Friday was sunny and 60 in SLC. Woke up Saturday to clouds, snow, and 30ish.
Race was 6hr to complete as many laps to the summit as possible under 6 hours. Each lap was 3 miles to the top with 3,000 ft gain. Mark your number at the top and turn around and head back down.
My goal was around 5 hours to complete 3 laps... just under the female winners from previous years.
I felt strong the first lap up- ran the entire way up. Headed back down making sure not to push too hard and burn my quads out in the first lap. Quads were great, toes were on fire!! First time racing in my NB Venzee trail shoes. I had worn them for a bunch of 16 mile training runs with lots of hills and never had any problems. I put nanospikes on my shoes about half a mile from the summit due to icy snow-packed consitions.
First lap took 1:24 (top and back). Felt good the second lap up. Hiked the last 0.4 miles to the summit. Toes were on fire again all the way down. I couldn't stride out on the way down. 2nd lap was about 1:28 (top and back).
Third lap was still strong but stomach was quesy- thought for sure I was going to puke after the race. Started back up for the third lap at 3:55 and started thinking that I might be able to go for a fourth lap, which I was not planning on. No women have managed 4 laps under 6 hours. Partial laps don't count and if time goes over 6 hours and you're not done, lap doesn't count.
On the way down I made a cut-off time. If I made it to the bottom by 4:25 I would head back for a 4th lap, if not I would end. My toes were throbbing the entire way down again and I couldn't really coast down. Made it to the bottom at 4:30. Went back and forth on attempting a 4th lap, but just not sure I could have made it up and back in 1:30. 3rd lap was 1:35.
If my toes had been ok I think I would have been able to do 4 laps. It would have made the 2nd and 3rd laps faster and I would have been able to really pound down on the 4th lap.
The trail was a pretty technical single track with lots of loose rock, and big rocks, and people all over the place, and snow on the last mile and muddy/wet conditions on the rest of the trail.
Overall a pretty fun race (minus the fact that my toenails are going to come off and still hurt to the touch!). Quads are screaming, but I felt strong the entire race and ended up not puking!!!
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