrise. But if I slept an hour at Porcupine Rim, then we’d finish in the daylight and that would be more fun. :)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/bDRF4p6Es8XNZBYZ6
14- Porcupine Rim | mile 223.9 | 12:30am Tuesday
At Porcupine Rim I visited the medic to have my new heel blister taped and ate a couple hot dogs while she worked. I met Scott Bailey’s family who recognized my name from the race tracking website, but Scott had already left. Then I laid down for an hour.
Eventually Leah and I hit the trail for the last segment. The first few miles had way more climbing than I wanted this late in the race. All I wanted was downhill!
We hiked in the darkness and I was getting tired again. I was doing less-well with my calorie intake, feeling the end of the race making me think I could power through. But I was also very sick of the gus and gels and other nutrition I had. I should have brought more real food with me from the last aid station. Eventually I was so tired I told Leah I was going to lie down.
I was tired and knew a 5 minute nap would help. But also I really wanted to sleep on the trail at some point during this adventure, and I realized I was in the waning hours of the last section! If I was going to sleep on trail I better do it soon. I asked Leah to set a timer for 5 minutes, I laid down and was out.
When Leah’s alarm went off she was quick to wake me up and get me on my feet. I did feel better, and we were off.
In time the sky started to lighten and I experienced my fifth sunrise of the Moab 240. This section was lovely, the rocks so pretty. I was glad we were able to see it in the daylight. We enjoyed amazing views for a few miles before the trail descended down to the Colorado River and we were on the road and a bike path for the last few miles.
I wanted to run the last few miles, but my leg hurt enough to keep me walking. I could walk fast, though, and I pushed hard with my best power-hiking. Leah jogged to keep up and we soaked in the feelings of nearly being done with this adventure. We passed campgrounds and campers cheered. Cars drove by with honks and cheers. Casual joggers ran by all smiles and encouragement. 240 miles, almost done. Wow.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ixVNjrWQiojJEdR98
Finish | mile 240 | 9:27am Tuesday
Then we were at the RV park and the finish was just around the corner. I kissed Leah and we ran the last few yards. I worried I would be too tired to feel much emotion at the finish, and maybe I was. I did raise my arms through the finish though, a triumphant gesture that is a bit flashier than my normal style. But this finish was a big deal. Wes, be proud of this accomplishment.
Unfortunately my pacers were already on their way home, they had to be at work the next day back in Washington, but at the finish I celebrated with my special family. Not only was I celebrating with Leah, her sister Sarah and my parents, but also my 16 year old daughter and her mom who secretly-from-me flew down to surprise me at the finish. It was wonderful to have all my most important people there to celebrate this achievement.
Moab 240 big, it is challenging, it is fun, it is beautiful, it is the toughest test I have ever faced. I loved every moment of it.
Takeaways
Be positive. Always. I fought hard to remain positive through the race, even during the parts that were difficult. I didn’t want to get negative, and even though I was super tired a few times, I don’t think I was ever emotionally low.
I need to look more closely at my hydration. I’m so terrified of under-doing my electrolytes, I think I overdid it. I was quite bloated by the end, it seems part of it could be my aggressive hydration. Carry more clear water.
My slightly-thicker and only slightly-larger UD rain jacket is warmer than my Patagonia Houdini wind breaker.
My Garmin Fenix 6X stopped recording at Shay Mountain because I charged using the car’s USB port. The watch thought it needed to go into Mass Storage Mode so it stopped my recording. Very frustrating. Solution for myself and others, change the setting to Garmin mode: System>USB Mode>Garmin
I need to evaluate what I’m carrying, I always carry too much stuff.
Bring different nutrition options to switch up during the race. I brought lots of things, but they were all in the same general category and by the end I was tired of all of it. I planned to bring more food with me, to-go style, from the aid stations, but for some reason I didn’t end up executing that plan.
Eat more real food. I didn’t do a bad job of this, but I can do better. Room for improvement.
Changing socks feels good. Changing shoes feels good. I took good care of my feet, and they fared pretty well.
Sleep more often, but get out of aid stations faster. It is easy to spend lots of time at aid stations, and I did spend a lot of time in them. Many hours would be saved by quicker AS visits.
Don’t forget that this was hard. Yes, it was amazing and it was fun and you remember this was challenging. But it was hard too, don’t take it for granted.
I am grateful.
