After finishing my second half marathon in January 2019, I was ready to run another (you know what they say about runner’s high). Since my boyfriend Ryan wanted to run a race too, we stumbled across Vacation Races which offers half marathons, ultra marathons, trail running festivals, and trail running adventures throughout the world centered around national parks. Our original plan was to run the race in Yosemite but it was sold out, so our next choice was Bryce Canyon.
Him and his friends signed up for the 50k ultra marathon (roughly 31 miles) while me and another one of his friends signed up to run the half marathon.
TRAINING
We signed up in February so that gave us about 3 months to train. The challenging thing about this race was that this would be my first race on a trail and at high elevation and altitude. Ryan and I couldn’t really do anything about training at sea level but we did our best to make sure our training included lots of hills.
Here are some of the trail runs we did and some that I recommend in the Bay Area:
Batteries to Bluffs Trail (2.2 miles)
Lands End Trail (3.4 miles)
Golden Gate Bridge from Baker Beach Trail (6.3 miles)
French, Bridle and Stream Trail Loop (7 miles)
Berry Creek Falls Loop (8.8 miles)
Tomales Point Trail (9.4 miles)
Old Pinnacles Trail Loop (9.5 miles)
Mount Wittenberg and Bear Valley Loop (13.8 miles)
For someone who hasn’t always been a runner, getting back into the rhythm of running frequently was difficult at first. After a few weeks of running 2-3 times a week I was getting back into my routine and right on track for training. I also invested in a good pair of trail running shoes, which I actually love because they’re also perfect as regular hiking trail shoes if you don’t feel like wearing bulky hiking boots. I recommend going to a specialty running store like A Runner’s Mind to get fitted because they can analyze your running and walking mechanics and take the proper measurements to determine arch height, degree of pronation, and hip mobility.
One aspect of training that I really worked hard on was my diet. My boyfriend introduced Nuun electrolyte tablets that you can add to your water which helps you stay hydrated. I found it to be more effective and hydrating than Gatorade so it was good practice to make it a habit since running in high altitude (where there’s less oxygen in the air) makes you dehydrated faster. I also cut down on fried and processed foods and ate more salads, pasta, fruit, and veggies. Usually before a run I will eat a banana and some Honey Stinger gummies.
EXPLORING BRYCE CANYON
We arrived in Hatch, Utah two days before the race to get acclimated to the altitude. The day before the race we drove around and explored Bryce Canyon and it was the most beautiful day with clear skies.
When we came back to the park two days later, the weather did a 180 on us. It started hailing, then snowing! We couldn’t believe our luck on how clear and sunny it was during our race (even though it was still in the 30s when we started). The visibility was so poor that you could barely see anything more than 20 feet in front of you. The only part of the national park that we managed to see was the Natural Bridge.
RACE DAY
Alarms were set at 4am. Breakfast was a honey, peanut butter, and banana sandwich.
The 50k race started at 6am. The half marathon started at 7am.
We were ready.
The experience of this race was nothing short of easy, it was hands down the toughest race I’ve ran in so far. Training at sea level and then racing at an average elevation over 3,500 ft were no comparison. When we started the race, it was in the high 20s/low 30s. I don’t think I felt my hands for the first 2 hours since they were so numb from the cold. The one flop about the race was that it wasn’t very well marked. Within the first 2 miles someone in the lead made a wrong turn which ended up misleading the rest of the pack. Luckily we were able to resolve the issue quickly, but the same thing happened to the group that raced in the 50k. For the rest of the race I felt like I was pacing myself pretty well. Since we were running in a higher altitude and elevation, it’s normal to add about 1 - 1.5 hrs to your time compared to a race at sea level.
After 13.1 miles and a leg cramp, I crossed the finish line and checked off my third half marathon.
After the race, we all celebrated with a big dinner at Outlaw Saloon.
This was truly an incredible experience and I highly recommend this race or another race through Vacation Races if you’re looking for something challenging and exciting!
