By Guest Blogger Jim Cady
As some of you know, I went to Moab, Utah this past weekend to run the "Moab Red Hot 33/55K Trail Race" put on by Grassroots Events (I did the 33k). Aptly named, the organization is small, casual, and has a small town feel. Geared toward the ultra crowd, it is one of the first races in the racing season for the elite, culminating in over the top events like Wasatch, Leadville and Western States 100 mile mountain races. They look at it as a tune-up... after all, it's only 34 miles in the 55k; (19m in the 33k for us wimps).
Fortunately, they allow mere mortals to enter also, and the small size lets one rub elbows with the names usually only seen in magazines. Most of you know I prefer trails over road races. The variety of terrain necessitates a continuously changing pace, stride and vision that you don't get on the road. Every step has the potential to send you sliding face first across the rocks/dirt/sand. (I saw lots of blood cross the finish line, and at least one runner with her arm in a sling.) Since they are held in awesome geographic areas, they provide good excuses for road trips to some of the most beautiful parts of the country. They are competitive, but the general attitude is very low key; and runners are highly likely to strike up a conversation while trudging up a hill that makes Tumamoc look like a speed bump in the road. There is kinship generated by community suffering. Think "endurance event" more than "race". Generally there are 200-400 entrants and most normal folks are there to see if they can just make it; as opposed to make it fast.
If you haven't been to Moab, put it on your list. It's a 9-10 hour drive (600 miles from Tucson) and sits between Arches National Monument and Canyonlands National Park. Stunning scenery, a little quirky, and a Mecca for mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, river rafting, OHV's and any variant of outdoor activity you can think of.
The 33k had 430 entrants and 371 finishers. There were only 10 in the 60-69 AG... and only 3 in the 70+. Much different than your average road race! Cumulative gain of 3000' and loss of 4000'. The first 3 miles and the last 4 miles were on old mining roads and sandy washes. (Note the sand is more like powdered sugar and goes through shoes and socks without impediment) The middle section was on (and over) slick rock. If you are not familiar, it's not really slick (at least when it's dry)... more like sandpaper. Traction was good, but the slopes made the uphills painful, and the downhills treacherous. Since the mountains are actually big masses of rock, there isn't really a trail as you might imagine. The route was marked by strips of purple engineers tape tied onto shrubs or rocks every 50-100 yds. Some time is lost looking for the next flag. One of the risks is simply following the person in front of you. Invariably, he gets lost and now there's a whole group off trail. Race day was unusually warm (35 at the start, but quickly rose to near 70) and as with most trail events, there were only 3 aid stations; at miles 4, 8 and 15. Big difference: when's the last time you had PB &J sandwiches, Coke and Kit Kat bars at a road race water stop? Or chili, cornbread and micro-brew at the finish line? Or an evening after party with more free beer and food?
I finished in 4:22:03 (fifth in AG). Effort and time was similar to a road marathon, but 7 miles shorter. Highly recommended, but if possible, plan on staying in town several extra days to do some sightseeing, hiking, etc. I was there 2 extra days, and could have easily spent a week.
Jim
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