Run Rabbit Run training weeks seventeen, eighteen, and race day

I finished my final race of the season and had fun doing it in spite of tough conditions. Here are the numbers for weeks seventeen and eighteen, including the Run Rabbit Run 50 mile:

• 31 hours, 12 minutes all training

• 75.93 miles running and hiking

• 11,929 feet D+ running and hiking

In week seventeen I tried to maintain a reasonable volume of training and do quality workouts. I ran four times, with some modest hills, and a fast group run at Pineridge. This was my last week of unemployment this summer, so I tried to enjoy going to bed early and sleeping late.

Week eighteen was race week, and also the start of a my job (subject of a future post). I biked eleven miles each day, Monday through Friday, and did one lunchtime run from work on trails going north to Reservoir Ridge Open Space. I slept well, ate well, and on Friday afternoon I drove to Steamboat Springs to prep for Run Rabbit Run. Picked up my bib, checked in drop my bag, and went to my hotel room to pack for Saturday. I expected rain during the race. My drop bag had spare shirt, socks, and shoes, and I would have access at miles 18 and 32.

I heard rain Friday night, and that would be Saturday's theme. There were some flashes of lightning as we gathered at the start line before 6 a.m., and ten minutes in the skies opened up. It poured for over an hour, stopping just before I reached the Mount Werner Aid Station (6.4 miles, 10,372 feet). It wasn't cold, because this was the last summer monsoon event of the year, so I left my rain jacket inside my pack, in its waterproof stuff sack, and resigned myself to being wet.

It rained intermittently all day. Flat sections of trail were often flooded. My feet were wet for the duration of the race. My shoe choice worked out well. The NNormal Kjerag 2 that I wore have less material than most trail shoes, and do not absorb much water. I lubed my feet before the start, wore my thin Darn Tough socks, and was fine. I fully plunged into puddles in the second half of the race instead of dancing around them, and had no regrets. No blisters, no trench foot.

During the middle third of the race there were some sunny breaks. My hat and gloves dried out a bit. The aid stations were serving hot food and hot drinks. I found some fun folks to run and chat with. The Dumont Lake Aid Station (23 and 27 miles) was packed with volunteers, crew, and spectators, an enjoyable spectacle. I reached the Rabbit Ears rock formation, the turn-around point, in the best conditions of the day. I'll remember this every time I drive past on US-40.

Rain returned in the last third of the race. I unpacked my rain jacket and it stayed on for the duration. It was a wet slog from mile 32 until Mount Werner, again (mile 44), and slippery in places, and then there was another thunderstorm at the finish. I had fun out there, but was also super glad to be done.

The slow 50 mile and 100 mile runners share the last 10 miles of the race. I took every opportunity to pump up the folks who were going to finish the 100 mile race after 33-36 hours. That's going to be me, one day.

Run Rabbit Run was well organized and fun. The aid stations were first class and the Park Range backcountry is beautiful. I'll return to this, happily.