Cedar Breaks at Night Half Marathon

At the start of the year while making a list of races I wanted to run I stumbled across Cedar Breaks night half marathon. This race fell the weekend before my 40th birthday and I figured what a better way to celebrate. Like most other thing’s in my life I did little to no research prior to signing up for this race, but I knew the distance and that it was a mountain trail race. At this point I had no real idea what I was getting myself into. With the start line elevation just under 11,000′ and elevation gain throughout the course of close to 1,500′ I was in for a real treat. Some times these erratic life decisions pay off.

In the months leading up to the race I had been training consistently and ran two other half marathons. Zion at night was a whirlwind with some travel issues, but I was able to finish 5th overall. Utah desert was a little over a month after and I went in with the plan of PR or ER. Needless to say the hammer was dropped and I was able to finish first overall. This was a smaller local race but had me feeling extremely confident in my abilities. After Utah desert half my training block was transitioning to long distance for preparation for the Javelina 100 instead of short and fast like I had been training. Cedar breaks honestly became an afterthought with the weekly miles and hours racking up. It was the last week of July I really realized I still had one last half marathon on the schedule when I received email with all of the race information. I reached out to my coach and let her know the situation, and what we could do to get a plan in place. We realized we had some miscommunication earlier in the year and she didn’t have the race on the schedule. I was asked what my big goal was? It was agreed Javelina was #1 priority and hard big mile training would push on with big mile weeks with lots of time on feet.

Leading into race week I had just logged my biggest week of miles I had ever ran with 80 miles for the week . Not only was my body tired my mind definitely started lacking the motivation I needed. Talking with my coach we decided to keep grinding and keep pushing through the week with no taper prior to the race, and we would adjust my workouts pushing my long run for the week until Sunday. By Thursday it seemed like the stress from the real world was taking over my mind making my workouts seem impossible. Frustration finally set in with getting a late jump on my run for the day only to be derailed by a lightning storm. I made it home safe and tried to get my remaining miles in on the treadmill. I broke down and couldn’t do it!

Getting home Friday from work I had zero excitement packing my things for the race or even running it. I felt like I was just going through the motions to get ready for something I wasn’t stoked on. Normally I am a total basket case double/triple checking my things making sure I have everything I need. Not this time just kind of grabbing and tossing things into my bag. On the way up to the race I let my wife know what I had been feeling about the race, but that I was excited to get away on a small trip with her. Once we arrived at the hotel and got settled in we headed over to the event to get checked in that way I wouldn’t have to right before my 5am start time. This race would have rolling start waves going every thirty minutes from 7pm to 6am with up to 150 runners per wave. I had got checked in 15-20 prior to the first start and seeing the crowd and feeling the excitement my entire attitude changed. Right then I knew I was in for a restless night.

Waking up on race morning I felt better and told myself just run this race to have fun. There is no pressure for time or placement because you haven’t been training for a race like this. I did set a goal to finish to finish in 1:45:00 taking my slowest and fastest half marathon times splitting the difference. I know I said I was running to have fun but you always have to try for something. This also would give a rough finish time so my wife could be at the finish line prior to me making it. After eating a little breakfast I gathered up my gear got ready and headed out to get some short warm up miles in prior to my start time. Once I made it to the check in point it was time to jump on a chair lift taking you up the mountain to the start line. For those who don’t know I am terrified of heights and this would have to be done in total darkness making it even more difficult to get on. After what seemed like an eternity I mustered up the courage to get on the lift making the slow bumpy trip up to the starting line. Stepping off the chair lift a burst of excitement and adrenaline started flowing through my body and I knew it was go time.As I headed out towards the start line I was told by a volunteer it was going to be a self start and my time would start as soon as I crossed the mats. This is not your normal start with a with a crowd of runners pilled together and a count down to start the race. So I took a few minutes to collect myself making sure my shoes were tied, headlamp was working and then just took in the views.

Finally making my way across the starting line I headed up a rocky trail making my way to the first section of single track of the course. After about a half mile I was coming down a hill and thought I may have missed a turn and was already heading the wrong direction. I had heard the first four mile were the majority of the climbing so I thought for sure I was off course. I stopped and started to back track a bit when I noticed headlamps coming towards me. This was great meaning later runners were coming down the same hill I had and I was on the right track. I instantly turned around and started making my way down the hill and around a bent to a meadow. It was at this point I could see where the climb was starting and going with other headlamps bobbing and dancing up the hillside in the distance. The next three miles were extremely hard, and at points I had to power hike just to make it up to the top. My first four miles took almost forty minute to complete this would mean I would have to run nine mile in the next hour to hit my goal time. With my legs and lungs already on fire I knew this would be almost impossible not knowing what else the trail had coming. The sun had just started to rise for the morning and to my surprise the next six miles were all downhill. With a mix of single track and fire roads that would weave in and out of aspen trees and through a meadow of wild flowers the views were more than amazing. Finishing mile ten I realized I had completed the last six mile in the same time as the first four. I was right back on track with three miles to go, but knew there was one final climb between mile ten and eleven. I knew if I could push hard I could make my time I had set, but what I didn’t know is there was rolling climbs between the last mile and finish line. Keeping a close eye on my watch I realized my time was slipping away and I wouldn’t hit my time. My legs feeling like noodles I continued to dig deep pushing my legs to their limit for the last half mile. Coming over the last little hill I could see the finish line and my wife was there cheering me on. I had to finish strong sprinting to the finish line finishing I crossed in 1:52:09.

I knew I hadn’t hit my time goal I had set just a couple hours before and it didn’t matter! I had just complete the hardest race I had ever signed up for, and I finally felt like a true trail runner. After gathering up my snacks and medal at the finish line I waited a few minute to scan the QR code for the final results, and that’s when I got my biggest surprise of the day. The race results showed I was the first overall finisher. I was in complete shock and for sure thought there was a mistake and maybe I had won just my age group. I decide to ask a volunteer who I later on learned was actually the race director how accurate the time were. He let me know the official timers were sleeping but in fact my time had me sitting at first overall. He took my phone number letting me know he would verify the results and let me know. A couple hours later and no finger nails left I received the txt letting me know I had in fact taken first. I still couldn’t believe it and probably asked my wife a hundred times the rest of the day how did I win a race I hadn’t trained for. Here answer every time was because you are amazing, and my reply “Average at Best”