We woke at 4:00am this morning the wind was howling and we were very happy to be in the van. It was also very cold - about 36 degrees. After a quick breakfast of oatmeal, we took off and drove to the parking lot where we’d take a shuttle to the start of the race
When we got to the parking lot, it took some courage for us to shed our layers and face the cold. Mike kept his new Hurricane jacket and was very happy he did so. He took it off about mile 4.
It was a rolling start so we didn’t have to wait long to get going. The first two miles were on a wide dirt road- it felt like we were running at home. It gradually went uphill and we ran through a horse camping site and were cheered on by a couple of horses.
The first 10 miles were tough but doable. The views were great, but they got a lot better during the last 5 miles. We ran around the Bryce Canyon spires and along a ridge that dropped off on both sides.
We were both looking forward to the aid station at mile 10. There was an option to peel off and end the race there but that wasn’t really an option for us - maybe it should have been. The last 5 miles were brutal!
The elevation gain was constant and steep. They were even hard just to walk up. It was one of the hardest runs we’ve ever done. We ran among more spires and the views were unbelievable. The footing was sketchy. The downhills were super steep and on thin trails with a drop off one one side and a hill on the other. The trail footing was uncertain with rocks and scree. The last mile or so was back on a paved trail and that still hurt. We finished and feel awesome about doing it!
This afternoon, we tried to rest. We took a quick shower together in one of the only four showers here. I got a quick massage that felt wonderful. Dinner was a meat pasta meal and was fine. We really enjoyed the awards ceremony - one guy ran in just over an 8 minute mile pace - we about doubled that. The Race Director meeting is also very helpful. The Race Director tells us about the run the following morning and answers questions about it. Then, to bed we went to prepare for the next day.