A week later after my last 50k, I was toeing the line again. Jim was racing too, on the 25k course starting a few minutes later. We had spent the last couple of months hoping not to repeat last years scorching hot weather for the race. Sometimes hopes do come true, and it was a cooler day with a chance for rain. With these odds I should play the lottery.
The character of Crimson Canyon was completely different than the week before. Set in the Red Rock country near Richfield, Utah, it started out with a very fast flat 5 miles before hitting the hills. Psychologically, I always appreciate getting some fast miles out of the way first while my legs are fresh. I kept about the same pace as last year on the first half, but managed to drink more to get ahead of dehydration, unlike last year. We did get sprinkled on, but it was nothing horrible. The women this year were a little faster tho, as I lost the lead early on and couldn't reel anyone in.
Near halfway, we passed through the start/finish area again. I grabbed my pack, and set off with a full can of Coke, my drink mix, and a bottle of water. I was NOT going to do the heat exhaustion thing again. The next 5 miles were slow and starting to get hot, so I used some of the water to dump on my head.
BUT, and this is huge, my knee was not hurting and I was able to keep hydrated and keep running. SO much better than last year. The next aid station had a little two mile loop up through another canyon. I dumped my pack and shirt by the aid ladies, and set off with ice in my bra and a bottle of water. Soon enough I was back down to the aid station again, and filled up on more ice, soda, water, and snacks. I amused myself by eating ice out of my hat for the next section, as the sun was shining and it was getting hot again.
I knew I should eat something and I was tired of a bag of trail mix rattling in my pack, so I ate it. Secretly, you know how you really want trail mix to just be all M&M's and nothing else? This was just the opposite, I'm not sure there were any even though it said there should be. Bummer.
However, ominously to the west was a very dark sky and the rumbling of thunder, which turned into rolling growls. I wouldn't need that ice anymore. The next aid station was just 6 miles from the finish, up on a high ridge with a great view of the incoming storm. I didn't waste time hanging around. I did see bags of M&M's, so I made up for the trail mix' lack of chocolate by eating some!
The gust front hit just as I was leaving and the rain followed some time later. I was running as fast as I could to beat the storm, but even in perfect conditions I had at least an hour left. It could run faster than I could, evidently, and I put a the windbreaker to keep in some warmth. The trails quickly went from dry; to hero dirt; to sticky dirt clinging on my shoes; to rivers of muddy water rolling off the trail.
Inside my windbreaker I was hot, and when the rain tapered off a little I took it off again. I now looked like a speckled red soaking straggler, but I was feeling good and my last mile was as fast as my first mile. I made up all my time on the second half, finishing 55 minutes faster than last year in 6:49. Ironically, I still finished in the same 5th place!
Jim also had a really amazing race, finishing the 25k in 3:36, which was an hour and 10 minutes faster than last year! This was his best finish to date, 18th overall out of 89.
Here's the results: https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=81079
I do have to state, that for the second year in a row, I'm pretty sure I was beat by a man wearing a skirt, with large muscles and a very deep voice. I'm sorry, but if you were born with an anatomy that is different from mine, changing a few things and clicking F instead of M on a registration does not make you a woman. You, on average, have a larger heart and lungs, larger muscles, and more testosterone than the average woman. I'm glad you are out here racing, but please don't think it's right to take a podium spot as a woman.
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