Moab 240 Endurance Run 2020

Moab 240 Endurance Run is a 240.2 mile trail race in Moab, UT – a race I started on October 9 and finished on October 13.

I finished Moab 240 in 94hr 37min 53sec without a crew in a single pair of sneakers. I fought dehydration early on, believed that Kesley Grammer’s publicist was texting me, wandered in a small section of the woods for over 2 hours, slept less than 2 and a half hours total, hit my head on a rock, dealt with impaired vision, degloved the top layer of skin on my left pinky toe, met and connected with some awesome runners, and finished feeling good thanks to the help of the aid stations, medics, and fellow runners.

Moab 240 was a pretty amazing experience. I had 2 goals (as usual): 1. Finish the race. 2. Finish the race in under 90 hours. I hit my first goal, but missed my second. I knew going into this race that it was very unlikely to match my experience at Bigfoot 200 the previous year. Since finishing Moab 240, I realized how comparing the two races was blinding me to what made this race special.

My Moab 240 experience can be summarized in seemingly contradictory ideas: Disconnecting and Connecting.

Disconnecting from the world, the news, politics, computer monitors, and everything else our lives have been bombarded with lately. Just focusing on getting to a point before time runs out while only addressing the minimum eating, drinking, and sleeping needed to continue moving was refreshing.
Connecting with so many other runners and sharing our experiences reminded me how ultras are not only about one runner (or me), it is about all the runners. It is about how we help each other get to the finish line. Most importantly, thinking about how to take that lesson and apply it to the world around us.

Like many of my other race reports, this will be about my view point and experience. If you are looking for specific details on the trails, check out the Runner’s Manual and links within. Those will give you much better, more detailed information than I could. If you plan to run Moab 240 and have questions or looking for tips, feel free to reach out to me.

Audio Version

For those that want to listen to a shorter version of my race experience, check out the Texas Devil Running Podcast I was on:

Racing in the Time of COVID-19

2020 has been a unique year to say the least. COVID-19, the global pandemic, has changed when, where, and how we as people interact and gather with each other. It has also limited where we can go, closed parks and trails, and canceled nearly all in-person races.

Typically by October, I would have run several different trail races, using them as training/practice for my bigger races. I usually try out different gear and nutrition options and even play around with different pacing. With no in-person races, I focused on doing multiple virtual races, running the streets of my neighborhood since most of the technical trails I train on were closed.

Going into Moab 240, I was nervous and felt unprepared. I have not been able to do any climbing or technical trail training. I felt good about my heat training, since all my virtual ultras took place during the day under the hot Texas sun with no shade. All that said, I was excited to run a real race again, to run outside my neighborhood, to see other ultra runners, to turn off the world for multiple days and just focus on moving forward.

A Couple of Quick Race Stats

Moab 240 is a single loop race, meaning that 99% of the race is on trails not run previously in the race.

240.2 miles
~29,726ft of ascent
~29,122ft of descent
14 aid stations (4 sleep stations)
High temperatures in the upper 80℉
Low temperatures in the mid 20℉

Due to COVID-19, there were changes to the race and new rules:

No blankets, mats, or tents at the sleep stations. If you wanted/needed a blanket, shelter, etc. you either have a crew to take care of you (not an option for me) or pack it in your sleep station bag.
Staggered start times
No pre-race meeting
No post-race party
Face covering required when in and around aid stations

Bigfoot complete, Moab next

Last year, I completed Bigfoot 200, another Destination Trails race. I had such a good time and was so impressed by the race, the race directors, and all the elements of the race, I knew I wanted to do another one of their 200+ mile races. I decided on Moab 240, since I had never run in the desert before.

As this year started to unfold and races were being canceled, I had little hope that Moab 240 would take place.

Preparation: Training, COVID Changes, Spreadsheets, Notes, etc.

Training:

When the stay-at-home orders started in March, it had a major impact on my training. The bad news: the trails I was using for technical trail running and climbing/downhill were closed to the public. The good news: I have a garage gym and more time available each day to exercise. I took advantage of this extra time to increase the amount I exercised each day and since I couldn’t get in difficult runs, I increased my weekly mileage to 45-50 miles. I also signed up to do a 50K or 100K virtual race every month.

My workout routine was:

Every Day:
- 19 Burpees
- 15 Pull-ups
- 120 Pushups (60-30-30)
- 90 Crunches
- 100sec Plank Hold
- 50 Leg Lifts
- 15 Leg Lifts with hip lift
- 100sec Bridge Hold
4 Days a week:
- 15 Pull-ups
- 120 Pushups (60-30-30)
- 90 Crunches
- 80 Air Squats
- 50 Leg Lifts
- 15 Leg Lifts with hip lift
- 100sec Plank Hold
3-4 days a week: Weight Train
3 days a week: 3.1 to 4.5 mile run
Fridays: 25 minute rowing
Saturdays: Minimum 19 mile run
Sundays: Minimum 16 mile run

Over the months since the stay-home “orders” started, I was becoming stronger and more lean. I was also eating better, taking the time to make nutrient rich meals. In fact as the race date started to approach, I realized I probably needed to put a little extra weight on to help me sustain for the multi day race.

Preparation and New Rules Impact:

The only constant is change, especially this year. As I prepared for Moab, I printed out the runner’s manual, made it into a nice notebook/folder, and copied all the spreadsheets from my Bigfoot prep. The system I used for Bigfoot worked so well, I knew I would just need to make some minor changes.

Reviewing my gear and runner’s manual, I needed some new items for Moab. I picked up some pants (required gear), upgraded my rain jacket to a heavier/thicker one, and picked up a bigger running vest/pack in order to hold all the required and needed gear.

One of the biggest changes this year was to the sleep stations. In previous races, the sleep stations provided a group tent, pads/mattresses, blankets, and even a “wake-up” service. This year, there would be no sleep shelters, mattresses, or blankets. They may have been able to still provide a wake-up service if you provided a 6-foot pole to the volunteers to poke you with (kidding).

Due to these changes, every runner was allowed a bigger sleep station bag that would be transported to each sleep station. If you were running without a crew, it was suggested you pack all things needed to sleep into the sleep station bag. For me that meant adding a sleeping bag, tent, light, and extra emergency blankets. I did not have a good cold-weather sleeping bag or small tent. After a bunch of research, I found a sleeping bag that would work best for me. I decided to buy a 1-person tent. I debated between a bivy and a traditional style tent. I opted for the traditional style because it gave me a little more room to cover my running gear and to change in the tent if I needed to.

I inventoried all my gear and food/fuel in my spreadsheets. I built out 5 nearly identical drop bags, with the later ones having more focus on higher calorie and reward style food plus a can of RedBull. I bought a new 70L bag for my sleep station bag and filled it with everything I would need at the 4 sleep stations including 4 complete sets of running clothes.

Pre-Race

Usually the day before a race is a time to meet and chat with other runners and volunteers. This year we each had an hour window to check in; mine was between noon and 1pm. I got there a little early, dropped off my drop bags, did my medical check-in, picked up my swag, took my mugshots, and purchased some stickers. The sports-drink sponsor had a table set-up so I stopped by to check out their drink. I am very happy I did since I found out that all their drinks contain whey protein (milk product). I have been vegan since December 2019, which meant I could not drink their drink at aid stations. (Definitely did want to risk the effect a milk product would have on my GI system after not having any dairy for over 10 months.) Luckily, I had Tailwind packets in each of my drop bags and was planning to carry a small tube of Nuun tablets.

After getting all checked in, I went over to the town of Moab. I checked out the restaurants and determined where I would get dinner from. Then I checked into my hotel for the night and was pleasantly surprised by a room upgrade. They had upgraded me from a standard room to their studio apartment which included a separate bedroom, full kitchen, dining table, and lounge area. If it wasn’t for COVID, I would have put a note out letting people know if they need a bed to sleep in the night before the race, I had 2 extra.

That night, I laid out my gear for the standard flat runner picture, packed it all up, ate a tasty dinner from a local restaurant, and had a very restful night sleep.

Day 1: Slow, Hot, and Dehydrated

My race wave started at 6:45am. It was dark and chilly, but thankfully there was a little campfire one of the runners/crews made that we kept me and a couple other runners warm while waiting for our wave to start. When our wave started, I got off to a moderately fast pace. It was a little faster than I wanted, but I was cold and the pace was keeping me warm. As we were waiting to cross the road, I recognized Kevin, one of my running buddies from Bigfoot, volunteering. I said hi, gave him a quick fist-bumb, and thanked him for volunteering.

As we got off the road and onto the trails, it felt pretty awesome to be running on single-track trails again. I was taking it in and enjoying every minute of it. When I got to the first aid station, I was faced with the new rules: face mask up, water filling restrictions, designated areas to eat/drink, etc. It was a little weird for all of us. So many of the runners were running by habit and unintentionally breaking some of the rules. I did a quick fill of my extra water bottle and was back on my way.

This first morning I was really in awe of the scenery around me. I had never explored this part of the country before (despite what you may read later in this report). As I was running, I heard David Boggins, this year’s famous runner, coming up behind me. I heard one of the runners ask him for a selfie and his response was something like, “I ain’t got time for that. I’m running a race.” I chuckled and appreciated his honesty. David did let the guy know if he could take a video.

Once the trail flattened out a bit, I decided to take the opportunity to take a couple of photos of the valley we were running in. When I got to the next aid station, I knew I needed to pick up my Tailwind. The temperature was rising and I would need the electrolytes. Unfortunately, I did not put a Tailwind pack in my first drop bag. I was carrying my Nuun tabs, so I used one of those instead. This section was only 15 miles long, but it was completely exposed to the sun and wind. Between the heat and the dry air, I was drinking a lot of water. While running, I could feel the strain on my quads and calves. Eventually, I ran out of water despite doing my best to conserve the amount I drank. I was beginning to get dehydrated. My mouth and throat were in pain and felt like they were cracking open from the dryness.

As I entered the Base Camp aid station, I couldn’t tell where the water was and ended up going over to the medics asking for water. I handed them my water bottle, which they filled with hot water which was not refreshing to drink and they asked me a couple of quick medical questions. They suggested I get some watermelon with salt to replenish my sodium and electrolytes. I covered one slice in salt and had one plain, in case the salty one was gross. It was the first time I had salted watermelon and it tasted alright, so I got some more, refilled my water bladder and bottle, took a short break in the shade to drink and eat before heading out. The aid station also had a resident 19 year old tortoise that was moseying around.

Before long, I was back on the trail. It was about 4.5 miles to a water drop. I made sure to drink my Nuun drink and extra water before then, so I could refill and have a (hopefully) extra hydration in my system. After the water drop, it was another 20 miles to the next aid station. The sun was hot and the air was dry. I could feel my leg muscles straining from the work and dehydration. I slowed down and grouped up with 2 runners. I am pretty one of them was Sean Nakamura. The other runner was majorly fan-boying on Sean and just kept asking him questions. I didn’t mind, it was fun to listen in on the conversation and they helped me keep a good pace. My legs were seizing up a lot during this section and at least one time took me to the ground. Eventually my pace started to pick up and I pulled away from those two.

When I entered the Breaking Bad aid station, I was feeling worn down. I was not the only one, many folks there were having a rough time. I was able to snag a free chair to sit and have some food. They cooked me up a vegan quesadilla with Spanish rice and guacamole. I was drinking a lot of water and vegetable broth. I didn’t want to stay long because I was only 57.3 miles in and I wanted to get to the first sleep station, about 14 miles away, before taking an extended break. The trouble was that I really needed to replenish my calories and salt. My shirt was so covered in salt that it had become hard and crunchy. I ordered another 2 bowls of Spanish rice and salt plus a cup of veggie broth.

At Breaking Bad, I witnessed the carnage of this race. The medics were consistently busy with runners in the aid station and the new ones stumbling in. Most runners were dealing with dehydration, but others seemed more serious. One guy came in with a terrible cough, couldn’t catch his breath, and was hacking up stuff in between coughing fits. The medic ran a full check on him and took him out of the dust. He wasn’t the only one dealing with lung and breathing issues. There was also a woman with vertigo. I heard the medic tell her it may be dust that has packed into her ear and asked her questions if she was having trouble hearing. I can’t even imagine how to begin to deal with that issue.

After my second bowl of rice and salt, I got back on my feet and was out to the next aid station. It was 7 miles to a water drop, then another 7 to the aid station. The next section went pretty quick for me. I was just pushing through to get there in a decent time. It was at this point I realized that I may not make my time goal. I was already so far behind my desired pace. The goal now was to make it to the next aid station, Indian Creek, and get a little rest.

Before I knew it I was rolling into the aid station. The area was packed with crew and cars and I had some difficulty finding the actual aid station. When I arrived I was greeted by some energetic and smiling volunteers. They asked if I had crew and/or needed my sleep bag. I told them I needed my sleep bag and a place to lay down. To my surprise, they asked if I wanted a cot outside or inside a tent. My reply was something like, “You have cots?” They did have cots, but no blankets, coverings, etc. That was fine by me, so I asked for one of the cots. There was a free one outside, which worked for me. It was time for a real test of my new sleeping bag. The volunteer led me to the cot and I started getting ready to rest. It was probably around 2am at this point.

I was tired, my muscles were sore from cramping and seizing up, and I was bummed about my pace. I changed my clothes, took off my shoes and socks, and curled up in my sleeping bag. I created a little night stand-like area within my sleeping bag for my glasses, phone, battery charger, and headlamp. I set an alarm for 1hr 30min and tried to get some sleep. At first, my mind was racing and overstimulated. I took a couple deep breaths, relaxed my body and mind, and slept until my alarm went off.

Day 2: Making a Comeback

After I got up, I took a little extra time to prepare for the day ahead. The next two sleep stations were about 64 miles and 90 miles away. My plan was to make it to the next sleep station early, get some more sleep, and head out from there pretty early. I replaced my batteries, replaced the food I was carrying, grabbed a pack of Tailwind, ate more food, did a thorough check of my feet and gear. My feet were doing great. I also decided to bring my poles, which I had in my sleep bag. Given the strain I put on my muscles the previous day with my dehydration, I felt that any relief I could give my legs would be welcoming.

I felt pretty good starting my second day. I looked at my timer; I was leaving Indian Creek just about 24 hours after I started the race. It wasn’t too long before the sun was up. My legs still felt sore, so I kept a fast walking pace but didn’t want to push it too hard.

The second day felt pretty uneventful. I had accepted the fact that I was unlikely to hit my time goal and I was probably in the rear of the pack. Now, it was just about getting the miles done and staying hydrated. Thankfully, I had gotten to my stash of Tailwind and was refilling my bottle with it at every aid station.

I took a quick look at my phone and saw I had 2 steep climbs coming up. The first big climb was on single track technical trails. I was going slow and steady; thankful I brought my poles. A racer flew by me saying, “I don’t know how I am doing this pace, but I am going to take advantage of it while I can,” before disappearing in the distance.

It was during this section I started to get blisters. The rocks were loose and the ground uneven. Trying to move fast in the dark while tired resulted in slamming my feet and toes several times. After one hit, I could feel a blister start on my left pinky toe. I stopped, taped it up real quick to help prevent it from getting worse before getting back on my way.

I hit the first peak, then starting descending. Soon I was on a gravel road descending, going at a quick pace. Then I rounded a turn and it was back to climbing. After what seemed like forever, mainly because the scenery never changed, I reached Shay Mountain. The aid station felt a little understaffed, but the volunteers were doing a great job. They were checking everyone in, resetting the spot devices, and doing a quick med check.

After a quick cup of veggie broth, a volunteer retrieved my sleep bag and showed me to an available cot. I felt good. I think it was about 11pm, so I made up about 3 hours. I changed, set up my little “nightstand” in my sleeping bag and decided to get about 1hr 15min of sleep – a little less than the night before because I knew I would need to address my blisters after I woke up. It wasn’t long after zipping up inside my sleeping bag that I was passed out asleep.

Day 3: Hints of the Madness That Will Come

My alarm started to ring. “Where is my phone? Where is my headlamp? Where are my glasses?” questions filled my head. I was rolling around inside my sleeping bag trying to get everything together. After what seemed like an eternity, I somehow simultaneously turned off my alarm and turned on my red headlamp light. Then I came to the sudden realization that Kelsey Grammer’s publicist was texting me. My mind started racing with a rapid fire stream of thoughts and inner monologue:

What the hell is going on?
Why is Kelsey Grammer’s publicist texting me?
Oh my god, I somehow linked my phone alarm to Kelsey Grammer’s phone. It is now ringing and waking him up. They are probably just trying to figure out what is happening.
How could Kelsey Grammer’s publicist even reach me? My phone has been in airplane mode the whole time.
Kelsey Grammer is rich. He probably has ways to reach people even if my phone is in airplane mode.
Should I respond?
I don’t have time to deal with this right now. I can’t deal with this right now.
Just ignore it and deal with it later.

This is all happening while I am rolling around inside my sleeping bag bathed in the red light of my headlamp. Suddenly, my backup alarm (set for 5 minutes later) goes off. “Now what? … Good, that is just my backup alarm. … Holy crap, my backup alarm is going off and I am still inside my sleeping bag!?! I don’t have time for this!!! I need to get up!”

I get up, it is about 1:30am. I get my gear together quickly, so the cot can be given to someone that needs it. I take a look at my feet and decide that I will check in with the medic about them. I put one pair of clean socks on and loosely tie my shoes. I leave the tent and grab a chair by the fire. I drop off my pack, sleep bag, and poles. I noticed the guy near me has very similar poles, so I position mine in a differently and somewhat touching my chair and go looking for the medic.

I find the medic and ask if she can help with my feet. She is busy checking people in and out of the aid station since they are understaffed and it may be a little while before she can help me. “No worries,” I say, “I’ll go get some food.” I head over to the food area and ask for a tortilla with guacamole and salt. I am still experiencing a lack of sodium from the previous 2 days. Unfortunately, the aid station is out of salt.

One of the racers next to me offers me a salt pill, “Just use this. Open it up and pour it onto the guacamole.”

“Really? Is that okay to do?” I asked.

“Yeah, it’ll be fine,” he responded.

So I open the pill up and pour the contents onto my guacamole. As I write this it occurs to me how weird and wonderful the world of ultra distance races and endurance events are. I just accepted a nondescript pill from a stranger, opened it, poured it onto a guacamole covered tortilla, and started to eat it. I can’t think of any other time or place where this is a sensible course of action.

With my salt pill laced guac and tortilla roll-up in hand, I head to meet the medic in the medic station. My feet had several blisters, but there was only one I was worried about – my left pinky toe. It had blistered around the entire toe and filled with blood. She drained the blister, taped up the toe, and left a spot to re-drain it if needed. We drained another blister or two and taped up a couple of hot spots.

I went back to my gear at the fire to have a little more food before heading out. When I got to the chair I realized my poles were gone and the poles near the chair were not mine. That guy that was here earlier must have grabbed my poles and now he was gone. So I picked up his poles, they were well worn but they were very similar to mine. They appeared to be the same make and model as my poles, but felt a little lighter and shorter. I still needed poles, so I took them and hoped to find mine in the future.

After eating a little more food, I got up and on my way around 4am. The path was easy and I was feeling good, so I was going at a fast pace and even running some. While I was doing some sleep walking during this section, I made it to the next aid station in good time. I stopped briefly to put my contacts in and grab some food. I was tired of eating guacamole and tortillas, so I grabbed a bag of potato chips. They tasted so awesome, so I grabbed two more bags.

While I was at this aid station, I was asking everyone with Black Diamond poles if they had their correct poles. No luck finding my poles. Before I left, I asked the medic to help me tape my hands. The poles I was using were giving me blisters on my hand.

After getting taped up, I started on the 13+ mile road to the next aid station. In the distance, I could see La Sal, the mountain peak coming up later in the race. The journey to the next aid station went by quickly. A short storm blew through that dropped some rain and wind on me, but it was not too bad. Soon enough I was at the next aid station. This one had drop bags and an outhouse. I was going to use this time to restock, reapply some BodyGlide, and have the medic check my blisters.

The medic checked my blisters. The left pinky toe was rough; the blister refilled with blood and the area seemed to have grown bigger. We drained it again. At this point, I realized that I would probably need to continue draining it until the end of the race. As I was with one medic, anothet racer was with the other medic dealing with dehydration and overheating. It looked like he had gotten his dehydration and overheating under control and was going to head out soon. I called over to him, “If you are heading out soon, I’ll join you for a bit.”

The medic said that was a good idea and the runner agreed. We got our stuff together and started out. The runner’s name was Alex and he was thankful to have the company. Right as we were leaving the aid station, we were talking about making sure we have everything and Alex realized he hadn’t filled his bladder. It was a good thing we caught that before getting too far. We walked back so he could fill his bladder.

While I was waiting, I noticed a new runner came in with Black Diamond poles. “Hey Jared,” I called to him, “Are those your poles?”

“I’m not sure,” he replied.

“Because someone picked my poles and left theirs at Shay Mountain,” I told him.

“I think these are your poles. They seemed way newer than mine and a little taller. I just keep thinking I must be really out of it.”

“No worries. Here are your poles.”

We switched our poles and I was thrilled to have my poles back for the rest of the run. As I was walking away, the aid station volunteers were bringing Jared an enormous stack of pancakes and bacon to eat. He was pretty psyched about it.

As Alex and I started to head out again, he was apologizing that we had to go back. I told him not to worry about it because if that didn’t happen I would not have found my poles. We started on the 13+ mile trek to the next aid station. Alex and I were talking and keeping a good pace. He told me that the further he had run previously was a 50K. We walked together for about 2 miles chatting and sharing stories. I could tell he was doing well and had gotten past some of his heat and dehydration loopiness, but he was having difficulty keeping my pace. I asked him if he wanted me to stay with him or if I can go on. He said to go on, so I wished him well and picked up my pace.

Soon I was on my own again. I was feeling great and making good time. I wanted to make it to the next aid station before dark. If I could, my plan was to take a short break to refuel and gear up before heading up La Sal. My plan was to run through most of the night.

Right on target, I walked into the aid station right as the sun was setting. The camp was pretty busy with runners and crew mainly winding down. I got my bag, had some food, and geared back up. I decided to see the medic about my feet, since when I looked down I could see the top of my shoes were wet from my toes and blisters draining. We took a look at my blisters and they were doing fine with the exception of the left pinky toe. The medics drained the pink toe again as well as a couple other blisters. I was ready to go again. I got a little more food and a RedBull. I asked if anyone wanted to join me, but everyone was looking to get some sleep.

I did a gear check with a volunteer before heading out. This was considered one of the more dangerous sections due to the low temperatures, remoteness, exposure to the elements, and how quickly the weather can change on the mountain. I was out of the aid station and on my way around 9pm.

The climb was pretty peaceful and quiet. Since it was pitch black, I couldn’t get a sense of how high I was or check out the views. On the way down, I ran into some trouble following the trail because I was tired, my glasses were fogging up, and the GPX tracker had both the trail and the alternative trail in case of snow.

I made it to Pole Canyon. I was tired, cold, and hungry. I was the only runner at the aid station. The volunteers made me some rice. After a short break, a runner and his pacer showed up at the aid station. I tried to follow them out as they left the aid station, but they were too fast and my glasses just kept fogging up so I lost them within a quarter of a mile. I was back on my own.

With my glasses fogging and the thick forest, I was having trouble following the trail. Eventually, I passed another runner and his pacer. I was still having trouble following the trail, so I tried to not get too far ahead of the runner and pacer. Suddenly I overheard them, “Do you see that?”

“Are those eyes?”

“Those are eyes. I see the body moving.”

“It’s like a cat.”

“That’s a cougar.”

They caught up to me in no time. “There is a cougar back there. We should stick together.”

I did not see the cougar but they were convinced there was one. I figured if there was a chance what they saw was real, it would be better to stick together. We ran together. They were convinced we were being stalked by a cougar. After sometime, we thought the cougar had given up and the runner needed to take a break. I kept going. Unfortunately, I was still having a hard time following the trail. I actually ended up off the trail and was trying to use the GPX to find the trial again but was having an incredibly difficult time. The runner and pacer saw me and gave me guidance to get back on the trail. Once I got back on the trail, I picked up the pace. I was ready to get to the next aid station.

Day √-1: When Time and Space Melt -OR- Amazon Owns Everything

According to my GPX tracker, I was close to the aid station, really close. The weird thing was it felt like I was deep in the woods, nowhere close to where an aid station would be. I continued pushing the pace on the trail. Something didn’t seem right. “I should have hit the aid station by now.”

At the same time, I started to realize that this section of the woods is owned by Amazon.com. (Reality check: Amazon.com does not own any section of the woods.) As I kept running, I was trying to understand what value does Amazon get by owning these woods. Is it for good PR? Is it to help offset their carbon footprint? Does Jeff Bezos just really like Utah and wants to own a part of it?

I realized I needed to focus and find the aid station, so I checked my GPX tracker. “What!?! I missed the aid station.” According to the GPX tracker, I went right by the aid station. I must have been sleep walking. I decided to back track. I didn’t want to be disqualified for missing an aid station. I picked up my pace and continued. After some time, I checked my GPX. “What the hell!?! I missed the aid station again. What is going on? How tired am I?”

I turned around. I told myself, “Slow down and stay awake. You are just missing a turn off the trail to the aid station.” I tried to find the aid station again. This time I felt that my mind was playing tricks on me. I started trying paths that look like branches off the trail. I checked the GPX and I appeared to be off the trail. I found the trail again and went on.

Now I was thinking, maybe the trail goes past the aid station then loops back. I was starting to get really pissed off about the situation. I started blaming Amazon. “Why have made these trails so complicated?” I looked down and saw small circular leaves on the trail. They were not real leaves, they were fake leaves – in fact, they were little Amazon “a” logos. “No wonder I am having so much trouble with the trails, Amazon’s viral marketing idea of fake leaves on the trails have completely covered the trails!! Who knows what it is doing to the ecosystem.”

“Can’t focus on that now. I need to find this aid station,” I told myself. I checked the GPX again. I realized I was too far past the aid station and I turned around. I continued this pattern for 2 to 3 hours before I realized the aid station is underground. “Of course, it is underground. Only Amazon would put their aid station underground. That’s the problem – I need to look for tunnels, not trails.” I began to check to make sure I am ready for some spelunking, that was when I began to realize something is wrong. I don’t have any spelunking gear. In fact, Candice, the race director, didn’t list any on the mandatory list.

The sun came up and I still could not find the aid station, “This can’t be right, let me check the GPX again.” I opened the GPX and by the looks of it I should have been right next to the aid station, so I zoomed in. At that moment, I realized that the point I have been trying to find does not have a name on my map and it is not connected to the trail I am on. I must have accidentally dropped a point on the map at sometime in my journey. I double checked the next real point against my cheatsheet of aid stations. The next real point was the next aid station. Feeling defeated, I found a rock, sat down, had a snack and some water, put my contacts in and thought about the situation.

Day 4: Back on the Trails

I still had plenty of time left to finish the race, but losing all this time in the woods was a major setback. I got back on the marked trail and decided to follow the markers instead of depending on my GPX which was obviously unreliable in my hands.

The woods opened up to single track mountain bike trails. I was running fast and hard. Suddenly, my foot hit and rock and bam – I tripped and hit my knee and head on a rock. While the fall didn’t hurt, I took a minute to check that I was okay. There were no vision or focus issues. I touched my head and could feel that it was bleeding. I got back on my feet and started on the trail again.

The final stretch of this section was a gravel road climb up to the aid station. It was a hot climb in the sun but I was happy to know it was unlikely that I would get lost or trip. When I made it to the aid station, I asked for a medic to check my head. The aid station volunteers were great (as they always are). They brought me my bag, cooked potatoes, ice water, etc. The medic checked me out, cleaned up my head and knee, then covered the cut on my head to keep it clean. He said that it looks good, just a scrap and a very, very small bump.

While I was at the aid station, I asked the volunteer if there were any pacers around looking for someone to run with. One of the coolest things about these ultra distance races is there are almost always runners around willing and ready to pace. The aid station volunteer found someone to pace me within a couple of minutes. Daro, the runner willing to pace me, had to drop out earlier in the race and was now volunteering to pace runners that needed pacers. He had run Moab 240 before. Daro was an awesome pacer. For most of the run, we made great time. There were even parts that I felt like I was pushing him on pace. In the final third of the section, my stomach really started to hurt. I needed a toilet and there was none around or even a good place to go. Daro did his best to keep my mind off of the situation. I was trying as well, asking him questions that he already answered for me about the current and next section of the race. Daro was great, he didn’t mind answering them again for me. We finally made it to the aid station area. I was able to find an available port-a-potty and I was feeling better in no time.

This was the last aid station. I only had 16.3 miles to the finish, but it was dark again. I got a seat at the aid station and had some food, snacks, Tailwind and a RedBull from my drop bag. Daro and I chatted a bit more. I told him that I wanted to do the next section on my own. I was feeling good, I wanted to try it on my own, and I honestly felt bad asking him to pace me again.

Before I left, I asked the medic to help me with my blisters and feet. They had been draining and bleeding so much that the top of my shoe was wet again. We tried to remove the tape from my left pinky toe, but every time I pulled we could see skin tearing. The whole area on and around my toe was dirty and we really needed to clean it out and replace the tape. Eventually I was able to pull off the tape, much to the cringing face of the medic. Once removed, another medic took over. He said she was more skilled with blister and foot issues. She cleaned the area and asked me what I wanted to do since so much skin was missing and misaligned. I said, do what can you do to help me get to the finish line – I’ll deal with the issues later. Her suggestion was to pack the area with gauze and tape it up and she told me that she would not be able to do much to prevent infection. “Let’s do it. I’ll deal with an infection later.” The medic packed the area with gauze and taped everything up.

I was back on my feet and ready to go. The volunteers pointed me in the right direction. I was still tired and did not know the course at all. Within about a minute I heard, “No, go the other way. Turn left.” I had gone off in the wrong direction, but they got me turned around and headed the right way.

I was going slow because I was having trouble finding the trail at first and I was getting very hot in my gear. I had bundled up at the aid station when I started to cool down, but once I started to move again, it was way too warm. I striped down to my t-shirt, shoving all my extra clothes into my pack. I was still having a rough time following the trail. I tried to use the GPX, but I no longer had confidence in my ability to use it. Then I heard a voice, “Hey! Are you on the trail?”

“I don’t know,” I replied.

“I think the trail is over here,” I heard back.

“Okay, I am heading your way.”

I cut through some brush and came upon another runner. I told him thanks for calling out and told him the difficulty I was having following the trail. He mentioned that he did not bring his good light and suggested we stay together. “I agree. I have been having a lot of trouble following the trail, so I would love the company.”

The runner’s name was Alex. We ran, chatted, and got to know each other. He navigated and I kept my lights shining in the direction and the conversation going. We were going slow, but making progress. Things did get rough for us around mile 9 or 10. He was getting tired and frustrated with the trail. I started to lose my vision. I tried multiple things to slow down the vision loss, which worked, but the dry, dusty conditions on top of the lack of sleep meant there was little I could do to stop it. I seriously thought about taking out my emergence blanket-poncho and waiting it out. Alex did not want to leave me behind. It kept feeling like we were almost to the road – it was just around the next turn. Eventually the road was around the next turn. It felt like we had made it. We had 3+ miles left to go, but it was on the road and a paved walking path. I no longer had to worry about not being able to see the trail, rocks, or a drop off and with the reduction of dust in the air, my vision improved.

We hit that road running and ran the whole way in. When we got about about a quarter mile away, Alex eased up just a bit and told me to take off. I think he could tell I wanted to really let loose and push myself until the end. I checked to make sure he was cool with that. He assured me he was. With that, I took off and did not let up until I crossed the finish line.

It felt great to finish. While the adrenaline was still pumping, I picked out my buckle, took my after race photos, and found a chair next to the fire with other runners. A volunteer came over to check on us and bring us food. He brought me a vegan pizza. I don’t know if it was the chefs, the ingredients, the fact that I was finished, exhausted, and undernourished, but that was the best vegan pizza I ever had. No joke. I told the volunteer to let the chef know and to get me another if he could.

It was great to hang out and see some of the runners I had crossed paths with. I actually saw what Alex looked like, since he was completed bundled up when we were running together. I also met his wife. Zac, the runner that saw the cougar, also finished and joined us at the fire. He was still looking for some validation that we were being stalked by a cougar in the woods.

After finishing my second pizza, the adrenaline was fading and I started to fall asleep. It had been about 120 miles and over 50 hours since I slept. Another runner and I asked if the volunteer could find us a ride to our cars. It was a half mile walk to the cars along the road and it was going to be very difficult to do safely in our current condition with all our drop bags. He was able to find us a ride. I thanked everyone and said my goodbyes.

Once dropped off at my car, I called AJ, my wife, as I was heating up the car. The plan was to sleep for a couple of hours before getting some food in Moab and heading out. After catching up with AJ, changing some of my clothes and getting warmed up in the car, I started to write a post to share my completion status. Two hours later, I woke up to realize I fell asleep while writing the post. I finished my post and drove to town to get some breakfast.

Final Thoughts

During the race and even for a short time afterwards, I kept comparing Moab 240 to Bigfoot 200. It may have been because both races are put on by Destination Trails or the fact that so many people asked me to compare them. It is not a fair comparison in many respects. Bigfoot 200 was a very special and unique experience for me. By comparing them, I was overlooking how Moab 240 was special and unique in its own way.

Moab 240 was the first race I ran since the pandemic started. The pandemic changed so many things about races and how we as humans interact. Despite all the restrictions on how we interact, I made real and meaningful connections with other racers. In fact, the restrictions really shined a light on how runners come together during an ultra. Like dehydrated Alex told me when we were running together, “I learned that this is a team sport. We are all on the same team and the goal is to get everyone to the finish.”

Moab 240 was a great reminder, “We are in this together, so provide help when you can and ask for help when you need it.”

Thank Yous & Shout Outs

All the runners I met and shared the Moab 240 experience with: Alex for running together and reminding me what it is like for someone new to them, Jared for stealing and eventually returning my poles, K.K. and crew for the smiles and story sharing, my other Infinitus veteran runner for making me laugh, Zac and pacer for protecting me from cougars, Daro for pacing me, Alex for making sure I didn’t fall off the trail during the last section when my vision was severely impaired, and all the other runners I met and ran with along the way.
Destination Trail Races, Candice, the race directors, organizers, and team of Moab 240 for putting on a great race.
The aid station volunteers who were always willing and eager to help us in any way that could. They made running without a crew a lot easier.
The aid station chefs for making some awesome vegan options. Special shout out to the chef couple at the finish line that made the best vegan pizza I ever had.
The medics that helped tape my feet and drain my blisters.
The photographers for capturing all those awesome moments.
AJ, my wife, for all the help with organization, logistics, booking hotels/flights, and taking care of the kids, animals, etc. at home while I was running.

Other Race Reports

Of course, I was not the only one that ran this race and took the time to write up a report. Here are some race reports from other runners that took on the 2020 Moab 240: