pre-race report: a sunny Saturday in Moab

[ilanarama]

I left for Moab around 10am Saturday morning with my mountain bike strapped into the bed of my pickup truck. Ordinarily the day before a half marathon is a day for rest, maybe a couple easy miles with strides at most, but I knew I wasn't in shape for a PR, and Britt was off in the mountains hunting elk, so I had the whole weekend to myself, and I wanted to have fun.

It seems like I get to Moab faster every time I drive there; this time, it was less than three hours before I rolled into town. (Part of the reason for this is because the cheap place I usually get gas was closed down and boarded up, and I figured gas would be cheaper in Moab than in the small towns along the way, so I didn't stop.) I picked up my race packet, then checked into our hotel. Normally we stay at the Gonzo, but we hadn't made our reservation early enough and it had filled, so Karah (my usual race roomie) made reservations at the Silver Sage, which turned out to be almost across the street from the packet pick-up.

I put my stuff in the room, changed into my biking clothes, and headed north through Moab, stopping to fill the gas tank on the way. I also filled my own tank; I was worried about timing and didn't want to stop to buy lunch, so I noshed on homemade granola bars and dried fruit I'd brought along from home. My destination was Dead Horse Point State Park, about 30 miles northwest of Moab and right next to the "Island in the Sky" district of Canyonlands National Park. I had scoured the internet looking for something fairly easy - not too strenuous, because I didn't want to tire myself out for the race, and not too technical, because I didn't want to wreck and hurt myself - and had found what looked like a perfect ride, the Intrepid Trail System.

After refilling my water bottle at the visitor's center near the trailhead, I headed out on the singletrack. At the trail split I went right in order to ride the loop counterclockwise, as the ranger at the entrance station had directed me. This took me along the mesa's edge, with spectacular views. (Also spectacular consequences in the case of a fall. Fortunately all the technical sections were well away from the cliff!)





I ended up riding the longest and hardest loop, the Big Chief loop, which is shown on the trail map as 9 miles but which my Garmin recorded as 8.2, including the bits I hiked back and forth to viewpoints. I'd definitely call it a good beginner/low intermediate ride - I only walked maybe 20 feet, one scary-looking technical climb, and the rest I rode without incident (although a couple of places made me nervous). A true beginner might have to walk in a half-dozen places, but would be able to ride most of it, I think. Riding the preferred counterclockwise direction puts all the best views and technical segments on the way out to the farthest point - the return is overland, along a fast, mostly smooth, and mostly downhill track. It took me an hour and fifteen minutes, including photo stops, and I saw only two other riders.

When I returned to the hotel Karah still hadn't arrived. I showered and got online (free wifi yay!) to find a message from her that she was likely to miss dinner and might not make it until the next morning. I met Paul, a friend from Salt Lake, at Miguel's for our now-traditional race night Mexican food (and margaritas), not as much fun without Karah (or Kevin, another friend who usually does the Moab races as well but was on vacation in Hawaii with his wife), then returned to the room, organized my race gear and faffed about online for a while. Then I set the alarm for a ridiculous early hour, stretched a little, read a little, and went to bed.

Race report next! I promise!

Comments

[zebra363.livejournal.com]

Great photos. I'm reading this at my mother's and showed them to her. We lived in Moab from 1975 - 1979, right before moving to Australia.

Congrats on your time, too. It doesn't seem like very long since you were hobbling around.

[ilanarama]

Oh, cool - I knew you lived in the US but didn't realize it was Moab!

I am pretty sore today so I know it was a legitimate race effort, and I can't be other than pleased even though it ranks as my second worst "modern" half time (that is, after I started getting serious about training). I am just so happy to be able to run and race again!

I hope your injuries are receding and you are keeping up the running.

[(Anonymous)]

I envy you your relatively short trip distance to Moab. It takes us more like 7 or 8 hours, so we've only gone a few times. I miss it, need to get back out there.

Also need to check out Co. Nat. Monument, I've never been.

(msg. from Vuzh @ LJ)

[ilanarama]

Hey Vuzh - have you tried setting up openID? See my sidebar for instructions. Then you get notified when I respond.

I remember the long drive to Moab from when we lived in Boulder! Much nicer from here. Plus it's rural highways, not I-70.

[smalltownraces.blogspot.com]

Margaritas and mexican food before a race! Sure fire way to run well. :)

Lovely place to ride! I haven't ever been, but the photos make me want to go.

BTW I like your differentiation (concise) in your last comment. That would have made a much shorter post! ha.

Now....for the race report!!

[ilanarama]

Flour tortillas and beans are totally carbos. :-)

Really, you should apply for the Canyonlands lottery (the March race held on the lower part of the canyon), and if you don't get in come do this one next October. Fly out here to Durango, stay with me, and we'll drive out together.

Now, back to writing....

[blnchflr]

Moab, I've been there! I nearly burnt the skin of my feet off walking barefoot on hot asphalt, is what I remember most. We stayed at Arches Nat. Park, and just came in to stock up on food.

Pretty, gorgeous pics, though now that I think about it, I think it was also at Arches where I said I could never live in a desert climate, even if it is beautiful.

Race report next, yay!

[ilanarama]

Hee, everyone's been to Moab! It's definitely a weird sort of beauty. I would say that the climate here is pretty close to Moab's, a little bit cooler and wetter since we're 2000 ft higher, but still a desert.

[blnchflr]

Maybe everyone's been to Moab, but it's not everyday someone posts about a place I've been to ^_^

[ilanarama]

Oh, I meant it in a different way - that I was surprised and delighted that two people on my flist, who live in distant countries (from me and each other) are both familiar with Moab!