24 hours of Moab

The last weekend in March, a group of us (me, John, Dana, Randy, Scott, Gina, Nicole, Katy, and Megan) left for Moab to participate in a 24 hour running race. There were several different events, the 12 hour solo, 24 hour solo, Moab 100, and the 24 hour relay. We entered as a team in the 24 hour relay - team Off The Couch.

The course went out around these two buttes, basically.

The course - for everyone - was a 5.37 mile loop on the Merrimac and Monument trails. Each time a runner completed a lap, whether on a team or solo, they (or their next teammate) turned around and ran the next one in the opposite direction. This meant that as the field of runners spread out, there were people running in all directions at all paces. It made it fun and also made it feel like you were never alone... even at 2am. Regardless of which direction you went, the beginning part of the loop was on a dirt trail, and the middle section was on slickrock, and then on a dirt trail.

It was super cold to begin but quickly warmed up for a nice Moab spring day. The wind did pick up which was not bad to run in, but bad for camping and waiting for your next loop. By nightfall our team had pulled into the lead... and we all got our headlamps ready for the night loops. At night they marked the course with glow sticks, but there was a section of the course that, even during they day, I couldn't get right. On one of my night loops I realized I hadn't seen a glow stick in a while so I stopped and looked around. It was high above me so I went bushwhacking and rock climbing to get back on course at 2am. Awesome.

Cars and camps were strewn about... a view of the La Sal mountains in the distance.

Our camp.

Us at our camp.

Most of my team was able to get in three laps, although John and I had to do four (a total of 22 miles). We finished first - killing the other teams, actually, and had enough fun to entertain signing up for the same event in Laramie, WY. If we win that one, we get free entry into the one in Boulder, CO (yay?).

What really impressed me were the solo 100 milers and solo 24 hour racers. Those people are nuts. In fact, at the start line I bumped into an old friend I ran with in college and she was running her first 100 miler. CRAZY! Sonja did awesome - I saw her many times along the way singing and smiling. Incredible.

Next stop for team Off The Couch - Laramie, WY.

Dana, John, and Megan at the start/finish line.

Nicole and Kaite in an action hand-off.

Sun is setting as Nicole comes in from a lap.

Anxiously awaiting John on our final victory lap.

John at the finish. OTC victory!!!